When he came to a stop at the far end of the pool, he looked up and his gaze landed on Carina. She was a vision sitting there in the evening light. Bianca came to a stop beside him, and he nodded toward Carina. “So what’s your sister’s story?”
“No story, really. She’s just a workaholic.”
“Boyfriend?”
“Nope.” Bianca looked at him speculatively. “She’s pretty good at shooting guys down when they ask her out.”
Jay considered Bianca’s assessment, noting that it was similar to what his father had told him about Carina. He wasn’t sure why she had caught his interest, but something about her, something beyond her cool, classic beauty, had planted her firmly in his thoughts.
He couldn’t say exactly what it was that made him want to scale that almost tangible wall she had built around her, especially since everything about her practically screamed keep your distance. But for whatever reason, Jay wasn’t seeing those invisible walls as a deterrent. He saw them as a challenge.
“Are you thinking about asking her out?”
Jay’s shoulders lifted. “Maybe.”
“Then you’re going to need some help,” Bianca stated matter-of-factly.
“Excuse me?” Jay’s eyebrows shot up. “No offense, Bianca, but I’m not in the habit of having teenagers set me up on dates.”
Bianca rolled her eyes. “I’m telling you, if you just go up and ask her out, she’ll say no out of habit.” Her eyes shone mischievously. “But I do have an idea that should work in your favor.”
Both amused and intrigued, Jay nodded. “Okay. Let’s hear it.”
13
“What do you mean you don’t want to go to the game?” Carina shook her head in disbelief. “You’re the one who’s always saying we never get to do anything together and now you’re too busy to go?”
“Carina, I’m sorry, but I thought I would have my English paper done by now.” Bianca looked at her apologetically. “You can still go without me.”
“I don’t want to go by myself,” Carina said, frustration evident in her tone. “Besides, I don’t want you home alone.”
“Actually, Amber and I were hoping I could spend the night at her house. We were going to work on our papers together, and her mom said she can drive me to practice in the morning.”
“I don’t know . . .” Carina started, her attention shifting slightly when she noticed Jay come out of the locker room dressed in cargo shorts and a plain blue T-shirt.
“Carina, go out and have fun for a change.” Bianca motioned to Jay, who was now standing by them as he packed his swimsuit and towel into his duffel bag. “Why don’t you take Jay with you? I’m sure he’d like to go.”
Jay looked up. “Go where?”
“The Marlins game,” Bianca told him.
Jay glanced down at his watch, confirming that it was a little after seven. “Hasn’t the game already started?”
“It starts at 7:30,” Bianca told him. “We were going to go right after practice, but I have too much homework.”
Jay looked from Bianca to Carina, his eyes meeting hers. “I’d love to go.” He gave a nonchalant shrug. “That is, if you don’t mind me tagging along.”
“See, this will be perfect. I get to spend the night at Amber’s, and you can take your first night off in two years.” Bianca beamed at both of them. “I’ll see you later. Amber’s waiting for me in the parking lot.”
Carina looked helplessly at her sister, not quite sure how she had been so neatly maneuvered into a corner. Bianca took two steps before Carina thought to call after her. “Text me when you get to Amber’s house.”
“I will.” Bianca lifted a hand and sent them an absent wave. “Have fun!”
Carina turned back to Jay, looking up at him hesitantly. “Did you really want to come tonight, or were you just being polite?”
“No, I’d love to go,” Jay assured her. Then a slow smile crossed his face. “In fact, it will give me something to tease my commanding officer about. His brother-in-law plays for the Marlins.”
“Really?” Carina managed a smile of her own. Before she could say anything further, Jay motioned to Pete.
“Let me tell my dad where I’m going.”
“Okay.” Carina picked up her briefcase. “I’ll meet you out in the parking lot. I want to double check with Amber’s mom to make sure it’s really okay for Bianca to spend the night tonight.”
“All right.” Jay nodded. “I’ll only be a minute.”
* * *
Jay headed for the parking lot, feeling rather pleased with how perfectly Bianca’s plan had worked. Bianca had confided in him that she was worried about her older sister and her lack of a social life. He had a hard time believing Carina wasn’t dating anyone, but he liked the idea of changing that for the next couple weeks. He had no idea if they would even have anything in common, but he looked forward to finding out.
Jay was at the edge of the parking lot when he saw Carina wave good-bye to Bianca as she drove off with Amber. That was when he noticed the man a short distance away, the same man he had seen talking to her earlier. At first Jay considered that maybe Carina was involved with someone after all, someone Bianca clearly didn’t know about. Then Jay saw the violence in his expression.
He shot Jay a warning look, one that was obviously intended to scare him off and ensure some privacy. Carina noticed Jay too, apparently still unaware of the visitor. Then she turned and saw the man heading toward her. Her expression instantly changed and indicated that this confrontation wasn’t going to be a welcome one.
Instinctively, Jay ran toward them. He came to a skidding stop when Carina reached into her briefcase and, in one fluid movement, pulled out a gun.
She aimed the compact little pistol at the man, her stance as steady as a veteran Navy SEAL on a routine op. The shock of seeing her armed lasted for only a moment and turned quickly into a sense of admiration. Why she was armed and what this guy had done to warrant this display was a mystery, one he hoped to unravel immediately.
He heard the words being exchanged between them, and it took him a moment to realize they were speaking in Italian. Italian wasn’t his strong suit, but Jay’s knowledge of French and Spanish helped him catch the gist of the conversation.
Carina’s voice was defiant, her dark eyes determined when she insisted, “I will not go to Chicago with you.”
“You don’t have a choice. You’re in danger if you don’t leave this place.”
“No, you’re wrong. You’re the one in danger if you don’t leave.” She nodded toward his car. “Leave now. And don’t come back.”
“You’re making a mistake.”
“Maybe I am, but that has nothing to do with you.”
“This isn’t over.”
“It is over. The sooner you accept that, the sooner we can both get back to our own lives.”
Jay watched the man shake his head and then take a wide path around Carina as he made his way to his car. Carina’s hands trembled from the weight of her weapon, but she didn’t lower it until he got into his car and pulled away.
“I hope you don’t have to use that thing often,” Jay said casually as he stepped beside her.
Her eyes whipped up to meet his, her cheeks flushed.
“Who was that guy?” Jay asked.
“Nobody.” Carina secured her weapon and tucked it back in her bag.
“You obviously knew him. Have you had problems with him before?”
“He’s nobody,” Carina repeated, a little more sharply this time.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to pry.” Jay laid a hand on her shoulder, and his eyes narrowed in speculation. “Are you still up for going to the game?”
She seemed to consider for a moment. Then she took a steadying breath and nodded. “Yeah. Actually, I would still like to go. I’d rather not be home alone right now.”
He wanted to know more. He needed details, but Carina’s expression was already guarded, and Jay suspected she wasn’t abo
ut to explain anything to him right now. Reluctantly, he nodded, and they walked together to his car.
Carina handed him his keys so he could drive, and a moment later they started for the stadium. They drove in silence for the first few minutes, Jay concentrating on his rearview mirror and the black SUV that followed them for several blocks. He took the time to make a few wrong turns, noticing the way Carina glanced behind them a few times as if to see if they were being followed.
When he made yet another wrong turn, Carina’s eyes narrowed and she asked, “Where are you going? The stadium is the other way.”
“I’m just making sure no one is behind us,” Jay told her. He corrected his path once more and then zigzagged through town toward the stadium. “Do you want to talk about it?”
She shook her head. “Not really.”
Jay swallowed his urge to press for information and forced himself to change the subject. “So how is it that you’re taking care of your sister?”
Carina stiffened, but her voice was nonchalant. “My mother died a couple of years ago. I’ve been taking care of my sisters ever since.”
“Sisters? How many do you have?”
“Two. Gianna’s away at college right now.”
“Where’s she going to school?”
“BYU.”
Jay’s eyes narrowed. Brigham Young University. A Mormon school. “Does she like it?”
“Actually, she loves it there.” Carina nodded. “After seeing some of the challenges I had at NYU, she decided she wanted to try something a little more suitable to a Mormon lifestyle.”
“Those are both top-notch schools.”
“Where did you go to college?”
“The Naval Academy.” The corners of his lips lifted slightly. “My dad went to the Academy too. He wasn’t thrilled when I chose the navy over the marines, but I think he’s adjusted.”
Her voice was wistful when she shifted to look at him. “You’re close.”
“Yeah, I guess. I mean, I don’t get to come home much, but my dad’s the same now as he’s always been.”
She nodded, obviously lost in her thoughts for a moment. “You know, I had never heard him laugh before you showed up.” Her shoulders lifted. “I can tease that little half smile out of him every once in a while, but that’s about it.”
“He must like you, then,” Jay said, amused. “Most people are scared of him.”
“His swimmers aren’t. I think they just want to please him,” Carina said. “Although I think Danny likes to slack off just to get a rise out of him.”
“Oh yeah.” Jay grinned. “Dad’s demanding as a coach, but no one can argue with the results.”
Jay glanced into the rearview mirror and took a couple more quick turns before making his way into the stadium parking lot with the other late arrivals. He climbed out of the car and circled to Carina’s door just as she was pushing it open. As soon as she got out, she turned and looked around the parking lot.
“Don’t worry. I made sure we weren’t followed.” Jay locked the car and reached for her hand. “Come on. I think we both need to go inside and forget about everything but the game for a while.”
Carina looked up at him with dark eyes and slowly nodded. “You know, I think you’re absolutely right.”
* * *
Carina let Jay lead her out to his car, her hand warm in his. A breeze cooled the air, bringing a chill to the night. Fans filtered out of the stadium in droves, but Jay didn’t seem to mind the people pushing past them. Instead, he appeared to be content to walk at a leisurely pace as though he wasn’t in any big hurry to leave.
“Thanks for letting me tag along with you tonight,” he said when they reached his car. He opened the passenger side door and grinned down at her. “I was wondering how I was going to get you to go out with me.”
“This isn’t exactly a date.”
“Why not?” Jay stood beside the door, now staring at her with the intensity she had seen a few times before.
“This was just two people going to a game together.”
“Then maybe you should let me take you out tomorrow so you’ll know that we’re on a real date.”
“I don’t know if that’s a good idea,” Carina managed to say, even though she didn’t sound convincing.
“Of course it’s a good idea.” Jay edged closer until they were standing only a breath apart. “This doesn’t have to be complicated.”
“My life is complicated.”
“Maybe it’s time to simplify.” Jay leaned toward her, and for a moment, Carina thought he was going to kiss her. A flutter of panic shot through her, and she froze as she struggled against her conflicting feelings. She found herself drawn to Jay, but the idea of getting involved with someone, of trusting someone, terrified her.
As though sensing her apprehension, Jay simply squeezed her hand and lifted it to his lips. Then, without a word, he stepped aside and waited for her to climb into the car.
He circled to the driver’s side, and she tried to remember what it was like to date. Would she ever be able to simplify her life enough to let someone into her limited circle of friends and let herself care for someone new?
Jay slid into the seat beside her and gave her a quick grin that caused her stomach to lurch with a forgotten sense of anticipation and friendship. Carina managed to smile but wondered at the same time if maybe she had misjudged Jay. Maybe he wasn’t so safe after all.
14
“What’s taking so long?” Impatience hummed through the cell phone Nick held to his ear as he listened to the other man talk.
“Carina won’t listen to reason,” Nick said warily, a bead of sweat trickling down his back. “She doesn’t believe she is in any danger, and she obviously doesn’t have a clue that she’s the key to the organization right now.”
“And she isn’t going to know,” Frank Tesan said hotly. “If she finds out about her inheritance, she could unravel everything her family has worked for.”
“You don’t really think Alex would try to kill her, do you?” Nick asked hesitantly.
“If she receives that package her father sent her, I think that’s exactly what he’ll do,” Frank insisted. “We have to find it and make sure Alex knows she never received it. Otherwise, Carina Perelli is going to end up just like her mother.”
Nick gripped the phone tighter, afraid to consider the way the fabric of the Outfit had started to tear, to think that he might very well end up right at the heart of the battle that seemed inevitable. “What do you want me to do? Do you want me to bring the Perelli girls to Chicago by force? I haven’t even seen Gianna yet.”
“Maybe it’s time to make sure they don’t have a reason to stay in Miami,” Frank stated simply. “Besides her sisters, what matters most to Carina? Boyfriend? House? Job?”
Nick thought for a moment. He hadn’t seen any evidence of a boyfriend, and certainly she wouldn’t care if something happened to the rundown apartment she lived in. The job was with a discount store. Discount. He shook his head as he tried to reconcile the facts he had gathered with the knowledge that Carina came from one of the wealthiest families in Chicago. Then he considered his first encounter with Carina.
“Lou,” Nick said. “Lou is the most important thing to her right now.”
“Try reason one more time. If that doesn’t work, you know what needs to be done.”
* * *
He was back in Pakistan. The acrid smell of spent explosives mixed with the smell of lingering curry from what must have been that night’s dinner. A burst of gunfire sounded, and he heard a woman’s scream. He saw the door in front of him. The bedroom door in bin Laden’s compound.
The scene changed before he could relive the moment he wanted so badly to forget. Now he was in the helicopter, strapped in with his teammates, the message coming over his headset that they were hit and going down.
Jay turned away from the men in the back of the helicopter, instead focusing on his squad. He searched their faces for an
swers. How could they be so calm? Were they really ready to die? Or did they know something he didn’t?
The helicopter jerked hard when it impacted the ground, and Jay shook himself awake. His heartbeat was rapid, as though he really had lived through the crash again, but the images didn’t hang in his mind as they so often did. He rubbed a hand over his face, rolling over in the hopes of chasing away the nightmare by falling asleep quickly.
He started to doze only to find himself back in the helicopter right after impact. Seth put a reassuring hand on his shoulder and then held out his other hand. Jay looked down at what he held, surprised to see a Book of Mormon resting in his palm. It wasn’t like the other ones Seth had given him. This looked like Seth’s own copy, the miniature-sized scriptures that he kept in a pocket of his utility vest.
Oddly compelled to take a closer look, Jay saw himself reach out to take the book. The moment his fingers closed around it, the image changed. He was at church with his squad, everyone dressed in suits, Kel holding his little baby girl. Jay turned to look around and felt a hand clasp his. He looked beside him to find Carina sitting there smiling up at him.
Somehow comforted by the image, Jay felt himself settle into a deep sleep.
* * *
Carina sat at the table by the pool and glanced back at the parking lot. She was relieved that she didn’t see any sign of Nick and was slightly disappointed that Jay hadn’t arrived yet. He hadn’t been at practice that morning when she had arrived to pick up Bianca, and so far, he hadn’t called or texted to let her know what was going on with her car.
After returning home from their impromptu outing, Carina’s thoughts had continued to dwell on the time she had spent with Jay. Except for the moment when she thought he was going to kiss her, Jay had been easygoing and friendly, never pressing her for information about her past or even about Nick and the incident in the parking lot. He had also been surprisingly easy to talk to and always stayed on safe topics like baseball and swimming, his dad, and her sister.
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