Bouncer (Bad Boys in Big Trouble Book 2) (25 page)

“Really?”

He looked at her with an expression she recognized. A lusty half smile shaped his mouth. “Remember the last time we were parked in front of your apartment in the front seat of my car?”

Jessica felt her cheeks go hot. “Hard to forget something like that.”

“That’s the truth. Anyway, the idea of giving up my current career seemed inviting if I had something to give it up for. Too bad you aren’t pregnant. It would be easier, knowing I had a kid on the way, to help make the decision.”

Jessica sucked in a breath. “Who said I wasn’t pregnant?”

“You did.” His eyes widened. “I thought you said I didn’t have to worry.”

“Well. Not yet. It’s too soon to know anything for certain.”

His eyes narrowed. “So when you said I didn’t have to worry, what did you mean?”

She answered his question with a question. “Are those regrets surfacing?”

“Maybe, but not about you being pregnant.”

“Then what?”

He swallowed hard. “You mentioned having four older brothers, right? If you’re carrying a kid and we aren’t married, then I’m doomed.”

She nodded, crossed her arms and smiled. “I’ll protect you from them if it’s needed.”

“Good to know. One other thing you should probably be aware of.”

“What’s that?”

“My name is not really Mark Reece.”

She let out a long-suffering sigh, but didn’t mean it. “Bummer, since I already practiced writing Mrs. Jessica Reece in my diary a thousand times. What a waste of time.” She rolled her eyes. “So what
is
your name?”

“Reece Langston.”

She thought about it for a few seconds. “Okay. Mrs. Jessica Langston sounds pretty good.”

“I think so, too.”

She laughed. “Good. I want to make sure I get your name right when I tell my family about what you did to me. And, you know, for the birth certificate, should I need it.”

His brows rose, but he didn’t look unhappy. “Pregnant or not, I still want to marry you, Jessica.”

“You do?”

“Yes. As soon as possible, if you’re willing.”

“I am willing. I do love you and since you aren’t going to give me grief about my job I’d love to marry you.”

He grinned. “Good. Elope or a wedding?”

“I’m the youngest of five and the only girl, as I may have mentioned. I’d probably get in more trouble for eloping than for having a child out of wedlock.”

“I doubt that.”

She bobbed her head in agreement. “Well, my mom might feel that way. Thinking about my brothers and also my dad’s reaction makes me reconsider.”

“You are making me nervous.”

She laughed, delighted that he wasn’t a criminal and that he loved her and wanted to marry her regardless of whether she carried his child or what job she had. In her mind, all the rest was just details. “I don’t mean to make you uneasy.”

“Yes, you do. And I get it. You want payback because I fibbed to you while I was undercover. I’m okay with it for a little while. Don’t abuse it.”

“Noted.”

“So big wedding then?” he asked, looking more anxious than he had all evening.

“Let’s elope.”

He brightened like his life sentence had just been commuted. “Really? Are you sure?”

“I don’t care about a big wedding. I care about you. Law enforcement or not, I just want you.”

“Great. Tomorrow? Justice of the peace?”

“Perfect.” Jessica had talked to her mother long ago, helping her brace for the fact she didn’t want an elaborate wedding. Her parents had eloped too, for heaven’s sake. Why did
she
have to have a big wedding?

“I love you, Jessica.” He leaned forward and kissed her like he meant business.

“Are we recreating a memory here?”

“Not opposed to that, but I’ve never seen your bedroom. And I’d like to. Let’s go upstairs.”

“Okay. I guess.” Jessica felt better about her future than she had in a long time. They walked hand in hand all the way to her apartment. As she opened her door, she added, “Before you come inside, I want you to know I’m also not housekeeper of the year.”

~ ~ ~

After christening her bed with two rounds of incredible make-up sex the likes of which should probably be chronicled as the world’s best sex ever, Jessica fell into a deep, yet slightly troubled sleep.

She wasn’t concerned about Reece or their future, but she was disturbed that she couldn’t remember why she knew Dixon’s face. It ate at her, entering her dreams as a problem she needed to solve. Wasn’t it her job to remember any and all faces? Hadn’t she always felt like she was the best in her field? Hadn’t she even won more than one award for this very skill?

A lightning bolt of previously elusive memory zapped her wide awake. She sat up in bed. Beside her, Reece stirred. “What’s wrong? Bad dream?” He rubbed her back, soothing her for a moment until he seemed to fall back to sleep.

She got out of bed, opened her laptop and researched the memory she’d literally dreamed about. After only a few quick searches, she found what she was looking for and went to wake Reece.

“What’s wrong? Another bad dream?”

“Get up. I need you to call your boss. I remembered.”

“Remembered what?” He rubbed his eyes with the backs of his fists like a little kid.

“Call your boss. I have new information.”

“You want me to call Miles?” he asked, but reached for his phone, cueing up his contact list and selecting one. He flattened back on the bed, looking like he was at least trying to be more alert.

Jessica heard Miles answer with a stern, “What the fuck do you want at this hour?”

“Jessica remembered something she wants to tell you. Be nice.” He handed her the phone.

“Miles.”

“Jessica. What’s up?” he asked, sounding as sleepy as Reece looked.

“I remembered where I know Dixon from.”

“That’s tremendous. Good for you. Can I go back to sleep now?”

“He’s got an exceptional memory.”

“A what?”

“An exceptional memory. Like a savant with the ability to memorize complex things. He won the Exceptional Memory Championships a long time ago. That’s where I know his face from. A kid from my hometown competed. He and his family got to fly to London, England and everything, but Dixon beat him that year. Only back then his name was Brian Bell.”

There was a long silence on the line before Miles spoke again. “Okay. You have my attention. So you suspect that Arthur’s method of keeping his vast files and contacts is his assistant Dixon and his exceptional memory.”

“Yes.”

“Thank you, Jessica. I’ve got to make a few late-night phone calls of my own now. Put Reece back on.”

Jessica handed him the phone. “Yes. Yes, she is awesome. No, you can’t, because I’m marrying her and taking some time off. What? Okay, then can I have the next two weeks off?” He nodded and winked at Jessica. “Excellent. Let us know what happens with Dixon and Arthur.”

He hung up his phone and glanced at the clock. “Even in the wee hours of the night you are a hero. Now climb back in bed with me. You’ve earned the right to sleep in tomorrow.”

Jessica snuggled up to Reece, grateful he loved her the way she wanted him to.

Epilogue

Two weeks later

Reece gripped Jessica’s hand a little harder than usual, which earned him one raised eyebrow and half a smile. She winked at him. He loved this woman so much. They’d married in secret before discovering that she was in fact pregnant from that one time in the front seat of his car sans protection. A fact that they would neglect to share going forward.

Jessica wasn’t convinced it was really happening, but he was. She’d done a drug store home test that was positive. She wanted to schedule an actual doctor’s visit and then wait a minimum of three more months before telling anyone. That was fair, but it didn’t change anything for him. He was so excited about the baby, he could hardly contain himself. Amazing to think how drastically his life had changed in such a short time. But he wouldn’t trade any of it. He was lucky and he knew it. A fact he tried to keep in mind as they climbed the steps to her parents’ home.

He was also lucky that his time undercover as a bouncer hadn’t gone to waste since Dixon a.k.a. Brian Bell had flipped on Travis Arthur in record time. Once they’d outed him as a member of the exceptional memory winner’s club, courtesy of Jessica, he’d made a deal for a reduced sentence.

He’d never seen Miles so happy.

Reece hoped his luck wasn’t about to end today. It was time to face the music, namely her four older brothers and her parents to tell them they’d gotten married. Next stop was Key West and the announcement to his family at the traditional biannual gathering. His mother would be ecstatic to have another daughter-in-law. His brother Zak had beat him down the aisle, but barely. Marriage seemed to agree with Zak and Reece had joined the happily married brother club.

“Are you ready?” Jessica squeezed his fingers.

“As ready as I’ll ever be.” He pulled her into his arms and kissed her like it might be the last embrace they ever shared.

“Relax. It’ll be fine. Trust me. I won’t let them hurt you. Besides, we aren’t telling them about the baby yet, just that we got married. Okay?”

Reece shrugged. “Okay. Whatever you want.”

She grinned. “I like when you say those three words best of all.”

“Do you know what I like best of all?” He hooked an arm around her waist and kissed her mouth.

“Yes,” she whispered, “but don’t expect it to happen while we stay at my parents’ house.”

He pushed out a sigh. “I would never.”

“So back to the baby. I don’t want to tell them until after I see the doctor and know for absolute certainty that it’s true.”

He gave her a mock frown. “Oh, goodie, something else to look forward to.”

“Regrets?”

“Nary a one.”

“It’s not too late to escape and go straight to Key West,” she said, staring at her parents’ front door.

“Yes it is.” He lifted his hand to knock firmly on the door, but it opened wide before he touched it.

A man Reece recognized stood in the doorway. He gave Reece a hard look, squinting in recognition and then shifted his gaze to Jessica.

“Hi, kitten. Heard you were going to be here and didn’t want to miss the chance to catch up. I’d first like to discuss a certain gun battle in a coffee shop a few weeks back.”

“Do not start with me, Jackson.”

“Is that any way to greet your favorite brother?”

Reece turned to Jessica. “FBI Assistant Director Jackson Hayes is your brother?”

“Didn’t I mention that?”

“No. You did not.”

Jessica put her hands on his chest and kissed his chin. “Would it have changed anything?”

Reece leaned in and kissed her forehead. “No. Not a single thing.” He stared back at her brother and extended his hand. “Jackson. Good to see you again.”

Jackson looked amused, but he shook hands and motioned them inside.

“What are you doing here anyway?” Jessica asked. “Or rather, who told you I’d be here? As if I didn’t know already.”

“I happened to call a friend and he mentioned that you’d been seeing someone. Also that you’d taken some vacation time after a big bust.”

“Is this friend my boss, Martin perchance?”

Jackson shrugged. “No comment.”

Jessica told Reece, “That means yes.”

Reece grinned. “Do I get to call you ‘kitten’?”

“No. You do not.” Jessica scrunched her eyes in that adorable way she had. “Wait. How do you know Jackson?”

“We worked together several years ago.” Reece had helped Jackson out, some would say he’d saved his ass, but he didn’t expect it would translate into much goodwill when the other man found out he’d married his baby sister. Oh, and that he’d already gotten her pregnant.

He didn’t have long to ponder that before a band of giants entered the room and swarmed Jessica. Reece was pushed aside like he was a ninety-pound weakling.

“Our little cat has come home,” said one beefy brother, a sentiment two more echoed. After hugging each one of them, she said, “I’d like you to meet my new husband, Reece Langston.”

Scary silence.

Three Hayes men sized him up like they were figuring the quickest way to tear him limb from limb for daring to invade sacred territory, namely, their only sister. Then Jackson slapped him on the back like they were old friends.

“Don’t worry,” he told his brothers. “I know Reece. We worked together once. Truth is, he saved my ass more than once. Since the four of us could never convince our little kitten to enter a convent, she’s at least made a good choice in a husband.”

With that endorsement, the three other brothers approached him with smiles and backslaps instead of trauma, hard feelings, and the removal of body parts. Reece gave Jackson a look of gratitude and considered any debt squared. A life for a life, as it were.