Deceptive Truth: Cowboy Justice Association (Serials and Stalkers Book 4) by Olivia Jaymes (psychology books to read .TXT) 📗

"I hope so."

"If this is too much for you, I completely understand. We can put you on a plane back to Seattle while Eli and I continue on here. This is a hell of a lot to put yourself through, Jenna, and you don't have to. No one will think less of you if you want to go home."

Home. A funny word. Seattle wasn't home. She had a temporary rental there. She didn't really have much of a home. Her job didn't lend itself to putting down roots in one place for very long. Her time with Knox was the most "at home" she'd felt in a long time, even when they were staying in a house belonging to his boss.

She didn't need to think about the offer very long. She'd long ago made her decision. She would see this through. Her temporary discomfort didn't outweigh her need to find out the truth about Lori. It just hurt, but she could endure it.

"I'm going to stay. It's disturbing, but I need to do this. I'll be okay, I promise. I won't faint on you or anything like that."

Knox didn't get a chance to reply. Jenna's phone started buzzing with an incoming text. She'd left her phone on the kitchen counter so she quickly excused herself to check it. She'd sent an earlier message to Michelle to see how she was doing and she was hoping for a reply. Her sister was in meetings all day, but it was evening now and she should be done with work.

Thumbing to her messages, she scanned the text and the sender. Her knees almost gave way underneath her and she had to grab onto the granite counter to keep from falling into a heap on the floor. Her dinner was threatening to make a second appearance as her stomach tumbled in her abdomen.

Knox shot up from the table and wrapped his arm around her waist to steady her.

"Honey, are you alright? You're white as a sheet. Are you sick?"

Her entire body was shaking as she handed him her telephone, showing him what had brought about this reaction. He frowned, looking down at the phone, at her, then back at the phone again. The message was straight and to the point.

Stop digging or you'll regret it. I can see what you're doing and I know where you are. You can't hide from me. You have protection but eventually it won't be enough. Back off.

And the sender of the text?

It was from Lori's missing cell phone.

22

Knox didn't have the opportunity to feel triumphant. Jenna was intensely shaken by the text from Lori's phone, clearly upset by the blatant threat. He needed to be there for her even though he didn't think he was a particularly comforting human being. But he'd do his best.

Inside, however, he was doing fist pumps in the air. They were making waves with the investigation and someone was scared and panicking. As he'd told Jenna a few times, this was good news. Panic made people make mistakes. It also meant that they were getting closer, otherwise their quarry wouldn't be troubled in the least.

He'd sent the message off to Logan, who was going to get Jared to try and triangulate the location of Lori's cell phone, if at all possible. Wherever Lori's phone was, surely the responsible party was also.

Eli had offered to stay behind but Knox had assured him that he needed to go check out Hedgcock's house. That needed to be done sooner rather than later. Knox didn't think that anyone would try anything at the safe house but they had plenty of security, just in case.

"When we're done there, I can do the night shift if you like," Eli offered. "I slept on the plane on the way out here, and I don't need much sleep anyway."

"You sound like Ryan. He's practically a robot. He lives on caffeine and chocolate donuts."

"Sounds like my kind of guy. Seriously, you stay with Jenna. I'll keep watch over things."

"I should argue but I'm not going to. But if you need me, let me know."

"Hopefully, it will be a boring night."

That was Knox's hope as well. After Eli left to meet the former DEA guys, Knox went to find Jenna and see how she was doing. She'd gone to lie down after dinner, but he didn't want to leave her alone too long. He had a feeling her mind was making up ever-worsening stories in her head and she needed to stop torturing herself.

She wasn't lying down, however. There was a strip of light underneath the bathroom door and he tentatively knocked, only wanting to be sure that she was okay.

"Honey, do you need anything?"

"No, I'm good. I decided to take a soak in the bathtub."

Knox wasn't a saint. He was only a flesh and blood man. And currently that blood was rushing into places south of his belly button. He shouldn't even be having these thoughts. Jenna was in a vulnerable place and here he was thinking with his dick about how she might look in the bathtub.

I'm a bad man.

"Oh, okay. I'll–"

"You can come in. It's okay."

No, it wasn't. This wasn't fine at all. He was a horn dog. No, he was King of the Horn Dogs. He should be ashamed of himself. He really should.

He opened the door anyway.

His hand wasn't taking orders from his addled brain right now.

Jenna was in the bathtub covered in a sea of bubbles. Christ on a pogo stick, it was sexy as fuck. The foam was playing a particularly sadistic game of peek-a-boo