Expert Witness: A Romantic Suspense Novel (5 page)

She was resting soundly when she heard a noise. Torn between her demanding unconscious and the escalating need to rouse herself from slumber, she struggled to pry her eyes open. Someone was in her room. She didn’t see him, but she could feel his presence. Opening her mouth to scream, her panic increased when no sound emerged. She lay frozen as a figure emerged from the shadows and began to approach her bed. She could almost make out the profile of a man. And he was holding a knife.

Jordan sat up in bed screaming. Sweat poured off her body and the cotton nightshirt she wore was soaked. Taking in a slow breath, she felt her rapid inhalations become more regular. It was only a dream.
A dream that had felt so real.
In an instant, she’d made her decision. She’d have Mike call this friend of his tomorrow. She was used to making it on her own, but this was one time she’d have to admit she needed a little help, if not for her own sake, then for her clients. There was no way she’d be able to maintain her level of practice if she allowed herself to be in a continual state of fear or, at this rate, a constant state of exhaustion.
 

She sought Mike out as soon as she heard his voice in the main office the next morning. He and Nancy were hashing out plot holes from a popular television series they both watched when she walked in.

“Are you kidding me?” he said with exasperation. “You really think that could happen? The FBI isn’t going to engage a college student in a situation like that.”

“Mike, they use informants all of the time. Why not her?” Nancy countered as she slid the daily schedule sheets into the corresponding slots for each doctor. “Morning, Jordan,” she greeted her without missing a beat.
 

“Good morning,” she replied, dropping a letter into the mail basket. “I’m sorry to interrupt what sounds like a fascinating discussion—” she winked at Nancy, “—but I have an early client.” She eyed her friend. “Mike, do you have a second to talk?”
 

“Sure.” He grabbed his cup of coffee and began following her into her office. “I’ll catch you later, Nancy. We aren’t finished yet,” he teased over his shoulder.
 

Nancy chuckled as they headed off.
 

Jordan turned her attention back to Mike. “I thought about what you said yesterday, and as hard as this is to say, I think you’re right. Hiring a…bodyguard—” there, she’d said it, “—may be a good idea. At least until we find out who’s behind this. Even if it’s a little much, at least it’ll give me peace of mind. Something I kind of need in this field.” She turned her eyes skyward and gave him a grin.
 

“Yeah, I’d say so.” He joked back. “Look, I knew you’d come around. I wasn’t trying to overstep any boundaries.” He looked at her with an earnest expression. “But I went ahead and called him last night.”

Jordan’s eyebrows shot up. “You what? But I hadn’t even… I wasn’t sure—”
 

“Before you get upset, hear me out. I was simply getting some information in case you decided you needed his services. For all I knew, his specialists may have been booked.”

Jordan relented. She hadn’t thought of that. “So, what’d you find out?”

“He’s available to meet with you this afternoon at one, if you choose to, and yes, it’s already on your schedule. I was actually lucky to catch him in between assignments. I’m sure any of his guys are competent, but I have to admit, I’ll feel better knowing it’s him looking after you.”

She burst out laughing. “I should really get you for this. What were you going to do if I decided I didn’t want to meet him?”

His face broke into a grin. “I’d have hounded you relentlessly until you came to your senses. But seriously, I’m glad you decided to go through with this. Even though you have my wife’s stubborn streak, you’re like a sister to me, and I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to you.” He pulled her into a bear hug.

“Oh, Mike. Thanks. I do appreciate what you’ve done. The whole idea was just a little intimidating.” Jordan returned the hug, wondering exactly what she’d gotten herself into.

CHAPTER THREE

Chase Armstrong sat in the busy lobby of the forensic practice. He threw a casual glance around the room. Five other people were waiting for an appointment, one couple and three individuals. His friend’s practice appeared to be doing well. However, the steady stream of clients meant it would be harder to identify the suspect in this case, assuming, of course, that the suspect was actually some type of business contact as Mike had indicated.

Mike had briefed him on the situation over the phone last night. The fact that the first act of violence had escalated to this point meant he’d have to be extremely cautious during the detail. These circumstances were a lot harder on his clients, particularly one who wasn’t used to the presence of a protection specialist. It would mean more in-depth security measures, which, inevitably, equaled less autonomy.
 

He stood up when he saw his old friend walking toward him.
 

“Hey, my man.” Mike grabbed his hand in a firm shake. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen you. What country are you calling home lately?” he asked lightheartedly.

“Take your pick,” Chase replied, matching his tone. “I can tell you it sure is nice to be back here for a change.” Protecting celebrities, corporate executives, and dignitaries who didn’t fall under coverage by the Secret Service translated to plenty of frequent flyer miles and a greater appreciation of being home.
 

“I bet it is. Well, it’s good to see you.”

“You too.” Chase shook his head. “I’m sorry we couldn’t get together under better circumstances though.”

Mike’s lips formed a straight line. “Yeah. I won’t tell you this hasn’t kept me up at night. She’s like family to Karen and me. Although, if anything can put my mind more at ease, it would be knowing that you’re with her. I can honestly say I never thought I’d need your services, but boy am I glad you’re here now.”

“Neither did I. Still, I’m happy to help. You should’ve reached out sooner. I’d have been right over.” He’d easily agreed to handle the case himself when Mike had called. Besides wanting to help out his friend, he was growing a little tired of living in the lives of the rich and famous. A change of pace would be nice.
 

“I know. It took us a little while to figure things out,” Mike replied. “When you get to know Jordan, it’ll probably make more sense. I’m actually surprised she agreed to this. It’s not like her to ask for help much.”

Chase raised his eyebrows. “But she’s on board now?”

“Yeah. She’s good now. Realized, like all of us, this was pretty serious. Nothing to mess around with for sure. Come on.” Mike motioned for him to follow him. “I’ll take you to her office so you can meet her.”

They walked in silence until they reached her office.
 

“Hey, Jor.” Mike poked his head around her open door.

“Hmmm,” Jordan replied without glancing up. She was jotting down notes on a yellow legal pad. Her coffee-colored hair fell loosely just below her shoulders, the soft waves shimmering from the reflection of the overhead lighting when she moved.

“Detach yourself from your work for a minute.” Mike laughed at her. “I have someone I’d like you to meet.”

She raised her head as he and Mike entered, her blue eyes widening slightly when they landed on him. His body must’ve made a unilateral decision that the feeling was mutual, because his pulse shot up in response to her wide stare. Not that he was surprised. The woman was striking but in that rare classic––Vivienne Leigh or Audrey Hepburn––way. The way he’d always found extremely hot. With large round eyes, defined cheekbones, and full lips, she unequivocally embodied the type of beauty that transcended specific time periods or passing trends.
 

“Jordan, this is my good friend, Chase. Chase, Jordan.” Mike’s head moved back and forth between the two of them. “I have to go meet my next client,” he said in a hurried tone, “so I’ll leave you two to work out the particulars.” He gave Chase a friendly slap on the back. “See you around. I guess this is one time you being busy with work means we actually get to catch up.”

“Sure thing.” Chase nodded, but his gaze was already back on his own client as he stepped farther into the office.
 

Jordan stood up from her desk. She was tall, about five feet eight inches, and her fitted slacks revealed a trim figure.

“Hi. Nice to meet you,” he said as he extended his hand to her. When her soft skin met his, an unusual current zipped through him. It wasn’t an uncomfortable one, like when he’d been tasered during trainings, but more similar to the gratifying burning sensation that came with a finger of Johnny Walker Blue. He’d experienced it once in a while with a woman before––never from a handshake.

“It’s great to meet you as well. Please have a seat. Would you like anything? Coffee, iced tea, soda?”
 

Chase noticed that her voice faltered slightly. His ego would have liked to think she’d felt something with the physical contact too but, in truth, her reaction was nothing he wasn’t used to. Most people didn’t interact with bodyguards in their everyday life, so a little uncertainty was commonplace. “Actually, iced tea sounds great,” he found himself replying, more from the need for a second alone than from thirst.
 

She left the room, and a creamy gourmand scent settled in her wake.
 

Sinking down into one of her office chairs, he mused whether or not it was her physical beauty that was throwing him off a bit. Ultimately, he eliminated the explanation. He’d been responsible for protecting many gorgeous women during his work—actresses, singers, models—and touching them wasn’t reminiscent of the heat from a velvety smooth blended scotch. He let out a long breath and told himself that she’d likely be his next client. The stark reminder had him abandoning the train of thought altogether. Whatever the cause, it would have no bearing on his interactions with her. He never mixed business with pleasure. In his line of work, those two could be a deadly combination. It was a rule he never broke—never even bent.
 

Jordan walked into the room carrying a tall glass. “Here you go,” she said as she placed the tea on the small end table next to him. Condensation dripped down the sides onto the napkin she’d situated under the drink. “It’s not sweetened.” She watched as he took a sip. “I wasn’t sure if you like it sweet or not, so here’s some sugar if you want it.” Her face flushed a bit as she set a few sugar packets beside the drink.

Her slight coloring likely meant she’d comprehended that sugar in the South could mean one of two things. He pressed his lips together to suppress a grin. Whether intended or not, she obviously had a way with words.

Rather than sharing that he normally would have no objections to either sweet or sugar—particularly if it was coming from her—he answered with a simple, “Thank you. This is fine.”
 

She sat back down at her desk while rotating her chair around to face him. After fidgeting with the papers on her desk, she finally began speaking. “To be quite frank, I don’t know where to begin. This whole situation still seems so unreal to me.”

Chase sensed her discomfort and directed the conversation. “For starters, Mike has spoken to me briefly about the circumstances surrounding the attack, but it would help if I heard exactly what happened from you. After that, I can tell you the basics about my role as a personal protection specialist and we can discuss what your responsibilities as a client will look like.”

Jordan nodded and began to reveal the details of the past few days. While she spoke, Chase observed her. On the surface, she appeared cool and composed. She wore a tailored beige jacket that matched her slacks. Underneath the jacket, she had on a deep blue blouse that highlighted her eyes. He’d never seen eyes quite that color. They sparkled like tanzanite with flashes of violet.
 

It was when he was checking out her eyes that he noticed the darkness that defined puffy semi-circles below them. He could imagine it’d be hard for her to sleep with all of this going on. Though she appeared to be making an effort to sound unflustered, her body told a different story. He could see her muscles tense as she got further into the account, and her voice shook when she glossed over how he’d grabbed her from behind. His stare fell to the graceful hollow of her neck, where several bruises peeked out from the collar of her blouse. The sight caused a visceral reaction within his gut. Times like these made him miss being the one to put the cuffs on offenders who preyed on the innocent.
 

Jordan interlaced her fingers in her lap when she finished and gazed back at him expectantly.

Chase considered everything she’d told him and what she hadn’t. “This is the kind of threat you should take very seriously,” he said evenly. “The fact that whoever is behind this is resorting to violence indicates that he’s determined to harm you.”
 

“I know,” she acknowledged in a resigned tone.
 

“As your protection specialist, it would be my duty to ensure your safety until the police are able to make an arrest. I’ve got a lot of experience with these types of situations. Many of the high-profile clients I’ve worked with are dealing with threats and stalkers, so it’s not an unfamiliar scenario. As for my qualifications, I can give you a resume with my both my work and training experience as well as a reference list.”