Deadly Conflicts (Hardy Brothers Security Book 21)

by Lily Harper Hart

  “Banana boat?” Louis wrinkled his nose. “Son, you need to branch out on your viewing habits.”

  “Don’t blame me,” James said. “Blame her.”

  “Oh, I can’t blame her,” Louis countered. “She’s perfect.”

  Mandy beamed at her father-in-law, reminding Jake they had a special relationship all their own. Since Mandy and Ally grew up together, Louis and Rose knew Mandy from when she was quite small. They loved her as much as they did their own children.

  “I should’ve married you,” Mandy said, kissing Louis’ cheek. “You know how to treat me right.”

  “Yes, and I’m sure Mom will love hearing that,” James said.

  “Leave her alone,” Louis said, lightly slapping his son’s arm. “She has good taste.”

  “She does,” James agreed, snagging Mandy by the back of the neck and pulling her so her body was flush against his. “I love you and don’t want to fight. I’ll make up for whatever bad thing I said when you get home tonight.”

  “I’ll consider your offer and get back to you,” Mandy said, although she offered her cheek to James so he could kiss it. “I love you, too.”

  “Have fun,” James said, swatting Mandy’s rear end as she skipped toward Jake’s truck. “Watch her.”

  “I won’t let her out of my sight,” Jake said. “I promise to keep her safe.”

  “You do that,” James said. “I would be lost without her.”

  Jake grinned. “I know the feeling.”

  “SO, WHAT can I do for you?”

  The woman at the jewelry store was bubbly, bright, and excited when Jake and Mandy walked through the door. She immediately set Jake’s teeth on edge while Mandy happily moved forward.

  “We’re looking for engagement rings,” Mandy replied. “We need something classic and beautiful.”

  “Oh, how wonderful,” the woman cooed. “My name is Janet and I would love to help you and your fiancé.”

  “He’s not my fiancé,” Mandy said. “He’s going to be my best friend’s fiancé.”

  “Oh, that’s fun,” Janet said, moving down the counter and stopping in front of a large display case. “I’m guessing he needs a woman’s opinion to pick out the perfect ring.”

  “I just want my Ally to have the ring she’s always wanted,” Jake said, licking his lips. His voice was low and he was clearly out of his element. “I’m not sure what her dream is.”

  “Well, we have a lot of choices,” Janet said. “What kind of budget are we working with?”

  Jake and Mandy exchanged a quick look.

  “I’m honestly not sure,” Jake replied finally. “What are my options?”

  “Well, that’s kind of a loaded question,” Janet answered. “It depends on the kind of ring you want to get your girlfriend. There are things like cut, clarity, and gold type to consider.”

  “We want a princess cut with no side adornments and a platinum band,” Mandy said.

  Jake had no idea what that meant, but Janet obviously did because her smarmy smile widened, if that was even possible.

  “Okay, it sounds as if you have a good starting point,” she said, opening the door beneath the case and pulling out a display stand. “There are quite a few rings here to choose from.”

  Jake’s eyes widened as he studied the twinkling gems. “Wow. I … which one should I choose?”

  “It all depends on how much you want to spend,” Janet said. “She is going to be your wife, after all, so I’m thinking bigger is better.”

  “Uh-huh.” Jake’s mouth went dry as Mandy shot the sales clerk a dark look.

  “Don’t pressure him,” Mandy warned. “He’s already panicking. Jake, it’s okay. Ally is going to love anything you pick out. Any of these rings would be fine.”

  Jake didn’t believe Mandy for a second. She was working overtime to soothe him, a job that was not supposed to belong to her today. “How much is that one?” Jake pointed to a mid-sized ring in the center of the display.

  “Oh, that’s a nice choice,” Janet said, retrieving the ring. “With sizing, this one would cost sixteen thousand.”

  Jake’s eyes widened to saucer-like proportions. “Seriously?”

  “If that’s too much, we have other options.” Janet said the words, but her tone said otherwise as her enthusiasm waned.

  “I didn’t say it was too much,” Jake argued. “It’s just … is this what she wants?” He turned to Mandy, a desperate look on his face.

  For her part, Mandy was unsure of Jake’s financial situation. She knew James paid him well, but that didn’t mean he could afford to spend a small fortune on an engagement ring. She worried she could bankrupt him if she wasn’t careful.

  “She’ll love whatever you pick out,” Mandy repeated, helplessness coursing through her. “She just wants to be with you, Jake.”

  Jake hated the conflicted look clouding Mandy’s features. “Mandy, I’m not asking you to protect me and tell me what you think I want to hear. I’m asking you to point out the ring that will make all of Ally’s dreams come true.”

  Mandy smiled, love for Jake bubbling up. He was so earnest and determined she couldn’t help but adore him. “Ally’s dreams are going to come true when she marries you,” Mandy said. “The ring is nice and it’s a symbol of your love, but you’re the thing that will make her dreams come true.”

  “That’s very sweet,” Jake said. “Now stop pussyfooting around and lay it on me. I want Ally to have every single thing she’s ever wanted. That includes the right ring. Why do you think I brought you? I could let this one hoodwink me if I didn’t need your guidance.”

  Janet made a face. “I hardly think I’m hoodwinking you.”

  “Shut up, Janet,” Mandy ordered, locking gazes with Jake. “Here’s the thing, I don’t want to bankrupt you. I’m not sure how much you can afford.”

  “I can afford whatever she wants,” Jake said. “Try me.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “I’ve never been more sure of anything in my entire life.”

  Mandy’s face split into a wide grin as she giggled. “Oh, you’re going to make Ally so happy,” she said, extending her finger toward the case and bypassing every ring on the display stand. “Show me that deco one in the corner.”

  Janet’s eyes widened. “That is vintage.”

  “You heard the man,” Mandy said. “Price isn’t a consideration.”

  Jake smirked at the determined look on her face. “I knew it wasn’t going to be torturous shopping with you. James exaggerates.”

  “You haven’t seen the price tag on that,” Mandy said. “You might want to hold back on your adoration.”

  “Oh, no,” Jake said, shaking his head when he saw Mandy’s face light up as she got a closer gander at the ring. “I’m going to adore you forever.”

  “I think we have a winner,” Mandy said, sighing as she held up the ring. “This looks exactly like the ring Ally showed me in a magazine when we were fourteen. I was dreaming of marrying James and she wanted … whoever the quarterback was on the football team that year.”

  “Well, I guess we’ve made our decision,” Jake said, handing the ring to the clerk without even glancing at the price tag. “Ring her up.”

  “THANK YOU for seeing us on such short notice,” James said, shaking Peter’s hand as the man led him inside of his mammoth Grosse Pointe mansion an hour later. “I didn’t think a face-to-face meeting was in order, but my father was insistent on being introduced and seeing where Sophie grew up.”

  “That’s fine,” Peter said, waving off James’ apology. “I wasn’t doing much anyway. I’ve enjoyed running through the names of some of the area chop shops. I should do it more often. I found a few I want to snuff out of existence.”

  Louis’ eyes widened at Peter’s blasé attitude. “Wow. Will you kill them?”

  “Dad!” James was alarmed. “He didn’t mean that the way it sounded.”

  “It’s fine,” Peter said, chuckling. “I find it refr
eshing. Your father is merely curious.”

  “He’s something,” James muttered, taking a seat in the middle of Peter’s arboretum and smiling at the woman who poured him a mug of tea “Did you find anything?”

  “We haven’t found the specific car, but that’s a pretty small circle and everyone who cuts cars knows everyone else,” Peter replied. “The rumor is that it was an inside job and people are just waiting to see where it will turn up.”

  “Yeah, that doesn’t surprise me,” James said. “I can’t stand the jerkoff who owns the car and I’ve been wondering if he’s somehow involved.”

  “Yes, Sophie gave me a brief rundown on him,” Peter said. “It sounds as if he’s a real … what’s that word Mandy uses all of the time?”

  “Tool,” James supplied. “He is a real tool. He’s supposed to be getting us a list of his employees. We’ll run everyone and go from there. It’s just such an odd way to steal a car.”

  “Yes, it doesn’t sound very professional,” Peter agreed, shifting his attention to Louis. “Tell me, Mr. Hardy, what do you think of your son’s business?”

  “Call me Louis.”

  “Then you must call me Peter,” the gentlemanly mobster said. “We’re almost family, after all. I’m sure eventually we will be family.”

  Louis stilled. “Wait … are Grady and Sophie engaged, too?”

  “Not yet,” James replied. “Soon, though. Grady has a ring. Sophie is the one stalling for a little time. I think she’s still wrapping her head around a few things. It won’t be long now.”

  “Yes, I’m looking forward to a big wedding,” Peter said. “I don’t care what Sophie wants at all.”

  James chuckled. “Mandy is with Jake picking out a ring for Ally right now.”

  Peter’s face lit up. “Really? That is delightful news.”

  “You seem more excited for Ally to get engaged than Sophie,” Louis said. “How come?”

  “Sophie and Ally are very different people,” Peter explained. “Sophie wants a home and to feel safe. She doesn’t necessarily want children … at least right now. Grady makes her feel safe and loved. He also has something of a wild side and she’s far too serious sometimes. She grounds him and he allows her the chance to cut loose. They’re a good match, but marriage doesn’t have to happen right away for them.

  “Ally, on the other hand, is desperate to be a mother,” he continued. “She feels safe whenever she’s in close proximity to Jake. He’s calm and reticent while she’s bubbly and over-the-top. They are also a good fit, but Ally wants to be married because she’s ready to start a family. That is the difference.”

  “I guess I never thought of that,” Louis said, rubbing his chin. “You know a lot about everyone in the family.”

  “We’ve had occasion to work together on a few things,” Peter said evasively.

  “Like Lance Pritchard trying to kill Emma and Mandy and steal the baby?”

  James froze at his father’s question, his mouth working but no sound coming out.

  “I did not have enough to do with that situation.” If Peter recognized James’ distress, he didn’t comment on it. “I should’ve put people in the house with Emma and Mandy that day. If I had … .”

  “You can’t go back in time,” Louis said. “They’re both alive. The baby is thriving. I guess we should be happy about that.”

  “I guess we should,” Peter conceded.

  James finally found his voice. “Who told you?”

  “I asked Jake about the change in the guesthouse and he reluctantly told me,” Louis answered. “Don’t give him a hard time. He was in a bad place and nervous. I used that to my advantage. I think the better question is: Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “I wasn’t trying to keep it from you, Dad,” James said, choosing his words carefully. “I just didn’t want Mandy smothered right away. She was having a hard time. Then, as time went on, I didn’t know how to tell you because I kept it a secret for so long.”

  “I understand about wanting to protect Mandy,” Louis said. “I love her, too. You can’t shut everyone else out, though. Other people love her.”

  “Not as much as I do.”

  “No, probably not,” Louis said. “Still, it makes me wonder what other things you guys are hiding.”

  “Oh, geez, Dad,” James grumbled. “Don’t worry about that. It’s not a big deal.”

  “It is, but it won’t be a problem for much longer,” Louis said, turning his attention back to Peter. “So, can I get a tour of your house?”

  Peter beamed. “Absolutely.”

  James knit his eyebrows together as he considered what his father said. “What do you mean it won’t be a problem for much longer, Dad?”

  He didn’t get an answer because Peter was already leading Louis away. For some reason, Louis’ words sent a jolt of dread through James. What exactly was going on with his parents?

  “Dad?”

  12

  Twelve

  Ally hated being a secretary. There was no escaping the fact that it irked her to the bone. The fact that she had to run into the office on a holiday weekend, though – mostly because her boss was too lazy to send his own fax – was doubly annoying.

  It took her twenty minutes to drive to the office and three minutes to do the task. She was beyond irritated, mostly because she envisioned spending the day floating on an inflatable lounger in Mandy’s pool. Since Jake had to go to work, she thought she could share the day with her best friend and margaritas. That didn’t look to be in the cards – at least not yet.

  When Ally hit the parking lot she pulled up short, a shadow moving in front of her and causing her heart to flip. It took her a moment to recognize who was standing there and when she did she wasn’t thrilled with the realization.

  “Seriously, Vince, you scared the crap out of me,” she complained, tugging a hand through her hair. “Make a noise or something.”

  “I wasn’t trying to frighten you,” Vince said, holding his hands up. “In fact, I was trying to do the opposite. That’s why I waited out here. I didn’t want to knock on the glass and freak you out or anything.”

  “Uh-huh.” Ally wasn’t convinced. “What are you doing here?”

  “Well, I looked up your address because I was hoping to talk to your boyfriend,” Vince replied. “James didn’t give me his cell phone number and the phone at the office goes straight to voicemail.”

  “It’s a holiday weekend.”

  “I’m still missing a car,” Vince said. “I plugged your name into a Google search and found your address. I think I found your brother’s, too, but I didn’t think he would appreciate me just showing up on his doorstep.”

  “Probably not,” Ally agreed. “Why do you want to talk to Jake?”

  “I just want to see how they’re doing on the case,” Vince answered. “This might not be a big deal to them, but it is to me. This was supposed to be my coming out party on my home turf.”

  “I get that,” Ally said, realizing she legitimately felt sorry for him. He put a lot of work into the launch and then lost it through no fault of his own. “Jake took off this morning because he was doing something with James. I don’t know what it is, though.”

  “I guess they keep you out of the loop, too, huh?”

  “I don’t particularly care about being in the loop on a stolen car case,” Ally said, opting for honesty. “I know it’s a big deal to you, but I wanted to float in the pool all day and instead I had to come out here.”

  “I didn’t see a pool in your backyard when I pulled up.”

  “No, but Mandy and James have one,” Ally said, scratching the side of her nose as something occurred to her. “Hold up. You said you were outside of my house. How did you end up here?”

  “You were leaving when I pulled up,” Vince replied. “I tried to get your attention. Heck, I even honked my horn twice. You didn’t even turn around. I had to follow you out here. I figured this was where you worked, but I didn’t want to scare yo
u so I waited outside. I didn’t think you would come out this quickly.”

  “I just had to send a quick fax and I didn’t have access to the document I needed at home,” Ally said, her expression thoughtful as she regarded him. “Give me your cell phone number and I’ll give it to James. We’re having a barbecue at his house tonight. He’ll call you.”

  “Why can’t you just give me his cell phone number?”

  “Because he can’t stand you,” Ally replied. “I don’t blame him. You’re a real dick whenever he’s around.”

  Vince’s smile was rueful. “I guess that’s fair,” he said. “He brings out the worst in me. He’s so … bossy.”

  “That goes along with the Hardy genes,” Ally explained. “The only one who isn’t bossy is Finn. He’s the most even tempered out of all of us.”

  “That must be hard on your parents.”

  Ally giggled. “They’re bossy, too,” she said. “Give me your cell phone number and I’ll make sure he gets it. I agree that showing up on his front doorstep would not be a good move. It will totally tick him off.”

  “And nobody wants that,” Vince said. “He’s like the Hulk, right?”

  “More like the Jaws shark with an appetite for blondes,” Ally said, accepting the business card Vince handed her. “Whoops. I don’t need two of these.” She moved to hand the second card back, but Vince waved it off.

  “The second one is for you in case you lost the one I gave you at the mall the other day,” he said. “You haven’t used it, so I thought that might be a possibility.”

  Ally frowned. “Vince, I’m not sure what you’re getting at, but I’m with someone,” she said. “I’m happy with him, too.”

  “I didn’t say you weren’t happy with the carny,” Vince said, his condescending tone causing Ally’s hackles to rise. “You’re dating him, though. You’re not married.”

  “It’s only a matter of time until we do get married,” Ally countered. “Don’t call him a carny either. I don’t like it. You might think that smug thing you do is attractive, but trust me, you’re the only one who thinks that.”

  For a brief moment Ally could’ve sworn Vince let his happy-go-lucky façade slip, a brief flash of anger rippling across his face. It was over before she could be sure, though.