Vegas Series: Six-book Boxed Set (Hot Romance & Powerful Suspense)

by Mimi Barbour

  “‘Course he drank! You goddamn arrogant, spoiled brat! Wouldn’t you if your best friend had sabotaged everything you’d worked for all your life?” Carol screamed the vile words, her expression full of loathing. Frothing, she moved the gun and aimed it toward Jeff.

  Recognizing Carol’s intention, Lisa threw herself toward the crazy broad. However, before she could grab her arm, the weapon blasted. The ungodly smell of the fired gun seared into Lisa’s soul. Her attention, fixed on the woman she intended to stop, had no time to switch to the man she loved. All she heard was the grunt as he took the bullet.

  Chapter Forty-Nine

  Later that morning, after leaving the hospital, everyone gathered in Cory’s office at the precinct.

  Lisa held on to Jeff’s hand. She hadn’t let go of it from the moment she’d realized that Jim had pushed his son out of the way and taken the bullet aimed at the boy he loved.

  Cory sat behind his desk and waited for everyone to get their coffees from the tray just delivered. Then he cleared his throat and began. “Jeff, I can’t tell you how sorry I am for what happened in that room earlier today.”

  Jeff cleared his throat and gripped Lisa’s hand painfully tighter. “I’m still very confused about this whole nightmare. Most of all, why my dad is lying in a hospital bed with a bullet hole in him. Why that woman and her family had such hatred for the man. Most of my life, my father played an upstanding role in his community, generous above and beyond most other people. Did he really do the things they accused him of?”

  Cory looked toward Ham to pass on the specifics. The big Irishman leaned forward in his chair so that he faced Jeff, man to man. “Boyo, your dad took a bullet for you and never hesitated. To everyone in this room, the man was a hero.” Ham never spoke without using his hands, he waved them around and Lisa watched as Jeff’s gaze automatically followed. She saw everyone he glanced at nod their heads in agreement with Ham’s statement, all wearing expressions of sympathy and caring. Choked, she leaned her head on his shoulder and loved that he took the second to caress her cheek in acceptance.

  Ham cleared his throat and continued. “As to what happened all those years ago, from what we can ascertain, Jim and Ben were partners in the company your Dad eventually sold when he retired. Back then, according to Carol and the proof she passed over after we arrested her and her sons, your father had invested heavily in some pretty iffy stocks that tanked. Had anyone found out, they would have lost everything.”

  Jeff stiffened, looked down at the floor but when Ham hesitated, he waved him on.

  “Now according to Ben, who might not be able to talk, but hand-signs quite well, being a gambler at heart and good at it, he’d promised Jim he’d stop playing when they started the company. It had been his poker skills that won him enough to invest in the first place. The two men dreamed up a scheme to take money from their payroll account. A withdrawal slip signed by Ben and they found him a game. He won big-time and brought all the money to Jim to be deposited back into their account. It was this deposit slip that could prove that Jim knew all about the scam and was what had him panicking when Carol first approached him with her threats to disclose the scandal.”

  Jeff interrupted. “So why did she say my father forced Ben out of the company?”

  “Turns out their chief accountant noticed the discrepancy and that Ben had originally withdrawn the funds. This accountant bypassed Jim and took his discovery straight to the board of directors. They hired a private detective. He discovered Ben’s previous gambling addiction and put two and two together. Once they got the lowdown on his being in a game using the exact amount of funds taken from the account as the entry to the table, they forced Jim to fire him.”

  “And my father let Ben take the fall.”

  “Look’s that way.”

  “Jesus. The poor bastard.” Jeff shook his head.

  Aurora broke into the uncomfortable silence. “Ben told us that they moved around a lot over the next months and lived on cash he won from various games. So, even if your father had tried to find them, there wouldn’t have been any way. Then Carol’s twin sister in Argentina passed on and Carol exchanged their papers, said she hated her married name and the shame attached. Since the girls had been born in the United States and had similar features, Carol got away with it. Once Ben took sick, she enrolled the boys in school using her sister’s name with one letter changed turning her from Jan to Jane and even worked in various hotels under Jane Ward. So, of course, their trail went cold.”

  “Why did Ben think my father had tried to find him?”

  “Because, he’d promised Ben he’d make it up to him. As soon as the company came around, he’d share the profits. For the sake of their employees, he begged Ben to just go along with the scheme at the time. Seems the world of mining was shaky and they had investors who would have pulled out if they sniffed anything inappropriate.”

  “Ben agreed?”

  “Actually, according to what he signed, he told your father to go fuck himself, that he didn’t need him or his money. Your father forced him to take the wages he was owed. From then on Ben nursed his grudge with Jack Daniels and cards until his ticker called him on his bad habit of playing a long shot and letting it ride. Guess he lost a huge bundle and collapsed.”

  “Did Carol know about their agreement?”

  “When I interviewed her, she said that Ben refused to talk about anything to do with what had happened back in those days. He’d been so angry, so full of spite that whenever he got drunk, he’d rant and hit but never explain.”

  Jeff burst out, “No wonder Sam and Troy hated me so much. They grew up seeing me as the privileged one and themselves as the victims, which truth to tell, they are.”

  “That’s what Carol said to justify her behaviour, not that anything justifies kidnapping and attempted murder. Turns out, she finally talked Ben into revealing the truth about what had happened between him and Jim. Being furious at how he’d handled their lives, his refusal to take what he’d had coming, she stuck him in a home. It was while she’d packed his belongings to take with him, she’d found the evidence he’d carried all those years.”

  “And used it to blackmail Dad.”

  Aurora nodded. “Yes. Except by then he’d given so much of his money away, he didn’t have the six million she demanded.”

  “But I did.”

  Aurora just nodded.

  “No wonder he showed up here at the hotel when they took me. It wasn’t a coincidence at all, was it?”

  “No. According to Carol, your dad wanted to give them what he felt they deserved but he didn’t have the heart to ask you for the money. Between the two of them, they came up with this scheme to pay her off but still keep his secret. No one was to get hurt. No cops were to be involved. He didn’t know that I would come to say good-bye to Jeff and be suspicious when he couldn’t be found. Or that Jonathon Wimbly would care so much that he’d go to any lengths to find his boss and friend.”

  “I’m a lucky man.” Jeff reached his hand to Aurora and gently rubbed her cheek only to smile when he heard the low growl from Kai.

  Lisa added, “She admitted that she hadn’t realized how much her anger had eaten into her soul. She’d never intended to hurt anyone. All her and the boys wanted was the money that they had coming to them.”

  “Which is why I will pay for their lawyers and hope the courts will be lenient to some extent, at least with Sam,” Jeff said.

  Cory added, “Like I promised him, I spoke to the district attorney about his helping us get into the room. Plus, the record will show that he treated you with some compassion while he had you confined, better than his brother would have.”

  “No doubt about that,” Jeff sneered, when Troy came into the conversation.

  Kai cut in. “I wouldn’t have believed any man would care so little for his own mother, that when we told him she’d collapsed after the shooting, he cussed and turn away.”

  Lisa knew that Kai’s words had ever
yone remembering Jeff’s tears when his father had crumpled after he took the bullet meant for his son. She watched as Kai stood up and put his hand on Jeff’s shoulder. “Man, you ever need to talk, drink, unwind, you know how to get in touch with me… anything, just call.”

  “How about I call Aurora instead?” Jeff teased.

  “Let me reiterate,” Kai grinned, his baby blues sending a message that sort of teased. “Just call me.” Heavy emphasis on the last word.

  Chapter Fifty

  Later that day, Noel chattered like a happy monkey when Lisa picked him up from Mattie’s and drove him home. “The job is over now, Auntie Lisa?”

  “Yep!” As tired as Lisa felt, hearing her little boy’s cheerful yattering did more for her soul than anything else she could imagine.

  “Did you shoot the bad guys?”

  “Nope! Cops don’t always go around shooting people, Noel. We mostly talk and try to help the bad guys see things properly. This turned out to be a fairly successful case.” She tried to concentrate on her driving and was glad to see the turn-in to their building. “Come on Scrapper, let’s get your stuff and get you settled back into your room. Then it’s time for lunch.

  “You’re gonna eat with me?”

  “Of course. We need to have a little talk. Guess we can yack while we stuff our faces.” Her teasing made him giggle and so did her tickle as she helped him to undo the straps on his car seat.

  Trying to be serious, but failing, he answered. “You tol’ me I’m not supposed to talk with my mouth full, remember?”

  Sighing theatrically, Lisa stopped, put her hands on her hips and said, “So does that mean you always do everything I tell you to do?”

  Wriggling his shoulders, the little devil answered, “Nope!” Then he grabbed his backpack and headed for the stairs, probably sensing he was on dangerous ground.

  Lisa stopped to watch his compact, three-year-old body as he ran to get away. A series of emotions struck and almost had her to her knees. Love poured from some huge vat inside her and it swelled until she wondered if the glow was apparent to anyone else. Tears threatened and had to be swallowed because it might frighten him to see her so vulnerable. She had to be his tough old Auntie so he’d always feel safe and protected. He mustn’t see the weepy female that existed deep inside and worrying herself sick about the responsibility she now carried for his welfare.

  Through everything that had been happening, she’d put off dealing with Hank Beckman, Noel’s father. He’d texted after his calls were ignored and his begging had gotten downright heartbreaking. Now that the crisis was over, she couldn’t ignore him anymore and had invited him to come to the apartment after lunch to meet Noel for the first time. She’d done so after discussing it with Jeff last night in the closet.

  After she’d dumped on him about Beckman, he’d made her see the obvious. His words still rang in her head. “My dad spent so much time at work that I would have benefited from having another male influence in my life, a person who would care about me and teach me. Someone to share interests with who thought the same as I did about what I loved.”

  At the time, she’d been intrigued by the window he’d opened into his private thoughts. She’d replied, her trepidation lessoning. “You don’t think it would mix the little munchkin up since so much has happened to him lately?”

  He’d clinched the deal with wise words. “Not at all! In fact, I think you’d be in danger of his justifiable anger should he ever find out later that you kept him from his biological father. The way I see it, kids need a lot of support in their lives. Think about it; parents, teachers, coaches, even neighbors. They all matter. And of course aunts. Especially them.” He’d smiled broadly. “The more people around who love them can only be a positive thing, never a negative. Unless you were to give off bad vibes for Noel to pick up on and get confused. Or, if the man is a badass.”

  “Nope. Checked him out myself and had Ray research everything from his credit scores to his school grades as a kid. The guy’s solid.”

  “Well then, it’s a reason to celebrate. If you express these feelings to Noel, let him see it pleases you; he’ll follow your lead. Since I intend to spend a lot of time with him in the future in the parenting role, it would please me to know he’s got so many good people in his life to help mentor him, teach and love him.”

  Good Lord, had it only been last night? Since everything that had happened earlier today, Lisa had begun to feel as if she and Jeff hadn’t been alone in ages. She longed to be able to cuddle in his arms and unwind from all the stress of the last few hours.

  “Auntie Lisa!” called Noel, breaking her reverie. “I’ve been waiting for you for-ev-er. Can we go eat now? I’m starving.”

  Lisa shook off her anxieties and followed him into the building.

  ***

  “I like hot dogs a lot!” Noel glowed when she produced his second favorite meal for lunch.

  “I know. Hot dog, con queso, nada mas!” Lisa laughed along with Noel who had perfected this order after Kai had taught him how to order a hot dog in Spanish. Hot dog with cheese, nothing more.

  Noel waited until his mouth was full and then the cheeky little monster asked her a question, his eyes full of the devil. “We gotta talk now? You said so.”

  Putting her own favored tomato and lettuce sandwich back on the plate, Lisa sat so she could see his eyes. Every reaction he had would emerge and she didn’t want to miss a thing. Her mind played with the words she’d been practicing since she picked him up. Finally she blurted them out. “Did your mom ever tell you anything about your father, Noel?”

  Mouth full, he chewed and shook his head at the same time, his big brown eyes watchful and becoming shadowed.

  “What?” She reached for his hand and waited until he’d swallowed.

  “Do I weally have a dad of my own?” He still hadn’t mastered the r’s in his vocabulary though he was getting better.

  “Yes, Noel. I met him.”

  “Did you like him?” His keen eyes watched her reaction.

  “Oh yes, very much.”

  “Oh.” He reached to take another bite from the hot dog now being squeezed so tightly that the wiener threatened to slide out.

  She reached for the dog, opened it and fixed the meat, then passed it back. When he refused to take it, she put it on his plate. Since he waited, she continued.

  “His name is Hank Beckman and he’s a reporter and he has this great big camera he uses all the time, carries it everywhere.”

  “Does he like little boys?”

  Trust Noel to get to the important shit! Deciding that honesty would be the best way to handle this, she said. “I don’t know that. You’re a little boy and he loves you. That I do know.”

  He stared, but said nothing. His brain mechanisms labored, seen by the myriad expressions he was too young to hide.

  “Would it be okay if he came to see you today?” Should I push this or not? Sweat broke out. Lisa grabbed her hair, lifted the mass and twisted it to go behind her back. Noel watched her and slowly he crawled from his stool onto her lap and helped her gather all her strands, his little hands very gentle. She stopped and stared into deep brown ponds, pooling with tears. “Noel, what’s wrong?” She gathered him to her body and hugged him with all her might, careful not to crush but needing him to feel her love.

  His voice sobbed out the question tearing him apart. “Will I still be your little boy?”

  Oh god! She held his cheeks in her hands and made him look into her own tear-filled eyes. “Noel, you will always, forever and ever, be my little boy. You’re not going anywhere and I’m not going anywhere either. Even when you’re a full-grown man, you’ll still be my little boy. You and I are partners, remember?” His sobs broke her heart while his small arms cuddled her neck and his hands unconsciously played with her hair. She rocked him, doing everything in her power to make him feel better. Finally, he quieted, just the occasional catch as he took deep breaths. She delighted in his little boy sme
lls, no more tears shampoo and the glue from the multitude of Band-Aids he liked to sport anywhere an adult would allow him to cover even the tiniest of wounds.

  Soon, he swiped at his cheeks and leaned away from her. “Does he like hot dogs?” He asked the question as he reached for the cold one on his plate.

  “Sure, I think so. I have no doubt he’d buy them for you. If you asked for one.”

  The doorbell rang and they both stiffened. Lisa ruffled Noel’s hair and went to answer.

  Jeff rushed in as soon as the door opened and swung her into his arms. “My dad’s awake and he’s hungry. Damn! I’ve never been so glad to see the old man grouchy. Mom just arrived and she’s busy running around in circles for him. The doctors say they’ll keep him in the hospital for a few more days but they’re satisfied that he’ll make a full recovery.”

  Lisa hugged him hard, relieved to see him so positive and happy. Maybe she clung just a little too long or hung on a bit too tight because he pulled away gently. “Baby, what’s up?”

  “I told Noel about his father coming today.” She whispered the words, not wanting Noel to overhear their conversation.

  “And?”

  “He’s afraid that things will change between us.”

  “Of course he is. You’re the only solid in his shaky world right now.”

  A streak flew into the hallway and straight toward them. “Jeff! You came to see me. I have a weal dad! Lisa just said so.”

  Jeff reached just in time to catch the flying boy and lift him high in the air before he threw him over his shoulder. “You do, huh? A real dad? You’re one lucky dude.”

  “Noel pushed on Jeff’s shoulders so he could see his face. “So when you and Auntie Lisa get married, will you be my dad too?”

  The little monkey! Lisa looked at Jeff, opened her hands and shook her head warning him that she hadn’t said anything about their relationship. Red blossomed over her cheeks though she refused to hide them behind the hands that itched to give cover.