"We did what we thought best to keep you safe.” He shrugged. “I guess it was a mistake."
"I thought we were a team, Jake."
"We are, Nik. But sometimes you scare me. It's almost as if ... as if you have no sense of your own well being. You just keep pushing yourself.” He looked at her grimly. “Sometimes I think you have a death wish."
She snorted softly. And yet there'd been times in the past when she certainly hadn't cared whether she lived or died. Maybe that was why she had been such an easy target for Tommy. “Even if I did, what business is it of yours?"
"Damn it, do I have to spell it out? You're like a damned daughter to me. I don't want to see you hurt!" She was an idiot, no doubt about it. She touched his arm gently. “I'm sorry." He sighed and shook his head. “You've been on your own too long, kiddo. It's about time you let someone in."
He was talking about Michael, not himself. “Father figure or not, does the phrase ‘mind your own business’ mean anything to you?"
"It's one I have great trouble with.” He held a hand out. “Give me your keys. I want you to go talk to Michael. Now, Nikki,” he added when she hesitated.
She swore softly but knew better than to argue when he used that tone of voice. She dug the keys out of her pocket. “If I didn't know better, I'd swear you've been drinking."
"One or two. I'm safe to drive."
"My car's parked across the road. I'll see you back at the office." He nodded. “Trust him, Nik. Let him in."
She scowled and turned away. She had no intention of letting anyone in, especially Michael. It was too damn dangerous. He was too damn dangerous.
Jake's Mercedes was parked in the shadows of an old elm. The darkly-tinted windows prevented any view inside, and yet she could feel Michael's anger as if it were her own. She opened the driver's side door and climbed in. Michael watched her silently, eyes hidden behind dark glasses. He made no comment as she started the engine and drove off. Though she kept her eyes on the road, she couldn't help being aware of every little move he made. Now that she was here, she feared talking to him. But just what did she fear? Him? Or herself?
"Why?” he asked softly, after several minutes.
It was a question that could have meant anything. She chose to answer the most obvious. “Monica had to be stopped. You know that."
"Yes. But not before she'd led us to Jasper."