Jake had run across his kind before and knew Gregor wouldn’t stop until he felt he’d gotten what he deserved. Wasn’t going to happen. Sapphire belonged to him and Jake knew how to protect what was his.

He had friends in high and low places too, probably more trustworthy ones than Gregor had, and would call in whatever favors were owed him to keep Sapphire safe. But there was a lot he could do on his own. The authorities might be constrained by the law, but he wasn’t. “Let’s see what you’ve been up to, Ivan.” Jake hunched over his keyboard and went to work.

The sun was rising when he leaned back and studied the screen in front of him. He had pages of research that his printer had spit out in a neat pile. Gregor was definitely working the shady side. There had been questions about some of his land acquisitions and developments from concerned citizens groups, accusations of bribery, complaints from other developers, but no charges had ever been laid.

He’d have to dig into Gregor’s finances to find out more. It was illegal as hell, but Jake didn’t care. His only concern was keeping the bastard away from Sapphire. If Gregor stayed away from her, he wouldn’t have any problems. If he approached her again, Jake wanted the ammunition ready to turn Gregor’s life into a shit storm. Neither the politicians nor the mafia would take kindly to having their laundry aired in public. If Gregor wasn’t careful, he could end up in jail or worse. Some of the boys Gregor was alleged to have done business with didn’t exactly play nice.

He reached into his desk drawer, pulled out a disposable phone and dialed a number he knew by heart. It was to another disposable phone that would be tossed once this job was done. Then his friend would send him his new number.

“Yeah.” The voice on the other end was gruff, but alert.

“I’ve got a job if you’re interested.” He’d known the other man for years and trusted him to do the job right. Neither of them used names, and wouldn’t. They were both careful as hell. Some would say paranoid, but those folks didn’t know what they did—the government or someone else was always listening.

“Go.”

“Ivan Gregor. Stockbroker. Dirty, but there’s no concrete proof I can find, not yet.”

“You want him taken out?”

Jake almost smiled. His buddy had a very simple view of the world. If you had a problem, you got rid of it, permanently.

“No. I want you to follow him. I want to know where he goes and who he sees.” Jake paused before adding, “This is personal.” He rattled off Ivan’s home and work address. “I’m sending you a picture of him and one of a woman. If Gregor gets anywhere near her let me know right away. Her safety is top priority.”

“I’m on it.” There was a click and then the line went dead. Jake hung up, knowing that end was being handled. His job was to keep Sapphire safe.

He pushed out of his desk chair and stretched his arms over his head. A bone snapped and his muscles protested. He rubbed his hand over his jaw and figured it was time to have a shave and get dressed. He could catch a nap later if he needed one.

But first, he needed coffee and fuel. He ambled out to the kitchen, which was large by New York standards. The granite countertops and the stainless steel appliances gleamed. The coffeepot was new and fast. He might not cook much, but he needed his coffee.

When he had a pot brewing, he wandered over to the dining room window and peered out over the city. He wondered if Sapphire had slept at all last night. On impulse, he went into his bedroom, grabbed his phone and punched in her number. It was just past six, but she’d always been an early riser.

“Hello.” Her sleepy, sultry voice had his cock rising to full attention in a heartbeat.

“Hey.” He wasn’t quite sure what he wanted to say, he only knew that he needed to hear her voice.

“Are you okay?” He could hear rustling in the background and knew she was still in bed. He swallowed hard. She would be tousled and warm, surrounded by her soft sheets and comforter, still wearing that sexy-as-sin nightie she’d worn last night. His cock stirred and he wished he were there with her.

“I’m okay. Just called to make sure you were.”

“I’m good.”

The conversation was stilted, which wasn’t like them at all. They’d never lacked for something to talk about before. “I probably shouldn’t have called this early.” He should say goodbye and hang up.

He went back out to the kitchen, took down a large black mug and filled it almost to the brim with the fragrant brew.

“No, that’s okay. I was awake anyway. Just trying to convince myself to get up.” More fabric rustled in the background. He could easily picture her silky nightgown falling over her legs as she climbed out of bed. He could hear her walking now.

“What are you doing?”

She gave a little laugh. “Going to the kitchen to put on coffee. I can’t think before I’ve had coffee.”

“I’ve got some at my place.” He took a sip and made a sound of satisfaction.

“Beast.” She ran water and then he could hear her pouring it. A few more seconds of silence and then she gave a satisfied sigh. “That won’t take long.” She paused and he could almost see her trying to figure out how to broach the subject of what had happened last night.

“I want to see you today.” Better to take the bull by the horns and state what he wanted. If she said no, he could try to work around her objections.

“I have a meeting this morning and I really need to work this afternoon.”

“Tonight, for dinner. We can go out or I can pick something up and we can eat in.”

Sapphire paused. “Okay. Call me later and we can decide then what we’d rather do.”

Jake smiled, feeling as though he could take on the world. “Sounds good to me. And Sapphire.” He waited until he was sure he had her full attention. “Thank you for giving me, for giving us, a second chance. You won’t regret it.”

“I hope not.” There was worry in her voice and he knew he hadn’t come anywhere near to winning this battle yet. But he was back on the playing field and that was all that mattered.

“Have a good day, babe.” He hesitated, not wanting to worry her, but his concern for her safety overrode all else. “And watch out for Ivan Gregor. I don’t trust him.” The fact he had a buddy watching Gregor gave him some peace of mind. The bastard wouldn’t get near her without his knowing about it.

“I’ll be careful. I don’t think I’ll be hearing from him again.”

Jake didn’t agree with her assumption. He knew men like Gregor a lot better than she did. “Call me if you get the least bit worried. Promise me.” His grip tightened around the phone and he had to force himself to relax before he broke the damn thing.

“I will. Coffee is done. Have a good day.”

“You too.” He waited until she ended the call before signing off.

He decided he was on a roll and hit another button. He picked up his coffee and strode into his living room. It was a masculine domain, filled with sturdy, comfortable furniture and a large flat-screen television. His favorite chair—a slightly battered brown monster—beckoned, so he sat down and put his feet up on the matching ottoman. The call was answered on the first ring.

“What in tarnation are you doing calling an old man this early in the morning?” The voice was gruff and as familiar as his own.

“You don’t sleep anyway, old man.” His grandfather had raised John and him from the tender age of six. A retired army man, Bernard Knight was rough and tough, but there had never been any doubt he’d loved his grandsons.

His grandfather laughed. “What are you doing up this early?”

“Working.” He took another sip of coffee and set the mug on the small table that sat next to his chair.

“Huh.” His grandfather was also an astute man. “Might be more than work, I’m thinking.”

“Might be.” But it wasn’t something he wanted to talk about. Not yet. His grandfather had already met Topaz when John had brought her home to meet him and loved her, but he had yet to meet Sapphire.

“Anything you need help with?” That was his grandfather, solid as bedrock. Jake knew the eighty-two-year-old would jump in his ’68 Camaro and speed over from Brooklyn if Jake needed him.

“I’m good for now, Granddad. I’ll let you know.”

“You do that, boy.”

They talked for a few more minutes, discussing cars and the upcoming wedding. Neither of them was thrilled at having to put on tuxedoes, but they’d do it for John. After he ended the call, he got to thinking about Sapphire. If they got married, she’d want a fancy ceremony too.

He thought about making a commitment to her, of tying their lives together forever. Usually the mention of something like that would send him walking in the other direction. He’d never been serious about a woman before in his life.

But with Sapphire, it felt…right. More than that, it felt necessary. He wanted his ring on her finger to warn all other men away from her. Old-fashioned for sure, but he couldn’t help it.

First things first. He needed to win back her trust. And for that, he needed to tone down the dark side of himself. He would bury it forever if it meant having Sapphire in his bed for the rest of his life.

He’d discovered in the weeks he’d spent without her just how necessary she’d become to his life. Like air, he needed her to breathe. If that meant he had to change, then he damn well would. There really wasn’t any other option for him. He’d tried living without her and that was just plain hell.

He finished his coffee and set his mug by the pot, planning on another one once he shaved and dressed. His phone rang just as he entered the bedroom. He glanced at the number and answered. “What do you want?”