One little girl stared at Zack. He stared back through narrow eyes meant to intimidate her. She returned the look, moderately startling him. They heard thundering footsteps on the stairs, causing all five girls to jump with surprise. Kirk slowed as he reached the bottom and acted casual. He approached one of their carts and began removing half a dozen boxes of cookies, stacking them in the crook of his left arm. He handed the girls a wad of cash and headed back up the stairs.
“Poor bastard,” Zack muttered while shaking his head. “Someone should warn him.”
Jackie raised her brow and watched as Zack walked up the stairs. She shook her head and groaned softly. “Heaven help the nursing home that takes him.”
†
Four days later. The helicopter landed in the massive clearing before the old lodge nestled in the middle of nowhere. Once an impressive resort, the fifty bedroom hotel showed years of neglect. There were several boarded windows, the paint was peeling, and the wraparound porch appeared to be eroding. As the helicopter rotors slowed, Monroe, Kirk, and Zack got out. Kirk removed their gear from the bottom of the helicopter as Jackie climbed out of the pilot’s seat. She eyed the lodge and grimaced slightly as Beck approached to greet them.
“You know, a fresh coat of paint would go a long way,” Jackie remarked.
Beck was within earshot and glared at her. His mood seemed to be lacking. “Sorry,” he muttered. “We have other things on our plate right now.”
Jackie eyed him with surprise to his hostility. “Someone woke up on the wrong side of their blowup doll. What’s your problem?”
“Pinto broke up with him,” Kirk offered while handing Monroe his duffel bag.
“She didn’t break up with me,” Beck snarled at Kirk then eyed Jackie and fidgeted slightly. “She needed a little space, that’s all.”
“He decked her boyfriend,” Monroe added casually.
Beck’s jaw tensed as he glared at Monroe. There was about to be bloodshed. He turned to Jackie and smirked. “Maybe you should keep them a few more weeks.”
“Oh, no,” she insisted. “They’re all yours. It’s vital to my marriage that I get them out of my house.”
Beck groaned softly and attempted to put on a false front. “So Zack’s back to himself then?”
“Yeah, he’s fine,” she replied. “He hasn’t had any hallucinations or incidents in nearly four days. Monroe has his second bottle of pills that he starts tonight.”
Beck nodded, although it was obvious he wasn’t in a good mood. “So you’re off to pick up Ross?”
“I’m collecting them on my way back and dropping them off at the airport,” she replied. “Two weeks in Rio. I wish I were going.”
“Good for Ross,” Beck announced with a dreary sigh. “I’m glad someone’s having a good time. Are you staying for lunch?”
“Thanks, but my schedule is a little tight,” she replied. “Holden’s taking off early, so we can have the entire evening to ourselves.”
Beck couldn’t help but frown. “Sounds romantic,” he remarked with little enthusiasm then watched his three friends head for the lodge. He suddenly turned toward Jackie and seemingly came to life. “Think I should call Pinto again?”
“I think you should give her the space she asked for,” Jackie replied casually while leaning against the helicopter. “What’s going on between you two?”
“It’s this guy,” Beck announced now wildly enraged. “He’s trying to drive us apart, and I think he’s succeeding. He’s successfully making me out to be the bad guy while he plays innocent.”
“I don’t know this guy, Beck,” she informed him, “but I doubt he’s smarter than you.”
“Unfortunately, I need to keep my distance from him,” he replied. “If Pinto sees me anywhere near him, all he has to do is cry wolf, and I’m totally screwed. I don’t know if she’ll forgive me as it is.”
“I’m sure she will,” Jackie announced while straightening. “Pinto loves you. She just needs time away from you to remember how much she misses you. It’ll all work out in the end.”
“Yeah, but this guy--”
“Oh, Beck,” she groaned with a sigh. “You’re playing your hand all wrong.” Jackie grinned and gently patted him on the chest. “You’re failing to use the ace up your sleeve.”
“Which ace is that?”
“You’ve got Bogart, the conman, and Zack, the invisible man,” she informed him. “They can handle this stalker, check him out without her ever knowing, and report back to you.”
“Isn’t that sort of against the rules?” Beck asked.
“It’s sort of a gray fuzzy area,” Jackie replied. “Besides, if they find evidence that this guy has been setting you up, they can handle it, and Pinto will never have to know.”
Beck smiled for the first time and laughed softly. “You know, Jackie, you’re sometimes a little too much like your father. It’s almost scary.”
She smiled and shrugged. “I’d like to believe I would do him proud.”
Chapter Nine
Early Saturday evening, Pinto sat at the bar within the mostly empty lounge. The Saturday crowd wouldn’t show up for another hour, at which time she would need to change for her first set. She had too much time to think about recent events. Pinto stared at her cell phone with Beck’s name displayed. She tapped her finger on the edge of the phone and seemed to be debating whether she wanted to press the call button or not. She pushed the phone across the bar with frustration and held her head. The tears in her eyes revealed her torn emotions.
“Honey,” came a familiar male voice from a few feet behind her.
Pinto turned on the bar stool and stared at her father only a few feet from her. Salvatore Romano was a robust man, although not necessarily overweight. He held his weight well. Despite being in his mid-forties, his face had a youthful appearance and almost cherub in nature. His baby face and moderately balding head gave him an almost innocent appeal. Pinto allowed a heavy sigh escape while springing up from her bar stool. She hurried to greet her father and his loving, outstretched arms. He held her in a long, warm embrace. Although they once had a falling-out that lasted a few years, their relationship was back on track, mostly due to Beck and his teammates, but that was a different story. She pulled away from him and struggled to hold back her tears.
“I didn’t expect you to fly all the way out here,” she announced, although she was obviously glad he had.
He guided her to one of the nearby tables and sat with her. “You sounded so upset on the phone yesterday; I thought I’d better come out and see how you were doing.” He smiled timidly. “You must be going through hell. I never thought Beck would break my little girl’s heart.”
She stared at the look on his face and practically read his eyes. Pinto managed a smile and wiped a tear from her eye. “It’s not over yet,” she remarked. “You can relax.” Pinto laughed softly and attempted to keep from crying. “I know how much you adore Beck, Dad.
Sal allowed a deep sigh to escape while gently rubbing his bald head. “That’s a relief.” He reached across the table and held her hand. “It’ll work out, I promise. He’s a good man. He’ll renew your faith in him.” Sal then shrugged. “If not, I’ll have him bumped off.”
She pulled her hand from his and groaned. “Don’t even tease,” she scolded.
Sal’s reputation as a mob boss had been circulating for decades. It was never proven, although it was also never disproven either. The fact that he openly teased about it was slightly concerning. Sal laughed softly at her expense.
“You certainly don’t have your mother’s sense of humor,” he teased. His look turned serious. “You know what you need?”
“No, Dad,” she muttered not wanting to hear another lecture. “What do I need?”
“A relaxing cruise to Columbia,” he announced cheerfully.
She eyed him sharply then groaned. “Are you seriously trying to get me to go along with you to that island wedding?”
“You need
a break, and I need a date,” he insisted while grinning. “Come on, honey. You need to get away for a while and clear your head. A cruise and some time at an exclusive island will do just that.”
Pinto stared at her father a long moment then reluctantly sighed. “Maybe you’re right,” she announced while straightening. “I can sort things out while traveling in the lap of luxury. Sun, sand, and solitude may be just what I need.”
Sal clapped his hands together enthusiastically. “Fantastic! I’ll send ‘G’ a text and let him know you’ll be attending as my plus one.”
“So when does this cruise leave?” she asked.
“Monday morning. If we leave right after your last set tonight, we’ll have just enough time to stop off at the house in Chicago. We can leave Sunday morning, spend the day in Florida, and catch the ship first thing Monday morning,” he informed her.
She stared at him with surprise. “I won’t have time to pack.”
He waved her off. “I’ll slip off to your apartment and pack a few things for you. Anything else you need, we’ll buy along the way.”
Pinto pondered his suggestion a moment then offered a pleasant smile. “You know, that’s a wonderful idea. Did you bring your key to my apartment?”
He dangled the key and smiled. “I’ll head to your apartment right after your first set and be back before your last set.”
She sank into thought and appeared to drift out. Sal studied her with concern.
“Something wrong, honey?”
“Should I tell Beck?”
Sal leaned back in his seat and studied her a moment. He smirked and shook his head. “No, you shouldn’t tell Beck,” he informed her. “He needs a little jolt of reality in order to get his priorities straight. I’ll leave a message with the staff at the house, and if he calls, they can tell him where you went.”
“Sounds almost cruel.”
“No, you’re making your point,” he insisted. “Trust me, honey. I know men like Beck. He’ll appreciate what he has if he’s afraid he’s lost it.”
“Fine,” she replied with a sigh. “We’ll do it your way. I have to change for my first set.”
Sal stood while grinning. “And I’ll have just enough time to stop by that little deli and grab something to eat. I’ll be back before you’re on.”
As Sal turned, Bogart disappeared out the lounge doorway. Bogart hurried along the sidewalk and darted into a nearby alley. He removed his cell phone and pressed a button then waited for an answer.
“Do you have eyes on Will?” Beck asked over the phone.
Bogart shifted uncomfortably while casting looks to the alleyway entrance. “No sign of him, but you’ll never believe who’s here.”
“Who?” Beck asked.
“Sal Romano,” Bogart informed him. “I guess he decided to visit your girl. Should I abort?”
“No,” Beck announced firmly into the phone. “Wait until Pinto’s on stage and get eyes on Will. He’ll be there I guarantee it. Just make sure he stays there long enough for Zack to search his apartment.”
“What if Sal sees me?”
“You’re not doing anything wrong,” Beck replied over the phone. “Say hello. Have a drink with the guy. Just make sure Will doesn’t leave during Pinto’s set.”
†
It was nearly eight o’clock when Bogart entered the crowded, dimly lit lounge. He scanned the room several times then changed location and searched again. He found a dark area along the back wall and removed his cell phone. He pressed a single button and waited for an answer.
“He’s not here,” Bogart announced into the phone. “The little rat didn’t show up.”
“That’s impossible,” Beck exploded. “He’s there every night lurking in the corner. Look again.”
“Unless he’s in her dressing room, he ain’t here,” Bogart snarled into the phone. “Want me to warn Zack?”
“Yeah, you’d better call him,” Beck replied, sounding defeated.
Bogart disconnected his call and pressed another number. He heard a phone chirp alongside him. Zack removed his phone from his pocket and placed it to his ear while looking at Bogart.
“Yeah?”
Bogart glared at him, frowned, and disconnected the phone. “I thought you were checking out the weasel’s apartment?”
“I already did,” Zack informed him while replacing his phone to one of many pockets. “Looks like he split town.” He handed him a wedding invitation. “I found this with next Saturday’s date on it. Looks like our boy rushed to make reservations on a cruise ship for Monday, so he’s probably already on a flight to Florida.”
“So he’s not even in town,” Bogart announced then grinned. “That’s perfect. Did you search the rest of his apartment?”
Zack glared his disapproval. “Of course I did. That was the point.”
“And?”
“And Beck’s not going to like what I found.”
“What did you find?”
“Nude pictures of his girlfriend,” Zack remarked. “They look like they were taken without her knowledge. I’m guessing they were from a spy cam.”
“Really?” Bogart gasped then turned serious. “Let’s see them.”
Zack glared at Bogart then revealed the flash drive. “For Beck’s eyes only.” He returned the flash drive to his pocket. “We’d better return to the lodge and report this to Beck.”
Chapter Ten
The ten-passenger Grand Caravan, single engine prop plane set down at the private airfield early Sunday morning just outside Chicago. Five of the guys from Whiskey Tango Foxtrot disembarked the plane as it shut down. Beck was already on his cell phone then disconnected it with disgust.
“I still can’t reach Sal or Pinto on their cell phones,” Beck announced with concern. “My calls keep going to voicemail.”
“I hope you didn’t leave any irate messages,” Bogart casually commented. “That won’t get you any return calls.”
“No, I took your advice,” he replied with defeat then muttered, “If you can believe that.”
Monroe disconnected his cell phone. “Still no answer at Sal’s house either. It’s strange that the answering machine isn’t picking up,” he announced. “I know it’s early, but you’d think the staff would be up by now.”
Jackie, Gil, and Darth were the last to step off the plane only moments after the guys. Gil enjoyed piloting larger private planes, so Jackie played co-pilot this time. They joined the others.
“So what’s the big plan?” Jackie asked Beck while raising her brow. “Are we going to storm Sal’s house?”
“Been there; done that,” Zack muttered.
“I know searching the jerk-off’s apartment was my idea,” Jackie informed him, “but you do realize you have no proof Will took those pictures. She’s liable to hand you your balls.”
Zack eyed Jackie and grinned. She caught his look and rolled her eyes. She knew Zack enjoyed it when she talked like ‘one of the boys’, and she’d been trying hard to break that habit, particularly around him. Zack only had four moods. Sleepy, hungry, horny, and kill everything in sight.
“I don’t have a plan,” Beck replied. “I just need to get her back for now. I need to keep her as far from Will as possible. Once I know she’s safe, the rest of you can get the proof we need on her stalker.”
“Well you’re certainly not going to Sal’s house alone,” Monroe announced. “You’ll say or do something stupid. One of us needs to go along to make sure you mind your manners.”
“That rules out Zack and me,” Kirk muttered.
“Jackie and I will go with you,” Monroe replied.
Beck then frowned. “Bogart should come along too,” he remarked. “For some odd reason, Sal likes him.”
“That’s because I’m charming,” Bogart announced while grinning, pleased with the compliment.
“Just shut up and get in the car,” Beck snarled.
†
Sal Romano’s country mansion was nestled on a large pa
rcel of land beyond tall, stone walls. The professionally landscaped estate didn’t have a hedge out of place. Weeping willow trees and faux split rail fencing lined the long driveway. The driveway split off to circle a large fountain outside the front door, while the remaining driveway branched off to the left. The driveway led to the kitchen, staff wing, and eventually to the massive, detached, eight-car garage. Jackie approached the front door with Beck, who seemed unusually nervous.
“What if I can’t get her to take me back?” he asked almost timidly.
“She loves you, Beck,” Jackie insisted. “She’s not dumping you forever just for hitting her guy friend. You guys fight with Holden almost every time you see him.”
“That’s different,” Beck remarked while nervously straightening his jacket. “He’s one of us. It’s expected.”
“It’s a wonder she dated you at all,” Jackie muttered.
He glared at her. “What was that?”
“Nothing,” she replied and rang the bell.
“I wasn’t ready.”
“You’re ready,” she snarled without looking at him. “Stop primping like a girl.”
They heard heavily thumping feet within the mansion as if someone were running. They exchanged looks. The door quickly opened to reveal Rosa, a plump, older maid. She stared at them with surprise then relief.
“Oh, Mr. Larue,” she gasped. “Am I glad to see you!” The short, plump maid ushered them inside.
“What’s wrong?” Beck asked with concern.
She shut the door behind them, leaned against it, and held her chest. “After Mr. and Miss Romano left this morning, someone must have broken into the house. Both their bedrooms were trashed, and I know some things have been stolen.”
“Just the bedrooms?” he asked with confusion. “Not the study?”
“No, not the study.”
“So they weren’t interested in the safe?” Beck asked then sank into thought.
“No,” she replied. “The police filled out a report and left. They didn’t even check the estate for intruders. I was so scared. What if they’re still here?”
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