Linda smiled. “We would love it.”
“I think a night out might do Linda some good—cheer her up now that Reed’s going off to New York again,” Bonnie commented as she gave Linda’s shoulder a supportive pat.
Bella gripped the cart handle. “Reed’s going to New York?”
Worry clouded Linda’s eyes. “I’m afraid so.”
“Why?”
Linda shrugged as she shook her head. “I’m not quite sure. He doesn’t say much about that part of his life. He knows it upsets me, but he was over for dinner Sunday night when Joey gave him a call.” She sighed. “I think he’s mixed up in his old police work again.”
Bella made a sound in her throat, not sure what to say. From what Reed had told her, it didn’t sound like he’d ever left NYPD behind. “I’m sorry to hear that.”
Linda gripped Bella’s hand. “I know you’re not together anymore.” She swallowed. “But I’m hoping you might be able to talk him out of going—”
She shook her head. “Linda—”
“He’ll listen to you. He would stay for you. I’m just—I see the news, Bella. I can’t stand the idea of losing him the way I did Travis.”
“Dangerous place,” Bonnie added. “Mighty dangerous place for our Reed.”
She looked from Bonnie to Linda—two widows who’d lost their husbands at the hands of her uncle. “Okay. I’ll talk to him. When is he leaving?”
“Tomorrow.”
“I’ll try to catch him, but he hasn’t been home much.” At all. She hadn’t seen him once since her gaze met his through his bedroom window Saturday night.
“He’s boxing a lot and working all the time—back to his old ways.”
She tried to let Linda’s comment roll off her back. She didn’t want to remember the day Reed had told her he’d been dead inside before they met. “I’ll stop by and see if he’s at the gym.”
“I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t think you could help him.”
“I’ll try.” She hugged Linda. “It’s good seeing you.” She hugged Bonnie next. “I’ll have you over to the house sometime this summer.”
“We can’t wait.” Bonnie cupped Bella’s cheeks. “You take care of yourself and that wonderful dog of yours. We sure do love you, honey.”
She nodded, blinking back tears as Reed’s family walked away, the joy of her shopping trip completely gone. She yanked up a head of romaine, not bothering to scrutinize the lettuce before she tossed it in her cart and headed toward the checkout, trying not to be angry that she’d been put in this impossible position. Reed had made this entire mess, altering so many lives with his choice to pursue the Caparellis. He was a grown man, free to come and go to New York as he pleased. But she worried as she put her items on the belt in the express line, remembering Dad’s warnings about his brutal brother. Why was Reed going? Did he plan to meet with his informant or do something equally dangerous? What if he got shot again—or worse? “Damn it,” she whispered as she swiped her credit card, grabbed her bag, and left, hurrying out to her car.
She drove past their neighborhood at the height of rush hour and headed into Santa Monica, tracking down the gym she was mostly certain Reed worked out at, and slowed, taking a right into Rusty’s parking lot when she spotted his truck. After getting out, she stopped at the door and lifted her chin, reminding herself that this was about Reed’s safety—nothing more. They would talk, she would make him see that he needed to stay in LA, and then she would go.
Walking inside, she breathed in the not-so-pleasant odor of gym equipment and sweat as she searched for Reed among the men and a few women working out in the dingy space, feeling entirely out of place in her white sundress and cowgirl boots.
“Can I help you?”
She turned, smiling at the well-muscled black man. “Yes, I’m looking for Reed McKinley.”
“He’s sparring.” He gestured to the two men in the ring throwing punches.
“Oh. Thanks. I’ll just wait until he’s finished if that’s okay.”
“Sure.”
She walked closer to the ropes, watching Reed’s muscles bunch and release with his every move. He was beautiful even as he ducked a blow, landed one in his opponent’s face, then his ribs, and took one to the chin. She winced, trying to see the appeal of his favorite sport. Leaning against a close-by table, she folded her arms, waiting for him to finish, not exactly sure what she was going to say after what he’d seen on Saturday night.
~~~~
Reed finished his sparring match, fist-bumping his friend Tink with their gloves still on. “That was a hell of a punch. I’m going to need to ice my jaw. Probably my eye too.” He smiled, finally relaxed after a great workout.
“I’ll definitely be wrapping my ribs.” Tink grabbed his water bottle from the corner of the ring and paused with the nozzle at his lips. “Holy shit.”
“What?” Reed turned and stared at Bella leaning against a dingy table, dressed in a devastatingly simple spaghetti-strap sundress and cowgirl boots.
“Who the hell is that?”
He didn’t answer as he held her gaze and tugged off his gloves, trying to ignore the uptick in his pulse. Bella was truly the most spectacular woman he’d ever seen. She’d pulled her hair back in a barrette the way he liked best and had done something with her makeup that made her eyes even more hypnotizing than they already were. He steamed out a quiet breath, doing what he could to prepare himself for an encounter he hadn’t been expecting, and went under the ropes, grabbing a towel as he hopped down and walked over to her. “Hey.”
She stood straight, gripping her arms tighter across her chest. “Are you going to New York?”
He frowned, surprised by the edge in her voice. “What?”
“Are you going to New York?”
He wiped at his face, noting that there was none of the usual warmth in her gaze. Clearly this wasn’t a friendly visit. “Yeah.”
She adjusted her posture, standing hipshot. “Business or pleasure?”
“Bella—”
“Are you going to see your informant?”
He looked over his shoulder as he took her by the arm and walked her closer to the door. “I’m meeting up with Skylar.”
She took a step away from him. “About the case?”
“For some of it, yeah.” He looked around again. “Let’s go outside.”
She pushed through the door. “Have Joey do it. Whatever you’re going for, he can do it instead.”
He shook his head as they faced each other again. “Joey didn’t talk to your father the way I did. He doesn’t communicate with my informant.”
“Don’t go.”
He heard the pleading in her voice, saw it in her big brown eyes. “I have to—for you, for me.”
She shook her head. “I didn’t ask you to go for me.”
“Vinny did.”
She swallowed, looking down, then met his gaze again. “I’m asking you to stay. Your mother—”
“My mother?” He took a step away this time, hardly able to believe he was hearing this. “Did she call you?”
“No, I saw her at the store. Don’t go to New York, Reed.” She settled her hand on his arm. “Stay home.”
Christ, she was lethal. “You’re asking for something I can’t give. I need to get the hell out of here for a while—clear my head.”
“So you’re going to get away from me?”
He rubbed at the back of his neck as the already choking tension grew worse. “The DA’s on Skylar. I can give her a hand. The only way they’re going to keep Alfeo where he belongs is if the case is airtight. One hundred percent airtight, Bella.”
“You’re risking too much.”
He would do whatever it took to end this once and for all. “Your father’s testimony, the information Joey and I gathered over the years, that’s enough to be sure he never gets a chance to hurt you, or anyone else, for that matter. Murder one. Multiple counts if we can make it stick.”
“What about you?�
�
Seeing the concern in her eyes, breathing her in, touching her made him want something that didn’t look like it was going to happen. Saturday night had made things perfectly clear on where he stood with Bella. “What about me?”
“I care about— I don’t want anything happening to you.”
He didn’t want to hear about how she cared. “Don’t worry about it.”
“Of course I’m going to worry about it. There’s no need to put yourself in danger—”
“I appreciate your concern, but it’s not necessary. You have your life. I have mine, right?” He heard the bitterness in his own words.
She blinked. “Reed—”
“Just go, Bella. What I do has nothing to do with you anymore. What you do has nothing to do with me.” He turned, ready for another round in the ring.
“This has everything to do with me.” She reached out, snatching his wrist. “Everything.”
He faced her again. “You wouldn’t have known anything about it if my mother hadn’t told you.” He pulled away from her. “Maybe I’ll see you around sometime.”
Hurt clouded her eyes as she turned and headed for her car.
He sighed, remembering his promise to Vinny—to take care of Bella no matter what. Even if he no longer wanted any part of it. Causing more friction between them wasn’t going to solve their problems. He needed to be certain she would come to him if there was trouble. “Bella.”
She ignored him as she moved faster through the parking lot.
“Wait, damn it.” He jogged after her, catching up with her by her car. “Bella—”
She whirled. “I never asked for any of this!”
“I know.” He couldn’t make himself apologize because he hadn’t asked for most of it either. “You’re watching your back?”
She huffed out a humorless laugh as she rolled her eyes to the sky and shook her head. “My back is fine. I’m sure good old Uncle Alfeo doesn’t even know I exist.”
“Watch your back anyway.”
They stared at each other for several long seconds before she turned toward her car and got in.
He stood back as she tossed the Bug in reverse and pulled into traffic without bothering to look at him. “Son of a bitch,” he muttered as he walked back into the gym. He and Bella were certainly heading their separate ways.
Chapter Fifty-Four
Reed reached into his drawer and grabbed several T-shirts, tossing them on top of the shorts and jeans he’d already packed. He picked up the sweatshirt Bella had left on his back porch yesterday and added it to the pile. When he’d gotten home from the gym last night, he found a laundry basket full of his clothes, shoes, sunglasses, and everything else he’d brought over to her place. He glanced toward the house across the side yard as he caught a whiff of her laundry detergent and swore as he zipped his bag closed.
Over the last twenty-four hours, he’d given serious consideration to packing up all of his shit, shipping it east, and just staying in New York. He enjoyed his job with Ethan and liked the new friends he’d made. For a while, he’d loved his life, but nothing was working for him in Los Angeles anymore. The Big Apple had security firms. There were boxing rings everywhere. But Bella lived here. A huge part of him wanted to turn his back and walk away, but the part of him that couldn’t fathom living the rest of his life without her was still in charge.
After yesterday, it was clear they needed some space. A few days away in Manhattan would give them both a chance to breathe. Bella would have time to work on the house Stone had mentioned she was buying, and he would have an opportunity to get his head on straight, because when he landed in LA next Tuesday, he had every intention of fighting like hell for Isabella Colby—whatever he had to do to convince her to take him back. His gorgeous next-door neighbor didn’t stand a chance, because he didn’t plan to play fair. Jed might have had his lips on Bella’s Saturday night, but no one knew her the way he did.
“Fucker,” he muttered as he shouldered his laptop case and grabbed his carry-on. With a glance at his watch, he headed downstairs, grabbing his keys off the counter as his phone started ringing. “Hello?”
“Where are you?”
He stopped with his hand on the doorknob, immediately alerted by Skylar’s tone. “At home—on my way to the airport. Why?”
“Joey just called. They pulled Bruno out of a dumpster half an hour ago.”
“What?”
“Joe asked me to give you a call. He rushed down to the scene as soon as he heard—arrived about fifteen minutes ago. He’s trying to get us more details.”
“Shit.” He jammed his hand through his hair. “What do we know so far?”
“They tortured him—multiple third-degree burns, gunshot wounds to the kneecaps and abdomen. I guess it’s pretty bad. There was a paper with your name and number written on it shoved in his mouth along with a dead rat. His burner phone was protruding from his anus. Joe said he’s missing his hands, so you can bet your ass Matty had a part in it.”
“Bella.” He dropped his bags and ran upstairs, taking his gun and an extra magazine from the lockbox. The Caparellis had to know he was connected to the dig going on in the Brooklyn field—that he was trying to help the Feds keep Alfeo where he belonged. “How long has he been dead?”
“They’re thinking seventy-two hours, but it’s probably more like five days—that’s the last time his wife saw him. The body’s still at the scene, so it’s hard to say until the ME gets a look at him. He’s pretty decomposed. The heat’s gotten to him. Somebody called it in—could smell him from the street.”
“If he’s been missing five days, why are we just hearing about it?”
“I have no idea.”
“Son of a bitch.”
“They know you’re an ex-cop, Reed—what you’re all about. It’s not going to be hard to trace you to your new life.”
“And they’ve had three to five days to do it.” He ran downstairs, grabbing his bags again, and booked it outside to the truck, tossing his stuff in the back before he got in and reversed from the driveway with a squeal of tires. “You can bet Bruno told them what they wanted to know—that I was looking for information about Alfeo, Dino, and Walter Hodds. About Nicoli’s kid.”
“You need to watch your back.”
He wasn’t worried about himself—just Bella. “I need to get to Bella.”
“There’s no way they know you’re linked to his child.”
“If they’ve been watching me, they know she’s important to me. She’s been with my family, to my mom’s house. She stopped by the fucking gym yesterday. We argued in the parking lot for anyone to see.”
“That doesn’t mean they know she’s Nicoli’s.”
“Maybe not, but how long did it take us to put the pieces together? They’ll look into her because she’s connected to me. It won’t take Matty long to realize she’s Luisa’s friend. He’ll think she’s on my side—the law’s side. You know as well as I do they’ll think we sent her to Bensonhurst to spy.” And the thought of what that meant for Bella made him sick. “I’ll call you back after I have her with me.” He hung up and dialed Bella’s number as he weaved his way through the evening traffic to get to Bella’s office five miles away.
~~~~
Bella made a mental note of product she was running low on as she tidied her space for tomorrow’s clientele. She needed to order in more of the vitamin C firming gel everyone seemed to love and the cotton pads she could never keep on the shelf, but otherwise she was in good shape—at least for the rest of this week. She shut off the music and rolled her stool closer to the treatment bed, then opened her door, stepping into the main office as a man walked past her, sending her a polite nod. She smiled, then felt herself frown as her gaze followed his path down the hall and out the door. “Who was that?” she asked Tonya as her assistant pushed her chair to her desk and grabbed her purse to leave for the day.
“Some guy here to see you—or to get more information about tattoo re
moval, anyway.”
“Oh.” Her frown returned as she looked at the door again, certain she’d seen him before. “Has he been in for something else—an appointment with Dr. Huberty?”
“No. I don’t remember him. He said he has a tat on his left shoulder he wants removed. I gave him one of your new client packets, the before-and-after pamphlets—the usual stuff.”
She shrugged. “Sounds good. Thanks.”
“No problem.” Tonya grabbed her lunchbox from her bottom drawer. “I don’t know about you, but I’m outta here.”
“Yeah, I’m heading out in a minute too. I just need to put an order into the computer real quick. The vitamin C gel is a hit.”
“I happen to love it myself.” Tonya wiggled her brow. “My job definitely has its perks.”
Bella chuckled.
“Dr. Huberty already left, so the back’s all locked up.”
“Perfect. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“See ya.” Tonya made a kissy noise at Lucy and headed out to the parking lot.
Bella sighed as she glanced at her watch, then smiled at Lucy. “Are you ready to go home?”
Lucy stood and stretched.
“What do you say we live on the edge and I put my order in tomorrow morning? We can go home for a quick dinner, then head back over to the house for a couple hours before we lose the light.” She had a few blisters after clearing bushes last night, which was proving to be a bigger job than she’d expected, but that’s what gloves were for. And she’d bought two pairs. “I hope you’re going to leave the squirrels alone today. You’re not making a very good impression on your new friends.” She crouched down, giving her puppy a good rub, and laughed as she thought of the way Lucy had paced around the big tree in the backyard, waiting for her furry buddies to come back down. “I have a feeling you and that bunch are going to have a long, tenuous relationship.”
Her phone rang as she stood. “Let me get that.” Hurrying back to the treatment room, she hesitated, staring at Reed’s gorgeous, grinning face filling her screen. She’d meant to erase her favorite shot of him—along with all of the other photos they’d taken over the last few months—but she couldn’t. She wasn’t ready yet. Sighing, she answered when it was probably better for both of them if she ignored his call, especially after their unpleasant little scene in the gym parking lot yesterday evening. “Hello?”
Deceiving Bella: Book Eleven In The Bodyguards Of L.A. County Series Page 58
