“He is the man who nearly got you killed.”
Riley ground his teeth. If it were another man, he would’ve punched him in the nose for delivering such an accusation, but this man helped Tania. She was likely alive because he kept her safe. He gave her protection and a safe place to stay. For as long as he was alive, Riley would consider himself indebted to this guy. Rather than argue, he thrust out his hand. “That was a misunderstanding. It didn’t go down the way she thought, but I am grateful you allowed her to stay here.”
They shook hands. Jason’s grip was strong. “Tania always has a place here whenever she wants.”
The message was clear. She was special to him. Riley swallowed the sharp words that rose to his lips. There was no doubt in his mind that this man liked Tania, not just as a friend, but something more. Had she lied to him? Was there something going on between them that he didn’t realize as yet? Had she taken Riley back only because Jason was not in town?
His gaze flitted from her to Jason. Insecurity raised its ugly head in his heart, and he felt disoriented, confused. What the hell was going on here?
Chapter Twenty
Jason’s sudden appearance threw her off course. She didn’t expect to see him back so soon, and she certainly wasn’t expecting to witness the sparks that flew between both men. They sized each other up as if they were boxers, ready to fight in a ring.
She felt the urge to put out her arms and make sure they remained at arm’s length. Tania bit her lip. “Jason, Riley wasn’t the one who rigged the warehouse. It was a misunderstanding.” She proceeded to tell him the entire tale, leaving out only their explosive reunion the night before. “We hatched a plan last night and, already, he has backed out.”
Riley’s eyes narrowed. “We didn’t hatch anything. It was your plan, but it’s dangerous as hell and I don’t want you to be a part of it.”
“It’s my life and I can decide what to do with it,” she huffed.
“Not when I am looking out for you. No, you can’t,” he stated.
Tania opened her mouth but Jason beat her to it. “Sure, this has nothing to do with me, but I’ve got to say that I agree with Riley on this.”
She wasn’t sure which one of them was more surprised; Riley or her. To her consternation, Riley grinned.
“Thanks, man.”
“You’re both chauvinistic pigs.”
“We are gentlemen and we don’t like to put ladies in danger, especially when the lady in question is so beautiful,” said Jason in a smooth voice. “Let’s go to the living room and talk about this.”
Tania threw Riley a vicious glance and then marched off. They followed her. Tania wasn’t sure as to what the man was up to. Why was he sticking his nose in their business? If this were any other person, she would’ve told them to mind their own business, but she couldn’t say anything to Jason. His generosity saved Tania’s life. If she’d fallen in the hands of the gang after she escaped from them, they might have killed her on the spot.
Once she was seated on the couch, Riley took a seat opposite her. Jason chose to remain standing. “Are you guys determined to chase down this gang?”
“I am,” said Riley.
“And so am I.”
“Over my dead body,” he growled.
“You…” She pointed a finger towards him. “I can’t believe…”
“Shush!” said Jason. Tania’s furious glance shifted to him. She opened her mouth, but he waved a hand. “Your plan is good, Tania, but there are holes in it and there is quite a margin for error. Now, I feel if the gang believed this threat was real, that you did indeed have some backup plan, and if anything happened to you, the person to whom you had entrusted the papers might go to the police, they would likely keep you alive.”
“Likely is not enough for me to bank her life on,” growled Riley. It was obvious that he didn’t like Jason’s change of tune. Tania was also confused. Was Jason actually approving her plan? “They would kill her.”
“Not if they thought said person would release the papers. So we need to make them believe your backup plan really exists.”
“And how would we do that?” asked Riley.
“I offer my humble services for this great task,” said Jason.
She was stunned, as was Riley. They both glanced at each other and then at Jason. “You want to be a part of this plan?” she asked.
“Frankly I think this plan will fail without me. I would be the linchpin on which would hang Tania’s lie. If we can convince them that I am a real threat, they would concentrate on getting me and, until the time they do so, they would leave her alone.”
“That’s absurd,” said Tania.
“And why is that?” said Jason in his smooth voice.
“It’s because…you don’t have anything to do with this. Why should you get involved? It’s dangerous and risky.”
“Exactly my point,” growled Riley, “and that’s why I don’t want either of you in this mess.”
Jason walked over to the window. “I’m afraid both of you are running out of choices. When I came in, I saw a man lurking outside. He appeared to be keeping tabs on the house. My first impression was that he was a movie buff, a guy who wanted to see his favorite director…but now, well, I am sure that he is a member of this illustrious gang.”
“Shit! How the hell did they follow me?”
Tania tapped her fingers on her thigh. “Maybe they didn’t follow you. After all, my pictures were splashed in the papers. Was this your plan all along, Jason? Is that why you dragged me to all those restaurants?”
“The plan was to lure Riley in. I didn’t know that he would bring in a crowd of people behind him,” said Jason.
Tania was amazed at his sharp mind. He actually paraded her in front of the newspapers so he could bring in Riley. That means he realized Riley would take personal risk and contact her. He was too smart for his own good and, although she was annoyed, she was now suddenly interested in what he had to say. “You still can’t get involved,” said Tania in a fierce battle. “This is our fight, mine and Riley’s, and I don’t want you to take any risks.”
“He is already way more involved than he should’ve been,” stated Riley. His gaze met Jason’s. “What is that you want in exchange?”
“Ah! A man after my own heart…if I were leaning in that direction, of course.” Jason walked back. “Tania, dear, I have to admit that once you came to me with this whole cock and bull story, I was flummoxed. It sounded more like one of the scripts I create into pictures than real events, but I’ve never known you to lie and I knew you wouldn’t create a drama over something that didn’t exist.”
“So you hatched a plan?”
“It wasn’t as complicated and daring as the one Tania has now come up with, but my scheme was simple. I wanted to see the man who would reduce Tania to such a state, and I wanted to see fireworks. And, frankly, as devastated as she was by your apparent betrayal, to me it looked that you were as much a victim of the circumstances as she was.”
Tania snorted. “He dragged me into it.”
“And you didn’t go kicking and screaming. You love the guy,” he shot back before Riley a chance to say something. “What amazed me most about Tania’s story was that she didn’t even realize how much she loved you. She was angry but she was hurt, and that intrigued me. The whole thing could be the foundation of a beautiful movie. I love the premise: a girl falls in love with a guy but he is not who she thought he was. There is a fight, love, risk, and in the end…justice and reunion.”
Tania sat up straighter. “Excuse me. This is our life, not a movie script.”
“Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t write a better story,” shot back Jason. “In this case, the truth is, indeed, stranger than fiction.”
Riley didn’t look surprised. It was obvious he’d realized long ago it wasn’t just altruism that motivated Jason to help them. The man wanted something. “What do you want?”
“Exclusive rights to write this tale on
ce it has come to an end,” said Jason. “Come on. It’s the least you can after I help you out. And think about it…your life story will be captured on celluloid for eternity.”
“Immortality never appealed to me,” said Tania.
Jason glanced at Tania. Much as she wanted to keep his private life off celluloid, Tania was intrigued. If Jason were on their side, if he helped them, this plan could actually work. Still, she wasn’t sure if it was a good idea to involve him. His life would be in danger.
Riley stood and walked over to her. He sat and took her hand in his. “If Jason is with us, this might actually work.”
She bit her lip. “I can’t put him in danger.”
“You wanted to be a part of the plan. Well, I don’t, but…if Jason helps us, if he agrees to act as the backup, then I could…maybe we could go ahead.”
“Are you saying you would agree to this scheme as long as Jason were a part of it?”
She wasn’t happy by this new development. But the truth was that they both needed Jason. As long as someone remained outside the gang’s control, Tania would be relatively safe. Jason was their only hope to actually make it work.
“We need him,” said Riley.
Tania frowned. She was trapped in her own cleverness. Now that she initiated the plan, it was hard to back out when they were both willing to support her. “I suppose…okay.”
“Great!” Jason pumped his arm in the air. “Now, we’ve got to sit and finalize everything. If the man is outside, there isn’t much time to waste. The more you stay inside, the greater the chance they might suspect you guys are plotting against them.”
So the three of them bent their head over this task and within hours they fine-tuned the scheme as much as they could. Finally, Riley stood. Tania followed his movements.
“We should leave soon,” he said.
Rather than walk out, Tania marched upstairs with him. There were things she needed to say before they left the house. Words were important and she wanted these to matter. When they were alone in the room, she took her hands in his and lifted them to her lips.
But he beat her to it.
“I love you more than I can explain. You’re my light. If anything happened to you…” he said.
“Nothing will,” she assured him.
Although they ironed out all the wrinkles in their plot, something could still go wrong. It wasn’t set in stone. Once they left this house, things would be fluid, ever-changing. A wrong move, and they could end up dead. None of them could afford to make a mistake. She wanted to walk away from this madness, but the truth was that until they sorted out this mess and deal with Devil’s Mafia Brotherhood on their turf, neither of them would be free.
Drawing her in his arms, he kissed her. His lips were soft, sweet, and his mouth even more. She felt the same desire careen through her nerves that she always felt when she was in his arms. The future was far more predictable, but they had each other now, and it was enough. She wanted to savor these moments and remember them for as long as she lived.
When he let her go, they stared into each other’s eyes. It was an emotional moment for Tania. She’d found Riley again after so long. Was she destined to lose him quickly? What if something went wrong with their plan? If something happened to her, he would forever hold himself responsible, and if he were hurt or killed, she wouldn’t be able to forgive herself for pushing him into this mess.
Were they doing the right thing?
“You’re with me?” she asked in a voice that trembled.
“Now and forever,” he said in a firm voice.
All her doubts melted away. He supported her and as long as he did that, she was willing to fight the devil himself to get back her life. Until Devil’s Mafia Brotherhood was taught a lesson, she wouldn’t be able to claim back the respect they snatched away from her.
She kissed Riley on the mouth, taking comfort from his strength and quiet determination. “We’ll beat them at their own game,” she promised.
“And later maybe, we can have a peaceful, quiet life.”
She laughed. “Riley, let me tell you straight away. As long as I am in your life, there won’t be any peace or quiet. If you want out, tell me now.”
He drew her in his arms and rested his chin on top of her head. “I’ll take you and the mayhem that is sure to follow.”
Her life might be a mess, but Tania was happy. Things were moving forward, and she sure hoped that they would fall into place soon enough. For now, it was enough that he held her and they were together. The rest would take care of itself when the time came.
Chapter Twenty One
For a woman who nearly died twice, Tania was holding up really well. Life was uncertain, unpredictable, and she’d learnt to roll with the punches. As she got out of the car and ran her fingers through her hair, her gaze took in the house that gleamed in the sunlight, its white paint shining. Someone took great pains to restore this Victorian house and make it look good.
“Are you sure he’ll let us in?”
“Oh, yes. Raymond is a good man,” Riley assured her. “Come on. We can’t make him wait.”
“I don’t have a good feeling about this,” she complained.
Riley grabbed her hand, looking confident. “Trust me, sweetheart. I wouldn’t lead you in the wrong direction.”
They marched upstairs and rang the bell. The man who opened the door was tall, thin, and boasted a hawk nose. Even though a smile lifted his lips, his eyes remained cold. Tania shivered as she gazed at him. Something was off. She wanted to run far away from this man, but Riley tugged her inside. She followed her lover, trusting him fully.
“This is a pleasant surprise,” said Raymond. “When you called me, I wasn’t sure what you wanted to talk about but I cancelled a meeting so this better be good.”
“Oh, yeah, this is important,” Riley assured him.
Raymond led her into the living room. “What is it?”
“I’ve got important information about Devil’s Mafia Brotherhood, the gang you’re working for. They are involved in illegal activities and recently blew up a warehouse,” said Tania.
Raymond’s gaze shifted from her to Riley. “She has got proof, statements, and copies of papers that Charlie signed,” Riley said, backing up her statement.
Tania sat. She crossed her legs and leaned back, feeling a lot more relaxed now. Of course Riley wouldn’t lead her into a wrong situation. She’d panicked for no reason. It would all play out according to her plan. “I was kidnapped by your gang, and they held me but I managed to escape. It wasn’t easy, but I somehow stole relevant papers from Xavier’s office. I could’ve gone to the police, but Riley convinced me it wasn’t enough for me to nail them. For more information, for your cooperation, we’ve come to you. I am sure if you dig deep enough, you’ll be able to find other things that the police would find interesting. Together, we can put these people behind bars.”
Raymond ran a hand over his jaw as he paced the floor. His gaze landed on Riley who was still standing at the door and then flitted away. “Where is the information you’ve gathered?”
“In a safe place,” she promised.
Raymond stopped. He turned to face her. “The accusations you make are very serious, Tania. I can’t just listen to them and take action. We need proof.”
“And you’ll get it when you show me something you’ve got. Riley has seen some of the papers. He can vouch for my information.”
“Shit!” Raymond began to pace. “It’s a good thing you brought her here.”
“Yeah, I know. Any rash action and this could go badly. I don’t want a repeat of the fiasco that has become Charlie’s trademark,” said Riley.
Tania sniffed. She didn’t know what the hell was going on with these two men. The undercurrents of the conversation they had were strong, but she wasn’t sure if they were discussing the same thing she brought up.
“Why didn’t you make a copy of the papers that she had?”
“I couldn�
�t.”
Tania stood. She’d heard enough. Fear ran through her veins like ice. “I don’t think you’re paying attention to my words, Raymond. As I said, those papers are safe. I’ve gone to considerable lengths to secure that information and I don’t have any intention of sharing them with people who don’t want to cooperate with me. I should go now. If you change your mind, you can call Riley. He knows where I would be.”
She walked towards the door. Riley didn’t move. As she neared him, Raymond grabbed her arm. “Where are those damned papers?” Anger loped and coiled through his eyes. He wasn’t cold anymore. In fact, he was enraged.
Tania tried to tug her arm free from his grasp. He didn’t let go. “I’m not telling you anything. Let me go.”
This Savage Love: A Bad Boy Romance Boxed Set Page 112
