Ian waved them away. He had to keep an eye on Gina. This could have just been some huge diversion to get at her. “I’m fine,” he rasped and winced at the burn in his throat. But he did suck in one more breath of oxygen. Only to lean over and cough spasmodically once again.
Joseph caught his arm. “Gina’s okay. Catelyn’s with her. You need to get checked out.”
“No way. We need to get Gina out of here. This fire could be a diversion.”
“They didn’t come after Gina. They came after you.”
Ian stilled at this, coughed once more and realized Joseph was right. “Unless they thought she was staying there.”
Joseph was shaking his head even before Ian finished his thought. “Negative. She never went near that apartment. They were watching. They knew who they were after tonight. You.”
FOURTEEN
Gina palmed away the tears from her sooty cheeks. Ian was all right. She paced the kitchen floor, desperate to see him. She’d been shoved aside as the professionals snatched him from her to check him over. Catelyn had insisted that Gina stay in the house out of sight, and now that Gina knew Ian was all right, she could do that.
He was safe. Thank you, Jesus.
She kept repeating her thankful three-word prayer until she heard the door slam, then felt herself pulled against a strong chest. “I’m all right,” he whispered in her ear.
She nodded, the lump in her throat blocking the words she wanted to say. “Did you talk to the police?”
“Just enough to keep them from asking more questions. I referred them to Mac. He’ll keep them out of the equation.”
“Thank you,” she whispered.
“All right, there’s nothing more we can do tonight. Tomorrow—er, today—we’ll head to the bank. Depending on what we find there, we’ll decide what to do next. Deal?”
She looked up at him. He still had his arms around her and they felt so right. Ignoring the sudden thumping of her heart, she nodded. “Deal.”
He kissed her forehead and said, “Go sleep. Catelyn will wake you in time to get ready.”
“What if they come back?”
Joseph stepped into the house just in time to hear her question. He shut the door behind him. “I’ve called in some reinforcements. Something I obviously should have done earlier this evening. However, I’ve redeemed a couple of favors and will have two guys watching the house the rest of the night. It’s a temporary solution, but at least we can all get some rest.”
Ian gave her one last squeeze, produced another violent cough, then said, “I’ll grab the couch. And I need to call Jase to get me another cell phone.”
Catelyn protested, “We can make room.” She shot a glance at Joseph. “I told you we should have bought the three-bedroom ranch-style across town.”
Joseph just shook his head.
Ian spoke up. “I’d rather stay here. If they make it past your guys and through the door, they’ll have to go through me.” He pulled his gun from the pack he’d managed to grab on the way out of the burning apartment. He shoved it under the couch pillow that would cradle his head as soon as he could lay it down.
Joseph and Catelyn exchanged a look; then Joseph said, “Fine.”
At the knock on the door, three hands reached simultaneously for weapons. Joseph walked to the door and peeked out the window. He then waved to the others that everything was fine and put his gun away. Opening the door, he stepped outside.
When he came back in, he carried an oxygen tank and mask. “Here,” he said to Ian, “since you’re so stubborn and refused to go to the hospital, one of the paramedics brought this for you. He said to use this tonight and to please return it tomorrow. I’ll be bunking on the other couch, so I can keep an eye on you tonight.”
The large den boasted two oversize couches that formed an L shape, one along each of the two walls. Catelyn had insisted on enough seating for Joseph’s huge family.
A grateful look crossed Ian’s face as he consented to the oxygen. Gina knew he was having a hard time breathing. Each rasping breath that he took in whistled in his lungs. When she’d had her head against his chest, she could hear the wheezing. Then he frowned as he registered the last part of Joseph’s comments. “I’ll be fine. You can sleep in your own bed.”
Gina rolled her eyes at Ian’s protest.
“Ian, give it up,” she said. “Quit being so stubborn and accept the help you’ve got.”
He gave one more weak attempt at insisting Joseph would be more comfortable in his own room, then finally gave up when he realized he couldn’t win against the three of them. Catelyn got the necessary linens and while the guys went to shower, Ian in the full bath off the hall and Joseph in the master bath, Gina helped her make up the two couches.
Gina placed a hand on the woman’s arm. “I’m sorry about all this, Catelyn. I don’t know how they knew we were here.”
Catelyn gave her a brief hug. “Don’t worry about it. It’s surprisingly easy to find someone when you have certain resources at your disposal. And the apartment out there was just a building. A nicely insured, easy-to-replace building. You’re what’s important, you and Ian. Your safety is the priority, you got it?”
Tears threatened for the umpteenth time that night, but Gina managed to hold them back and nod. “Thank you.”
A freshly showered Joseph entered the room and headed for the door. “I’m going to check with our bodyguards. Be right back.”
Ian came in about a minute later, coughing, but she thought he sounded a little better. She gestured to the oxygen tank. “You’re going to use that, right?”
He quirked a grin at her. “Yeah, I will. I promise.”
Catelyn said good-night and headed back to bed. Gina lingered, exhausted beyond belief; however, she wasn’t quite ready to let this man out of her sight—a fact that startled her and made her question once again his reason for leaving the unit. She was sure it wasn’t anything illegal or immoral. When he’d first left and Mario had been so tight-lipped and angry, she’d wondered.
He sat on the couch, a thoughtful expression on his features. She sat beside him. “What are you thinking?”
Ian blinked in surprise as Gina tentatively reached out and took his hand. Then his heart warmed and he squeezed her fingers. “You’re not ready for sleep?”
She shrugged. “I don’t sleep very well these days.”
“That’s understandable.”
Small talk. He could do that. Just being in the same room with her seemed to make everything a little better.
He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, gave her a slight squeeze, then said, “We’re going to catch these guys, Gina.”
She smiled up at him. “Thanks for saying we.”
“Not a problem.” Her innocence and sweetness seared his heart. How he wanted to protect her, find the people responsible for the dark shadows under her eyes and weary droop to her shoulders.
Another cough racked him and he wiped the tears that still leaked from his bloodshot eyes. Gina wrapped both of her hands around one of his and whispered, “I’m sorry I’m so much trouble.”
Ian took a deep breath after the spasms eased and gave a little laugh. “You’re no trouble. The guys after you are the ones that are trouble.”
“I know, but I just feel so bad that…”
“Drop it,” he ordered gently. “I’m not going anywhere until we get these guys.” He flexed a shoulder that had been slightly singed. “They have to be stopped and apparently think I’m a threat to whatever they’re up to, since they came after me. That’s a good thing.”
“What? How can you say that?”
“Because if they weren’t worried, they wouldn’t have tried to kill me. And they got a bit careless tonight.”
She frowned at him. “What do you mean?”
“That pipe bomb they sent through my window was made in a hurry, a spur-of-the-moment kind of deal.”
“What makes you say that? How do you know?”
“Beca
use it didn’t have any little pieces of glass, nails or shrapnel in it. They used what they had…gunpowder.”
Gina shuddered. “So what does that mean?”
“It means they must be getting a bit desperate, grabbing at opportunities instead of carefully planning an attack.”
Worried, she chewed her lip. Ian reached up to pull it from the snare of her top teeth. “Don’t do that. It’s going to be all right.”
Butterflies took flight, diving in her belly and then fluttering all around. “I…know.”
“Do you really?”
She studied him carefully. “I think I do.”
His gaze dropped to her lips and his head lowered a fraction.
Gina didn’t move. Didn’t dare to hardly breathe.
The door opened and Joseph came in, rubbing his hands against the chill of the night. Ian drew back and allowed a small smile to cross his lips before turning his attention to Joseph.
Joseph’s brow raised at the sight of Ian and Gina sitting so close together on the couch, and his eyes seemed to spark in amusement; then that disappeared as he said, “The police finished questioning the neighbors.” He tossed a small package to Ian, who caught it. “Your buddy had this delivered.”
Ian straightened from his relaxed position on the couch, coughed and winced as he asked, “Anyone have anything useful to say?” He opened the package and pulled out a cell phone.
Jase, efficient and speedy, had come through for him.
Joseph was saying, “Not really. Mr. Johanassen said he was up, going to the restroom, when he heard tires squealing. When he looked out the window, he saw the taillights of what he thinks was a truck disappear down the street.”
Ian blew out a sigh. “You’re right. Not much help there.”
“Everyone seemed to wake up after the fact.”
Gina stood. “It’s very late. We only have a few hours until we need to leave. I’ll go on to bed and let you guys try to get some rest.”
Joseph stepped forward to pull her close for a tight hug. “We’ll see you in the morning, sis. Get some sleep.”
Gina entered her room and looked at her rumpled bed. Sleep. Right. Oh, Lord, please protect us.
Eventually the sun popped up over the horizon, and Gina watched it happen. She’d managed to doze off for a couple more hours, but by 6:00 a.m., she knew it was hopeless to lie there any longer.
She got up, showered and got ready to go, having borrowed a clean set of clothes from Catelyn. And all the while the locket hung around her neck like an albatross. Yet, she cherished the item because of whom it had belonged to.
Mario’s grandmother had been such a special lady, filling a void in Gina’s life that had been left when her own grandmother had passed away a couple of years ago. Gina liked to think she, too, brightened the old woman’s life just a bit; losing her only granddaughter had been a crushing blow to her, and Gina’s arrival seemed to put a light back in her eyes.
Gina fingered the piece of jewelry. It was the only item that had come home with Mario’s sister’s body after she’d been killed in the cross fire.
The knock on her door startled her. “Come in.”
Catelyn poked her head in. “Just thought I’d check on you. I made some French toast if you’re interested.”
“I’m interested, thanks.”
“Ian’s already up and champing at the bit.”
Gina allowed her lips to curve. “Does he think they’re going to let us in early?”
“Joseph got the bank manager’s number and pulled him out of bed. He’s going to let you guys in as soon as you get there.”
Gina followed Catelyn out the bedroom, down the hall and into the kitchen. Ian shot to his feet. “Are you ready?”
“Sure.” She grabbed a piece of toast from the table and a bottle of water from the fridge. “Let’s go.”
What should have been a ten-minute drive to the bank turned into a thirty-minute scenic route as Ian kept a careful watch behind him. He still coughed occasionally but seemed much better than when she’d said good-night to him last night.
“Are you okay this morning?”
“I’ll live.”
Yes, he would. No thanks to her. She bit her lip, wondering if…
“I’m not leaving you, Gina. It’s not your fault all this is happening.”
She jumped. “So you’re a mind reader now?”
“No, but it doesn’t take a genius to interpret what those little lines of worry are between your eyes, or the way you chew on your lip. And from the discussion we had last night, I thought you might be thinking along those lines.”
Gina blew out a sigh and sat up a little straighter as the bank building came into view. “You’re right—I was. But right now it doesn’t matter. We’re here.”
“Yep. I’m just going to circle the block a couple of times.”
Wilting back into her seat, she ordered herself to be patient. Yes, she wanted to know what was in the safe-deposit box, but she wanted to be alive to see it, too.
Two more laps around, Ian finally pulled into a parking spot and cut off the engine. A black Honda sat in the spot in front of them. He said, “Joseph said to look for that car. It belongs to Stan Holcombe, the bank manager. We’re going in the back way.”
Gina looked at her watch: 7:16 a.m. They should have the place to themselves for a while. Climbing out of the car, they approached the back door. A security guard opened it and allowed them entry. “Mr. Holcombe is waiting for you. He asked me to come in a little early.”
Gina felt sure that Joseph had warned the man to take some extra security precautions until she and Ian left the bank.
Stepping inside the warm area, they followed the guard through a series of short halls, arriving at a tastefully decorated office. Stan Holcombe sat at his computer but immediately stood when he saw his visitors. A tall man in his early sixties, he exuded competence and a genuinely friendly smile that instantly put Gina at ease. Clear green eyes twinkled down at her as they exchanged introductions.
She asked him, “Did you know Mario?”
“No, ma’am, I can’t say I had the pleasure. Now, if you’ll just show me some form of identification and sign this admission form, we’ll get started.”
Gina signed the paper, then pulled her license from her purse and handed it over to him.
He picked up a paper from his desk and compared the two signatures. “Gina Santino. Excellent. If you’ll follow me, I’ll take you right to the safe-deposit box and you can conduct your business.”
“Thank you.” They followed the man down another hallway and came to the room. Anticipation jumped inside Gina as Mr. Holcombe headed for the door that would allow access to whatever it was Mario had deemed important enough to hide in a bank. Yet, she felt confused, too. She’d never signed the papers to rent the box, so why was her name listed as a renter? And even more weird, why did the signatures match?
Chilled, even though the room was warm, she rubbed her arms.
Oh, Mario…
As soon as the banker was out of sight, she turned to Ian. “Mario must have forged my name on those papers.”
Lips tight, he nodded. “That’s what I figured, too, when I realized your name was on them.”
“I can’t believe he did that…. He forged my name and actually got away with it!”
“He was a Ranger, Gina. You’d be surprised with what we can get away with.” He didn’t sound particularly proud of that, more like he was simply stating a fact.
“So he opened it three days before he died. That means he acted as soon as he realized he was in trouble—and that he needed to find a way to protect you.”
She shuddered. Sympathy flashed across his face and he pulled her to him in a spontaneous hug. Grateful, she leaned into his strength, taking comfort in his presence.
Then Mr. Holcombe was back, setting the box onto the table in front of them. “You have your key?”
“Of course.” Gina fumbled for the locket. Once
again, Ian helped her remove it. The banker said nothing as Ian pulled the key from its hiding place, his placid demeanor implying he’d seen it all. One more weird couple in his bank was nothing to raise his brows over. Instead, he pulled the guard key from his pocket and motioned for Gina to go first.
Taking the key from Ian, she placed it in the designated slot and twisted it. Faintly she heard the tumblers inside release. The banker then inserted his and did the same.
The box was unlocked.
FIFTEEN
After Stan Holcombe left the room, Ian looked at Gina. She stood staring at the box as though it contained a poisonous snake. “Are you all right?”
“I’m scared to open it. Just like the chest in my cellar—I guess I want to know so bad and yet…I don’t.”
“Do you want me to?”
She hauled in a deep breath and reached out to touch the box. “No, I guess not. Now or never, huh?”
With shaking fingers she lifted the lid.
And stared.
Ian looked over her shoulder. A single sheet of drawing paper, about twelve by eighteen in size and covered in strange markings, was the only thing in the box.
With shaking fingers, she reached in and pulled it out. It had been folded a number of times, then stretched out flat on the bottom of the box. “That’s it?”
“It means something,” he reassured her. “Mario wouldn’t have put it in there if it didn’t.”
“But how am I supposed to figure it out?” She pulled out a chair and slumped into it, still staring at the paper. With a growl of frustration, she slapped it on the table. “Why did he have to make this so difficult? What’s the point?”
Ian slipped into the chair beside her and took her hand. The tears shimmering in her bottomless dark eyes rocked him. She wasn’t used to this kind of thing. Her nice, orderly life had been shaken to the core. For him, this was business as usual—if one didn’t count the fact that the woman he loved was in danger and he didn’t seem to be getting any closer to catching the guys who wanted to hurt her. “It’s going to be all right, Gina. And the only point I can think of is that Mario thought it best. He was taking extra measures to protect you.”
Silent Pursuit Page 11
