by Suzanne Rock
“But if we try to pull something,” Leo said, reading over his shoulder. “Then Ari will get hurt.” He fisted his hands. “I’m calling the police.”
“No,” Jason said. “My brother’s right. We need to do things exactly as they say. If this Burke guy senses that we’ve double-crossed him, then we put Ari in more danger than she is in now.”
Leo made a frustrated noise and began pacing. “So what do we do? Just hand this guy the money?” He stopped pacing and stared at Jason. “Really, Stone, it’s not like you to lose so much to the tables.”
“It wasn’t him,” Deacon said. “His identity got stolen.”
“You should be more careful—”
“You aren’t being helpful, Perconti.” Jason dropped the note on the desk. “From now on, we do things by the book. They just want me, so I’ll show up at Sabrina’s at the assigned time with the money. I’ll get Ari and then we can put this nightmare behind us.”
“No,” Leo said. “I’m going with you.”
“But—”
“She’s my sister, Stone. There’s no way I’m going to sit back and leave her fate in the hands of the likes of you.”
“Hey now.” Deacon took a menacing step forward. “That’s uncalled for.”
“No, he’s right.” Jason put his hand on Deacon’s chest, stopping his advance. “This could be a trap. If it is, then I’ll need help.” He lowered his hand and frowned in thought. “Calling the cops will just make everything more complicated, and having all of the Perconti brothers hanging around outside will only bring unwanted attention.” He turned to Leo. “But if it was just you outside, and you were well hidden, perhaps it could work.” He extended his hand. “What do you say?”
Leo hesitated, then shook it. “You realize that my sister’s safety is my first concern.”
“If things go bad, get her out. Forget about me.”
“Jason.” Deacon turned to his brother, aghast. “You’d really put your life on the line for a girl?”
“She’s not just a girl to me,” he said as he lowered his hand. “She’s everything.” He turned away from Leo to face his brother. “If anything happened to Ari, I wouldn’t be able to live with myself.”
“What time does this loan shark want to meet you?” Leo asked.
“Eleven o’clock tonight.”
“Good. We’ll meet back here at ten and iron out the details.” He stared at Jason a moment, considering. “We’re going to get her back, Stone.”
It wasn’t a question, but Jason seemed to answer anyway. “Yes, that’s all that matters. Keeping Ari safe.”
Leo flexed his fingers as if he was turning things over in his mind. “Okay. I’ve got work to do. I’ll see you in a few hours with the money.”
“No, this is my mess. I’ll pay for it. Besides, you don’t have the funds.”
“This is my sister, Stone. I wasn’t there for her. I’m paying for this, end of discussion.”
Jason stared at him for a long moment before responding. “We split it down the middle.” He held up his hand before Leo could protest. “I am as much to blame as you for this. Perhaps more. We messed up together, so we’ll get her back together.”
Leo grunted his approval and headed for the door. “Don’t forget, ten o’clock, sharp.”
“I won’t forget.” Jason let out a long breath as Leo turned his back to the room.
Deacon waited for the Perconti patriarch to go before he spoke. “What about me?”
“You’re to stay out of this,” Jason said. “I have enough to worry about with Ari, I don’t think I could keep it together if something happened to you, too.”
“But—”
“No, and that’s final.”
Deacon steeled his jaw. He was being dismissed—again. Just like Jason had hurt him the day he left the business. There was no warning, no “Hey, bro, come join me.” He’d just picked up his stuff and cut his older brother out of his life.
Well, this time, Deacon wasn’t going to let him go quietly. “There’s another way, brother,” he said as he watched Jason pull out the chair behind his desk.
“Is there?” Jason said, collapsing into his seat. “Because I’m all out of ideas.”
“We could double-cross them.” Deacon moved into the seat opposite him and scooted to the edge.
Jason frowned. “You just argued that if they suspect a double-crossing, they’ll take Ari away and we’ll never see her again—”
“I’m not talking about getting the cops involved. Hear me out.” Excitement rippled through Deacon as an idea formed in his mind. “You’re putting the cash in a briefcase, right?”
“Yes…” His voice sounded hesitant.
“What if, instead of taking it to the loan shark, you head out back to my bike and we drive away with the money?” Deacon became more animated, waving his hands in the air as he spoke. “We’ll have five million from Perconti Enterprises and five million from your company. The gig would be clean. Just like old times. We’d be able to start over and—”
“You’re kidding me, right?”
Deacon stopped and stared at his brother. “No, I thought—”
Jason held up his hand in the air. “I’m not walking out on Ari. She needs me.”
“But don’t you see how beautiful this is? You can take five million of your rival’s money, and five million from your investors. We both know how to go under the radar. We’ll assume new identities and—”
“No.”
“But—”
“I said no.” Jason’s firm tone had a note of finality to it. “I’m not leaving her, Deacon, and there is more to life than money.”
Deacon stared at his brother as a sense of hopelessness welled up inside of him. “You just don’t get it, do you?”
“Get what?”
“Whatever happened to blood is thicker than water?”
“What do you mean?”
“All I ever wanted was to be important to you.” And it was the truth. He’d dump all of this revenge nonsense in a heartbeat if Jason would just treat him like a brother again.
“You are important to me. I gave you a home—”
“You walked away from our business without warning. Even employees give a company two weeks before they leave. You didn’t give me two hours.”
“Because I had to get away from Felicia. You know that. Her narcissism had taken a dark turn and I couldn’t deal with it anymore.”
“I could have helped you escape Felicia. You didn’t have to leave me, too.”
“It wasn’t just Felicia.” Jason let out a long breath. “The business hadn’t felt right for a long time. I felt lost, Deacon. I needed to find myself again.”
“We could have done something to make it work.” Deacon inched forward. “I miss you, Jason. Remember the fun we used to have together?”
“We could have that again, you know,” Jason said. “But you need to stop using people, Deacon. You need to stop trying to devise ways to con people out of their livelihoods.”
“Isn’t that what you do? Buy up people’s ideas and profit from them?”
“These people need money to continue their work. Sometimes I just let them borrow money. Sometimes, they recognize that I can take their product further than they could on their own. In those cases we enter a partnership. I never cheat people, and I never buy ideas outright unless it’s something the person wants.” Jason straightened and patted him on the shoulder. “At the end of the day, manipulating people will leave you empty. Helping them achieve their dreams is much more fulfilling.”
“As long as you profit from it.” Deacon took a step back, out of his brother’s reach. “I’m sorry Jason, I just don’t see the difference.”
“There’s a huge difference.”
Deacon snorted. “This is all temporary. It could be gone in a moment’s notice.” He waved his hands between them. “This is real, brother. I’m real, and you’ve been ignoring me for years.”
“Deacon, I h
aven’t been ignoring you. You’ve been going underground with your fighting and gambling. I can’t be a part of that.”
“No, not when you have such a good racket going on all by yourself.” Deacon took a deep breath and tried to steady his rising temper. “Good luck saving your pretty girlfriend. I hope she’s worth it.” He stormed out of the office before Jason could reply and marched down to the garage. Grabbing his helmet, he shoved it on his head and sped away from the hotel, the city, and anything that reminded him of his brother.
Things weren’t going the way he’d planned, and he needed some time to think.
Chapter 21
“Are you okay?” Leo asked. “Perhaps I should—”
“No, I’m fine.” Jason took a deep breath in and let it out. Leo had wanted to have Jason come with him in his limo, but Jason argued that the loan shark would be expecting him to come alone. Besides, they didn’t want to appear intimidating. The most important thing was Ari’s safety. Once she was out of harm’s way, then all bets were off.
“You can do this,” Leo said as he put his hand on Jason’s shoulder. “Sabrina placed the suitcase and cell phone in the men’s room about an hour before they arrived. All you need to do is to go in there and pick it up. One phone call, and I’ll have my men storm the place.”
Jason nodded. “I know.” He shook his hands out, as if he was getting ready for a prizefight, not a negotiation. “I’m hoping I won’t need it. Hopefully this Burke person is reasonable.”
“I can’t understand why your brother would do that to you,” Karin said from her place at Leo’s side. Leo had forbid her to come along, citing that it was too dangerous, which only made her want to come more. He had eventually agreed to bring her, but only if she promised to stay out of harm’s way.
“I thought I told you to stay in the limo,” Leo growled at her.
“I wanted to show my support,” she said, turning to Jason.
“You aren’t mad at me?”
“For screwing around behind my back?” She slid her arm around Leo’s. “No. If I never left Stone Suites, I never would have come to work at Perconti Enterprises. I never would have met Leo or his wonderful family.”
Pain sliced through Jason as Karin cast a loving gaze at Leo. He had seen Ari look at him like that, dozens of times. He just wished that he’d known what a good thing he had when he had the chance.
“Besides,” she said as she refocused on Jason. “I don’t like to live in the past.”
“Neither do I,” Leo said. “You get my sister back, Stone, and we’ll have a clean slate.”
“That’s very generous of you.”
“It just shows how much I care about my sister.”
Jason’s thoughts drifted to Deacon. He couldn’t help it. How he wished that he and Deacon had shared a close bond like Ari and her siblings. Deacon was probably long gone by now, traveling down the East Coast to somewhere warm and filled with lonely widows. Once again, the last words they had spoken to each other had been in anger.
Life was odd sometimes. For years, he had been sparring with Leo and his family, figuring out ways to squeeze them of money so that he could come out ahead in business. Now, here Leo was, supporting him in his time of need. Sure, he was concerned about Ari, but he was willing to work with him, not against him, and he seemed concerned about his welfare, too. The difference between Leo and Deacon was striking, and made Jason realize just how self-centered his brother really was.
“I don’t know what to say,” he said. “I truly don’t deserve all of this support after the terrible things I have done to your family.”
Leo twisted his lips into a half-smile. “Just get my sister back, and we’ll call it even.”
Jason nodded. The Percontis were counting on him, and he could make a real difference in their lives. This was what life was all about—bonding with and improving the lives of others. Not living from one adrenaline rush to the next. For years he had been chasing the next high, hoping to outrun any true emotions. Now, in this moment, he suddenly realized how empty his life had become.
His life didn’t have to stay empty, however. He had the power to change things for the better. Starting by saving the woman he loved.
They went over the final plans. Jason was to go in alone, and Leo would stay outside the restaurant, just in case they were keeping Ari somewhere close by. If it became apparent that Burke wouldn’t negotiate, Jason would go into the bathroom to retrieve the money and check in. If Leo didn’t find her, then Jason would give the loan shark the money. If she was safe, then all bets were off.
Since it was her restaurant, Sabrina was already inside, behind the bar. The goons had paid her well to close the restaurant down a little early and for her to keep quiet. They weren’t aware of her connection to the Percontis. If they were, Jason was sure they would have met at another venue.
Jason glanced at his watch. “Okay, it’s showtime.” After one last “good luck” they each headed back to their cars, and Jason climbed into his McLaren. His hands shook as he put his favorite vehicle into gear and drove it the two blocks down to the restaurant.
He parallel parked and stepped out onto the sidewalk. Immediately, two of the loan shark’s men emerged from the shadows of the restaurant and told him to put his hands on the car.
“You both look familiar,” Jason observed as the larger man patted him down. “Any chance you could just give me the girl?”
“Afraid not. Where’s the money?”
“Somewhere safe. I need to talk to your boss first.” He hesitated, then added, “You could come work for me, you know. I’d pay double whatever you’re getting.”
Satisfied that Jason was unarmed, the larger man stepped back. “There are some things in this world more precious than money.”
Jason turned around to face them. “Whatever this loan shark has over you, I can make it right.”
The older man chuckled. “You and your brother are a lot alike, you know that? He had no idea who he was dealing with, either. He learned soon enough, though. So will you.” He led Jason up to the front door of the restaurant.
As he walked, Jason turned over the men’s words in his head. The men hinted at a connection between Deacon and the loan shark that he wasn’t aware of. Had his brother held something back from him?
Jason was missing something, some giant piece of the puzzle, but then his thoughts scattered as the larger man opened the door and ushered him inside. A quick glance around told him that Sabrina stood behind the bar, wiping the same spot on the counter again and again with a dishrag. She nodded to him, then motioned over to the far corner of the room. The loan shark was sitting down at one of the booths. She sat away from the light, so it was difficult to make out her features. Her bodyguards sat on either side of her.
Wait a minute … “A woman?” Jason asked the man beside him. “This loan shark is a woman?”
“Not only a woman, but one of the most powerful women in the northeast.”
“A businesswoman? Why haven’t I heard of her then?”
“She works under a fake masculine-sounding name so she gets more respect.” The men led Jason toward the table where she sat. Uneasiness rippled down his spine with each step. As Jason came closer, the shadows dispersed, and a very familiar face looked up to greet him.
“Jason.” Felicia smiled and motioned to the seat across from her. “So nice for you to join us.”
“Felicia Killington,” Jason said on an exhale.
“Oh, I haven’t gone by that name in a long, long time. I go by my maiden name now. Burke sounds much stronger, don’t you think?”
Jason felt dizzy as he was led to the seat across from her. “How…”
“I’ve been a busy girl since you ran away from me.” She patted his hand. “We have a lot of catching up to do.”
Jason pulled his hand away and straightened in his chair. “Our relationship ended years ago.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.” She glanced at something behind
him and the two guards who had brought him over inched in closer.
“Why are you doing this? You know who I am. You must be aware that I’d never rack up such a large gambling debt.”
“Of course you wouldn’t do such a thing, but your brother did.” She waved her hand in the air in dismissal. “And he proved to me that he had access to your money many times over.”
“But he doesn’t have access.”
Felicia smiled. “So you say.”
He’d had about enough of her games. “What do you really want from me, Felicia?” Jason asked.
“Ms. Burke. You lost the right to call me Felicia when you stopped playing my favorite bedroom games.”
Jason locked his jaw as he remembered how she liked to use the flogger and the St. Andrew’s cross in her basement. “Is that what this is all about? You want me to sleep with you again?”
Felicia laughed. “Don’t flatter yourself. I’ve moved on, and my new lover is much better equipped to handle me than you were.” She considered him for a moment. “You were the only one who got close enough to hurt me, Jason.” She tapped her long, manicured fingernails on the table. “Not even my poor, deceased husband was able to cause me such grief.”
“Your husband was a good man. He’d roll over in his grave if he had any idea what you have done with his investments.”
“They are my investments now, not his, and my husband was afraid to take risks. Now, the company is under new—and better—ownership.”
“I never meant to hurt you. You have to believe that. The relationship had run its course.”
“But you did hurt me, Jason. And now it’s my turn to hurt you.”
Jason pushed back his panic and tried to clear his head. “Arianna is innocent and you know it.”
“She’s the object of your affections, sweetheart, and therefore a pawn. Now.” She leaned over the table and took his hands in hers. “Let’s talk about your debt to me.”
“I don’t have any debt.”
“Ah, but your name is on the papers now, isn’t it?”
