“Ex or not, he could still have people on the lookout for her.”
Ranger didn’t reply.
“Listen, I’m involved with someone else now. It’s serious, and I won’t jeopardize that relationship because Nick believes I’m, somehow, her knight in shining armor.”
“That news would be better coming straight from you.”
Ranger was probably right. As much as I detested confrontation, I had to shut Nick down once and for all. I had to make her understand that there was no chance she and I would ever be together.
“All right. I’ll talk to her.” I’d blocked her from contacting me, even from the new phone K19 had supplied her with, so I didn’t want to call her directly. “When will you be back at her place?”
“I’m sitting out front.”
“All right, let’s get this over with. Go inside and put me on speaker.”
25
Sloane
“Where are you?” my brother asked when I answered his call.
“At the office. Where are you?”
“Just landed at Logan. Got time for lunch?”
It was almost two in the afternoon. I’d eaten lunch at eleven, but I was already hungry again, so I said yes. When Knox asked where we should meet, I gave him the name of the Mediterranean place where Tackle and I had eaten. Since it was at the public market, if my brother wanted something different, he had plenty of choices.
“Wow, look at you,” he said when he saw me. “How long was I gone?”
“I know,” I murmured, rubbing my belly. “Since it popped, it just keeps growing.”
“Mom told me that you told her and Dad you were pregnant.”
“I figured she would.” It ended up not being a big deal when I sat the two of them down to tell them. My mom insisted she already knew, which I doubted. If she really had, she would’ve been fussing over me as much as she had been over the last week. My dad’s face broke into a knowing smile, making me think he had truly suspected.
Knox went to get our food when they called our number.
“What did you want to talk to me about?” I asked when he sat back down.
He smiled, and his cheeks flushed. “Guessed it wasn’t just lunch, then, huh?”
“Yep.”
He took a bite of his food. “Damn, this place is really good. How’d you find it?”
“A friend and I came here.”
Knox ate a few more bites and set his napkin on the table. “Mom is hounding me to tell her who the father is. She doesn’t believe I don’t know.”
“She’s hounding me too, but I doubt that’s why you wanted to meet for lunch.”
“You’re right. Here goes. I want to move to New York City to live with Tara.”
I jumped up and threw my arms around his neck. “That’s such wonderful news. I’m so happy for you, Knox.” I sat back down.
“I made the decision to talk to you about it after Mom called. I was hoping that, since they knew, you wouldn’t be as uncomfortable with me being so far away.”
“You did so much for me in the last several weeks; how could I deny you anything? But you’re right. Now that our parents know, I don’t feel so alone.”
Not to mention that the baby’s father was also in the picture. Soon, Knox and my parents would know it was Tackle. Very soon.
“When are you leaving?”
“As soon as I get my place packed up.”
“So, tomorrow?” I laughed, but I knew my brother. He wasn’t the kind of guy to accumulate a lot of possessions.
He laughed too. “Yeah, probably. I, uh, have something else to tell you.”
“Okay.”
“I asked Tara to marry me.”
I jumped up for the second time and hugged him.
“It’s going to happen kind of quick, which means her friends are hosting an engagement party for us next week. I hope you can be there.”
“Of course I will be. I wouldn’t miss it.”
After lunch, Knox left to pack and tell our parents his news. I planned to join him in Newton, but decided to swing by the Chestnut Hill house first.
Sort of. I never went straight there. First, I stopped at the market and the drugstore. At each place, Cowboy made sure I didn’t have a tail that I hadn’t picked up on myself. Today, like every other day, when I got the all clear from him, I drove to the house and parked in the garage.
“Hey, you,” said Tackle when I came inside and found him waiting for me in the kitchen. “Hungry?”
“No, I met Knox for a late lunch.” He dished himself a bowl of pasta that smelled so good I was tempted to eat again. I followed him into the dining room that was now furnished, as were most of the other rooms in the house. The parlor was one of the only ones on the main floor that wasn’t, since we were waiting to tell Knox about the house and that Tackle was my baby’s father before we moved the furniture over that was in my side of the duplex.
“He called, and I told him I’d see him at his place later.”
“Oh.” We’d been sleeping at the Chestnut Hill house every night since the bedroom furniture had been delivered.
“I thought it might be a good idea if you stayed at your place tonight too, just in case he comes by, looking for you.”
“That makes sense.”
“Sorry about this.”
“Don’t be. I think he’s planning on leaving as soon as tomorrow anyway.”
“One of the reasons I’m meeting him. I’m part of the box-loading muscle team. I’d say that I’d sneak over to your place, but I have a feeling we’ll be back at it pretty early tomorrow morning.”
I leaned over and rested my head on Tackle’s shoulder. “I’m not ready to tell him.”
He kissed my forehead. “I’m not either.”
That surprised me. “Why not?”
“He and Tara haven’t been back together very long. I’d rather let him have time to think about her and only her.”
“You’re a good friend to him.”
“I’d be willing to bet that’s your reason too.”
I smiled. “It is.”
He went in to get another bowl of pasta and came back with one for me too.
“You’re a good guy, Tackle.”
“I’m trying, Sloane. I don’t think I’ve ever tried so hard in my life.”
The next morning, I was headed to my parents’ house to go shopping for baby stuff with my mom when I got a call from Tackle.
“Miss me already?”
“Always, but, um, there’s something I need to talk to you about.”
“Okay.”
“Your brother just left. Can you swing by here?”
“Sure. I’m just on my way to my parents’.”
“I know, peanut.”
“Knox is calling me.”
“See you in a minute.”
I pressed accept on the touchscreen. “Hey, Knox.”
“I just passed you. Did you need something?”
“What do you mean?”
“Are you headed to my place?”
“Oh! Uh, no. Just meeting a friend for lunch.”
“Okay, well, see you next week.”
“Yep.”
“God, I missed you last night,” Tackle said when he opened my car door and offered his hand.
I climbed out and kissed him. “What did you need to talk to me about?”
“Let’s go inside.”
I followed him in and sat on a step stool.
“Can I get you anything?”
“You can get to the point of why I’m here.”
“I got a call from Doc. He’s asked me to fly to California.”
“For?”
“There’s something going down that he needs my help with.”
I clenched my fists. “Would you just tell me?”
“Nick has issued an ultimatum of sorts. He’s asked me to fly out and smooth it over. I should only be gone a couple of days.”
“I see.”
“If i
t was anyone but Doc…”
“I get it. When do you have to leave?”
“Tomorrow morning?”
“You aren’t sure?”
“He asked me to let him know when I was planning to leave. I haven’t yet.”
I was annoyed about him having to fly to California to deal with an ex-girlfriend’s temper tantrum; however, I understood it took guts for her to leave the abusive situation she’d been in. If she needed Tackle’s support to see it through, not allow herself to get pulled back into a toxic relationship, I could be supportive.
“Tomorrow would be better than today,” I said, which made him wiggle his eyebrows. I didn’t want to ask, but I had to. “There’s nothing between the two of you, right?”
Tackle took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
“You’re fucking kidding me—”
“Hang on. Let me answer your question.”
“I’m not sure I want to hear it.”
“There is nothing between Nick and me.”
“Why did it take you so long to answer if that’s the case?”
“Because she wants there to be and she’s relentless. Now, before you start swearing at me again, know that I have less than zero percent interest in her. None. I’ve made it clear to her again and again that nothing will happen between her and me, now or in the future.”
“Does she know about me?”
“She knows there’s someone in my life.”
“Does she know I’m pregnant?” God, I hated having to ask all these questions. Why was he weighing his answers so carefully? It was almost as though he was dancing around the truth. “Spit it out. I’m running out of patience.”
“I may have let it slip.”
“Tackle? What the fuck?”
“She was threatening to leave California and come back to Boston if I didn’t come to her. Instead, I had a conversation with her over the phone.”
“And?”
“And, like I told you before, I made it clear that nothing will happen between her and me. Not now or in the future.”
“Because I’m pregnant?”
“When she suggested the relationship I was in wouldn’t last, I told her it would.”
“Because of the baby?”
“That’s what I told her. It isn’t the way I feel.”
“Is this what the ultimatum is about? Me?”
“She told Doc she wanted to leave. And here’s the deal. We can’t force her to stay in California.” He explained that she wasn’t a prisoner or even under any kind of house arrest. “It’s in her best interest to stay there, at least until Caruso stands trial and is sentenced. But if she wants to leave, no one can stop her.”
“Do you believe she’d be in danger if she came back?”
“I do.”
“I don’t like this.”
“I don’t either, Sloane. Believe me. I told you before that if anyone other than Doc had asked, I would’ve said to tell Nick she was on her own if she didn’t want to accept K19’s help.”
“You’d never forgive yourself if you did that and something happened to her.”
“The other thing is, when I first discussed this with Doc, he told me his first wife had been in an abusive relationship before he married her. I got the impression it might have been the only reason he said it. Anyway, he wants me to try to talk her into staying where she is, so I will.”
“Does she know you’re coming?”
“Yes, but not when specifically.”
“I’m going to call my mom and tell her I’d rather go shopping tomorrow.”
“You’re sure?”
“Positive.”
I didn’t sleep very well, so neither did Tackle. It was as though we both knew something bad was about to happen, and yet we kept reassuring each other that he’d be back in a couple of days, we’d go to Knox’s engagement party, and if we felt the time was right, we’d tell him we were together. Once that happened, we’d both feel ready to move on with our lives.
“I’ll call you when I land,” he said when he walked me to my car the next morning. “Send me pictures of all the baby stuff you and your mom get today.”
I laughed and waved as I drove away.
My mom said she’d pick me up at the duplex around noon. In the meantime, I planned to pack up more of my stuff, do some laundry, and maybe even try to take a nap.
I woke up when I heard someone knocking on my front door. I rolled over and picked up my phone to check the time. It sure didn’t feel like I’d been asleep as long as I had.
“Huh,” I said out loud. It was only a little after ten. What was my mom doing here so early? I flung the door open to ask, and instead of my mother, Tackle’s ex-girlfriend was standing on my front stoop, and she looked to be about as pregnant as I was.
26
Tackle
“What do you mean she isn’t here?” I asked Ranger when my flight landed and I called him after seeing a message from him.
“Hey, Tackle. How are you?”
“Fuck off. Answer my question. I just flew all the way across the country to talk to Nick, and now you’re telling me she isn’t here?”
“Here’s what I know. Diesel stopped by her place this morning to check in, and she wasn’t there.”
“Are you watching her?”
“Not all the time. I told you we backed off on surveillance.”
I got it. Around-the-clock detail was expensive, particularly when there was no known threat. “Are you tracking her?”
“Negative. Come on, Tackle, think. We gave her a new identity, a place to live, and even tried to get her a job. There isn’t any reason for us to track her.”
“Copy that. Any idea how long she’s been gone or where she might be?”
“Negative.”
“You said you tried to get her a job. Could she be at work?”
Ranger laughed. “Emphasis on the word tried. She didn’t last a day. The other thing to note is the woman isn’t typically out of bed before ten, so the fact that she was already gone this morning made Diesel think she hadn’t just run to the store.”
“When did he stop by?”
“Two hours ago, and she hasn’t returned.”
“I guess I should call Doc.”
“That would be my advice.”
“Thanks, Ranger, and sorry about snapping at you.”
“I get it.”
“Tackle,” said Doc when he answered my call. “I just got word from Diesel that Claudette Caruso has vanished.”
Vanished? That was a strong word. While Diesel seemed to think the woman wouldn’t leave the house that early in the morning, there was still the possibility she was out running errands…or something.
“Have you attempted contact?” Doc asked.
“Not yet. I just landed, talked to Ranger, and called you.”
“Copy that. See if you can get her to respond to you.”
“Will do.” I hung up and called the number of the phone K19 had provided to her. As much as I didn’t want her to have my number, this time I had no choice. It went straight to voicemail.
No luck, read the text I sent to Doc. Headed to her place now.
Copy that, he responded.
27
Sloane
I had so many questions, I didn’t know where to begin. “What are you doing here?” I blurted.
“Can I come in?”
“Whatever you have to say to me, you can say from where you are.”
“Okay, if that’s how you want to play this.”
“I don’t want to play anything, so either say what you have to say or leave.”
“As you can see, Landry has been a very busy boy.” She waved her hand at her stomach and mine. “I came to appeal to you, woman to woman, to let him go so he could do the right thing and be a part of our child’s life, but I see now that you might want to ask the same thing of me.”
“You already knew I was pregnant.”
“I can assure you, I
did not.”
“Tackle already told me he told you. There’s nothing for us to discuss.”
“Interesting that you believe he told me about you when he obviously didn’t tell you about me.”
I knew she was attempting to goad me into asking if the baby really was Tackle’s, and I had no intention of falling into her trap.
“You don’t think the baby is his, do you?”
“Who the father of my baby is, is none of your business.”
She smirked. “You know what I meant.”
“We’re done here.” I got the door partway closed when she held up her phone.
“I can prove it to you. I’m sure he’s frantic with worry since he flew all the way out to California to reassure me that he’d be there for me and our baby. I’ll just give him a call, and you can hear for yourself.”
I slammed the door before she could make good on her threat.
28
Tackle
“You’re sure she knew I was coming?”
Ranger glared at me.
“Answer me, goddammit.”
“Fuck off, Tackle.”
“Yes or no?”
“I already told you she did. More than once.”
“So where is she?”
“I wish I knew. Instead of me standing here while you grill me, wouldn’t it make more sense for me to get out there and look for her?”
I picked up the keys to the rental.
“You should stay here in case she comes back.”
After Ranger left, I called Sloane, who didn’t pick up. It didn’t surprise me since, by now, she would be shopping with her mom. I ended the call without leaving a message and called Nick, like I had been every fifteen minutes since I landed and Ranger told me she wasn’t at the house K19 had set her up in. This time, she answered.
“Nick? Where the hell are you?”
“I’m in Chicago.”
“Chicago? What the fuck are you doing there?”
“Why are you swearing at me?”
Tackle (K19 Security Solutions) Page 15
