by Jen Talty
“He’s going to be pissed.” Jake grabbed a rifle with a long scope.
“Only if this doesn’t work,” Josh said. “Once he knows, he’ll send Frank on a little road trip.”
“Don’t be surprised if Jared rides along,” Reese said, “and we all know once Stacey is off duty, she’s not going to sit still.”
“Someone needs to tell her to stay home,” Josh said.
Reese and Jake shared a glance before laughing.
“Like Stacey would listen to any of us,” Reese said. “Besides, she a better cop than either of you nut-jobs. I know because I trained her.”
“Are we going to get into a pissing match over who was a better supervisor again?” Jake asked. “She has skills I taught her that you couldn’t do if you tried.”
“When you two parental wackos are done,” Josh said, “can we get back to the plan, please?”
Delaney’s heart beat faster. Sweat coated her palms as she realized she had no clue about the real meaning of family. These men weren’t Josh’s blood, but they were brothers in every sense of the word. She’d never really had that.
Not even with her parents, and that was the hardest pill to swallow.
“How are we going to get him to confess to anything?” she asked, trying to push her fear away and focus…like she suspected Stacey would.
“Craypo likes to brag. I should be able to get him talking, because he’ll think we’re unarmed and without backup.”
“Why would he think that?” Delaney glared at Josh. Her pulse pounded with the force of a Category Five hurricane.
“You didn’t tell her?” Jake asked.
“Tell me what, Josh?”
“We got more information from Viv, and she’s painted you out to be a dumb blond who believes her brother is still in danger,” Josh said.
“Bitch,” Delaney muttered.
“Works to our advantage,” Jake said.
“We also had Viv tell them Josh was in deep shit with his boss, and was forced to take a vacation because of his obsession with Craypo,” Reese said. “So, when we call them, you need to act like you’re in the dark.”
She swallowed. “Do you think they’ll believe me? And what about Josh?”
“They know that I know they’re after me,” Josh said, “but we’re hoping they believe you haven’t told me anything, and that I’m using you to bring them out.”
“I don’t like the sound of that.” She narrowed her eyes. “It seems like a lot of guessing and hoping.”
“It is,” Reese admitted. “The key is, they need to believe Josh has no support from the State Police.”
“That sounds impossible.” She glanced between the three, who sported relaxed expressions.
“We called in a few favors,” Josh said. “Some of the people your brother and Kirk are talking to will tell them they had hoped the pretty girl who stole my heart would change me, but my obsession and paranoia got the better of me.”
Delaney scratched her head. “I’m not following.”
“It seems that way,” Josh said, “but we’re following the script they gave you. When we call, you’re going to tell them that after the attack, I was concerned for your safety, and you used it to your advantage.”
“So, what? I tell them that you believe it was a random attack?”
“That works,” Jake said. “If they ask, because you don’t want to give more information than they ask for.”
She shook her head. “But I talked to Liam and—”
“Liam doesn’t know you were with me at the time of the call,” Josh said. “And you never told him you wouldn’t do what they asked.”
“Okay, but how do I explain my phone being off? My lack of contact?” Her voice came off strong and confident, but her pulse raced, and sweat beaded at the nape of her neck.
“That’s easy,” Jake said. “You were busy seducing him.”
“You enjoy bringing that up, don’t you?” She didn’t shout, even though she wanted to kick Jake somewhere entirely unpleasant.
“No,” Jake said, “but it’s the truth, and honestly, I’d rather be home with my family than here with you.”
“And you think I want to be here? You think I’m enjoying this? Being told I’m essentially stupid, and now, I have to put myself between a couple of assholes with guns, and all of you, with guns, because really, I’d rather be face-to-face with that fucking bear.”
The room went silent. Jake stared at her with his mouth open. Reese looked away, covering his mouth.
Josh cracked a smile. “That’s my girl.”
“Stop saying that like I’m some possession, or something,” she snapped. “You think this is funny?” she asked Jake. “What the hell is your problem?”
“Delaney, calm down and—”
She interrupted Josh. “I will not calm down. Jake seems to think I’m still out to get you.”
“Not true,” Jake said. “I think I underestimated—”
She wagged her finger at Jake. “I’m not done talking. You think I can’t be trusted, but let me tell you something. I just found out that not a single person in my family—in my life—is who they said they were. Not my parents. Not my brother. Not anyone that knew them. I’m alone in this world, and a target, so forgive me if I want to know how you all plan to use me, because frankly, it’s no different than the way Craypo and his band of assholes used me.” She tried to suck in air, her chest heaving. Heat rose from her toes to her face, but not once did she take her eyes off Jake, who had finally stopped smiling.
“That’s my…” Josh started, but stopped when she switched her glare to him.
Jake placed another small handgun on the counter. “May I say something?”
“Sure,” she said quietly.
“What we’re doing here isn’t protocol, and Josh and I are putting our careers on the line.” Jake paused, tilting his head. “I didn’t want you here from the start. Frankly, considering what you did to Josh—”
“Josh is the only one who has the right to hold that against me.”
“You’re right,” Jake said. “I shouldn’t have brought that up. It’s none of my business. I was smiling a minute ago because I realized I totally misjudged you.”
“Is that a compliment?”
Jake nodded. “I need to know that you’re on our side, and you’re not going to freak out when the shit hits the fan. I don’t like putting a civilian in the crosshairs between my gun and Craypo’s.”
“Oh,” Delaney said.
“Well, now that we have that out of the way,” Reese said, “I think it’s time to make that phone call.” He held the phone out to Delaney. “Put it on speaker. We’ll guide you by writing things on a piece of paper, but try not to hesitate.”
“Okay.” The lump in her throat made it hard to swallow. As she gripped the phone, her hand trembled.
“I’m right here.” Josh rested his strong hand on the small of her back.
“Here goes nothing.” The phone vibrated as she powered it on, sending a cold shiver through her body, forcing her muscles to tense. She tried to shake it off as she looked up Bobby Getz’s phone number. The ringer blared as she tapped the speaker button.
“It’s about time,” Getz’s voice bellowed. “Where the fuck are you?”
She cleared her throat. “In the Adirondacks. I only have a couple of minutes before Josh comes back.”
“That deal sailed days ago.”
“My brother? Where is he? He called and told me you would still kill him.” Her voice trembled, though not from worry about her brother.
“He’s fine.”
“I got you what you asked. Now, it’s time to leave me and Liam alone.”
Getz laughed. “You go dark after you rat my men out to the cops, and you think we care now?”
Josh scribbled something on the sheet of paper, but she couldn’t see the words and didn’t want to hesitate.
“I didn’t rat them out,” she said.
“You sure a
s hell didn’t do what they asked.”
She laughed. “How could I, when Josh came down the stairs to save the day, and then a bunch of cops showed up?”
“What did you tell them?”
“The truth. That I had no idea who those men were.” She took a quick breath. “Now, let me talk to Liam.”
“He’s not with me, but he’s fine. Where are you?”
Jake started to write something, but she didn’t even look.
“If I tell you where I am, are you going to let me and my brother go?”
“I’ll bring him with me, and the two of you will be free to do whatever you want,” Getz said. “You will have served your purpose.”
She gave him the address Jake scribbled on the paper.
“We’ll be there in the morning.” The phone went dead.
“Impressive,” Reese said. “You did real good.”
“I just want this over with,” she said as Josh tried to pull her closer, but she leaned away. “Why do I get the feeling they’re going to show up in the middle of the night?”
“We’ll know when Kirk and Liam are on the move.” Josh scowled. “They’ll want to case the area since it’s not familiar.”
“I can navigate these woods in the dark, so they won’t know we’re here.” Jake put a handgun in a hostler and tacked it to his belt. “We’ll be ready for them.”
“I want to confront my brother.” She should have been afraid. Very afraid, considering everything that had happened over the last few days, but she thought only about wrapping her fingers around her brother’s neck until his face turned blue.
“You’ll probably have that chance,” Josh said, “or I will.”
“What now?” she asked.
“We set up.” Jake took his rifle, along with one of the duffle bags. “You two will wait it out in here.”
“Let’s go,” Reese said as he rose. “We’ll make sure you have fair warning before they get too close.”
“Appreciate it.” Josh shook both men’s hands.
Delaney made her way to the sofa and tried to make herself comfortable, but she was a ball of cramped muscle, mixed with a loose cannon, rattling as the flame burned away the fuse, preparing to launch heavy artillery into the sky.
The front door—the only door to the cabin—closed with a clank, and then a click of the deadbolt.
“It’s all going to be over soon.” Jake sat next to her.
“Easy for you to say.” The thought of going back to the city now left a bitter taste in her mouth. “You get to go back to your life.”
“So do you.”
She let out a dry chuckle that burned her throat. “I don’t know what my life is anymore. The only real thing was my job.”
“Do you like what you do?”
She nodded. “It’s not what I want to do forever, but it’s all I have, which is kind of pathetic.”
“You have friends, right?”
“I have a few good girlfriends, but you know what sucks the most?” She didn’t wait for him to ask. “I hadn’t realized until seeing you with all your co-workers and their families, but I never really had any deep connections with anyone around me.”
“Family is who you choose.” His fingers glided up her arm, digging into her biceps as if he were giving her a deep tissue massage. “After my mother died, I thought I had no one. That’s no way to live, and I chose all of the people you’ve met to be my family. A real one.”
“Easier said than done.”
“When this is over, you’ve still got a few days off. Why don’t we start fresh? Go out to dinner. Maybe a movie.”
“As much as I would like that, what I did will always be between us.” Might as well get this out now.
“Come here.” He scooted closer, wrapping his protective arms around her.
“Don’t.”
He didn’t listen as he brushed his soft, warm lips against her in a brief, but loving touch. “Maybe it will, but how will we know if we don’t try?”
She pressed her hands against his shoulders, pushing him away. “I’m sorry, but it’s more than that. My entire life has been one big lie, and I denied all the signs. I need to deal with what my parents—what my brother—did.”
“Will you at least think about it?”
“Okay.” Only there was nothing to think about.
“Get some rest. It could be a long night.”
She let him guide her head to his thigh as she curled up in a ball. His fingers glided through her hair and across the back of her neck. Closing her eyes, she let her mind wander into a dangerous world where she and Josh could enjoy dinner every night on his rooftop patio.
“Delaney?”
“What?” she asked.
“I know it’s only been a few days, and the circumstances have been less than ideal, but I do care about you.”
“I never thought you didn’t.” She squeezed her eyes to keep the burning tears from rolling down her cheeks. “I care too much, and that’s why I need to step back. Nothing in my life has been true.”
“I’m true,” he whispered. “And I’m still here.”
***
Josh stood at the window, adjusting his earpiece. Thick, gray fog clung to the trees, obscuring what little view he had. Eyes were still on Kirk and Liam a few miles down the road, while Frank followed Craypo and Getz down the long, winding backroads toward the cabin.
The sound of Delaney’s rhythmic breath helped to keep his pulse in check. He glanced over his shoulder at the beautiful woman who’d changed his life. The woman he feared would walk away, never to be heard from again.
“Craypo is ten miles out,” Reese crackled in his ear. “Get ready.”
“Thanks. I’ll leave the earpiece in until we see a visual, then no communication.”
“Copy that,” Reese said. “Let me know when you’ve got the recording device set.”
“The code is the same: 8755612.”
“I’ve got the back of the cabin covered,” Jake said. “Stacey’s with Jared, trying to talk him out of firing us all, Frank is covering my shift, and Tristan is on duty.”
Josh cracked a smile. He would have liked to hear Stacey explain this one to their boss. He tapped his earpiece to mute it and eased his way to the sofa, not wanting to wake Sleeping Beauty. How she managed to sleep so peacefully was beyond him, but he was glad she had, because this showdown could go a million different ways. “Delaney.” He shook her shoulder gently.
She bolted upright. “I’m ready.”
Unable to stop himself, he bent over and kissed her. “There is going to be a bit of “hurry up and wait,” but then we have to be prepared for anything.”
“Is Craypo here?” Any fear she’d had had been replaced with raw determination. He helped her from the couch then led her toward the kitchen table.
A fuzzy noise echoed over his earpiece. He tapped the mechanism, unmuting it.
“Just got word from Jared,” Jake said. “The judge granted the wiretap, so you don’t need to show your hand.”
“About to put the SIM card in now.” He picked up the tiny, square device, then pulled a special SIM card from his wallet and pushed it into the opening. “Go ahead and activate it. We’ll head outside with some breakfast and coffee and wait, but I'm going dark now.” He shoved the wiretap into his pants pocket.
“Copy that,” Jake said.
Reese repeated the words.
“I’m not hungry.” She glared at Josh while she tugged her hair into a messy bun.
“Neither am I, but we have to act like we don’t know they’re coming, and I could use some coffee, and we know how much mine sucks.”
“Good point.”
He held out one of her weapons. “I’m going to hide this one.”
“Where?” she asked as she put two bowls into the microwave.
“There’s a flowerpot between the two big chairs.”
“Shouldn’t I have the other one on me?” She put water into the coffee maker and pres
sed start.
“I’m worried they’ll search you, and what you’re wearing doesn’t give us many options to conceal a gun.” He looked over her bare legs, his gaze sliding up to her shorts and over her rounded hips. A cotton V-neck shirt barely hit the top of the denim fabric.
“I’m always cold,” she said. “I could put on a sweatshirt.”
Josh swallowed. This had to be one of the worst ideas he’d ever had. He wondered how clouded his judgment had become, thinking he was the only one who could keep her safe.
“What if, as soon as they come, I run to my brother? Will that help?”
Josh sucked in a deep breath. While he loathed the idea, he had to admit that would make it seem like she was still on their side. “It’s too dangerous.”
The microwave buzzed, startling both of them.
She shook her head, cracking a smile. “Because what we’re doing is so much less dangerous.”
“Do you have a sweatshirt?”
She nodded before scurrying off into the bedroom.
He gave himself a good lecture for even thinking of letting her try to hide a gun, much less have her run to her brother. He filled two mugs, doing his best to keep from laying out a twist to his plan that could easily backfire, getting them all killed.
Well. fuck. The entire plan was, at best, to keep them from getting killed.
He put his earpiece in then tapped the mute button. “We might have Delaney go to her brother. She’ll be armed.” He tapped the device, then dumped it on the table. Delaney had sat at the other end, wearing an oversized sweatshirt that covered her shorts. He blinked. “That should conceal a weapon nicely.”
“Did I just hear you tell them—”
“You did. But don’t do it unless I give you a signal, okay? I’m still not sure it's the right move.”
She nodded, her eyes wide, lips slightly parted. “What did your friends say about the possible change?”
“Jake called me a motherfucker, and I hung up before I could hear Reese’s response, which probably wasn’t much different.” He held up the weapon. “Turn around, and hold up the back of your shirt.”
She did as instructed, then he carefully slipped the pistol into the back of her shorts. Her back arched the moment the cold metal hit her skin. Wrapping his arms around her, he kissed the sweet, soft curve on the side of her neck. “We need to get outside.”
