Page 15 of Forced Mate Bride
“So you still came up with nothing?” Jasper asked.
“Still haven’t been able to find anything,” Cillian grumbled, seeming more annoyed at the fact that his normally expert tracking skills had failed than anything else. Growling, he ran his fingers through his hair. “I just can’t figure it out. We’ve expanded the perimeter again. He’s got to be as good at hiding his tracks as we are.”
“Well, that makes sense,” Camden said, flicking through the papers in front of them. “Apparently, he’s ex-military. Got kicked out for insubordination and disobeying orders, which was when Sier found him.”
Grunting, Jasper bent his head again, trying to hide his frustration. It felt like this had been an ongoing ritual for weeks now. They’d heard whispers about Lucas, rumors of sightings, but nothing that had given them any concrete information.
“We could try and smoke him out,” Franco suggested.
“That would be great.” Cillian rubbed his eyes. “Let’s do that once we find out what quadrant the guy is in.”
Shaking his head, Camden slumped forward. “We’ve just got to keep our ears to the ground. He’ll show himself eventually.”
It was a nice sentiment, but Jasper was beginning to have his doubts that Lucas would ever resurface. Sighing, he began to shuffle through the papers, trying to focus on them instead of allowing his thoughts to wander to Nikki. He’d put her in this situation. He’d promised her that he would find Lucas, and then this would all be over. He had meant it when he said it. But he was starting to wonder if he would be able to keep his word.
He blinked, tried to focus on the map he was studying, then found his thoughts drifting back to Nikki once again. He knew she wasn’t happy. A spasm of guilt reverberated through him, and he shifted in his seat. He still stood by his decision. Them being together was going to be safer for her than anything else. The second Lucas made a move on the second-in-command’s wife, the entire pack would rise up to go after him. That didn’t smother Jasper’s unease whenever he saw Nikki curled up on the couch, reading or working on her laptop. Some of the frostiness in her demeanor had ebbed, but there was still a wall between them that he longed to break through.
Once again, he tried to focus, and once again, he found himself drifting. The cycle repeated itself over and over, his thoughts always eventually circling back to Nikki.
***
It was several more hours of finding nothing before night fell, and all four of them agreed to call it for the day. Jasper grabbed his jacket, nodded at Alice, Camden’s secretary, and strolled into the evening, heading straight to Nikki’s work.
He walked into the library, its high ceilings soaring high overhead, the dark wood giving the whole space a cozy feel despite its massive size. He craned his neck to look up the way he always did, eyes scanning the second-story balcony that wrapped all around the massive atrium.
Nikki was standing behind the circulation desk, talking to Amber. She was smiling, something Jasper had rarely seen. As he watched, Amber said something to her, and Nikki gave a soft laugh in response, her eyes crinkling. She had a beautiful smile.
He stayed where he was, not wanting to interrupt that small bit of cheer. Guilt began to resurface as he watched them.
Amber caught sight of him before Nikki. She elbowed Nikki, then nodded in his direction. Nikki followed her gaze. Her entire body stiffened, that smile evaporating, replaced by the usual stiff, uneasy composure that he had grown accustomed to, coupled with that neutral expression.
Still, he couldn’t miss the fire simmering in her gaze.
“Hi,” he said. “How are you ladies doing?”
Amber shrugged. “Same old, same old,” she said. “Nothing particularly interesting going on.”
“No angry patrons throwing books all over the place?”
Nikki’s mouth twitched despite herself. “Just once.”
Their eyes met. Jasper might have been imagining it, but he could have sworn he saw a spark there, some connection.
Then Nikki pulled her attention away again, and the spell was broken.
“Ready to go?” he asked Nikki.
“Give me a few minutes.” She gestured at the book cart. “I need to reshelve these. It shouldn’t take too long.”
With a nod, he spent the next few minutes wandering through the library, giving Nikki the space to finish her work. He browsed the mystery section, plucking a book from the shelf. He’d just begun reading the first page when Nikki appeared at his shoulder.
“I love that one,” she said. “It’s really good.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Really?” He turned the book over to look at the blurb, then shrugged. “I’ll check it out, then, since it’s recommended by an expert.”
He saw pink tint her cheeks, and she glanced away as if suddenly shy.
“Let’s go,” he said, tucking the book under his arm.
