JAMES
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" FLASH NEWS UPDATE ABOUT THE PENTHOUSE FIRE NYP HAS DECLARED THE FIRE ACCIDENT CAUSED BY A LEAK GAS, we have Robin reporting from location," I hear the voice coming from Grace's tv which still running with the low volume, my attention slip in a half between that news and the wireless bug I'm trying to detach off Grace's dress that she wore last night, because between the thousands dollar I just spent for the ring and then the fire, I did let her walked out for a few minutes before I decided to ran after her,
Shit
I throw the bug to the table as soon as I managed to pulled out one of the wire to disconnect to whoever had it on, it's easy to disable the thing, way easier to tap it on someone given how small and slightly transparent it look with a contact lens alike.
" Can someone put a pause on that," I hear Grace whisper before I notice she have her full attention on the TV screen, I sigh a breath and move myself to the remote over the counter while Wanda knocking herself out with the bug before I move from the kitchen, down to the living room where Grace take a step forward, closer to the TV before I notice what she's been looking at, or who for exact.
There's a woman sitting by the back of an ambulance behind the reporter looking space out," What's wrong?" Asks the guy that I don't have any intention to catch his name of ever since he walks into Grace's place, but given the resemblance between him and Wanda, it's easy to tell how he's her twin brother.
" Wait, is that?" Wanda says as her footsteps approaching into the living room, I move my eyes away from the TV as I look where Grace is crossing her hands over her chest in the same time her eyes furrow over the screen, adjusting her eyes to the woman sitting on the back of an ambulance just few feet behind the reporter," Grace, that's the woman that came to you in the club few nights ago," I hear Wanda's voice echoes in the background the second my eyes lands over a dark red triangle shape thing come smashing through one of the windowsill.
Grace, she is the first one my instinct leads me to the second I saw the brick coming through her window, my body reflex hurry to pull her out of the way and down to the ground as I ducked her under me, covering her head with my arms until I hear the brick broke into half after knocking few things off Grace's bookshelf.
I look over her for a good few seconds, making sure she is well and the brick doesn't hit her before my unspoken questions gets an immediate answer when Grace looks over me with a mutual expression we shared- What the fuck just happened?
I hurry through the balcony door, down to the fire escape and bolt past the pedestrian as I hurtle into the street, not thinking which direction I'm taking or who I'm trying to run after because all I can focus on is to find and catch the punk who just threw the brick off the window.
A dark figure starts running on the opposite direction by the intersection when he catch a sight of me coming to his direction, I rush my way toward the figure under the black hoodie- ignoring the fact I just brush into few people as I keep my eyes on the suspect, because from what I've been gathering this is not the first time someone trying to attacked Grace and her place, the bruise still on her face tells me the brick most likely the third time this shit happened to her.
" Excuse me," I sigh in a rush as I come passing next to an old lady by the traffic light and continue running over the left corner heading to 23rd st before I realized where the figure I'm running after heading to,
Fuck,
Male, at least 6'0 ft- coldury dark brown coat.
I made a mental note as I chase after him down to the metro station, climbing down the stairs slipping through the morning commute one after another until the line by the ticket gate slowing him down,
" Where the fuck do you think you're going," I grab him by the back of his neck, dragging him out of the crowd and slam him against the gate just few feet away from the platform in the same time I twist both of his hands behind his back," What the fuck," He protest," Is everything okay here sir?" A security ask as she approaches from the other side of the gate, watching from the burglar struggling face presses against the iron bar to the guy holding his twisted hand on the back," Yeah, he just vandalized my place off 4th, cops on the way, I've got this," I lie casually before the guy tries to moves his head," That's a lie, I didn't do anything of that!" He struggles as soon I move him just few feet away from the gate," You've got the wrong person I wasn't even at the 4th before I get here," He cries out, his voices shakes as I pulled out his wallet with one hand," We will see about that," I say casually as if I'm still not holding him against the wall with one hand while I check on his ID, throw it to the ground before I quickly dial a number-
" I need you to look up Josh Avery, 26 West st, 09813..." I say quickly as soon as Spector picks up his phone, the guy Josh protest and moves his head to look over his shoulder before I shove him further against the wall," What the hell are you up to Barnes?" Spector asks instead but my time is running before I pull more attention and another security walks by again," I've got a suspect in hand, need you to run a background check on Josh Avery," I snap before I hear Spector sigh on his line," He's clean, Barnes, Josh Avery is a school teacher," Spector says as I released my hand off him," You're lucky I'm in hurry," The guy snaps as he picks up his wallet and ID off the ground before he walks away in the same time my focus moves to a different direction as I take a step backward trying to continue walking back to the gate as I follow the same exact figure I swear I was tailing on before.
" Fuck," Cursing under my breath when the cart door slides open and packs of people walks in and out almost in the same time, I move to the next door while keeping my eyes on the male figure," What the shit," I mutter just before I managed to take a good look on the guy, the door shut closed.
Shit
" What now Barnes?" Spector groan the second he picks up my second call as I walk back to Grace's apartment," I need you to hacked in into 23rd st subway, just give me the access or anything that you can come up with in two minutes," I look over the street up head in the same time Spector let out another groan," For what?" He asks shortly," Just give me access, Marc," I mutter," Yeah, not happening and for the last time Barnes I'm not risking myself into trouble if you don't even bother to tell me what the hell you're up to," He says quickly before a muscle twitch over my own jawline from holding it too tight," Someone just vandalized a window with a brick, okay? need to find them asap," I say almost losing my patience before Spector chuckles in the same time I hear him typing on his keypad.
" 23rd street that's," He pauses," well that's weirdly close to that woman's address you begged me to find about before, man what are you doing over there at this hour?" Spector sigh out a breath, spending the last few patience I've got left," Yeah whatever, did you logged in yet?" I stop short by a small alley just across Grace's apartment hoping to get a better hearing on the call," Stop calling at the wrong hour, Barnes," Layla chime in the background before Spector let out a short chuckle," Dude who are you chasing after?" He pauses," hang on, is that?"
" Rogers?"
" Hey, you say it not me, wait up a sec," Spector says and it takes him a good ten seconds before picking his phone back up," Negative dude, he's in Brooklyn,"
" Did you just tracked him down?" I chuckle just briefly in the same time letting out a breath I was holding," Yeah I tracked everyone dude," Spector says with a dry chuckle from his line," You've got anything about the Baron's files yet?" I ask before the thought slips my mind," No, I'll give it a call if anything comes up," Spector pauses," Just go home, Barnes," He continue before I sigh out a breath and hang up.
" Where's Grace?" My question falls into a pair of eyes glaring from the couch the second I walk back into Grace's apartment, Wanda's twin staring at me like he had a death wish," She's in her room," Wanda sigh a breath, both hands on her back pants pocket before she walks to the fridge, I lock my jaw in place and nodding just briefly at her before I walk toward the hallway leading to Grace's bedroom, I knock once over the door frame knowing well it's already open," Pack your things up, it's still not safe here- I'm calling my guys down here to watch around in case someone comes back," I pause the second I hear her footsteps walks closer before Grace swing it open widely as she carries an all-nighter bag in her hand and clenched jawline over her cheek.
" Don't bother," Grace says quickly as she tries to walk past me, if I know better she still look pretty shaken up for what just happened but it only take me another second to notice the anger in her eyes,
" What's going on?" I spread a hand over the door frame, blocking Grace from walking away," Are you seriously gonna ask me what's going on?" Grace scoff, slapping my questions back to my face with a bitter laugh as she looks up and taunting me with her dark caramel brown eyes," Well, for one none of this shit would've happened to me if it weren't for you and your god damn ring," She says as she shove my hand off the door frame and continue walking to the hallway up to her living room.
For once I'm glad she speak her mind out but it's the way she still accusing that I have anything to do with everything that happened to her just doesn't sit right," You know what, just forget it, I'll go find my own necklace myself if it's mean I won't be seeing your face and getting attacked ever again," Grace mutter in the same time she toss her carry on bag to Wanda's twin brother and lets everything out off her chest all at once," You really think I had anything to do with it?" I ask firmly before she turn around and finally look back at me, her eyes darken before her bottom lips tremble," Who else knows about your missing ring besides you, me and your fiancé? so yeah I'm definitely think you, or her does have anything to do with all of this mess you dragged me into," She says angrily with a shuddering deep breath out before take a few step closer to where I'm standing,
" But here's what I do know for sure, James, it's been exhausting for me to deal with all the break ins ever since I stumble over your goddamn ring, see these bruises? never happened before, so why don't you go back to your fiancé and tell her you've got her ring back," She suck in a subtle breath out of frustration for a second before her wall comes back up while anger take the best of me,
" Great now you're back on blaming my fiancé, you think she have anything to do with that?" My left hand move to point the wreckage over Grace's broken window as my mouth continue saying all the words without a second thought," Are you even listening to yourself?" The words, the wrong ones slips out of my mouth which enough to sends Wanda's twin brother to take a step forward from where he's standing," That's enough, get out," He says before I shot a glare, stopping him right away and Grace's dry chuckle pulling my attention back to her," Yeah, of course I'm blaming your fiancé for it, who else aware about the goddamn missing ring besides her?" Grace snort before she walks to the small console table and grab a shoe box out of the drawer," You know what, we're done here, get the hell out of my place," She sneer furiously as she looks up over my left in the same time anger get the best in me, stopping her halfway as I grab her by the elbow, lean in closer just enough to pull her full attention,
" If you really think my fiancé have anything to do with all of it then fine, I'll leave you alone," My jaw clenched as she looked up at me," But you better wish you're right, sweetheart, because for one thing I'm not the one with stolen diamond bracelet that you robbed from one of biggest broker in Manhattan," My words comes out a whisper but enough to finally draw her full attention on me, enough for her to know that I moved the stolen jewel that she left on the couch last night," Top drawer on your coffee table, good luck with that," I say as I take a step back away from her, walking past both Wanda and her twin brother to the living room where I hide my ring next to her couch before my eyes catch my reflection on her TV,
" Grace, that's the woman that came to you in the club few nights ago," I recalled Wanda said the second when my eyes find the news still on pause to the fire news at Baron's penthouse, I sigh a breath as I look away, shoving the jewelry box into my pocket as I continue walking ahead to the front door and shut it behind me.
" Barnes, wait," I hear Wanda's voice coming from the stairs behind just before I reach on the front gate," I'm done here," I say quickly, reaching for the iron gate and open it widely," Hang on we need to talk," Wanda says stoping me halfway before I turn around, she rush her way and walk in front of me,
" Look, she's lying," Wanda sigh out a subtle breath as she looks up at me," Grace's lying about looking for that necklace herself," Wanda continues, finally taking my full attention," What do you mean?" I mutter before Wanda nods," she's letting it go," she says in defeat, looking over her shoulder to the door before she looks up at me," Listen, the less you know the better for her now but that necklace meant a lot and I think it's only fair if you help her find it, with or without her knowing," Wanda whispers but her words comes out firmly as she keeps her eyes on me, I sigh out a breath and let out a dry scoff," What makes you think I can find her necklace when I needed a thief's help to find my own ring?"
A muscle twitch over my jaw with the question in the same time my phone buzz in my pocket once,
" The woman on the news," Wanda pauses," Yeah what about that?" I ask, genuine curious by what she meant when she whispered it was the woman that walked to Grace before," I think she worked for the Baron," Wanda shrug a shoulder as she lets out a breath," I can look her up myself but with Grace's situation right now I rather not bring it up to her yet, but she told me about your sources, so maybe we can start with that? obviously I will tell Grace about it once everything slow down," Wanda nods, pulling her phone out of her pocket and my phone dings with a notification, I let out a brief chuckle when I see a contact pops up on my screen," That's my number," She nods once, I sigh out a breath as I look away, contemplating how to find Grace's necklace without her, but for what's it worth I'm not breaking the deal just because Grace shoved me out with her anger.
" You've got any pictures for the necklace?" I ask instead, part of me still hoping Spector would call any second with the lead about Baron's customers archive," No, to be honest Grace hasn't wear it for a while now, but I'll see if I can find any of her old photos," Wanda says with a shrug on one shoulder,
" Fine, text me, I'll see what I can do," I say shortly before taking a step backward, Wanda nods as she walks back inside.
" Hey, where is she staying at?" I call out, stopping Wanda halfway before she closes the front door," my place in West Village, total full security," she says with a nod before I shake my head," Shouldn't have told me that, Grace think I'm behind all of it," I sigh with a bitter chuckle before Wanda's shrug a shoulder taking me aback," No you're not," Wanda says as she takes a step backward and closes the door," What is it with Grace's necklace?" I hear Wanda's twin brother ask before I walk away," You wouldn't know, Pietro, you weren't there," I head Wanda says before they both climb back upstairs.
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Rogers's light grey beamer parked in front of my driveway with him standing by the hood definitely not something strange to see given how I've been ignoring everyone's call and text even after I turn the phone back on this morning, for once I'm relief to see his stupid baby blue suit, a subtle contrast to the brown bandage still wrapped around his arm but at least it gives enough confirmation how he couldn't be in Manhattan earlier, his stupid hairstyle alone took more time to get done for him to be in two different place within short time.
" Really, a cab?" He starts with a laugh in the same time I shut the door," What happened to your car?" Steve continue with a grin," Not in the mood Steve," I walk past him but of course nothing stopping Rogers from walking to the threshold as I unlock the front door," Where have you been last night anyway?" He grins as he continue walking up to my kitchen like he owns the place, I sigh out a breath in the same time pulling my wallet out to where I often left it by the counter, stopping short when my hand find Grace's old jewelry box inside my pocket with my ring in it, I breath in shortly before pulling my hand off the pocket without the box.
" Got a tip about the ring," I say instead before Steve lets out a rush of breath, there's a pause in the way his eyes look over my direction before he chuckles,
" Man, you're actually still insist to find that ring?" He chuckles somehow more expressive than I was expecting coming from him before I walk to the laundry room, taking of the shirt I've been wearing since last night and grab a fresh plain black shirt off the cabinet before going back to the kitchen.
" Well, that ring was from my mother, Steve, of course I'm insisting to find it," I say bitter than I tend to," So where did you found it?" He asks as soon as I walk to the fridge," Some auction that'd cost me $100k to claim it, told them to have it cleaned up first before I made the payment," I mutter the lie out as I grab two grapes off the plastic bag, the ring already hidden inside my pocket as we speak,
" Jesus dude," Rogers chuckles and for once really not feeling the joke he's laughing about, I shot a look at him as he walks to the bar counter," What are you doing here Steve?" I sigh out a breath watching him taking the old Macallan off the top counter with his good hand before his expression shift when he finally looking to where I'm leaning my back against the fridge," Carter called, say to check up on you," He says with a nod before taking on the drink," Funny because she doesn't even call," I say as I pull my phone out of the back pocket with a short chuckle before I take the juice box off the fridge, anything to cool me down," What, you didn't hear about the fire last night? the ER probably packed up this morning," Rogers says stopping me halfway for a second before I shrug," Nope, but tell you what, I'm gonna go take quick shower, maybe stop by and bring flower to the ER, I'll see you at the office," I nod quick as I jog out of the kitchen before Steve manage to say a word," Look, my car's outside," He says the second I reach the top stairs," You know what Steve, I'll take the damn cab," I say partly joking as I yell over the railing, just loud enough for him to hear my voice from the second floor, I wait another four minutes before Steve walks out the door from the security footage connected on my phone.
As soon as I know the house is empty, I kick my shoes of and run to the bathroom, spending a good amount of time to clean up before I starting to notice my phone been blowing up with new calls and text, I look down to the screen as soon as I put on a fresh white shirt over both arms, letting it unbuttoned as I continue checking on the texts.
None of them are worth more of my time before I throw the phone back to the bed, my eyes land to Grace's old jewelry box sitting by the bedside table, I walk to it and open the box, making sure my mother's ring still inside before I shut it close into the safe in my walk-in closet and head straight to my home bar, pour a bourbon and grab the laptop hidden underneath the cabinet.
It's start raining outside the window and the sky has turn into dark and gloomy within seconds as I sit with my laptop, pictures of Grace immediately pop up on my screen from the last time I open the files from Spector, which feels like awhile ago now given how much things have happened since then.
Part of me still angry over her accusations, while another half of myself can't wait to find out whoever did all the attack just to prove her wrong, I take a sip on the drink before a new file comes up from Spector, it's a CCTV records from the station along with a short note," Last copy of the footage, you're welcome jackass," He write out, give it to Spector for watching over my back where he writes things off record for my part ever since we decided to work together. While my first company with Steve mostly only provide high tech security devices, VSCorps that I build from the ground up off behind the curtain with Spector, definitely more of a private corporation, recruiting team of mercenaries in high rank for private guards watching over valuable clients or object.
Spector and his wife Layla are the only two who knows about my side company because I have no intention to tell anyone else about it, not when it started off after the break in that had Sharon took a couple hit when I left her alone for a business trip I had with Steve before I hired someone Spector offered me about to watch over her for another week, which up to this day she still thought her safety was all because the police report she had.
Although VSCorps provides protection service it still pull in danger sometimes, which is why Sharon doesn't know anything about it and only knew Spector and I been in touch for some regular business on my first company.
" Grace, that's the woman that came to you in the club few nights ago," I hear Wanda's voice echoes in the background, pulling my focus back before I shift away from the files to move to a new tab just in the same time my phone ring," Damn it," I mutter as I move the laptop and pick the call up,
" Potts just call in for a meeting, can you get to the office in twenty minutes," Rogers mutter on the phone before I managed to protest a word and given the tone in his voice I can easily tell he is losing is patience, which I would do the same if I'm the one handling one biggest client walking out of the deal we've been build up in the past three months, " Fine, I'll call Vero to move my 2pm meetings, don't worry Steve, you're sealing on this deal before 4 o'clock," I sigh out a breath as I walk back to the bedroom, fixing my suit up before I grab the key to my jeep inside the garage and drive back to Manhattan.