No More Games

Chapter Two

"You're awfully quiet, Jack," Sue said as she clipped Levi's leash back onto his collar. As they strolled through the park, it had felt like Jack hadn't even been with her. His body had been with her—which she liked—but his mind had been somewhere else.

He smiled apologetically in her direction as he slipped his hands into the pockets of his jacket. "It's been a long week."

The fatigue could clearly be seen on his features and Sue couldn't help but think she'd been the cause of some of it. "And I'm sure my yo-yoing between staying in DC and going to New York didn't help much."

She'd seen how her decision to go had affected him and she would be lying if she'd said she hadn't felt a bit smug about it at the time. He'd strung her along for three long years and he'd figuratively been slapped in the face.

Of course, he wasn't the only one to blame. She'd been just as elusive with her friendly flirting and teasing. She would give just as good as she would get from him. But during that, her feelings of friendship had turned into something much more. She'd fallen in love with the stupid turtle and she didn't know how to get back up.

"I can't say that it made my week any better," he admitted as they continued walking down the sidewalk.

A blush began creeping upon her face and her saw the apology ready in her eyes. He didn't want her apology. He didn't need it.

He held up a hand to stem the flow of words that were ready to pour out of her mouth. "Whatever you do, don't apologize," he pleaded. "There's nothing to apologize for. Anyone would be tempted to take a job like that."

She nodded in agreement as the bustle of people around them forced them closer together. The warmth of his body penetrated her thick winter jacket and it immediately reminded her of what she would be leaving behind if she had chosen New York. "It certainly was a great opportunity, but there are things that DC has that New York never will."

"And those are?"

She noticed how he stood up just a little bit taller and puffed out his chest like a proud peacock. She had to bit her lower lip to keep from laughing. New York definitely would never have Jack Hudson that was for sure. "Well, most importantly… a group of friends that I know I could never find anywhere else."

He deflated right before her eyes.

"Oh."

"What did you think I meant, Jack?" She batted her eyelashes in a not-so-innocent manner before wrinkling her nose playfully at him.

He just shook his head as he led her to the side of the crowd and toward the doors of a nearby building. "Do you mind if we make a stop on the way to the restaurant?"

Sue glanced up at the face of the building and raised a single eyebrow in interest. "The bank? Haven't you had your fill of dealing with money this week?"

He rolled his eyes with a chuckle. "More than enough. I just have to make a quick stop and check to see if everything's been cleared up. It should take maybe five minutes tops and then we can head off to meet the others at the restaurant. Okay?"

"Okay," she agreed with a nod.

"Look, Gramma! A doggy!" The excited, high-pitched voice of the little girl echoed off of the marble walls of the bank.

"That's nice, sweetheart," her grandmother replied in a bored tone. Apparently she's already had her filled of her seven-ear-old granddaughter's highly energetic enthusiasm to look at a silly dog as it passed by the window.

Not to be discouraged by her grandmother's apathy, the child skittered away from her guardian to go greet the animal as the pretty blonde lady held open the door to allow him inside. She smiled up at the lady and tucked her hands behind her back as she swayed back and forth. "Hi."

Sue spared a look in Jack's direction before she glanced down at the little pixie-sized girl with a smile. "Hi, there."

"You have a nice doggy," she pointed out, eager to reach out and pet his golden head.

"We like him," Jack teased to which he received a light slap on the arm from Sue.

Sue lowered herself to the girl's level, her smile never wavering. "His name is Levi." She noted the eager look in the child's eyes and knew the reason for her enthusiastic approach. "Would you like to pet him?"

The girl excitedly nodded and her tiny fingers were barely tangled in Levi's golden mane before her grandmother realized she wasn't still at her side. "Amelia Michelle!" she chastised, leaving her place in line to properly scold her granddaughter and apologize profusely to Jack and Sue. "I'm sorry. She's in that 'I-love-dogs' phase and she doesn't realize that she's being a bother."

Sue instantly shook her head. "Oh, she's not a bother."

But the older woman would hear none of it and promptly pulled the child back to her side. "Now apologize to this nice couple."

Amelia, looking properly scolded, stuck her lower lip out and lowered her head. "I'm sorry."

Jack watched, enraptured by her movements, as Sue reached out and placed a gentle hand upon the child's shoulder and gave a tender squeeze. "It's okay," she offered as gentle as always. "Levi always enjoys meeting new people."

That made Amelia's face light up like a Christmas tree and an adorable smile instantly graced her impish face. Her grandmother even cracked a smile; a tired one. "Thank you," she mouthed as her young charge took her wrinkled hand and waved at the three of them as they went to regain their place in line.

Jack was smiling by the time Sue got back to her feet, but it was a grin she'd never seen cross his face. She could only imagine what was running through his mind at this very moment. "What?"

"Cute," was all he signed to her, leaving her to stare at him in confusion as he placed his hand at the small of her back and led her away from the front doors.

The man in the hood had watched the entire scene play out before him. He'd been standing in line behind Amelia and her grandmother and noticed the couple and the dog walk through the door.

He didn't really care why the animal had been allowed inside the public building. What had really caught his attention was when the dark-haired man reached up and set his hand upon the woman's back. The overhead lights reflected against something attached to his right hip and it hadn't looked like a cell phone clip.

It didn't take him long to figure out that the man was armed. But that was okay. So was he.

Reaching into the pocket of his sweatshirt, he lifted his own weapon up into the air and fired off one shot.