Keep You Safe (JaceXSimon)

Chapter One

"Jace! Come on in," Imogen said after shaking Jace's hand. He nodded and followed his boss to the living room. Jace wasn't surprised to see Raphael waiting there. Despite the man's increasing focus on his family and medical career, he still had his fingers in every aspect of the vigilante group he'd founded.

Jace had never personally met the third man in the room, but he knew who he was. Imogen had already given him the heads-up that he was a close friend of hers and Raphael's and that he was connected to the powerful Starkweather family.

"Jace, this is Hodge Starkweather," Imogen said.

"Captain," Jace said politely as he extended his hand to the man who'd risen from his position on the couch. He tilted his head at Jace, probably because Jace had used his formal title rather than his name.

"Please, call me Hodge," he murmured as they shook hands. Jace already knew the man was in his late thirties, since he'd done as much research on him as he could once Imogen had told him about the meeting. Jace had spent the better part of the evening weeding through the murky family tree that was the Starkweather clan. Hodge had actually married into the family years earlier, though he wasn't sure if marriage was the correct term, since he was in a relationship with two men at the same time. Jace had seen some news articles about Hodge and his partners, Lorenzo Rey and Andrew Underhill, having had some type of commitment ceremony, but he wasn't about to ask about it.

It certainly wasn't any of his business.

He was here to do a job, nothing more.

"Hodge," he said with a nod.

Jace stepped past Hodge and shook Raphael's hand, then took the chair that Raphael motioned to. It was a good spot because it would allow him to read Hodge's expressions as he spoke. Despite the fact that he was close to Raphael and Imogen, Jace still wanted the ability to judge for himself how forthcoming the man was.

Hodge was a big guy and a good-looking one, but there was a certain weariness about him. Jace wondered if it had anything to do with why he'd been called in. The fact that he was a captain in the Police Department had piqued Jace's interest from the get-go, since it wasn't typical for a do-it-by-the-books cop to seek the help of guys like Raphael and Imogen.

After all, it wasn't like what Jace and the other guys who worked for Raphael did was exactly above board.

"Hodge has asked us for assistance with a case," Imogen began before deferring to Hodge.

Hodge swallowed hard and nodded. Jace had to wonder if whoever the subject was had some kind of personal connection to Hodge because he seemed pained as he tried to figure out where to start.

"His name is Simon Lewis," Hodge said. Imogen handed Jace a file folder and he quickly flipped it open. His eyes fell on the picture that was on top of the stack of papers. He quelled his reaction to the sight of the gorgeous man and promptly shut the folder again.

He'd have time to study the contents later. For now, he wanted to focus all his attention on the man asking for his help.

But the piercing brown eyes, hidden behind a pair of glasses, dark hair, and slender body from the photograph rode the edge of his vision as Hodge began speaking.

"We received a 911 call last night from the office of the foundation he runs. Simon was returning to the office to pick up something on his way home from a dinner meeting. He walked in on someone vandalizing the place and got roughed up."

Jace's fists automatically tightened on the folder in his hands. "Is he okay?" Jace asked quickly, despite his intent to remain emotionally detached from the police captain's story.