her inhibitions. She just didn’t understand his hesitance. “Okay, Jake. It’s obvious you don’t want me to film you. What’s the problem?”
Jake shrugged, and Mackenzie could tell he was trying to decide how much to say. He had been ordered by his chief to help her, but the chief couldn’t make him like the idea or participate in the shots she needed for her storyboard to come to reality. She could probably make the film without his help, but it wouldn’t be easy, and it wouldn’t be as good. Mackenzie hoped that if he shared his concerns, maybe she could address them. The silence stretched between them, but finally he spoke.
“I have two reasons why I don’t want to make this movie. Like I told you before, you’ll get in our way. That puts you in danger, and it puts our officers in danger since we have to be thinking about your safety at the same time we’re trying to do our job. Second, you’ll make it impossible for any of us to go undercover in the future. Once our names and faces are publicized, we’ll never get that back.”
Mackenzie waited, hoping for more, but Jake seemed to have become a man of very few words. She wondered fleetingly if she had ever really known him at all. “I can’t solve the undercover problem short of keeping your names out of the movie and pixelating your faces anytime you’re on the screen. That’s not my first choice because seeing the real you would have a larger impact on the viewers, but I certainly don’t want to put your lives at risk. You already do a dangerous job, and I don’t want to make it worse. I can also assure you that I’ll do my best to stay out of the way. Once you really look at the script and storyboard, I think you’ll feel better about the project. I’m open to changes if you have some ideas. I’d really like to sit down with you tomorrow and go over my plans.”
Jake shook his head. “Don’t count on it.”
Mackenzie pursed her lips. It was too bad that she had to have such an unwilling partner in this, but she was committed to the project and would see it through, with or without Jake’s help. She surveyed him closely as he drove. His short, military-style dark brown hair framed his face perfectly, and his clean-cut features and Southern gentleman manners made him seem professional yet also approachable. If anything, he had gotten more handsome over the years. How was that possible? He was perfect for her movie and would do an excellent job of representing the US Marshals, if she could just get him to cooperate.
She snuck another look at his profile. Over the years, he had honed his muscular physique, and he probably worked out on a regular basis to keep his strong, athletic body fit. She had always thought he was good-looking, and a new whisper of attraction swept over her now as she admired the man he had become. She shook her head and tried to push it away. How ridiculous. Back in school, Jake had never returned her sentiment, and she had made a fool of herself around him on more than one occasion. She certainly didn’t want to do so again. She forced her eyes to look out the window and watch the passing scenery. A few moments later, though, she returned to her perusal, almost without realizing it. His eyes. Those had always been his best feature. Jake Riley didn’t say very much, but his intense green eyes took in everything around him, and his mind was sharp, always catching the little details that others probably overlooked. A quiet observer of all he surveyed—that was an apt description of the deputy. There was a sadness in those eyes, though—as if he had seen the worst humanity had to offer and never really recovered. She wondered what he did for fun outside the workplace or if he even had any hobbies away from the job that brought joy to his life. He’d never been a “life of the party” kind of guy, but she remembered him enjoying sports and going to movies. Now his job seemed to define him. Was there more beneath the surface?
“What about your laptop?” Jake asked, suddenly breaking her train of thought. “Did you want to stop somewhere to buy a new one? We can do that now, too, if you’d like.”
The question startled her, and she abandoned her musings. “I have a Costco membership and can probably find something there. I don’t need anything fancy—just something with enough speed to support my video software. I would appreciate it if we could stop, but I don’t want to keep you away from the office if you need to get back.”
Jake was quiet for a moment. “Actually, I’d rather take you on your errands. Until we have a better handle on the folks threatening you and what they’re after, I want to make sure you’re safe. That’s my priority.”
Mackenzie’s immediate reaction was surprise, which was quickly replaced with doubt. “But I know you’re really busy, and like you said, I don’t want to be in your way...” His opposition to her project was already a mountain she needed to climb, and she didn’t want to make it worse by interrupting even more of his work.
Jake stopped at a streetlight and turned to look her in the eye. “It’s a done deal, Mackenzie. And you don’t need to worry. You’re a victim in the Beckett case, and I’ve been assigned to work with you on this film project, so either way, spending time with you is appropriate.” He leaned a bit closer. “I’m going to make sure you’re safe, movie or no movie.” The Southern twang of his accent softened the forcefulness of his statement, but friction still sizzled in the air. She was still uncomfortable with having him serve as her escort. A moment passed as their eyes locked, but then the stoplight changed and he turned his attention back to his driving.
* * *
Jake drove the rest of the way to the warehouse store in virtual silence, but he kept a vigilant watch on Mackenzie as she shopped. She picked out a new laptop and case that would meet her needs, as well as a new portable hard drive to replace the one that had been damaged in the fire, so she could store and back up her video clips as she had before.
A few minutes later, they retrieved her camera and other equipment she needed from her assistant’s house. Then they made a third stop by her safety deposit box at her bank, and she downloaded copies of all her movies onto her new hard drive, leaving the original backups in the box so they would remain safely tucked away. Jake was anxious to watch her film about homeless children to see if he could find any connections to the case, so he was glad a copy of her work still existed. Even though he wasn’t thrilled to be working with her, he realized that Mackenzie and her movie project were his best leads for finding and arresting Beckett. Before he could watch the video, however, he knew he had to do something about her safety. She had already been attacked twice in twenty-four hours. He couldn’t risk losing her to Beckett and his goons. As soon as they returned to his workplace, Jake led her along a long hallway. He unlocked a door and motioned for her to follow him in.
“What’s this about?”
“Security. Have you ever worn a bulletproof vest before?”
Mackenzie shook her head. “No. I’ve never needed one before.”
“Until we have Beckett behind bars, you need one.” He pulled a vest off a hook, checked the tag and handed it to her. “This is a medium. Let’s see if it fits. It’s the smallest size we have.” He helped her get it on and showed her how to tighten the straps. When he breathed in, he paused. Jasmine. It had to be jasmine in her perfume. The sweet scent distracted him once again, and he gritted his teeth. Why did this woman affect him so?
He thought back to the skinny, awkward kid whom he and Jonathan had done their best to ditch when they were in college. They could have treated her better. He felt a pang of regret.
“Wow! It’s so heavy!”
“Yeah, they’re definitely heavier than they look.” He stepped back, trying to erase the memories and put as much space between them as possible. “I think that’s the right size—at least, it’s the best we can do.”
Mackenzie adjusted the vest and stood up straight. “What do you think? Am I ready
