by Minx Malone
He cursed suddenly and then swiped the stack of books to the floor before picking up the lamp and looking under the base. When he looked back at her there wasn’t a trace of anger on his face. If she hadn’t just witnessed his little outburst she wouldn’t have known anything was wrong.
What the hell is he looking for?
“Do you know how easy it is to fake your death? When people find a mangled up car with a body in it, they tend to assume it’s you.”
“Don’t they check fingerprints or dental records? Something.”
He just laughed. “Someone’s been watching C.S.I. reruns again. Sure they look for that stuff but since the body I left in the car belongs to the real David Finemore, I’m sure the coroner found nothing amiss.”
He smirked at her before running his hands over the comforter.
“Even if there had been something to find, the body would have likely been too burned to give them much to work with. Fire covers a multitude of sins.”
Ridley shook her head in disgust. “Good to know. I’ll remember that if I ever decide to become a criminal.”
“Haven’t you heard? You already are. Tsk tsk, tsk, now why would you steal fifty grand from your new boyfriend?”
Oh god, what if he’d done something to Jackson?
It took everything within her not to ask. So far, he hadn’t done anything overtly violent. He’d just stolen money and stalked her until she thought she was going crazy. The last thing she wanted to do was bring Jackson to his attention.
“It was you.” Ridley swallowed the tears in her throat.
“Yes, it was me.” He laughed, a cold hard sound. “I had to do something to get you away from him. I’m not sure why you’re so shocked. No matter how much evidence you have to the contrary, you always want to believe the best of people.”
His eyes met hers and she shrank back against the wall. How could she have ever been attracted to him? Had his eyes always been so cold? Maybe it was the hair. He looked so different with dark hair. Forbidding.
“I like that about you, Ridley. You almost make me want to be a better man.” He winked at her before kneeling to look under the bed.
Ridley glanced at the window as soon as his head was out of sight. It was early morning and there was no one to hear her if she screamed. She didn’t dare try to run. He’d only catch her and then he’d be even more pissed off. Her best bet was to keep him talking as long as possible.
As long as he was talking, she was still alive.
“Okay, you win. You got the money. Everyone thinks you’re dead. I don’t understand why you’re here. Shouldn’t you stay hidden?”
He sat on the edge of the bed casually, as if they were just hanging out. “That was the plan. Little setback though. I need my necklace. It wasn’t in your apartment in Florida or your car or anywhere in this fucking house! So, where is it?”
“I don’t know.”
David hissed in a breath. “I’ve been really nice so far, Ridley, my dear but I’m losing patience.”
She couldn’t understand why he’d come all this way for a piece of jewelry but then again all her jewelry was fake. The jewels on the necklace he’d given her were probably real.
“Why would you even care about that now? With all the money you stole, you can just buy another one.” Ridley edged toward the side of the bed, frantically trying to think of a plan. As soon as he realized she didn’t have the necklace anymore, then she had nothing to bargain with.
And he no longer had any reason to keep her alive.
“It doesn’t matter why I need it. I gave it to you because I figured it would be easy to come back and relieve you of it later.”
David sighed and then stood. He raised his arm and pointed his gun directly at her chest.
“But you had to make this difficult.”
* * * * *
“DROP THE GUN, Moreno.”
When they turned the corner into the master bedroom, Jackson knelt down so he could see around his brother. His heart almost stopped. Eli had convinced him that it was better if he went in with his guys first. They were licensed bodyguards and if someone had to take a shot, it was better if it was one of his team instead of a civilian.
He’d agreed mainly because he’d still been hoping his brother’s theory was wrong. But clearly they’d figured it out too late. Moreno held Ridley in a chokehold, his gun pointed at her temple.
“Not a chance. Not until I get what I want.”
Jackson nodded to Nick. Now that they were sure Moreno was here, they could alert Eli’s contact at the FBI. Nick raised his chin and pulled out his phone and walked back down the stairs.
“What is it that you want?” Jackson spoke up. “I’ll give you whatever you want if you let her go.”
“Who is that? Show yourself!” Moreno screamed.
Jackson stepped to the side so he was visible. He held his hands up in the air, showing that he wasn’t armed. “I’m right here.”
“Jackson, what are you doing?” Eli muttered.
“I’m just trying to deal.” Jackson said loud enough for everyone to hear. “If you want money, I can do that. You need a car to get away from here, you can have mine. Nobody needs to get hurt.”
“I don’t need any of that. All I need is the necklace.”
“Oh, you mean this?” Jackson pulled the necklace from his pocket and held it up to the light. The crystals on the front caught the light as it spun on its chain. “You can definitely have this if you let her go.”
“What about them? You expect me to believe that you’ll just hand it over and let me walk out of here. I’m not an idiot.”
Jackson looked at Eli. Eli turned to the other men and motioned for them to hang back. They fanned out to the edges of the left side of the room, leaving the center open.
“Tell them to drop their weapons.”
After a momentary hesitation, Eli nodded. The three men bent down and placed their weapons on the ground.
“We’re not going to stop you from leaving. Just let Ridley go. You walk away and so does she. Everyone’s happy.” Jackson said.
Moreno walked forward, Ridley stumbling to keep up. He maneuvered them until they were close to the door. “You all think you’re so smart. Let me guess, you’ve got more guys downstairs waiting to bust me when I leave.”
“There’s no one downstairs,” Eli said.
Moreno shook his head. “It doesn’t matter. There’s only one way I’m getting out of this alive and that’s if she comes with me. So, this is what we’re going to do. Ridley, you go get the necklace. Keep it high in the air where I can see it. You try to run, you die. You say anything to lover boy over there, you die. Got it?”
She nodded and bit her lip. He let her go slowly and she walked toward Jackson. He gave her the necklace and as instructed, she held it over her head as she walked back.
Eli kept his weapon pointed at Moreno. His brow furrowed as he watched Ridley take each slow step. His brother looked frustrated and Jackson didn’t need security training to know why. If Moreno got her out of this room, the chances of him seeing Ridley alive again were slim. The police were on their way and once Moreno realized he was surrounded it was unlikely he’d just surrender.
It was much more likely that he’d panic and start shooting.
“It was an honor meeting you, Ridley.” Eli said. “I really enjoyed getting to know you on Sunday. I’ve never had such a connection with a woman. I feel like I really taught you a lot.”
Jackson looked at his brother in confusion. What the hell was Eli doing? Was he saying goodbye? Was he giving up?
“Me too!” Jackson turned at Ridley’s voice. She was staring at Eli. “I remember everything you told me.”
He nodded at her.
“Sorry to interrupt your touching reunion but we have to go.” Moreno prodded Ridley in the head with the gun and she flinched. “Now!”
“Okay. I just wanted to say goodbye,” Ridley stammered.
“Well, sa
y it and then move!”
Ridley’s eyes met Jackson’s. For a moment, it could have been just the two of them in the room. There were so many things he wanted to say.
It’s going to be okay.
I’m sorry I didn’t believe in you.
I love you.
But he couldn’t say anything. All he could do was watch helplessly as she inched backward until Moreno put his arm around her neck again. As he tugged her backward toward the door, she looked at him and said, “Goodbye.”
Then she dropped to the ground.
* * * * *
FOR THE FIRST harrowing moment after the shot rang out, Jackson wasn’t sure what had happened. One moment he was looking at Ridley and the next, she was on the ground. Time seemed to compress before Moreno’s eyes widened. He looked down at his chest, then back up at Eli. A red bloom appeared on the front of his shirt. Then time sped up as Elliott rushed toward them. Just before he got there, Moreno raised his arm.
Another loud sound rent the air.
“Oh, shit!” Elliott tackled him, sending his gun skittering across the floor. The team of guards who’d been waiting behind them surged forward. Jackson could only see one thing.
Ridley was still on the floor. Unmoving.
He raced forward and cradled her in his arms. “Ridley? Baby, wake up. It’s over.” The skin on her neck was red and inflamed but otherwise she looked okay. He held her tighter, overcome with emotion. Her eyes were closed and she looked almost as if she were asleep.
“Jackson? You have to give her to me.”
Jackson looked up wildly at his brother. The room was suddenly filled with people. People he didn’t know. A few men stood behind his brother. They had a gurney with them. Paramedics, he thought dimly. He startled as someone tried to pull Ridley from his arms. He looked up into Elliot’s concerned face. His brother. His brother was trying to take her away.
“No, she’s mine. Don’t take her away from me.”
Elliott grasped his face between his hands. “Jackson, she’s been shot. You have to give her to me. Now.” His brother’s voice was calm but firm.
Jackson gripped her tighter, noticing for the first time the sticky wetness on her side. “She was shot? Oh god…”
“It’s okay. Just let me help her.”
He watched numbly as Elliott lay her back on the floor and pulled him out of the way. Emergency personnel immediately started working on her. The next thing he knew, she was on a stretcher and being rolled out.
“Where are they taking her?”
Elliott grasped his shoulders. “New Haven General. Go ahead and follow her. I’ll give a statement to the police.”
“I’ll drive him.” Nick appeared at his left side.
“I didn’t keep her safe. She was scared and I didn’t keep her safe.” All he could see was her face as she’d said goodbye. She’d been terrified but she’d still been smart enough to do what was necessary. His brave, beautiful girl had been strong enough to do what he hadn’t.
“Jackson. Listen to me. “ Elliott grabbed his face so hard it hurt. “We figured it out in time and Ridley was very smart to do what she did. She gave me a shot and I took it. Moreno is in custody. She’s going to be fine. She has to be.”
“Did you see where she was hit?” Jackson demanded.
Eli looked pained. “It looked like she got hit in the side. I’m hoping it was her arm.”
“Hoping won’t keep her alive.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
THERE WERE MOMENTS when life seemed to repeat itself, like a movie stuck on instant replay. Jackson sat in an uncomfortably rigid chair in the waiting room of New Haven General Hospital feeling like he’d time traveled back three years. The same bland, blue color scheme. The same worn, plush chairs. The same bad artwork.
It didn’t look any different than when he’d been here after Cynthia’s accident. He just had to hope the news he would receive would be better than last time.
“You’re still here. I told you I wasn’t going to let you see my sister.”
Raina stood in front of him, arms crossed. Her security officer stood behind her. She’d introduced him last night but Jackson didn’t remember his name. All he remembered was Raina telling him that Mr. Muscle’s only task was to keep him and Nick away from her sister.
“And I told you I wasn’t leaving until I do.”
He sucked in a deep breath and clasped his head between his hands. Nick had been on the phone practically all night. He’d called every number he had for Raina until he found her. Then he’d stayed on the line listening as she cursed him every way possible until she’d arrived at the airport for her flight.
“She wouldn’t be in here if it wasn’t for you.”
She had all the power in this circumstance and he knew it. She was Ridley’s next of kin and could deny him access to her until Ridley woke up. But damned if he was going home without a fight. Eventually Ridley would be ready to leave the hospital. He was prepared to sit there for days if that was how long it took.
“We agree on that.”
He hung his head again, shame twisting his stomach into knots. He’d thrown her out with little more than a lame apology and some cash. He could have let her stay until her sister came back. He could have done any number of things other than send her out on her own. Moreno hadn’t even had to work for it. Jackson had practically gift wrapped his prey and handed it to him.
“At least Moreno isn’t your father.” At her surprised look, he added, “Eli figured it all out. That’s how we knew she was in trouble.”
“Too late, though. You figured it out too late, or my sister wouldn’t be lying in a hospital bed fighting for her life.”
“I know.” There was nothing else for him to add.
“Moreno isn’t our father,” she said finally. “According to the FBI, there was never any lead in the first place. He was just playing on her hopes and dreams so she’d keep the flash drive for him. Ridley’s always been a soft touch.”
A family came in and sat in the chairs next to Jackson. He got up and moved so they could use his chair. The mother nodded at him gratefully before plopping her oversized diaper bag in the seat he’d vacated.
“I’m glad he’s not. She deserves better than that.”
Raina crossed her arms and stared at him. He held her eye, not to challenge her but because he knew he deserved her scorn. When she’d arrived, perfectly made up with her hair arranged in a stylish updo, she’d looked like the Raina he remembered. Now, hours later, she’d shed the top layer of her outfit and taken her hair down. Her makeup had worn off so she looked softer. More like Ridley.
It was painful just to look at her.
“She’s going to be fine,” Raina said finally. “She’s out of surgery. The bullet missed her lungs so she’ll be okay.”
Jackson let out the breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. He wanted to thank her for letting him know but the words wouldn’t come, so he just nodded. She seemed to understand though because for a second, her expression softened just a little bit.
She motioned for him to follow her. “I’m only letting you see her because I’m sure the nurses are tired of seeing you.”
He followed as she strode down the hall and turned left at the nurses’ station. Her security officer trailed him. Jackson looked back at the other man. He raised an eyebrow at him so Jackson turned around and jogged to catch up with Raina. She stopped outside the second to last room in the hall and pointed at him, her finger almost jabbing him in the chest.
“You said you just wanted to see her, so go see her and then get out of here. The nurse gave her a sedative and she’s sleeping, which is the only reason I’m agreeing to this. I don’t want her to see you and get upset all over again. You’ve done enough damage as it is.”
“I understand.” Now that he was here, his heart was beating wildly at the thought of seeing her again. He ducked into the room. It was dimly lit, the only sound the soft beep of the machines next
to the bed. As he approached, his breath caught at the sight of Ridley motionless against the stark white sheets.
Jackson took in her calm features, trying desperately to memorize her face. He looked up at the machine connected to her IV and let the comforting sound of the rhythmic beeping wash over him. It hurt to think of her being sustained on machines but at least she was here. She was alive.
He stroked her cheek gently. “I told you before that I loved you. I’m so sorry I didn’t love you enough to believe you when you needed me to.”
I would have given you anything, he’d said. He was such a fool. All he’d been able to see was the money. He’d been so worried about being taken advantage of that he hadn’t been able to give her the one thing she’d needed. His trust. Something that didn’t cost anything other than faith.
“Two minutes,” Raina hissed from the doorway.
If Raina was expecting a fight from him, she wasn’t getting one. He fully agreed with everything she’d said. It was his fault that Ridley had been in harm’s way in the first place. His fault. He just kept failing the women he loved. Ridley deserved better than that. Better than him.
He leaned down and pressed his lips to Ridley’s forehead.
“Goodbye.”
* * * * *
“WHEN CAN I get out of here?” Three days later, Ridley was beyond ready to leave the hospital. Unfortunately, until her doctor decided she was strong enough to go home, she was stuck.
Stuck in a stupid hospital bed watching stupid TV while her sister held her stupid phone hostage.
“The doctor should be around soon. He usually checks on you right before lunch.” Raina folded the blanket she’d been using in half.
“Aren’t you ready to get out of here? That chair can’t be comfortable.”
The nurses had offered to bring her a cot but the chair in the room was big enough that Raina had been able to prop a pillow against the back and sleep there. Still, she was going to end up in traction if she slept all cramped up for much longer.
“I’m fine. I’m just worried about you.”
