Chapter Fifteen
Due to the fact that she was physically unable to go down to the police station herself and rough up the officers in order to get the results from the accident scene in a timely fashion, it was almost a week before she heard anything. She had called the agency and talked to them about the accident, so considering it involved one of their agents, they sent an order down to the police station and requested records indicating cause.
The police station faxed the records to the agency, and because Alana had no access to a fax machine, it was mailed to the hotel in the next city, so that she would be able to pick it up when she arrived. To tell the truth, it was a big hassle, though it was worth it. At least she could narrow her search down.
It was someone on tour.
~*~
He had just stepped out of the shower and back into the room, a towel wrapped around his waist as he headed over to his suit case to pull some boxers and a clean t-shirt. He was exhausted from the show, though a little disappointed that he hadn’t seen Alana since they got back from the venue.
He grabbed his boxers and his t-shirt before returning to the bathroom to dress. Once he had done that, he stepped out of the bathroom, the towel now around his shoulders to help keep the water from dripping down on his neck. That was one of his biggest pet peeves ever. He hated the feeling of a wet shirt clinging to his neck!
Once he was certain that everything was in place for him to crawl in bed when he was ready, he headed to the doorway connecting him to her room and didn’t bother to knock. He pushed it open gently so that he didn’t startle her. He peeked his head into the room, smiling when he saw her lying on the bed on her stomach, her laptop laid out in front of her as her fingers clicked loudly against them.
From his place, he could see that stubborn piece of hair that always gave her trouble. In place of her contacts, she was wearing her thin framed glasses and she was dressed in a shirt that was about two times too big for her. She looked absolutely adorable.
“Hey there,” he greeted, a smile on his face when she jumped nearly a foot off the bed and turned to the doorway.
He was used to a rather sharp greeting from the girl on the bed, though he was pleasantly surprised when her lips curved into a smile and she pushed herself up. She rounded the bed and walked over to him, wrapping her arms around his slender waist.
“Hi,” she answered, sounding almost shy. She looked up at him and he ducked his head to press a soft kiss to her lips. Once it was broken, she spoke again. “What are you doing over here?”
“Is it a crime to want to see my girlfriend before bed?” JC asked with a smile. The word ‘girlfriend’ slid off of his tongue smoothly. It had been a small adjustment period, where they felt slightly awkward with the titles that they’d just been given, but they quickly got over it.
“Not at all,” she said with that same smile still in place. “Are you getting ready to head to bed now, or did you want to hang out for a bit?”
He glanced down at his watch and did a mental rundown of the next day’s events. It was a travel day, so he could sleep on the bus with no problem. “I can hang out for a bit if you wanted,” he said. “You looked kind of busy though, so if you don’t want to…”
“No no…” she said with a laugh. “I wouldn’t mind. I mean… I don’t know how much company I’ll be because I have some stuff to do but I wanted to talk to you anyway,” she told him as the smile melted from her face.
Alana had only been in one real relationship, and it was one that ended right after she started work at the agency. It felt nice to have someone to care about her and actually want to be around her, but at times, she found it hard to distinguish between times she needed to be working, and times she could just hang out and be ‘Alana’.
He nodded and walked over to the bed she’d just vacated before sitting down and patting his lap with a smirk. She rolled her eyes playfully and walked over to the bed and took a seat beside him. She brushed her hair back off of her face and looked up at him.
“I got the accident report,” she said softly.
It had been a conversation that she dreaded having with him. Although both she and JC had suspected the cause of the accident, they had never talked about it. It was easier for JC to pretend that it hadn’t happened. He had enough stress on him and she hated to add to it.
“You did?”
“Mmmhmm.”
“So what’s the verdict?”
She paused slightly and looked down at her hands before reaching for his. She interlocked their fingers and squeezed it gently.
“The brakes were cut.”
~*~
It had been a hard concept for JC to grasp. Someone clearly wanted him dead. Why else would they cut the brake lines on the car that had clearly been meant for him and Alana? He’d never been a very emotional guy, but just the thought of that made him want to break down and cry like a baby.
When he walked onto the bus, he felt like a zombie. All night long, he’d tossed and turned all night, horrible thoughts running through his mind. If this person wanted him bad enough, they weren’t going to be deterred by the fact that their first plan had failed.
It scared him.
He let out a loud sigh as he brushed past Chris and Lance on the bus and headed into the back bunk area. He needed to get some sleep. A good rest would help get his mind clear and then he might be able to make sense of this whole mess.
Alana stepped onto the bus behind him, offering a small smile to Lance and Chris.
“Is he okay?”
She bit her lip. She had always been taught to not discuss the case with anyone but her client, but these were his friends. They were her friends. And really, the case pertained to them anyway. He was their band mate. They deserved to know.
But it had to come from JC. “He will be,” she said softly. “Try not to think too much on it. He didn’t get much sleep last night,” she explained.
Part of her wanted to leave him alone, to give him his space. But then she reminded herself that things had changed between them. He wasn’t just her client. He was her friend. He was her boyfriend. And she needed to make sure he was okay.
“I’m going to go talk to him. Don’t worry about it though, alright?” She offered them one more smile before she headed back into the bunk area. She put her stuff on her own bunk and then stood on it so that she could easily climb into his.
It was a tight squeeze. The bunks were designed to comfortably bed one person, but luckily for Alana, she was tiny enough that she could fit in there with him without the risk of falling flat on her ass.
“Hey,” she greeted quietly, shifting so that she could lay on her side to give him some more space. She didn’t miss the slight smile that formed on his lips.
“Hey,” he responded. “What are you doing in here?”
“Is it a crime to want to see my boyfriend?” She asked with a smile, throwing out the line he’d given the previous night.
“Nah, I guess not,” he said, leaning over to kiss her nose gently. He pulled away and shifted so that he too was on his side. He dropped an arm over her tiny waist and drew her closer.
“Are you okay?” She asked him, searching his eyes for answers.
He forced a laugh that didn’t sound real before he spoke. “Someone wants me dead, Alana. Am I supposed to be okay with that?” He asked, the question coming out harsher than he’d intended.
She caught the way his eyes flickered before he dropped his gaze. She had always been good at reading people. It was something she had learned in the academy. It was a skill that she had to have to be in her line of work. The reading she was getting from him broke her heart.
He was scared. She couldn’t blame him, of course. “Jace?”
“Hmm?”
“Look at me,” she instructed quietly, reaching out to rub his stubbly cheek gently. She watched as he lifted his eyes and met hers. “I’m going to take care of you. I’m not going to let anyone hurt you.”
“You promise?”
The question was filled with so much innocence. He was putting every bit of trust he had in her and she knew she couldn’t let him down.
“I promise.”
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