The press had consequences. The media flurry had worked with the speed of light, so faces that were usually neutral or curious were now guarded and hostile.
Jessie stepped back closer to Jimmy who encased her in his arms. People would usually be all over this, but not this time.
"Should we leave?" someone whispered from behind. "Is there a chance of attack with them here?"
Jessie wanted to mention that since they were in a bank, there was always a chance of attack, but she stayed small and cuddled against the person who made her feel safe. These people had a point. But she wished she could just be ignored, be another person just waiting in line to open an account.
"It's going to be okay," Jimmy whispered in her ear.
"You really don't care about the hostility, do you?" she asked, advancing another few steps.
"Nope, not at all."
She bit her lip as she tried to keep her heartbeat steady for the next question. "You thing or serum thing?"
They'd agreed to keep this in the open between them. Whenever Jimmy needed confirmation that he wasn't turning into a coldhearted robot, she provided. Just like she always pointed out things she found weird in his behavior. It was the only way they could keep track of what the serum was doing to him.
So far, it apparently made him immune to sickness after his last cold in France. His physical strength had increased which lead to a decrease in healing speed, but other than that, the emotional detachment didn't seem to have gotten worse.
He paused, doing an internal search. "Serum thing. I think I'd at least feel guilty or embarrassed about this."
"Lucky you," she mumbled. "I feel like the bearded lady at a circus."
"You'd be sexy with a beard, too."
She chuckled, but the amusement dissolved into worry almost instantly. It was very hard to keep smiling these days. First because of what Christine had done, now because of Tom and Angie as well. It sort of made her scared. Scared that some strange lightning bold would fall from the sky and singe her and Jimmy.
"I wish everything wasn't falling apart," she whispered.
"I know what you mean. The thing with Sam and Tom sucks. But Kyle and Kay are fine and I have a hunch that Jerry might have a secret girlfriend."
Jessie turned to him in shock. "Really?"
Jimmy shrugged, though he was grinning. "Texting at odd hours, a little distracted, not half as moralizing... I'd say there's a fair shot."
"I wish." Jessie turned back and they advanced another few steps. "But it seems as if everything is just going downhill lately. Kyle and Kay are both exhausted from work. Kyle's not talking to Tom and Kay is worried sick about Angie and..."
"What about us?"
"That's the thing. I'm afraid something might happen to us, too."
She whispered because she didn't want to say the words out loud. Because she didn't want him to ask what that something might be when she didn't have anything specific in mind. Just a heavy heart and a desperate longing for sunnier days.
"I miss us. The way we all were a couple years back. Happy, free, innocent."
"You mean more innocent than now," Jimmy pointed out. "We've lost our innocence long ago."
"Tell me about it," Jessie mumbled. Even if she couldn't complain about the present, it still felt like the better days were so far behind.
Fortunately, they reached the teller and she could pull out of her gloomy thoughts. Jimmy was right, they were great. She'd never thought she'd suffer so much for the others though. For heartbroken Sam, for irrational Tom, for lonely Jerry, and exhausted Kyle. For Angie who was missing and Kay who seemed in way over her head.
YOU ARE READING
Lose Control (The Jewel Project #5)
Adventure"It's never going to end, is it? The rivalry, the hatred, the madness. Not even now. Not even after so many years." It has been three years since the last jewel was recovered, and the Agency seems to have put the project to rest. They have a new tar...
