He seemed as if he was about to argue, but when Jacob lowered his visor and pointed to the picture of Cody’s family hanging from the rearview, he silently pulled on the vest.
As Jacob stepped out into the snow, Cody said, “This is a bad idea—you know that, right?”
“Absolutely.” He shut the door. His boots left dark footprints as he walked casually toward the back shipping area.
Approaching, he saw Emilio’s office light on and heard the cranes unloading the container from the boat. Adrenaline made his heart beat faster, and he forced a breath in, then out. Hand on his weapon, he moved slowly toward the trailer.
Sounds of voices. Emilio’s and two others... Jacob recognized them both and was almost relieved to hear Guido, the man who’d been with him the day they’d been sent to take care of Emilio. With any luck, the guy was still as squeamish about shooting people as he’d been a year ago.
Rounding the corner, he saw a van and a larger cube van parked near the dock. He watched as they opened the container. It was nearly empty, except for about two million dollars’ worth of cocaine. Emilio entered the container, two guns pointed on his back, and he waited...
Jacob needed to see the transfer of goods. Once the product switched hands, he could close in. He inched closer to the van, hiding behind the back wheel. Now, all three men were inside the container. The sound of voices in the van startled him, and he ducked lower, peering in through the back window. He couldn’t see much in the dark, but he made out two figures sitting on the floor, arms tied behind their backs...and a pair of red leopard-print boots that he’d recognize anywhere.
Heather.
His mouth went dry, and he blinked back a wave of dizziness. This bust just got much more dangerous. And much more important.
What could they possible want with her? How did they even know she was connected to him? Had they been tailing him? Had they known all along where he was?
The revelation hit him like a two-by-four—Cameron. Cameron was the other person in the van. Lorenzo might be in custody, but without the lead prosecutor on the case, the trial would be delayed. His blood ran cold as the men’s voices drew closer.
“Lorenzo sends his thanks,” he heard Guido say. “He apologizes he couldn’t be here to tie up loose ends himself.”
Loose ends? Emilio. Cameron and Heather.
Not tonight.
Moving quickly, Jacob swung around to the front of the container. “Police. Hands up where I can see them,” he ordered, gun pointed, quickly taking inventory of the guns at both men’s waists.
Harris, a longtime employee of Lorenzo’s, eyed Jacob and slowly raised his arms. “Marx,” he growled, “nice to see you again.”
“Wish I could say the same.” Jacob inched closer, quickly grabbing the guy’s weapon and tossing it out of the container. “Guido.” He nodded at the other man and grabbed his gun, as well. “Hands behind your backs and turn around—both of you.”
“A little out of your jurisdiction here, aren’t you?” Harris said, turning slowly.
“Shut up and put your hands behind your back.” He caught Emilio’s eye. “Go pick up their weapons and clear the chambers,” he said.
The other man looked nervous, but he rushed off to follow Jacob’s instructions.
Keeping his gun pointed at Guido, Jacob handcuffed Harris, knowing the bigger man would be harder to take in hand-to-hand combat. The fact that Harris didn’t try to pounce on him made him even more uneasy. He cuffed him quickly and faced Guido.
“Drop the gun, Jake,” Emilio said, standing at the edge of the container and training both weapons on him. He was shaking.
Jacob kept his gun pointed on Guido as he said, “What are you doing, Emilio?”
“I’m sorry, Jake, but I’m too far into this mess... I have a family to protect...”
“And you think these guys are going to let you live? Emilio, put down the guns...or better yet, point them at these guys.”
What was happening? Trusting a criminal and learning his lesson the hard way was what was happening. He swallowed hard. “Emilio, please. I can get you out of this—”
Guido’s right hook staggered him, and he scrambled for his footing as the guy stole his gun back from Emilio and continued to point it at Jacob.
“Drop it, Marx. I won’t hesitate to shoot you,” he said.
“Really? You got over that weak stomach issue?” he asked, hoping to buy any time he could. He felt sick with the knowledge that he was on his own. No one was coming to save him.
Unless....
His eyes widened as Cody hit Guido in the head with the barrel of his gun. He quickly kicked the man’s gun out of reach and gestured for Emilio to step inside the container.
Jacob’s shoulders relaxed as he rushed to hoist Guido over his shoulder and place him inside the container with the other men; then he joined Cody, and they held their weapons on the criminals. “I told you to stay in the car,” he said, but his voice was only full of relief.
“Thought you could use a hand,” he said, the sound of sirens filling the quiet night air. “And I also phoned in backup.”
Jacob’s heart rate started to slow. “Good call, kid.” With the immediate crisis under control, he could deal with Heather and Cameron. “Think you could be a hero to a couple of scared women in that van?” He wanted to go to her himself, but he was better trained to stay on the criminals.
With a nod, Cody handed him the gun and went to the van, just as several cop cars arrived.
“Hands up! On the ground!” one of the officers called, and Jacob readily complied.
* * *
STILL IN SHOCK, Heather sat shivering in the backseat of the police car despite the warm blanket wrapped around her. Her mind raced, yet the rest of her was numb. The past eight hours had been the scariest of her life. She’d thought for sure she was going to die.
“Here, drink this.” A nice officer she barely noticed handed her a cup of hot water, and she accepted it with a shaking hand, her gaze still fixed on the loading docks, where Jacob, Cody and Cameron stood talking to the Newark police, as the criminals were taken into custody.
He’d saved them.
The man she was in love with had just saved her life. But mixed in somewhere among the relief and gratitude was the heavy realization that this was exactly what Jacob had meant when he’d said that his job didn’t allow for relationships and marriage. Heather now knew firsthand that people could be hurt because of his chosen profession.
He glanced toward the car, his expression flitting between concern and affection.
Tears gathered in her eyes, and she tore her gaze away.
He was right. They couldn’t be together.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
JACOB PACED THE witness room at the back of the courthouse early the next day. The day he had been waiting for for five months had arrived, two days before Christmas. He’d given up hope of having all of this resolved before the holidays. Soon, his testimony would put Mario Lorenzo behind bars, and his sister and Kyle could return to their lives. In a few short hours, all of this would be behind him. Of course, that wouldn’t be the end. Going into a bust without jurisdiction, without backup, without any right to do so was going to cost him.
Cameron entered, and he walked toward her eagerly. “How’s Heather?” he asked.
“Take your mind off my sister, and focus on your testimony,” she said, tying her long dark hair in a tight bun on top of her head.
Long dark hair...like Heather’s...
“You’re right. I’m sorry,” Jacob said, determined to keep his mind on the case. He couldn’t think about the woman he was in love with just yet. Still... “But how is she?”
Cameron sighed. “You broke her heart, and then she just went through the most traumatic experience
of her life yesterday. How do you think she is?”
Hurting Heather was the last thing he’d ever wanted to do. And he desperately wanted to hold her and tell her that everything was okay now, that she was safe. The night before, it had taken every ounce of strength and common sense not to do that. If only she could forgive him at the end of all of this. “I know, Cameron, and I’m sorry.”
Cameron shook her head. “That was her sister talking. As your lawyer—you did the right thing. Telling Heather the truth would have put everything we’ve worked so hard for at risk.” She shuddered. “And I didn’t get a chance yesterday to say thank you for saving our lives...even though you nearly jeopardized everything by doing something so dangerous.” She slapped his arm, but her expression was pure gratitude. “Now, sit tight. We have several others to call before you, but your testimony is the one that will matter most, so just relax and tell your story up there.”
When he nodded, she left him alone. He filled a coffee cup and sat in a chair near the window. On the street below, businesspeople rushed along the crowded sidewalks getting to offices to finish up the last of their pre-holiday workload. He couldn’t get his mind off Heather. She was here in the city, so close...all he wanted to do was get out of there and go see her. Tell her he loved her and that he was starting to reevaluate what was truly important. Seeing her in the back of the van last night had nearly broken him.
But what if she didn’t forgive him for lying and for hurting her? Putting her life at risk? Suddenly, his testimony on the stand was the easier of the two speeches he knew he had to make today.
The door opened. “Ready for me?” he asked, setting the cup on the table and turning.
His heart stopped as Maria Gonzales entered. Immediately, his hand went to his hip, but there was no gun, no taser, just the edge of his suit jacket. He was completely unarmed and coming face-to-face with...a ghost. He paled. Maria Gonzales was supposed to be dead.
“Hi, Jacob.”
Jacob? She knew his real name? What was she doing here? She obviously wasn’t dead. She also didn’t seem to be there to inflict bodily harm; she stood near the door, hands hanging by her sides. What was going on? He glanced behind her as she entered the room, but she was alone. “Maria.”
“Surprised to see me?”
Understatement. “You’re supposed to be dead, so, yeah—little bit.”
“I guess I have a lot to explain,” she said, coming closer.
He stepped back until he was pressed up against the window.
“I work for the FBI,” she said.
He blinked. What? She was an agent?
“I was undercover for the NYPD when we met.”
“You were undercover?” He sounded like a moron repeating everything she said, but he was in shock. He’d yet to recover from the fact that she was still breathing, but to learn that the whole time he’d known her, she’d been on his side?
“Yes. And when you appeared and started asking me questions about the business and trying to persuade me to get out, I knew you were, too.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” He felt like an idiot. He’d never guessed that Maria had already gotten out, that she was fighting on the good side the entire time.
“You know why. We both had a job to do. And at first, I really didn’t know if my instincts about you were right. I thought you were just another one of my brother’s goons, but then as we got closer and you tried to convince me to get away from the family business, I started to have my suspicions.” She shrugged.
“That’s why you left.”
She nodded. “Once I knew for sure, I requested a transfer that wouldn’t blow my cover or ruin the progress I’d made...so they moved me to the source. Convincing Leo to let me do the next pickup was easy—he saw me as a disposable commodity.” Her voice hardened.
“You got caught at the border on purpose?’
She nodded. “You learn a lot in jail.”
Wow, she was even braver and crazier than he’d ever imagined. “You took a huge risk.”
“So did you,” she said, touching his arm. “I’m just glad I was able to locate Mario as quickly as I did.”
“You did that?” She was responsible for locating Mario and bringing him in? She was responsible for getting this court case two days before Christmas? Getting him back to the city?
She nodded. “I’m sorry I lied to you, Jacob.”
He shook his head. “You were undercover. It was your job. Your safety...”
“Not everything was a lie,” she said, inching toward him.
His pulse raced. He realized now that it hadn’t been love, but a sense of protection he’d felt for her in those extreme circumstances. He’d wanted to get her away from a bad situation, but he’d never truly loved her. Not like he loved Heather. “Maria...”
The door opened and Cameron entered. “Maria, we’re ready for your testimony,” she said, glancing between the two of them.
Maria nodded. “Okay,” she said, and Cameron left them alone once more. “Jacob, I...”
“Maria, you are the bravest woman I know. Testifying against your own brother...” He knew what it was like to put family behind bars. It wasn’t easy, and he admired her strength and her character, but he wasn’t in love with her. He knew now that he never was.
She leaned forward and kissed his cheek. “Don’t say it,” she said. “It was a different time, a different place.”
He nodded.
She let out a deep breath. “Well, this is it.”
“You can do this.”
She nodded as she turned and walked toward the door.
“Maria...”
“Yeah?”
“Thank you.”
“Merry Christmas, Jacob.”
* * *
“UNCLE JACOB!” KYLE’S excitement brought tears to his eyes as the little boy rushed toward him two hours later on the steps of the courthouse.
Bending, Jacob scooped him up for a hug. “Hi, buddy,” he said in disbelief. He’d assumed they would have needed a few days to get his sister and nephew back home. He’d been hoping for New Year’s...this was so wonderfully unexpected.
“Did we surprise you?” Kyle asked when he set him on the ground.
“Yes,” he said, as his sister came forward. “Hi, Amber.”
Her expression was unreadable for the briefest of moments before she wrapped him in a hug. “Thank you,” she whispered.
He held her tight, wishing he could take credit for getting them home before the holidays. But it had been Cameron’s insistence that they go to trial before Christmas that had made it all happen. “I’m so glad this is over,” he said, releasing her. His testimony had been in question because of his blackout, but the previous night’s bust and Maria’s testimony had helped convince the jury. And the defense asked for a plea deal, knowing that they would be facing an even longer sentence if they didn’t.
Jacob still had to face the department officials the next day about whether or not he would be allowed to return to his position on the force, but for now, it was over.
“Uncle Jacob, now that we’re here, can we go Christmas shopping?” Kyle asked, his hopeful expression making it impossible to say no.
“As long as it’s okay with your mom.” He didn’t want to put off seeing Heather, but he found himself unable to disappoint his nephew.
“It’s fine. I have to get to the gallery and see what needs to be done to reopen it.” Amber looked happier than he ever remembered seeing her, and he studied her carefully.
“The gallery, huh?” No doubt his sister was impatient to get back to the normalcy of everyday life, but there was definitely something else she was eager to rush off for.
She sighed, then smiled. “And... I have to pick up Michael from the airport.”
> “Oh, Uncle Jacob, you’re going to love Michael. He’s so awesome, and he wasn’t even mad when we told him we were pretending all along.” His nephew was beaming, matching his mother’s expression, and Jacob was overwhelmed with joy. Things had worked out...perhaps better than he could have expected.
“He really is great, and he’s looking forward to meeting you,” Amber said, checking her watch as they descended the courthouse stairs.
“Okay. Well, I’ll take this little stinker shopping, then we’ll meet you both at the gallery?”
She nodded.
“Then can we get pizza and go bowling?” Kyle asked.
Jacob ruffled his hair. “Whatever you want, buddy.” For tonight, it was all about family.
* * *
“COME ON IN, Jacob, the committee is ready to see you now.”
Jacob wiped his damp palms on his thighs, and followed Mary, the secretary, into the boardroom.
The thrill of having his NYPD uniform on again was overshadowed by his apprehension. The future of his career with the force was about to be decided, and despite the uncertainty that had plagued him for months in Brookhollow, being this close to an answer was torture.
He took the one lonely chair that awaited him on the left side of the table. Four of his superiors and one of his peers sat on the right. “Hi, everyone,” he said as he sat.
“Detective Marx—welcome back,” Detective Cable said.
The others smiled and nodded, but the atmosphere in the room was stuffy and uncomfortable.
His career was over. He was too much of a liability; he knew it. He took a deep breath and reached for the jug of water in front of him. “Sorry, I’m a little nervous,” he said, shakily pouring the water and taking a sip.
The liquid stuck in his throat.
“Well, we won’t drag this out. It’s the holidays, and we all have places to be. I’m sure, after being away so long, you are eager to get to your family, as well,” Detective Cable said.
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