Footsteps sounded in the hallway and without a knock the front door swung open. Jackson tensed and angled his body a step in front of Nikki, ready to fight if needed.
A stout man, a bit older than Jackson, with light blond hair cut close to his scalp and large brown eyes burst into the room with a look of absolute worry. He wore plainclothes with a badge on his belt buckle. He scanned the room quickly before his attention fell squarely on the redhead. In three long strides he engulfed Nikki in a rather long embrace.
“God, Nikki, you could have been killed,” said the officer when he finally backed away. Nikki’s cheeks were tinted pink. She smiled but tightly. Jackson looked between them. Who was this guy?
“I’m aware, Calvin,” she said before tilting her head to Jackson. “Thankfully, Mr. Fields was here to stop anything from happening.”
Calvin seemed to really see Jackson for the first time. He watched as the cop’s expression went from gratitude to suspicion.
“Why were you here?” he asked outright. Jackson noted potential jealousy there and wondered again who the man was to Nikki. The redhead let out an exhalation.
“This is Orion’s newest agent,” she interjected before Jackson could speak. “I asked him over to talk about a contract and lost track of time taking a bath before our meeting. Had he not shown up when he did, that might be me.” She pointed toward the man in the tub.
It sobered the men.
If he wondered why the meeting was so late, Calvin didn’t voice it. Just as Jackson didn’t question the lie, either.
They had bigger issues to deal with.
* * *
J ACKSON WAS GETTING AGITATED , Nikki could tell. The two beat cops who had come in after Calvin were taking his statement as he walked through what had happened in the bathroom. It wasn’t hard to see they were being cold toward him. Even from the living room, Nikki could feel the chill. She had no doubt that they’d already connected who Jackson was and judged him without a second guess. She might have been steely with the new agent before the cops had shown up, but the officers’ negativity ran much deeper and purer than her annoyance at being watched like some errant child.
“Not the warmth a man who just saved my life deserves, don’t you think?”
Detective Calvin Cooper looked up from his notebook, pen paused in his hand. He followed her gaze to the three in the other room.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Nik,” Calvin responded. She’d known him long enough to spot the lie quickly. He’d known her long enough to spot the fact that she’d spotted the lie. He sighed. “Listen, you know Hannigan and Reardon. When something gets under their skin, they have a hard time getting it out.”
“And what’s under their skin this time?” Nikki asked. “Because I doubt what they feel holds a candle to what I’m feeling right now.” She crossed her arms over her chest to further illustrate her point. Calvin looked from her new defensive stance to the officers, now following Jackson back into the living room.
“Listen, Nik, I don’t want to argue,” Calvin said quickly. He had lowered his voice so the three men wouldn’t hear.
“And I wanted to take a damn bubble bath in peace,” she interrupted, not whispering one bit. Her volume made the other three look her way. It was then, seeing Jackson’s jaw tight, expression blank, that she felt the dam break. The spark of anger she’d had for Hannigan and Reardon flared a good deal brighter. Though she was sure the suppressed emotions from earlier were now starting to catch up to her.
“Nikki,” Calvin started, but she wasn’t listening. She didn’t move from her spot next to Calvin and his notepad. Instead she fixed the other officers with a sweeping stare and spoke clearly so there was no confusion it was them she wanted a response from.
“Does there seem to be a problem?” she asked. The three men sent her varying questioning looks. She
A stout man, a bit older than Jackson, with light blond hair cut close to his scalp and large brown eyes burst into the room with a look of absolute worry. He wore plainclothes with a badge on his belt buckle. He scanned the room quickly before his attention fell squarely on the redhead. In three long strides he engulfed Nikki in a rather long embrace.
“God, Nikki, you could have been killed,” said the officer when he finally backed away. Nikki’s cheeks were tinted pink. She smiled but tightly. Jackson looked between them. Who was this guy?
“I’m aware, Calvin,” she said before tilting her head to Jackson. “Thankfully, Mr. Fields was here to stop anything from happening.”
Calvin seemed to really see Jackson for the first time. He watched as the cop’s expression went from gratitude to suspicion.
“Why were you here?” he asked outright. Jackson noted potential jealousy there and wondered again who the man was to Nikki. The redhead let out an exhalation.
“This is Orion’s newest agent,” she interjected before Jackson could speak. “I asked him over to talk about a contract and lost track of time taking a bath before our meeting. Had he not shown up when he did, that might be me.” She pointed toward the man in the tub.
It sobered the men.
If he wondered why the meeting was so late, Calvin didn’t voice it. Just as Jackson didn’t question the lie, either.
They had bigger issues to deal with.
* * *
J ACKSON WAS GETTING AGITATED , Nikki could tell. The two beat cops who had come in after Calvin were taking his statement as he walked through what had happened in the bathroom. It wasn’t hard to see they were being cold toward him. Even from the living room, Nikki could feel the chill. She had no doubt that they’d already connected who Jackson was and judged him without a second guess. She might have been steely with the new agent before the cops had shown up, but the officers’ negativity ran much deeper and purer than her annoyance at being watched like some errant child.
“Not the warmth a man who just saved my life deserves, don’t you think?”
Detective Calvin Cooper looked up from his notebook, pen paused in his hand. He followed her gaze to the three in the other room.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Nik,” Calvin responded. She’d known him long enough to spot the lie quickly. He’d known her long enough to spot the fact that she’d spotted the lie. He sighed. “Listen, you know Hannigan and Reardon. When something gets under their skin, they have a hard time getting it out.”
“And what’s under their skin this time?” Nikki asked. “Because I doubt what they feel holds a candle to what I’m feeling right now.” She crossed her arms over her chest to further illustrate her point. Calvin looked from her new defensive stance to the officers, now following Jackson back into the living room.
“Listen, Nik, I don’t want to argue,” Calvin said quickly. He had lowered his voice so the three men wouldn’t hear.
“And I wanted to take a damn bubble bath in peace,” she interrupted, not whispering one bit. Her volume made the other three look her way. It was then, seeing Jackson’s jaw tight, expression blank, that she felt the dam break. The spark of anger she’d had for Hannigan and Reardon flared a good deal brighter. Though she was sure the suppressed emotions from earlier were now starting to catch up to her.
“Nikki,” Calvin started, but she wasn’t listening. She didn’t move from her spot next to Calvin and his notepad. Instead she fixed the other officers with a sweeping stare and spoke clearly so there was no confusion it was them she wanted a response from.
“Does there seem to be a problem?” she asked. The three men sent her varying questioning looks. She
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