Page 39 of Bad Situation

She sighs and reminds me of the reason I met her to begin with. “It’s late and I have to be in court in the morning. Why are we here?”

I step onto the mat and close half the distance between us. “Tell me why you were working on self-defense with that trainer.”

She frowns instantly. “I told you.”

“No,” I counter and take another step. “You only told me you added it to your workout. That’s not telling me anything. I know a lot about you, Jen. You have a driver when you want one, you work in a building tighter than Fort Knox, and no one can get into your condo without knowing the secret handshake. I bet you could hire security to travel with you if you wanted it. So, why the focus on self-defense?”

She shakes her head. “Can it not be that simple? Why all the questions?”

“Because I have a feeling it’s not simple and now, by the way you’re acting, I really want to know.”

She scrutinizes me before turning to the side. I make a decision and move to her. I’ve had my hands on a good deal of her body at this point, so when I reach out, I snake one hand up her back and the other around her belly to her lower hip. She tenses under my touch, but I pull her side to my front, pinning her stiff form to me. “Tell me.”

She crosses her arms in what little space she has. “Were all the prophets this demanding back in the day?”

I give her a squeeze. “I might be older than you but my birth year doesn’t have a BC behind it.”

Her tense muscles barely relax in my arms and she shakes her head. “I don’t know what you’re expecting, but it’s not that dramatic of a story—not even Lifetime TV worthy. It really wasn’t worth dragging me out of my home this late at night when I have work I could be catching up on.”

I shift her so her back is to my front and swipe her hair over a shoulder. Putting my lips below her ear, I demand, “Tell me this unimpressive story, Jensen.”

She sighs. “I was in high school and Montgomery Industries wasn’t what it is today. It was well on its way, though, and starting to get more exposure as a big player in the industry. It was before we expanded into plastics and minerals. The home I grew up in is remote and, since it’s so far from the city, we never had a problem with security. Until we did. A surprise protest got out of hand, they moved onto our land, and I got caught in the middle of it by myself.”

My arms constrict around her, not able to pull her close enough. Now that I know my suspicions were a reality, it makes me crazy. The way she explained it so matter-of-factly is unnerving. I force myself to even my voice. “That wasn’t in your bio.”

She shrugs. “Why would it be?”

“If there was a police report, that would be in your bio. Were you attacked?”

She turns to look up at me with a cautious look. “There were plenty of police reports but my parents kept my name out of them. I was fifteen. My mom was running Ellie to ballet, Cam wasn’t home, and my dad was at work. I was there by myself with our ranch hands—I was lucky to have them.”

I turn her in my arms putting my hands to her face and do my best to control myself. “Jen, what did they do to you?”

*****

Jen

Damn.

I haven’t talked about this for a long time. I struggled with what happened for a while but got over it long ago. And most of getting over it came with feeling strong in my own skin and being prepared to defend myself if I ever had to. Even though I’ve never had to—my parents made sure of that.

Eli’s gaze is burning into me through the darkened and echoing dilapidated space. I’m frustrated with myself that I was excited he brought me here, to a place he obviously likes and thinks might represent him in some way.

I hate that I’ve become desperate to know anything about him. Stepping into a shitty warehouse he calls a gym shouldn’t make my heart light up like a firefly in a dull and tedious world.

I now realize he’s thinking of the worst possible scenario and I need to squash that thought from his head. Bringing my hands up to his wrists, I hold on tight and say, “It’s not what you think. I might’ve been scared out of my mind but, other than being roughed up a bit by some overzealous protesters, I was fine.”

Eli lowers his face to mine, making him the only thing in my world. “You were only roughed up?”

I need to make him relax about this so we can move on. “I was bumped around. I probably made it worse by panicking. The ranch hands got me out of it and I’m sure it felt longer than it was. You’re making it into a bigger deal than it should be.”

His fingers tense as he steps, pressing his body to mine, not at all calmed by my explanation. “You’re sure that’s it? Do not sugarcoat shit with me. Ever.”

I shake my head as much as I can in his vice grip—one that feels neither aggressive nor angry. His touch is burning into my skin with a possession I’ve never experienced before. “It might’ve messed with my head for a while but working out made me feel better. My brother spent a lot of time with me in the gym after that, helping me feel strong and in control. Cam was the one who thought some self-defense classes would help and they did. Now, I just incorporate it into my workout.”

His eyes change a tinge, but enough I can see his thoughts have switched when his voice goes hard. “Jase.”

My lips tip. “Yes. Jase. I’ve been working with him for over a year.”

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