by Suzanne Rock
He jerked open the door. “I need to meet someone, but this isn’t over, Ari. I’m going to make you understand me, one way or another. We’re more alike than you realize. We need each other.”
“I don’t need anyone.”
“It took me a long time to see it, but we belong together, Ari. Don’t ever forget it.”
* * *
Ari stared at the door in shock as the throbbing in her head returned. This was too much, way too much. She glanced around the empty penthouse and knew she had to get out of there. Every second she stayed in Jason’s home, she felt as if she was suffocating.
Ari searched through her suitcase for her phone, tossing clothes aside like a madwoman. As soon as she found it, she collapsed on the couch and began to dial.
“ARI’S KIDS,” Camille said after the second ring.
“Hi, Camille. It’s me.”
“Ari! How are you doing?”
“I’ve been better.”
“What’s wrong, child?”
“I’ll explain a little later. Right now, I need a place to crash. I was wondering…”
“Say no more. I couldn’t stay in that hotel for one minute more than necessary with all of your brothers pacing the floor like caged animals. Got a small apartment in Southie to wait things out. There’s plenty of room.”
Ari let out a relieved breath. “Thanks, Camille.”
“That’s what friends are for, darlin’. Just tell me where to pick you up, and I’ll send a cab over to get you…”
Chapter 15
More pictures. Jason couldn’t believe that those loan sharks had sent him more pictures. This time they didn’t send them through a courier, but through his personal phone. He had no idea how these thugs had gotten his number, but now that they had it, Jason wasn’t getting a moment’s peace. This time, the pictures were of them leaving the hospital and were accompanied by a message reminding him what could happen if he didn’t show up with the money at eight o’clock tomorrow night.
Things were getting way too personal. It was time to put a stop to this nonsense once and for all.
Knowing that he was in over his head, Jason had spent the better of the past hour thinking long and hard about his next move. As far as he could see he had two options. The first would be to agree to work with Deacon to clear his name, something that may or may not work, and something that could very well result in more people getting hurt. The second option would be to just pay the money and hope that he wasn’t opening himself up to this loan shark turning around and blackmailing him for even more. Neither option appealed to him.
At the hospital he had been so sure of the first option, but now, after the adrenaline rush of seeing Ari hurt had passed, after seeing these pictures with their obvious invasion of privacy, Jason was convinced that this loan shark had gotten to someone close to him. A staff member, perhaps, or someone staying at the hotel. One thing was for certain, this guy had resources and wouldn’t hesitate to use them to his advantage.
In Jason’s mind, there was only one way he could guarantee Ari’s safety. She might not care about him anymore, but that didn’t mean he didn’t care about her.
“You looking for me?”
Jason glanced up from his phone and saw his brother leaning in the doorway. “Yes.” He waved his hand in the air. “Close the door.”
Deacon did as he was asked and sat in the office chair on the opposite side of Jason’s desk. “What’s up?”
Jason frowned as his brother put his feet up on the expensive wood and folded his hands in his lap. Deacon looked dirtier than normal. Large black smudges dotted his arms and face, and his clothes were torn and full of grit. As his feet hit the desk, gravel tumbled out of the soles and landed on Jason’s important papers.
“Where the hell have you been? You’re a mess. And put your feet down,” Jason growled. “That’s my stuff.”
“I was in the garage, working on my bike.”
“Working on your bike? You were supposed to be helping me by finding information on this loan shark.”
“And I am, but these things take time, bro. You know that.”
“I need answers now.”
“Be patient.”
“I’m done being patient.” Jason slammed his fist on the desk, startling his brother. “Too many people have gotten hurt, Deacon. I need to end this. Today.”
Deacon shook his head and put his feet back on the floor. “I can’t believe how uptight you are. You used to be so much more relaxed.”
“That persona doesn’t exist anymore,” Jason muttered as he picked up his phone and flicked the screen. “He died the moment Ari got hurt and I got sent more pictures.” He held up his phone to his brother, showing him a picture of him and Ari in an intimate embrace.
“It’s just a picture.”
“You don’t understand.”
Deacon stared at him for a long moment before responding. “Who are you, bro? Since when did ya care so much about a girl?”
“She’s not ‘just a girl.’ She’s more than that.”
“Obviously.” Deacon leaned back in his chair.
“I can’t risk her getting hurt again—or you. I have to give them the money.”
Deacon pressed his lips together in thought. “Paying them might not make a difference, you know.”
“What do you mean?”
Deacon leaned forward in his chair. “Word on the street is that they’re here.”
“Here? What do you mean ‘here’?”
“I mean, the plane just landed at Logan Airport.”
“You’re kidding.” Things were much more serious than he’d thought. This only cemented Jason’s decision in his mind.
“No. And it’s not just one person. It’s a whole entourage.” He crossed his arms. “My contacts are saying that this loan shark is tired of having you string him along and wants to make an example of you.”
“Jesus.” Jason let out a long breath. “Deacon, I can’t do this anymore. Things have gotten too dangerous.”
“I thought you thrived in dangerous situations.”
“I did once, but not anymore. I have too much to lose. Because of this”—he held up his phone—“and Ari’s injury, I’ve decided to just pay this loan shark the money and be done with it.”
“You’re kidding.” Worry lines creased Deacon’s brow as he straightened in his seat. “You can’t do that.”
“What do you mean? In the restaurant you told me to pay this guy off.”
“That was before. Now things have changed.”
“Changed how?”
“Before you wanted to do things by yourself. Now you want to work together.” Deacon shifted in his seat. “This loan shark is cunning, far too smart for you to handle on your own, but with me helping you … We’ll show those goons who they’re dealing with. People will think twice before they try to mess with the Stone brothers again.”
“No,” Jason said. “I’ve already put in a request with my banker for the money.”
“You’re kidding, right?”
“I’m afraid not. I don’t want to see anyone else get hurt.”
“You mean you don’t want to see her get hurt. Please tell me you aren’t giving up your pride for the sake of some woman.”
“This has nothing to do with pride. If it was just the two of us, it would be different, but I have other people to consider now.”
Deacon stiffened his jaw for a moment, then slumped in his chair. “Exactly how firm are you with this decision?”
“Very.”
“This is going to change things. If you don’t want to work with me…” Deacon frowned and rubbed his forehead. “I can’t believe you’re passing up this amazing opportunity to make a name for ourselves in the Las Vegas circles. The opportunities we’d have—”
“I’m not going to risk her life for this—or yours.”
Deacon stood and paced back and forth in front of the desk, deep in thought. Suddenly he stopped and widened his eyes.
“I’ve got it.”
“Got what?”
“The answer to our problems.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah—we leave.”
“What?”
“We could just leave. Pack up and take off into the night.” He straightened and grinned. “It’s perfect.”
“I have a business to run, Deacon, and Ari has her family. There’s no way we could disappear, not like we used to.” Jason shook his head.
“Forget the girl. We’ll go together.”
“I can’t.”
“But—”
“This is the way that it has to be, Deacon. I mean it.”
Deacon sighed and rubbed his chin in thought. After a long moment, he stood. “Well, at least let me be the one to hand it to them.”
“I couldn’t—”
Deacon held up his hand. “Hear me out. You and I look a lot alike, enough so that people who don’t know us well might get us confused.” He nodded and put his hands in his pockets. “Like you said, this is a dangerous situation. There’s no guarantee that even if you give them the money, that they won’t turn around and try to hurt you, or extort you for more. You have a business to run, and a girl.” He averted his gaze. “I don’t have those things to worry about.”
“Deacon—” Jason stood, but his brother stepped away from him.
“No, it’s the truth. You have more to lose than I do. I know these people, and have played their game far longer than you have. If anyone has a chance of getting through this with their skin intact and without them asking for more money, it’s me.”
“I can’t put you in harm’s way. You have nothing to do with this.”
“Take your girl and go down the coast for a few days. Stay at that run-down family place the Strands used to take us as kids. No one would think to find you there.” He shrugged and looked away. “When you come back, it will all be over.”
Jason flexed his fingers at his sides. His brother had a point. Deacon was far more skilled at this than he was, and would probably fare far better. Still, there were so many years of unresolved issues between them. Could he really trust Deacon to do this for him and not screw it up? “I can’t run away and leave you in danger.”
“I can take care of myself, Jason. Always have.” Deacon looked up at him and grinned. “That’s what family’s for, anyway. I want to show you that I’ve changed too, and I can think of no better way to do that than to take the heat for this.”
“They could hurt you.”
“I’ve been roughed up before.” He tapped his front teeth. “Partials. Had them knocked out during a match right before I bashed the guy’s face in. Wish you could have been there to see it…” He cleared his throat and stared at his shoes. “Let me do this for you, Jason. I want to help.” He shoved his hands in his pockets and looked up at his brother. “Perhaps it can begin to make up for letting that relationship you had with Felicia go on for so long.”
“God, that woman was a nightmare. Whatever happened to her after I left?”
Deacon shrugged. “I never should have let you take one for the team like that. I owe you. Let me do this, bro.”
Jason took in a deep breath and then let it out. “Tomorrow night, just before the exchange, the suitcase with the money will be just inside my office.” He held up a key. “Promise me you’ll be careful.”
“I will.” Deacon took the key and smiled.
Jason picked up his phone. “I can alert my head of security and he could—”
“No, no security. No cops.” When Jason flashed him a questioning look, he hurried to continue. “If these guys think that we’re double-crossing them in any way, things could go south, fast. If I’m going to do this, then I need to do it alone.”
“I can’t let you do this alone.”
“Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.”
Jason hesitated, then swiped the screen on his phone. “I’ll arrange to have the exchange done in the garage. You’ll wear a beeper. If anything should go wrong, just hit the button and my entire team will be there within seconds.”
“But—”
“I’m not compromising on this, Deacon.”
Deacon steeled his jaw for a moment as he stared at his brother. Then, gradually, he relaxed his shoulders and tapped him on the arm. “Thanks, man.”
“No problem.” Jason smiled and patted his brother on the shoulder. “And thank you.”
As the door shut behind Deacon, Jason dialed his head of security. If they ever got out of this mess it would be a miracle.
* * *
Wes leaned against the large, marble kiosk in the foyer of Stone Suites and raised his brows. “I’m looking for a woman. Arianna Perconti.”
The receptionist’s cornflower blue eyes turned steely gray. “I’m sorry, we don’t give out names of the patrons staying here.”
Wes flashed her what he hoped was a charming smile. “Okay, then, I’d like to talk to the owner, Jason Stone.”
“Everyone wants to talk to him,” the woman said. “This is only my second week on the job, and already I’ve had more people asking for Mr. Stone personally than asking for rooms.”
“It’s important.” Wes glanced down at her name tag. “Keira.”
“You can get in line.” Keira rolled her eyes. “A representative from Perconti Enterprises came in an hour ago looking for him.”
“Oh?” Wes straightened. “You wouldn’t happen to know who it was, would you?”
The woman shook her head. “He didn’t leave a name, but his card instead.”
“Can I see it?”
“I don’t know.” She frowned. “That’s rather personal.”
“Business cards aren’t personal, darlin’, and I promise to give it right back.” He leaned on the counter and winked at her. “It can be our little secret.”
She smiled and handed Wes a card that belonged to Marco. Seeing the familiar lettering made Wes’s stomach tie up in knots. Marco was probably at Stone Suites for the same reason Wes was there. They both wanted to talk to Ari. Good thing they had missed each other. Seeing him would just dredge up all of the hurt and embarrassment that man had caused him over the past couple of weeks.
“Two men in suits came in an hour before that,” Keira continued, oblivious to Wes’s pain. “They didn’t leave their names, either.”
“Did they leave cards as well?” he asked, handing it back to her.
“No, they said that they’d be back to speak with him personally.”
“I see. And when will Mr. Stone be returning?”
“Hard to say.” She squinted at the computer screen. “His schedule says that he’s going to be off site for the remainder of the day.”
She placed her hands on the keyboard behind the kiosk. “Want me to take down your name and give him a message?”
“No, that won’t be necessary. I’ll come back some other time.”
She shrugged. “Suit yourself.”
Wes pulled out his phone to text Karin an update as he strode toward the revolving doors at the front of the building.
Jason’s out, and reception won’t give me Ari’s room number.
Okay, thanks. You tried.
I’m worried.
Me, too. She hasn’t answered her phone. I wish we could confirm what that Whispers reporter said–that she was hit in the head.
I haven’t given up yet. I’ll hang out in the restaurant for a while and see what I can find.
Thanks, I appreciate it.
“Interested in finding Mr. Stone, are ya?”
Wes looked up from his phone and found a tall, sandy-haired man leaning against the wall by the door to the restaurant.
“How did you—”
The man tapped his temple and straightened. “Even if I didn’t overheah the conversation, I can see da worry all over your face.” He shoved his hands into his jeans pockets, drawing Wes’s attention to how snugly his T-shirt and pants clung to his muscular body. The man was hot, and his thick Bos
ton accent was even hotter. He also seemed a little familiar.
“Who are you?” Wes asked as he approached.
“A friend.” The man flashed him a seductive smile and held out his hand. “The name’s Deacon.”
“Wes.” Wes shook his hand. “Yeah, I’m looking for Mr. Stone. You didn’t happen to see him, did you?”
“I saw him about an hour ago. He said he was going to head out of the city with his girl.” Deacon shrugged and averted his gaze, but not before Wes saw something flash through his features. Hurt? Anger?
“A girl?” Wes asked, drawing closer. “Do you know what she looks like?”
Deacon considered him for a moment. “Curvy, long curly brown hair, dark eyes. A real spitfire.” Deacon nudged his elbow. “I bet she’s a wildcat between the sheets.”
“Yeah,” Wes said absently. It certainly sounded like Arianna. If they were both leaving the city, then Wes had no idea how he was going to find either Jason or Ari and tell them about the rumors.
“Or, perhaps you don’t like the dark, feminine type,” Deacon said, inching closer.
“Huh?” Wes widened his eyes as he focused on Deacon’s hungry expression. “I, uh…”
“Into a little bit of everything, eh?” Deacon dragged his gaze down Wes’s torso and lingered on his hips. “I bet my brother’s girl isn’t the only one who likes it freaky in the bedroom.”
“Brother?”
Deacon smiled. “Surprised?”
“A little. I didn’t know Jason had a brother.”
“There’s a lot about him you don’t know, I’m sure.” He tilted his head to the side and studied Wes’s face a moment before continuing. “Perhaps I could tell you more. Say, over drinks.”
“I don’t really go out,” Wes said, shoving his hands into his pockets. “I mean, I did, once. But not anymore.”
“How come?”
Wes shook his head as he pushed the image of Marco from his mind. “It’s complicated.”
“It doesn’t have to be.”
“I’m afraid it does.”
Deacon inched closer, and his leathery scent caused desire to shoot straight into Wes’s cock. “Too bad. I’m new here and was looking for a place to party. I have certain … tastes that are sometimes hard to fulfill.”
