“Is it safe for him to go?” I asked. “What if the cartel goes after him?”
“I doubt they will. It’s pretty clear their interests lie with you.”
I nodded slowly. “Right. About that…”
“Yes?”
“Can you drive me to the office?”
Jesse set his jaw. “No.”
He got up out of his seat and circled around the island. I followed him, determined not to let him slip through my fingers.
“Just hear me out. Detective Monroe said I needed proof and I can get it. I just need to download the encrypted files from my computer and—”
“I said no. You’re honestly telling me you want to gobackthere?”
“If it’s the only way to help Molly, yes. It’ll blow the investigation wide open. The police will—”
“Out of the question, Vivian.”
“Jesse,please.”
“You said yourself that the files are encrypted, right? You don’t know for sure what’s on them.”
“Are you suggesting it’s a trap?”
“It’s not out of the realm of possibility. What if they’re fake files that were created to entice you to come in? It’s called bait. Whoever’s really behind all this has probably destroyed the evidence already.”
“Why do you sound so sure?”
“Because…” Jesse sighed heavily. “Look, I’ve been in this business a long time. I’ve seen some shit. The cartel doesn’t play by the rules like we do. They think they’re above the law. They do whatever the hell they want, and they don’t care who gets hurt in the process as long as they come out on top.”
I took a step closer, looking him over. “You sound like you’re speaking from experience.”
He nodded tightly. “A long time ago, when I was first getting into the business. My first contract as a bodyguard.”
“Can you tell me about it?” I whispered, drawing near.
“I was protecting a family seeking asylum. They were on the run from the Azure Cartel. I was specifically tasked with watching over their daughter. She was ten.”
A chill slithered down my spine. I sensed his tension, his guilt.
“I made a bad call,” he said simply. “I underestimated the enemy. You’d think a goddamn playground was off-limits.”
My stomach churned. “They attacked her while she was at the playground?”
“I didn’t want to let her go, but she’d been cooped up in the safehouse for months. Things had been really quiet. I thought maybe the cartel had finally given up. I figured a few minutes of fresh air couldn’t hurt. Plus, she was really good at nagging, and I may or may not have had a bit of a soft spot for her.” He shook his head and laughed bitterly. “Didn’t think they’d stoop to planting a car bomb.”
I placed a tentative hand on his broad chest. “I’m so sorry.”
“So my answer is no,” he said calmly. “You’re not going back to Blue Cloud Financial to look for evidence. You’ll leave this matter to the police. Do you understand? This isn’t a game.” He stepped closer, trapping me against the counter.
“I never said it was.”
“Then you’ll do the smart thing and listen to me, Vivian. You’re going to stay here where I can keep an eye on you. So I can protect you.”
I swallowed, throat unbelievably parched. I shouldn’t have liked being cornered like this, pressed up against the counter, but I did. Jesse was so unbelievably close. The heat of his skin soaked into mine. His breath tickled my cheek. His eyes pierced into mine, serious and impossibly gentle.