Great, lie number two. “About that, it wasn’t quite an accidental meeting.” It was true, his Mom always preached it but he’d never appreciated the value until now. It doesn’t pay to lie because it will come back and bite you in the ass. Every stinking time.
“Are you kidding me?”
At her darkening look, Nick hastened to add, “It’s not what you’re thinking. I just want to clean the slate, that’s all. I’d actually noticed you a couple of weeks earlier when I first came to town, but didn’t know how to approach you, so I used Jake.” He shrugged uncomfortably, it seemed so silly now. “I didn’t exactly pick Tidal Falls randomly, as I led you to believe, either.” He hated rehashing this stuff, but for her… “A couple of years ago Jake and I were injured while I was in the Marines.”
“Oh, Nick, why didn’t you tell me? That’s what happened to your poor back, isn’t it? I noticed the scars the other morning but didn’t want to mention it.” She stretched up and ran a gentle finger over his scarred forehead. “And Jake’s hip?”
He grimaced, it was all coming back to him now. The explosion, the percussion as he went flying. The god-awful site of his team annihilated. “I needed to get away from it all for a while. My CO suggested a therapist here. I didn’t want anyone knowing the truth because I didn’t want to be treated differently. Back where I come from everyone acted as if I were a hero or some shit, instead of which that couldn’t be further from the truth. If I’d done my job maybe my teammates wouldn’t have been blasted to hell and gone. Even Jake was hurt. That’s not a hero, it’s a zero.”
Sure this was going to be the straw that broke the proverbial camel’s back, he sighed. “I know this just adds to all the other crap, but I wanted you to know the truth.”
She turned away, and when her shoulders began to shake, he wanted to smack himself for causing her more anguish. Instead, as he swung her around to pull her into his arms he saw tears all right, but they were tears of laughter. She was laughing at him.
“What’s so funny? I’m in a cold sweat here, wondering if I should have said anything, and you think it’s funny.”
***
Sara couldn’t help it. The whole slapstick comedy routine of their relationship tickled her funny bone. It was the icing on the cake. Their whole relationship, from day one, had been a web of lies, small wonder it crumbled at the first hurdle. “That’s just it, it is funny. I’m sorry for what happened to you, I truly am. But if not for the fact I was running from my drug selling, lying, cheating, husband, we never would have met. Then you add a messed up, slightly neurotic woman, a lonely kid, a beat up dog and a guy who carries the weight of the world on his shoulders. We could have ourselves a Broadway classic here.” She could see Nick thought she’d gone around the bend, and maybe she had a little. That’s okay, laughter was a great stress reliever. She felt better already.
A slow smile lit his face like a ray of sunshine bursting through a cloudy sky. “You’re right, our relationship up to this point has been something of a farce. But that doesn’t mean my feelings are any less real. I never thought I’d meet someone I would want to wake up beside every morning for the rest of my life, but I have. And I think you feel the same. Don’t negate everything between us, Sara, because of a couple of dumb mistakes. We’re good together, you can’t deny that.”
Yes, they were good together. Images of the two of them talking, kissing, making love, flashed before her eyes, heating her from the inside out. More than almost anything else, she wished that they could have met under different circumstances, without all of this background between them.
Gazing up into his rugged face, Sara admitted Nick was worth much more than she could give him. He’d already been through so much, he deserved someone whole. Someone who wasn’t so messed up. Someone who would love him for the imperfect, amazing, frustrating man he was. He looked so handsome as the light from the kitchen window streamed over his dark hair picking out the coffee colored highlights and accentuating the thin white battle scar. She traced it with her fingertip, so glad he wasn’t one of those who’d lost their lives that day.
She was trying to think of a way to explain all the mixed up feelings tumbling around inside her head when a muffled trill from the depths of her handbag indicated an incoming call from her cellphone. Pulling out of his arms, she hurried to the counter where she’d dropped her bag; worried something was wrong with Jessica.
The number highlighted on the face was one she knew well, Tom.
She locked helpless eyes with Nick, who obviously knew something was amiss because in a couple of long strides he was there, hands on her hips, his big warm body offering silent support. Gulping in a quick breath and praying for strength she pushed send, accepting the call, and placed it on speaker so they both could hear.
“Hello, my dear, shouldn’t you be on a plane by now? I’ve been sitting here keeping your lovely little friend company while we wait, but we were getting a little concerned as we hadn’t heard from either Nickolaus or yourself. Fiona desperately wants to see you again. She has so much to tell you, don’t you my pet?”
“I’m okay.” Fiona’s voice reached out in desperate warning, “Stay away, Sara. Stay…” fading as the phone was obviously yanked away. “Ouch! You son of a bitch.”
“Tom…Tom, listen to me, don’t hurt her. If you want me to cooperate you need to leave Fiona alone. Do you understand me? Leave. Her. Alone.” Sara yelled, gritting her teeth against the stream of vitriol she wanted to lash at him.
“Enough. Where’s Nick? I know he must be nearby, after all he’s a man of his word, right, Nick?”
Nick continued to hold her close, reassuring her as he took control of the conversation, “I’m here, let’s quit playing games and get down to business. There’s been a change of plan. Your ex-wife tells me she has something you want, quite desperately actually. She’s made me a better deal so I’m afraid I am going to have to terminate our agreement. You know how it is, money talks.”
Tom swore, “Are you fricken kidding me? I would never have taken you for a gambler, because that’s what you are doing, my friend. You’re gambling with lives. Are you sure you want to start something with me you have no chance of finishing? Think carefully, Kelley. My offer stands if you want to change your mind. Otherwise I can’t guarantee you’ll make it out of this alive. Business, you understand.”
Nick laughed, a quick, harsh bark of sound. “Yeah, I get it. Fortunately for me, I seem to be the one holding all the aces, don’t I. Your very pretty wife, your daughter, and, oh yeah, a sweet file loaded with names that would make for some very interesting phone calls. I’m sure your associates would love to know how I managed to find out as much about their little dealings as what you’ve written in here. They would wonder what you were planning on doing with this information, don’t you think? I bet these same men would really appreciate me calling them about this. Be grateful even, if you catch my drift.”
Sara’s breath suspended as she waited through the static noise of Sheridan as his fury at the situation practically burned through the airwaves. Nick had pushed the bastard too far.
“You still there, Sheridan? Time’s a-wasting as you pointed out, what’s it to be? Are we doing this my way or am I placing a few long distance phone calls?”
Tom’s harsh laugh rang through the room, and her fingers tightened on the phone.
“Well, well, Nick, I see you’ve grown a set of balls in the last few years. Okay, I’ll play along—for now—but know this, my friend, fuck with me and I will be more than happy to feed them down your cock-sucking throat, understand?”
Nick gently squeezed her hips in reassurance before answering, “Yeah, I understand you’re as big a prick now as you were five years ago. Some things never change, right, buddy? More importantly, I see by your handy dandy notes here that you are kind of in a time crunch. I don’t imagine your friends are big in the patience department, and since I’m not anxious to take part in a Mexican stand-off we can save a lot of mileage and tim
e by you bringing Miss Radcliffe here, to us. Then in exchange for her Healthy person, I’ll return your file to you, intact.”
Sara had some requests of her own. “I also want you to bring divorce papers signing full custody of Jessica over to me. It’s past time to end our relationship, and you never wanted our daughter so that should be no problem for you, right, Tom?” She was happy her voice came through inflexible and strong, not showing how scared she actually was.
“Demands, my love? I’m impressed. I wouldn’t have thought you had it in you. You’re correct, I never wanted to bring a child into my world, can you blame me? I’m well aware of my shortcomings, Sara, but for a while, with you, I was a different man. We had some good times, didn’t we?”
Now it was Nick’s turn to tense. She knew he didn’t want to hear about her supposed good times with her ex. Dropping a hand to her side, she intertwined her fingers with Nick’s before replying, “Anything good that happened between us was overshadowed long ago by your mistrust and cruelty. The only thing I want to remember about you is saying good-bye after you turn over Fiona and those papers. We’re done, Tom.”
“You’re talking a brave story, my pet. What have you done, Sara? You better not be screwing our mutual friend, Nickolaus. That would be a grave error on your part. Adultery is frowned upon in a marriage, you know.”
A disbelieving laugh escaped her throat, what temerity. “Well you would know all about that, wouldn’t you, Tom?”
“Ah yes, the nanny. I wondered how much you saw the day you stole my files. I had video surveillance in that room, you didn’t know that, did you?” Tom’s self-satisfied tone rubbed at already raw nerves. “I knew exactly who to blame for the theft, right from the start. As to the bountiful Belinda, she meets my needs. It’s not as if sex between us was ever anything more than bland. You aren’t exactly sensual, my dear. Have you noticed that already, Nickolaus?”
Sara’s head dropped in embarrassment. She’d known he was cruel, but…Nick’s anger was a powerful force at her back. He growled his answer, “Enough with the bullshit already. Look, do we have a deal here or not? I don’t have time to stand around chitchatting. Make up your mind, Sheridan. What’s it to be?”
Staring out the window into the backyard Sara was surprised to see the sun still shining. The neighbor’s calico cat stalked through the overgrown grass toward a fat Robin busy looking for juicy worms at the base of the Cherry tree. Just as the cat pounced, the Robin flew away, its bounty dangling from its beak.
Hoping it was a metaphor for their own situation, she turned in Nick’s arms and smiled when he dropped a deliberately loud, smacking kiss on her upturned mouth.
There was a sudden hissing over the line, like water hitting a hot pan. “Dangerous, my love, very dangerous. You better let lover boy know what happens when you fuck around on me. You remember that, don’t you?”
***
The blanching of color from her face was all the proof Nick needed, if he had ever doubted her story, which he hadn’t. The fucker was his. “Enough. Make your arrangements and fly to Seattle. Call me, and I do mean me. No more calls to Sara. I’ll tell you where from there—and Sheridan—make it fast.” He pressed end and taking the cell out of her trembling fingers, set it on the counter behind her, before drawing Sara into the shelter of his arms.
She snuggled into him for a gratifying couple of minutes before pulling back to look into his eyes, her own a melting pot of turmoil and fear. “Why didn’t you let me handle him, Nick? He was already mad, but now you’ve driven him right into crazy. It’s bad enough he thinks we’re colluding together, but to make him think there’s more between us…he won’t stand for that. I hope you know what you’re doing.”
Nick was grateful she was still talking to him after he pulled that foolish stunt of male posturing. Talk about tweaking the tail of the monster—he’d spit in its face. But he couldn’t let the comment about Sara being bland go, she was the exact opposite of that. Exciting him with just a touch, he’d had the privilege of watching her fall apart in his arms also, perfection.
She’d put up with Sheridan’s maligning for more than enough years. She had him now to protect her and Jessica, to provide a buffer against her prick of an ex. “I know you wanted to handle this on your own, but I couldn’t stand back and let him tear you apart like that. I wanted him believing we’ve collaborated. That way he’ll be so busy formulating his revenge he won’t clue into the fact it’s a trap.”
“Well, I think you achieved your goal, he was spitting mad when you hung up. I don’t think we’ll have many days to pull this off. God, if he hurts Fiona…” She looked up at him, her face almost gaunt with worry.
Nick set his hand to her soft cheek and rubbed away tears, hating to see her upset like this. “He won’t, she’s his bargaining chip, and he wants what we have too much to screw with that. I don’t foresee any problems until after the exchange, which is when we’ll have to be prepared. He’s livid and he’s under pressure, both from me and the Cartel, his brain must be short-circuiting right about now.” Nick grinned, he loved it when a plan came together.
Sara came back into his arms, her own wrapping him tightly around the waist as her head burrowed into his chest. Nick laid his cheek along her soft hair. Closing his eyes he absorbed the warmth of her skin as he inhaled her delicate rose scent. The heat of the sun was a benediction to their gently swaying bodies and as he relaxed into the moment, Nick knew he wanted her more than he’d ever wanted anything in his life.
Adam would have loved this. He always said Nick would go down hard, long before he ever did. In fact, they’d had a running bet going. He would have been happy to pay the bastard, too, if he hadn’t gone and gotten himself killed. Now Nick’s memory had returned, and he knew how, if not quite why, his best friend had died, he was more determined than ever to see Sheridan behind bars.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Tom stared at the now silent cell phone in his hand, stifling the urge to launch the fucking thing through the nearest window. How dare they try to dictate to him, didn’t they know better by now? Had he not shown them repeatedly who was running this show? Did they think this was some stupid game they were all playing? That if they out-maneuvered him they would shake hands and go their separate ways?
He was very disappointed with Nick, he’d thought him to be a man of his word, obviously not. All it had taken was the offer of more money and the lure of a siren and he’d flipped sides, the traitor.
Then there was Sara. She continually surprised him with her ingenuity. He’d always admired her beauty and charm, knew she was special. Since her enterprising foray into his office and subsequent escape, he was reminded of what had drawn him to her in the beginning, her intelligence as much as her beauty. It had taken a lot of grit to steal from him, he admired that. However, the fact remained that she knew too much and now apparently had shared that knowledge with her boyfriend. The thought of her in bed with another man had the predictable effect of making him see red, jealousy twisting his gut into tight knots. Even though he hadn’t wanted her sexually in a long time, she was still his, God-dammit.
He didn’t have time for this shit. Guerra was due to call any day now for delivery and he had his benefactor breathing down his neck to tie things up. There were rumblings in Washington that neither one of them could afford to ignore.
Tom remembered all those years before when the syndicate first approached him. When he became aware of how powerful they were and how many doors they could open for him, he’d had no problem following their dictates. Mother dearest was already in bed with the man in charge—literally—and on her demise they made clear to him how deeply indebted the Sheridan family was.
The leader, ‘Phoenix’, who Tom hadn’t met, placed him in Iraq and set up his first contacts, carefully monitoring the details of the transactions. After a couple such episodes, he was granted more authority and took full advantage, dispensing with O’Connor when he got in the way, even though they w
arned him to step back. He rubbed the empty space where his pinky finger used to be, a reminder of the cost of disobedience.
Arriving back in the U.S. he took up his position at a leading law practice, and presumed he was out, of no more use to them. He was wrong.
Moving up through the firm, he won himself an appointment to the U.S. Attorney’s office. Then, not long after, a key case went to trial involving the son of one of the leaders from the Sinaloa Cartel, a high-ranking lieutenant. Seeing it as an opportunity, and thanks to his ingenuity, Ramos Guerra escaped prosecution. And so their partnership began. Or so he thought. Instead, later he found he’d been nothing more than a marionette, guided along on invisible strings held by the Syndicate. Giving in to the inevitable Tom began to see the benefits of his alliance. His career soared, his dreams of making it to the White House coming ever closer.
Now everything rode on those files being returned intact. He hated to think what might happen if either the organization or the men he had dealt with learned of its existence. They might not see it the same way he did, as an insurance policy. Tom was under no delusions. He either remained useful to the Cartel and the Union or they would remove him, simple. Before that happened though, he was going to do everything in his power to get the damn thing back, and take care of his pain-in-the-ass wife and her lover boy.
Turning, he watched as the she-witch worked at the ropes binding her to the old wooden chair, her wrists and ankles both red and swollen from the hemp.
“You’re never going to get those loose. I was a boy scout, I think I know my knots.”
Sparing him no more than a glance out of frenzied green eyes, she kept her body twisting back and forth, trying to gain a millimeter of space where there was none.
Interesting. Seems Miss Radcliffe might have an aversion to confined places.
While he’d like nothing better than to delve further into seeing what it would take to break her, time would not allow it. For now. She really was quite lovely. Maybe he would keep her as a new pet after they were through with this. The corners of his lips curled upward. After all, there would be no Sara around to miss her.
Tidal Falls (Wounded Hearts Book 1) Page 18
