Protecting the Enemy (21 page)

Viv set the timer down on the counter. “Something on your mind? I sense there’s something you need to tell me.”

Julianna peeled the foil cup from the muffin. “Yes, I do. I’ve decided that I’m going to go find Reid and I’m going to try to get my memories back.”

“That’s good. I’m proud of you.” Viv’s eyes misted. “I’ll miss you though.”

She would miss her grandma too. But she could come back to visit soon. “I’ll be back. You’re my family.”

Viv smiled and nodded.

“There’s something I wanted to do with you before I go look for Reid.”

Viv smiled. “Anything.”

Julianna hesitated. She didn’t know how her grandma would react. “I want to go visit my mom’s grave. I think she’d like us there together.”

“I haven’t been back to visit her. All this time and I couldn’t bring myself to go, not even once.”

That information saddened Julianna, but she understood. “I’ll drive. You need to do this as much as I need to face my past.”

***

As Julianna drove her Jag through Baltimore, it was bittersweet. The last time she’d been in the city, she’d be in emotional distress. But she’d also shared some treasured moments with Reid. She looked over at her grandma who was staring out the window. “Are you okay?”

She turned to Julianna. “Yes.” Viv folded her hands in her lap. “Thank you for bringing me.”

“You’re welcome.” Julianna pulled into the large cemetery. The grass wasn’t visible through the blanket of fresh snow.

They got out of Julianna’s car and trudged over to Scarlett’s headstone. Julianna wiped the snow away from her mom’s name engraved in the stone. Viv placed a bouquet of red roses on the white covered ground. They stood and bowed their heads while holding hands.

Viv raised her head revealing teary eyes. “She’s happy. The violent vibes are gone.”

Julianna smiled through tears of her own, feeling the closure she hadn’t the first time she’d been there.

***

After driving Viv back to
Connecticut, Julianna stayed for lunch. Her grandma’s chocolate cake was even better than her crumb cake had been. The extra thick layer of homemade chocolate frosting may have had something to do with it. Viv handed her a plastic bag to pack her clothes in. “I’ll put your bowl in the kiln, so next time you come you can finish it.”

Julianna hugged Viv. “That sounds great.”

Viv squeezed her for a moment. “Now go, before I start crying again.”

Julianna wiped away the tears already streaming down her face. “I love you.”

“I love you too, Julianna. Go find that handsome Reid and get back the memories you both shared.”

Chapter 19

R
eid stood inside a peach colored room at Mercy Hospital. He swallowed the lump in his throat. At first, he wasn’t sure why he’d gotten in his Jag and driven straight to New Jersey. Once he stepped inside the hospital, he knew it was to see where Julianna had been when he was so desperately trying to find her. Ironic that’d she been trying to find herself at the same time. Julianna or Jane Doe as the hospital staff had known her had been admitted in the same room which he was now standing in.

He walked over to the bed. She must have been so afraid. She’d probably shed tears with no one to comfort her. The sterile chemical smell made him nauseated. He turned around to leave. He would have come for her. If only he would have known. All that wasted time he’d spent searching in
Maryland and she’d been here the whole time. A nurse dressed in scrubs walked by the empty room.

She stopped and looked at Reid. “Can I help you?”

“No.” He walked past her and out of the hospital.

***

Reid sat on the edge of the sofa and listened to the newscaster. From what he gathered, the authorities were still clueless that ETE 7 had ever existed. Also, the area murders as well as Agent Fuller back in D.C. had been all been linked to Senator Grant and his wife. It was the scandal of the century. He drew in a deep breath. Mission completed. He and Jewels were in the clear, free to start over. He’d just hoped it would have been together. She had to be thinking about him wherever she was. He couldn’t stop thinking about her. His hand reached over to her side of the bed and rested there. He imagined her curvy naked body under the sheet, her smile as she gazed into his eyes. Her kissable lips. He had to get a grip. What if she didn’t love him anymore?

With a sigh, he turned off the flat screen and got up. Clueless as to what to do next, he looked around the apartment which was already spotless from cleaning the place top to bottom yesterday. He’d even gone to the grocery store and filled up the refrigerator. If Jewels came back, she’d be surprised. If she didn’t come back he’d have to go find her, but he wanted her to come back to him on her own. He had to give her some time as much as that tortured him.

Reid picked up Jewels’ gold chain. She’d forgotten it. He put the chain back where she’d left it on the end table. He rubbed his face and picked up the picture of them. He stood there staring at it like that would somehow bring her back. It wouldn’t, he knew that from before.

What he needed was something big to occupy his time. With ETE 7 being nonexistent, it was time find a new career. His money wouldn’t last forever. Julianna had mentioned becoming a police officer. That wasn’t for him. How could he put his skills to use in a legal way? He was good a killing, but he was also good at protecting.

That was it. He could start a security firm. He placed the photo back on the table next to her necklace. He’d become a private security contractor. Be his own boss without having to worry about his superior lying to him. Revived with new energy, he grabbed his coat and headed out the door. The first thing he’d need would be a license and then some new supplies.

***

After he’d gotten a hold of his expedited Private Security License, Reid purchased the new guns and ammo he’d need for his business. He bought extra for the employees he would have to hire. He’d keep his firm small and service important individuals as well as smaller companies. Maybe when Jewels came back she would help him run the firm. Excited to be starting something new, he placed the untainted Glocks into his trunk and headed home.

Chapter 20

R
eid couldn’t take sitting around the apartment any longer. Being there without Julianna was torture. The reason why when she’d gone missing after the explosion, he couldn’t stay there. She’d already been gone four days, though it felt like much longer. He grabbed his coat and walked outside. The owners of Chopsticks kept the stairs clear of any ice and snow. There was about two inches of snow on the ground, but the cold didn’t bother him. What did bother him was that the walk wasn’t getting his mind off of Jewels. He circled around. As he passed the drug store he thought back to the little pregnancy scare they’d had. Some day maybe he would get that family with her that he’d always hoped for. He walked back to the apartment deep in thought.

Jewel’s car was parked beside his. His heart raced as he ran up the metal stairs three at time. Reid opened the door and almost burst with joy. Julianna sat on their sofa looking gorgeous. There had been a small part of him terrified that he’d never see her again. She stood up when he walked into the apartment. She looked different, happy. And those tight white jeans, was she trying to give him a heart attack?

She bounced over to him and hugged his neck. “I missed you.”

“I missed you, too.” He kissed her sweet red lips and almost cried from happiness. “Are you okay?”

Julianna’s slate-blue eyes looked into his. “Yes, more than okay. I forgave myself.” She let out a sigh. “I wouldn’t have ever agreed to join ETE 7 if I’d known the truth. As lost as I was that day Brandon came to take me from the hospital, I still wanted to help people. I know you told me that already, but I just had to get away for a bit to really think about things and when I’m with you, you tend to make it hard for me to concentrate on anything else.”

He ran his fingers through her silky hair. “Is that a bad thing?”

She smiled. “No, but while I was separated from you, I got a lot accomplished.”

He licked his bottom lip and narrowed his eyes. “I’m not sure if this is supposed to be making me feel better or like shit.”

She pursed her lips and cupped his face. “I moved on, put ETE 7 behind me. I found my grandma, Vivian Fox or Viv.” She laughed. “She doesn’t want to be called grandma. She lives in a charming little town in Connecticut called Fairhope. I stayed with her and learned a lot about my mom and myself, about what I need and want.”

As long as he was included in that. “Which is?”

“I had a wonderful time with my grandma, but I missed you and wanted to come back to you. Even if you were, by chance, not here waiting any longer.”

“I’m so happy to hear you say that.” He placed his mouth over hers and she wrapped her legs around him. Starving for her, for the way she could make him feel, he laid her down on the sofa. With a grin, he took off his shirt and pants and tossed them on the floor. She wiggled out of her clothes giving him an amazing view.

“Aren’t you going to pull out the mattress?”

“No time.” He bent down and kissed her neck, breathing in her sweet fragrance. Her body was his, he needed to claim her. They needed to make up for the time that they were apart. He’d try to make their love making last, but he was close to exploding as it was.   He placed kisses all over her neck while his fingers traveled to his favorite places. When he got to certain spots, she dug her nails into his skin. He couldn’t hold out any longer. Starving for her, he plunged into her softness and made her his. They could power the city with the friction they created. They ended up on the floor tangled up in the sheets. Too exhausted to care, they didn’t bother climbing back up to the sofa.

***

Still naked, Julianna brought Reid a steaming mug of coffee. She was all tingly and blissful over the way he’d touched her an hour ago.

He reached for the mug. “Thanks, Jewels.”

“You’re welcome.” She laughed. “Looks like you got a lot accomplished with me gone, too. There are groceries in the kitchen!”

He sat up, the sheet falling from him. “Yeah, and I did more than just get groceries. I’ve decided to start my own security firm. I already have the stuff I need to become established. I was wondering and hoping if you’d like to be my partner. How does being a private contractor sound?”

It sounded perfect. “I’d like that.”

The mug warmed her hands as she glanced out the window at the snow flurries dotting the baby blue sky. “Did you doubt that I would come back?”

He touched the tip of her nose. “Maybe for a second. Did
you
doubt that you’d come back?”

“Not really, but I knew it wasn’t fair to make you wait for me to figure things out. I knew you’d already spent a lot of time waiting on me after the explosion that took my memory. And I didn’t know how long it would take, a few days, weeks or even months.”

“Don’t even say that. I’m not sure my sanity would have held out that long. I drove to Mercy Hospital. I had to see where you’d been during all our lost time.”

She reached over and placed her hand on Reid’s. “You did?”

“Yeah. I’m sorry I didn’t find you. I should have tried harder.”

“You did. It wasn’t your fault.” She paused. “I want to remember the part of my life that has more holes than Swiss cheese. The doctor I had at Mercy said that I could try hypnosis. I think I’m ready to try that. Would you take me?”

Reid raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure that’s a good idea right now?” He twirled a piece of her hair through his fingers.

She placed her hand over his. “Yes. We’ve wasted enough time. I’m ready.”

“You don’t have to. I don’t need you to remember for me.”

“I know. I need to remember for myself. I’m tired of being in the dark. I think it’s the only way we can truly move on and start a new life together.”

He rubbed his face and sighed. “Okay, but none of those phony doctors, I’m finding you someone with a PhD.”

She’d had enough phony people in her life to last a lifetime. “Deal.”

“Jewels, I have a confession.”

She raised an eyebrow.

“I… sometimes feel like I’m cheating on you with the old you.”

She laughed. “What does that even mean?”

“I love you more now than I did before and the sex… it’s always been great, but now it’s more… intense.”

Julianna put her arms around his neck. “Reid, I love you. And if all you’re guilty of is loving me more than you did seven months ago, I’d say I’m a pretty lucky woman.”

***

It had only taken Reid a few days to find what he considered a qualified hypnotist. The only problem was that he couldn’t get Julianna in for another week. In those seven days she’d tried to remember on her own without success. In fact, the harder she tried the less flashes of memories she’d gotten.