Just Breathe (The Protectors Book 2)

by Leeanna Morgan

  Tanner looked at the map on the table. It showed the Underground Railroad routes used by slaves. “Boston was the closest Mary would have been able to take Abagail. Alexander owned a home in Boston which would have given Mary a reason for traveling there.”

  “She was part of Abagail’s escape plan,” Kelly said in awe. “Do you think Mary gave her the silver teapot and tray before she left?”

  Erin frowned. “She could have, but I wouldn’t have thought that was the type of thing you’d take with you when you were running away. If Abagail got caught, someone might think she’d stolen it.”

  Kelly pointed to the bottom of Abagail’s marriage record. “The handwriting is difficult to read, but look who one of the witnesses was at her wedding.”

  “Mary Elizabeth Jackson,” Tanner murmured. “What on earth happened after Abagail left Boston?”

  Kelly’s eyes filled with tears. “Mary kept in contact with her. She wasn’t left to look after herself. The teapot and tray could have been a wedding gift.”

  Erin took another page out of the folder. “Abagail called herself Abagail Jackson. She knew exactly who her father was. He wasn’t one of the witnesses at her wedding, so I assume he either didn’t know she was alive or he wanted nothing to do with her.”

  Kelly sighed. “If it hadn’t been for Mary, Abagail’s life could have been completely different.”

  “Especially after she saw the letter her father left on his desk.”

  Tanner sat forward. “Let’s assume that Alexander did write the letter telling someone he’d killed Anton Jackson. We still don’t know who Alexander really was.”

  “We might.” Erin handed Tanner the last sheet of paper. “This is Alexander Jackson’s baptismal record. Most children were baptized in the first twelve months of their life. Alexander wasn’t baptized until he was eight years old.”

  Kelly looked at the photocopy. “That’s the year after he started living with the Jackson family. His biological parents’ names are on the register.”

  Erin took a deep breath. “Claude did a little digging into Alexander Jackson’s biological family. I think I know why Senator Jackson doesn’t want anyone knowing about the journal.”

  Kelly looked at Erin’s pale face. “Why?”

  “Alexander’s biological father was the head of an Irish gang living in Boston. His descendants are still part of the biggest Irish-American organized crime family on the East Coast. Senator Jackson doesn’t want details of Abagail’s life becoming public knowledge because someone might do exactly what we’ve done. If his name is even remotely linked to organized crime, his chance of becoming the Minority Leader of the Senate is in jeopardy. He’s fighting for his future.”

  Kelly stared open-mouthed at Erin. “Are you sure?”

  “Claude double-checked.”

  Tanner stared at Kelly. “We need to talk.”

  She didn’t know what he had in mind, but it didn’t look good.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Tanner pulled out his cell phone and looked through the library meeting room window. With John away on his honeymoon, his friend Tank was in charge of Fletcher Security.

  He needed to brainstorm with someone he trusted about what to do next. And if that conversation went in the direction he thought it would, he’d need to reschedule his work commitments over the next few weeks.

  “Hey, Tanner. Tell me you’re calling me about anything other than work.”

  “Can’t do.”

  The curse coming down the phone made Tanner frown. “What’s happened?”

  “You know how we always told John he was working too hard? Well, I get why he works such long hours, now. He’s been out of the country for less than twenty-four hours and there’s already a problem with a contract in Hong Kong.”

  “Anything I can help with?”

  “Not unless you want to get on a plane. I need to threaten someone with a lawsuit if they don’t give us access to records that should be publicly available.”

  Tanner gripped the phone tight. “I can’t fly anywhere at the moment. I’ve got an issue of my own that I need to talk to you about.”

  “Go for it.”

  He heard Christmas carols playing in the background and people laughing. “If this isn’t a good time I’ll call back later.”

  “Start talking while I walk to my office. Hayley’s invited a group of her friends over for a girls only pre-Christmas party.”

  “And you’re still there?”

  “They’re making cookies and cake. The burden of being their chief cookie taster fell on my shoulders. You could always join me and we could hide in my office?”

  Tanner had been in Tank’s office and the word ‘hiding’ didn’t come close to what he’d be doing. The seventy-seven-inch flat screen TV with surround sound speakers, leather home theater seating, and mini bar were most guys’ idea of heaven. Add in a vintage popcorn popper and the best satellite TV subscription money could buy, and you had the makings of a man cave you’d never want to leave.

  “Thanks for the offer, but I need to stay close to Kelly.”

  “Is this about the journal?”

  “We think we know why Senator Jackson wants the journal. He is a descendant of one of the East Coast’s largest Irish-American organized crime families.”

  “You’re joking?”

  “I wish I was.”

  “Where’s Kelly?”

  Tanner looked through the wall of glass behind him. “In the library with me. She’s talking to Erin and her brother, Luke.”

  “What are you going to do about Senator Jackson?”

  “That’s what I want to talk to you about. My gut reaction is telling me to keep Kelly close but to also reach out to Senator Jackson. We need to know if he has any connections or involvement with his infamous family. Until then, we’re making calculated guesses that could backfire on us.”

  “He’s not going to tell you if he’s involved with organized crime.”

  “But he might tell us more if he thought we were thinking about giving him the journal.”

  Tank didn’t say anything for a few seconds. “Are you?”

  “Kelly doesn’t want him getting anywhere near it.”

  “You know as well as I do that you’re walking a fine line. If you can’t get Kelly to agree to a plan, you could have a very annoyed senator chasing you, or even worse, his family.”

  “She’s become emotionally involved in Abagail’s life.”

  “What about you?”

  Tanner frowned. “Abagail was an incredible person, but I’m not letting what happened to her affect my life.”

  “I wasn’t talking about Abagail. Are your feelings about Kelly interfering with your professional judgment?”

  “If you want to know if I’m the best person for this job, then the answer is yes.”

  “I wasn’t asking that, but it will do for now. Has Kelly officially asked for Fletcher Security’s help?”

  “No. I’ve been helping her in my spare time.”

  “And now you’re living together?”

  Tanner heard what could have been amusement in Tank’s voice. “Her brother is staying with me, as well. It wasn’t safe for her to live in her apartment.”

  “What will happen after Christmas when you leave for Malaysia?”

  “Kelly’s staying with her family until early January. I’ll be back on the sixth.”

  “And what then?”

  “I don’t know.”

  Tank sighed. “My best advice would be to talk to the police and let them know what’s happening. They’ll want to see if there’s any connection between the people breaking into Kelly’s store and Senator Jackson’s extended family. But they’ll need to be discreet—if anyone realizes what they’re doing it could turn into something no one wants. Do I need to change the assignments you’ve been given from mid-January?”

  “No. I’ve got a feeling that whatever’s going to happen will be over before then.”

  “
Fine, but I’m switching you to local work until then. Jason can take over your international assignment and Connor will be happy to go to Las Vegas. That leaves you with the Chicago assignment. If anything happens to Kelly, you’ll need to be close.”

  Tanner didn’t argue. “Are you sure Jason and Connor won’t mind changing their schedules?”

  “Jason takes any overseas assignment he can get and Connor has been working alongside you on the Las Vegas contract. They’ll be fine.”

  “I’m sorry that I had to call you on a Sunday.”

  “It’s better than calling next week to say you can’t go to Malaysia. If you need help, let me know.”

  “I will. Thanks for listening.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  Tanner ended the call and watched Kelly pass her brother a book. They had some big decisions to make, and he wasn’t looking forward to the outcome.

  ***

  Kelly glared at Tanner. “No. Absolutely not.”

  “I’m only suggesting you meet with Senator Jackson to hear his side of the story.”

  “He’s rude and obnoxious. He doesn’t care about Abagail—all he cares about is his reputation.”

  Tanner sat calmly in the chair in the living room, sipping his coffee. “He doesn’t know anything about Abagail because he hasn’t read her journal.”

  “How can you even consider speaking to him? He said he’d make sure his lawyer contacted me after Christmas if I hadn’t given him the journal.”

  “He might have been bluffing.”

  “Oh, right. Would that have been before or after he left for his Christmas vacation in the Hamptons?”

  Tanner raised his eyebrows. “How do you know he went to the Hamptons?”

  Kelly felt the heat of a blush on her face. “I might have done a little Internet snooping.”

  “While you were following his vacation plans, did you look at his family’s gang affiliations?”

  This time Kelly totally ignored the scowl on Tanner’s face. “I did look, but I couldn’t find anything.” She crossed the room and stood in front of the window.

  Tanner came and stood beside her. “What am I going to do with you?”

  “Send me back to my store so that I can wrap more online orders?”

  “We know Senator Jackson is worried about Abagail’s journal. What we don’t know is how far he will go to stop the world from knowing about his relationship with the Irish-American gangs. The only way we can gauge his reaction is to look at what he’s done in the past.”

  Kelly looked at Tanner. “Have you been doing your own research?”

  “As soon as you told me about Senator Jackson I started looking into his life. From what I saw, he’s tough but fair. He votes with his heart and conscience.”

  “So you don’t think he’s responsible for breaking into my apartment?”

  Tanner shook his head. “I don’t believe he had anything to do with it, but I wouldn’t put it past his extended family. We’re never going to know what he will do unless we show him the journal.”

  “I’m not giving him the journal. I can’t.”

  “Why not?”

  “I promised the Smithsonian that they could display Abagail’s journal. I can’t afford to pay for what they’re doing so I don’t have a choice. Senator Jackson will have to wait until the exhibition is finished before he can see the journal.”

  “We could give him an electronic copy. He won’t be able to tamper with the original text or damage it. At least that way he will know what Abagail said.”

  “What if that isn’t enough? What if he’s more like his biological family than we think?”

  “Then we deal with that when it happens.”

  Kelly watched the headlights of a truck cut through the inky blackness outside. Luke’s girlfriend had called and they’d gone on a date. She just hoped his truck didn’t get buried under the heavy December snow.

  She pulled her gaze back to Tanner. “It’s nice to be around someone who doesn’t rush into anything. You always think through the consequences and make logical decisions.”

  “Except where you’re concerned,” Tanner said softly.

  “At least you’re willing to admit that I annoy you,” she said with a grin.

  Tanner lifted his hand to the side of her face. “You don’t annoy me.”

  He took a step closer and Kelly’s heart rate sped out of control.

  “You make me want things I never thought I’d have.” His mouth gently nudged her lips and she pulled him close.

  Tanner kissed her with such tenderness that Kelly’s toes curled from the pleasure rushing through her. Her hands tangled in his hair and Tanner groaned.

  He pulled her more firmly against him, catching her mouth in a kiss that made her forget about her toes and focus on more urgent needs.

  “You’re at it again.” Luke stood in the doorway. He looked about as happy as a rattlesnake stranded in the middle of a frozen lake.

  Kelly jumped back and cleared her throat. “I didn’t hear you come in.”

  “I guessed that much,” he said dryly.

  Tanner frowned. “I thought you were on a date with your girlfriend?”

  Luke’s face fell. “It’s over.”

  “Again?” Kelly bit her bottom lip. “Sorry. I should be more understanding.”

  Luke dropped into a chair and closed his eyes. “You’re right. I’m a total loser when it comes to women. Melissa doesn’t want anything to do with me.”

  Kelly’s heart sank. Luke had been in and out of more relationships than she could count. She’d thought his latest girlfriend was different. She worked in a busy recruitment agency, owned her own home, and had the type of personality that made people feel at ease straight away.

  Luke and Melissa had been dating for more than eight months. Each time Kelly saw them, they looked happy.

  She glanced at Tanner and wondered what he thought about her brother’s broken heart.

  Tanner’s slow, sweet, smile sent shivers down her spine. He wasn’t thinking about Luke’s relationship issues—he was thinking about theirs. Or what could have been theirs if Luke hadn’t come home early.

  She kissed Tanner’s cheek and his smile got a whole lot wider.

  “I’ll make coffee,” he whispered. “Take care of Luke.”

  Kelly sat beside Luke. Maybe his unexpected arrival was for the better. She hadn’t had a boyfriend in so long that she’d forgotten if there were rules she should follow, a process of figuring out if the person you thought was incredible was the right person for you.

  In her brother’s case, the figuring out was over.

  “Do you want to talk about it?” she asked.

  Her brother shook his head. “There’s nothing to talk about. She met someone else.”

  Kelly patted Luke’s arm. “I’m sorry.”

  “Not as sorry as I am.” He put his hand in his jacket pocket and pulled out a small box.

  Kelly’s mouth dropped open. “Is that what I think it is?”

  Luke opened the lid. A beautiful engagement ring was nestled between layers of black silk. The solitaire diamond sparkled beneath the living room lights.

  She looked closely at her brother. “You really loved her?”

  He left the box on the coffee table. “I do…did. Oh, hell, I don’t know how I feel anymore. We were watching the sun set over the Bridger Range. Everything was perfect until she told me she didn’t love me. She’s fallen in love with some idiot from New York.”

  “New York? I thought the distance between Billings and Bozeman was difficult?”

  “So did I. Guess I was wrong.”

  Tanner came into the living room carrying a tray of coffee. “I’ve got drinks for everyone…” He stared at the ring. The mugs wobbled and the coffee almost spilled.

  Kelly stood and took the tray out of Tanner’s hands.

  His eyes were glued to the ring.

  “Are you okay?” she asked.

  Tanner blinked,
then took a deep breath. “I’m fine.”

  But he wasn’t and that worried Kelly more than her brother’s broken heart.

  ***

  By seven o’clock the next morning, Kelly was in her store wrapping online orders and restocking her shelves.

  After Tanner’s reaction to Luke’s ring, she hadn’t slept very much. So instead of tossing and turning for another hour, she’d decided to come into work early.

  She opened another box and unpacked the cups and saucers she’d bought from a lady in Great Falls. The delicate pattern on the fine china was exactly what her customers loved.

  The display Jackie had created would showcase them to perfection. She’d draped a lace tablecloth over a table, then added a silver teapot, some vintage photos and a cake stand filled with gingerbread men. With the number of people coming through the door each day, Kelly didn’t expect the cookies to last long.

  When the cups and saucers were in place, she stood back and smiled. It was 1950s chic at its finest.

  Kelly didn’t know how she would have managed over the last couple of weeks without Avery and Jackie. They worked hard to help their customers and keep the stock moving from the workroom to the store front.

  Even though the extra income was welcome, she was hoping the next five days would be a little quieter. It had been great selling stock that had been in storage for months, but Avery and Jackie weren’t able to work more hours than they’d been doing. Kelly had spent the last few weeks balancing her time between the store, going to auctions, visiting clients in their homes, and researching Abagail’s journal.

  The journal had taken up too much of her time. While she’d been lying wide awake in bed, she’d decided enough was enough. If Senator Jackson’s lawyer contacted her, she’d give him a copy of the journal.

  She walked around the store, straightening books that had toppled sideways and rearranging a display.

  A knock on the front door startled her.

  Tanner stood with his hands in his jacket pockets.

  She opened the door and waved him inside. “You’re up early.”