Jaimie: Fire And Ice Part 34

"What are you talking about?"

Jaimie heard her sister take a long, long breath; heard her expel it. It was an old habit of Lissa's. It was what she did right before she dropped bad news on you.

Jaimie felt a cold chill race along her spin.

"Liss. I said, what are you-"

"You won't like it. You won't like any of it, James. Not my part, not Caleb's-"

"G.o.ddammit, Lissa..."

"You were so upset at Thanksgiving."

"I wasn't. OK, I was, but until you started pestering me..." This time, it was Jaimie who drew a deep breath. "Just get to it. What do you know about Zacharias?"

"You swore me to secrecy. About the Young guy."

"And?"

"And, once I knew what was happening to you, I got pretty upset myself."

Jaimie put her elbow on the counter and lay her hand flat against her forehead.

"Go on."

"You won't like this."

"You already told me that. Go on. What did you do?"

"I went to Caleb."

Jaimie groaned.

"I know. I know, but, see, put yourself in my place. Imagine I've just told you some nut case is following me, that he's been in my apartment. What would you do?"

Why argue? The deed was done. "So, you went to Caleb."

"Right. He got all upset, too. He wanted to, you know, deal with Young his own way."

"What a surprise."

"He asked me for the details. Then he told me he'd take care of it. I said he couldn't do that. You'd sworn me to secrecy."

"And a lot of good that did me."

"So Caleb said he'd ask someone he trusted to deal with Young. To protect you. And I said 'who' and he said Zach Castelianos."

Could a person actually feel the earth slip out from under their feet? Jaimie had never imagined that possible; now, she knew that it was.

"He said-he said he'd ask-he'd ask Zacharias Castelianos? My Zacharias Castelianos?"

"What are the odds of Caleb knowing two guys with a name like that?

Tears scalded Jaimie's eyes.

"James? Jaimie, I'm so sorry."

"Yes," Jaimie whispered. "Me, too."

Zacharias had not come for her because he'd wanted her or needed her or longed for her. He'd come to her because her brother had asked him to do it as a favor.

She was a favor that one man did for another.

It was why Zacharias had taken her to the Bahamas, why he'd asked her to move in with him. How much simpler it was to watch over someone when that someone was living right under your nose.

"Jaimie? Honey? You still there?"

Jaimie wiped the back of her hand across her eyes.

"Still here," she said, trying for bright and failing.

"Look, I probably put the wrong spin on this, you know? Castelianos took one look at you and, uh, and he, you know, got interested."

"Of course," Jaimie said, trying for bright again and still not managing it.

"I mean, you're not stupid. If you feel something for this guy, he must feel something for you. You can't just be a-a-"

"A favor. One ex-spook helping out another ex-spook."

"No. I'm sure that it-that it-"

Lissa fell silent.

Jaimie's heart felt as if it were going to break. Zacharias wasn't her lover; he was Caleb's all-too-accommodating pal.

Everything that had happened was a lie.

"Jaimie?"

"Yes," Jaimie said.

"I'm sure there's more to it than, you know, than a professional thing."

"There is," Jaimie said, finally achieving a tone as glittery as a rhinestone bracelet. "He's incredible in bed."

"Oh."

"Not 'oh,' Lissa. I mean, incredible. A-may-zing!"

"Jaimie. Sweetie-"

"See, it's embarra.s.sing to admit, which is why I'm stumbling with the words here, you know? But the s.e.x..." Her throat constricted. She was going to be sick and that could not, must not happen until she got off the phone. "The s.e.x has been the best ever. And-and you know me, Liss, I have to have a logical reason for everything and that means s.e.x, too, so-so-so-"

It was no good.

Jaimie began to sob.

"Oh, sweetie. Oh, Jaimie. You get on the next plane and fly out here, you understand?"

A dull rumble sounded at the far end of the hall. By now, Jaimie recognized it.

It was the private elevator.

Zacharias was home.

She sat up straight. Reached for a handful of napkins. Wiped her eyes. Blew her nose.

"James?"

"Lissa." A big smile. Lissa couldn't see it, but Jaimie stretched one over her lips anyway. "I am fine."

"You're not."

"I am." Her nose was leaking; she wiped it with the ma.s.s of already soggy paper napkins. "I'm angry, that's all. Not hurt. Angry."

"You don't sound angry."

"Give me a break, Lissa. How does a person 'sound' angry? I am totally p.i.s.sed off. At Caleb. At Zacharias. I mean, didn't it occur to anybody to let me in on the game?"

"Look, I know you're upset-"

"You don't know any such thing. I'm a big girl. I'm all grown up. This was just something that happened, that's all, and it's been f-f-fun while it lasted, but..."

But, another couple of words and she'd be sobbing again.

The elevator doors whooshed open.

"Liss. I have to go."

"Call me later, OK?"

"OK."

"And if you need me-"

"OK," Jaimie repeated, and ended the call.

"Jaimie?"

Zacharias's voice rang out, loud and clear.

"Honey?"

He was looking for her. Maybe he wanted a repeat of last night. s.e.x whenever he wanted it. From the woman your friend wanted you to protect.

A shudder went through her. Slowly, she rose to her feet and headed down the hall.

"Jaimie. Babe... There you are."

Indeed. Here she was. Available. And stupid. So pathetically stupid.

"Honey. I have wonderful news." He came toward her, smiling that d.a.m.n blinding smile, and reached for her. "Young is finished. I just had word from D.C. The police arrested him. Seems he had a confrontation at your office-your former office. He beat up your old boss. The manager called the cops and Young didn't take it well. This part's not so nice, honey, but he broke into her place last night and-and-" Zacharias frowned. "What's wrong?"

"What could possibly be wrong?"

"I don't know, but something is. Have you been crying?"

"Why would I cry? And what could be wrong, now that you've completed your task?"

Did he flinch? Yes. He flinched. He knew something had changed.

"What task?"

"Oh, come on, don't be shy. The favor my brother asked of you. Or did you and Caleb think of it as an a.s.signment?" She wrenched free of Zach's hands. "Me."

His belly knotted. She knew. He didn't know how, but she knew.

This was no time for denial or pretense.

"Jaimie. We have to talk."

"Wow. I'm impressed. You're not going to say, 'What are you talking about?' You're just going to deal with this, head-on?"

Zach took a steadying breath.

"How did you find out?"

"That my brother paid you for babysitting me?"

Zach's mouth flattened. He stepped forward, grabbed her by the arms.