“Yeah?” Mary wrapped her arms around his neck, and then she pressed a tentative kiss on the corner of his mouth.
Although he wanted more, Chase didn’t push Mary. She’d been through enough tonight.
“It’s a nice fantasy.”
“Yes, but it’ll never happen.”
They were both trapped.
***
They stayed up all night talking.
Mary didn’t want to be alone, and she got the distinct impression neither did Chase. Talking to Chase kept her from sinking into a depression or freaking out. After she grew more comfortable, she climbed off his lap and lay beside him instead. When they got hungry, he made them an omelet, which they shared.
After a while, the horror of Harry’s attempted assault receded, but Mary knew it wasn’t over. It would always be there, lurking in the back of her mind, along with the new batch of terrible revelations.
“You got awful quiet. What are you thinking about?” Chase asked.
“I’m trying to piece some stuff together.”
“Like what?” Chase lay on his side, propped on one elbow.
“I’m figuring out who my grandfather really is. Evidently, I haven’t gotten the whole story.” She mirrored his pose. “I’m not even sure I’ve met him.”
“Don’t doubt yourself, Mary.”
“Why shouldn’t I? He’s been lying to me forever.”
“You moved in with him, after your parents died, right?”
“Yes, he took me in and raised me as his own. Since my grandmother died a few years back, it’s been just the two of us.” Mary felt like her existence was defined by loss. One by one people had been stripped away from her.
“What happened to your parents?”
“It was a car accident. I don’t remember much about it because I was only a toddler at the time.” Her grandparents had kept the gritty details from her. “When I was in middle school, I wanted to know more, and I found a couple of newspaper articles about it, but they were frustratingly vague, and whenever I asked granddad about it, he changed the subject.”
“Maybe it was too painful for him to talk about. After all, he lost a son.”
“Well, given out what I know about him now, I doubt he’s capable of tender feelings.”
Chase cupped her cheek. “Don’t.”
“Don’t do what? It’s true. He’s a monster, Chase. He raped and murdered a woman and killed your sister, too.” What if he’d raped Faith too? God, I can’t even deal with the thought, let alone the reality.
Chase sighed. “Yes, he’s done terrible things, but he cares for you.”
She shook her head. “I don’t know anymore.”
“Tell me about the accident.”
Mary knew he was trying to distract her, keep her from dwelling on the awful truth, but she went along with it, for now.
“All I know is, their car swerved out of control and went off a bridge.”
“And they couldn’t get out?”
“No, they both, um, drowned.” She cleared her throat. Mary tried not to think about how horrific their deaths must’ve been. She hoped they’d been knocked unconscious by the time the water poured in. “I guess it happened in the middle of nowhere on a deserted highway. No one discovered the wreck until the next day.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“Me too. It’s a terrible way to die and it hurts to think of someone you love suffering like that.” She squeezed his hand and tears burned in Chase’s eyes, before he blinked them away. He, too, had to deal with a family member’s horrific death.
“Yes, it does.” His voice was hoarse.
Given what Mary knew about Tucker’s mob activities, she wondered if her father, Taylor Cobb, was a mobster as well. And if he was, his death might not have been an accident. What if a rival group had taken him out? From what she understood, her granddad had no shortage of enemies.
“It’s a miracle you weren’t with them.”
“I know, they’d left me with a babysitter while they went out for a date night.”
Mary wasn’t sure if she was lucky or cursed to have been left behind. The pain of losing her parents had been excruciating when she was a child. She’d cried herself to sleep for months afterward, and she’d been terrified something might happen to her grandparents, and then she’d be left all alone.
“Do you have many memories of them?”
She shook her head. “I was too young. I only have one good memory.”
“Let me guess, the circus? Or a carnival?”
“How’d you know?”
“The way your eyes lit up that night. I knew carnivals and circuses must be special to you.”
She bit her lip. “We went to the circus just before they died. My parents actually met at a carnival.”
“So they are very special to you.
“I think they’re kind of magical.” She liked the effortless way Chase understood her as if they had their own sort of shorthand. “And I’d rather think about them together at the circus, then at their funeral.”
“I bet it was awful.”
“It’s strange, but I don’t remember the funeral very well.” It was a hazy memory, probably because she’d been so shaken up at the time. “Grandad didn’t bring me to the visiting hours. I came to the service, and I kept askin’ him why nobody else was cryin’ like me. Didn’t they love my parents?”
“Why didn’t he take you?”
“I think he wanted to shelter me from the worst of it.”
Mary had been an orphan and everyone felt sorry for her, but she’d grown up with family, with grandparents who’d always been there for her. Her granddad could never completely fill such a big hole in her life, no matter how hard he tried.
He’d held onto her for dear life. Tucker was overprotective in the extreme, vetting everyone who got close to her, and now she knew why.
Mary couldn’t hold back any longer. “Chase, I need to ask you something, and I don’t want to upset you, but it’s been bugging me.”
Chase took a deep breath. “Go ahead, ask me anything.”
He might regret those words. “You said you didn’t know for sure, but do you believe my granddad killed your sister?”
And deep silence fell over them, and she watched the slow play of emotion across his face—
anger, sorrow, pain.
“I don’t know, but it’s awfully suspicious.”
“Yeah, I think so too.” She clasped the hand over her mouth. “And I know you want closure, but I hope he didn’t do it.”
“I understand.” Chase shook his head. “And I’m still torn. All these years, I kept wondering what happened to Faith and now I know she didn’t make it.” He bit his lower lip. “I used to make up all these stories about what happened to her. I think it’s how I coped with her loss, and now her ashes are at my dad’s house. Faith never had the chance to really live, and it eats me up inside.”
“After my parents died, I held conversations with them, I still do sometimes. I’ve got this picture from their wedding day. Both of them look so happy and young, staring at each other, smiling. I figure they’re in heaven together going to the carnival every night, and they get to be youthful forever, and then one day I’ll join them.”
“Maybe Faith’s with them?”
She smiled. “I like to think so.”
“What do you tell your folks?”
“Boring stuff.” Mary shrugged. “I talk to them about my day, talk about my report cards and diplomas. And all the while, I pretend they can hear me. The ache never really goes away, does it?”
“No, it doesn’t, and I feel lost without her, like a part of me is missing and I’ll never get it back.”
Chase understood her in a way no one else had. Like her, his life was marked by loss and betrayal. Suddenly, she wanted to be even closer to him.
Mary laid a hand on his cheek, and Chase closed his eyes, leaning into her touch, as though relishing the feel of her. She brushed the pad o
f her thumb against his lower lip, and his skin was soft and warm.
He opened his eyes. “What are you doing, Mary?” His voice sounded deeper, darker, and full of yearning. It caused a languid rush of warmth to spread through her body.
“I want you.”
His eyes slammed shut. “You don’t know what you’re saying.” And yet he made no move to push her away.
“Yes, I do.” To prove her point, Mary scooted even closer to him.
“My control is hanging on by a thread as it is.” His nostrils flared in protest. “And no, you don’t. I think you’re sad and scared and you’re trying to push the pain away, to distract yourself.”
“No, I need you.” Mary pressed her mouth against his. Chase melted into her, claiming her lips in a searing kiss before he shot off the bed.
“No, we can’t do this.” He fisted his hands at his sides and a white line formed around his mouth. “More than anything, I want to give you pleasure, but it’s wrong.”
“Why?”
“Because this is all kinds of fucked up. You’re my prisoner, your granddad might’ve murdered my sister, you just survived an attempted rape, and my father’s trying to use you as a pawn in this cat and mouse game.” Chase gave a ragged sigh.
“Yeah, so?”
Chase chuckled. “God, I want you so badly I can’t see straight.”
“Then take me, I’m yours.” Mary got closer, but he backed away from her until she had him trapped against the wall.
Mary didn’t know what was wrong with her. Was she craving control? Did she want to escape from her own mind for a while?
Or maybe it was the man himself.
Chase had loomed large in her fantasies over these past few weeks. She didn’t know quite what to make of him. Was he her warden? Her savior? The enemy? Or her friend? Mary didn’t know, but she couldn’t stop thinking about him.
She pressed her breasts against the hard wall of his chest and captured his mouth once more.
And then the floodgates opened.
Groaning, Chase grasped her ass, pulling her closer, and smashing her hips against his own.
In between frantic kisses, he muttered, “I’ve tried to keep my hands off you for the longest time, but I can’t help myself.”
Mary wanted him and didn’t give a damn about the consequences. Later, she might care, but not now. At this moment, she didn’t want to think or worry about the future. For once, Mary wanted to live in the moment.
As he scorched her mouth with hot kisses, Chase kneaded her hips, fondled her ass, dragging her even closer to his body. She emptied her mind and concentrated on the needs of her body, the fire raging within.
And then Chase pulled back with a gasp. “We need to stop.”
“No, but we—”
“Mary, please, we can’t do this. You’re obviously reactin’ to what happened earlier.”
“You’re right.” She backed off then. “See, I’m stopping.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I’m not. I should be, but I’m not.”
Chase moaned. “Don’t say things like that. I’m trying to be a gentleman.” He adjusted himself. “And it’s gettin’ harder by the second, no pun intended.”
“If you ask me, restraint is overrated.”
He laughed. “Tell you what? Why don’t we sleep beside each other? I want to be there for you, but I won’t take advantage of you.”
After a moment, she nodded.
Chase pulled her close, and eventually they fell asleep in each other’s arms, and Mary had never felt so safe.
It felt like she’d come home.
Chapter Ten
“Chase Warner?
“Yes, who’s this?” His phone had gone off at 6:00 AM and Chase picked it up, before checking the caller ID.
Sleep had eluded him most of the night.
After he’d fooled around with Mary, he’d been left with a wicked case of blue balls and a guilty conscience. He never should’ve let it go so far. Sure, she’d been the instigator, but Mary was confused and vulnerable. He was the one who was supposed to be rational.
If only he could stop wanting her, but it wasn’t to be. They were a star-crossed, modern-day version of Romeo and Juliet, from rival mafia outfits. This would never work out.
The agent cleared his throat, interrupting Chase’s wayward thoughts.
“Thorne. Remember me?”
Chase muttered a curse and walked into the hallway, so he wouldn’t disturb Mary who was still sleeping, curled up into a little ball in the center of the bed. She must be exhausted, and Chase was grateful she was getting some rest.
“Yes, agent, I seem to recall our meeting.” Even though, he’d rather block it from his memory. “What can I do for you?” He doubted Thorne called to chat.
“You didn’t tell me your sister had a safety deposit box.”
He scratched his chin. “Because I didn’t know she had one.” It was unusual since they’d shared just about everything. Faith had even told him about the night she’d lost her virginity, for pity’s sake.
“Apparently, a month before her death, she rented one at the bank, a couple of towns over, in Canyon City. Any reason why she’d need one?”
The man sounded suspicious, and Chase was in no mood for an early morning phone inquisition.
“Fuck if I know. How’d you find out about it?”
“I’ve been going through the old police files, seein’ if they missed anything. There’s a record of a phone call from the bank, but the detectives never followed up on it for some reason.”
Chase doubted their competence. Once the detectives found out about Noah’s criminal ties, they didn’t give a damn about solving Faith’s case. One of them said Chase’s sister had probably run away and they didn’t put much effort into the investigation. Who knows? He might’ve been afraid of the mafia, in case they’d had something to do with her disappearance.
“I see, what was inside the box?”
“I haven’t had a look yet, and I wondered if you’d come with me.”
“Why?” Maybe the agent hadn’t ruled him out as a suspect and was up for another round of mind games.
“I’ve asked for a warrant, but it’s going to take some time. After all, a cold case doesn’t have high priority. However, because she’s your sister, you have access to the safety deposit box, as her next of kin, but I wanna be there when you open it.”
“Fine by me. When are we doin’ this?” With any luck, Chase would finally get some answers.
“First thing, tomorrow morning. I’ll meet you at Canyon City Bank at 9:00 AM. It smack dab in the middle of Main Street, so you can’t miss it.”
“I’ll be there.” And then Chase hung up.
***
The next morning, Chase sat in his pickup truck in front of the bank, waiting for the agent to show.
He hadn’t wanted to leave Mary alone, but this was important. Chase had asked one of the soldiers, Alan, to stay with Mary, in case Harry dropped by again. Evidently, Harry hadn’t breathed a word of what happened, because Chase hadn’t heard from his father.
Yesterday, he hadn’t gone to work and had spent all of his time with Mary instead. They’d had a leisurely day watching television, enjoying each other’s companionship. She was still dealing with the aftereffects of the trauma.
Every once in a while, Mary got a faraway look in her eyes, and she started to shiver. Whenever he saw it happening, Chase wrapped his arms around her and talked to Mary, bringing her back to the here and now. So far, it had worked, but Mary needed professional help to deal with the experience.
A few minutes later, an SUV pulled up beside him, and Thorne hopped out.
He glanced at Chase. “Ready to do this?”
Chase nodded, and they both headed inside.
He hadn’t told his father. Chase wasn’t sure why, exactly. A niggling voice in his head whispered Noah might know more than he’d let on, but Chase shoved it down and refused to dwell on the imp
lications.
They walked to the front desk, and the agent spoke with a teller. A few moments later, a woman in a red pantsuit greeted them. She was in her early fifties, with a string of pearls around her throat and a pair of black and red heels. She seemed polished and put together, and Chase felt unkempt in his dusty jeans, t-shirt, and hoodie, in comparison.
“Good morning, I’m Linda Baker, the bank manager. And you are…?”
“Special agent Jim Hawthorne, ma’am, at your service.” He pointed to Chase. “And this is Miss Warner’s brother, Chase.” Thorne flashed his badge.
“Nice to meet you.” Ms. Baker shook hands with them both and turned to Chase. “Do you have identification with you?”
“Yes, ma’am.” He withdrew the driver’s license from his wallet and handed it to her.
She studied it a moment. “Thank you.” And then she gave the ID back to him. “Please come with me, we’ll head over to the vault.” She led them both down the hallway.
“Please read this over and sign it.” They reached a small room, and Ms. Baker handed him a form on a clipboard, along with a pen. Chase scanned the document, and it was a standard release, saying he was taking possession of her items.
“When did my sister get the safety deposit box?” he asked as he scribbled his signature.
“According to my records, almost exactly a month before she vanished. After I saw the local news report, I gave the police a call but didn’t hear anything back from them.”
“And you kept it this entire time?” Thorne asked.
“Yes, I figured it might be important, and I didn’t have the heart to throw her things away, even though she hadn’t paid the bill.”
“Did you look at the contents?” Thorne asked.
“No, I thought there might be evidence inside, and I didn’t want to disturb it.” She laid a hand on Chase’s arm. “I’m so sorry for your loss.”
“Thank you, ma’am.”
“The FBI will settle her account.” Thorne handed her his business card. “Call this number to make arrangements with victim’s assistance.”
“I will. Here, you’ll need this.” Ms. Baker gave Chase a key, and they headed toward a wall full of safety deposit boxes, which were tucked into metal shelves. She also had a key in her grasp and fitted it into a lock on one side.
Bad Blood (Lone Star Mobster Book 5) Page 11
