Black and Blue (Black and Blue Series) (14 page)

Jamie knew at that
instant she was in love with him, and there was no turning back. “You cooked for me?” She smiled at him, and he shrugged.

“
It’s just eggs, and toast.”

She was used to people cooking for her, but Cynthia thought it was
significant for her to learn how to cook. She’d told Jamie that she needed to learn how to take care of herself, and Cynthia asked her not to tell her father.

She wrapped
her arms about him and hugged him to her. “Thank you,” she said, and he wrapped her in his arms.

“
Sweetheart you don’t have to thank me. I would do anything for you. I just wish I had more to offer.” Henry moved slightly away to touch her cheek. “You deserve nothing but the best,” he said with a little smile on face.

Jamie
couldn’t believe he was still single. He was so freaking sweet and perfect. “I deserve someone that makes me happy, and that is you. I never wanted anyone like I want you, Henry.”

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath
. “Let’s eat,” he said and opened his eyes. His eyes moved away from hers to look at the table.

After Jamie was done eating it was time for her and Emily to leave
. She didn’t want to leave Henry. She wanted to lie in his arms all day. Even now, holding his hand she didn’t want to let go, she knew she would fight for what they had. Jamie’s first eighteen years had meant nothing until the night she’d kissed him. That was when she’d felt the spark people had talked about.

“
What are you thinking about?” Henry’s voice broke through her thoughts, and she shook her head to look at him.

She smiled
. “I was thinking about our first kiss,” Jamie said and she watched his smile spread across his handsome face.

“
You should get used to my kisses, because I’m not going to stop them anytime soon,” Henry said and slowly placed his warm lips on the side of her throat; she shuddered.

He moved away from her and grinned down at her
. “I’ll see you later,” she said and forced herself away from him toward her best friend who was saying her own good-byes to Michael. Jamie looked down at her feet, and smiled. She and her best friend were truly happy. She wondered if Michael would be going tomorrow night with Emily.

Emily turned and a huge grin was plastered to
her face as she walked toward Jamie and the car. She shook her head, and waved at Michael. He nodded once then t Kd ont siurned his attention back to Emily. Jamie laughed and got in. She waited until they were pulling out of the driveway to speak.

“
So how was your night?” Jamie asked. She turned in her face her best friend. The night she and Ryan had first had sex, she’d told Emily everything. That was the only time her ex-boyfriend had ever shown passion toward her. He’d held her afterward and told her how beautiful she was and how perfect they were together. She’d believed everything he told her, and trusted him when he went off to college.

Emily smiled as she looked out the windshield
. “I really like him, and he doesn’t pressure me for anything. He is probably the last nicest man in the world left.”

Jamie reached her hand out to grab E
mily’s. She’d had the worst luck in men, and the last one had tried to kill her. Finding her beaten and bloody still haunted her. Jamie had thought she was dead.

“
What about you? Last night your shirt was messed up when we came over. Want to explain yourself?” She glanced at Jamie quickly with a grin.

“
Things got a little…hot in the kitchen, but that was the furthest it went. Henry is different than any other man I have ever known, he is so sweet and I know he really likes me. When he kisses me I can feel his desire for me. I’m terrified that I’m falling in love with him, and I have only known him a few days,” Jamie said thinking back to the interlude in the kitchen. She wondered how far things would have gone before she stopped him. When he was kissing her, he tuned out the world around them. It had been like that since the very first kiss.

“
You always give your heart out effortlessly, but I like him. I don’t think he will hurt you. The only thing you have against you is that he’s a Blue, and you’re a Black. Plus your father wouldn’t think twice in throwing Henry in the tower and killing him. We both know what your father will do, and he won’t care what you say or do,” Emily said and stopped at a red stoplight. She looked at Jamie with a sad smile and squeezed her hand. “I know everything. Michael told me. I told him I agreed with him, but didn’t know if I could stand with him, he told me he would never ask me to. The thing I need to know is, what are you going to do? You just admitted you are falling in love with a Blue. Just by saying that out loud, you could be thrown in jail.”

Jamie took her hand away from Emily and
shielded her face. She knew there was no turning back for her. She was in this for better or worst. “I am with Henry no matter what that involves,” she said and lifted her head. “I think I have always known he was a Blue, he didn’t act like a normal Black would act.” When she’d first seen him, she was drawn to him because he was different. His piercings, and black eyeliner screamed at her; she’d wanted him no matter what then, and still did now too.

Emily didn’t say anything for what seemed like forever
. “I will stand by you, and what you love,” she said as she parked her car in her driveway.

Jamie
had always thought it was remarkable that Emily’s parents trusted her with her own door that led to her bedroom. It made it easy for them to get into the house without her parents knowing. At her house, the windows K, tes,” s didn’t open more than a foot, and there were guards that walked the property at all hours.

Five hours later, she walked in her front door
with her stunning dress and Ryan stopped her. He grinned, and she rolled her eyes. She didn’t want to deal with him, not now or ever.

“
You know you fooled your father, but you don’t fool me. Remember
I
dated you I know when you are lying, and when you’re meeting a boy. So tell me Jamie, who’s the lucky man? Did we go to school with him?”

He used his
height against her, and pushed her against the front door. Over his shoulder she saw Henry and her father. “That is none of your business. I will see who I want. Now move out of my way.”

He
smirked down at her, and there was a time she used to think it was charming. Now she thought it was evil. “That is where you are wrong,
love
. Everything you do is
my
business.” She glanced at Henry again and he looked like he was about to do something that they would both regret.

Jamie’s father made her take
self-defense, and she was thankful now. Swiftly she brought her knee up and slammed it into his groin, Ryan fell to his knees in front of her holding himself, and she stepped over him. Her father smiled at her, and his pride showed on his face. Henry was glaring at Ryan.

“
I guess I should thank you for making me take self-defense and not dance,” she said to her father, and he laughed.

“
You fought me tooth and nail about that.”

Jamie walked
toward her father, and smiled. She’d been so mad at him when he’d told her she was going to learn how to fight. He’d told her he wanted her to be able to protect herself. She wrapped her arms around her father, and he did the same. “Thank you for making me dad. Now, what are we doing today?” she asked as she pulled away.

Her father’s smile fell, and she knew he was going to cancel.
“Sweetie, something has come up and I need to take care of it. But we can have an early dinner,” he said and touched her cheek; she was used to him backing out on their plans at the last moment. She permitted her eyes to glance at Henry. He was standing next to her father with his hands behind his back.

Jamie shrugged, and smiled at her father.
“I understand, if you don’t mind I’ll just hang out with Emily again. I really don’t want to be here without you.”

He nodded, but glanced behind her to where she
’d left Ryan. “Okay that’s fine, but you know I don’t like you out there without your bodyguards.”

She sighed, and
knew he was going to bring it up again. “Dad, no one really knows who I am, so there is nothing to protect me from. It seems I need protection at home, not in the real world,” she said and smiled at her father.

He nodded.
“Fine, but I don’t like it. There is something going on and I don’t want you to get hurt.”

Jamie already knew what was going on, and she knew she wouldn’t be used.
She touched his shoulder and walked up the stairs toward her bedroom. She knew that Emily had plans with Michael, so that meant she could see Henry. Her heart sped up thinking about being with him again and she wanted to be with him again. Falling asleep in his arms was amazing, and she hoped she would be tonight. Jamie hung her dress in the closet and lay on her bed.

She knew from her history class that it was
her grandfather who started the whole Black and Blue classes. Daniel Moore had wanted to have two different classes, where the rich were the leaders and the poor were the slaves. Jamie knew her grandfather was evil, and didn’t agree with him. Slavery should have ended in 1863, but her grandfather had influential friends.

She couldn’t imagine
what her life would be like without Cynthia. She was the mother Jamie needed when she was growing up. She taught her that there was more to someone besides what color they wore on their wrist. She closed her eyes hoping that sleep would take her over and she would dream of being in his arms again.

* * *

Henry walked into the kitchen. He needed to calm himself down before he did something he would regret. When he’d seen Ryan attacking Jamie, he’d wanted to rip off his hands. He’d wanted to start punching him and not stop until Ryan was lifeless on the marble floor. He’d almost blown their cover, but he didn’t care.

Cynthia walked in. S
he had her white hair done back in a tight perfect bun and he wondered if she ever did anything else to herself or stayed the same. She smiled at him as he reached for a glass; he needed something to drink to calm himself down.

“
Hello, Henry, how are you doing?” she asked, and he filled his glass with some cool water.

Henry took a drink and turned to face the older woman. She had to be in her late forties, and
she had a heart shape face with light blue eyes. “I’m doing great, how are you?”

Cynthia arched one light eyebrow at him.
“I’m well,” she said and reached for his glass; he turned to watch her wash it and then put it away. “I went to school with your mother and father, you look just like him.” Henry didn’t say anything; he wasn’t his father’s biggest fan. He’d walked out on them when he was six months old. The last thing he’d heard about his dead-beat father was that he was living in the mountains somewhere. His mother was still heartbroken about it, and he wanted to kill the man who caused her pain.

“
Is there something you want, Mrs. Hudson?” he asked and crossed his arms across his chest; she nodded.

“
There is, I knew what trouble your father was, and I know what you are planning. I think it’s reckless, and I don’t want Jamie involved. Do you think you are the first one to think of rebelling against Klling. the Blacks?” She shook her head, and closed her eyes. “I know Mr. Moore better than most, and he wouldn’t think twice in killing you, you are seeing his only daughter behind his back, and you are the leader in the revolution. I don’t want Jamie to get caught in the middle.” Cynthia touched his arm, and smiled. He could see she truly cared for Jamie, but he wasn’t going to give up on Jamie either.

He knew he had only kno
wn her for a short time, but she was his one and only. “I will do everything in my power to make sure Jamie is safe, I would give my own life for her safety,” he said and his chest ached. He knew he should let her go, and tell her to forget him. But he couldn’t, he was selfish, and wanted her.