by Jacob Chance
“You belong with me, luv. And after the week apart, I want you close to me for as long as possible.”
She smiles up at me. “I can’t believe you’re here.”
“Believe it. You’re stuck with me now.”
A flicker of a frown appears on her lips, momentarily tainting the expression on her upturned face.
“What’s wrong?” My grip on her shoulder tightens.
“Do you think we’ll ever be able to have a normal relationship?”
Leaning forward, I run the tip of my nose over hers. “By ‘normal relationship’ I’m assuming you mean will we ever have a time when someone’s not trying to kill us?”
She nods.
“Yeah, that’s an important question, for sure. One we should start with anyway. We need to figure out where the orders came from. Someone powerful is behind the scenes controlling the puppet strings. Once we take out that threat, we can manage everything else.
Those what ifs you’re getting caught up on will always be there. Just like they are in any relationship, no matter the circumstances. They might change the longer we’re a couple, but with time, we’ll deal with any issues that arise. Together.”
“Are we in a relationship?” she asks. Her eyes look like jade as they lock on mine.
“I told you we were going to be together. What did you think I meant?”
“I hoped you meant that you want to be with me. You know, in a committed relationship. But I know your lifestyle isn’t really conducive to that, and I can’t say mine is either. Add in that we’re on opposite sides of the law, and I start to wonder if we’re crazy.”
“Hold up right there, Georgie. There you go getting ahead of yourself again. I’m going to make this as blunt as possible so your over analyzing brain won’t misconstrue my words.” Shifting my position, I turn to face her. “When Green and his men came for me, you were the first thought in my mind. Your safety was the most important thing to me.” I cup both sides of her face, leaning closer so she can see the truth of the words I’m about to say. “And when he took me, I swore I’d find a way to get back to you.”
“And you did.” She smiles.
“I did. But I’m not done, and I need you to listen carefully, because what I’m about to say, I’ve never told another woman.” I pause long enough for her to give me a compliant nod. “When we made love our last night together, I wanted to declare my feelings for you, but I knew there was a chance I wouldn’t make it out alive. And if that happened, I didn’t want you to mourn my loss for a long period of time.”
“Like it would make a difference,” she scoffs. “I’ve been mourning you and I wasn’t going to stop anytime soon.”
My thumbs whisk over her cheeks. “Let me finish. I’m Irish, I have a lot to say,” I jest.
“And a long winded way of saying it,” she retorts.
“During my more lucid moments, I thought of only two things—you and escaping. I don’t have many regrets, because I believe that looking behind you is a waste of time. You miss out on what’s in front of you. But I regretted with every fiber of my being that I didn’t tell you how I felt.”
“How do you feel?” she jumps in.
I shake my head. “You just can’t help yourself, luv. Can you?”
“Spit it out already.” She giggles.
“Georgia, I love you. And if you don’t love me, too, I’ll just wear you down until you can’t help but fall for me.”
“I love you, Brennan.”
Her whispered confession has my eyelids closing for a brief moment. When my brown orbs meet hers, there’s a sheen of tears gathering and collecting on her lower lashes. “Say it again, Georgie, so I can be sure I’m not dreaming.”
“I love you, Brennan Collins.”
I press my forehead to hers. “I’m so goddamn in love with you, Georgia. I hope you’re prepared for what that means.”
“Would it be a possessive, alpha male, know-it-all, who’s good with a gun or whatever weapon’s available?”
“That’s only part of what I bring to the table. You forgot charming and sexy. But I like that you mentioned how good I am with a gun. You seemed happy to be reunited with mine earlier.”
She tries to shove me with a hand on my pec, but I don’t budge.
“Georgia, I promise to always keep you safe.”
“We had this discussion in North Carolina. I can take care of myself. You watch out for yourself. I can’t lose you again.”
“We’re going to crush this case and make them pay for what they’ve done.”
“You make it sound so simple. I want to believe it will be that easy, but experience has taught me it’s always harder than you imagine.”
I snap my fingers. “It’ll be a piece of cake.”
“I wish.” She sighs, her palm absentmindedly stroking my chest. “As much as I’d love to believe that, I don’t think we should count on it. We just need a break to point us in the right direction.”
“Stay positive, luv. We got this. We’re an unbeatable team.”
“Georgia, wake up.” I’m just waking up myself, and she’s completely passed out under my arm, with her head on my chest.
“Ohhh, sorry.” She rubs her eyes and then stretches, all while yawning. “I guess I was tired too,” she purrs.
“You’re killing me.”
“What?” She notices me watching her.
“On any other day I’d be all too happy to show you ‘what’, but we don’t have time for any repeat performances.”
“Damn it, the email.” Georgia opens her laptop and checks the email status. “Oh, shit. Nash read it.”
“How long ago?” I jump up and start getting dressed as fast as I can.
“Twenty minutes ago.” She slams her laptop shut. “Where’s my phone?”
“We’ve gotta go.” Whether Nash is involved or not we need to leave now. Twenty minutes is too much time.
“Where the hell did I leave my phone?” Georgia is running around searching under cushions and ignoring what I’m saying. “Got it.”
“Georgia…”
“Shit. He’s left several messages.” She scans and swipes. “He’s on his way here.” She stops and looks up at me, her green eyes huge in her oval face. “We need to get out of here.”
“All right then, finally caught up have you, luv?”
“So we’re really sure Nash is involved? I just can’t wrap my head around it.” Georgia is still struggling with our shared suspicion.
I reach over and take the phone from her hand and place it on the coffee table. “We don’t have time to be sure, luv.” I hold my palm up. “It’s you and me now.”
She reaches for my hand without hesitation but pulls back at the last second and runs from the room. She returns within seconds holding a small black backpack. She pulls out a forty-five cal pistol and fully loaded magazines for each of us. “We’ll need these.”
“That’s my girl.” I smile at her as I push the clip into the gun and chamber a round.
“Damn right I am.” Georgia does the same. But she looks much better doing it.
We’re out of the building and almost to her car when we hear them in the distance, heavy vehicles approaching fast.
“This way.” Georgia begins sprinting down the opposite side of the street. I follow and catch up as she skids to a stop and dives into a darkened stairwell.
I immediately do the same, just as the headlights lead the charge around the corner.
“You good?” Georgia begins checking my leg to see if the knife wound has opened back up.
The street lights are up above us and we both watch from the stairwell as several black SUVs pull up to Georgia’s door. An army of heavily armed men in full tactical gear exit the vehicles in unison and enter her building. And Nash Garrison is leading the charge.
“Son of a bitch,” Georgia grits out furiously.
“Not now, luv,” I whisper in her ear, and place my hand on her shoulder. “Soon, but not now.”<
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We watch in silence as they all disappear inside her building. “It’s time to go.”
“Promise me we’ll see this through together. We need to make sure everyone involved pays for what they’ve done.” Georgia’s voice is cold, like ice escaping from her lips. “Everyone.”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Chapter Ten
Georgia
“Why don’t we go back and take one of the dozens of cars we’ve just passed? You know, maybe one that isn’t a rusted out piece of shit?”
“Because the person who drives this rusted out piece of shit isn’t gonna call the police.”
“And how would you know?”
Belfast stops what he’s doing and looks up at me, as if he’s confused by my question. “The plates and tags are expired and the back seat is full of empty liquor bottles. I’m thinking the person who owns this car isn’t the type to ring up the local constabulary for assistance.”
He’s not wrong.
“Besides,” he flashes a crooked smile and winks, “it’s a rusted out piece of shit, right?”
“Ha ha, smartass.”
“If we take something else, anything else, your friends will be on us before the sun rises in the morning.”
Again, he’s not wrong.
“We need to disappear without leaving a scent behind.” Belfast is calm and confident, as usual. It’s reassuring and helps.
“What’s next?” I ask. Things are happening fast again, and we haven’t had time to plan.
“We get low and figure out our next move. Then we make everyone pay.” He guns the motor, immediately confirming my suspicions about the vehicle’s condition.
“It’s the middle of the night. Where do you suggest we go to ‘get low’?”
“I know a place.”
“Why am I not surprised?”
“It’s still early, I’ll see what I can do.” Belfast doesn’t miss a beat.
We spend the next twenty minutes in silence as he drives us onto a darkened side street across from the old Edison plant in Southie. We park along the curb outside a local dive bar called The Broken Clover. At this hour it’s obviously closed.
“Are we going to break in and have a drink?” I have no idea what we’re doing here.
“Trust me, it’s open.” Belfast isn’t smiling as he turns in his seat to face me. “Before we go inside, you need to understand something.”
“I’m all ears.”
“The people inside this place here don’t really care for your kind.”
“Yeah, well, I’ve met plenty of people who want to talk shit to anyone with a badge, especially a woman. I can handle it.”
“Well, that sounds just lovely, Georgie, really it does. But the folks in there don’t talk shit. And they don’t give a flying fuck whether you’re a woman or not. If they get a whiff of the law off you, they’ll slit our throats and dump our bodies in the Charles River before heading home to take the wife and kids to church. You better take this.” Belfast reaches over and hands me another pistol. “There may be a few lads in here who might be unhappy to see me.”
I grab it from him and immediately chamber a round. “I’ll be fine.” I hope.
“That’s my girl.” He breaks into a smile and winks at me. “Feckers don’t stand a chance.”
Belfast slips out of the car and eases his door shut quietly. I do the same, and then follow him closely as he approaches and presses his ear up against the front door.
“What are you doing?” I mouth silently at him.
He holds a finger to his lips and slowly opens the door, only a crack at first. Before I can react, a pair of arms grabs him and pulls him inside and out of sight.
“Bren...” I don’t hesitate and run in behind him, forcing my way through the door shoulder first, with my pistol at the ready.
It’s pitch black and my eyes don’t have time to adjust before a pair of arms wrap around me from behind, knocking the gun out of my hand. I’m quickly swept off my feet and spun around in a circle. It’s disorienting and I try to struggle, but it doesn’t last long. Whoever it is, he’s too strong. I can feel his breath on my neck.
The lights snap on and I’m staring at Mikey, Belfast’s friend. I look down and suddenly recognize the arms wrapped around me.
“Oh you have got to be kidding me.”
“Just having a bit of fun, luv.” Belfast turns me around and gently lowers me until my feet touch the floor again.
“You fucking asshole.” I spin around and crack him in the jaw. “I should’ve shot you.”
“With what, you’re finger?” Mikey speaks up.
“Right?” Belfast rubs his chin and smirks. “How’s it hanging, brother?” He steps over and gives his friend a quick hug.
“A little to the left, as usual.”
Belfast laughs and they walk over to the bar, as if the world isn’t collapsing around us, and settle onto some stools.
I’m not sure I’ll ever understand Belfast’s sense of humor. Part of me can’t help but think he’s insane. He is by far the most reckless person I’ve ever met. Unfortunately, it only adds to his charm. Reckless and insane looks good on him.
“You look like shit. You’ve stepped in it this time, haven’t you?” Mikey slides a glass along the bar.
“You think so?” Belfast drinks it all right away.
“I do.” He adds more whiskey to the glass.
“Well, I appreciate your honesty, old friend. But I look better than the corpse I could’ve been.” Belfast swallows down half the golden liquid in one gulp.
“That’s debatable.” Mikey’s lips slightly edge into a small semblance of a smile. “I’ll leave you to it then.” He finishes his drink and slips from the barstool.
“We’ll see you in the morning, Michael,” Belfast holds his glass up in a silent toast.
Mikey tips his head. “In the morning then.”
“Thank you,” I shout as he disappears into the back of the bar.
“All right then,” Mikey calls out from the back.
Belfast tips back the whiskey, finishing off the remainder before placing the empty glass onto the bar. “You look like you could use some sleep.” Belfast places his hand on my shoulder, his thumb sweeping along my collarbone.
“I could sleep for a week right now.”
“Shall we?” He rises and holds out a hand, directing me toward the back of the bar. He flips off the light switches as we pass by, leaving us in almost complete darkness.
“I got you.” His hand guides me to the right side of the room. He opens a door and flips on some lights. There’s a set of stairs in front of me. “Go ahead,” he urges, and I begin to climb. When we reach the second floor, he steers me toward the next flight of stairs. “Mikey lives on this floor. We’re going to the third floor.”
“Who lives up there?”
“No one, officially, but I’ve been known to spend a night or two here when I’ve had a wee bit too much whiskey.”
“Oh, God.” She sighs. “Is this your hook-up pad?”
“What are ya talking about, Georgie?”
“Is this the place you bring hook ups to have sex?”
He chuckles loudly, and I shush him.
“Oh, luv, you make me laugh.”
We reach the landing and I scowl. “You never answered my question.”
“Georgia, I’m forty-one years old and own my own home. Why would I bring someone here to sleep with them?”
“I just figured it might be someone you met in the bar.” Why did I open my mouth? I hate how insecure I just sounded. I’m supposed to be a badass FBI agent, and I’m asking him about hooking up with other women? Ugh.
“Georgia, I know I’m so virile that you’ll find this hard to believe, but I don’t engage in a lot of hookups.”
“No?” I try not to sound pathetic, but I’m pretty sure if Shannon were here she’d have no trouble telling me that I failed.
“I’m busy, and I know
I don’t look it,” he winks, “but I’m getting old. By the time I get home most nights and eat dinner, I’m ready to pass out.” He unlocks the door by pressing in a code below the knob. We step into a clean, modern apartment. I move farther inside while he locks up.
We’re in a kitchen. There’s a small table and chairs tucked in one corner and a large gas stove and oven. The state-of-the-art stainless steel refrigerator takes up a large portion of one wall.
As I explore further, I notice the rooms are chopped up into multiple smaller spaces and not open, which was typical when this triple decker was built.
“What do you think? Does this place meet with your approval?”
“Looks good to me. But is it safe?”
“Of course. Do you think I’d bring you here if I thought anyone would find us?”
“No.”
He catches my chin between his thumb and index finger. “I realize you don’t know Mikey well, but I trust him with my life. And more importantly, I trust him with yours.”
I smile. “Okay.”
Belfast gave me one of his spare t-shirts that he keeps here to sleep in and we’re lying together under the covers. My mind’s racing in a million directions as I ponder over what this next couple of days might bring. And then my musing turns toward the extended future and what that might look like.
“What’s on your mind?” His fingertips comfortingly stroke the back of my arm.
“I was thinking about what our future as a couple might look like.”
“And what are you picturing?”
“I’m hoping we won’t be dodging bullets biweekly forever. Isn’t that about what we’ve been averaging?”
He laughs. “It won’t be like this for much longer. Hang in there. Don’t give up on us, luv.”
Rolling over, I rest my chin on his chest, staring up at his handsome face. “I’m not giving up on us. That’s not even an option.”
“Let’s think about our future after this is over. We should go away.”
“And never come back?” I joke.
“Only if you don’t want to.”
“I’m not running away from our problems.”