Taker - A Single Dad's New Baby Romance (Criminal Passions Book 4)

by Layla Valentine

  “Are you two okay?” he asked. “Did they do anything to you?”

  “We’re fine,” I said. “But they found out about—”

  “Abbie’s going to be a mom, right?” asked Connor, his eyes big.

  Tate met my gaze, then nodded. “That’s right. Which means you’re going to be a big brother.”

  “Really?” His eyes went wide with excitement, and I got the impression he, thankfully, was unaware of the danger he was in.

  “Really,” said Tate, smoothing Connor’s hair. “We can talk about it all later, if that’s all right? Right now, me and Abbie need to have a conversation.”

  “Okay. Can I watch TV?”

  “Sure thing, buddy.”

  Together, the three of us headed downstairs. Connor plopped down on the couch in the living room and turned on the TV. Tate and I went into the lounge, sitting where we could keep an eye on Connor.

  “Are you okay?” I asked, keeping my voice low to make sure Connor wouldn’t overhear us. “Why did they just leave? What’s going on?”

  Tate regarded me with a serious expression. “Marshall…he’s in the FBI now.”

  “I’m going to guess that’s bad, right?”

  “It’s bad. It means he’s got more power than before. It’s how he was able to track us down.”

  Fear coursed through me. “And that means…he can track us anywhere.”

  Tate nodded. “It’s why he was fine with leaving us here. He knows we won’t be able to go far without him finding out about it.”

  “Oh…oh my God.”

  “But,” Tate went on, “he said he was going to let us go.”

  “Wait, what?”

  “Under the condition that I do one last job for him.”

  I didn’t like the sound of that one bit.

  “What’s the job?” I asked.

  “There’s another gang leader in Denver he wants wiped out.”

  “As in, assassinated?”

  Tate nodded, his expression grim. “He said if I go back to Denver and kill the guy, then he’ll let the two of us go.”

  “And… are you going to do it?”

  “Hell no. It’s a trap. This guy, Severin, he’s not an easy target. It’s basically a suicide mission. And Marshall must figure that if he sends me on it, I either take Severin out and get killed, or simply get killed. Either way, he gets what he wants. And he can just try again with one of his other men.”

  “Then you can’t go,” I said. “We have to think of something else.”

  “I have been thinking about it. And I think I have a plan.”

  “What’s that?”

  “I’m going to meet with Severin, let him know that Marshall’s gunning for him. With any luck, that news will be the thing that makes war break out between Marshall’s gang and his. And that should give us the chance we need to make an escape. If we can leave through the confusion, he won’t be able to track us.”

  The plan sounded solid. Almost.

  “But Tate, that’s only a temporary solution. He’s going to find us eventually, right? You know there’s only one way out of it.”

  The hard expression on his face suggested he knew.

  Tate nodded. “Get rid of Marshall.”

  “And I don’t mean kill him, of course. We need to let the FBI know that there’s a criminal working for them. We need to get him behind bars for good, where he can’t hurt us or anyone else.”

  Tate shifted in his seat before taking a slow breath through his nostrils. “That would mean I’d go down with him. If I admit to this, they’ll be able to pin crimes I did for Marshall on me. I’d be going away for a long time.”

  The idea of Tate being gone sent a chill up my spine.

  “I have to try this first,” he said. “I can meet with Severin, let him know what’s going on, and hope it’s enough to make Marshall back off. It’s the only way I can get through this without ending up dead or in jail.”

  I didn’t like it one bit, but he was right—there was no other way.

  “I’ve got his contact information,” said Tate. “I’ll call him now.”

  “Do it,” I said, tears in my eyes.

  Tate rose, stepping over to me and kissing me softly. “We’ll get through this,” he said. “Just like I promised.”

  I nodded, quickly wiping away the tears.

  With that, he left the room. I composed myself as quickly as possible, wanting to be strong for Connor, to not let him feel as though there was anything to worry about.

  “What did you and Dad talk about?” Connor asked, his eyes on the cartoons playing on the TV.

  “Um, grown-up stuff.”

  “Oh. Okay.”

  My answer seemed to have done the trick, Connor not following up.

  Connor and I sat together, enjoying one another’s company as I tried to put out of my mind what had happened less than an hour ago. Luckily, Connor seemed unaware of the severity of what was going on.

  More time passed, and soon Tate returned to the living room. He flicked off the TV and sat down across from us.

  “What’s going on?” I asked.

  “It’s done,” he said. “Meeting with him tomorrow morning, which means I need to leave tonight.”

  His words sent a spike of cold fear into my stomach.

  Connor’s eyes were wide. “When are you coming back, Dad?”

  “Soon. As soon as I can. And I mean that.”

  “But what about dinner?” asked Connor.

  Tate turned his eyes to me.

  “What do you say?” I asked. “One last dinner before you head out?”

  I hated saying the words, knowing they implied there was a chance he might not ever come back. I didn’t want to even consider it.

  “I think I can swing that,” he said. “I’ll head out once you’re in bed, okay?”

  “Okay,” said Connor. “Abbie and I can make you something.”

  Tate offered a small smile. “Sounds good.”

  “Come on, bud,” I said. “Let’s get started.”

  Connor didn’t need any convincing. Together, we went into the kitchen and got to it, making some steak and mashed potatoes and a few other sides.

  “You’ve really come a long way, dude,” I said, Connor at my side stirring the mashed potatoes. “I think you might really have a knack for this.”

  “It’s fun,” he said. “I like making stuff for other people.”

  A smile spread across my face. “You’re a good little guy, you know that? Really happy I got to know you.”

  He turned to me and smiled. “You too, Abbie. I’m happy you’re the mom to my new brother.”

  “Or sister,” I added.

  “I hope it’s a boy,” he said. “Girls are gross. I mean, except for you.”

  I laughed and mussed his hair before turning back to the food.

  Tate had been in the other room, but at one point I heard him behind us. I glanced over my shoulder to see him standing there, a smile on his face as he watched me and Connor together.

  When the food was done, Connor set the table and it was time to eat. Dinner was wonderful. Despite everything that was happening, we were together like a family.

  It was a taste of things to come. I didn’t want to consider, not even for a second, that we wouldn’t get through this, despite the odds.

  After dinner, we watched a little TV with Connor before putting him to bed. I stood at the door, watching Tate tuck him in.

  “I love you like crazy,” he said. “You know that, right?”

  “I know, Dad. And I love you too.”

  “No matter what happens, okay?”

  “Okay.”

  He leaned down and gave Connor a kiss on the forehead. As he shut the door, I considered how there was a chance that might be the last time he’d ever see his son.

  He met my gaze. “I need to leave soon.”

  “How much time do you have?” I asked, stepping up close to him and putting my hands on his chest.

/>   He gazed down at me with those steely blue eyes, and he knew exactly what I meant.

  We kissed long and deep, making our way back to the bedroom and shutting the door behind us. As soon as it was closed, we made our way to the bed, only stopping the kiss for long enough to get one another out of our clothes.

  “You’re so beautiful,” he said once I was down to nothing. “So beautiful it hurts.”

  “And you’re not so bad yourself,” I said with a smile.

  We kissed again, Tate guiding me down to the bed and positioning himself on top of me. Unwilling to wait a moment longer, I took hold of him, guiding him towards me.

  And as he locked eyes with mine as he moved inside me, I knew there was no other man I could love other than him.

  He finished inside of me, both of our orgasms arriving at the same time. When we were done, he pulled me close to him.

  “I love you so damn much,” he said.

  “With all my heart,” I said.

  We kissed.

  “But I need to leave. Soon.”

  “I know. But for a little while, let’s pretend that you never do.”

  He smiled.

  And for a short time, the rest of the world waited.

  Chapter 19

  Tate

  “It’s time.”

  Abbie opened her eyes, and I could tell she was on the verge of drifting off to sleep. And there wasn’t a thing I wanted more than to fall asleep at her side.

  But I couldn’t. It was up to me to make sure my family was safe.

  She sighed, rolling over onto her side. “Now?”

  “Yeah. Now. And…there are some things I want to talk to you about before I go.”

  “I’ll watch Connor,” she said. “If anything happens to you—”

  I didn’t want to hear the end of that sentence.

  “Let’s not say it out loud,” I said. “But if I’m not back in two days, I want you to leave. Take him with you. There’s money in the closet, under the floorboards—the last of what I’d saved working for Marshall. It’s not much, but it should be enough to get you and him started somewhere else.”

  She nodded, eyes glistening.

  “But I’ll be back,” I assured her. “It’s not the worst jam I’ve gotten myself out of.” I followed this up with a grin.

  “You know,” she said, “I’m really starting to love that smirk of yours. As much as I want to smack it off your face sometimes.”

  “You’ll get the chance when I come back.”

  I gave her one more long, deep kiss.

  “I love you,” I said. “And I’ll see you soon.”

  “I love you too. And you’d better.”

  I checked my phone and saw that it was time. With one more lingering kiss, I left. I checked on Connor once more, swearing a silent vow that I’d see him again.

  And that was it. Nothing more to be done. I took the keys and headed out to my truck, and minutes later I was on the road to Denver.

  I spent the hours thinking about Abbie, about Connor, about the new life that lay before us. I wanted to take her and Connor far from here, far from Denver, to put as much distance between us and my old life as possible.

  Or maybe we’d be able to stay? If Marshall were to be taken care of, then there’d be no reason why we couldn’t stay in the city, start the lives we’d talked about.

  But first, I had a job to do.

  The hours ticked by, the sun slowly coming up over the eastern horizon. Then the mountains emerged, the flat land falling away.

  I was so damn tired, but the meeting wouldn’t wait. I’d gotten lucky as hell being able to get a sit-down with Severin, and I’d have to convince him that I was telling the truth, that I was on his side against Marshall.

  By morning I’d reached the Denver city limits. Severin’s restaurant was downtown, one of the many businesses he owned in the city and used as fronts for his money laundering. It was a little before nine when I finally pulled in front of it.

  Nothing to do but do it. I killed the engine and got up, stepping up to the front door and giving it a knock.

  “Who is it?” came the gruff voice on the other side.

  “Tate Dale. Here to see Severin.”

  There was silence, followed by the door unlocking and opening enough for me to enter.

  The interior of the restaurant was dark, and my eyes had to adjust to the low light. It was a reasonably upscale place with white linen tablecloths and wine glasses upturned next to place settings. A U-shaped bar was in the center of the space.

  The man who’d opened the door, a tall, solidly built bodyguard in a dark suit, gestured toward one of the tables.

  “Have a seat. He’ll be out in a minute.”

  I did as he asked, sitting down at a table in the middle of the dining room floor and trying to ignore the fatigue taking hold of me. My eyelids felt heavy, my body crying out for sleep. But rest would have to wait.

  Finally, the door to the back opened, and a lanky man with a shaved head and narrow face, his suit immaculate, entered. His features were flat as he laid eyes on me.

  It was him. It was Severin, one of the most powerful crime lords in the city.

  He looked me up and down as he sat down across from me.

  “Tate,” he said. “Good to meet you in the flesh. Heard a lot about you and your work.”

  “Likewise. And I hear we’ve got a common enemy.”

  “So,” he said, his body straight, his hands folded on the table in front of him. “You’re turning against the boss.”

  “Stabbing in the back’s not my style, but he’s not leaving me much of a choice.”

  He nodded. “And with his new promotion, he’s more dangerous than ever.”

  “Asshole’s with the FBI,” I said. “He needs to be brought down before he can do any more damage.”

  “Call me old-fashioned, but there’s nothing worse than a crooked cop.”

  He glanced away for a moment before turning his eyes onto me.

  “Speaking of the FBI,” he said. “I’ve got a few men I’d like you to meet.”

  I was confused as all hell, not sure if I’d misheard him through the fatigue.

  “Wait, what?”

  He turned and spoke over his shoulder. “Come in!”

  The doors opened, and two more men entered. They were in dark suits, serious expressions on their faces.

  “Wait,” I said. “What the hell is going on here?”

  “There’s something you don’t know about me,” Severin said. “I’ve got agents of my own. And they’re very, very interested in speaking with you.”

  I rose, but the two men hurried to my side, taking my arms.

  “Tate Dale,” said one of them. “You’re under arrest.”

  The next few moments were a blur. The two men cuffed me, brought me out through the back of the restaurant, and loaded me into the back of a black sedan.

  “What the hell’s going on?” I demanded. But no answers came.

  The agents drove me to another building downtown, an imposing structure of dark glass, the sign out front letting me know it was the FBI’s Denver field office. We parked down below, the agents pulling me out of the car and hurrying me into the building.

  Before I knew it, I was being pushed into a room, the door locked behind me.

  “Someone tell me what’s going on!” I said again, noticing what appeared to be a two-way mirror on one side of the room. I paced back and forth, wondering how long I’d be stuck in there waiting for answers.

  I didn’t have to wait long. The door opened and another agent entered. He was short and stocky with red hair and fair skin.

  “Tate Dale,” he said. “Agent Mike Simms. Have a seat.”

  “What am I under arrest for?” I asked, anger in my voice.

  “I don’t know, how about planning to have an agent of the FBI killed? And that’s not even getting into the rest of your record. Have a seat.”

  My gut was tight. Was this it, I
wondered? Was I finally going to pay the price for my life as a criminal? Maybe Marshall was right that there were no clean escapes.

  Or maybe they were with him.

  “We’re going to have a nice, friendly conversation,” he said. “About what your situation is. And what you can do for us.”

  “How about these cuffs?” I growled.

  “Let me propose the first deal of our conversation—I take those cuffs off, and you agree to talk to me man-to-man, no bullshit.”

  “Fine.”

  “Good. I think we’re off to a positive start here.”

  He rose and stepped behind me, unlocking my cuffs. They fell to the floor in a clatter.

  “All right,” he said, sitting back down. “Let’s begin.”

  He dropped into the seat and regarded me with a heated stare, as if he were looking at an animal whose behavior he couldn’t predict, but to be ready for whatever it did.

  “What’s going on here?” I asked, looking around at the drab room. “Did I walk in at the exact wrong second, when you guys were doing a bust on Severin?”

  Agent Simms shook his head. “You’re a smart guy. I’m sure you can figure it out.”

  There was another option, but one that was too unbelievable to even consider.

  But it was the only one that made sense.

  “Severin…he’s working with you.”

  A small smile curled Agent Simms’ lips. “You got it.”

  “That’s insane,” I said, sitting back. “He’s one of the biggest fish in this city, and you’ve got him in your back pocket?”

  “The thing about being a criminal,” he said, “is that you have to get away with breaking the law every single day. Us feds only have to catch you on one of them.”

  “What happened?”

  “That’s need-to-know shit, but I’ll indulge you. We busted a few low-level guys doing distribution for his gun-running rings. We got them to talk, which gave us guys one level higher, then they talked and we got one level higher still, and…well, the buck has to stop somewhere.”

  “And now you’re busting me. Seems like a waste of manpower when you could be taking down the entire Severin operation.”

  “The Severin gang’s been converted to one massive intelligence operation. Using him and the rest of his men, we’re popping gangs left and right. Been one of the biggest breaks we’ve had in Denver history. But there’s a reason you’re here right now, Tate, and not rotting in a holding cell.”