Because of Love

by Jill Sanders

  The car wouldn’t be hard to miss so he didn’t feel the need to follow him directly.

  He took his time heading into town and wasn’t surprised to see the car a block from the docks. What did surprise him was seeing the man step onto a small boat being driven by the guy who had pushed him into the water a few days back. Everyone was keeping an eye out for the man. How had he slipped into town?

  Why was he taking the Terminator wannabe? More importantly, where was he taking the guy, he wondered as the small boat took off into open water.

  Shit, he needed a boat and a crew. Pulling out his phone, he called Allen Masters, the head of the local Coast Guard training facility and an old friend of the family.

  “Hey, Aiden,” Allen answered his call on the first ring. There was enough noise in the background that Aiden knew that the man was already on a boat somewhere.

  “Hey, Allen, I need a favor and a boat,” he said quickly, not wanting the two men to get too far out. “And I need it quickly.”

  “Where are you?” Allen asked, all business now.

  “The Pride docks.”

  “Pick you up in five,” Allen answered before hanging up.

  Aiden stood at the end of the docks and waited. He hadn’t expected the jet boat that pulled up roughly five minutes later to be that large and that full of trainees. But, seeing Allen at the helm, he quickly jumped on board.

  “You called for a ride?” Allen asked.

  “That was fast,” Aiden said.

  “We were heading out for a training session.” Allen shrugged. “What do you need our help with?”

  “Follow that boat.” Aiden motioned westward, even though there was no sign of the boat any longer. Allen took off, causing Aiden to grab the railing. One of the crewmen strapped a life vest on him.

  The boat accelerated at speeds Aiden had never traveled before. Normally, he would have enjoyed the trip—the saltwater in his face, the fresh air, the speed—but now his eyes were glued to the horizon, looking for the other boat.

  “There,” someone shouted, and the boat turned slightly to match the direction. Aiden cut the throttle and they drifted so they could assess the situation before barreling in.

  “Here.” Allen handed him a pair of binoculars. “Is that them?”

  He could see the heavy-set man walking around the smaller boat as it sat tethered to a barge with big bold letters saying Buddy on the side. Aiden nodded to Allen. “That’s them.” He looked around and frowned when he didn’t see Joe, the muscular man.

  “As far as I know, we have one more that’s out of sight,” he said as Allen started up the boat again.

  He’d never watched the Coast Guard actually do their job and was thankful that they didn’t need a warrant to board the boats like he would have had to get. He’d seen plenty of training exercises, but to actually work side by side with the men as they boarded the barge was pretty amazing.

  Allen followed him belowdecks where they found a fighting ring and a handful of patrons watching the fight in progress. He guessed that everyone was betting for the Terminator wannabe to win against the much smaller black man, who appeared to have already been beaten, even though he was still standing.

  They were lucky to catch the entire group off guard. And since they were in the middle of the ocean, there was no place for anyone to run, especially since there had only been one boat docked to the barge. It was now under the Coast Guard’s control.

  It took more than four hours and half a dozen trips between the barge and land to haul everyone back to shore. The barge had been parked in the same spot for more than a week, or so some of the men who had been attending the daily fights told him when he brought them in.

  They confiscated more than thirty thousand dollars in cash and had at least that or more in drugs and guns.

  They’d been lucky that no one had fought back when they’d boarded, especially considering the stash of weapons onboard.

  When Allen docked for the last time that evening and stepped off the pier, he was greeted by a handful of townspeople who all cheered him on. His hand was shaken, and he was slapped on the back more times than he could count.

  By the time he stepped into the shower, he was dead on his feet. After rinsing off, he fell face first on the bed and drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

  The buzzing of his phone woke him a few hours later. Well, at least he thought it was a few hours later.

  “Hello?” He answered it and blinked a few times, trying to get his eyes to adjust.

  “Hey, I didn’t mean to wake you,” his mother said.

  “It’s okay.” He sat up slightly. “What’s up?”

  “Your dad and I wanted you to know how proud we are of you. After what you did yesterday. We wanted to be there when you returned last night, but…”

  “I get it,” he said easily. “How’s Dad?” He glanced at the clock and realized he had less than half an hour until he was supposed to be in the office.

  “He’s good. Very proud of you for solving the case. I’m even more happy that you did it without getting hurt.”

  He chuckled. “I’d better get going. I don’t want to be late this morning. I’ve got a ton of paperwork that needs to be done.”

  “I bet.” His mother sighed. “We love you.”

  “Love you back,” he said and hung up.

  When he walked into the office, it was to cheers and claps and, more importantly, coffee and donuts.

  Then came the paperwork. He hadn’t been joking. There was a ton of it. He interviewed the heavy-set man that had knocked him into the water. The man’s name was Herold Jenkins.

  Herold was claiming that he was the mastermind of the operation, and that after purchasing an old barge from someone in town, he’d moved his lucrative business to the waters off of Pride’s shores. After all, who would have suspected an illegal fighting ring out in open water?

  “Aiden, did you see this?” Simon asked, setting a folder down in front of him. “Looks like the real money was the online gambling they had set up.” He pointed to a number on the bottom of the offshore bank account sheet that had been taken in as evidence. “More than a million in there.” Simon slapped him on the back. “This has to be the largest bust in… well, forever.” He laughed and slapped him again. “Good job.”

  For the next hour, he scoured the numbers, trying to connect the dots back to Herold Jenkins. But nothing was matching up. The man lived in an old trailer on the outskirts of Edgeview and had less than two hundred dollars in his bank account. Not to mention he couldn’t put together enough brain cells to ask for a lawyer before spilling the details about his operation.

  He had interviewed Herold twice before but this last time he hounded the guy about details. After hearing a few of his answers, he realized the man didn’t know enough about the business to be the ringleader.

  “When are you going to stop pulling my chain?” He leaned back in his chair. “You can barely tell me what ten times thirty is, yet you expect me to believe that you arranged more than thirty fights, bringing in millions of dollars, and were smart enough to stash it all in an offshore account?”

  Herold shrugged. “Just because my bank isn’t on shore doesn’t mean I don’t know how to do things.”

  Aiden chuckled and then tilted his head. “Okay, smart guy, prove it. Just where is this offshore account you hid your money in?”

  Herold scrunched up his face as if he were thinking. “The Keys,” he said, sounding as if it was a question.

  Aiden leaned forward. “You do realize that an offshore bank account means out of the US, right? As in foreign offshore account.”

  The man’s face turned bright red. “Yes,” Herold replied. “I mean, farther south. What’s the place below the Keys?”

  Aiden’s eyebrows shot up and he decided to mess with the man even more. “You mean Australia?”

  “No.” Herold shook his head. “I mean the island below the Keys.”

  “Cuba?” he finally answe
red.

  “Yeah, that’s it. The boss and I…” Herold immediately shut his mouth, but Aiden smiled and realized he had him now.

  “Okay, now that we’ve established you have one, wanna tell me who the boss is?” He leaned back in the chair and crossed his arms over his chest.

  Chapter 17

  Suzie finished placing the baby’s breath in the wreath and stood back. She’d created a few of these seasonal wreaths before, but after seeing the first couple sell quickly, she’d decided to up her game.

  “Wow,” Kate said, stepping into the back room. “Dibs on that one. My mother’s going to love it for Mother’s Day.” Kate walked over and looked at it more closely.

  “If you keep buying up all my stock…” she joked.

  Kate laughed. “If you made three dozen more of these, I’d bet you’d sell them all by Sunday.”

  “I’m hoping to make at least a dozen,” Suzie answered as she hung up the wreath and placed a sold sticker on it. “Yours.” She smiled over at Kate.

  “Thanks.” She smiled. “Okay, now down to business.”

  “Sure.” Suzie gave her friend her full attention. “What’s up?”

  Her friend leaned on the table between them and smiled. “So, you and Aiden.” Kate wiggled her eyebrows and Suzie laughed.

  Kate kept her company while she completed two more wreaths, but then the bell over the door chimed and Kate had to go deal with customers. She finished another two before taking a break.

  “I have four more wreaths ready to sell.” She arranged them on a display and then turned back to Kate. “I’m going to walk down to the bakery and get us something with a lot of sugar in it.” She pulled out her umbrella. She’d heard the rain start earlier when she’d been working and couldn’t wait to get out in the cool air and enjoy a slow walk.

  “Sounds great as long as there’s some hot coffee that goes with it,” Kate answered.

  “I’ve been meaning to have a coffee machine installed in the break room,” she thought out loud.

  “I have an old one I can bring in, if it will help,” Kate offered.

  “Sounds great,” she agreed before stepping outside.

  She took a moment to enjoy the new steel stands that Parker had delivered. Today’s flowers were mums and lilies. She took a moment to hang one of the new Mother’s Day wreaths on the front door and gave Kate a thumbs up as she left.

  Walking in the rain was one of Suzie’s greatest pleasures. She loved walking down the streets as the cool air lifted the hair around her face. The sound of raindrops hitting an umbrella soothed her.

  When she stepped into the bakery, the warm scents of baked goods hit her, and her stomach growled loudly.

  After ordering a dozen chocolate eclairs and two cups of coffee, she headed back to her shop. It wasn’t until she turned a corner that she noticed the car following her. Had it been there when she’d walked to the bakery?

  Stopping on the corner, she juggled the box of treats, the two cups of coffee, and the umbrella and glared at Aiden as he pulled up beside her.

  “Are you following me?” she asked with a smirk.

  His smile warmed her thoroughly.

  “Maybe.” He glanced at the cups and the box. “Depends on if one of those is for me.”

  “They aren’t,” she said smoothly.

  “In that case, yes, I’m following you.”

  She chuckled.

  “Okay, why are you following me?”

  “In hopes that you’ll share what’s in that box.” He nodded then gave her a pathetic look.

  She sighed and motioned for him to come into the store. He rushed and parked beside her and then opened the door for her to enter, even taking her umbrella and shaking it off before stepping inside.

  “Wow, I didn’t know the bakery was selling tall, dark, and cop,” Kate joked as Suzie handed over her coffee.

  “He followed me back like a lost dog in hopes of getting some of these.” She set the box down and removed her light jacket before taking her first sip of coffee. The richness soaked into her, warming her even further.

  “Oh! Eclairs,” Kate exclaimed as she took one from the box, then handed the box to Aiden. “Want one?”

  He smiled at Kate and reached into the box. “It’s the number two reason I came over here,” he said easily to her.

  “Oh? What’s the number one reason?” Kate asked as she leaned on the counter and watched Aiden.

  A wave of jealousy washed over Suzie, until Aiden’s eyes moved over to her, and she realized she was his number one reason for stopping by. She couldn’t stop the smile nor the fact that her knees buckled, and she had to hold herself up by leaning heavily on the counter.

  “I think I’m going to take my break,” Kate said suddenly. She grabbed another éclair. “For later,” she said and disappeared into the back room.

  “Did you break Kate’s heart?” she asked easily now that she’d gotten herself under control again. He scooted the box towards her, and she took an éclair for herself.

  “No, we never got serious, and I think she had already moved on before I sent her the breakup note.”

  “Ouch, you broke up with her in a note?”

  He chuckled. “It was sixth grade.” He shrugged between bites.

  She frowned. She hadn’t realized it was so long ago that they’d dated. “I thought…” She shook her head. “Never mind.”

  His chuckle had her arching her head. “We’re just friends,” he said, reaching out to touch her hand. “Which is something I don’t think I can say about us any longer.” His eyes moved to her lips. “Now that I’ve stopped the floating fight club, I have tonight free.” Suzie chuckled at the name everyone was calling it in town. “How about I pick you up after work and we have dinner?”

  She thought about it and then nodded. “Fine, but we do it my way. Come over to my apartment. I’ll cook.”

  He frowned and shook his head, but she jumped in.

  “Aiden, if we want to have a private dinner alone, we’d have to drive into Portland. There are too many people in Pride and Edgeview who know us. I don’t want to spend my night chatting with everyone we know. A private dinner at my place will assure us that we can have some time alone.”

  He sighed and then nodded. “Okay, you have a point there.” He reached up and touched her hand. “What time?”

  “Seven,” she answered quickly with a smile. “That’ll give me plenty of time to get what I need and start dinner.”

  “Fine, but I’m bringing dessert.” He reached in and started to take another éclair, but she stopped him.

  “Nope, that one’s for me for later. I still have three hours left of work and I need the energy.” She pulled the box back towards her and he laughed.

  “Fine, but I’ll need something else to keep me going then.” His hands moved around her waist and pulled her closer to him until they were chest to chest.

  The kiss sent vibrations to her toes and had them curling. Just when she relaxed into his arms and started wanting more, he pulled away.

  “That should keep me going for a while.” His eyes searched hers. “Until later,” he said softly.

  She didn’t trust her voice, so she nodded and then watched him walk out of her store.

  “Damn, girl,” Kate said from the door to the back room. “That was hot.”

  Suzie leaned on the counter and sighed. “Yes, it was.”

  She worked for the rest of the day in a daze. Hell, she almost floated on air as she finished four more wreaths. Kate had told her that she’d sold two of them already and had calls for another five after news got around town.

  By the time she locked up the shop that evening, her fingers and her back ached. She made a mental note that she needed to purchase an anti-fatigue mat for the back area. She had one for the cash register area but hadn’t thought to order one for her work room yet.

  When she walked into the grocery store, she noticed a few people that she knew and wanted to avoid. Not tha
t there was anything wrong, she just didn’t have time to chat if she was going to shower and change before Aiden arrived.

  Pushing her cart around the store, she gathered up some chicken breasts, potatoes, and vegetables. She knew how to make a handful of high-quality dinners. After all, her uncle was a chef and her family owned one of the best restaurants along the coast.

  She had just put her last item into her buggy when someone bumped into her with a shopping cart.

  “Sorry,” she said automatically, even though she had been standing in place for a full minute, trying to decide which wine to choose.

  She didn’t know the pretty blonde woman, even though she knew everyone in town. By the look on the woman’s face, Suzie understood instantly that the woman knew who she was.

  “You think you’re what he wants?” The woman’s eyes narrowed as they ran up and down Suzie. “He deserves much better than you.” The woman motioned towards her.

  “Who?” Suzie decided to play along since it was obvious the woman knew enough about her to stalk her and ram her with her shopping cart. An empty cart, Suzie noticed. Which meant she wasn’t even really there to shop.

  The woman laughed. “You know who.” She leaned closer. “I’m warning you, stay out of my way.” She hit Suzie with the cart again and pushed past her, almost knocking over a stack of cans at the end of the aisle.

  “That was fun.” Suzie sighed as she took a moment to play over the entire ordeal in her mind. Obviously, the woman was talking about Aiden. Did he know that he had such a fan club?

  She shook it off, grabbed another bottle of wine, and made her way up to the front. The woman was nowhere to be found.

  “Hey, Carol, did you happen to see the blonde that just left?” she asked the clerk.

  “Yes.” Carol shook her head. “That woman’s been trouble since the day she was born.”

  “Who was she?” Suzie asked.

  “That was Lizzy Stark. She works in Edgeview at the hospital. She and Aiden used to be an item, before he left to go to the city.” Carol talked as she scanned her items.

  “Lizzy…” Suzie remembered hearing about the woman but had never met her before. She’d often heard that the relationship between the woman and Aiden had ended on a sour note. “That was Elizabeth?” She looked out the front windows, even though the woman was long gone by then.