Cobb by Maryann Jordan
22
Josie woke in a warm cocoon, blinking at the early morning dawn peering through the slats of her blinds. She’d slept, although fitfully, waking numerous times during the night. Each time, Jorge’s arms had tightened around her, his lips pressed against her forehead, and his hand gently soothed over her shoulders and back until she fell asleep once again.
She heard his steady breathing, glad that he had finally found rest, knowing she’d woken him often. For a few minutes, she stared at the ceiling fan slowly circling, her mind revolving in a similar pattern. Over and over, she thought of Caesar. Did he know what was going to happen to him? Was he the one running the money through the clinic or was he an innocent pawn? A criminal mind or a bystander? Did I simply stumble into something he was trying to hide?
Part of her wanted to curse the bad luck of making the decision right then to review the donations, but in truth, she knew it was better to have discovered the subterfuge than for the clinic to blissfully be ignorant of the various uses of its finances. Or be shut down if it had been discovered by someone else!
For the millionth time in less than a day, the image of Caesar on her phone screen hit the back of her eyes. She licked her dry lips, battling the nausea that threatened to rise. As a social worker, she’d seen abuse, neglect, fear, need, drug use, poverty, homelessness, and desperation. She thought she’d seen the worst of human depravity, but she’d never seen the aftereffects of possible torture and then murder. The air in her lungs rushed out, but she stilled her movements, not wanting to wake Jorge.
And someone wants me silent.
Jorge stirred, and she knew he was waking. Glad for his presence now in her life, she battled the feeling that her life was no longer her own. His eyes blinked open, their darkness warm as they landed on her. He lifted his hand and brushed her hair away from her face before his palm cupped her cheek. He shifted to his side and drew her close, placing a gentle kiss on her lips. “How’s my Josie today?”
My Josie. How was it that in the middle of a nightmare those two words moved through her, swirling about her heart, sending a smile to her lips?
“If I said okay or fine, I’m not sure that would be correct. But I’m safe and here in your arms. So, I think that’s the best it can be right now.”
He nodded, his thumb sweeping over her cheek before touching his lips with hers again. “I’d like nothing more than to keep you right here all day—”
“I know, but I missed going to the clinic yesterday, and I don’t want to miss again. And for my sanity, I need to keep things as normal as possible.”
“That’s my Josie. Fuckin’ beautiful and resilient. Absolutely perfect.” With another touch of their lips, he rolled out of bed and gently pulled her along with him.
As he stalked into the bathroom, she looked down as Melon weaved about her feet. “I know, I know, it’s time for you to be fed.” Padding into the kitchen, she determined to go about her business as normally as possible. Hearing the water in the shower turn on, her feet stumbled slightly at the thought of Jorge and how fast life was moving for them.
Life’s too short for doubts.And for the first time, the possibility of Maine loomed as a beacon in the distance… like a lighthouse guiding the way.
* * *
Josie moved through her normal routine in the clinic… at least, she hoped, as far as the others could tell. She completed paperwork, had several counseling meetings in her office, and oversaw new clients as they came in needing medical assistance. She smiled at her coworkers, listened with interest as Laurie talked about buying her wedding dress, joked with Mario as he described the latest antics of his children, and managed to eat lunch with them without choking.
Jorge had decided to be less conspicuous at the clinic and was sitting in his SUV near the back door. He'd texted her to let her know that the other Keepers had arrived and would meet them at her house that evening.
She hated for him to be in the car most of the day but knew he was working securely from whatever super-secret computer he had readily available. Before her situation, she'd had no idea what a security business might look like. Even with her little knowledge of what all Jorge did, she realized that his boss seemed to have spared little expense in preparation for the missions and security details they undertook. Just remembering his quick descriptions of some of the other Keepers meeting their significant others on missions made her realize that her initial comparison of him to a TV bodyguard seemed ridiculous.
After her last client had left the clinic, Josie walked toward the break room on her way to the restroom, slowing as she heard Charlene and Mark conversing. Hearing the word ‘casino’, her feet stumbled. That word normally wouldn’t have hit her radar, and yet, because she was now suspicious of everything and everyone, she stopped just outside the door, glancing around to make sure no one else could see her.
“I love the casinos in Ciudad Juarez,” Charlene said. “I only go to the nicer ones, but winning there means the money is all mine.”
“Have you ever been to the Sol Ciudad Juarez?” Mark asked.
“A couple of years ago I had a boyfriend take me, but it's not as nice as the Grand King. I think the food and drinks are better at the King.”
“Did you say you’re going tonight?” Mark asked.
“We try to avoid the crowds on the weekend, so the middle of the week is better.” Charlene laughed. “Personally, I think the casinos let you win a little bit more money if you go in the middle of the week. At least, that always happens when I’m with Anton. I call him my good luck charm!”
“What do you do with the money you win besides spend it on clothes?”
“Anton is some kind of investor. I don't know exactly what he does, but I give him my money, and it doesn't take too long before I get more back! It's like having my own little personal money machine!”
“I wouldn't mind having someone like that in my life too.”
“Let me talk to him, maybe he'll take you on as a client.”
It sounded as though footsteps were getting closer, and Josie quickly backtracked to the end of the hall, then turned around. As Charlene and Mark stepped out of the workroom, she greeted them as though she had just left her office.
Getting ready to leave, she shook her head, wondering about her sanity. This is getting ridiculous. Two coworkers are just talking about their plans, and I'm worried about it being nefarious. As she walked out of the clinic heading toward Jorge, a vision of Caesar ran through her mind, causing a shudder to run through her whole body, giving the reminder that she was not being ridiculous.
Seeing Jorge’s dark eyes follow her from the back door of the clinic toward him, his smile widened, and her heart lightened. Too old to break into a skip, she hustled over to his SUV, not surprised when he climbed from the driver’s seat and met her at her door.
Bending, he kissed her lightly, mumbling, “Christ, I’ve missed you, babe.”
“You didn’t have to stay out here all day,” she said, placing her hand in his as he assisted her up into the passenger seat.
Instead of closing the door, he leaned his large body into the space, his hand cupping her cheek. “I thought it was best to stay out of the clinic today but close where I can keep an eye on you. It would give you a chance to feel a little bit more normal… less crowded.”
She reached up and wrapped her hand around his wrist while leaning her face into his palm. “You may be a big guy, but you never crowd me.” She hesitated, then decided to go all out and let him know how she was feeling. “I missed you. In such a short time, I got used to you being around. I like you being around.”
He leaned in and kissed her again. She opened her mouth in an invitation, glad when he accepted, and his tongue slid between her lips. The kiss deepened, and he pressed forward a little more, their chests flush. After a moment, he leaned back, his breath ragged as she sucked air into her lungs.
“Damn, babe. All I want to do is take you home, strip you, and not come up for air until we're both sated and can’t move.”
“That sounds perfect to me,” she admitted, tightening her thighs to ease the ache.
“You forget, we're ordering for five tonight. My coworkers' meeting is at your house.”
She blinked, her chin jerking back slightly. “I’ve been nervous about meeting them, and after one kiss, you knocked that fear right out of my mind.”
He laughed and stepped backward, closing her door before jogging around and climbing behind the wheel. “They’re good guys, good friends, and believe me, they’ll love you.”
The ride home only took fifteen minutes, barely time for her to get nervous again. Pulling into the driveway, she caught sight of the large, black SUV sitting out front. “They don’t worry about being conspicuous, do they?”
Jorge laughed and shook his head. “Nope. As far as we’re concerned, we want anyone looking to know you’ve got protection.”
Following their usual protocol, he hustled her inside, then turned to welcome the three Keepers into her home. As each one entered, her eyes bugged a little bigger and her mouth opened a little wider. Tate was tall and muscular, with dark brown hair and a square jaw. He smiled as he shook her hand, greeting her warmly. He was followed by Bray, whose smile was even wider and his greeting just as warm. Bray was not quite as tall as Jorge but appeared to be just as muscular, with wavy dark hair that curled slightly over his ears. Next came Drew, and while she thought Jorge and the other two men were tall, Drew was easily over six and a half feet tall. Feeling completely dwarfed, his huge smile, wink, and ready laugh had her quickly at ease.
“Thank you all for coming,” she began but got no further because the men quickly waved her ready concerns away, letting her know they were happy to assist.
Just as she was about to offer them something to drink, Melon made her presence known. “Whoa, gorgeous cat,” Bray said, bending to rub Melon’s ears.
“Babe, why don't you take care of your cat, and I'll grab some beers for the guys.” He turned to the others. “There's an Italian restaurant nearby that delivers, and they are fucking amazing.”
“Sounds good to me,” Drew said, the others quickly agreeing.
Jorge took care of the ordering while she fed Melon and then disappeared into her bedroom to get comfortable. Normally, she would have thrown on yoga pants and a slouchy sweatshirt, but now stood in her bedroom in indecision. What does one wear when one is going to have dinner with four huge, gorgeous, protective men, one who holds my heart and three who hold his friendship? Unable to come up with the correct outfit, she decided comfortable was best. A few minutes later, with a headband holding her hair back and her comfortable yoga pants and slouchy sweatshirt with ballet slippers on her feet, she moved back into the living area.
It only took a few more minutes for their dinner to be delivered, and she grabbed fresh beers for the men and a glass of wine for herself. Uncertain if she should play hostess, it appeared that Jorge didn’t want her to be concerned as he placed the food containers on her kitchen counter next to a stack of plates and called out, “Come and get it.”
The men insisted that she go first, and she scooped a few spoonfuls onto her plate.
“Babe,” Jorge said, leaning in close with his hand on her waist. “You don't have to be afraid about eating in front of these men.”
“Oh, it's not that.” Her gaze darted around before landing on his. “It's just… I haven't really been that hungry since… um…”
“Shit, Josie. I’m sorry.” His fingers dug in slightly, and he kissed the side of her head, nodding.
Soon they were settled at the table. Still nervous at first, she soon found the Keepers to have lively conversations, never excluding her. Her eyes widened as they went back several times to refill their plates.
“Cobb, man, you were right. This food is amazing.”
A grin slipped across her face as she listened to Jorge’s friends refer to him by his last name. He looked over and caught her smile and responded with one of his own. “Believe it or not, Mace told me that in the late 1800s, there was a lighthouse keeper named George Cobb, no relation to me, who served in a lighthouse near San Francisco. He was awarded a Lifesaving Medal when he saved three young men from drowning. There’s a U.S. Coast Guard ship named after him.”
“I’m not surprised.” As soon as the words left her lips, she blushed slightly but continued to hold his gaze, ignoring the other men at the table. “I just mean that even though he’s no relation to you, it doesn’t surprise me that your name so resembles another hero.”
A movement from across the table drew her attention, and she watched as Tate reached into his pocket and handed a small box to Jorge. Curious, she didn’t want to ask what was in the box, but from the smile on Jorge’s face, he wasn’t surprised.
She soon forgot about the box as the conversation around the table continued, especially when it evolved into a discussion about her situation.
“The attorney whose empty office you checked out in El Paso is still in the wind. With your information, we’ve determined that that was nothing more than a space to give him a legitimate mailing address. Everything we can find on him points to him operating in Mexico as well as the States. His name is tied into the Grand King Casino in Ciudad Juarez, which we know has cartel backing,” Tate reported.
“Have you determined if he is real?”
“The name Carson Wright on paper is real. But if it is one person or just a name that others use? We still can’t confirm.”
Josie startled, quickly turning toward Jorge. “I can’t believe I forgot, but I heard Charlene and Mark talking about the Ciudad Juarez casinos today. It sounded like Mark hasn’t been to the Grand King, but Charlene said her boyfriend takes her there. She was bragging about how it was easier to win money during the week and not having to report any winnings. She also mentioned that her boyfriend was the one who handled her winnings, not knowing what he did but saying she got a high return on it.”
“That goes along with what we’ve been finding out.” Cobb reached his arm out and rested it along the back of her chair, his hand gently rubbing her shoulder. “They told me that Anton has a standing table at the Grand King Casino every Wednesday night. His name has come up as a person of interest with the FBI, and he’s definitely a person of interest with us as well.”
“Are you still going in?” Drew asked.
Her brows lowered as her attention was drawn to Drew. Seeing he was staring at Jorge, she swung her gaze back to him. “Going in where?”
He dug his fingers slightly into her shoulder. “Everything ties this attorney to the suspicious companies that were running money through your clinic with the assistance of Caesar. And everything indicates that he works for a cartel that runs the Grand King.”
“But Charlene said it was a really nice casino. She wouldn’t go to a dive.”
“Babe, that’s just the kind of front that a cartel would want. We’re talking big money, hundreds of millions of dollars if not more. It serves as a way to get drug money in and out of the country, and the Mexican government is, quite frankly, powerless to do anything about it.”
With her elbow propped on the table, she rested her head in her hands and sighed. “I thought I was more worldly than this, but I had no idea how these things work.”
“No reason for you to, Josie. What you do is healing… what the cartels do is tear apart, ” Bray said, and she shifted her gaze to him. His eyes were kind, and it struck her as odd that he was one of the Keepers that was still single. Jorge had told her that Bray had been a medical officer in the Army Special Forces, having been trained as a physician’s assistant.
Suddenly jolting as Jorge’s earlier words slammed into her, she jerked her gaze back to him. “What do you mean by go in? You’re not talking about going into a cartel’s casino in Mexico, are you?” Her voice raised with each word until she almost squeaked at the end.
“Josie, I can go in tomorrow, legally crossing into Mexico and legally coming back. I’ll just be one of the many people gambling in the casino but can check things out.”
“But why you?”
His chin dropped slightly, and his eyes widened then rolled as he stared back at her. “Babe, really? Look at me. I can get in and out with the least threat of anyone suspecting me.”
Her eyes narrowed as his meaning became clear. “You’ve got to be kidding me! You’re the Lighthouse Security’s heritage-diverse-special-agent-man that they can just send in whenever they want somebody to blend?”
The occupants of the table were silent for a second before all four men burst into laughter, including Jorge. She wasn't sure her eyes could narrow more than they were, but before she was able to become even more indignant, Jorge reached out and placed his hand on her arm. “Chill, sweetheart. I promise that’s not what I am.”
“I don't know, maybe the special-agent part sounds pretty good,” Drew said, still chuckling.
She threw her glare at him before Jorge brought her attention back to his warm eyes.
“Seriously, Josie. That's not what's happening here. I know the investigation, and I know on sight what I might be looking for. The fact that I can blend in easily with a local crowd is just a bonus. No one is using or abusing me.”
She sucked in her lips and nodded slowly, fighting the desire to blush for having lost her temper in front of his friends, but as she chanced a glance their way, noticed all three had a look of respect on their face. Unsure what to do with that, she turned back to Jorge and asked, “If you're going to be gone, do you want me to go with you?”
“Fuck, no. You'll be here with Tate. Bray is going with me, Drew is going to be monitoring the situation with LSI, and Tate will hang with you tomorrow. He can sit in the car outside the clinic, and then make sure you get home safe.”
It seemed as though everything was planned, so she remained quiet, pondering the way her life had changed in the past month. Soon, the other Keepers said their goodbyes and headed to the motel with promises to see her the next day.
That night, she and Jorge made love, slow and easy, with whispers of affection. When he slipped back into bed after taking care of the condom, he sat with his back to the headboard and reached to the nightstand where the small box Tate had given him had been placed. Curiosity filled her and she pushed to sit up, draping the sheet across her breasts.
He opened the box, exposing a silver chain with a lighthouse pendant dangling from the center. Her gaze fell onto the necklace, and she gasped, staring at the piece of jewelry that held so much meaning.
He draped it over her neck, fastened the clip, and let the lighthouse pendant settle at the top of her breasts.
“Oh, my goodness, Jorge, it’s beautiful!”
“It’s beautiful on you, babe. But it’s more special than you realize. Inside the lighthouse is a tracer. If you are ever separated from me, I can find you wherever you are. And I promise… I will find you.”
Tears stung her eyes as she pulled him in for a deep kiss. And with the lighthouse draped about her neck, they made love again.
She fell asleep easily but woke in the middle of the night, a snake of unease slithering through her. Unsure what it meant, she burrowed tighter into his embrace and fell back into a fitful slumber.
