Free Lockdown by Cher Carson Page B

other a little better?”
    He glanced at Jake, looking decidedly uncomfortable. “Um, yeah, sure.”
    Jake moved to block the doorway. “I’d like to have a word with you first, if you don’t mind?”
    She glared at him. “I do mind. Kindly get out of the way.”
    Jake considered hoisting her over his shoulder and dragging her outside kicking and screaming, but this would give him a chance to set things straight with Tucker. “Fine,” he said, stepping aside. “But we will talk.”
    He waited for them to slam the screen door before he turned on his best friend. “What the hell is he doing here?”
    Tucker took a pull from his beer bottle. “I told you, he’s got it bad for my little sister. I thought she should give him a chance.”
    Jake shoved his hands in his pockets as he scowled at his friend. “Yeah? Well, who the fuck says you get to decide?” He knew his foul mood had everything to do with Jess walking out on him last night and refusing to take his calls since. She was behaving like a petulant little brat and he was tempted to put her over his knee and teach her a lesson once he finally got her alone.
    Tucker raised his hands, grinning. “Why are you so pissed off today? Is Diane giving you grief again?”
    “No, this has nothing to do with her. This is about you sticking your nose in where it doesn’t belong. Jess is a grown woman for fuck’s sake. Why can’t you let her find her own man? In fact, how do you know she hasn’t already?”
    Tucker rolled his eyes as he straddled the oak chair. “Please, she wouldn’t be going out with the loser parade if she had a decent guy.”
    How the hell was Jake going to get her brother to back off without telling him the truth about last night? In all their years of friendship, this was the first time he’d ever felt compelled to keep a secret from Tucker. “You mean like that guy last night? Tell me what happened.” Jake claimed a chair across from his friend. “I want to hear everything.” He whipped his phone out. “And I want that little bastard’s contact info.”
    Tucker laughed. “Take it easy. I took care of it. He won’t be bothering Jess again.”
    “She said he got a little carried away because he was drinking too much. You think there was more to it than that?” What Jake really wanted to know was whether Tucker thought the guy might come back to finish what he started when Jess was alone and defenseless. The thought made his blood run cold. He wouldn’t let her out of his sight until he knew, for certain, that that dirtbag wouldn’t be back.
    Tucker leaned forward. “If you’re asking me whether I think he would have raped her, had they been alone here, then the answer is yes. Hell, he was stupid enough to pull that shit knowing I was less than a hundred feet away.”
    Jake clenched his fists. He didn’t want to hear this, but he had no choice. If he wanted to protect Jess, he needed all the facts. “Why didn’t you throw his ass in jail?”
    Tucker scrubbed his face with his hands. “Believe me, I wanted to, but he didn’t break any laws, technically. If I’d walked in five minutes later, that would have been a whole different story.”
    “Thank God you got there when you did.” It made Jake crazy to think about some animal taking from her what she’d willingly given him last night.
    “Yeah, just in time to teach that shithead a lesson he won’t soon forget.”
    “Maybe, but I want to know how to reach him, just in case I need to.”
    Tucker smiled. “Len, the tow truck driver, should have his address. I’ll get him to email it to you.”
    “Thanks.” Jake sighed as he propped his elbows on the table.
    “You okay, man? You look kinda tired.” He tipped the bottle to his lips. “Didn’t sleep last night, or what?”
    If only Tucker knew that he’d spent the night tossing and turning, remembering what he’d done to his baby sister. His friend would haul out his shotgun, rightly so. “I’m okay.” He crooked a