Love's Trusting (The Love's Series)

by Jordan, Maryann

  Wanting to be irritated at his show of caveman skills, she couldn’t help but love his concern. Nodding, she agreed.

  “Good. Now let’s get some food in you and then tucked in.”

  She couldn’t argue with that plan, so she linked her fingers with his and headed toward the kitchen. After a simple meal of eggs and toast with a large glass of milk, she fell into bed and was sound asleep in no time.

  BJ tucked her in then went into the living room to make some calls. First up was Shane and Annie.

  “How’s she doing?” Shane asked.

  BJ could hear Annie in the background, wanting to know as well. “She’s resting. Annie tell you that she’s pregnant?”

  “Yeah, congratulations man.”

  “I hear congratulations are in order for you too.”

  “Thanks. We’re excited,” Shane answered. Then softer he said, “Baby, Suzanne’s fine. Go on in the other room and let me talk to BJ. I promise to tell you if there’s something you need to know about.”

  BJ laughed as Shane got back on the phone with him. “Hard to separate the women from the job, isn’t it?”

  “You know it. Letting you know that we’re going to relocate Mrs. Johnson and the boys. When we got back and talked to chief, we felt that considering what the boys told us they could be at risk and the Safe Haven House just isn’t safe enough. They’re not officially in protective custody, but your boss has some extra apartments stashed around the city for various reasons and we called him.

  “Tony? He’s a good man. Runs a tight security business and has a big heart. Especially when it comes to kids.”

  “They’re moving tonight. Gabe and Vinny are takin’ care of things for them. We gave ’em clearance to go into the house to grab some more of the clothes and personal items for Pamela and the boys. They’re gettin’ things set up right now. Just didn’t want Suzanne to try to visit them at the Haven tomorrow and be upset when she couldn’t find them ’cause no one knows where they went except us.”

  “You think they’ll be safe there?”

  “Kids are out for Christmas break and so they’ve got two weeks off of school. Tony’s got a woman that’ll watch the kids when Pamela needs to work, but her boss likes her and has given her time off to take care of the funeral arrangements.”

  “Still gonna be hard to keep her out of the view of anyone wanting to find them.”

  “Tony says he’s got it.”

  BJ laughed, saying, “Then it’s done. Never seen anything like him. He’ll keep her off the grid.”

  Hanging up, he then called Matt and Lily. Before he could say hello, Lily was asking about Suzanne. Knowing she’d shared with her friends, he assured her that she was fine and resting.

  Satisfied, Lily handed the phone over to Matt.

  “Just went through the same routine with Annie,” he joked.

  “Yeah, they’re tight, those three. But Annie and Lily went through hell dealing with shit that Shane and I were investigating. Make sure that Suzanne stays out of this mess.”

  “Don’t worry. She’s staying out. I’m making sure of that,” BJ offered.

  The men talked a few minutes, reiterating what Shane had said. BJ then asked to speak to Lily again.

  “What’s up?” she asked.

  “You’ve been working on the reverse signals from some of the houses we’ve wired recently. Wanted to know how that was going.”

  “It’s working well, but you know there’s nothing legal about any of this,” she stated. “We can monitor for safety, but for the clients that did not want that service, if we monitor anyway nothing would be admissible in court.”

  “I know, but Shane and Matt are convinced that Marcel Washington is involved in gambling, prostitution and who knows what else. But the man is slippery and they’ve got nothing on him. I know that was his house that Gabe and I wired.”

  “I’m still trying to write code to let me get in. Should have it later this week, if it’ll work.”

  “Gottcha. Okay, Lily have a good night.”

  Making one last call, he wanted to talk to Tony. “Hey man. Sorry to bother you. Just wanted to thank you for helping with the Johnsons.”

  “No problem. Glad to do it,” Tony answered. “Gabe and Vinny got them settled in, made sure they weren’t followed. In fact, Gabe is spending the night just to make sure they’re okay. How’s Suzanne?”

  “Resting, thanks. That’s the reason I’m calling. She’s gonna want to talk to Pamela and the boys. How safe are they? What should I tell her?”

  “The boys saw their dad go in the shed a lot and even admitted to peeking in the windows. Their mom ’bout had a shit-fit when they admitted that, but the boys were good. Told everything they saw. Said their dad had a strong box and when he opened it there was a bunch of money in it. They even peeked a couple of times when someone else was in there with the dad. They didn’t know what was going on but said that the men would give their dad money and then sometimes their dad would give money to whoever was in there.” He laughed ruefully, “They said their dad was always in a bad mood when the money left and in a good mood when taking it.”

  “Police figure gambling? Tied up in these dog fights?”

  “Yeah. Had a talk with Matt and Shane this evening. Seems he’s probably been on the fringes of the fighting activity, going so far as to having a dog in the fighting. The one that the boys took to Suzanne and Annie. Joe was winning some and losing some but then lost big when his dog was killed. He probably had no back up money to pay what he owed.”

  “Is that enough to get him killed?”

  “Shane’s got a theory that he was getting desperate. And desperate men do stupid things. Like maybe keep tabs on the ringleaders. Or really stupid things like threaten the leader and think that they’ll buckle and bring him into the fold. Dumb fuck,” Tony cursed.

  “You know Lily’s working on the feeds from Marcel Washington’s house? What makes you think he’s gonna let his business pour into his personal home knowing a security system’s in place?”

  “The man’s smart. But sooner or later they all fuck up. And when they do, we want to be ready.”

  “How’d he get on your radar?”

  Tony laughed. “He paid cash for my most expensive security system. Legitimate businessmen want it as a tax write-off. He’s not paying taxes on whatever is earning him that money. I figured he was worth keeping an eye on.”

  “How do I keep Suzanne safe with all that’s going on with the kids?”

  “She needs to stay away from them for now. Anyone after them might assume she knows something.”

  “Thanks man. I owe you,” BJ said.

  “No way, BJ. No debts between friends.”

  Ringing off, he went back to the bedroom to check on Suzanne. Her face, still pale in the moonlight, now had the peaceful quality of slumber. Sleeping beauty. Absolutely fuckin’ sleeping beauty. And the mother of my child. Gonna keep you safe baby. Trust in that.

  Chapter 19

  Suzanne was professional and friendly when Dr. Ketchum showed for work the next morning. He was excited to be in the clinic and followed Annie around taking careful notes of the clinic’s procedures.

  “Of course, I know you’ll be looking at things to change once the ownership is transferred, but to keep down confusion for now, we want to keep things the same,” she offered.

  “Absolutely,” he agreed. “Your system is perfect just as it is.” As Annie moved to the other room, he turned to Suzanne as she walked into the back lab area. He grinned as he asked, “Sure I can’t tempt you to stay on as my assistant?”

  Forcing herself to smile, she simply shook her head. “Sorry. I’d follow Annie to any clinic.”

  His eyes moved over her as he said, “Such loyalty. And here I thought that everyone had their price.”

  She turned and left him standing there. Jerk. The thought struck her that with him out of the ER office, she could go over there and talk to Ralphie herself. Asking Annie if sh
e could take an early lunch, she felt guilty when Annie quickly acquiesced assuming that Suzanne needed food.

  She hustled to the ER clinic and was pleased to see the waiting area empty and a young man at the reception desk talking to an older gentleman.

  The man she assumed was Ralphie looked up and smiled as she walked in. The older gentleman turned and smiled at her also.

  “May I help you ma’am?” the receptionist asked.

  Glancing between the two of them, she quickly said, “Please finish with this gentleman. I’ll wait.”

  The older man replied, “Oh we were finished, my dear. I’m Dr. Marker, the owner of the Animal Emergency Clinic. Retired now of course, but still like to come in and check on things.”

  At that information, she looked at him in interest. Tall, thin, dapper. His gray hair was neatly trimmed and he had a distinguished air about him. He looks like what I imagine a British gentleman would look like. She almost giggled then quickly recovered to maintain her professionalism.

  Stepping forward, she stuck out her hand saying, “Hello. I’m Suzanne McDonald from Donavan’s Veterinary Clinic down the street.”

  Dr. Marker immediately took her hand in his but, instead of shaking it, he bent over and brushed his lips over her hand in greeting. “Delighted to meet you, my dear. In my day, all of our associates were men, but I must say that the fairer gender makes for a much more positive atmosphere.”

  This time she was unable to contain her giggle. “Well, thank you. I’m not a veterinarian though. I am just the vet tech,” she corrected.

  “Ah, Ms. McDonald. In this business, there is no such thing as just a vet tech. Your work is invaluable to the veterinarian, as well as the animal and its owner.”

  Smiling up at the elder veterinarian, she said genuinely, “Do you no longer practice?”

  Holding up his hands, bent with arthritis, he ruefully admitted, “No, my dear. These hands are no longer able to provide the care that I would demand of myself. But, through the emergency clinic here I can give back to the community that served me so well over the years. But I must be off and will let you attend to your business here. I wish you a good day and a happy holiday, Ms. McDonald.”

  With that, he nodded to the receptionist before he left. She found herself staring after him as he walked through the door until her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a throat clearing.

  Whirling around, red-faced, she apologized. “I’m sorry. It’s just that…well…”

  The young man standing behind the desk laughed. “It’s okay. Uncle Edward does that to everyone. Quite a personality, wouldn’t you agree?”

  “Absolutely.” Looking at the man she said, “Uncle?”

  “Yes. Ralph Ritchner. I’m known as Ralphie around here. Dr. Marker is my uncle.” Smiling, he lifted his shoulders in self-deprecation. “I admit it. Nepotism landed this job for me.”

  Ralph wasn’t anything like she had expected. Somehow Dr. Ketchum had painted a picture of a slovenly boy who couldn’t learn the simple job of being a receptionist in a vet clinic. In front of her stood a man about her age, also tall and thin with boyishly handsome looks.

  “Well, I landed my job just by going in and introducing myself to the veterinarian and begging her to hire me,” she laughed.

  “My brother was the smart one. He went to college and has a degree. I just really wanted to work while deciding what I wanted to be when I grew up.” He added with a laugh, “Here’s to getting jobs however we needed to.”

  She couldn’t help but smile at his humor.

  “So, Ms. McDonald, what can I do for you?”

  Suddenly unsure of what to say she found herself blurting out, “I wondered what you thought of Dr. Ketchum and how some things were handled when he was here.”

  Ralphie’s genteel demeanor changed as his face took on a sour look. “Oh yes. The big Dr. Ketchum.” His eyes gleamed with recognition. “You’re from the clinic that he’s buying, aren’t you? Wondering what it will be like to work for ‘the great Phil’?”

  Taken aback by his change in temper, she rushed to explain, “No. I’m not going to be staying and working for him.”

  Ralphie raised his eyebrow in question. “Then what are you looking for?”

  “Answers,” she said simply. Sighing, she said, “Look, I’ve been trying for several months to get a straight answer from him about some dog attacks in the neighborhood. He kept deflecting and then –”

  “Blaming me, right?” he interrupted.

  “Um…well, yeah.”

  “Let me guess. I had the clinic closed when I went to lunch. I didn’t file reports with the city. I turned people away when they came in. Especially if there was anything to do with dog attacks.”

  Suzanne stood stunned, her heart pounding. Have I had this all wrong? Phil’s been making it look like he’s blameless in all of this.

  Ralphie took a deep breath and then reached in a file behind him and pulled out a form. “Look,” he said. “I fill out the form and then it has to be signed by a doctor. Not me. The doctor. That was Phil.”

  “But you didn’t see that they were sent in?”

  “I just followed protocol. I leave about five p.m. each night and then the night receptionist comes in. Phil was almost always here when I left. I had a folder of things for him to sign and the next day the folder would be empty and on my desk. I assumed that after he had signed them then he faxed them over or had the night receptionist do it. I’m also allowed a lunch break. I usually leave because I like to get things done or just get some fresh air. I didn’t put a closed sign on the door because either he or one of the vet techs was here.”

  Suzanne stood for a moment, pondering this new information. Biting her lip in concentration, she asked, “How did you know what my concerns were?”

  “Your boss, Dr. Donavan, called several times to talk to Phil. I overheard her concerns and heard him place them squarely on me. Pissed me off, I can tell you.”

  “You didn’t talk to your uncle about it?”

  “Ms. McDonald. You’re a vet tech, right? That’s not a veterinarian.”

  She looked at him in confusion. “I know. What’s that got to do with anything?”

  “Dr. Edward may be my uncle, but he’s old school. He was educated as a veterinarian and has a great deal of respect for others in his…life station, shall we say.”

  “He’d believe Dr. Ketchum over you?” she asked incredulously.

  “The key word here, Ms. McDonald, is Doctor. So yes, he would believe another veterinarian over me.”

  “Oh, I see,” she said softly, her mind whirling with the questions about Dr. Ketchum and why he would want to cover up dog attacks.

  At her acquiescence, Ralphie gentled his tone. “Look, you obviously have a great working relationship with Dr. Donavan and that’s wonderful. I haven’t had that here. So I apologize for coming off as a prick earlier.”

  Smiling at him, she answered, “No, it’s fine. I’m sure it’s been horrible working for someone who blames you for things that aren’t your fault.” Looking down at her watch, she quickly added, “My lunch break is over and I need to get back. Thank you for your time.”

  Shaking his hand, she hurried out into the cold winter air. Walking quickly down the street for the blocks that it would take to get back to her clinic, she hoped that Phil would already be gone by the time she arrived. I need to talk to Brad about all of this. None of it is making any sense.

  Pulling her scarf up around her nose, she walked briskly down the street, her eyes downcast to make sure of her footing on the uneven sidewalks.

  The ever present eyes on her, hidden behind the dark, tinted windows of a black SUV followed discreetly behind her. The man inside, losing the battle of self-control, rubbed his swollen dick as he kept his eyes on her. “You’ll be mine soon, my dark-haired beauty,” Jorge said to himself.

  * * *

  The next weekend found Jorge at his usual place near Marcel’s temporary office abo
ve the fight ring. Glancing to the side, he saw a visibly shaken Charisse standing near the small window. She had taken extra care with her appearance tonight, wearing a tight dress that showed more skin than Marcel would have wanted his main escort to show – but he knew it was wasted on Marcel. Marcel was into class. Or at least the illusion of class. And Charisse had none. She’d been great at pretending for longer than most, but her time was up and if her desperate look was any indication, she knew it.

  Marcel jerked his head toward the door and she immediately moved to it and went into the hall. Looking at Jorge, he got to the point. “Haven’t fucked that cunt in a week. She’s getting desperate, but instead of trying to get back in my good graces she’s been high and dressing like one of the girls downstairs most of the week. I want her sister.”

  “Working on it boss. She’s different. She quit Club Edge and just landed a job with a legal firm.”

  “Legal firm? Fuck.” Marcel twisted his face in disgust.

  “But we may still be able to use her. I’ve got some…leverage.”

  Marcel turned to look at Jorge, “Well for tonight, get me one of the girls. One I would like. And have someone collect Charisse’s things from the mansion. She’s out tonight. I won’t send her back to the stable. At least not now. She can stay at one of the apartments. She’ll make a good escort for some of my guests who are looking for easy pussy while in town.”

  Nodding, Jorge headed out of the room to do Marcel’s bidding. The sound of snarls and snapping jaws was in the background. Immune, he walked by the pit looking for a suitable fuck for Marcel. Seeing one of the younger, less used girls he walked over, whispered in her ear, and saw the gleam of hope light up her eyes. Motioning to one of Marcel’s bodyguards to escort her upstairs, he continued around the pit. Hearing the name Devil’s Spawn he stopped short. Turning back to the pit, he watched as the dog mauled and quickly killed the other dog in record time. Holding back a grin, he mentally added up his night’s winnings. Looking over at Charisse, he saw her see the other woman being escorted up. Her face flushed with shock, then anger before she stormed off. Nodding to another man, he gave silent instructions for her to be stopped so that she could continue to do Marcel’s bidding. Having sorted his boss’ cock problems, he turned his attention back to the fights. Yes, Devil’s Spawn was going to make him a lot of money. It was time to get back to the farm to make sure his investment was being properly taken care of.