She took another deep breath and steeled herself to walk out the door. Last night had been magical, beyond anything she’d ever experienced. When she glanced over at Mitch, it was almost her undoing. A wave of love so fierce crashed over her. She leaned against the door and blinked back the onslaught of tears.
If there was ever a place she could stay, or a person she could stay with, it was now, here, with Mitch, but she didn’t have the luxury of staying in one place. If she stayed, life would become a circus again. Paparazzi were far worse now than when she disappeared years ago. She would be back in the spotlight, and Mitch would end up there with her. Everyone had forgotten about her. And it was better that way.
She brushed a tear off her cheek. Quietly, she slipped into the hallway and closed the door again. Time to get on with it. She glanced at her watch. Five forty-five a.m. Eddie should be back at his spot by about six, six-fifteen. She moved down the hallway to the main corridor and then took the stairs up to the fifth floor. She passed by a bedroom and saw Lacy still asleep. There were two twin beds, so she assumed that’s where she was supposed to have slept. With the building shut down, Lacy must have guessed that she had fallen asleep elsewhere. Alex went to one of the restrooms so she could clean up.
Swank wasn’t a strong enough word. The whole bathroom was done in marble with glass fixtures. It was old world with a bit of modern thrown in. The showers were oversized. The vanity ran the length of one wall and was fully stocked. It had everything from Q-tips to disposable toothbrushes. There were even mini deodorants for both men and women.
Color me impressed. She quickly grabbed a towel from the cabinet at the end of the wall and got undressed. She took a speed shower, but did take a couple of minutes to wash her hair. The shampoo and conditioner smelled divine. She was going to have to ask Logan about them.
Fifteen minutes later, she was dressed, wig in place, ready to go. And she had clean underwear. She’d washed out her thong in the sink and dried it using the intense hand dryer. Logan was a god, she decided.
She left the restroom and went in search of someone to let her out of the building. No one was around in the kitchen, so she went down a floor but it was empty as well. She went back down the stairs to the third floor and was reaching for the door handle when the door opened.
“Oh. You scared me.”
Zane smiled. “Sorry.” He moved into the stairwell.
She hadn’t realized how big he was, but now that the two of them were sharing the landing, it became obvious. His brown hair was a bit messed, like he’d gotten up quickly but his deep brown eyes were wide away and studying her closely.
“Can I find something for you?” he asked.
“What makes you think—” She snapped her fingers. “The cameras.”
Zane just kept his smile in place.
“Okay, so I need to leave the building.” She shot Zane a megawatt smile. “I have to go meet someone.”
Zane shook his head. “Sorry, I can’t let you out until I get the word.”
She nodded. “I totally understand, I do, but you see, I have to get the prototype and have to meet someone to do it. So, if you could just let me out, I’ll be on my way.”
Again, he shook his head. Alex did her best to keep her temper in check. She casually put her hands behind her back and crossed her fingers. “Look, I promise I’ll come back with the USB drive.” She wasn’t coming back, but she would make sure Mitch got the prototype. She just couldn’t come back and go through a long good-bye.
“I understand.” Zane stood there staring at her.
“You understand so you’re going to help me?” she asked hopefully.
“No. I understand, but I can’t help you.”
Alex ground her teeth. She heard a door open above her and footsteps coming down the stairs. A second later Logan appeared. He looked like he just stepped off the pages of GQ. How did he do it? He probably had a well-stocked closet to go with his well-stocked bathrooms.
“Morning,” he said. He sounded very cheery and chipper.
“Morning,” she replied. Zane merely nodded.
“Did you sleep well?” Logan asked.
She looked for any meaning in the question, but his face was benign. “Fine. I was wondering if you could help me out. I need to leave to get the prototype. Could you let me out of the building?”
Logan blinked. “Have you spoken to Gage or Mitch about it?”
“No. I didn’t see them. They’re probably still asleep.” She sensed she was about to get turned down. “It’s a bit time-sensitive. I really need to go if I’m going to get it back.”
Logan frowned. “I can’t let you go without protection. We need to formulate a game plan on how to retrieve it and keep you safe. As a matter of fact, I think it’s better if you don’t leave here at all. The guys will go get it and bring it back here.”
“Uh, that won’t work.” Shit. She didn’t want to still be here when Mitch got up. “Uh, I have to talk to someone to get it back. They won’t give it to you.”
“Are you sure?” Logan frowned again. He nodded at Zane. “These guys can be very persuasive.”
She glanced at Zane. He was casually leaning against the wall with his arms folded across his chest. His brown eyes met hers. “Um, yeah, well my person still won’t give it up so”—she twisted the long hair of her wig—“Zane could come with me. Dex, too, if that makes you feel better.” She was getting desperate now. Any second Mitch would wake up.
Logan studied her face for a second and then turned to Zane. “Do what the lady says. It’s her dime.” Zane nodded and pushed off the wall. He opened the door to the third floor and disappeared.
Logan turned back to Alex and took a step toward her. Locking his stare on her, he said, “I’m not sure what your game is or why the big change from last night when you wanted us to keep you safe, paid handsomely for it, in fact, but we’ll play it your way. You’re the client. The guys will keep you safe as best they can, but you have to give us the prototype. If you try to run with it or hide it or sell it or anything besides give it to Zane or Dex, I will hunt you down to the ends of the earth. Are we clear?”
A chill went down her spine. He might be the lawyer in the family, but she had no doubt he could be just as deadly as his brothers. He was scary as shit.
She swallowed and licked her lips to get some moisture back in her mouth. “Deal,” she said and stuck out her hand. He grabbed it and held it hard.
Zane came back into the stairwell with Dex right behind him. Both nodded at Logan. “We’re good to go,” Zane said. Dex merely nodded at Logan and gave Alex the once-over. Gone was the chatty, friendly guy from last night. Maybe he wasn’t a morning person. She really didn’t care. As long as she got out of the building ASAP and finished this, he could stay silent forever.
They went down the stairs to the lobby. Zane leaned over the desk and hit a few buttons on the computer there. He murmured something, and she realized he must be wearing an earbud. A few seconds later, the steel door slid back silently, and sun poured in through the glass doors.
Alex tried to block her eyes, but she wasn’t fast enough, and she was blind for a few seconds as her eyes adjusted to the light. Mistake. She should have been prepared for the light. She was definitely off her game this morning. She even stumbled a bit, and Zane bumped into her. She dropped her jacket. He quickly bent down and picked it up for her.
Focus. She needed to get her head in the game.
Zane unlocked the doors and checked the street. He nodded, and then Dex gestured that she should follow. They got into a waiting SUV. She hadn’t seen the driver before, but the guys referred to him as Gunnar.
He was a hulk of a man. He looked cramped sitting in the driver’s seat of the SUV. Great. She had no doubts she wouldn’t be able to escape if he got a hold of her. Best make sure that didn’t happen.
They rolled down the street, and Gunnar said, “Where to?”
She took a beat. This was it. Should she try
to lose them? Do everything herself and then mail the thumb drive back to them? It’s what she would normally do, but it would take a herculean effort on her part, and for the first time in a really long time, she wasn’t sure she’d be successful. She had to try. She wasn’t giving up Eddie. She didn’t want him to be stuck in the middle of this mess. “Head toward 14th street.”
The drive was made in silence. Gunnar did some fancy moves to see if they were being followed, but it looked clean. She put on her jacket. She didn’t want to leave anything behind.
They were rolling down Park Avenue South when she saw her opportunity. There was a mass of Asian tourists on the corner and the light had turned red. The thing about BMWs was that the door handle had to be pulled twice to actually open the door. The first pull unlocked it and the second opened it.
Alex coughed to cover the sound of her first tug on the door handle. She waited a beat. At the same time the light turned green, she pulled the handle a second time and shot out of the SUV into the crowd.
She heard the yell behind her but she kept running down 19th street. Halfway down the block, someone was coming out of a building. She grabbed the door just as it was about to close and shot through, pulling it tight behind her. She saw Zane through the glass but turned and ran. She went through the lobby and toward the back of the building. Frantic, she looked around.
There was a door in the corner. She pulled it open. There was only one way to turn, so she went left. She jogged down the hall until she found the door to the alley.
She flew through it and down the narrow passage way. At the corner, she quickly ducked her head around it and looked in both directions. Nothing.
She hightailed it across the street and banged on the gray door of the building. She banged again, frantic to get in before Zane came through the alley or the SUV came down the block.
The door opened, and Ralph’s thickly lined face popped out. “Girl, there is no need to make so much noise.”
“Ralph! Thank God!” She ran inside and Ralph closed the door after her.
“What kind of trouble have you gotten yourself into this time?” He hitched up is tool belt and he shook his head.
“Ralph, no time to explain. I gotta meet Eddie in the park. Thanks for opening the door.”
“Anything for you, doll. Maria misses you and those amazing cookies you sent.” A grin split his face. “I might miss the cookies, too.” He cackled as he rubbed his belly through his overalls.
“I promise to send you some more, but you gotta let me out the front door, okay?”
“Well, come on then, girl.” He led the way down a series of hallways and opened the door at the front.
She cautiously stuck her head out and checked for the guys and the SUV. Nothing. She moved into the street.
“Thanks, Ralph.” She leaned up and kissed his weathered cheek. “Cookies are on the way to you.”
He smiled again. “You take care of yourself now.” He patted her shoulder and then closed the door.
As she crossed the street, she thanked her lucky stars that she’d spent time cultivating friends around the square. It was a great spot to disappear with all the tourists, cabs and the subways right here. She’d met Eddie, who’d introduced her to Ralph and others. She had friends or assets in most of the building around the park.
She made her way over into Union Square Park, keeping her head on a swivel for anyone who might be looking for her. Once this was done, she was home free. Her heart squeezed in her chest. She didn’t want to be home free. She wanted to be home with Mitch. She mentally gave herself a shake and picked up her pace.
Chapter Thirty-Four
“Mitch!” Gage called as he threw open the door to Mitch’s office. Mitch went from a dead sleep to siting bolt upright on his couch. He blinked rapidly. He’d been asleep. Dead asleep. He hadn’t slept like that in—
“Mitch. Focus. Now. We need to talk.”
Mitch, recognizing the urgency in his brother’s voice, threw the blanket off that he’d pulled over them last night. Alex. “Where’s Alex?” he demanded.
“Seriously?” Logan said as he walked into the room behind Gage and got an eye full of Mitch naked. “I can’t un-see this.”
“Alex is…fine. You don’t have time for a shower,” Gage said.
Mitch cursed under his breath. Logan held out a cup of coffee.
“Mitch grabbed it and took a gulp. The jolt of caffeine had his system humming. “Thanks.” Mitch nodded to Logan, and Logan nodding back, walked out of the room. Mitch could hear him answering his phone.
“What’s going on?” Mitch asked.
Gage frowned. “Jake just called. Two bodies were pulled out of the sound this morning. They were spotted by early morning fisherman.”
“And?” Mitch asked.
Gage looked grim. “Dan. He looked like someone had worked him over pretty bad.”
“You think Tolliver had his boys clean up his mess? Stop anyone from linking him to the bomb?”
Gage shook his head. “The other body was Tolliver.”
“The client.” Mitch said, “Tolliver made a mess of things, so the client was the one cleaning up loose ends.”
Gage nodded in agreement. “That’s what we’re thinking.”
“How was it done?” Mitch asked.
“Double-tap to the back of the skull.” Gage took a sip of his own coffee.
“Damn.” Mitch grimaced. “Professional. These aren’t the amateurs that Tolliver was using.”
Logan walked back into the room and threw clean underwear and a T-shirt at Mitch. He looked at Gage. “Did you fill him in?” When Gage nodded, he said, “Good, because you two need to get moving if we’re going to make sure Alex stays safe.”
The room went still. Mitch froze. “What do you mean? Where’s Alex?” His voice was dead calm, but inside, his mind was screaming.
Logan glanced at Gage then back at Mitch. “Alex left earlier to retrieve the prototype.”
Mitch very carefully put down his coffee cup on the end table. Then he started advancing on his brother. “You let her go with people trying to kill her?” He moved so fast Logan didn’t even see it coming, but Gage did, and he stepped in front of Logan. Mitch’s blow glanced off Logan’s chin. He rocked back on his heels but came forward again with his hands up and ready to go.
Mitch stood there, grinding his teeth, clenching and unclenching his hands. He wanted to pound Logan into the ground. How could he let Alex go when someone was trying to kill her? He stared at Gage, but he knew Gage wouldn’t give an inch. Gage always protected Logan. Always had his back. “I need to find her.”
Mitch tried to push past his brother, but Gage held him. “Zane, Dex, and Gunnar are with her. She was fine as of a couple of minutes ago. If you’ll stop being an ass, we’ll go get her and bring her back.”
Mitch relaxed and stepped back. Gage let him go, but he stayed close to Logan in case Mitch changed his mind.
“I didn’t have a choice. I had to let her go,” Logan spoke in quiet, authoritative tones. His lawyer voice.
“If you spin some shit about kidnapping, I swear I’ll—”
Logan talked over him. “She’s a paying client, and if the client wants to go, we have to let her go.”
“What do you mean, she’s a client?” Mitch roared. “Are you charging her for this?”
“She came to me and wanted to pay. She felt guilty because we lost clients over the bombing. She offered to pay. I refused several times. In the end, I gave in because we need the money. More than you know. She saved our asses, if you want the truth of it. As a matter of fact, she owes us the rest of the money for last night and the same again because Tolliver is dead. She offered to pay double if we could guarantee that Tolliver would never get to her again.”
Mitch was stunned. His brain couldn’t wrap itself around what Logan had said. Alex, his thief, his woman, had bailed his ass out. She had his back. His SEAL buddies always had his six, but no one had ever personal
ly had his back. Until now.
He pushed past Gage and Logan. “Come on. We’ve got to go. Now!”
Union Square Park was more of a parkette in her opinion, but in New York, green space was green space. It took up about a city block, or maybe a little more. The greenery was divided into patches and fenced. It was a combination of grassy areas and flowers and trees.
The green part of the park was shaped like a fish with its tail being the flat 14th Street side where they often held rallies. There were several statues around the park, a flag pole in the center, and another big statue at the tail of the fish. She’d never read any of the plaques and had no idea about the statues, but it was a nice little bit of green in the city.
There were park benches so people could enjoy the view and catch a bit of sunlight. The end of the park on 17th street was clear of gardens and was where the popular greenmarket was set up.
Alex looked around as she entered the park before starting down the cement walkway. It looked like a normal morning to her. Nothing stood out as being off. People passed her in droves, heading for the subway station. There were a couple of different coffee carts on the street. The one by Barnes and Noble on 17th had a line. It was just a normal Monday in New York City.
She walked to the far side and turned left down the walkway that followed the curve of the gardens. There was a homeless man sitting on the ground, leaning on the fence in front of one of the flower patches. He had all his stuff piled up in various garbage bags, boxes on his left, and his dog on the right. There was an old straw hat in front of him with a small sign that said please help me feed my dog. Alex stopped in front of him. “Hey, Eddie.”
“Hey girl, is that you? You back so soon? How you doin’ on this fine day?” His face was prematurely aged from his years outside, and his blue eyes were faded in the sun. He was wearing several layers of old clothing. The top layer was an old pale pink shirt that used to be red and a pair of gray work pants. Both had holes and tears. His smile showed teeth that had seen better days, but it was infectious, and she smiled back.
Break and Enter: A Sexy, Thrilling Romantic Suspense (Callahan Security Series Book 1) Page 25
