by Jen Talty
“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 as 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 w
ords.
“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 pressed 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.”
“I’m scared,” she whispered.
“I know, babe. I am, too. But we can do this, okay?”
“Okay.”
They each took a bowl and a mug then headed outside. Once she was settled, he went back inside to get more weapons. As he secured his, he heard wheels tearing up the gravel.
“I think this party is about to start.”
12
Delaney tried to raise her mug to her lips, but her hand trembled so much she could barely lift it without splashing hot liquid everywhere. The sound of tree branches slapping against each other replaced the humming of the engine, causing her heart to skip a few beats.
“Why’d they stop?” she asked. “Where do you think they are, and what are they going to do?”
“I don’t know,” he said, “but be prepared.”
“For what?” she asked, not wanting to know the answer. Gripping the hot mug with two hands, she finally took one large gulp. Too bad it didn’t have some alcoholic courage in it.
“Relax.” Josh took a sip of his coffee with a steady hand, before scooping up the bowl of oatmeal then shoving a large spoonful into his mouth. “Take a bite.”
“I’m not hungry.”
“All right. Then just look at me and talk.”
She tilted her head, and he smiled.
“Remember, they think you’re still playing me,” he said.
“How could they think you’re that stupid?”
“It’s my blind spot and they know it, so even if they suspect you’ve told me anything, they know I will go to any lengths to protect you. So, focus on the fact that you only did this to save your brother. You’re a loving sister who—”
“It’s going to take a lot of self-restraint not to slap that bastard.”
“Think of it this way.” He patted her leg and squeezed gently, sending some comfort to her brain, but her body still shook. “The longer we can keep them talking, the more likely we won’t die.”
“That’s not even remotely…”
She gasped, jerking her arm, sloshing hot coffee on her skin as her phone buzzed. Grey Eyes number flashed on the screen.
“Answer it,” Josh whispered behind his bowl. “But don’t put it on speaker, and go along with whatever they want.”
She blinked a few times before pressing the phone against her ear. “Hello?”
“Are you with Josh?”
“I am, thanks. How are you?”
Grey Eyes laughed, but it wasn’t a funny sound. “Are you trying to tell me he has no idea what is going on?”
“I really don’t know.”
“I take it he’s close by.”
She swallowed bile. “I’d say that’s a reasonable deduction.”
“Is he armed?”
“Yes.”
“Does he have backup?”
“Not that I’m aware of,” she said, wondering if the fear in her voice gave her away.
“Can you manage to talk freely for a few minutes?”
“Hey, Josh,” she said, moving the phone away from her mouth. “Can you get me another cup of coffee and my tablet? It’s in the bedroom.”
He gave her a sideways glance, but took her mug and headed into the cabin. She hoped he understood to take his time, since his tablet was right by the front door.
“He’s inside.”
“Can he hear you?”
“No.” Her voice didn’t quiver, but the rest of her body rocked like an erupting volcano.
“Our boys are missing. Does he have anything to do with that?”
“Not sure what happened to them. They shot at us.”
“So, he knows we’re coming for him?”
Think fast. Don’t hesitate. “He believes someone is coming for me. I told him I owed some not-so-good people a ton of money.” The way the words eased out of her mouth frightened her. Lying had never been her strong suit.
Grey Eyes laughed again, sending a cold shiver across the back of her neck. “You’re smarter than you look.”
“Josh is going to step outside any minute.”
“In about ten minutes, we’re going to pull into the driveway and take care of Josh.”
She bit her tongue. “I did my part as best I could. I want my brother set free, and then he and I are going to walk away unharmed.”
The phone went dead.
Josh came out of the cabin, holding the tablet and a cup of coffee. She sucked in a deep breath, blowing it out in an attempt to calm her nerves. “Is that wire thing recording yet?”
“Yes,” he said, helping her settle into the outdoor sofa.
“Is it just recording, or can your friends hear us?”
“They can hear us.” He set the mug down. “What happened?”
“They’ll be here in ten minutes.” Blood raged through her body, echoing in her ears. “They’re going to kill us.”
“We’re not going to die today. What else did they say?”
“They wanted to know what you knew and where their men are. I told them you believe I o
we some very bad men a large sum of money. That those men were after me.”
“You did fine,” Josh said. “Craypo believes I’m naïve and you’re vulnerable.” He glanced at her with warm eyes. “They don’t know the woman sitting next to me. They’ve underestimated you, and they don’t even know it yet.”
She leaned into him, wanting to suck up his strength and power.
The roar of a car engine churning made her jerk in her seat.
The air filling her lungs burned cold.
“I’m going to go down to the driveway,” Josh said, releasing her hand. “Stay put, but if you do have to move, try to stay behind me. ”
“Works for me.”
As he stood, she noticed he held a gun behind his back. She wanted to scream when he took the three steps down the porch, leaving her behind.
A black SUV rolled to a stop only twenty feet from Josh. “Who’s there?” he yelled.
All four doors opened. The first man to show his face was the man she knew as Gray Eyes. She clenched her fists, and her face heated the moment Kirk rounded the back of the dark vehicle with a shitty grin plastered on his face. Liam, looking unharmed and slightly amused, stood behind the driver’s side door. Finally, Craypo emerged from the back seat.
“Liam?” she called, standing, staring at her brother’s unbruised face and palming her own swollen cheek. “Are you okay? You don’t look hurt.” Part of her prayed that everyone had been wrong about Liam, but deep down, she knew her brother had betrayed her in the worst way possible.
The jackass had the nerve to smile at her. “Thanks for helping us out with this problem.” He pointed to Josh. “We really couldn’t have done it without you.”
“You bastard,” she said under her breath. She hadn’t expected him to come right out and tell her what a fool she’d been. “You’re disgusting.”
Grey Eyes placed his hands on his hips. “Josh, I know you’ve got a gun behind your back. Toss it over.”
Delaney watched in horror as Josh dropped the weapon then kicked it across the gravel driveway.
The moment Kirk picked it up and pointed it at Josh, she bolted down the steps, clenching her fists.
“Stop, Delaney.” Josh held up his hand.
