Page 53 of Lost Soul

“Remember what I said,” Carly whispers, placing her hand over mine before she leaves with Skid. It’s just me and Jessie in the room now, the air crackles like a spreading fire, but his intense stare causes a cool stream to slither through the heat in my spine.

“So, you work for them?” he says, his face looking far more hurt than angry.

“No…” I shake my head. “Well… maybe. I’ve done things for the man who was at the warehouse before you got there,” I try to explain.

“What man?” he asks leaning forward, crossing his arms over his knees.

“Their boss... President thingy, whatever you guys call it. I never knew he was part of a club, he never had the waistcoat on when he came to me.”

“Cut,” Jessie corrects me sharply.

“Sorry, cut.”

“What kinda work you do?” His voice is rough and intimidating, making me even more on edge.

“I told you, I hack.”

“And what exactly did you hack, darlin’?” he questions sarcastically.

“I tracked cell phones, intercepted some emails, moved money from accounts, got a few warrants dropped, nothing too difficult.” Jessie does a terrible job of hiding the shock from his face as he listens. “But I promise had no idea I was doing it for a club,” I add, “Not until…”

“Until when?” He sits up straighter, his interest peaked.

“That night Hay…” Her name gets caught in my throat. “Hayley brought me here to that party, and I saw someone I recognized. I’d seen his face on some file I’d been told to lift.

“Someone from this club?” Jessie says, looking back at me with such anger it causes tears to sting the back of my eyes.

“Yes.” I look down at my feet shamefully.

“So you used Hayley to get to us.” His voice turns gravelly, and when his words sink in and I realize what he’s thinking it devastates me that he would think I could do such a thing.

“No. Jessie, no, not at all. I had no idea it was you guys that I was getting the information on. What I was hacking were just words, figures, and locations on a computer screen. The messages you send are basic, details, times, and places I could never have known it was you. It wasn’t until I saw that guy here that night that I suspected anything, and then when I put the two together, and who they were having me look into I got scared and started ignoring his calls. I guess that’s why he came after me.” I need so badly for him to believe me because the truth is all I have left to save me.

“I call bullshit… You must have known something,” he says, tilting his head in suspicion.

“Honestly. You have to believe me, Jessie, I didn’t. The man never wore his cut when he came to the house, but, even if I had known who he was, I would still have had to do what I did. I didn’t have a choice.” Jessie charges at me, his hand fisting the hair at the back of my head, pulling back and forcing me to look up at him.

“There’s always a fuckin’ choice,” he tells me through clenched teeth, wild with rage. But I shake my head against his firm grip.

“Not when someone’s threatening your family.” His hold on my hair doesn’t falter, but the hard look on his face does.

“Clunk threatened you?” he checks, instinct tells me his anger is no longer aimed at me.

“Yeah,” I nod. “I promise you, Jessie, I would never have done anything to hurt Hayley, or you or your cl—” I’m shocked when he shuts me up with his mouth. His lips crushing mine, without any warning, and stopping me from finishing what I had to say. The grip he has at the back of my head pushes my face tighter on to his. Gripping my bottom lip between his teeth, he gently tugs it so my lips open for him. His tongue slides through them, exploring the inside of my mouth desperately, and I automatically join in on the action.

My head spins with confusion, too much has happened today for me to be enjoying this as much as I am. Yet my hands reach up around his neck and pull him closer, petrified that he’ll pull away. He hisses into my mouth, and my pussy clenches when his fist in my hair tightens again. This is everything I never imagined my first kiss to be, not gentle and far from soft. Instead it’s frenzied, desperate, and raw. I never want to be kissed in any other way or by anyone else as long as I live, and I almost cry out when he forces himself away from me and takes a step back.

“Fuck,” he mutters, holding his hair back from his face and staring at me like he’s suddenly become scared of me.

“You’re gonna need to tell me everything, darlin’, start to fuckin’ finish, everything you did. Okay?” His finger is gentle as it slides over my cheek, all traces of the monster from the basement now vanished.

“What, right now?” I ask, still trying to catch my breath.

“Yeah, then I got something needs takin’ care of,” he tells me, crouching in front of me and taking my hands in his.

“Something like what?” I ask, wondering how he can kiss me that way, and then get back to business as usual.

“Something like goin’ downstairs and beggin’ the Prez for your fuckin’ life,” he tells me, and I suddenly wish I hadn’t asked, especially when I see real worry in his eyes.

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