by Laura Scott
Jonah hid a grin as Mallory choked back a laugh. Despite the seriousness of the situation, the relief of knowing they’d pulled off their mission was enough to give them a rush of adrenaline.
“So you’re Anthony’s ex-girlfriend?” Kate asked, glancing back at Mallory as Logan made his way to the interstate. There was no doubt he was planning to take Kate to Milwaukee, far from Salvatore.
“Unfortunately.” Mallory scowled and Jonah knew she regretted the decisions she’d made. “And you’re the detective wannabe.”
Kate laughed. “Yep, that’s me. Actually, I graduate at the end of the semester, so my career is well within reach. And it’s also why I’m not packing up to leave town the way the cowboy keeps demanding.”
“I told you, we’ll make arrangements to transfer your college credits to another institution,” Logan said, inserting himself in the conversation.
“But I’ll lose a semester if I do that,” Kate argued.
“How long have you worked for Salvatore’s?” Jonah asked, hoping to sidetrack the argument brewing between Logan and Kate.
“Just over a year.” Kate let out a heavy sigh. “Too bad I had to quit—I made good money working there.”
“How did you figure out Salvatore was involved with organized crime?” Mallory asked.
“They didn’t exactly keep it a huge secret,” Kate said. “Honestly, if I’d have known, I wouldn’t have applied for a job there in the first place. But my roommate was working there and gave me a good reference.”
“They must not have known you were studying criminal law,” he said, “or there’s no way they would have hired you.”
“I’m pretty sure they assumed I knew what was going on there because of Angela, my roommate. Salvatore is her uncle on her mother’s side. Angela is studying business but she’s made it clear she plans to get a job with her uncle when she graduates.” Kate wrinkled her nose. “Talk about keeping business within the family.”
“You took a huge risk tonight,” Jonah pointed out. He understood why Logan was so frustrated with Kate. Even now, she was acting as if this was nothing more than a game, when in fact it was anything but. Salvatore and Caruso played for keeps.
“I didn’t have much choice, once I knew what was going on in there.” Kate shrugged off his praise. She turned to sit back in her seat. “Did you get anything useful from them?” she asked Logan.
“They confirmed our suspicions but didn’t give us any new information,” Logan admitted.
Jonah leaned forward. “Is it true the bureau is watching over Alyssa and Gage?” he asked.
Logan lifted a shoulder. “I’ll check to be sure, but I wouldn’t be surprised. To be honest, I think they might have been waiting to see if Mallory would show up.”
Mallory reached over to tightly grip Jonah’s hand. “Please check right away, Logan. I need to know
Alyssa’s safe.”
“She’ll be fine,” Jonah murmured, helpless to defuse the tension radiating from her. “Gage won’t let anything happen to her.”
“I know, but he’s not a cop and he can’t possibly sit with her 24/7, either.” Mallory worried her lower lip between her teeth, and he wished he had the right to draw her into his arms, hold her close and kiss her.
“Don’t panic until we know what we’re dealing with,” Jonah reassured her. “Caruso isn’t going to make a move toward Alyssa until he’s exhausted a couple other options first.”
“I hope you’re right, Jonah.” Mallory’s wobbly voice betrayed her fear. “I really hope you’re right.”
The trip back to Milwaukee seemed to take forever. It was late by the time they all trooped back up to the large three-bedroom suite Logan had obtained for them.
“Kate, I’d be happy if you shared my room,” Mallory said, indicating the large bedroom containing two queen-size beds along with its own private bathroom. “That way we’ll have some privacy from these guys.”
Kate quickly nodded. “Sounds great. Thanks.”
The two women disappeared into the bedroom, closing the door behind them. Jonah glanced at Logan. “I don’t like the deadline Caruso created for himself. I’m afraid he might make a play for Alyssa to bring Mallory out of hiding.”
“I hear you. Let me make a couple calls tonight, but it could be that we won’t hear anything until tomorrow,” Logan said.
“I understand. But I think we should strike first. And I have an idea.”
“Let’s hear it,” Logan drawled.
Jonah shook his head. He needed some time to think through the details. “No, make your calls first. It’s late—we’ll have plenty of time tomorrow to talk it through.”
Logan nodded and went to make his phone calls.
Jonah went to his room and closed the door, going over the steps in his mind. There had to be a way to make his idea work. Because he refused to put Mallory in the center of danger.
He cared about her far too much.
* * *
Mallory awoke early and glanced over at Kate, who was still asleep. They’d been sharing the room for two days now, and she was reminded of the early days when she and Alyssa had shared a room while growing up.
She missed her twin so much. And she was determined to do whatever was necessary to keep Alyssa out of this.
Her stomach grumbled as she showered and dressed, making her remember she hadn’t been able to eat much of the meal they’d ordered from room service last night. The four of them had spent the entire day considering various plans but had not been able to come to an agreement.
Of course, Logan had wasted almost half the day trying to convince Kate to go into witness protection, to no avail. Mallory had admired Kate’s ability to stick to her guns, and selfishly, she’d wanted Kate to stay.
She eased open her door, silently entering the main living area of the suite. The other two doors were closed, so she knew she was the first one up.
In the small kitchen area, she made a pot of coffee and nibbled on some of the leftovers from the night before. But her stomach cramped and she gave up pretending to eat.
She glanced down at the map Logan had left on the table as she sipped her coffee. There were some drawings on it but she didn’t understand exactly what the scribbles meant. The guys had stayed up late, trying to decide what their next steps would be.
When Jonah’s bedroom door opened, she was so startled her hand jerked, spilling coffee on the table.
She jumped up to get a napkin to clean up the mess. “You scared me.”
“I’m sorry,” he murmured.
She took a deep breath, trying to slow her racing heart. She didn’t know why her nerves were on edge; it wasn’t as if they’d agreed to implement anything today. But at the same time, time was running short. They had to do something, and quick. “Would you like some coffee?”
“Uh, no thanks. I’m going to church.”
She blinked in surprise and frowned. “Church? It’s Sunday?” How could it be Sunday already?
He smiled. “Yes, it’s Sunday. There’s a small church down the road that offers an early service. Let everyone know I’ll be back in a couple hours.”
Mallory couldn’t remember the last time she’d attended church, mostly because she’d never wanted to. But as Jonah walked toward the door, she jumped up. “Do you mind if I come with you?”
He froze, and for a moment she thought maybe he was looking for time alone, but when he turned to face her, there was no denying the pleased surprise on his face. “I’d like that. It’s about a mile away, though, and I was planning to walk. Is that all right with you?”
A walk sounded perfect. Better, really, than sitting through a church service. “I don’t mind at all.” She glanced down at her casual attire. “I don’t have anything else to wear,” she said by way of apology.
“Under the circumstances, I don’t think God is going to mind,” he murmured.
His comment made her smile and relax. Her preconceived notions about God and church wer
e obviously a bit outdated.
“Are you ready?”
As they walked outside into the cool summer air, she lifted her face, enjoying the breeze and her surroundings. The sky was a prettier shade of blue than she’d seen before and the white puffy clouds were the kind little kids would see as animal shapes. Being outside without fearing for her life was a novelty. For the first time in what seemed like forever, she felt like a normal person. As if she and Jonah were the only two people on the earth.
The church was picturesque—brown brick on the outside with a tall steeple and beautiful stained-glass windows. It wasn’t elaborate but it was beautiful in its simplicity. Funny how she’d never considered a church to be noteworthy before now.
As Jonah approached the steps leading up to the front door, she hesitated, gripped by a sudden surge of panic. She fought the urge to turn and run all the way back to the relative safety of the hotel room.
Going inside to attend church services was a big step for her. A step made even more important because she was going with Jonah.
She slowly realized that becoming closer to God would impact her relationship with Jonah.
Irrevocably changing her life—forever.
THIRTEEN
Mallory kept her head down as she entered the church, feeling like a fraud. She avoided eye contact with the other parishioners as she slid into the pew beside Jonah.
The early-morning service didn’t have a strong showing, but there were more people than she’d expected in attendance. The members of the choir didn’t seem to mind—they sang the opening hymn with gusto and the rest of the church members quickly joined in.
Including Jonah.
His deep baritone was soothing and helped Mallory relax. If she had a decent voice she might have joined in, but she was content to read the words in an attempt to follow along. She shouldn’t have been surprised that Jonah knew every word of the song—after all, attending church wasn’t a foreign event to him the way it was to her.
Church music wasn’t normally her thing but she had to admit the song was more upbeat than she’d expected. Jonah belonged with the rest of the choir, she thought with a flash of pride—his voice was absolutely amazing. She was surprisingly disappointed when the last verse of the song ended. When he kept his hymnal in his hands, rather than putting it back into the holder, she followed suit, holding on to hers, too.
As the pastor started his sermon, Mallory thought she’d be bored out of her mind, expecting the usual fire-and-brimstone type of preaching she’d seen in movies. No doubt she’d hear about the perils of being a sinner, a situation she was all too familiar with. But surprisingly, her attention was snagged, almost immediately, by the pastor’s viewpoint on the topic of forgiveness. She had the uncanny feeling he was speaking directly to her. And when he quoted from the Bible, the words resonated deep within her.
“‘Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Through him everyone who believes is set free from every sin, a justification you were not able to obtain under the Law of Moses. Take care that what the prophets have said does not happen to you.’”
For a moment Mallory sat in stunned silence, thinking about her own sins and whether or not God would really forgive them. Jonah had told her all along that God would forgive her, but hearing the words from him was one thing. Hearing them from the pastor was something different. She hadn’t been sure she could really, truly believe.
Until now.
When Jonah reached down to pick up the hymnal that had dropped from her nerveless fingers, she gave him a tight smile. “Thanks,” she whispered.
His brows were furrowed with concern. “Are you all right?” he asked in a hushed tone.
She swallowed hard, amazed at his perceptiveness. She nodded and glanced away. How could she explain her feelings? Jonah had told her about his partner’s death—had bared his soul—but she’d never confided her own deepest shame.
Yet maybe this was God’s way of telling her the time had come to do just that.
* * *
Jonah could feel how tense Mallory was beside him, and he prayed for strength and understanding so he might help her with whatever burden she carried.
When the church service ended, Mallory didn’t get up to leave like the rest of the parishioners. He sensed she wanted to talk but maybe didn’t know how to start.
“Mallory, why don’t you tell me what’s bothering you?” he asked gently. “I could tell the pastor’s sermon meant something to you but I’m not sure I understand. Why is it that you think you don’t deserve forgiveness?”
“Because deep down, I’ve always thought he was right,” she confided. “That what happened was really all my fault.”
His breath froze in his chest as he digested her words. Was she saying what he thought she was saying? “Who was right, Mallory? What do you mean?”
She toyed with the strap of her purse for several long seconds. “Garrett Mason, the quarterback and captain of our high-school football team.” Her voice was so low he had to strain to hear what she was saying. “During our senior year of high school, I had a huge crush on him, but he didn’t know I existed. One Friday night, I asked Alyssa if we could switch identities. I wanted to work her shift at the Burger Barn, because the team was planning to go there after the game.”
Jonah’s gut knotted with anger as he slowly began to understand where her story was going.
“I shamelessly flirted with Garrett, making it clear I wanted to go out with him. I even told him my real name and the joke I’d played on the manager, pretending to be Alyssa. He laughed and told me I obviously like to live dangerously. I blithely agreed. When he offered to wait for me after the end of my shift, I was
ecstatic. My plan had worked.”
She paused and as much as he didn’t want to hear the details, he knew she needed to tell him. To let go once and for all. “Then what happened?” he forced himself to ask.
“He drove me back out to the high-school stadium so we could sit under the bleachers. I was thrilled, especially when he kissed me, but then—” Her voice trailed off.
Red-hot anger surged, momentarily blinding him. It took all the control he possessed to keep his feelings from showing. The last thing he wanted to do was to scare her. “Whatever happened wasn’t your fault, Mallory. No matter what he said, he’s the one who broke the law, not you.”
“Logically I understand that. I knew what the term date rape meant. But when I remember how I acted back then, I can’t deny my actions started the chain of events. And I have to own up to them. I’m the one who switched places with Alyssa, just so I could see him and talk to him. I’m the one who flirted with him. Maybe I did give him the wrong impression, but I didn’t mean to.”
“I know, Mallory. I know. It’s his fault, not yours.”
She shook her head as if still unable to believe that. “Afterward, I was—shattered.”
He could only imagine what she must have gone through. He placed his arm around her and hugged her close, wishing he could go back and change the past. No woman should have to suffer like she had. His heart ached for her lost innocence. “I’m sorry, Mallory. I’m so sorry,” he murmured.
“I didn’t tell anyone, except Alyssa.” Her voice was muffled against his chest. “She tried to convince me to go to the police, but I couldn’t. I was afraid everyone would believe what Garrett said, that I asked for it.”
“You didn’t,” Jonah repeated, fighting to keep the rage from his tone.
“That’s when I signed up for Tae Kwon Do. And as I became stronger, I grew angry and bitter. I turned my back on God. I also decided that I’d never let any man get the upper hand, that relationships would be on my terms. That I’d never let myself get emotionally involved.” She shifted in her seat and looked up at him with tearful eyes. “Except I ended up doing the same thing all over again, by dating Caruso. Maybe he didn’t assault me like Garrett did, but he wants to do somethi
ng worse.”
“You couldn’t possibly know Caruso was involved in criminal activity,” Jonah protested, brushing away a damp strand of hair from her cheek. “Cut yourself a little slack, Mallory. Everyone makes mistakes.”
She let out a harsh laugh. “Not the kind of mistakes I’ve made. And besides, that’s not the worst of it.” Now that she’d started talking, it seemed as if she couldn’t stop. “Listening to the pastor today, I finally believed God would really forgive my sins. Except as we were saying the Lord’s Prayer at the end of the service, I realized it wasn’t good enough. I have to forgive Garrett for what he did to me, don’t I? Not only Garrett, but Anthony, too.” There was a long pause before she whispered in a low, agonized tone, “Honestly, I’m not sure I can do that, Jonah.”
He didn’t know what to say because he wasn’t so sure he could forgive the two men, either, even though he knew he should. God expected him to forgive them and anyone else who trespassed against him.
He pulled her close and held her for a long time, offering what meager comfort he could. And he wondered humbly if God had sent him Mallory, not just so that he could help her believe, but so that she could help him become a better Christian.
* * *
“Your note said you were attending church, but you were gone so long, we were starting to worry something had happened to you,” Logan drawled, his eyes glittering with a pent-up anger that wasn’t reflected in his laconic tone.
“Why didn’t you invite me?” Kate asked from where she sat curled up on the sofa.
“Sorry,” Mallory murmured. Jonah hoped the two of them wouldn’t notice Mallory’s reddened and puffy eyes. “We stayed longer than we anticipated.”
“I take full responsibility,” Jonah quickly interjected. “We talked for a while afterward. I should have called to let you know we were on our way.”
“Next time, I’d like to go with you,” Kate said.
Logan lifted his eyebrows as he glanced at Kate, as if surprised to know she’d have wanted to go along, but he didn’t say anything other than, “I ordered breakfast if y’all are hungry.”
