Free Jake: The Sinner Saints #3 by Adrienne Bell

this time. No, this was all new.
    All it took was a story from his past, a few understanding words, and one sweet smile that had somehow moved him all the way to his core, and—boom—he felt a connection to her.
    What surprised him even more was the sensation hadn’t been fleeting.
    When he’d returned with their burgers and beer, Verity had met him with that same smile. Of course this time it had been hidden under a few layers of embarrassment, and a couple more shaky apologies, but the sincerity in her eyes still shone through.
    He had no idea why she insisted on pretending that he wasn’t interested in her, but in the end he figured that everyone had their own way of coping with stress.
    And seeing how he was awake in the dead of night staring at the ceiling because for the first time in his adult life he had feelings for someone that had nothing to do with duty, or honor, or lust, Jake figured that he wasn’t one to judge.
    He glanced over at the clock just in time to see the hour turn over.
    He let out a long breath as he leaned back against the pillow. He bent his elbows, slid his open palms beneath his head and listened to the soft sleepy sounds Verity made as she rolled over beneath her covers.
    Yeah. He didn’t get to judge at all.
     
     
    ***
     
     
    Verity woke up slowly. She opened her eyes gradually, giving herself plenty of time to adjust to the sunlight pouring in through the gauzy curtains.
    So, it was already morning. It felt like she’d only fallen asleep a few minutes before, but she figured she must have slept the whole night through.
    And here she’d thought she’d have trouble falling asleep.
    Maybe those two beers last night hadn’t been such a bad idea after all. Between them and that greasy cheeseburger that Jake had brought back for dinner, she’d nodded right off.
    She stretched out her arms and arched her back against the mattress before sitting up. There weren’t any kinks in her neck, no soreness in her muscles. Her body felt rested, but her mind, well, that was another story.
    All the troubles that she’d turned the light off on last night were still here waiting for her. They all came back to her in a rush—the problems at work, the awkwardness between her and Jake, Roman’s legal troubles. Not to mention the art she needed to get and send back before Roman arrived at the house.
    It was that last one that made her heart clench.
    The clock was ticking. She knew what she needed to do and why, but she couldn’t seem to ignore the fear that sunk its claws into her insides every time she imagined getting out there and actually doing it.
    But that was exactly what she needed to do—ignore it. Because the sooner the task was done, the sooner this was all over. The evidence that Roman had broken the law would be gone, the treasures would be returned to their rightful home, and she could get back to her normal life.
    Her nice, quiet, unremarkable normal life. The one where she didn’t find herself picking pockets, or dodging bar fights, or road tripping with soulful mercenaries.
    Verity rubbed her eyes before looking around. She found Jake sitting across from her in the room’s only chair. In one hand he held a sharpening stone, in the other the scariest damned knife that Verity had ever seen.
    “Good morning,” she said, pulling back the covers from her legs.
    Even from across the room, Verity could make out the tense lines around his eyes as he glanced up at her. Apparently, she wasn’t the only one that was worried about the day’s activities.
    “Good. You’re up,” he said, sliding the knife in a smooth arch down the length of the stone. “I was hoping we could get an early start.”
    “Then you should have woken me up,” she said, but her tone lacked any punch. Her eyes were glued to the beast of a blade in his hand. “Do you think we’re going to need that?”
    “I hope not.” But the edge in his voice told her just how much stock he put in hope .
    “All right