Enemies and Playmates

by Darcia Helle

  “I guess,” Lauren said. “How was yours?”

  “Perfect. Now I’ll leave you to your work before I get you in trouble.”

  Jesse stood and his right leg buckled under the pressure. He grimaced and grabbed on to the back of the chair.

  “What’s wrong?” Lauren asked.

  “Nothing,” Jesse said. “Just a cramp.”

  “You’re a lousy liar.”

  Jesse waved her off. “It’s nothing.”

  “If it’s nothing, then tell me.”

  “I had a little accident. Work related. I’m fine.”

  “Out with it, Jesse.”

  “You’re working,” Jesse said. “We’ll talk later.”

  “Jesse, don’t do that. What happened?”

  Jesse frowned, shook his head. “Okay, but no freaking out. I caught a bullet on my thigh. Went right through, doesn’t require surgery. I’m fine.”

  Lauren was out of her chair, her heart frantically thumping. “You were shot?”

  “Sorta, yeah.”

  “Sort of? No one can be sort of shot. What happened? Who shot you?”

  Jesse glanced around the busy room. He reluctantly sat back on the chair. “You need to keep your voice down,” he said. “We don’t want to make this news.”

  Lauren sat and took a few deep breaths. “I’m calm now. Tell me what happened.”

  Jesse gave Lauren a condensed version of the earlier events. She could barely believe what he was saying. Her father had actually gone through with it. He’d tried to have Jesse murdered.

  “I can’t believe this is happening,” Lauren said. “You were almost killed. Again.”

  “But I wasn’t,” Jesse said. “So relax, okay?”

  “Relax? How can I relax?”

  “You need to get back to work. I can handle this. Really.”

  “Did you report any of this?”

  “No. Which is why it needs to stay very quiet.”

  Lauren lowered her voice to a soft whisper. “Was someone badly hurt today? Did something more happen than what you’ve told me?”

  Jesse simply looked at her. His expression was all she needed. She said, “You left a lot out of that story.”

  “This isn’t the place.”

  “Jesse…”

  “Please trust me on this.” He pulled her close to him and very quietly said, “This all went down before Forenzi flipped. You know the connections your father has. He already wants me to go down for shooting him. I didn’t have a lot of options.”

  Lauren had a feeling the man who shot Jesse didn’t walk away. Thankfully Jesse had. She held on to that thought. “You’ll tell me everything later?”

  “Everything.”

  “And you’re sure you’re okay? You don’t need to see a doctor?”

  “I’m fine,” Jesse said. “What time do you get off work tonight?”

  “Eight.”

  “I’m going to try to get some work done. I’ll call you later.”

  Jesse gave Lauren a quick kiss. He walked away favoring his right leg. Lauren took a long slow breath, fighting back tears. This was all too crazy for her to even comprehend.

  Lauren was stumbling her way through her last hour at work when Paul Stosh, her boss, approached her desk. “Lauren, could I see you in my office,” he said.

  That too familiar knot tightened in Lauren’s stomach as she followed Paul to his corner office. She sat in the chair he motioned to and waited. She wanted to believe his somber expression was nothing more than a reflection of a busy day. Yet she felt her world was about to crash in around her. If it hadn’t already.

  Paul closed his door, walked to his desk, and paced behind it. He didn’t look at Lauren when he spoke. “This is really hard for me,” he said. “I’ll get straight to the point. We received information today, a tip, and the facts appear to check out. We’re going to run with the story.”

  Paul flicked a glance at Lauren. His cheeks reddened. “This may be rough for you. I don’t know if you’re aware of what’s going on…”

  “Are you talking about my father?” Lauren said.

  “I’m afraid so.” Paul sat down, still not quite meeting Lauren’s eyes. “We just got word that the D.A.’s office is putting a case together and may soon make an arrest.”

  “I know. And it’s correct.”

  “Raymond’s been assigned to the story.” Paul’s tone was almost apologetic. His eyes darted around the room, landing everywhere except Lauren’s face. “I realize this must be hard on you and your family and that this puts you in a difficult position here at the office, but you know, of course, that we have to print the story…”

  “You don’t have to worry about me,” Lauren said. “My father is guilty and it’s about time everyone knew.”

  Paul’s gaze finally landed on Lauren, his eyes full of surprise. Lauren realized the weight of what she’d said. She didn’t regret her words. She only regretted not having spoken them much sooner.

  “You honestly feel that way?” Paul said.

  “Yes. I know all about the charges. They’re all true. Probably much more.”

  “Would you be willing to work with Raymond?”

  “On the article?”

  “Who better?”

  Lauren was speechless. Her first assignment. She’d been waiting a long time for this. But this story? Her father?

  “I’ll certainly understand if you’d rather not,” Paul said. “You’re in a delicate position. I shouldn’t even have put you on the spot by asking. It’s just that your insight would add tremendous depth to the story.”

  “I’ll do it,” Lauren said.

  “You’re sure?”

  “Positive.”

  Lauren drove to Carrie’s apartment in a daze. She’d wanted this since she was a young girl. Her first assignment. She finally had it. But why did it have to be about her father? Why did her entire life revolve around him?

  She swung her Pontiac into the parking lot and mindlessly found an empty space. Would she be able to handle this story? Could she keep her emotions still long enough to work with Raymond? To behave professionally?

  She parked, absently frowning out at the darkness. Her body functioned automatically, as her mind was temporarily lost to the world. How much information did Raymond want to put in this article? And how much was she willing to give? Did Paul and Raymond have any idea what kind of mess they were stepping into?

  Lauren shook her head. They couldn’t possibly know. No one would imagine the truth behind Alex Covington.

  As she stepped out of her car, she came face to face with that man. Her father. “I have nothing to say to you,” she said.

  Alex stepped closer, so close that Lauren could smell the breath mint in his mouth. “Perfect,” Alex said. “You can be quiet and listen. I have been more than tolerant of your crusade against me. Tell your boyfriend to call everything off. Now.”

  “It’s too late.”

  “You don’t want to push me any further. Trust me.”

  “Trust you? I would laugh at that if it wasn’t so ridiculous! You did this to yourself.”

  Alex shoved Lauren against her car. His fingers dug into her shoulder, holding her still. His voice was low and haunted. “Removing Ryder from this planet will be a pleasure. Don’t make me destroy my own daughter in the process.”

  Lauren stared into his ice cold eyes. Her stomach quivered. She could find no words.

  Alex grabbed her face with one hand while the other continued to dig into her shoulder. “You know what I’m capable of,” he said.

  Suddenly tires screeched as a car swerved through the parking lot. Jesse’s car. The Mustang bucked as he slammed to a stop beside them. Before Alex could react, Jesse was out of the car and in his face. “Get your fucking hands off her,” he said.

  Alex dropped his hands from Lauren and turned to face Jesse. “How utterly predictable,” he said. “The hero comes to save the princess once again. Enjoy the glory while you can, Ryder. In this
story, the hero dies at the end.”

  Jesse’s right hand shot out in a blur of motion. The anger behind the jab sent Alex reeling backward, his nose gushing blood. As Alex staggered, Jesse clutched his tie and yanked him forward. The next punch was square in the gut and had Alex stumbling to his knees.

  Lauren gripped Jesse’s arm. His taut muscles were like a trap ready to spring. The rage was a live thing pulsating through him. If she didn’t stop him now, he’d kill her father. Then he’d be the one spending his life in jail.

  “Jesse,” she said. “Let’s go inside. He isn’t worth it.”

  At first Jesse looked as if he would ignore her. But then he met her eyes and something shifted. “Yeah, okay,” he muttered.

  Alex got to his feet. His face was a tight mask of rage. “This is far from over, Ryder.”

  Jesse hesitated but didn’t turn back or respond. He squeezed Lauren’s hand as they quickly strode across the parking lot.

  “Lauren!” Alex called sharply. “You have allowed this man to destroy your family. Remember that you are responsible for the outcome. Your mother? She was innocent in this. You pushed her away from me. All that happens now is because of you.”

  Lauren’s step faltered. She was so close to doing what she had always done. Give in. Let her father win. Let him control her. But Jesse leaned close to her. His voice was low and confident, his breath warm against her ear. He told her to keep walking. Don’t turn. Don’t listen. And a minute later, they were stepping inside the apartment building, leaving her father behind.

  Lauren sat on the couch hugging a pillow while Jesse made her hot chocolate. She wanted nothing more than to end this insanity with her father, to call everything off, walk away forever. But it was too late for that. In truth, it had probably never been an option. From that first day when Jesse had done the unthinkable by standing up to her father, their path had been sealed. He was not about to let them live their lives away from his control.

  So now, no matter what her father threatened her with, no matter how much guilt he threw her way, she couldn’t give in. Even if she went back and begged his forgiveness, nothing would change. She would be crushed under the weight of his thumb. And Jesse would die.

  Her stomach did a little flip. To sit here and acknowledge that her father was capable of murdering the man she loves was not even fully comprehensive.

  All her life Lauren had been on the sidelines of her father’s verbal attacks. She’d watched him destroy Stephen’s spirit, then his life. She’d stood by while her mother had been forced into submission. She’d kept her mouth shut and been the good little girl because that kept the peace. Or so she’d thought.

  For too many years her father’s twisted sense of justice had been law and none of them dared speak against it. She’d been taught to suppress her feelings to the point where she no longer considered herself capable of love. Only recently did she realize how much she could and did feel. She loved and trusted deeply. Instead of taking those emotions away, her father had inadvertently taught her to use them wisely.

  “Here you go,” Jesse said. He handed Lauren a steaming mug of hot chocolate topped with whipped cream. “You okay?”

  “How did you happen to have such good timing tonight?” Lauren asked.

  “I’d been following your father.”

  “Any particular reason?”

  Jesse shrugged, grabbed the remote and switched on the television. “Not really,” he said.

  Lauren studied Jesse’s profile. Sometimes he drove her crazy. When he didn’t want to answer a question, he’d either abruptly change the subject or simply tune her out. He was a master at avoidance. At times he treated her like a fragile flower. Did he think she was incapable of handling the truth? Or was he only protecting her? Were things that much worse than she thought? Was that even possible?

  The front door popped open and Carrie and Gina walked in. They sank into the chairs opposite the couch where Lauren and Jesse sat. Gina’s eyes were red and puffy. She didn’t meet anyone’s eyes.

  “We just came from the police station,” Carrie said.

  “My father…” Gina’s voice was barely audible. “This is all my fault.”

  “It’s not,” Lauren said.

  “He’ll get bail in the morning,” Carrie said. “It was already too late tonight.”

  Gina absently rubbed her stomach. Lauren looked away, reminded of that ever-growing life, her half-brother or sister. How was she going to feel about this innocent baby? How was Gina going to handle being a mother, a single mother, to a baby the father wanted no part of?

  A father who would be in jail for a very long time.

  A father who deserved to be dead.

  “I’m starving,” Jesse said. “Anyone up for pizza?”

  Gina smiled through her tears. “Sounds good.”

  Lauren turned her attention back to Jesse. She was still annoyed, though not angry. Things were happening that he wasn’t telling her about. She told herself that the reason he’d been following her father was no longer important. He had been there when she needed him, like he always was. And now he was doing his best to create some sort of normalcy in her life.

  As they ate, Lauren decided to spring her news on them. With all the commotion, she’d nearly forgotten herself. “I got my first real assignment today,” she said.

  “Seriously?” Gina said.

  Lauren nodded. “I’ll be working with Raymond Sabian.”

  “Congratulations!” Jesse, Carrie, and Gina exclaimed in unison.

  Jesse pulled Lauren close and kissed her cheek. “What took you so long to tell us?” he said. “That’s great news. We should be celebrating with champagne and sex.”

  Lauren blanched while Carrie and Gina giggled. Jesse laughed, nudging Lauren. “I meant you and me alone, of course. ‘Cause you know I couldn’t handle all of you.”

  Lauren rolled her eyes. “Good Lord.”

  “So tell us the details,” Carrie said.

  Lauren recounted her conversation with her boss. She shook her head, still slightly amazed and more than a little apprehensive. She said, “I don’t know if I can keep my personal opinions separate from the facts.”

  “I’m not so sure they want you to,” Jesse said.

  “Yeah,” Carrie said. “Your boss probably wants an inside feel to the story. He wants that edge only you can give.”

  “You’ll do an incredible job,” Jesse said. “You’ll blow this Raymond guy right off the article.”

  Lauren laughed. She did realize the opportunity she had. She could write an article no one could ever come close to, one that her boss couldn’t imagine in his wildest dreams. Sure, it would be full of emotion and personal opinions. But it would also be full of facts.

  Did she want to risk putting her raw emotions on the line? To expose herself and her family in that way?

  What would her father do if she told everything? A lifetime of secrets.

  Wouldn’t it, in some way, buy her safety? And Jesse’s? Would the truth ultimately buy them freedom?

  She wrestled with her thoughts privately while the conversation went on around her. As she thought about it, her confidence grew. She was going to do it. If her boss and Raymond agreed, she was going to give them a story they’d never forget.

  28

  “I can’t stop the investigation,” Barnes said. “It’s out of my hands.”

  Alex slammed his fist against his desk. His coffee mug rattled and the cold dark liquid sloshed against the sides. His house was quiet and in total darkness aside from the glow of the lamp in the corner of his den. Almost midnight. The police would have their warrant in a few short hours.

  “Fine,” Alex said. “Then we’ll fix this. Nothing will stick. When I’m finished, the D.A. will be making a public apology.”

  Captain James Barnes sat rigid in the sleek recliner. “I did what I could,” he said. “But Ryder kept pushing and then Forenzi opened his damn mouth. That was a shock. Of course the D.A. had
to go with it.”

  “I need a drink.” Alex said.

  He crossed the room to the wet bar and poured two shots of thirty-year-old Macallan whiskey. He handed one to Barnes and lifted his glass in a mock toast. He drank in one long swallow, enjoying the burn as the liquid raced down his throat.

  “At least Kristen isn’t talking,” Barnes said. “That’s one thing I was able to straighten out. She should be lost somewhere in California by now.”

  “Incompetent fools,” Alex muttered. “One dead, one useless. Losing Martin unexpectedly left me squandering for last minute replacements, none of which have been effective.”

  “But Forenzi’s been with you a long time,” Barnes said. “I’m surprised he couldn’t handle Ryder. And this sudden turn around. Frankly, I didn’t see it coming. I never would have pegged Forenzi for a snitch.”

  “He was a large part of this operation,” Alex said. “The man is street smart. Turning on me was not something I anticipated. Until recently Forenzi was a man who would have taken a bullet rather than break down and cooperate with the police. That was merely one of the qualities that made him such a valuable asset.”

  Alex poured himself another shot of whiskey and quickly drank it down. He said, “Sadly, Forenzi has fallen into a heavy drug habit. I was aware of it, of course. Had Martin not loved speed more than his life, I would have parted ways with Forenzi. Drug use makes one too unpredictable. Having had no immediate options, however, I was forced to rely on Forenzi’s services.”

  “I feel like we’re caught in a whirlpool,” Barnes said. “And Ryder is the only one with a guardian angel helping him walk on water.”

  “He’s smart,” Alex said. “I’ll give him that. A quick thinker. I would have liked to have him on our team. However, he will go down. I know his weakness, his Achilles heel. Ryder needs to be approached from his blind spot. We need to use that to our full advantage.”

  “Which is?”

  “My daughter.”

  Barnes swallowed the remainder of his whiskey. He stared down into the empty glass, said nothing.