Meet the characters:
Zeke was the last to join the team with Caleb, Damian and Alex. He’s their tech guru and is now a vital part of the crew with the group of men who are also his best friends. Zeke sensed that Jasmine was in danger and after the shots were fired, the entire team rallies to find the killer.
Jasmine has no idea why she is being targeted. She goes to the police station only to have bullets flying. Zeke insists that she stay under his protection until they catch the person responsible. What she didn’t expect was falling in love.
Zeke is determined to get to the bottom of the insanity surrounding Jasmine and ensure justice is served.
Feel the passion:
Sabrina’s sweet, and I can see that she genuinely cares. “I’m better. I just keep racking my brain on why anyone would want me gone. Then I wonder if I should call my parents in case this is a family vendetta. But that’s even more unlikely. My parents never hurt anyone. They’re retired in Florida with their friends, leading a simple life. That’s the way they’ve always been. Mom worked as a secretary and Dad was a carpenter. They volunteered for local charities, always giving back to the community. None of this makes any sense,” I say with frustration.
“Have you had any run-ins lately? Bad dates? Do you remember when this all started?” Sabrina asks.
“My fiancée is vying for our jobs, Zeke,” Alex says.
Sabrina glances over her shoulder at him. “Well, I can’t very well not pick up on the lingo when I hear you every day,” she says with a grin. The two of them together are adorable. When Sabrina looks at Alex, you can see how much they mean to one another.
“I think this started a month ago, but I can’t be sure. I remember some crank calls. Hang-ups, really. I just figured it was a wrong number and never thought any more about it. My neighbor, Mrs. Dickson, says she’s seen some guy in the hallway leering around my door. Etta’s wonderful, but she’s eighty-two and her eyesight isn’t the greatest. Again, it could just be someone lost in the building.”
“Maybe we pay a visit to Etta and see what she has to say. It could be she can give us a lead,” Zeke says, his words mainly directed to Alex.
“I don’t want her to be frightened,” I say.
“We do this all the time, Jaz. We’ll go gentle,” Alex says.
“Honey, why not take Jasmine with you, or bring Etta here? They can have a visit. I’m sure Etta’s worried about Jasmine,” Sabrina suggests.
“That can be arranged,” Zeke says. “We’ll call her in the morning and set it up. Maybe Damian can pick her up and bring her over.”
“I talked to him earlier, and he’ll be here with Chloe around ten tomorrow. We’ll be back then too. Expect Caleb earlier. That man has got to learn to relax. I left him at the precinct scrutinizing the statement to look for commonalities,” Alex tells us.
“That’s why he’s good,” Zeke says.
“Why don’t Jasmine and I make some coffee, and you boys can do whatever it is that you do in your secret room,” Sabrina says mischievously.
I send Zeke a confused look. “Secret room?”
“It’s not a secret. It’s my computer room. And it’s over there.” He points to the closed door down the hall.
“You won’t let anyone in there, so it must be a secret,” Sabrina continues to tease.
“That’s because you touch stuff you know nothing about and it takes me hours to figure out what you did,” Zeke says.
“If you’d teach me, I’d know.”
“Alex?” Zeke looks to his friend for support.
“Bri, be good.” Then Alex dips his head and kisses Sabrina. “Coffee would be good, baby,” he says. Sabrina melts at his touch, and I can say I’m a little jealous of what the two of them have. I’ve dated and met some really nice men, but never have I had the connection these two have. At least until I met Zeke. And I can’t count that because the situation is so extreme that I could be misreading my emotions for more than what they really are.
Zeke bends and smooths a hand over my hair. “I’ll be a few feet away, Jazzy. Do not open the door, and call me if you need me,” he says. Our eyes meet, and this swoosh of air is released from my lungs, and it feels like everything is just as it should be. A lightness comes over me, and I feel that everything’s going to be okay.
Leaves you wanting more:
There’s a ringing in my ears, and a heavy weight on top of me is making it hard to breathe. I cough out a breath, then gasp, and the heaviness at my back rolls off and moves me onto my back. My eyes flutter open, and I find the kindest aqua-blue eyes filled with worry looking down on me. The man’s tousled blond hair is in disarray from dodging bullets and taking me down with him, making him look incredibly handsome. It makes me think that I’d want to wake up next to him for the rest of my life.
Good gracious! What the hell is wrong with me? I’ve just been shot at and all I can do is stare at the detective who saved me like he’s the last ooey-gooey caramel-filled chocolate in the box and I want it.
“Zeke! You all right?” another man calls out as he approaches, crouching low, gun still in hand, even though I’m sure the car that drove by left in a hurry.
“Yeah, but Jasmine, here, she looks a little stunned,” Zeke, my hero, tells his buddy. Slowly, Zeke places a hand under my shoulder and helps me into a sitting position. Another police officer is on his haunches and hands me my tote bag. He’s super cute too, but nothing as beautiful as Detective Zeke.
“Let’s get her back inside,” the policeman says.
“Right,” Detective Zeke responds and gets me to my feet. That’s when I notice a sea of officers, all on guard, watching Zeke and me. Detective Thorne is a few feet away.
“It seems you’re right, Miss Belfour. Someone is trying to kill you,” Detective Thorne says. He flanks me on one side, taking me gently by the elbow, while Detective Zeke has an arm around my waist, holding me steady.
“She’s terrified, Caleb. Let’s get her into my office,” Zeke says. Detective Thorne stops in his tracks, and he and Zeke do this staring thing. It’s like they’re wordlessly having a full-blown conversation.
In a decisive tone, Detective Thorne says with a smile, “Your call.” Then I hear a low whistle from behind from the police officer who came to rescue us.
“Here we go again,” the cop says, looking up to the sky in apparent silent prayer.
I finally find my voice and ask Zeke, “What’s happening?”
“Don’t worry, Jazzy, I’ve got you,” Zeke tells me. It’s not the answer I was expecting, yet I feel relieved that Zeke’s not handing me off to someone else. Up till now, he’s the only one who didn’t think I was losing my marbles.
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