have to scramble to get ahead. That was Jared’s sole purpose now. He would think further ahead, move quicker and never underestimate Chekhov. He wouldn’t fail again.
Sassa stirred and groaned. He glanced over. Her neck was in an awkward, twisted position. She groaned again, quiet and soft. A nice sound. Kind of personal. He liked it. In fact, now that he’d finally met Sassa, he’d discovered he liked a lot of things about her.
She was bright. Jared should have realized that. Sam wouldn’t have chosen an assistant who wasn’t extremely capable. In the interrogation, Kopack had intentionally left out information. Sassa had put the pieces together with skill. Sam’s murder had devastated her. That was obvious. But she hadn’t let emotion control her. She’d responded with a calm balance most people could not have summoned.
Those capabilities, combined with some nice features—eyebrows with little pointed peaks and bow-shaped lips—made it look as if she was always on the verge of a smile. Her appearance exuded likability. Usually, he didn’t go for curvy women. He preferred them tall and slender like Jessica...
Thinking of his wife—ex-wife now—was not a good idea. That whole situation had sent him into a tailspin and caused this disaster. If Jared hadn’t been forced to attend his divorce court date in LA, he might have received Sam’s call. He’d have been able to alert the authorities earlier and his friend might be alive today.
Jared’s jaw tightened. Now he could add that to his list of mistakes. He’d spent the last year of his separation from Jessica going over what he’d done wrong, wondering how he might have changed things to make his marriage work. He still didn’t have the answers and hanging on to a dead marriage had only made him seem pitiful in Jessica’s eyes. She didn’t understand how or why making it work mattered so much to him.
Sometimes he didn’t understand himself.
Maybe it had something to do with his grandfather and his Christian values...values Jared wasn’t sure he shared anymore. He’d lost faith in a God that didn’t seem to care. He’d learned that early in life with his alcoholic mother. But he’d been so busy trying to prove himself worthy of all the kind people who’d tried to pull him out of the mess and mire, he’d forgotten who had allowed him to be there in the first place. In fact, he wasn’t even sure if he believed God existed anymore.
One thing was for certain. If He did exist, He didn’t care about Jared De Luca. That was apparent. Everything he’d ever wanted and worked for had been taken away. His marriage with Jessica was only the latest example of that.
They’d had such plans for their marriage. They were going to go so far, him with his high-profile position in some exotic place like Miami, and Jessica with a PR firm representing big names. Jess had kept up her end of the plan. She’d made a name for herself in Hollywood. He couldn’t blame her for dumping him when his career fizzled and he ended up in the backwater station of Riverside, California.
Still, the divorce papers had been a shock and had put his life in a nosedive. He’d faced the fact that they were never going to be the power couple they’d envisioned, but he always thought they would work it out...until she told him she’d found someone else. Someone she worked with in the PR firm. A man “much older and more established” she’d said. What she’d meant was the “perfect power partner.”
Like a fool, he’d gone to Hollywood hoping to convince her to give it one more try before the court session. Their meeting was a pointless, painful debacle that ended in their divorce being finalized...and him not being there to answer Sam’s call when he’d needed him. He’d failed. He should have been there to protect Sam.
End of sentence.
Sassa jerked and raised her head, her eyes blinking rapidly. Her hand shot to her neck.
“Owww.” She rubbed the spot then scooted up in the seat and looked around. Cities and freeways had given way to the flat, open, golden hills of California’s Central Valley.
“We’re still an hour away from Kingsburg if you want to go back to sleep.”
“No. My body hurts in every possible way. I’ll sit up now.” She pushed the button on the seat and the back popped forward. Scrubbing her face, she released a heavy sigh.
Jared felt that heartfelt sigh to the bottom of his toes. “I know.” His voice was quiet. “I still can’t believe he’s gone, either.”
She turned to face him. “You liked Sam a lot, didn’t you?”
“He was a great man.” No matter how sincere he sounded, Jared’s tone couldn’t match the feeling of loss inside him. It was like the day he’d lost his grandad, the only male parental figure he’d ever known.
What a shame he hadn’t realized how much Sam had meant to him until now. A tight feeling clutched at his chest. “It may not seem like it, but I tried to protect him.”
“You didn’t try hard enough.”
The hotheaded woman Sam had described—Sassy Sassa—was back. Her attitude even showed in her features. Those pouty lips thinned. Just a little, but enough to notice.
He wanted to say something, to come back with a smart remark, but he couldn’t. What she’d said was true. He should have fought harder. Demanded more of...everything. Protection. Resources. Everything. Instead, he’d tried to go along with the program. Tried to be the dutiful agent, the good department man. He hadn’t wanted to rock the boat or to make enemies of his superiors. Once again, trying to prove himself worthy. It was an ugly truth but one that needed to be faced.
Jared was about to admit that truth to Sassa when she shook her head. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. I’m guilty, too. I was close to Sam. I was his assistant. I should have known something was wrong. But I was wrapped up in my own issues.”
A little surprised, he glanced her way and then quickly back to the freeway. “He worked hard to keep you out of it. He wanted to protect you and precious Keri.”
She jerked in surprise. “That’s what he called her.”
Jared smiled for the first time in hours...or was it days? “I know. Sam talked about her a lot...and you.”
He saw the glisten of tears before she turned her face away. “He was trying to save the world and I just wanted to save myself.”
Her words gave Jared pause. “Did you need saving?”
Her little laugh was rueful. “Always. My life has been a series of setbacks. I had a full-ride scholarship for college, but no, I had to be one of the original teen moms. Pregnant in my senior year of high school. Then I married the guy.” She shook her head.
“Kopack mentioned your ex has a gambling addiction.”
She laughed again. “The appropriate question would be what isn’t he addicted to? Women. Alcohol. I lost my first baby worrying over his addictions. Then Erik disappeared. When he came crawling back, I gave him a second chance.”
She gave her ex a second chance? The one he never got. He turned to study her. “Why?”
Blue eyes widened and perky shaped brows rose into cute peaks.
“Why did you give him a second chance?” Jared repeated the question. The answer was important.
“I...guess
