Alexi sucked in air. The man sounded as if he didn’t want his ex-wife to know he existed. “No. Why are you hiding? Why haven’t you come to see the most wonderful little girl in the world whose greatest wish is to have a daddy for her own?”
Jonah stood. “I wish you hadn’t come. You won’t understand. I left Karin and Lucy because I’m a drunk. Before I left I got so drunk one night that I beat Karin. For years I wandered around hating myself until I found this place and O’Malley. I’m doing what I can for Lucy when I can. I’m no good at relationships. Lucy and Karin are better off without me.”
Jesse’s gut clenched as he heard Alexi’s gasp in response to Jonah’s words. Up until Jonah’s last sentence, Jesse wanted to pound the man into the ground. What kind of guy copped out of life like that? But Jonah’s last confession hit too close to Jesse’s own words. I suck at relationships.
Jesse stood and looked Jonah in the eye. “Here’s the deal. Lucy is dying. Lucy wants her father and I don’t think she gives a rat’s ass if that father is perfect. But more importantly, has it ever occurred to you that you could be the one person on this earth to save her life? Since she’s your daughter, odds are you’d be a good donor match. Are you going to hide here when there’s a chance you can save her?”
Jonah looked shocked. “They’d use me? After all the rot gut I’ve consumed?”
“How long have you been sober?”
“Three years.”
“Then you won’t know the answer to your question until you see Lucy’s doctors, will you?” His question hung in the air so long that Jesse thought an eon had passed rather than seconds. He knew Jonah Taylor was going to Memorial Hospital ASAP even if Jesse had to tie the man up and cart him there.
Jonah took off the apron covering his worn clothes and thin frame. “I’ll come now.”
With Jonah along, he didn’t have the opportunity to say anything personal to Alexi. And they desperately needed to talk. More now than ever before. Jesse couldn't get Jonah’s excuse for not being in Lucy’s life out of his head. Those words pointed an ugly finger in his direction and it turned Jesse’s stomach to view himself in that light.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
When they arrived at the hospital, Alexi learned that Lucy’s condition had slightly improved. Karin’s reaction at seeing her ex-husband was guarded, but even she agreed that if Jonah qualified to be Lucy’s donor it would be the miracle she’d been praying for.
Lucy was stable and Karin was at the bedside. Lucy’s doctors admitted Jonah into the hospital to run the tests to determine if he could be Lucy’s kidney donor. Nan left to work her shift in the Labor and Delivery, leaving Alexi alone with Jesse. She reached for a magazine the minute Nan disappeared. Jesse caught her hand before she picked one.
“We need to talk.”
“Okay,” she said, sucking in air to brace herself.
“Not here. Will you come to my place?”
She raised her gaze to his. “Only if we won’t—”
“Hell, Lexi. Don’t expect freaking miracles.” His eyes were burning with passion—a passion that sent a fusion of heat straight to her core.
“Then I can’t—”
“We’ll talk first, okay? And if you want to leave after we talk, I’ll take you home.” Jesse held out his hand and Alexi put her hand in his, wondering where he would lead her.
Jesse’s cell phone rang and he cursed as he answered. He didn’t want anything to stop him from telling Lexi what he had to. “This had better be important.”
“Hey, boss,” Paul said. “You won’t believe what I’ve found out about the Sugar Girls cleaning service.”
“Try me.”
“They specialize in supplying their customers with multiple partners, up to eight women. Three women for an hour will cost you three hundred; eight for an hour is eight hundred. All under the guise of a typical suburban house cleaning company.”
Jesse smiled. “I think you’ve opened the nut that will crack this stalker case for Alexi. Take five for yourself tonight, and I’ll touch base with you tomorrow.”
“What about guarding Alexi?”
Jesse looked directly into Alexi’s eyes and said with conviction. “She’s with me.” He ended the call.
“I’m with you until we talk,” Alexi said. A heavy weight settled on his gut. Hopefully it wasn’t too late. The kiss in front of the church had given him hope, and he held on to that as he accepted another delay, an important one. He couldn’t remember the date of the Sugar Girls invoice he’d given back to Robert Jordan, but he had a damn good idea what might have gone on. “We need to go see your father, Lexi.”
“Why?”
“I’ll explain when we get there, but I might know who’s behind the nude photos of Roger and maybe everything else too.”
Alexi paled. “Who? Not my father.”
“God, no. Your father might still have a paper I gave him that’ll help. First let me see if I’m right before I spill any names, okay?”
“Are you sure—” He stopped her question with a finger her lips.
“I’m sure. Trust me?”
“I do. But that doesn’t mean I’ll stop thinking for myself or stop asking questions when I’m trying to understand. You can’t go off the deep end every time I do.”
“Like after the auction?”
“Yes, but maybe we were both at fault there. I remembered later that I’d taken the camera to the gallery to document several donations after we returned from France. The camera stayed in my office that day and night. Anyone with access to the gallery could have downloaded pictures from it. You didn’t send the camera back with my things. Why?”
“It’s at the lab being fingerprinted, but if I’m right we aren’t going to need that for proof.”
A short while later, they entered Alexi’s house. Alexi’s father greeted them, kissing Alexi’s cheek. The new warmth between Alexi and her father surprised Jesse.
“Where’s Grandmother?”
“Right here.” Katherine Jordan marched into the foyer. Alexi stepped forward and kissed her grandmother. Jesse almost smiled at the “Be Nice” he heard Alexi whisper.
Robert Jordan offered his hand and Jesse shook it.
“I take it you and my daughter have decided to work on your differences?”
“We’re going to talk,” Alexi said. “And then we’ll see.”
“Right,” Jesse said sucking in air. “Do you still have that invoice I gave to you before flying to France for Alexi?”
“Hmm. I think it’s on my desk. Why?”
“If you don’t mind, I need to see it. That paper might be the key to finding out who is terrorizing Alexi.”
“Good Lord!” Robert Jordan left for his office and everyone followed. Robert handed Jesse the invoice and Jesse zeroed in on the date of service the Sugar Girls had charged Jordan Shipping. The date was three days before Alexi’s wedding.
Jesse looked at Alexi. “You mentioned the nude photos of Roger had a digital date on them. What was that day?”
Alexi told Jesse. “It was three days before our wedding.”
Jesse handed the invoice to Alexi. “Is that the day?”
She looked at the paper and frowned. “Yes, but what—”
Jesse sighed. “It’s Benny, Alexi.”
“Benny!” Robert and Katherine Jordan shouted in surprise.
“Benny has done this?” Alexi said doubtfully.
Jesse nodded. “Remember Benny dropping the files when the elevator doors opened, Lexi?”
“Yes.”
“Do you remember me picking up a piece of paper in the elevator after we left?”
A deep frown furrowed her brow as she thought. “Yes, now that you mention it I do.”
Jesse nodded at the invoice and handed it to Robert Jordan. “Sugar Girls is a call girl service that caters especially in multiple—uh you get the idea. My guess is Benny hired them to get dirt on Roger. Benny obviously intended to stop you from marrying Roger. Mayb
e so he could step into Roger’s place in your life after he comforted you. But things backfired when I showed up and you left home. The vandalism was meant to frighten you into coming back home. There’s only one minor hang-up in this theory. Roger has the Sugar Girls clean his house every night. Weekends included. I don’t think he was behind his own nude photos, but became hooked on what Benny introduced him to.”
Robert Jordan stared at the invoice, his face turning an angry red. “Let’s see what Benny has to say about this.”
“I’ll come with you,” Jesse said. “He might not take too friendly to being found out.”
Alexi grabbed Jesse’s arm. “I’m coming, too.”
“Don’t think you all are leaving me behind, “ Katherine Jordan said then narrowed her eyes. “I’m reserving judgment here. God help you if you’re lying, because I’ll ruin you.”
“Yes, ma’am. If I am, you be sure to do that,” Jesse said grinning. It occurred to him that it was women as implacable as Katherine Jordan who pioneered America. Backbone and plain old cursed stubbornness was what it took to survive and Alexi’s grandmother was definitely a relic to be endured. To say cherish would have been asking too much. They all followed Robert Jordan to the Whitaker home next door.
A myopic Golden Girl answered the door. “Mrs. Whitaker,” Alexi said. “Can you tell Benny that I’d like to see him?”
“Why Alexi, it’s good to see you. Come in, dear.” Benny’s mother opened the door wider and frowned when she saw Robert Jordan. “Aren’t you supposed to be in New York with Benny?”
“New York?” Jordan frowned.
“Yes, for some week long convention. Benny left late last night.”
“Do you know where he’s staying? How we can reach him?” Alexi asked.
“No, but oh, he did give me a letter to mail to you. He specified for me to mail it tomorrow, but I don’t guess it will hurt to give it to you now. Come on in and I’ll get it.”
Seeing the invoice had sent fingers of doubt through Alexi’s mind. But on the way over, she kept telling herself, that this was Benny. He was almost like a brother to her. Then to find Benny gone made Alexi’s stomach sink to her feet. She opened the letter with shaking hands.
“Dear Alexi,
I’m sorry I was never good enough for you. Things weren’t supposed to turn out this way. I love you and I thought that once Roger proved his unfaithfulness, you’d realize that you loved me, too. And it would have happened if it wasn’t for that bastard Weldon.”
A cold chill stole through her heart and she had to force herself to read the rest. Jesse leaned over her shoulder to read.
“I saw him with you in your bedroom years ago, and knew he’d destroy you. I had to protect you. Instead of setting him up for robbery, I should have eliminated him permanently. Then we might have had a chance. But I wasn’t good enough, didn’t do it right. So, I’ve taken my share of Jordan Shipping. I’ve worked there all of these years because I knew once we married, the business would be mine.”
There was more. The letter went on for another two pages. But Alexi was too sick to her stomach to read the rest now. She handed the letter to her father.
“Mrs. Whitaker, we think Benny might need some help. Would you mind letting us look around to see if we can discover where he might have gone?” Jesse voice was tight, gravely serious.
“What kind of help?” Benny’s mother asked as she motioned them to follower her.
“We’re not sure yet,” Jesse said.
Alexi thanked God that Jesse was here, that he was being so gentle with Benny’s mother. It was all Alexi could do to put one foot in front of other. She felt numb with disbelief. How could she have never realized? One look at her father and grandmother’s faces told her that they felt the same. A walk through the house didn’t reveal anything. Jesse asked to see Benny’s bedroom.
Mrs. Whitaker frowned. “Benny’s room is his castle. He doesn’t let anyone disturb his things. Says he likes them just the way they are.”
“Please?” Alexi asked through the tightness in her throat. “This is important.”
“Very well. We’ll just look, but we can’t disturb anything.”
When they reached Benny’s room Alexi’s heart began to thump with fear. A picture of her sleeping in her bed was pinned to a huge bulletin board. On Benny’s desk were albums of pictures taken of her in her room over the years, during what she thought had been her most private moments.
“How?” she murmured.
“This is how. His avid bird watching was only a ruse,” Jesse said, pointing to a grouping of telescopes by Benny’s window. Alexi walked over. Benny’s window looked directly into her window. The telescopes were aimed there. She shuddered and went to push the telescope away. Jesse caught her hand. “Don’t touch anything,” he whispered. “Given the seriousness of the attack at Nan’s, the police will need to be told. We now know what happened twelve years ago. But I’m afraid this gets worse. Your name is on about a hundred discs here and all of them are consecutively dated.” Jesse popped in a DVD into the computer. It was dated one month ago. Alexi immediately appeared on screen. She was in her bathroom, drying off after stepping from the shower.
“He has cameras in your house,” Jesse said, grimly.
Alexi cried out. Mrs. Whitaker fainted. Robert Jordan cursed and Jesse barely resisted putting his fist through the computer screen as he ejected the DVD. It killed him to leave the evidence there, knowing the cops were going to have a field day “reviewing” the evidence, but he couldn’t destroy it.
They called an ambulance for Mrs. Whitaker and the police. Jesse let Paul know they’d found the guilty “bird” but he’d flown the coop. It was over an hour before they made it back to the Jordan’s house. The police went upstairs to find and document the cameras and they all retired to Robert Jordan’s office. The man was flushed and visibly shaken. Jesse asked him if he was all right.
“No,” Robert Jordan said. “Not only did I force you into the military by refusing to listen to you twelve years ago, but my stubbornness has made my daughter the target of a psycho. We’re lucky Benny hasn’t killed anyone, yet. He and I have been investigating several employees at the shipping company for embezzling. It was Benny all along. I can’t believe it. I just can’t believe I was that blind to what he was.”
Katherine Jordan was grim after hearing the story. She didn’t apologize for the past, but went right to the heart of the matter. “You will be guarding my granddaughter until this situation is over, right?” Katherine Jordan raised a demanding brow.
Jesse nodded at her. “Yes, ma’am. For a fee.”
Katherine Jordan gasped.
“Time to pay me, Lexi,” Jesse took Alexi’s hand and started pulling her from the room. “We’ll start with a kiss.”
“Alexandria Jordan, that man is no gentleman!” Katherine shouted.
“I know,” Alexi yelled back.
“Tell the police they can talk to Alexi tomorrow if they have more questions.” Jesse could see that Alexi had had all she could take for the moment. Besides, they had to talk.
* * *
The second they walked into Jesse’s house, he turned to her. The silence on the drive home had him crazy with fear. Fear that she wouldn’t understand where he was coming from, that what he had to offer her wouldn’t be enough. That he wouldn’t be good enough for her.
“Lex, I—hell I don’t know how to say this.” He raked his hair with an unsteady hand. “I’m not a man who puts golden labels on things and wraps them up in fancy ribbons. This week without you has been the worst of my life and I need you.”
Alexi crossed her arms and leaned against the door as if she wasn’t going to give him an inch. His heart thudded hard in his chest.
“What does ‘I need you’ mean?” Alexi asked. “You want me in your bed one more time?” She shut her eyes so he wouldn’t see the pain in hers. Her love for him had no basis in reason. She knew that at this moment she’d settle for that
one more time to be with him.
He grabbed her shoulders. “No,” he said harshly. “Not just one more time, I want hundreds, thousands, millions if we can. Hell, woman I’m telling you that I’m ready to bite the damn apple for you.”
“Bite the apple?” She shook her head confused. “What—”
“The freaking thing Adam did for Eve in the damn pictures I bought. He joined his fate with Eve.”
Alexi blinked. “Are you saying you love me?”
“Yes, I love you. I want you and I promise to do my best not to suck at relationships anymore. We’re still going to work out the nude picture kink, but as long as we do it together, I think we can reach a middle ground over this trust problem. Do you want to give us a try, Sunshine?”
“Yes!” She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tight.
He found her lips and kissed her hard. “I love you,” he whispered. “I love you so much it hurts.”
A chilling laugh sounded from behind them. “How sweet,” said Benny in a high pitched voice. “Too bad you can’t have her. She’s mine, or was mine until you soiled her.”
Jesse swung around, putting himself between Alexi and danger. Behind them, the front door was shut but still unlocked. Benny stood in the doorway to the bedroom with an axe in his hand and a crazed gleam in his eyes.
“You aren’t supposed to be with him, Alexi,” Benny said. “Now you’ll have to die too.”
“Benny!” Alexi cried, grabbing Jesse’s arm as if she meant to thrust him behind her. Jesse didn’t budge, but used the distraction she provided to slip his keys from his pocket and speed dial Paul, leaving the phone in his pocket. Paul would hopefully pick up and hear what was going on.
“You…you can’t mean this…you can’t do this,” Alexi said, trying to make Benny see reason. “Stop now and we can help you…we can fix this.”
Jesse knew there would be no easy way out of this. He pushed Alexi back, managing to shove his car keys into her hand at the same time. He had a gun in his car and a gun in the bedroom, but not one on him. He figured he had about thirty seconds to make this surprise deal work.
“You should listen to her. Walk away now and the cops can only nail you for embezzling, something they may or may not try to extradite you from another country for, if you make it there. Add murder and you’re SOL. Jordan will hunt you to the ends of the earth.”
Wild Irish (Book 1 of the Weldon Brothers Series) Page 25
