Cobb by Maryann Jordan
20
Jorge looked across the room, unable to keep the smile from his face. His parents had reacted with excitement as soon as they arrived at the family home, calling the grandparents to join them. It didn’t take long for Josie’s parents to pop by, making for a lively gathering. He wanted to shout to everyone that Josie was it for him, but knowing that wasn’t fair to her, they just let their families know they were dating.
His gaze followed her as she stood to one side, admiring his grandmother Naomi’s turquoise jewelry while complimenting his grandmother Maria’s canapés. His mom and Betty Rector had their heads inclined together, whispering discreetly, but he felt sure they were trying to figure out a way that he and Josie could marry and begin producing grandchildren immediately. Their fathers looked as though they’d won the lottery and were soon joined by his grandfather, Edward, Sr.
A hand on his shoulder had him turn around, his heart warming as his grandfather Carlos’ wizened smile met his. “Tata,” he greeted affectionately.
“You are well, Jorge?”
He chuckled and nodded. “I am.”
Carlos nodded toward the women on the other side of the room. “Josephine is a beautiful woman.”
“She is. Inside as well as out.”
The creases in Carlos’ face deepened with his smile. “That is best. Like my Naomi.” They were quiet for another moment, but he had no doubt his grandfather had more to say. The older man cast his gaze to the side, his smile still on his face. “So, the women are wondering if you two are just dating while you’re here or if there is something more going on between you two.”
He let out a long breath, his gaze pinned on Josie’s gentle laughter at something Maria said. Swallowing deeply, he said, “I can’t say for sure. I know that when the threat against her is over, and I have to return to Maine, I’d like her to come with me. But it seems too early to ask something like that of her. We’ve just started our relationship.”
Carlos nodded. “Tardé una hora en conocerte y solo un día en enamorarme. Pero me llevará toda una vida lograr olvidarte.”
His breath caught in his throat as he listened to his grandfather’s words, repeating them in English. “It took me an hour to get to know you and just a day to fall in love. But it will take me a whole life to be able to forget you.”
His grandfather nodded. “I knew the first day I met your grandmother that she was the one for me. I was in love. We had so many obstacles in our life. My family… her family… traditions. But I knew that if we weren’t together, I would regret it my whole life.” He twisted his head to look up at Jorge. “If that’s what you feel, then how long you’ve known her doesn’t matter. All that’s important is what you’ll do about it.” With another pat on his arm, Carlos walked over to the other men.
Just then, Josie turned and caught his eye, her smile capturing his heart. He walked over and slid his arm around her shoulders, loving the feel of hers around his waist. Bending, he whispered, “You okay?”
She nodded, but before she could answer, the clinking on a glass caught everyone’s attention. Turning together, all eyes landed on his father as he held his drink.
“It’s always a pleasure when our adult children make a visit, and especially when they bring others into our fold. It’s with pride and love that I toast my son, Jorge. To the man he has become, we are so proud of you as you forged your own path of honor and duty in this world. And to the sweet and lovely Josephine, we are so pleased to have you with us as well. My son warned me not to make too much of things, so let me just say that I hope your… uh… friendship continues to grow together.”
Laughter rang out as they toasted the couple. Hugging her to his side, he kissed her blush-heated cheek.
It took thirty minutes for them to finally make it through goodbyes, each parent and grandparent having to have their moment with each of them. Once ensconced inside the SUV, he turned at the sound of her giggle and spied the gathering on the front portico of his parents’ house all waving goodbye.
“Jesus, you’d think they’d never had guests before,” he grumbled, looking askance toward Josie, unsure of her reaction to his multiple surprises during the day.
“You know, I should be furious with you.”
Her voice was calm, but he understood the gentle censure coming through her tone. Sighing, he nodded. “I know I shouldn't have sprung all this on you. Originally, I thought of coming by myself to speak to your dad. But after yesterday, I didn't want to leave you alone. But I couldn't figure out how to tell you that I wanted to speak to him about us. Not the case, but us.”
“I get that, Jorge. I do. But we're new. There's still so much we don't know about each other.” She snorted and shook her head. “That's an understatement if there ever was one!”
“Every great relationship starts with two people just getting to know each other. I may not know your favorite color, but I know you as a person. You’re the perfect blend of reserved in a large crowd and yet fun with your friends. I know you work tirelessly to help others and yet don’t toot your own horn. I know you love your family. Love to travel. Love to see new places. Are smart enough to not buy a house until you know it’s where you want to stay. I know you’re beautiful straight out of the shower with wet hair and no makeup or first thing in the morning when your eyes are barely open.”
The soft inhalation coming from next to him caused him to jerk his gaze toward her, observing the tears in her eyes and the play of a smile about her lips.
“Why do you always have to say things to me that make me want to jump you when you’re driving?” she asked.
Chuckling, he said, “Damned if I know!” He made an exaggerated effort to swing his head around. “Why the hell isn’t there a hotel around when you need one?”
She laughed and shook her head. Reaching over, she placed her hand on his leg. “Okay, you’re right. We know enough about each other now to be sure of what we feel.”
“Damn straight.”
The rest of the drive was spent in lively conversation, beginning with a game of twenty questions as they discovered a shared love of music, Thai noodles, homemade bread, long walks, and British comedies.
Parking in her driveway, he scanned the area as his typical precaution. Her security was monitored by LSI and he knew they had not noticed anything untoward.
Entering her house, she slid off her shoes and plopped her purse onto the counter, saying, “I’ll feed Melon.” As the cat slinked into the kitchen, its tail twitching in anticipation of a midnight snack, her phone vibrated an incoming message.
She reached into her purse and glanced at the screen. Her scream pierced his heart as he stared to see her wide-eyed horror. Racing to her side, he grabbed the phone. There, on the screen was a photograph of Caesar, slumped as he was tied to a chair. Blood covered his bruised face and a bullet hole was in his temple. The message under the picture was clear. Don’t be next.
“Fuck!” he shouted. The soft moan to his side sliced through the white-hot rage that roared through him. Whirling around, he watched as Josie slumped backward, her hips hitting the counter behind her. Her lips were as white as her complexion, causing the intensity of her blue eyes to stand out even more. She slumped further, and he snapped his hands out to grab hold of her, gently settling her on the floor as he knelt with her.
Softening his voice, he murmured, “It’s okay, babe. I’ve got you. I’ve got you.” Her head fell forward onto his chest as heat poured from her body. Recognizing the adrenaline of fear running through her, he shifted his ass to the floor, easing her into his embrace. The hair along her forehead was soaked with sweat, and he pushed it back, placing his lips against her skin. His fingers found the pulse on her wrist, noting it to be slow but steady.
“Josie, stay with me, baby. I want you to lean forward and put your head between your knees.”
“I’m okay,” she mumbled in a whisper. “Do… whatever…”
“I need to report this to Floyd and my team, but you’re my first concern. Take deep breaths. In through your nose slowly, then out through your mouth slowly. Breathe with me.” He mimicked the slow breathing, glad when she followed his lead.
She lifted her head, her eyes still glazed. “I’m okay.”
He slid his hand into his pocket and pulled out his phone. Quickly pressing a few buttons, he said, “Got a problem. Josie just got a text. It’s a photograph of Caesar. He’s dead. I need all hands on deck. Give me a call when you’re ready.” He disconnected, knowing the Keepers on the other end would know what they needed to do. With another few clicks on his phone, he waited till Floyd answered. “It’s Cobb. I need you at Josie’s now.” Disconnecting from that call, he also knew the agent would be at Josie’s soon. Figuring he had about fifteen minutes before Floyd’s arrival, he shoved his phone back into his pocket and turned his full attention toward her.
She lifted her head, and while still pale, the deep breathing had the desired effect as her complexion now had a faint tinge of pink instead of pure white.
“I want to get you off the floor, baby.” He shifted to a squat, and with his hands under her arms, he gently lifted her to her feet, continuing to hold her, not trusting her legs to support her slight weight. “Floyd is on his way over, and I want to get you into your bedroom.”
She lifted her gaze, her eyes searching his face, then slowly shook her head. “Jorge, I don’t want to be off by myself.”
“Baby, I’ll be right here in the house with you. But I don’t want you to have to be part of the conversation that I’m going to have with my people and Floyd.”
Her tongue darted out and licked her lips as she continued to shake her head. “I’m already involved.”
She appeared steadier on her feet, and as much as he wanted to tuck her into bed and hide her away, he knew she was right. “Then let’s get you comfortable.” With his arm wrapped around her shoulders and the other arm holding her hand, he escorted her to the sofa, settling her against the deep cushions. Jogging back into the kitchen, he grabbed a bottle of water and a banana from the bowl of fruit. Stalking back over, he unscrewed the lid off the water and handed it to her. “Stay hydrated and eat the banana.” Knowing she was perfectly capable of eating and drinking on her own, he could not help but stand watch over her, his hands ready to reach out if she needed any assistance.
Looking up, she said, “I don’t need you to stare at me while I’m eating a banana—”
“Give this to me, Josie.” He knew his voice was guttural, and her nose crinkled in surprise. Letting out a deep breath, he added, “I need to know that you’re okay. And you need to let me.” He held his breath for a second, wondering if she was going to argue. She simply nodded, and he breathed a little easier.
His phone vibrated, and he pulled it out, seeing a one-word message from Floyd. Here. A few seconds later, there was a knock on the door. He flung it open, stepping back to allow the agent to enter.
With no preamble, he held out Josie’s phone and said, “This just came in.”
Floyd’s calm demeanor fled as his eyes flashed. “Goddammit,” he growled. His gaze jerked back up to Cobb’s and then over to Josie sitting on the couch. He reiterated,” Josie’s phone?”
Nodding, Cobb said, “Yeah. She got to it before I did. And the accompanying message.”
Floyd’s gaze dropped to the phone screen again, his jaw tightening.
“We've run out of time. Whoever this is, they’re escalating.”
“Have you talked to your people?”
“I should get a call any moment. I told them I was bringing you in.” Cobb twisted his head around and looked toward the sofa, seeing Josie's gaze pinned on him. He moved over to her, sitting on the coffee table, his legs spread so that his knees bordered hers. And leaning forward, with her hands now in his, he tried to offer his body as a comforting shelter. “Josie, I know you want to hear what's going on. And I swear, I don't want to keep you in the dark. But I need to know that you're safe. Not just physically, but emotionally. I'm not sure I can do that with you sitting here in the room. I'm going to be watching every word I say, and every word that anyone else is saying.”
She held his gaze for a moment, then nodded slowly. “I don't like the idea of hiding out in my bedroom, Jorge. But I don't want to hamper you, either.”
“How about we run a tub and you soak in a hot bath for a while. I'll check on you to make sure you're fine—”
“I think I know how to bathe myself,” she said, her lips trembling as they curved slightly.
“I know, but you've suffered a shock, and I still want to keep an eye on you. If you try to relax for a little bit and let me, Floyd, and the Keepers see what we can come up with, I promise to bring you up to speed when we’re finished.”
She held his gaze for another moment, then nodded slowly. “It feels like it's going against what I want to do, but I agree. I don't want to hinder your investigation. I know you're protecting me.”
He stood and gently drew her to her feet. Looking over her shoulder toward Floyd, he offered a chin lift. “I'll be right back. Grab something to drink and make yourself at home.”
He escorted her through the main bedroom to the bath and leaned over to turn on the taps. Turning around, he lifted his hands and cupped her face, sweeping his thumbs over her shock-chilled cheeks. “I'm not going to shut the door, but I promise you'll be safe in here. I want to be able to hear you if you need me.”
She nodded her acquiescence, and he bent, sealing his lips over hers in a soft, gentle kiss. She stripped quickly and stepped over into the tub, groaning as she eased into the deep water. Bending to kiss the top of her head, he walked out, making sure to leave the door cracked.
Stalking down the hall, he allowed his focus to center, but the warrior inside raged again. Time to fucking figure out who killed Caesar and is threatening Josie.
