With one final peck on the cheek, he squeezed her hand and then, smiling, opened the car door, anxious to get this investigation over with so he could start his real life with Dawn.
His smile quickly faded when a dark figure appeared beside him. Glancing back, he saw another figure by Dawn’s door with a gun leveled at her. Knowing what was at risk, he reined in his instinct to fight his way out of it until he knew what these two goons wanted, and until he knew he could get Dawn out of it safely.
*
“Joe, Marcus. . .What’s going on, fellas?” Jack asked, trying to sound nonchalant. These guys could be dangerous. He had intel they were messengers for the Santorinis. They worked with Leo, the contact who brought him into the games. All three had been gambling, and he’d had a drink with them earlier before he headed back to his suite and saw Dawn with Tom Watson, the head of security at the Mystic. He’d come out for a bit of fresh air to contemplate why she was being escorted by the guard when he’d spotted Dawn crossing the parking lot. “I was just coming back into the casino; I was just out here letting the girl down easy if you know what I mean.” He winked at them. The lie came to him easily.
“It didn’t look like you were breaking up.” Marcus sneered.
Shit! They’d been watching. He hoped they hadn’t overheard anything. A quick glance at Dawn’s window and he was relieved to see she had shut it when he crossed over to her side of the car and got in, though that still didn’t guarantee anything.
“We made up.”
From their menacing expressions, they weren’t buying it. “Leo called up to your suite. You didn’t answer. He wanted us to find you and give you a message.”
“Yeah? What’s the message?” Again, he kept his voice light. He wasn’t going to give away anything.
“He wanted to deliver it in person.” Marcus eyed both him and Dawn. When he was satisfied they were not carrying weapons, he indicated they should get out. “So, why don’t you both get out and follow us to our car.”
“The girl doesn’t really have anything to do with my extracurricular activities. We shouldn’t bring her into this.”
“I think we should, Jack,” replied Joe with a menacing curl to his lip. “I think Leo would be very interested in the fact you’ve been keeping company with Dawn Sassacus.”
“As I said, I was trying to let the girl down easy. I really don’t want her a part of this, or my other business dealings, if you know what I mean,” he lied easily and hoped Dawn wasn’t hurt by his statement. He was just trying as hard as hell to keep her out of it. He still didn’t know why these guys wanted to take him to Leo at this hour.
“Don’t tell me you don’t know who this girl is, Jack.” Marcus laughed. “I know you are not from around these parts, but this little ticket is a princess. She’s the daughter of the lady who runs this place.”
Again, Jackson didn’t want to act dumb and get caught in a lie. Dawn said the higher ups already knew he’d been seeing her for a while. “I know who she is. She and I have been hatching a little plan of our own.” He was lying, but a plan was forming. One that would hopefully keep Dawn out of danger if they decided to drag her along.
“Oh, really. What might that be?” Marcus asked. Something about Jack seemed off tonight.
“Take me to see Leo. Leave the girl here and I’ll tell him about it.” That would give him time to figure something out.
“Nah, I don’t like that idea. We’re bringing the girl. Let’s go.” Marcus pulled a gun from his jacket and waved it. Jack climbed out of the car.
“There is no need for a gun, Marcus. We are friends here.”
“Are we?” the thug asked sarcastically. In the family, there were no such things as friends.
Joe had opened the door for Dawn, and she got out, too. Jack could tell she was scared, but she was doing a hell of a job not showing it. He hated that she was involved. Hated that Marcus and Joe had spotted them in her vehicle.
Dawn quickly skirted her Jeep under Joe’s direction and stood beside Jack who placed a protective arm around her. She felt horrible about blowing his cover. Well, if she had. She wasn’t sure yet. They hadn’t mentioned knowing he was FBI yet, so she was staying quiet and following Jack’s lead. She’d been a little confused by his words earlier but figured he was coming up with another cover for them both. So, until he alerted her, or she figured out what it was, she stayed quiet.
“Walk. My car is four aisles over.” Jack started walking and she stayed beside him with Joe leading and Marcus following. They must’ve seen him come after her, but she’d closed her window to the chill when he’d come around her vehicle. She didn’t think they could hear much. If the two goons had overheard their conversation, they still hadn’t let on. Neither she nor Jack had heard or seen them approach her vehicle, but they could’ve been standing behind them the whole time, or at the very least watching them. The only thing Dawn could do was play along and hope that they believed whatever lie Jack was concocting.
Then like lightning an idea struck. She thought of something, remembering an incident at the casino last year, and considered it might work.
She cleared her throat to speak, and Jack’s eyebrow arched in panic. “Sorry if you had to witness our argument.” She gave Jack an elbow to the ribs when he was about to interrupt. “My family doesn’t really approve of us, his being a gambler in particular.” She made a snort of disgust. “As if I care. I’m tired of them running my life.”
Jack had no clue what Dawn was doing or saying, but as long as she played along he’d figure a way out of this for both of them. “As I said, Dawn, your family has powerful connections. We had fun, but I don’t know if I want to go up against them.” By planting the seeds of her connections, the mobsters might let her go so they wouldn’t risk people prying too closely into their business.
Dawn laughed harshly, hoping the two goons were buying her disdain for her family. “I’m tired of that, too. Living under the microscope. Now that I work in accounting, it’s as easy as the tap of a few keys and I can wire millions, tens of millions anywhere, and we’d be set for life. We just need a place to go, new identification. If we only had someone who could help with that. . .”
The girl was a genius, and he wanted to kiss her for coming up with that. By dangling that carrot, the mob could jump at her offer for a hefty cut, and those charges, along with what they had, might get a lot of members of the Santorini crime syndicate behind bars.
“Is that so?” Joe asked, a crooked smile spreading across his face. “I might know someone who can help with that. And if Jack ain’t willing, well, I’d be happy to help a lady as pretty as you.”
“I didn’t say I wasn’t willing. We were arguing about that when you guys showed up. But we made up.” Jack hadn’t liked the suggestive tone Joe used at all. No matter who these men thought he was, Dawn was his and off limits.
Marcus cut in. “Car is right over there.” Leo was gonna be so happy they found Jack tonight. This scam of theirs would be quite profitable for the family, and he was sure he would want to hear all about it from the horses’ mouths, so to speak.
Joe watched Jackson for his reaction and saw the muscle working in his jaw. He knew Leo would want to know how important this little piece of tail was to Jackson. He definitely had a thing for the Sassacus girl he’d been hanging out with. They’d been watching him for weeks and so far he seemed legit, although his hanging out with the girl had the bosses worried. Jackson Black was a big player and wanted to play bigger games that were not quite on the up and up. The bosses had decided to invite him personally, so that was why they had been looking for the guy. It was luck that they’d spotted him climbing into the girl’s car from the parking lot. They hadn’t been able to overhear them, just observed them talking and doing some heavy petting until the windows fogged over.
Joe decided to poke the bear a bit more to see how much Jackson liked the girl. It was always good to have some leverage on the guys you brought in, and so far, Ja
ckson Black seemed to be a wealthy loner and player. This would be good intel for Leo. “Can’t believe you are banging this princess, and not only that, she wants to help you out with this little scheme of hers and make you richer. Shit! If she were my girl, I wouldn’t be doin’ nothing to piss her off.”
Jack heard the undercurrent of lust in the thug’s voice. He didn’t like it all. “Well, she’s not your girl, so hands off, Joe. I’m an easygoing guy, who likes to make easy money just like any other, but when it comes to my women, I don’t like to share.” Jack did not care if he pissed off Joe. He was an underling, not a boss or made man like Leo. Plus, with these guys, if you cowered, they didn’t have any respect for you or your ideas. The tough façade when it came to Dawn was what was needed in the moment.
Marcus snickered at Jackson and Joe bickering back and forth over tail. “It seems you got a real soft spot for the lady. I think she’d like a hard spot better.” The goon grabbed his crotch to signify what he meant. Jackson’s eyes narrowed, but he said nothing.
Jackson resisted punching the smug expression off Marcus’s face. “I just might have a soft spot for her. But as I said, I don’t share my women.” He gave Dawn’s hand a squeeze.
Again, Joe noticed the muscle twitch in Jackson’s jaw. He’d also noticed the clenched fist. He didn’t want a brawl in the parking lot with the cowboy; plus, they needed to bring Jackson in. The bosses had asked him to do that over an hour ago, and they did not like to wait. “All right. Enough Marcus. The bosses don’t like waiting. But I think they just might like this little plan of yours, princess.”
Jackson hoped so, too. He hated having Dawn in the middle of it, but they did not have a choice any longer.
Chapter 10
‡
Jack stayed alert, and as they drove took mental note of their surroundings in case they needed to try to find a way to escape. Marcus had his gun trained on Dawn the whole time, and it made him nervous, especially the way he so carelessly swung it around. He couldn’t risk her getting hurt. And not just because he cared about her but because he was an officer of the law and sworn to protect the innocent. “Hey, Marcus. Do me a favor? Watch that gun. I told you, you don’t need it anyway.”
Joe shrugged his shoulders. Marcus mumbled something underneath his breath, and then said more clearly, “Sorry about that. Habit, you know.” He put it away, much to Jack’s relief.
“So, no hints, guys, as to what the bosses wanted?” he tried again as the car pulled onto the highway. He was so angry at himself for pursuing Dawn during an investigation. It was unlike him to become involved during a case, but again, he hadn’t realized who she was that first evening, and he hadn’t planned on it happening again. When he did, it was too damn late. He was still holding her hand in the back seat. Again, he squeezed it to reassure her.
“Nope. But I think they will like what you have to say.” Marcus leered at them, while Joe kept his eyes trained on the curvy road ahead.
“Okay, but why all the guns and theatrics? I really don’t like being called down this way.”
“I guess Leo wants you to know whom you’re dealing with. They’ll explain everything.” Joe’s eyes were fierce in the rearview mirror. Jack could tell from that glance alone if anyone went haywire it would be this guy. He was observant and quiet and that meant deadlier. Marcus seemed more laid back and careless. Also, dangerous. His eyes would be on Joe.
The long drive worried him. That and the fact they weren’t blindfolded didn’t bode well, either. If they had been blindfolded, that meant the men didn’t mean them any harm and would eventually release them. He just hoped and prayed his cover was still intact and that he and Dawn weren’t being led like lambs to the slaughter. But then again, the people he was dealing with were known for their theatrics. They were dangerous, but, also, everything was a message. He just had to let this play out. There was so much at stake.
The mob was not to be messed with and especially this crew. They were known for getting rid of all witnesses and potential problems before they became problems.
When they finally took the exit into the seaside town of Old Saybrooke, Jack was still trying to hatch a backup plan in case things went south. Jack glanced at the dashboard clock. He was supposed to check in each night with his bosses, and he hadn’t done so yet. He usually did so by 1 AM. It was just shortly after midnight. So, he had to stall for at least forty-five minutes before his superiors would start to track him using his GPS locator in his phone. Even then, they might not send in rescue units right away, thinking this was part of his investigation.
The car they rode in pulled into a break in a line of trees off one of the main roads, and Jack stayed alert watching for any escape route that might be possible. From his occasional glances at Dawn, he could tell she was doing the same thing. Joe was driving over the long, winding driveway, while Marcus sat in the passenger seat sideways to watch Dawn and Jack’s every move. He kept winking at Dawn when she made eye contact. She just looked away.
“Are you excited about meeting the big guy tonight, Jack?” Marcus asked as lights flickered through the trees. It looked as if they were getting close to wherever they were going.
“Oh, is that what we are doing?” Jack kept his voice cool. He sat up a little straighter. The big guy?
“Might be,” Joe stated, giving Marcus a dirty look. Marcus shut down and had the good sense to look somewhat ashamed of his slip up.
“Well, if that is the case, then yes. I’ve enjoyed the games I’ve been invited to play in so far. But there is nothing like the excitement that comes with playing for some big prizes.”
“But there is a lot to lose.” Joe eyed Jackson in the mirror. His glance at Dawn was a clear message. The mob had found leverage on him.
“That’s why they call it gambling.” Jack returned the stare, grey eyes unreadable in the darkness.
“Does this cloak and dagger stuff make it more exciting?” Marcus asked. He pulled out his gun and looked down the barrel.
“Not really. I could have done without all this. A simple invite would have sufficed.”
Marcus laughed. “Like a card in the mail.”
Joe rolled his eyes at his companion. “Yeah,” Jack played along which just made Marcus laugh harder.
“Your girl doesn’t seem to mind it,” Joe stated calmly, glancing Dawn’s way. He had been watching her for signs of fear. Her suggestion earlier had taken some cajones. During the entire ride her face had been a mask. She even looked slightly bored. He needed to do some digging into her story about being on the outs with her family. He bet Leo would ask him to do just that. Following the princess might be fun. But if she was legit about wanting to flee the princess life, he was sure the bosses would be interested in helping the little girl launder her dirty money for a hefty fee and possibly arranging some new identification for the pair. It would be a nice score for them all.
“This is the most excitement I’ve had in a long time, other than meeting Jackson.” She turned to her partner and shared a smile with him before looking directly into Joe’s eyes in the rearview. She didn’t flinch.
Big, fucking cajones, thought Joe. Huge.
“Now, honey,” Jack broke the stare down that was going on, “I know you like to live on the wild side, but I told you I can keep you comfortable and happy.”
Dawn snorted. “Not if you lose it all with this ridiculous hobby of yours. I am tired of mommy dearest controlling the purse strings. I want my own fat bank account.”
“But these are serious people, Dawn.” He played along. She was killing it!
“I am very serious, Jackson. I’d love to have you with me, but this is going to happen.”
Jack could not believe Dawn’s acting skills! Hell, even he was buying her story. This woman was incredible. Fierce. The claws were out! He’d seen signs of that strength and independence before, but never like this. Though he was damn proud of her, he hated having her in this situation. He hid that fear. “Okay, baby.” He
held his hands up in mock resignation. “If you want this, then I’m not gonna get in your way.”
“That’s a good playboy,” Dawn purred as she patted Jackson on the chest. Marcus laughed at her actions which was the effect she had wanted. She had come up with the story, so now she knew she had to get these men to buy it. If they did, then their bosses might, too.
“Boy, oh boy, princess. You really had me going. I had you for a family girl all the way.”
Again, she snorted. “I have no choice. My mother threatens to cut me off on a weekly basis. I mean, who the hell goes to college to study math? My mother had it planned perfectly. Our family would run every part of the casino. One brother management, one brother attorney, entertainment director, and the books. She covered all her bases just so she has total control.” Dawn gave some of the truth, but the big lie was that all her siblings had not been forced down a career path they didn’t want. She included. “The only thing about math that I enjoyed was counting the money.” That was another lie.
The car rolled to a stop. There weren’t any stars twinkling in the dark sky, and Jack was glad for that. If they did need to escape, they had the cover of darkness. On one side was a large house. Three stories high and no lights shone. But to the right was a massive barn. Two lights beckoned brightly on either side of the big red door that appeared to be open a crack from this distance.
Joe was the first to open his door and get out. “Now take it nice and slow, Jack. You get out first, while I help the lady on this side of the car.”
Jack followed Joe’s orders as he and Marcus got out of the vehicle simultaneously. Marcus slowly pulled out his gun again and trained it on him while Joe opened the passenger side of the vehicle for Dawn to emerge.
“Now, head to the barn. Nice and slow. You’re going to meet a lot of the family tonight, Mr. Black. Just what you wanted, right?” the henchman sneered.
Instinctively Jack reached for Dawn’s hand, and he held it as they crossed the yard toward the barn. The cool winter air blew in from the east and he could smell a salty tang in the air. He knew they were near the ocean, and from his days as a Navy SEAL having the water so close made him feel calmer. He listened carefully and heard the sounds of the surf. The sea must be directly behind the house, but the darkness prevented him from confirming those suspicions. Having the sea close, the Atlantic, could be a possible escape for them.
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