by Regan Black
She rang up the order, swiped Shannon’s credit card. “You couldn’t do better than this one, he’s our local hero. I want to hear all about it when we’re not slammed.” She gave them a card for two free dinner plates. “Bring the little one in, too.”
“What was that about?” Shannon asked as they carried the haul back to the car.
“Nothing.” He hid his eyes behind his sunglasses as they stepped outside. “She looks at the world through rosy glasses. Bad as my mom with the matchmaking habits,” Daniel said. “You were holding my hand. She misunderstood why.”
“Guess we’ll clear the air for her later.”
“And when we do, we’ll lose the free dinners.”
His dramatic disappointment made her laugh and kept her grounded when she might just as easily dissolve in a puddle of obsessed grief.
Lunch with the crew was friendly as usual, but after the conversations with Ed and Mary Ellen, she started picking up on the small glances and silent exchanges as the crew watched them. It seemed unlikely that Daniel had a thing for her before he’d been sucked into his role as her babysitter.
Even if he had been interested once, that would surely be extinguished after living with her during this constant nightmare. On her best day, she could be stubborn and prickly, hardheaded, too, according to Rachel, and these last few days were far from her best.
He’d been patient with her persistent searches to connect Aiden’s capture with something from Bradley’s past deals. Night after night, he let her explore and vent theories until they fell apart, never judging or steering her to a more productive task. He’d thoughtfully encouraged her to talk about her son and about what she’d do as soon as he was home.
After years of living with only her son, she felt Daniel’s presence equally reassuring and disconcerting. She couldn’t forget why he was there, and still she caught herself wishing that someday she could have a real relationship with a man of Daniel’s integrity and character. Yes, his face might be the one she pinned on the “someday” man of her dreams, but she was far too practical to believe that could happen.
He had a life, two careers, family and dear friends. She had good friends, none of whom knew she was raising the son of a mobster. There were too many question marks in the shadows of her past to take a chance on love.
While the obligatory discussion on the most authentic cheese for a cheesesteak sandwich swirled around her, her thoughts were centered on Gary. If the phone number she had didn’t work, how could she track him down? Assuming she was right and he had no idea what her ex had done with Aiden, maybe Gary would have a better idea of why Bradley would fixate on the boy at this particular time.
She grabbed her purse and the backpack and as the crew parted ways to return to their respective tasks, her phone rang. From Daniel’s pocket.
Ed noticed as Daniel handed over the phone. She ignored his quizzical look in favor of the phone display, which listed a plumbing company she’d never heard of. She walked toward the sidewalk for some privacy as she answered.
Daniel followed and tapped his ear. With a nod, she hit the record app and held the phone so they could both hear the caller. “I know where your son is,” the caller said in a low whisper. “Be at Old City Hall in an hour.”
She’d been expecting the mean, gravelly voice from previous calls or Bradley calling to finally make his demands. This caller surprised her. “Gary?”
“No cops or they will kill your son,” the caller replied. “You’re running out of time, Shannon.”
“Gary, wait!”
The screen flashed that the call had ended. She looked up from the phone to Daniel’s intense gaze. The tip from a trusted source was almost too good to be true. “I have to go,” she said. “It could take as long to find parking as it will to get across town.”
“Loffler?” he asked. “You’re sure.”
“Definitely.” She glanced at the clock on her phone, waiting for him to point out she’d been wrong about Loffler’s involvement.
“You’re not going alone,” he said. “I’ll go tell Ed we’re leaving right now.”
It took her a few seconds to realize he wasn’t lecturing her about her lousy judgment. “Yes. Okay.” Heart racing, she rubbed her palms against her work jeans as he started toward the house. “Hurry.”
He gave her a long look and surprised her again by coming back, taking her hand. “If I let you out of my sight, you’ll go over there alone.”
She didn’t think it was fair that he knew her so well after such a short and awkward acquaintance.
“Ed!” he shouted, picking his way through the half-finished front porch. “Ed, where are you?”
“Up here.” Her supervisor appeared at the top of the stairs. “What’s going on, boss?”
“Shannon found us a deal on cabinets for the next house. I’m taking her with me to pick them up. We won’t be back today. Can you see her car gets back to her place?” He looked at her. “Give him your keys.”
She didn’t waste time arguing or worrying about the blush heating her face as the crew stared at her holding Daniel’s hand.
When they reached his truck, he blocked her attempt to open the passenger door.
“What are y—”
He silenced her with a kiss. Shocked by the move, she stood there and let him cover her lips in a soft sweet touch. “What was that?” she asked, dazed.
“A kiss.” He stroked a hand up and down her arm. “For luck.”
His vivid blue eyes held hers, curious and expectant. She wasn’t sure she what he wanted, only what she wanted. With that clock ticking loudly in her mind, she grabbed his shirt and tugged his mouth back to hers.
Full of promises, she indulged in a kiss from her fantasies, a kiss that would fuel her dreams for years to come. His lips, warm and firm, muted the fear pulsing through her for a delicious, timeless moment.
She eased back, breathless, happy to discover he appeared equally affected. “For good luck.”
“Amen,” he muttered, opening the door for her.
He jumped into the driver seat and handed her his phone as he started the car, put it into gear. “Forward that recording to Grant and let him know we’re headed that way.”
“Gary said no cops. Won’t Grant call his detective pal in organized crime?”
“He also said time is short.” Daniel’s jaw clenched as he bullied his way through a yellow light. “I’m not having this argument again. Don’t you trust me by now?”
“I do.” She took a deep breath. “I do.” She sent the recording of the phone call and, as a precaution, used Daniel’s phone to dial Grant at the club.
“Put it on speaker,” he said.
“You don’t trust me?”
He shot her a baffled glance. “Saves time,” he said.
“Right.” All this time focused on her ex, waiting for him to negotiate for Aiden, had made her paranoid.
By the third ring, she was sure Grant wouldn’t answer and her mind sprinted with the pros and cons of going into the meeting without anyone else knowing where they were. When Grant’s voice filled the truck, she hesitated, having braced herself for his voice mail message.
“Hello? Hello? Daniel?” Irritation had turned to worry in his voice.
“It’s Shannon,” she said. “And Daniel. Gary Loffler just called. I sent you the recording.”
“From a number listed as a plumbing company,” Daniel added.
“He didn’t try to hide who he was,” Shannon continued. She went ahead and gave Grant the details of the call, including the no-police rule, and the time left on the hour they’d been given.
“I’ll alert the uniforms in the area and we’ll send a plainclothes team in closer to protect and support the two of you. Not enough time to set up a proper surveillance. We have plen
ty of cameras in that part of town. We’ll tap into them.”
“Thank you.” This was really happening. Her stomach cramped around her lunch, as excitement, hope and fear coalesced.
“Shannon,” Grant said, “your focus has to be on Loffler. You know him better than we do. We’re counting on you to know if he’s lying. Don’t let anything distract you or spook him. Ignore everything but him. We’ll cover you. Did he say Aiden would be there?”
She replayed the phone call in her mind even as Daniel answered the question. “No.”
“All right. Damn it. I’ll factor it in,” Grant said, his frustration filling the car. “Be safe out there.
She understood the sentiment, appreciated it and knew she’d take any risk to have her son back again. “Loffler knows something. I should have called him days ago,” she said when the call ended.
“Hindsight does you no good,” Daniel said. “Every move you’ve made has been to protect Aiden and get him home. Keep that in mind and keep believing we’ll make that happen.”
“Did you minor in psychology? I can’t decide if your utter calm in a crisis is comforting or annoying.”
“A little of both.” His lips twitched in a smile. “Or so I’ve been told.”
When they were stopped at a traffic light only blocks away from Old City Hall, she caught her knees bouncing impatiently. “I don’t know how cool and calm I can be with Loffler. I want Aiden back so desperately.”
She hadn’t felt this frantic since those last days in New York. Gary had hidden her in a motel in Jersey City until the details had been finalized. Uncontrollable fear for herself, for her baby, twisted every footstep and voice passing by her room into Bradley’s men coming to drag her back under his horrible control.
“If Loffler is a friend, he’ll understand love for Aiden is behind any distraction or desperation.”
“Grant said not to spook him.” She picked at the dried thinset mortar on her jeans. “What if I make a wrong move before he tells us where Aiden is being held?”
“Are you sure he didn’t know you were pregnant when you left New York?”
“Yes. No.” She shook her head, eyed the traffic light, willing it to change. “Maybe? I don’t know. I was having a tough morning when he brought by the final papers. He might have seen through my hangover excuse.” Thinking about those grim days only made her more nervous right now. She changed the subject. “Why did you tell Ed we were going out for cabinets?”
“It was the first thing that came to mind. While you’ve been researching your ex, I’ve been tracking down materials and options for the kitchen in that next house. I want to make it something special.”
“Well, that raises all kinds of red flags.”
“Why?”
She glanced his way, certain he was teasing her. He couldn’t be this obtuse. “First, he knows that isn’t my job. Second, what next house?”
“The one in Poplar that we walked through on Sunday,” he said. “I think we should get moving on it as soon as possible. That one is really going to shine when we’re done.”
She gave herself a minute to enjoy the fairy tale of having her son home and working a project of that caliber from start to finish as a Jennings Construction project manager. She’d report to Daniel at least once a week, probably more often. And he’d come by to check the progress, pitch in, exchange ideas.
Fairy tale. She couldn’t afford to indulge that dream. When they rescued Aiden, she would need to get out of town, out of Bradley’s reach, fast.
“I’m not trying to rush you,” Daniel was saying. “I know you’ll want some time with Aiden before we dive in over there. And we need to wrap up the Caldwell place before I go back to the firehouse.” He checked his mirrors and changed lanes to get around a delivery truck. “Guess I’m just excited as it was the first explanation that popped into my mind.”
Regret knotted in the pit of her stomach, tangled merrily with the fear and anticipation of what Gary would tell them. How had she become so attached to Daniel so quickly? Leaving the job should have been simple, but she enjoyed her friends on the Jennings crew. They’d become the family of her heart. Leaving town to better protect Aiden should have been straightforward.
Silently, she heaped more curses on Bradley’s head for robbing her of happiness all over again.
Daniel found a parking space and reached across the seat, covering her hand with his. Warmth seeped in, chasing away the chill that had come over her. Leaving him wouldn’t be as simple as learning how to work with another boss.
“Thank you,” she said. “For everything.”
“It’s going to work out, Shannon.”
The determination in his eyes bolstered her belief and hope. “I believe you.”
“Has Loffler ever been violent with you?”
“No.” That had been Bradley’s specialty.
“Good. Anything else I should know?”
“He’s a wealthy lawyer. Arrogant. I’m guessing he won’t be happy I brought you along.”
“Too bad for him.” Daniel’s eyes flashed with determination. “Let’s go get what we came for.”
Hands linked, they walked up the block toward the historic landmark and she skimmed shapes and faces along the way, finally noticing Gary lingering near an information plaque that gave him a good vantage point of people coming and going around the building. His dark jeans and rumpled ivory, button-down shirt were unexpectedly casual. The shoes, Italian leather, were his classic style choice despite the lack of his normal tailored three-piece suit.
When she tensed to rush forward and demand answers, Daniel anchored her. “Easy.”
He was right and she was grateful to have him beside her. “I’ll make it.” Aiden needed her to hold her nerve here.
“Never doubted it,” he murmured.
Gary sat down on a bench, raised his chin a fraction to invite her over. “He should go,” he said when they walked up.
“He stays,” Shannon replied. Questions ping-ponged through her mind, but she stuck with the most vital. “Where is Aiden?”
“Not here. Your son is safe,” he added hastily. “I didn’t have anything to do with this, Shannon. Please believe me.”
She supposed she shouldn’t be surprised that Gary knew about Aiden. He dealt with all of Bradley’s secrets, hers wouldn’t pose a challenge. She sat down beside her old friend. “No games, Gary. Where is my son?”
“I’ll tell you everything, I promise. You need to know Bradley set it all up.”
It confirmed what she’d known, yet it still didn’t make sense of Bradley’s scripts about trading the father’s cooperation for the son’s life. “He’s lost his mind, Gary. Go to the police and turn him in.”
“On what grounds? With what evidence?” Gary snorted. “The man is as slippery as oil.”
“Kidnapping is a start,” Daniel suggested. “I’m sure with the right informant the cops could find plenty to work with.”
“But never the evidence to keep him locked up.” Gary looked to Shannon, his eyes clouded with worry and sadness. “The only resemblance to ransom was to get Aiden’s father to cooperate, right?”
She nodded. As a friend, she wanted to care about whatever was troubling Gary since he’d cared about her welfare during her brief marriage. Aiden was more important.
“Let’s walk,” Gary said, donning his sunglasses. “Being out here in the open makes me nervous.” He stood up and moved along the path, away from the building.
“Why are you playing games with my son’s life?” she pleaded. It was all she could do not to take him by the throat and shake him. For a few seconds, she indulged herself in that scenario.
“That isn’t what’s happening here,” he insisted.
“Then quit wasting my time and tell me where to find him.”
“I will, once you promise you’ll hear me out.” His head might have been on a swivel the way he craned to see everyone moving though the area.
“Who are you looking for?” She stopped under a tree, squeezing Daniel’s hand as a fresh fear skittered down her spine. “He’s looking for Bradley.”
“I’m not.” Gary shushed her. “He’s had people watching me for a long time, you know how he is. I swear I’m here on my own.”
Shannon glanced to Daniel while Gary shifted nervously. A breeze swirled, tugging colorful leaves off the tree overhead and sending them across the pavement like oversized confetti. “What do you want?”
“Forgiveness,” he said, in a bone-tired tone. “Bradley hired a team to take your son. I had to make some calls and some threats. I found out they’re holding him on the waterfront.”
“That doesn’t narrow it down much,” Daniel said.
Gary tossed out a business name she didn’t recognize along with a street address. “It used to be a holding company under one of the shell corporations. They managed warehouse space and self-storage units.”
“On it.” Daniel had his phone out, already sending the information up the line.
Gary led her a few paces away, his nerves obviously worsening as he spoke. “Now, about that make-the-father-cooperate demand.”
Her breath caught. Gary knew too much not to be directly involved.
“He thinks I’m the father. I’m sorry you and your son were caught in the crossfire.”
She gaped at him. She’d never been unfaithful to Bradley. Trying to put it into context, she failed. “That’s insane.”
“He is.” Gary nodded vigorously. “He’s gone over the edge.”
“Why? What set him off?”
“The divorce was the beginning,” Gary said. “He lost face when you got away. Last year, one of his enemies here in Philly recognized you. I don’t even know where or how. I happened to be here on business for Bradley. It was pure coincidence.
