Jacks Are Wild: An Out of Time Novel (Saving Time, Book 1)

by Martin, Monique

  Elizabeth slapped Simon’s arm. “What’s he supposed to do?”

  “No, he’s right,” Jack said and then cradled his chin. “This face is dangerous.”

  Simon rolled his eyes. “Good Lord.”

  “You’re the one who said I was handsome. I didn’t think you even noticed me.”

  Simon made a sour face. “Your devastating good looks aside, do you really think Santo is the killer?”

  Jack shook his head and a yawn overtook him. “I don’t know. But tomorrow we’ll find out. One way or the other.”

  ~~~

  Santo had kept Jack away from Susan for most of the next day, but she would have to appear at the big anniversary party that night. Once she did, Jack wouldn’t let her out of his sight. That was, however, going to be easier said than done. Santo pulled out all the stops for the big anniversary bash.

  At the far end of the grounds, between the guest quarters, there was a sort of Polynesian bash complete with fire-eaters, jungle drums and bright cocktail umbrellas in oversized drinks. The main pool area was decorated with strings of white lights, and candles floated on lily pads in the water. An endless parade of gorgeous waitresses made sure that no one was ever without a drink.

  The night’s events were laid out on an enormous sign near the entrance to the casino. Everything from birthday cake to fireworks was on the docket. Jack just hoped murder wasn’t.

  The casino was the only area unchanged by the party, except it was even busier than usual. The tables were packed three deep with guests from hotels all along the strip.

  Beautiful greeters stood at the main doors in the lobby giving everyone who entered a flower and a one-dollar chip. No wonder the place was overflowing. They were literally giving away money. Of course, they’d make it back and then some. That dollar bet always turned into a five and then ten. Even when they spotted you, the house always won.

  Jack started to head toward the main ballroom when he saw the last person he expected—Ronnie.

  Ronnie accepted the flower and the chip, tossing the former aside and slipping the latter into his pocket. He looked around nervously and then started toward the ballroom.

  What the hell was he thinking?

  Jack intercepted him before he reached the entrance. He grabbed him by the arm, and Ronnie cried out. Jack quickly let go and grabbed the other one, held on tight and pulled him aside.

  “What are you doing here?”

  Ronnie winced and rubbed his sore arm. “I’m here to see Susan. Not that it’s any of your business.”

  Jack took a menacing step forward. He didn’t have time to play games. “I’m making it my business.”

  Ronnie looked about to protest, but his attempt at having a backbone was short-lived. He tried whining instead. “Everything’s gone wrong. I got shot.”

  “Barely. I read the doctor’s report.” It was literally a scratch.

  Ronnie’s whine fizzled and he tried what seemed like honesty, but with a man like Ronnie it was hard to tell.

  “Look, I’m sorry about everything, about your friend, and what I did to Susan.”

  He looked pleadingly at Jack. “She’s my sister, and Dad’s right. She’s the only person who’s ever given me a fair shake. I need to see her. I need to see in her eyes that she forgives me.”

  “What makes you think she will?”

  “Because if she doesn’t, I don’t have anything.”

  Despite all that he’d done, in that moment, Jack actually felt sorry for him. But that didn’t change the fact that his being there was a Very Bad Idea.

  “Look, maybe she will. But you can’t be here.”

  Jack cut off his protest.

  “If you go in there right now, it’s going to end with you getting thrown out, or worse. That’s not going to win you any points with anyone, especially Susan.”

  Reluctantly, Ronnie saw the wisdom in that and nodded. “I just want to tell her I’m sorry.”

  Jack put his hand on Ronnie’s shoulder. “And you will. Later.” He turned him toward the exit. “I promise.”

  He led Ronnie back toward the front doors.

  “I just want to make things right.”

  Jack wasn’t sure that was possible. Even if it was, it wasn’t going to happen tonight.

  With Ronnie safely out of the picture, he hoped, Jack went back to looking for Susan. He made his way into the main ballroom where Count Basie and his Orchestra were playing on stage. Food and booze were flowing freely. In addition to the bar, there were several large punchbowl stations with bowls a small child could swim in. Each held a different colored punch with flowers and fruit and who knew what else floating in it.

  Everyone seemed to be here from the famous to the infamous—movie stars and mobsters rubbing shoulders. Even Whitmore was here, off brooding to one side. The lease that had been the cause of so much pain was due to expire at midnight tonight. Jack doubted Santo would be happy to see him.

  “How are you doing, sir?” Jack asked.

  Whitmore grunted and took a drink. “Wishing I were anywhere but here.”

  “Have you decided what you’re going to do about the lease?”

  He nodded thoughtfully. “I have.”

  Before Jack could ask him what decision he’d come to, Whitmore’s attention was pulled away. He excused himself and made his way across the room to talk to a man Jack didn’t recognize. The two of them fell into a deep conversation and left the ballroom.

  Great. All Jack needed was another player to keep track of, and the one he needed to stick close to wasn’t even here yet.

  “Quite a party.”

  Jack turned to smile at Jepson. He was surprised to see him alone. He and Baxter were usually a set.

  “Where’s your partner?”

  Jepson nodded toward the side of the hall. “Taking photos. Gang’s all here.”

  Jack followed his gaze. The gang and all the gangs in gangland were certainly here or at least their representatives were. Jack knew Caifano of course, but the others were faces he couldn’t put names to.

  Jepson stepped a little closer and lowered his voice. “That’s Moe Dalitz.”

  Jack knew the name. “He runs the Stardust?”

  “And the Desert Inn. He’s from Cleveland. Mayfield Road Gang. Next to him, that’s Riddle from the Dunes and Jimmy Alo from the Sands. He’s just one of the boys from the Genovese family here. Just about everybody’s got a man here. Miami, New York, Chicago, Detroit. It’s a tangled web. And if we can just pull one string … it all unravels.”

  Jack knew that was mostly wishful thinking, but right now it didn’t matter. He wasn’t here to take down the mob. He was here to make sure that Susan made it through the night.

  “Speaking of,” Jepson continued. “Have you seen her tonight?”

  Jack shook his head. “Not yet.”

  “All right, well, keep an eye out.”

  Jack planned on it.

  Jepson went back to speak to Baxter about something and Jack set off in search of Simon and Elizabeth. He found them standing by the table of all things wrapped in bacon. Elizabeth delicately shoveled something into her mouth as she saw him approach.

  “Anything?” he asked.

  She shook her head.

  “I’m sure she’ll be here soon,” Simon said. “No one throws a party like this and doesn’t come.”

  Jack hoped he was right. If he had to break into the Santos’ suite tonight to get to her, he would. But it sure as heck would be a lot easier if—

  “Speak of the devil.”

  Simon nodded toward the main entrance to the hall. Jack turned and saw Susan, looking as beautiful as always, busy shaking hands and kissing cheeks.

  She spied him and excused herself from the group. Jack met her halfway.

  “You look amazing.”

  She shook her head and looked away before shyly meeting his eyes. “I’m so embarrassed. About the other day …”

  He put a comforting hand on her arm. “You
have nothing to be embarrassed about.”

  She looked at him fondly, but wasn’t going to let herself off the hook so easily. “I do. The things I said. The things I almost did.”

  “We’re friends, right?” He dipped down to catch her eyes.

  She nodded. “I’d like to think so.”

  “Friends help each other. You needed a shoulder to cry on. Next week, it’ll probably be me crying on yours.”

  She laughed a little, but there was a sadness that didn’t leave her eyes.

  “My father told me about Ronnie,” she said. “Is he all right? Tony wouldn’t let his calls through.”

  Even after all he’d done, she was still worried about him.

  She must have sensed his surprise. “I know,” she said. “He did horrible things, but he’s … troubled.”

  “That’s one way to put it.”

  She gave him a chastising look, but it was softened with an understanding smile. How she could be so forgiving toward her brother, he didn’t understand.

  “My father bullies him. I should have stopped him more often than I did. Of all people, I know how it feels,” she admitted with a hint of shame. “Everyone has their breaking point.”

  Jack knew she wasn’t just talking about Ronnie. Was she ready to give Jepson and Baxter what they wanted?

  Before he could ask her if she’d reached hers, Jepson interrupted them.

  “Sorry, but we need you.”

  He nodded toward Baxter and Tony Santo, who stood together not far away chatting and watching them. Baxter gave them a smile and a little wave. Santo did not.

  “Do you mind?” Jepson said. “We want to get a few pictures before they destroy the place.”

  “I’ll be there in a minute,” Susan said.

  Jepson nodded and went back toward the group.

  She waited until he was out of earshot and then looked at Jack and smiled, her first genuine smile of the night. “I just want to thank you. It’s been a long time since I’ve had someone I could talk to like this. You’ll save me a dance?”

  “Wouldn’t miss it.”

  She looked like she had something more to say, but she merely leaned in and kissed his cheek.

  As she pulled away turning to join the others, Tony’s fist joined with Jack’s jaw and sent him sailing back onto the floor.

  Jack lay flat on his back for a moment. The punch was effective, but then most sucker punches were. He sat up and shook his head to clear it. Susan started toward him, but Tony grabbed her arm.

  “Let go of me!”

  “So you can kiss him again?” He yanked her arm as she struggled against him and jerked her back to face him. “You think I don’t know what’s going on? In my own hotel? In my own home?”

  “It’s not what you think, Tony.”

  A crowd had started to gather.

  Jack got up and dusted himself off. “It’s really not what you think.”

  It’s much, much worse.

  “You shut up,” Tony said and turned back to Susan. “You think you can do that? To me? In my house?”

  He squeezed her arms so tightly she cried out again.

  “Mr. Santo,” Jepson said, stepping forward. “I think it’s just a misunderstanding.”

  Susan’s breath was coming hard and fast now. She wrested her arms from his grasp. “This isn’t your house,” she said. “You don’t even own it.”

  Tony was furious, but Jepson’s interruption made him realize the crowd was watching. Caifano and his people were part of that crowd, and they were clearly not happy.

  “You don’t own anything. You don’t own this place.” Her hands were shaking now, but she held her ground. “And you don’t own me.”

  Tony twitched with rage, but he couldn’t let it out, not in front of Caifano. This was bad enough business as it was.

  He lowered his voice and looked to Jack and then back to Susan. “I see you with him again and I’ll kill you both.”

  “Mr. Santo,” Jepson said, stepping next to Tony and taking his arm. “Maybe we should—”

  Tony jerked his arm away. “Get off me.”

  But he walked away, leaving Susan alone.

  Jack walked over to her.

  “Susan.”

  She turned and looked at him and then burst into tears and ran. The bystanders murmured excitedly and watched her weave her way through the crowd.

  Jack wanted to follow, needed to, but he couldn’t without drawing more attention to them both. Elizabeth appeared next to him. “Let me.”

  Jack nodded, grateful, and Elizabeth hurried after Susan.

  ~~~

  In the time-honored tradition of upset women everywhere, Elizabeth found Susan in the ladies’ room. She was leaning over the counter, crying.

  Elizabeth asked the few women inside if they’d give them some privacy. After a few curious stares, they obliged.

  “Susan?”

  Elizabeth put her hand on her back.

  Susan sniffled and looked at her, tears streaming down her face. “I’ve made such a mess of things.”

  Elizabeth handed her some tissues.

  Susan wiped away the mascara pooling under her eyes. “I thought I could do it.”

  “Do what?”

  “Stand up to him.”

  “You can,” Elizabeth assured her. “From what I heard you did a pretty good job of it, too.”

  Susan’s lip trembled and she cried fresh tears. “I thought I could, but I can’t do it alone.”

  Elizabeth put an arm around her shoulders. “I have some good news for you.”

  She urged Susan to look at her. “You don’t have to.”

  There was a moment’s hesitation and then some hope seemed to spark in Susan’s expression.

  “Really,” Elizabeth said.

  Susan sniffled and wiped away her tears. “I had this image of how it was all going to go. That wasn’t it.”

  She laughed a little and started to regain herself. “I really have made a mess of it though. Tony’ll never let me leave tonight.”

  “Were you going to?”

  Susan stood up a little straighter and nodded.

  “Maybe we can sneak you out?” Elizabeth suggested. “Do you think there’s a way?”

  Elizabeth saw the moment hope sparked in Susan’s eyes. “I do.”

  ~~~

  Jack kept his distance from Tony and waited with Simon for Elizabeth to return.

  “If she gets herself kidnapped again, I’m going wring her neck,” Simon muttered.

  “I heard that.”

  They turned around to find Elizabeth, who urged them to join her outside the ballroom.

  “Is she okay?”

  Elizabeth nodded and relayed her conversation with Susan. She dug into her purse and pulled out a key. “To her suite.”

  Jack took it, looking confused.

  “She said Tony’s having her watched,” Elizabeth explained. “That he’ll have a man on all the exits.”

  “And going to her suite will help …?”

  “Sounds like a trap.”

  Simon said just what was on his mind.

  Elizabeth waved it away. “You men are so suspicious. She said there’s a way out, but only from in there. She’s trusting you; you need to trust her.”

  Jack nodded and put the key into his pocket. “If we can get her out, I’m going to need help keeping her safe.”

  “What about your G-Men?”

  Jack agreed they were their best bet. He didn’t know if Susan was going to give them exactly what they wanted, but they had the most resources. If he could convince them, they might help her start a new life somewhere.

  Jack went back into the ballroom, careful to stay away from Santo. Luckily, Santo was busy with Jepson and the mayor. He found Baxter in a corner refreshing his supply of flash bulbs.

  Baxter looked up at him in surprise. “You’re brave.”

  “Susan needs your help.”

  Baxter closed his kit. “After all that, I�
�m not surprised.”

  “She’s ready,” Jack said. “She wants out. She’s waiting for me in her suite.”

  Baxter grinned. “Perfect. All right. Here’s what we’re gonna do. I’ll get Jepson. You and Susan wait for us at her place.”

  “What about Tony?” Jack asked.

  Baxter glanced over at Santo. “Don’t worry about him. We’ll be long gone before he even thinks to look.”

  Jack nodded. “Thank you.”

  Baxter smiled again and held out his hand. “No, thank you.”

  Jack left the ballroom and brought the Crosses up to speed. “The longer you can keep Tony here, the better. The last thing we need is for him to realize Susan’s missing.”

  ~~~

  The Crosses provided a quick diversion, just long enough for Jack to slip into the Santos’ suite unseen.

  There was only one light on in the living room, and the place was quiet and still. He reached down and pulled out the gun he kept in his ankle holster. Slowly, he stepped further inside.

  “Susan?”

  “In here,” she called from the living room.

  Jack let out a breath and made his way through the dark. Susan stood behind the sofa with a cigarette. She smiled at him nervously and took a drag with a shaky hand.

  “You okay?” he asked as he slipped his gun into his jacket pocket.

  She nodded, but she clearly wasn’t. He walked over to her and ran his hands down her arms. “It’s going to be all right.”

  She nodded quickly and swallowed.

  Jack squeezed her arms and looked around the apartment. “Why did you want to meet here?”

  “Because that was the plan,” Baxter said.

  Jack spun around, gun in hand. He hadn’t even heard him come in.

  Baxter held up his hands. “Whoa, quick on the draw. Sorry. Didn’t mean to startle you.”

  Jack rolled his shoulders and put his gun back in his pocket. He’d nearly shot him. He pushed out a breath. “Okay, so why here?”

  “Santo’s got men on all the exits.” Baxter glanced around. “This is the only way out.”

  Jack shook his head. As far as he could tell, they were trapped. “I don’t get it.”