Put him to work, Bunny did. He set the table, earning some ribbing from Doc and Rodeo when they arrived soon after. He carted food out. He brewed fresh pots of coffee. And he didn’t mind a bit of it—except that it gave him no time to pull Jess aside and apologize for…a damn long list of things.
The food was good for fuel, but Ike hardly tasted any of it. He kept trying to catch Jess’s gaze, but she seemed to be looking right past him—or avoiding him altogether. When everyone was done and just sitting around the table shooting the shit, Ike’s cell buzzed in his pocket. He checked it to find he had a missed call from Dare and had a text that simply said, Call me. But Dare hadn’t left a message, which was strange.
“Excuse me,” Ike said, pushing back from the table. Finally, Jess looked at him, questions clear in her gaze. She knew shit would be going down today, and no doubt she was nervous about it. Ike gave her a little nod. “Be right back.”
Ike moved out into the lounge and called Dare.
“Ike,” Dare answered.
“Hey, sorry I missed you. Bunny made up a big breakfast here and—”
“Ike,” Dare said again, something in his tone making Ike’s instincts blare. “I’ve got bad news here, man. And I’m really sorry to have to be the one to deliver it.”
Jess was in the kitchen helping Bunny wash the dishes. She almost regretted how much she liked the older lady because after all this was over, Jess couldn’t see any reason why she’d get to spend time with Bunny again.
But Jess had been so happy to find Bunny up and around this morning because the lady’s company would provide the perfect buffer between her and Ike. With Bunny around, the pair of them probably wouldn’t fight and certainly couldn’t fuck. And clearly Jess needed that kind of third-party intervention after she’d so easily given in to Ike’s desire last night.
On the pool table.
Still mostly dressed and possibly more angry than she’d ever been in her life.
God, it had been so damn hot.
And another in a long line of mistakes where Ike was concerned. Maybe he was right after all—maybe Jess couldn’t help but get in trouble, find trouble, and generally cause trouble.
One good thing had come from their rough-and-dirty quickie, though, and that was bone-deep resolve. Jess had known letting the sex happen—no matter how much she wanted it, too—had been a mistake. But she was done. She wouldn’t make it again. Her resolve wasn’t about revenge or playing hard to get, it was about protecting her heart before it got any more beat up.
The door to the kitchen swung open and Jess felt Ike’s presence like a physical caress. Would she always be so aware of him? Footsteps told her he was coming her way, and then the hair rising on the back of her neck let her know he was right behind her.
“Jess?” he said. “I need to talk—”
“Not now,” she said, rinsing a plate and bending to put it in the huge dishwasher.
“I’ll give y’all some privacy,” Bunny said, settling a dried pot on the stove.
“That’s okay, Bunny,” Jess said. “We don’t need it.”
“Yes, we do,” Ike said quietly.
Something about his tone was…odd. He wasn’t being his usual bossy self. She peered up at his face, and ice skittered down her spine. Ike’s expression…was a breath away from being shattered. A soapy cup fell out of Jess’s hands and clunked against the sink. “What’s wrong?” she asked.
“Let’s go outside—”
With wet hands, she clutched his arms. Her stomach squeezed. “No, tell me. Now.”
Ike gently rested his fingers on her hips. “Everyone from Hard Ink went to the funeral for Emilie’s brother this morning.”
“Okay,” Jess said, her thoughts scrambling. Emilie was dating Marz, one of the guy’s on Nick’s team, but otherwise, Jess didn’t know her well.
“The mercenaries from Seneka showed up. There was a firefight. It was bad.” As Ike spoke, Jess’s heart was sinking to the floor. “Jess…”
“Oh, God,” she said, time slowing, the room going a little wobbly around her. Not Jeremy, not Jeremy, not Jeremy. Without him, Jess wasn’t sure she would’ve survived her father’s death. And she couldn’t imagine living in a world that didn’t include her funny, generous, talented friend.
“Nick and his sister were both shot. And Jeremy…Jeremy sustained some kind of head injury.” A moan spilled from her throat. Ike pulled her in closer, his hands gently cupping her face. “Jeremy and his sister were serious enough to be airlifted to the hospital for surgery. I don’t know anything else yet.”
Jeremy…with a head injury?
Jess shook and her eyes went blurry, and then the tears fell as a sob ripped up her throat. “Oh, my God,” she said through thick tears. “Oh, my God. Not Jeremy.”
“I know,” Ike said, his voice strained. He pulled her against his chest and wrapped her in his strong arms.
“Ike,” she cried.