“Hey, man.” Ivan stepped into the apartment holding a white plastic bag. Turning his blue eyes in her direction, the attractive man tipped his head in a slight nod. “Nice to see you again, Poppy.”
“You, too.” She offered the mysterious man a small smile.
Jax shut the door behind his friend. “You get everything okay?”
“Yep.” Ivan nodded. “In and out without anyone being the wiser.”
“And the other?”
“Right here.” He handed Jax the bag. “It’s fully charged and ready to go.”
“The encryption?”
“Piece of cake.”
Encryption?
“Thanks, man.” Jax used his free hand to slap Ivan on one of his broad shoulders. To Poppy he asked, “You ready?”
“Yes.” Not that she had a choice.
Yes, you did. You could’ve gone with Noah’s idea and joined WITSEC, but instead you chose to put your life in Jax’s hands.
Strong, capable hands that had done wonderful, wicked things to her body just a few short hours before.
Poppy looked around and then to Jax. “What about you? Where are your bags?”
“I keep a week’s worth of clothes at the cabin, as well as an extra toiletry bag.”
“And I drove there this morning and made sure the fridge and cabinets were stocked,” Ivan told her. “So you’re covered on food, coffee, and…pretty much anything else you two might need.”
“That was kind of you,” Poppy offered softly. “Thank you.”
Ivan shrugged. “All part of the job.”
“We should get going.” Jax turned his attention to her. “The longer you’re in the city, the greater our chances that De Luca’s men will figure out where you are.”
Right. That.
Picking up her two small duffels, Poppy followed Jax and Ivan out the door and down the stairway leading to the club. When they reached the business’s entrance, she stopped in her tracks when she spotted a set of two, hardshell suitcases waiting by the glass door.
“Is that my luggage?” It sure as hecklookedlike hers.
“I had Ivan go to your place and pack a few things.” Jax’s tone was unapologetic. “I knew you didn’t bring much with you here, and it’s not safe for you to be there.”
Ivan had been in her apartment without her? And he’d gone through her things?
Poppy started to get upset at the idea of a man she barely knew touching her unmentionables without her permission, but then the wording Jax had chosen set in and gave her pause.
“You think De Luca’s men are watching my apartment?”
Jax shrugged. “No way to know for sure, but I wasn’t going to take the chance.”
It was like every time he did something to piss her off, he went and did or said something that gave him redemption.
Can you really be upset with the guy for trying to keep you safe?
No. No, she couldn’t.