“I called my old hotel and no one’s been looking for me, so I guess Johnny was really working alone.”
“There’s been no word of any bodies washing up on the beach, so yeah, I guess we’re in the clear. That dude was probably some friend of Herbert Dyer’s just like he said, still, we should lay low for now.”
“It’s too bad about Roberts though, that Brisbee scam was making us rich.”
“Yeah, I’ll have to work on finding another one like him, but in the meantime, we’ll just hang loose.”
Angie smiled.
“Maybe I will go to The Bahamas then,”
“On your own dime?”
“With so many lonely stupid men around? Don’t be silly, one blowjob and they’ll buy me a plane ticket.”
Boone finished his drink and grabbed Angie’s wrist.
“Speaking of blowjobs, let’s go out to my car.”
***
Boone had parked in a back corner of the lot. His car was a rental, a new Lincoln that was large and gold-colored.
Angie climbed into the passenger seat, but as soon as she pulled the door closed, Boone wrapped an arm around her waist and yanked her over to his side, to then wrap the fingers of one rough hand around her neck.
Angie’s neck was dainty, but it was the massive size of Boone’s hands that made it possible for him to almost encircle her entire neck one-handed.
“What did I do wrong?” Angie whined.
Boone was behind her, with her back pressed against his chest, and so he whispered in her ear.
“You didn’t do a damn thing wrong, darlin’, this is just a little warning talk, that’s all.”
“What? Warn me about what?”
Boone sighed.
“It’s my own fault; I never should have let you see where I live.”
“Boone, I would never tell anybody where—”
Boone tightened his grip and caused Angie to stiffen in pain.
“I’m talkin’ darlin’, not you.”
Angie tried to nod in agreement, but couldn’t move her head while locked in Boone’s grip.
“See, here’s the thing, if anybody comes lookin’ for me over this Brisbee thing, I’ll know it was you who sent them, and you can go to The Bahamas, or even Mount Fujiyama, and honey, I will find you, and I will make you wish I’d killed you right now, or don’t you remember what I did to that fella in New Orleans last year?”
Angie did remember, and the thought of that fate being her own caused her to whimper.
Boone laughed.
“Yeah, I taught that boy good now, didn’t I?”
The back of Boone’s hand grew wet from Angie’s tears, and when he released her, he wiped his hand on her skirt, as she coughed and wheezed air into her lungs.
“Look at those tears. How come you never cry for the marks?”
“They don’t matter, only you and I matter,” Angie said, and her voice was husky with pain and fear.
Boone leaned back in his seat and lit a cigar.
“I think I’ll head out on my boat tomorrow, maybe catch a few Marlins,”
“Can I come with you?” Angie asked, although it was the last thing she wanted to do.
“Nah, Darlin’, I think I’ll grab some me time.”
“Boone.”
“Yeah?”
“My money, I know you say you’re just holding it for me, but when can I have it?”
Boone’s eyes narrowed as he stared at her.
“You don’t trust me?”
“It’s not that, I... I’d just like to know when I’ll be getting it, so I can have something to look forward to, you know?”
“I’ll give you five grand of it the next time I see you, how’s that?”
“That’s good, but there’s lots more, right?”
Boone nodded in agreement, but when he said nothing else, Angie opened her door.
“Where are you going?”
“Back inside.”
“Didn’t you forget something?”
Angie gave him a puzzled look, and Boone gazed downward.
“Oh! Sorry, I forgot,”
She reached over, unzipped him, and lowered her head.
CHAPTER 18
San Diego
Summer took a seat on the side of her bed and opened an envelope that Todd had sent her.
Inside were three handwritten pages listing the crimes they had committed while together, everything from lying to authorities, to arson, and murder.
The list was longer than Summer would have imagined and seeing it all spelled out in chronological order caused her to relive the moments prior to those acts, along with the sense of desperation that made them seem necessary.
And they had been necessary, at least, that’s what she told herself.
The most disturbing thing about the list was not its length, but rather the fact that each item was preceded by a chapter heading. Chapter One — How I really won my Bronze Medal. Chapter Two — Summer and I rob a gas station in Georgia, just for kicks.
Todd threatened to write a book, and it seemed he was actually doing it, and the fool had mailed these pages to her. What if it had been ripped open or delivered to the wrong person?
Summer took the sheets into the kitchen and burnt them in the sink.
Afterwards, she went on her computer and bought a plane ticket. It was time to go see Todd and get him to be quiet, and if he wouldn’t cooperate...
Summer banished “What if’s” from her mind and packed a bag for her trip.
***
With the babies asleep and all their guests settled into their rooms, Jessica and her husband sat by the pool and sipped on wine.
“It’s been quite a day,” Jessica said.
“Not exactly the relaxing vacation we’d thought it be, no?”
“No, but this is better. The beach is lovely and it’s relaxing to sit here by the pool, but after a solid week of doing nothing I think I’d be bored out of my mind.”
“What are Keri’s plans after we leave? It doesn’t sound like she has much money.”
“She’s gone through everything but her daughter’s college fund while searching for her, but she’s an RN, and so it shouldn’t be hard for her to find a job soon.”
“And Autumn?”
“She and Keri have bonded, where Keri goes, Autumn goes.”
They sipped more wine in silence, while the sound of a ship’s horn could be heard in the distance.
Jessica put down her glass and took her husband’s hand.
“I want this house, do you?”
“Yes, even though we’ll spend little time here.”
“And when we’re not here, what do we do with it, shut it up tight?”
“I’ll hire a company to keep an eye on it; there are places that do that sort of work.”
“I have another option in mind.”
“What’s that?”
“I want to offer it to Keri. She could live here as sort of a caretaker, her and Autumn.”
“We barely know them.”
“True, but I took a liking to Keri quickly, and Autumn is a lovely girl who’s had it rough, she needs a home.”
He took a sip of wine, then, nodded his head.
“All right, offer it to them. It’s actually better for the home to have someone living in it anyway.”
“I also want to make it available for the family to use anytime.”
“I figured that,” he said, and stood. “I should get some sleep. I have to leave early.”
“How dangerous are these people you’re going after?”
“They’re dangerous, even the woman, she was the one who pushed Jack overboard and tried to kill him.”
“Don’t take chances,”
“I won’t, or prisoners.”
“You plan to kill them?”
“I’ll likely have to, especially the man. Jack thinks he’s the type to just keep coming at you.”
“How long do you think you’ll be gone?”
<
br /> “Two days at the most. Once the woman talks, I’ll either find the man or I won’t, but the fact that she hasn’t disappeared completely tells me that he’s still around too, and if he is, he’s mine.”
Jessica stood, fell into his arms, and kissed him.
“You’re going to get a little less sleep than you thought.”
They walked inside while hand-in-hand and retired to the master bedroom.
CHAPTER 19
An hour before first light, Jace rose from Maggie’s bed and groped in the dark for his clothes.
As he sat on the side of the bed to put on his sneakers, he heard a sleepy voice.
“You really have to leave this early?”
“Yeah, we want to start checking out the marinas before all the boats leave.”
“What time will you be back?” Maggie said.
“I don’t know, and if we find him, we may just live on his boat until we can get them alone.”
“Be careful, Cassandra and Kelly don’t look like they would be much help in a fight.”
“You got that right, but Lawson sent them down here with me, so they must have some game going on.”
Maggie sat up and hugged him from behind.
“I’ll miss you.”
“I’ll miss you too, baby, but this won’t be anything compared to when you go off to college.”
“I know, but you could come with me if I get into Harvard. Lawson could probably find work for you there, but something safer, like working security for a private company.”
Jace laughed.
“I’d be bored to death in a regular job, but don’t worry, we’ll make it work.”
They kissed, and then Jace slipped out of the house to find Cassandra and Kelly waiting for him by their rental.
Cassandra checked the time on her phone.
“You’re three minutes late.”
“But worth waiting for,” Jace said.
Cassandra tried to hide her smile, but it was in her voice when she spoke.
“Just climb in the back so we can get going.”
“We’re not the first ones up,” Kelly said. “I heard Dr. White’s husband leaving earlier.”
“He’s going after a bit of payback for a friend of ours,” Jace said.
“I thought he was on vacation?” Cassandra said.
“Yo, my boy’s like me, always ready for action.”
Cassandra turned and stared at him.
“What sort of action?”
Jace stared back.
“Whatever comes up,”
Cassandra smiled, but when she turned back around, she saw Kelly staring at her.
“What?”
“You’re shameless, that’s what,”
“You two say something?”
“Nothing we wanted you to hear. That’s why we were whispering,” Cassandra said.
Jace stretched out across the back seat.
“Whatever, wake me when we get there.”
Kelly whispered again.
“He’s got a girlfriend.”
“I know.”
“But you don’t care?”
“I... he’s just so... what the hell is wrong with me?”
“Spring fever,”
“I hope so, because that goes away,”
“And if it doesn’t go away?”
Cassandra sighed.
“Let’s just find the people we’re after and go back home, then, I’ll probably never see him again.”
“Yes, but in the meantime, you have to pretend to be his girlfriend, can you do that, keep it pretend, I mean?”
“Yes.”
“Good, now, help me keep an eye out for a Starbucks or something, I need coffee.”
“I’ll take mine black,” Jace said, and when Cassandra realized he’d likely heard every word they had whispered, she slunk down in her seat and turned red.
***
South of Miami, Angie Ward woke to find a wet cloth clamped over her nose and mouth, as the cold steel of a blade was laid against her throat.
The drug she was forced to breathe put her out in seconds, but not before she got a glimpse of intense eyes glaring down at her, and before the day was over, she would learn that there were worse fates than the one Boone had promised her, and a man far deadlier than her partner.
Jessica’s husband had just begun his quest to avenge Jack Beck.
CHAPTER 20
While checking her email, Jessica saw a message from Caliber Investigations in Texas, the company that was handling the search for her husband’s lost brother.
The message informed her that Michael Wheeler would be returning home soon and would like to meet Amanda, and also her husband.
When she showed the message to Amanda, she saw conflicting emotions dance across her face. There was joy at possibly being reunited with her son, but there was trepidation there as well.
“Oh, I can’t wait to meet him, and at the same time it makes me nervous. Do you think he’ll blame me, that he’ll think I abandoned him?”
“No, you’ve read his letter, he seems eager to meet you, and remember, there’s a chance that he’s not your son.”
“I don’t know about that. That old blanket he sent me was definitely one my mother made.”
“Did she only make them for your sons?”
“No, but she only began knitting them when we were at the compound, and afterwards, well... I have no idea what became of my parents.”
“Maybe that should be our next search?”
Amanda shook her head adamantly.
“No, I never want to see them again. They handed me over to that monster Billy Gant as if I were property. No Jessica, once I find my son, I’m done with the past.”
“I’ll write back and tell Caliber to arrange a meeting with him. How does the week after we return from vacation sound?”
“That’s fine, and I can’t wait to meet him.”
“I’ll also schedule meetings with the other two candidates, then, when the DNA results come back we’ll already be acquainted with the right one.”
Where are the other two located?”
“One is in New York City and the other is in a small town in California.”
Amanda smiled.
“One of them is likely my son, oh Jessica, I can’t wait to get my baby back.”
“I can sympathize fully,” Keri said, as she entered the room carrying Emma, while beside her, Autumn carried Liam.
Earlier, Jessica had shocked Keri by asking her to become a caretaker for the vacation home, and Keri told her that she would gladly do it, but wouldn’t take a stipend or any remuneration at all, since it was kindness enough to give her a free place to live.
Keri also planned to go back to work as a nurse part-time, while the rest of her time would be spent searching for Rachel.
When Amanda tried to take her grandson from Autumn, the little boy shook his head no and clung to her.
“Will you look at that, he really has a crush on you.”
Autumn grinned.
“I know, he follows me everywhere.”
Keri looked at Jessica.
“Is there any news?”
“Not yet, but they’ve just started.”
“Jace, Cassandra, and especially Kelly, they’re all so young, are you sure they can handle themselves around someone like this Sonny, or Junior, or whatever he’s calling himself now.”
Jessica smiled in reassurance.
“Each of them is more than capable, the hard part will be locating him.”
***
Jace took off his sunglasses and rubbed his eyes after spending the last few hours checking boats at three different marinas.
He was working alone as he and the girls had agreed to split up to cover more ground. Since their areas were next to each other, Cassandra suggested that Jace meet her for lunch at a sandwich shop near the pier, and as he approached it, he saw her coming from the other way.
“Anything?” Cassandra asked.
“Just sore feet, and I’m hungry too.”
Jace opened the door for Cassandra and she gave him a smile.
“A gentlemen, how unexpected,”
“Yeah, this whole trip has been full of surprises.”
They got their sandwiches and took them outside where they ate at a table with a beach umbrella, to keep the hot sun out, as before them laid the marina, with its dozens of sparkling and colorful craft.
They talked about themselves as they ate, and Cassandra was fascinated by Jace’s story.
“You robbed a bank?”
“Attempted to, but I got busted.”
“Then, why aren’t you in prison?”
Jace told her about his uncle, about wanting to follow in his footsteps as both a mercenary and a criminal.
“And you were only seventeen?”
“Yeah,”
“I don’t agree with his career choices, but it sounds like your uncle loved you a lot.”
Jace sat his drink down and stared at her.
“You really get that?”
“Yes, I mean, you said he took care of you when your parents wouldn’t. That sounds like love to me. Do you miss him?”
“Hell yeah, he was my best friend, and he taught me everything I know about weapons and hand-to-hand combat.”
“He saw the world as a brutal place and tried to prepare you for it, I get that.”
“Is that how you see the world?”
Cassandra broke eye contact.
“I try not to, and up until I was fourteen, I was the happiest kid in the world.”
“What happened then?” Jace asked in a soft voice, sensing that the subject was a sensitive one.
“I was abducted and raped by a neighbor.”
He took her hand for a moment.
“Hey, I’m sorry for asking. I doubt you like talking about it.”
“No, but now you understand why I go after people like this man we’re looking for. It takes a special kind of sick bastard to hurt a child.”
“I’m ready to work on this for as long as Lawson lets me, but if this Sonny dude has booked and taken his boat out to sea, he could be gone for weeks or longer.”
“Maybe, but Autumn said she spotted his boat in the area just a few days ago, and there’s a huge tropical storm northeast of here that’s headed this way. I think there’s a good chance that he’ll be seeking shelter at a marina by tonight instead of staying out at sea, of course, there’s always the chance he went south, but there’s a second storm system brewing off the coast of Mexico too.”
The TAKEN! Series - Books 13-16 (Taken! Box Set Book 4) Page 40
