Jake closed his eyes tight. He hadn't allowed himself to visit those dark memories in a long time. So much destruction happened in those short seconds. He opened his eyes again in the dim hotel room and could still see Tyler bleeding on the ground, still hear the last gasp come from Debra Cantelli, who's life, along with that of her unborn child, had ended in that moment.
Of course, Jake hadn't learned her name until much later. Not until he was in intensive care and heard her husband in the next room saying good-bye to his wife. One minute you're racing from a board meeting that had gone too late, the next you’re holding your dead wife and child for the last time.
“Debra Cantelli was Angel Fagnelio’s half-sister.”
Cassie’s eyes widened in surprise.
“I didn’t know about the connection between them until just the other day. My guess is Angel knew all along when I was undercover and one of those bullets he blew into Rory’s was meant for me.”
Jake drew in a breath, good and deep, like he couldn't do back then, as if to remind himself once again that he was alive. He'd survived.
He glanced down at Cassie's ghostly face, saw the same raw fear he'd seen the night of the shooting at Rory's.
“Hey, I'm here,” he said, giving her a gentle squeeze. “I was the lucky one. One of the bullets that hit Ty skimmed his vest and hit a major artery. Kevin had just heard us radio in when a call came in about shots fired at our location. He was in the vicinity. When he got there, he knew there was nothing anyone could do for Debra Cantelli, although I don’t think Angel sees it quite like that. Kevin did save Tyler though. If Kevin hadn't gotten there, Ty would have bled to death.”
“Like Emilio,” she whispered.
Jake cursed under his breath. “God, Cassie, I'm sorry.”
She swallowed hard and he realized she was trembling. “It's okay.”
“It's not okay. I didn't mean to have you relive what you went through with your cousin. It's bad enough you've had to do that all day today and then again tomorrow.”
“It'll all be over soon,” she said, settling back against his chest.
He should tell her. Everything in him screamed that he should tell her the truth. Cassie deserved to hear the truth. She deserved to hear it from him. But he couldn't. After all she'd been through, how could she make it through tomorrow knowing her life was about to change forever? How could he take one night of peace away from her? From them?
And what if he did tell her? She could always refuse to testify. Having her life back was pretty strong motivation not to. And then she'd be out on her own and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't protect her.
“Jake?”
“Hmm?”
“Are you afraid? I mean of seeing Angel Fagnelio face to face.”
“No. He's exactly where he should be, behind bars. He can't hurt anyone else now.”
And that's where he was going to stay. He definitely couldn't tell Cassie tonight, Jake decided.
Cassie played with the collar of his shirt. The gravity of tomorrow's events would crash down on them sooner or later. But Jake didn't really want to think about it now, didn't want Cassie to have to carry that burden. Not when she was in his arms like this, where he knew he could keep her safe. Tomorrow was a different story.
After a moment, she said, “Did you ever think that maybe Charlotte lied because she was afraid if Tyler went to that raid he'd be killed?”
“She was the one who sent him—”
“I know. She sent him to that alley. But what happened there was just the crazy randomness of life. What were the odds that something like that could happen, huh? A million to one?”
Jake didn't want to think about it. Not because it wasn't a possibility, but because he'd been second guessing himself where Charlotte Tate was concerned ever since their meeting at the station earlier.
She'd shot and killed her own lover. Good Lord, that had to mess up your head in ways he didn't want to explore. He squeezed Cassie tighter and felt his heartbeat race, just thinking about what had to be going through Charley's mind when she pulled that trigger.
Charlotte Tate afraid? Of course, there was a very distinct possibility that Jake had been wrong all these years about Charley's motives for lying to them. His anger made him assume it was greed on her part. But maybe it had been as Cassie suggested. None of them were immune to fear.
He thought about those long weeks of recovery after the shooting. Charley had been by Tyler's side while he lay unconscious in a hospital bed. Jake was too angry to see anything other than what he'd wanted to see. He had his own demons to fight. Maybe he'd been unfair.
Maybe not. Charley had been involved with John Bellows and he had wanted Cassie dead. That wasn't something Jake was likely to forget. Had Charley had some knowledge that Bellows was working with Fagnelio? They only had her word that she’d been with John Bellows the night of the shooting at Rory’s.
Jake just didn't know. All he knew was that sticking close to Charlotte Tate and her cohorts was the best chance he had to help Cassie. Even if it meant he had to leave her for a while.
He stayed just long enough for Cassie to fall asleep. In those quiet moments just before sleep claimed her, she asked if everything was going to be all right. As if she knew the truth.
As Jake closed her bedroom door, prepared to meet with Kevin and Charley, guilt tore at his soul. He'd done the one thing he had sworn he'd never do to her. He’d lied.
#
Chapter Fifteen
Getting out of bed proved surprisingly easy given how little sleep Cassie managed to seize. She'd woken several times in the darkness, caught between fatigue and the dark thoughts invading her mind. Nightmares of gunfire, of running, and of Emilio.
She'd reached across the bed for something and realized all too quickly it was Jake she was searching for. But Jake wasn't here with her in the hotel. It amazed her how much she'd come to depend on his strength these last few days.
She remembered these dreams well. She'd had them for months after Emilio's death, so much that she'd needed sleeping pills to get her through the night. She'd gone through that nightmare alone. Now new dreams intermingled with old ones. But this time, she wasn't completely alone. She had Jake. At least she had that comfort.
The sooner the trial was over, the sooner life for both of them would get back to normal. Cassie was banking on it.
Jake arrived at the hotel a little while after she'd showered and dressed. U.S. marshals were lavishing great attention on the breakfast ordered up from the hotel kitchen. The thought of eggs sitting in her stomach all morning was revolting. Instead of getting her fill, she sat across from Jake in silence and picked at her toast. She welcomed the silence from the agents as well.
The plan was that Jake and Kevin would escort her to the courthouse in an unmarked car, something less conspicuous than arriving with an entourage of agents and U.S. marshals for the press to feed on. Agents Tate and Radcowski would be in a decoy car in front of them to throw off the press.
When it was finally time to go, they stepped out the back door of the hotel into a heavy downpour. A flood of memories washed over her as the rain fell hard, pelting the roof of Kevin's sport utility truck in an ominous cadence.
Jake sat in the back seat next to her and squeezed her hand. She jumped at his touch as the door slammed shut.
Keeping his hand protectively over hers, he said, “It's just rain.”
She nodded and leaned into him, needing his warmth and strength. “It was raining during Emilio's trial, too. Ironic, huh?”
Jake answered in concern by letting go of her hand and wrapping his arm around her instead. Compassion filled his smoky blue eyes and made her heart squeeze. With his lips on her forehead, he whispered, “I've missed you.”
Unshed tears clung to her eyelashes as she gazed up at him. “Me, too.”
“The trial shouldn't take too long.”
They approached the Federal Courthouse and as they'd suspected, the t
orrential downpour hadn't deterred any of the reporters hungry to get their story. Camera crews were lined along the sidewalk in front, waiting for “the news” to arrive. Scaffolding and news vans littered downtown Main Street. The torrent of people and the decreased visibility caused by the rain would make it hard to spot anyone…
Anyone who was still out to kill her?
Cassie had tried not to think about that being a possibility, but it had always been there. She clenched her fists and tried to breathe evenly. Jake was by her side. She had a fleet of FBI agents surrounding the building and strategically located across the street. Nothing was going to happen.
But even as Cassie told herself that, she wondered what would happen if there was still danger lurking about. In the past week Jake had used his body to shield her. Would he do it again? If bullets started flying, would he put his life in danger to save hers?
She snaked her arm under his jacket and squeezed. Her heart plummeted. No Kevlar vest.
She couldn't deal with losing Jake. Not now. Not ever. What was he thinking not wearing any protective clothing?
Jake leaned forward to talk to Kevin over the sound of the rain on the roof. “When Radcowski stops the car out front, they're going to wait a few minutes before opening the door. As soon as they stop, take us around back,” he said.
“They always take prisoners in through the back, don’t they?” Cassie asked, flitting a glance to Kevin's reflection in the rear view mirror and then to Jake.
Kevin's face peered at her from the tiny glass. “We're never going to get you through this crowd, Cassie.”
Jake sat back next to her. “You're not even going to see Fagnelio. If the wagon's there, then we know he's inside already. There's nothing to be afraid of.”
Cassie nodded, turning in her seat to watch the throng of reporters engulf the car that Agents Tate and Radcowski were driving. The tinted windows of the car and the moisture on the window made it impossible for anyone to see inside.
“You're the boss,” she said, chuckling nervously as she turned back in her seat.
Jake gave a slight chuckle. “Since when?”
The SUV rolled to a stop as close to the back door of the courthouse as Kevin could maneuver. Almost immediately, Kevin bolted into the rain and ran to the side door to talk to who Cassie perceived to be another FBI agent. As he jogged back to the truck, he popped open a black umbrella.
Jake shoved open the door. Bile rose up strong from Cassie's stomach, threatening to choke her. Brushing her fingers across her cheek, she wondered if her skin looked as pale and clammy as she felt. As Jake stepped out into the rain, she clutched her stomach, hoping to God she wouldn't get violently sick right there in the car.
From where she was sitting, Cassie could see the paddy wagon parked alongside the truck. The doors were closed.
Jake reached a hand inside to help her out of the car.
“You ready for this?”
“About as ready as I'll ever be,” Cassie said.
She stepped out into the rain.
* * *
The trial went off without a hitch, much to Jake's relief. The judge denied all motions for bail and set the date for the criminal trial to be held in six months.
Six whole months being separated from Cassie. He'd have to tell her the truth.
Cassie had only been in his life a short time, but the thought of living without her for six whole months was unthinkable. He couldn’t figure out how she’d done it, but she’d gotten under his skin. And it wasn’t likely that was going to change. Yeah, Jake knew the moment he saw her all decked out in that slinky red spandex dress and that ridiculous makeup, Cassie had stolen his heart. He’d tried to keep himself detached. And he’d failed. Now he knew with absolute certainty that he was in love with Cassie Alvarez and all her aliases. There was no going back.
She was Cassie Alvarez, the tender, innocent woman who longed to take control of her life. Cassie Lang, the infamous crime novelist with a wild imagination. And she was CJ Carmen, no matter how much she didn't believe it. Steam, sass and innocence all rolled up to make one hell of a woman. And he was helplessly in love with every inch of her.
They convened in a conference room at the courthouse soon after the motion for trial. Cassie was sitting next to the federal prosecutor, Aaron Savage. A look of pure relief smoothed the worried creases he'd seen on her face earlier. He was glad for the reprieve. But he knew it wouldn't last.
Charley came up behind Jake as he stood in the doorway. She pulled him back into the corridor by the arm.
“I have to tell her,” Jake said.
“It might be easier if I do it,” she said sympathetically.
His chuckle was wry. “It's not going to be easy any way she gets it.”
Charley shrugged. “At least she'll hate me instead of you.”
“That's awfully big of you.”
“Hey, I do my best to puff out as big as you boys.”
Jake strode into the conference room with Charley following behind.
Agents filed out of the conference room as he approached Cassie. “Could I have a moment with her?” he asked Aaron Savage. The prosecutor ignored Jake.
Charley tapped her foot on the tile floor, cutting into his silence as they waited for a response.
“Maybe you want to go get a soda or something, Savage?” Kevin ground out from the doorway. “We could all go over the details of the transfer.”
“You'll be filled in with whatever you need to know when the time comes, Detective Gordon. As for you,” Aaron said pointedly to Jake. “What makes you think I'm going to let you be alone with my witness after the stunt you pulled?”
“Enough already,” Charley said. “We have a few minutes before we have to leave. I suggest we put it to good use.”
“What's going on here?” Cassie asked, her expression one of pure bewilderment. “What transfer are you talking about?”
Cassie's questioning eyes darted back and forth from the prosecutor to Jake, then to Kevin, to Charley and then back to Jake. Kevin turned his head and looked out to the hall. Jake couldn't do that. He wouldn't do that to Cassie.
“For cripes sake, Savage,” Charley said. “We have about fifty police officers and federal agents roaming this hallway alone. I'll stick one or ten of them at the door. Trust me, he's not going to fly with her anywhere without us taking notice.”
Jake smiled dryly at the burly man. “I promise to behave myself.”
“Don't smart mouth me, Santos. You're lucky to even be here at all.” Savage snapped his briefcase closed and flipped his wrist to check his watch. “No more than two minutes. I don't want Ms. Alvarez hanging around the courthouse any longer than she has to. And the door stays open with you and Gordon guarding it.” He glanced sharply at Kevin. “And just so you don't get it in your head to try anything heroic, I'll be watching you. Two minutes.” Without another glance, he strode heavy-footed from the room.
Kevin leaned against the doorjamb with his back to Jake and Cassie, his arms knotted across his chest. It didn't afford them much privacy, but it was the best they had at the moment.
“Guess I'm the last one to know about the party. Mind filling me in on the details?” Cassie said the words lightly, but even the slight lilt in her voice didn't mask the fear that had tumbled back. “Jake? What's going on?”
There was no easy way to do it. So Jake didn't even bother to try. Cassie was familiar with how the system worked. So was he. But even in knowing it, sometimes things fell apart. Like now. And there was nothing either of them could do to change the inevitable.
Jake did the only thing he could do. He pulled Cassie's small body into his arms and held her for a long, lingering moment, trying to breathe in the fragrant scent of her shampoo and the smell that was uniquely her. She was soft and warm and belonged there in his arms. A piece of himself he didn't even know he was missing.
He closed his eyes, and drank her in. Every detail flowed through his mind and his senses. He had
to remember this feeling. It was all he had until this nightmare was over.
“You're a material witness,” he finally said in a voice that sounded far away to his ears. “They want you to go with them, Cassie.”
Even in his arms, Jake felt Cassie sway. He held her tighter.
“But I testified. I thought this was over.”
“Charley thinks otherwise. She wants you in protective custody. She's afraid of repercussions.”
“Fagnelio is behind bars. He's in jail!” Cassie insisted.
“We still don't know who leaked your name to the press, Cassie. Until we know who it was—”
“You said it was Agent Bellows.”
“I was wrong.”
She let the words sink in. Jake could see her turning something over in her mind as he peered into her sable eyes.
Tears brimmed the corners of her eyes, but she pushed out her chin and held them back. A trooper. It was what he loved about her.
“Did you know about this last night?”
On some level, Jake had expected Cassie to ask that question. But hearing it from her lips, he realized he hadn't been prepared for the depth of betrayal behind the words.
“Yes.”
She nodded.
“You won't be coming with me then.”
It was a conclusion, not a question, he noticed with dread. Whatever feelings of deception she had, she hid them well. It didn't relieve him from feeling like a son-of-a-bitch for not telling her the truth sooner.
He cupped her face with both his hands and kissed her. Her lips were just as soft as he remembered and just as sweet. “I want to. Believe me when I say that.”
She pulled from his grasp, leaving him cold. From the vacant look on her face, Jake knew she didn't believe him.
“The FBI thinks Fagnelio is going to talk to save himself. Maybe cop a deal to give information about the breach within the FBI. They don't take kindly to treason within their own organization. If that happens—”
“Then whoever leaked my name to the papers will want me dead to prevent Fagnelio the trouble of saving his own hide,” she said evenly. Jake knew that inside she was anything but.
Material Witness Page 20