by Katie Knight
“He’s a bit trickier. Dude by the name of Dominic Peretti. Something of a troublemaker in his unit. Bad temper and always getting into fights—with his teammates, with allies when they worked with different units, with locals…basically, with everyone. From what I could see in his records, he was reprimanded a couple of times and would’ve been kicked off the unit if he hadn’t chosen to leave when he did. A kind of ‘quit or get fired’ situation.” James snorted. “Anyway, looking at his recruitment file, his past is shady as hell. You ever hear of the Capaldi crime family?”
“Vaguely.” Preston looked up as Lila walked into the room and he waved her over to sit next to him. “Why?”
“This guy, Peretti, apparently started working for them as an enforcer after he left his special ops unit. Got picked up on a charge of extortion and battery a couple years ago and went to prison. Got out about a year ago and went right back to it, from what I can see,” James said. “If he’s your guy, you best look out. He’s bad news.”
“You got a picture of him?” Not that it would do any good, since Preston hadn’t seen the guy’s face, but maybe he could get a sense of Peretti’s build at least, see if it matched the man he’d fought. Maybe show it to Lila too, see if she recognized him.
“Yep. Sending it to your phone now.”
The device buzzed a second later with an incoming message. Preston put the call on speaker phone and lowered it, squinting down at the face on his screen. Typical mobster-looking guy—shaved head, dark eyes, dark hair, menacing expression. No way to know if that was his assailant or not though, since it was only a head shot. He was about to raise the phone back to his ear when Lila stopped him.
“Who’s that?” she asked, staring down at the man on the screen.
“His name’s Dominic Peretti. James though he might’ve been the attacker tonight, but I don’t know.”
Her face went ghostly white and she raised a shaky hand to her mouth. “I know him.”
“What?” Preston sat up straight. “How?”
“I mean, I don’t really know him, but I saw him one day. He was at the pawn shop when I went in to pay off my loan to Sal.” She looked from the phone to Preston then back again. “Why would he attack me though?”
“No idea.” Mind racing a mile a minute, Preston tried to put the clues together. “Are you sure you paid his brother off in full?”
“Yep. I got a receipt and everything to be sure.”
“Did anything else happen that day when you went to the shop?” Preston winced as he pushed to his feet once more and began pacing. He thought better on his feet, even if it jarred his ribs to stand up. “Was there anyone else there that you remember?”
“No, I don’t think so…” She frowned. “Wait. There was another man. He was there to see Sal. Seemed kind of important. Dom brought him in, I think. He introduced himself to me as Mr. Capaldi. He creeped me out. Kept staring at Parker. Told me his own son—Dante—died around the same age Parker was now.”
She shivered and Preston wanted to take her in his arms but couldn’t. Not yet. Not until he had this figured out and knew how to keep her safe. “Capaldi’s the name of a big crime family in Southern California. Dom Perretti works for them as an enforcer. Wouldn’t be surprised if this Sal guy you paid off is in with them too.”
“Do you think they’re the ones after me and Parker?” Lila asked, a hint of fear in her voice.
“I don’t know yet, but it seems about as likely as anything else.” He exhaled slow, right arm held tight to side to dampened the pain from his ribs. There had to be more to the story though, something he was missing. “Hey, James. You get all that?”
“Yep. Running a search on Capaldi now.” Several seconds ticked by before he got back on the line. “Says his two-year old son drowned when his wife drove her car off the side of a bridge after she figured out what kind of man she’d married. Kid was in the backseat. Police ruled it a murder-suicide. Looks like Capaldi went a bit nuts after that. Became more violent and vicious in his work for his cousin who was don of the family. Even tried to kidnap a couple of kids over the years, saying they looked like his dead son. Ended up doing a stint in a private mental hospital once for his delusions. After a while, even the mafia got tired of his shit and gave him a small sector in San Diego to run to keep him busy and out of the way.”
“That must be how he knows Sal,” Lila said. “The pawn shop must be in his sector.”
“Probably,” Preston agreed. “You said Capaldi creeped you out because he kept staring at Parker. Do you think maybe he was thinking about abducting him like those other kids?”
“Maybe.” She wrapped her arms around herself. “There was this look in his eyes, cold and crazy. I’d have believed just about anything evil about him that day.”
“If that’s the case and Capaldi wanted your son for himself, then there’s a good chance he’d have sent his enforcer to do his dirty work and get you out of the way,” James said. “Hang on a sec.” The sound of typing echoed through the phone line. “Looks like our boy Dom’s gone AWOL on his parole officer too, which fits that idea.”
Realization dawned on Preston and his eyes widened. “That’s it! That’s the missing piece. The other day, I saw a newspaper article about a manhunt for a missing ex-con who’d skipped out on his parole. I saw the same story again on the TV this morning. That has to be Dom. If he’s on business for Capaldi, he won’t stop until it’s done. His special ops background fits with my assailant’s skills too. It has to be him.”
“Great. Now how are you going to catch him?” James asked.
“Good question,” Preston said, sighing. They needed to get this guy off the streets, but there was no way to know where he was at any given moment, or when he’d launch his next attack. The last thing Preston wanted to do was put Lila and Parker at risk again, but he couldn’t think of any way to guarantee their safety. With Christmas just a few days away now, law enforcement probably wouldn’t be much help either.
“Let me act as bait,” Lila said, looking up at him.
“Hell. No.” Preston said. “Not going to happen.”
“You got a better idea?” James asked. “Perretti is obviously after her and the kid. Using them will put a quick end to this.”
“No.” Preston closed his eyes and tilted his head back. “ I couldn’t live with myself if anything happened to them. There has to be another way.”
“There isn’t.” Lila got up and came over to him, taking his hand. “Please? It’s my life and Parker’s on the line here and I want to do this. I don’t want to live the rest of my life afraid. You asked me to trust you before. Now I’m asking you to trust me. Please, let me do this. For all of us.”
“Listen to the lady,” James said. “I need to go. Call me later and I’ll help you work out a plan.”
Preston ended the call then scrubbed a hand over his face. He didn’t want to make this choice, but there seemed to be no alternatives. And he would be there to protect them. He’d take a bullet for them. He’d die for them. Dominic Perretti would have to get through Preston to get to his family.
“Fine. But I’m in charge. You promise to do exactly as I say or this ends now.”
“Agreed.” Lila reached up on tiptoe and pressed a sweet kiss to his lips. “You won’t regret this.”
But as he watched her walk back down the hallway toward her bedroom, Preston already did.
Twenty-Three
“Are you sure this is going to work?” Lila asked the next afternoon as Preston finished stuffing one of Parker’s snowsuits with old clothes. “I can clearly see that’s not a real kid.”
“It’ll work.” He zipped up the packed suit then wrapped a blanket around the bottom half and cradled it against his chest, with the hood part resting over his shoulder. “If Dom’s watching this place like I think he is, then from a hundred yards away this will fool him long enough to think I’ve taken Parker away with me.”
The thought of some strange guy spying on
her through the windows gave her the willies, but she’d agreed to act as bait to catch the creep and now it was time to make good on her word. “Fine. You’re sure my real son is safe?”
“Handed him off to Tom and Nancy at the lodge myself an hour ago with strict instructions to keep him inside and not let anyone other than you or me into see him. I didn’t give them all the specifics but told them there might be some very bad people lurking around and to keep their guard up. Tom brought his hunting rifle with him just in case.” He leaned in and gave her quick kiss before striding to the door, his heavy winter boots clunking loud on the floor with each step and the nylon of his jacket swishing each time he moved. “Okay. You know the plan?”
Lila nodded. She took a deep breath and waited until Preston opened the front door of the cabin and strode out onto the porch before rushing to the door after him and calling, “Don’t forget to bring some chocolate back!”
He waved to her as he strode to his SUV then buckled the dummy kid into the car seat and climbed into the vehicle before taking off. She closed and locked the door behind him then stood for a moment, rubbing her arms and feeling out of sorts even though it was imperative she act normal. Not exactly the way she’d planned on spending her Christmas Eve day.
Preston planned to circle the lodge, make sure Dom hadn’t followed him, then park the SUV some distance away and sneak back to the cabin. She’d left her bedroom window unlocked for him to climb through. Not exactly James Bond level espionage, but all that mattered was that it get the job done.
To keep busy until he returned, she cleaned up the living room, then the kitchen, before heading to her room to make the bed. After the revelation about Dom and Mr. Capaldi being after Parker, she hadn’t been able to think about anything else but that day in the pawn shop. How could she have missed the signs?
If she was truthful with herself though, she hadn’t really missed anything. Her gut had told her something wasn’t right with Capaldi and the way he’d watched her and her son. She should’ve listened to her intuition and called the cops and reported him. For what, at that point, she wasn’t sure, but still. Her stomach churned when she thought about Dom stalking them all this time. And the fact he’d been on that ski lift with her that day and tried to push her to her death…
She shivered again then shrieked as a hand closed around her upper arm.
“Shh,” a low, familiar male voice said. “It’s me. Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you.”
Lila turned slowly to see Preston in front of her. He’d managed to get back to the cabin and climb through the window without her even noticing. Man, she really sucked big time at all this spying stuff.
“I’m going to stick to the rooms without windows for the next couple of hours, so basically I’ll be hanging out in the bathroom. You okay?” He tucked her hair behind her ear then cupped her chin. “This will all work out. I promise. Law enforcement will get this guy, then you and Parker can enjoy the rest of your holiday here.”
“Okay.” She nodded then gripped the front of his shirt as he kissed her sweetly. She wanted to hold him close and never let him go, but that wasn’t part of the plan. Not today anyway. “I’m good. Go hide so we can get this over with.”
Once she’d finished making her bed, she cleaned Parker’s room too then grabbed the romance novel she’d started reading in the hospital and took it to the living room along with a cup of tea and settled before the fire to read.
Two hours passed, but no Dom. The sun sank lower in the sky, but still no Dom.
Finally, after about four hours and no sign of their stalker, Lila gave up. She set her book aside and walked back to her bathroom to find Preston asleep in the tub. Yeah. No stranger danger today. She shook his arm to rouse him, then smiled as he peeked one eye open.
“Just resting my eyes. I was on guard, just fooled you.”
“Uh huh.” She straightened, then offered Preston her hand to help him stand. “No sign of our intruder. I guess maybe he saw through our hoax.”
“Maybe. It was a bit obvious, I suppose, but we had to try.” Preston stepped out of the tub and walked into the bedroom to check out the windows. “I’ll run and get the SUV then pick up Parker at the lodge and come back here for dinner.”
“Or, we could both go to the lodge and enjoy the Christmas Eve party.” At his wary look, she grinned. “Come on. I’ve been looking forward to it since I got here and I doubt that even Dom would have the balls to try and attack me with all those people around. It’s probably the safest place to be tonight.”
Preston seemed to consider that a moment, then gave a reluctant nod. “Fine. But I want you and Parker in my sight at all times, got it? This Dom was special ops and I wouldn’t put it past him to try some kind of covert crap to get what he wants, whether there are witnesses or not—especially since I’d guess Capaldi is paying him a tidy sum to handle all this for him. We can try this setup again in a few days.”
Lila clapped her hands excitedly then grabbed her coat and hat. After locking up the cabin, she and Preston walked hand in gloved hand up to the lodge, since he’d parked his SUV behind it somewhere. Light snow fell gently once more and the clouds above hid the stars, but Lila couldn’t imagine anywhere she’d rather be than with Preston that night.
By the time they reached the lodge, the party had already started. They walked inside and removed their coats and hats, marvelling at all the beautiful Victorian-era themed decorations. From the lace and rose covered trees to the antique, life-sized Father Christmas statue in the corner, it all seemed like fairy-tale perfection to Lila. The past few years, she’d been struggling financially and had barely been able to afford a tiny fake tree and a few presents for Parker. This year, she’d gone all out, buying everything she’d thought he’d like and wrapping it all up to leave here at the lodge for Tom and Nancy to put out for him under the tree tonight. The air smelled of spices and pine and a group of carollers dressed in period costumes were wandering about the dining room, serenading guests as they ate and mingled. A roaring fire blazed from the old stone fireplace against one wall.
Still holding Preston’s hand, she made their way through the crowd and over to where Tom was overseeing the festivities near the far wall.
Tom raised his hand in greeting as they approached. “There you are. Parker’s doing fine. Nancy’s with him upstairs, keeping an eye out, just like you asked.”
“Thanks,” Preston said. “Too bad the kid has to miss out on this celebration, but we don’t want to risk his health right, honey?”
“Right.” She forced a smile she didn’t quite feel. Even being away from her son for a few hours made her miss Parker something fierce. The kid was her whole life these days and it hurt her heart to think of him stuck in a room upstairs away from the party, even if it was for his own safety.
As if reading her mind, Tom leaned over and patted her arm. “Don’t worry, dear. Your son’s in great hands. Last time I checked, he and Nancy were having a ball playing some puzzle game.”
“That’s good. And thank you for looking out for Parker.”
“Anytime.” Tom smiled. “It’s like having our own grandkids around this time of year. They live on the East Coast now, so they don’t make it back quite as often as they used to. Nothing beats the joy of kids at Christmas.”
“True.” Preston kissed Lila’s hand. “Hungry? Looks like the buffet’s open.”
“Definitely—it all looks wonderful. Thanks again,” Lila said, following Preston over to the food line. Her stomach growled and she realized that in all the intrigue earlier in the day, she’d never taken the time to eat. Everything was delicious as always, with the added touch of peppermint ice cream and chocolate Yule log cake for dessert. By the time she was finished, Lila felt full and more than a tad sleepy.
“There you are,” Clara said, coming over to their table. “I’ve been looking for you all night, but with all this chaos, I didn’t see you. Where’s Parker?”
“Oh, he wasn’t
feeling well,” Preston said, exchanging a glance with Lila. “He’s with a sitter right now.”
“That’s too bad.” Clara sat down in an empty chair beside Lila. “The twins are over with some of the other kids at the Christmas tree searching for any gifts with names on them and doing their best to guess what’s inside. We don’t open our gifts until Christmas morning. That was always Matthew’s rule,” she said, her tone turning sad. “The holidays are hard this year.”
“I’m so sorry,” Lila said, reaching over to take her friend’s hand. “I can’t imagine what you must be going through.”
“Being here helps.” Clara sniffled and swiped the back of her free hand under her eyes. “It’s good for me and the kids to be around other people, all the fun and frivolity. Makes it a little less lonely.”
“C’mon,” Lila said, pushing to her feet. “I need to use the ladies’ room.” Preston started to stand as well, but she shook her head. “No men allowed. Sorry. I think we can handle this trip on our own.”
He frowned and narrowed his gaze on her but stayed put. “Fine. I’m keeping an eye out though.”
As she hooked arms with Clara and they walked away the other woman leaned in and chuckled. “Is he always that protective?”
Lila laughed. “No, but we’re at that stage where you don’t want to let the other out of your sight.”
“Aw, so sweet.” Clara patted her hand. “Young love. And especially after what the two of you went through to find each other again. What a miracle.”
“Yeah.” Lila held the bathroom door for Clara then looked back to see Preston watching her closely. The connection between them pulled tight once more and her chest squeezed with tenderness.
She turned and walked into the community bathroom behind Clara, and they each headed for a stall. Thankfully, they were the only ones in there at the moment, so there wasn’t a line. Before she could lock her stall, however, Clara gave a high-pitched squeak, then there was the sound of a body hitting the tile floor. Concerned, Lila went back out.