by Katie Knight
“I’ve already got my top people on board,” Sal said, his dark eyes narrowed. “I’d like the chance to prove to you I can take on more responsibilities within your organization. Maybe handle things while you’re away.”
Hmm. With the way people were jumping ship after his incarceration, Stefan had to say he was touched by this guy’s sentiment, self-serving or not. Besides, given the time-sensitive nature of the job, and the fact that Sal had earned his trust, even if he wasn’t exactly a titan of intellect. Stefan cursed the fact he’d ended up in this position at all, but knew he’d end up taking the offer. What choice did he have? Still, he wanted to make the guy work for it a little more.
“What about finesse though?” he asked. “I want the delivery to be clean and tidy.”
“No problem. We understand it’s a delicate situation, what with the smaller parcel involved too.” Sal gave him a tiny wink, and Stefan hid a grimace. When he’d first heard that Sam had a child, the thought of a tiny baby carrying his bloodline had sent a small frisson of joy through his heart before he quickly squashed it. No time for sentimentality. In the months since then, he’d resigned himself to the inevitable. Stefan had never intentionally targeted children before, even monsters had their limits, but if the child was collateral damage in his war to save his empire, well then, so be it. Years ago, the news of a grandchild might have made him happy. Back when his wife had been alive. She would’ve been thrilled. Now, it just left him feeling empty inside.
Then again, most things these days left him empty.
There were still other things that needed discussing though. He sighed and stared through the bars on his windows to the street below. Snow still coated the ground in places. It was March after all. His Gloria had died in March. “What’s the compensation?”
Sal gave a slow, sinister smile. “More power and prestige. I want to take over the whole West Coast delivery routes exclusively. Both hard and soft goods.”
Right. He wanted exclusive rights to distribute drugs and prostitutes in one of Stefan’s most lucrative markets. Not as bad as he’d imagined. If it were him, he would’ve gone after money laundering too, but then it wasn’t up to him anymore.
Perhaps it was time to let someone else take over the business.
Maybe he was getting too old, losing his edge.
No. He was still furious as ever at his situation, even if it did him little good in here.
All he could do now was wait. Wait and hope that one of his rivals got a lucky shot and took out his traitorous daughter once and for all. If the baby survived, great. If not, they could be buried together. Either way, this would all be over.
His family, the ones who should’ve had his back, should’ve given him their loyalty, had failed him in the end. But Stefan would not fail. He could not fail. His livelihood, his future, depended on it.
“Fine.” Stefan said at last, signaling the guard that the meeting was over. He stood and looked down on his attorney and the man who would hopefully finally kill his daughter once and for all. “Handle the delivery. And please let me know when it’s done.”
25
Seventy-two hours had passed, and Jack still felt as shitty as he had the day he’d walked away from Sam in Omaha. Sure, he’d tried to get on with things, throwing himself into work around the farm—feeding his cattle, working to fix the tire ruts left in his fields, cleaning out the barn and spreading fresh hay. None of it seemed to help get his mind off his broken heart for long.
Back when he’d been younger, during his SEAL days, he’d gone through women and relationships like tissues, never sticking around long. Funny that now he’d found the one woman he wanted to spend the rest of this life with, he’d been forced to let her go.
His mom had brought him dinner twice, checking in on him like she was afraid he’d get so down in the dumps that he’d forget to eat. She may have had a point…especially since, in true SEAL fashion, when he had tough emotions to deal with, he worked until he was too tired or numb to feel them anymore. The guys on his team were fantastic in battle, not so much when it came to matters of the heart.
Cursing under his breath, he took a break from the dirt he’d been shoveling to fill in a huge rut in his field and walked over to the tractor to get a drink of water. He’d thought the overcast sky might make the work cooler, but he was still sweating up a storm and his skin felt gritty with soil. In the distance, his cattle mooed and roamed in the pasture. There were several cows set to give birth in the next month or so. It was good he was back. There was a lot to do around here, and this was where he belonged now. His worst fears had been reinforced. He wasn’t the same man he’d been in the SEALs. He wasn’t up to the task of protecting Sam and their daughter. It was good Zeke had taken over. That way, Jack could get back to his own life—working on the farm, getting substitute teaching experience, and applying to colleges to get his Masters. It was all good.
Except everything felt so, so bad.
He missed Sam. He missed Glory.
Dammit. Why couldn’t life be filled with easy choices, obvious answers.
He’d knocked back about half a bottle of water when his cell phone buzzed in the pocket of his overalls. After wiping his hands and face on his bandana, he pulled out his phone and stared at the screen, his pulse rate tripling. Zeke’s number flashed on the caller ID.
“What wrong?” Jack answered by way of greeting. His gut told him this wasn’t a friendly check-in.
Zeke sighed. “Nothing’s wrong, man. That rogue agent, Meade—the one who killed his partner at the rest stop—finally agreed to a plea deal and I got some new intel. I thought you might be interested.”
“About Sam?”
“Yep.”
“Go on.”
“Turns out that Meade planted a tracking device on Sam right after they took her into custody. That’s how they knew where to find her.”
“A tracking device?” Jack scowled. “Where’d they hide it? Couldn’t have been on the vehicle, since that’s still sitting in the impound lot in Rally, far as I know.”
“Nope. He put it in the diaper bag.”
“Oh shit.” Jack swiped the back of his hand across his damp lips. Wily bastard. That diaper bag was the one constant with them throughout all this—Jack’s farm, the cabin, even the motel. Even when they had to go on the run, it was the first thing Sam grabbed. Then his heart lurched. “Does she still have it?”
“The diaper bag? Yeah, she did,” Zeke said. “I took it away from her as soon as I found out. We’ve moved her and the baby again, but on such short notice our choice of safe houses that had been cleared and vetted was short. This one’s a bit small for our needs.”
“Who cares about your needs.” Jack squeezed his cell phone so hard the plastic protective case cracked. “Are they safe? That’s all that matters to me.”
“Nice. Thanks for your concern, buddy.” Zeke snorted. “And yes, they’re safe. For now.” His friend gave an aggrieved sigh. “Honestly, man, the whole thing pisses me off. That Meade is such a smug bastard. It was like he was taunting us or something, telling us that Stefan Engel and his thugs knew where Sam and the baby were and made contingencies to get to her regardless of whether we found the tracker or not. That Engel asshole has got eyes and ears everywhere. Evading him is damned near impossible,” Zeke said. “I’ve got my best team on her, man. I swear, but even though I trust them all completely, we don’t have the firepower to hold out against a large gang of attackers. Engel knows this and I’m pretty sure he’ll use it to his advantage. It’s only a matter of time now, since Sam’s scheduled to testify soon. Just two days from now if everything runs on schedule.”
“Two days?” He knew her part was coming up, but things kept getting postponed or moved or changed all in the hopes of avoiding any violence. Blood pounded in Jack’s head as he struggled to process everything he’d just learned. Hopefully, Stefan Engel hadn’t discovered Sam’s new location. And if he had, then so did his cohorts. More men w
ould come to attack her before her testimony, that much was certain. He might not be as familiar with mafia politics, but they’d put down enough hostile coups during his time in the SEALs for him to know that when there was a vacuum of power, people always stepped up to try and fill the void. Engel’s trial wasn’t going well for the old mobster. Young, vicious rivals were jockeying to take his place at the top of the crime pyramid in Chicago—and they were eager for a chance to prove themselves. If one of those guys thought they could score a hit on Sam and take her out before she could testify against her father, that would be a sign to everyone of their strength and capabilities.
Perspiration trickled down his neck, and salt stung his eyes. He shouldn’t leave his farm. He should leave Sam and Glory’s protection in the hands of the professionals. He should mind his own business. Except Sam and Glory were his business. Now and hopefully forevermore. He might not be the man he once was, but damn if he didn’t feel like a better one now. Because of Sam. Because of his daughter. “Where are they now?”
“Little town outside of Chicago. It’s a fairly straightforward drive down the expressway to the federal courthouse in the city. Why?”
“Because I’m coming there, that’s why.”
“No, Jack. You’re not.” Zeke cursed under his breath. “I didn’t call you to tell you this so you’d race over here to the rescue. We’ve got this. I’ve got this.”
“Yeah? Not without me you don’t. My specialty in the SEALs was strategy. This is what I’m trained for. Please let me help.” Jack leaned back against the tractor and dug the toe of his work boot into the dirt. “I may not be the SEAL I once was, but I damn well guarantee I know tactics better than anyone on your team. Not to mention, I can still fire a gun with the best of them and I can still run a retrieve-and-rescue mission with the best of them. If anyone’s going to have Sam’s back right now, it should be me.”
“And why is that?” Zeke asked.
“Because I love her, that’s why. Because Glory’s my daughter and mine to protect.” Jack hadn’t expected the rush of joy inside him to say those words out loud, but damn if he didn’t feel them just the same. “They’re everything to me. If they’re in danger, I want to be there for them.”
The line stayed silent so long that Jack checked to make sure the call was still connected.
Finally, Zeke said, “Well, damn. I don’t have an argument for that, buddy.”
Jack chuckled. “Never thought I’d hear those words come out of your mouth, dude.”
“I know, right? I’m the guy with an answer for everything. And congrats on the kid, man. Glory’s a real sweetheart.”
“Thanks.” Jack straightened and glanced over to where his cows were watching him through the fence. “Let’s make sure her and her mom stay safe, yeah? We need to make sure Sam testifies and puts that asshole father of hers behind bars for eternity. And before that can happen, I think we both know there’s going to be another attempt to take her out. You need to be on guard for rival gang activity. Remember those power struggles in the Middle East after Hussain’s regime fell? I don’t know the mafia, but I can imagine someone else trying to take Sam out to make a point to her father.”
“Agreed. I’ll get my team on it. How long of a drive is it for you to get here?” He rattled off the name of the town to Jack.
“Let’s see.” After a quick search of the maps on his phone, Jack started making a list of things he needed to do in his head. Call his neighbor to watch his cattle and farm again. Let his mom know he’d be out of town a few days. Gas up his new truck. He’d just gotten it the day before and prayed this one would fare better than his last one. Telling his insurance company that he’d lost two vehicles in less than a month to gunfire probably wouldn’t go over well. “The drive looks to be about seven hours, give or take a few minutes for traffic and construction. If I pack up now and leave, I should be there tomorrow morning. That should give us time to plan our strategy for the courthouse the next day. Sound good?”
“Dude, you know I can’t legally invite you to join my team. You’re a civilian now.”
“I know, but in title only. In my heart, I’ll always be a SEAL.” A few weeks ago—hell, even a few hours ago—Jack doubted he’d ever feel that way again, but now he realized the words were true. He might not be the man he’d been when he left the SEALs, but in many ways he was better. In all the ways that mattered. He was smarter, fiercer, and a hell of a lot more determined. All thanks to the woman he loved and the daughter he adored. And with saving Sam and Glory as his goal, there was no way he could fail. “How about on the down low then?”
Zeke laughed. “On the down low? I say get your butt here as fast as you can, man.”
26
Sam stared into the predawn gloom the next morning after a long night of tossing and turning. One more day until she testified against her father. One more day until hopefully this would all be over and she could get on with her life. A life she’d need to rebuild post-Jack for her and Glory.
After a yawn and a stretch, she got up and got ready, then did the same for the baby, then carried her out to the kitchen, careful to be quiet to avoid waking Deputy Marshal Taylor. She needn’t have bothered, it turned out. He was already up and making breakfast. She’d forgotten about his SEAL background.
Jack had been the same way—early to rise, busy from the get-go.
Her battered heart flinched with sadness.
“Good morning, Miss Engel,” Zeke said as she stumbled into the kitchen and focused on getting Glory secured in her highchair. “How’d you sleep?”
“Like crap,” she grumbled, knowing she was acting like a total grump, but unable to stop herself either. “Thanks for asking.”
“Sounds like someone needs a cup of liquid energy.” Zeke snorted and hiked his chin toward the freshly brewed pot of coffee on the counter. “Help yourself. Milk’s in the fridge, if you take it.”
Sam kissed her daughter’s forehead, then fixed herself a mug. Normally, mornings were her favorite time of day. Watching the sunrise, the promise of possibilities to come. Unfortunately, the only thing looming on her horizon at present was the impending confrontation with her father in the courtroom tomorrow. Not exactly something she looked forward too. At least her two brothers wouldn’t be there, since they’d sold the old man out and taken a plea deal. Not that Stefan Engel needed any support. The man was ruthless. If any human could take care of themselves, it was her father.
With Jack gone, the only person Sam would have on her side would be Zeke. And yes, he seemed quite capable and good at his job, but it wasn’t the same. He wasn’t Jack. A pang of unwanted yearning shot through her. She missed him terribly, but he wasn’t coming back. The sooner she remembered that, the better.
She was on her own now and she had Glory’s welfare to consider. Time to make decisions with her head and not her heart. Her plans were to testify, then get the heck out of Dodge. Get settled in her new town, her new life, and make the best of things. Soon, Glory would be old enough to remember what was happening around her and Sam wanted to ensure those memories were good, instead of the horrors she’d witnessed after her beloved mother had died. Being around Stefan, without the shield of her mother, meant Sam had seen and heard the worst of her father’s world.
Thus, the reason she was testifying.
Also, the reason he needed to eliminate her before she could talk.
She compartmentalized those brutal images, as she always did to survive. No sense dredging them up until she had to tomorrow. Talking to the DA to prep for her testimony had been bad enough. Sam took another swig of coffee to ease the tension inside her, coiling tighter and tighter, like a cobra ready to strike.
As dangerous as all the days had been since she’d gone into witness protection, today would be the most dangerous. Perhaps that’s why Deputy Marshal Taylor was trying to make it all seem so normal. Reverse psychology or some such crap. Sam wasn’t buying. She had too much at stake and had inherited f
ar too many of her father’s instincts to buy into all that fairy tale crap for long.
“How do you want your eggs?” Zeke asked from where he stood at the stove. “Scrambled? Fried? Poached?”
“No eggs for me, thanks,” she said, taking another sip of coffee while Glory chewed on the ear of a stuffed piglet they’d purchased when they’d stopped for supplies the day before. “I will take some of that bacon though.”
“A woman after my own heart.” Zeke grinned as he set a plate in front of her. “Go right for the good stuff.”
She took a bite of the delicious salty meat and sighed. “Have to. Never know when it could all be gone.”
“Spoken like a woman with a broken heart.” Zeke took a seat across from her, his plate piled high with food. He was still wearing what she assumed he’d slept in the night before. The white of his T-shirt contrasted sharply with the darkness of his skin beneath the overhead lights. She gave him a flat stare before looking away. “C’mon, Miss Engel. Anybody with eyes can see there was more between you and Jack than just a man doing a good deed for a stranger. Besides, the kid’s got his eyes. And his nose, poor thing.”
“Hey!” Sam scowled over at him, only to find him smiling at her again. Her irritation dissolved under his friendliness. He really was a good man. No wonder him and Jack were such good friends. “We met each other once before all of this. I was working on completing my PhD dissertation in Costa Rica and Jack was still with his SEAL team. By the end of my trip, I’d already decided to testify against my father, and I’d made arrangements to enter witness protection once I got back stateside. Word leaked to my father, who sent men after me. Their mission was to extract me from the location and get me safely into US marshal custody. Jack was the man who came to my rescue.” She stared down into her cup. “Afterward, he took me to a safe house for the night and…” Heat prickled her cheeks. Those memories she didn’t mind reliving, but now was not the time, and this was certainly not the place. “Anyway, one thing led to another. You know how it goes. Nine months later, I had Glory. I was already in protective custody, so there was no way to reach out to let Jack know. Didn’t really see the point either, since it seemed unlikely we’d ever see each other again. Now, here we are.”