Jennifer Morey - Justice Hunter

Jared parked along the street and walked toward the apartment building entrance, glancing around as though making sure no one saw. Lucas had purchased a car with tinted windows. He also had an SUV. When Jared’s gaze passed over his vehicle, he paused a second and then looked elsewhere before facing the doors. He disappeared inside and moments later, Lucas heard Rachel let him up to her apartment.

“What are you doing here?” she asked when she let him in.

“You haven’t returned my calls.”

Lucas heard them move into the apartment, which was small enough for him to hear everything.

“I thought we decided not to see each other anymore,” Rachel said.

“It’s been a long time since Luella died. I haven’t forgotten you, Rachel.”

The rustle of clothes indicated Jared touched Rachel.

She moved away, going into the kitchen and turning on water. Did she need something to do? Did she still have feelings for Jared?

“I love you,” Jared said, having followed her.

Still? After all this time? Lucas found that peculiar. Why hadn’t they kept seeing each other? His wife had been murdered, but if he truly loved Rachel, wouldn’t he find a way to keep seeing her? Maybe he had. Maybe no one knew.

Rachel turned off the water and didn’t respond. Did she love him back? Maybe she’d loved his money.

“I’ve apologized for not telling you I was married.”

“Yes, but it doesn’t change the fact that you deceived me.”

So his lie about being married had run her off. But her heart may still be invested in him, even if her mind wasn’t.

This, Lucas hadn’t anticipated. That Jared had lied to Rachel, that she might not have gotten involved with him if she’d known he was married.

“Enough time has passed,” Jared said. “We can be together again. For real.”

For real. Their relationship had been a secret, until now, if Rachel agreed with whatever he proposed.

Again, Rachel said nothing.

“I can make your life easier, Rachel. I’m not a poor man.”

Lucas heard something metallic falling into the sink. Rachel must have dropped a utensil.

“I don’t care about money.”

Didn’t she? Jared must have doubts, too, because he chuckled and said, “Yes, you do.”

“I used to. Now I can see it just brought me unhappiness. I need to figure out what I really want in a man.”

She continued to surprise Lucas. Was she telling the truth?

“No one knows about us,” Jared said. “We can say we just met.” Had they split up to avoid suspicion? Lucas found this conversation highly questionable, at least on Jared’s side. He wasn’t sure about Rachel.

“I need you to stop calling me and coming over here. You don’t know what finding out you were married did to me. You hurt me.”

“I know that. I didn’t mean to. I met you and...it just happened. I’m sorry. I told you that. I’ve never been unfaithful to anyone until I met you.”

“I did have feelings for you, but that doesn’t matter anymore. You should go. And don’t come back.”

“We can be together,” Jared insisted. When she again didn’t respond, he said, “Think about it. I’ll call you in a few days.”

“No. Don’t.”

Jared sighed hard, her rejection frustrating him. “Just think about what I’ve said. Think about how good it was with us.”

Before she’d discovered he’d cheated, the ultimate betrayal.

“Go. Please.”

After a long pause, Lucas heard him going to the door.

The door closed and Rachel sighed. A thumping suggested she’d let her head fall against the door.

How did she feel about Jared? Something in the tentative way she’d sounded made him think she feared him.

* * *

Rachel brought her laptop to O’Shuck’s and sat at a table with her diet soda, logged on to the free Wi-Fi, searching for work on an online job board. It had been more than a week and still no prospects. She’d hoped to be back to work by now so she wouldn’t have to dip into her savings.

“May I?”

Startled, Rachel looked up to see Luke standing at her table, indicating the chair beside her. Before she could say no, he pulled out a chair and draped his leather jacket over the back.

“I thought I made myself clear the last time.” Although she’d known he’d try to catch her here, she’d hoped he’d show up at the wrong times. Had he followed her again? Apprehension made her tense. Jared’s visit couldn’t be a coincidence. Could it? Was it all starting again?

“Yeah, but I know you’re at least a little curious about me.” He sat down.

Curious. In a scary way. A weird way. Wary of his true purpose, but not wary of the genuine attraction they had. He’d picked up on that hint. Maybe he thought he could use it to his advantage. She’d play along for now.

She noticed he wore jeans tonight. No suit. Leaning back against her chair, she said, “Dressing down tonight?”

He gave himself away when he glanced down at his chest—a very impressive chest in the snug black Henley. “Not working.”

“You work?” She deliberately goaded him. What was his story anyway? The way he’d waited to return her wallet, claiming to be attracted, felt true but something rang off about him.

He smiled in a staged way. “You don’t think I work?”

“I think you wore that suit for a reason, but I don’t think it was work.”

“Really? Why not?” He seemed impressed by her keen observation, and a little wary.

“Who goes to the mall in a suit at dinnertime?”

Leaning back, he propped his ankle on his knee. “Probably lots of people.”

“Not you.” She drank some of her soda, eyeing him with acute awareness.

After a few moments studying her, his smile smoothed into genuine sincerity.

“All right. You’ve got me. I’ve seen you before I found your wallet. I dressed in the suit to impress you. You losing your wallet presented me with what I thought was a perfect opportunity to meet you,” he said.

“So you’re admitting to spying on me.”

“No. I didn’t spy on you. I saw you at the mall when you were working. After I couldn’t get you off my mind, I went back.”

“So, you’re a stalker?”

He grunted a laugh. “No. I saw you in passing. I didn’t hang around to watch you.”

“Go to the mall often?”

“Men need clothes, too.” He put his foot down and sat relaxed in the face of her interrogation.

She eyed him, not completely buying his story. Maybe he had dressed in the suit to impress her, and when that had failed, he’d dressed as he normally did. Why the suit, though?

He may be sincere, but she still felt unsure of his true motive. Had he ever taken no from a woman? With his hot looks, she didn’t think so. Unfortunately for him, she’d had too many bad experiences with men to be interested in giving another a chance anytime soon.

“I told you before, I wasn’t—”

“I’d like to help you with a job,” he cut her off.

Offer her a...

“What?”

“I have a friend who runs a transport company. His assistant quit, and he needs someone to replace her.”

She scrutinized his face, looking for signs of falseness. She found none. He’d come here to help her find a job.

“I heard you talking to your boss. I heard her fire you. You’re beautiful. I wanted to meet you, but the timing seemed bad. I followed you and here we are.”

She bought that he’d been attracted. She also maybe bought her getting fired had ruined his plans to meet her. But she didn’t feel he’d given her the whole truth. Did she want to start something with him?

He might have a job for her.

“You must have other intentions,” she said.

He grinned. “Of course. I buy time to woo you out to dinner with me.”