Love & Redemption

by Chantel Rhondeau

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Gavin pulled into a spot in the parking garage, glancing at Shelley from the corner of his eye. She seemed composed enough. He felt more nervous than she appeared about being in the garage, especially when he knew S.A.T.O. watched the place. He didn’t see any way they could enter Walker Investments without being seen.

  “Maybe we shouldn’t go inside.” He shut off the car, but left the keys in the ignition. “They’ll see us.”

  Shrugging, Shelley pulled her hair back and twisted it in a knot, securing it with a clip from her purse. A few stray strands framed her face, making her even more beautiful.

  Gavin’s eyes trailed down her long neck, every inch of him screaming that he should take her back to the hotel, kiss that gorgeous neck and more, anything to distract her and keep her safe. Not let her get caught up in more business that could get her killed.

  She pulled down the vanity mirror and checked her reflection. “I agree with you, but Ken didn’t seem worried about it. Maybe they have good security here so they feel safest.”

  There was no way to tell Shelley she should play it safe and hide from S.A.T.O. Even if Gavin wanted to, he knew the second he met Shelley she’d never be that kind of girl. Besides, her toughness was one of the things he loved about her. He couldn’t just ask her to stop being who she was because he was afraid for her.

  Still, caution was in order. “This feels like a trap.”

  Shelley looked at him, flipping the mirror shut. “You think S.A.T.O. wants us here? That Ken’s helping them?”

  Gavin removed the keys, trying to sort through his feelings. Ever since he returned to his room to get ready, he’d felt increasingly uneasy about the whole situation. It was true that Shelley had more experience than he did being an agent, but he had more experience dealing with criminals from his time on the streets. When he used to steal to get food for himself and his mom, he was always alert for traps. People in the neighborhood were quite aggressive in stopping the homeless from taking what wasn’t theirs, always trying various ways to lure him in and catch him.

  Once he moved on to the loftier job of drug runner, he was always wary of traps put out by the police. Cops were around every corner, fighting the war on drugs. They didn’t care that Gavin only tried to earn enough money so there would be something left over for food once his mother got her fix. They just wanted to put him in handcuffs.

  He stared at Shelley, wondering if she would brush aside his concerns. Honestly, he was rusty. All his street skills had been lost with years of disuse. Maybe he was on high alert simply because he was so worried about Shelley, and it had nothing to do with this half-baked plan of Ken’s.

  But maybe it did.

  “The last time I felt this way, so uneasy and antsy, I walked into an undercover sting and got thrown in juvie. I feel the same tension now.”

  She took his hand, squeezing softly. “Maybe it’s just the tension of being back in your home town and dealing with criminals again?”

  “It could be, I won’t deny that. Plus, I have extra worries now. I don’t want anything happening to you.”

  “Neither do I.” She grinned. “My leg hurts bad enough, and your face is awfully bruised and battered. Any more injuries, it’ll be too tough to kiss each other.”

  He didn’t know how she could joke at a time like this. Maybe that’s what it took to be an agent, a fearlessness he didn’t possess. “I’m worried.”

  The smile slid from her face. “I am too, Gavin, I really am. But I also can’t walk away from this knowing Emma and Rose are at risk.”

  “People die every day. Why are these two your responsibility? We should tell Jen and let her handle it. She’s in charge of this mission, after all.”

  Shelley leaned the side of her face against the headrest and cupped his cheek in her soft hand. “I knew you were upset I agreed not to call her.”

  “I don’t understand why you’re giving in to Ken’s demands. This doesn’t feel right.”

  “Jen’s a horrible gossip, that’s why I don’t want to tell her. She’s a good girl, but she still has a lot to learn.”

  Since Gavin already learned first-hand how she gossiped, especially about Shelley’s past, he couldn’t really argue about that.

  Shelley turned, moving her hand to the door latch. “Look, if you don’t want to do this, you don’t have to. I can call you to pick me up when I’m done talking to them.”

  “Like hell I will.” Gavin opened his door and swiftly went to Shelley’s side of the car, holding his hand out to pull her to her feet. “You know just how to get me to do what you want, don’t you?”

  Placing her weight on her good leg, she hugged him tight and kissed his neck. “I promise I’m not trying to manipulate you. You don’t have to come in. I mean it. This is important to me, though.”

  Although he was afraid of her answer, he had to ask. “More important than being with me?”

  She pulled away, glaring at him. “What do you mean? If I do this, you don’t want to be with me? So much for love.”

  “Stop.” He put his arms around her waist and pulled her back against him, though she held herself rigid. “That’s not at all what I’m saying, but what if S.A.T.O. is laying a trap and by walking into it, you and I are playing into what they want? What if we don’t get the chance to be together because of that? Love can’t stop the bad guys, honey, and I don’t want you to get yourself killed before we can have a life together.”

  Her body relaxed against his. “I have to change my life if I ever want a happy ending. This is my job, and I promised Nick I’d take care of it. The only way I’ll ever be able to respect myself is if I do everything in my power to do the right thing now. I have to make up for my past mistakes.”

  “You’re too hard on yourself about the past.”

  “Maybe,” she agreed. “But your only mistakes were breaking the law. I hurt everyone I’ve ever cared about, one way or another. Emma’s got her whole life ahead of her, and I won’t let S.A.T.O. cut it short. Especially not over money. If it’s really me Paul’s after, so be it, but I have to help that child.”

  “Then I’ll help you.” Though he still had misgivings, if Shelley was so adamant, he would support her. “Once we stop them and get her back, we leave for Sayle, though. I can meet Carlie and Nick, and we can focus on each other for a while.”

  “But if you’re an agent...” She sighed into his ear. “Never mind. We’ll worry about the particulars later. Right now, let’s get inside and talk to Brent Walker. We have a job to do.”

  Her desire to avoid discussing the future left an uneasy feeling in Gavin’s heart. He knew it was too much to expect her to trust him completely yet, but she didn’t give him much hope. She still hadn’t said she loved him back, so he could only assume she continued to be torn about that.

  It wouldn’t do to let her know how that devastated him. All he could do was support her in this mission and hope she came to realize the same thing he now knew: Nothing was as important as the two of them being together. They were a perfect fit.

  ***

  Brent Walker looked rough. His black hair stood up in back and dark bags shadowed his brown eyes. Although Shelley found her sandwich to be delicious, Brent picked at the bread with no interest.

  Despite Gavin’s fears of a trap, Brent didn’t strike Shelley as a man concealing anything, and no S.A.T.O. agent accosted them in the hallway. Brent was a frazzled, grieving father. Ken wasn’t much better off than Brent, obviously worried about Emma. Shelley wondered how much gossip flew throughout the employees here, because one look told anyone with eyes that something was wrong. Hopefully S.A.T.O. wouldn’t hold that against Emma if they learned about the men’s odd behavior.

  “I almost have enough money now,” he said to Ken, his voice thick with unshed tears. “It’s been harder than I thought to get the last million. The company isn’t doing as well as we were before Kelley...”

  “But you’ll have it by tomorrow?”
Ken asked.

  “Yes. It’ll be okay. The bank will have it ready in the morning. I informed the insurance company, hoping to get their help for the last million, but they said they’d only cover my losses. I have to fill out a claim after we pay the kidnappers.”

  Gavin set his sandwich inside its wrapper on the coffee table and stared across at Ken and Brent. “You seem awfully concerned about the money. At this point, shouldn’t our biggest priority be what we’re doing to get Emma and Rose?”

  He was poised on the edge of his seat, and Shelley could feel the tension rolling off him. He still worried this was a trap, and she didn’t know how to reassure him. S.A.T.O. demanded Brent give them money and told him not to involve anyone. They didn’t tell him to go find her. Paul wasn’t after her this time. He needed money, probably to pay his workers and reassure them he was still in control after losing the diamonds to Nick’s operation.

  “I know you’re concerned,” she said to Gavin before either man could respond, “but after managing hotels you must realize why Brent’s worried about returning the money to the company. The people who work for him, the investors who trusted him with their money, everyone involved here will be ruined if it’s lost.”

  Gavin turned his attention to her. “I guess that’s true, but I wouldn’t be worried about anything except my daughter’s safety right now, if it were me.”

  Brent inhaled loudly and blinked a few times. He was unable to stop a single tear that escaped the corner of his eye and ran down his cheek. “Focusing on other things helps me not worry as much. If I think about what they might be doing to Emma, I’ll have a total breakdown. I have to keep it together, for her sake.”

  “We understand that.” Shelley elbowed Gavin to keep him quiet. She knew he didn’t care for Ken, but he needed to chill out with the hostility toward Brent. If she’d had any clue he planned to act this way, she would have left him at the hotel. It was one thing to worry they were walking into a trap set up by S.A.T.O. It was another to verbally attack a distraught father who already had enough worries on his plate. “We’ll do whatever it takes to get her back safe, Brent. Try not to worry. I think it’s time we planned what to do, however.”

  Brent wiped at his face. “With all due respect, Agent Daniels, I think your partner doesn’t want to help us, and that places my daughter at more risk. I didn’t want to consult you in the first place, but Ken insisted you’d help. If you don’t want to, or can’t, please get out of my office.”

  “Nice job,” she muttered to Gavin.

  “It’s not that I don’t want to help.” Gavin leaned back in his seat. “I want to get your daughter home safe, but from what I’ve seen so far, we can’t trust anything S.A.T.O. says. If Stephen is really the person who took your daughter, I’m afraid this is all a tactic for him to get to Shelley. I have reason to worry you might not be being honest with us. I’ve found a lot of people around here aren’t.”

  Shelley didn’t know if that would help or hurt his relationship with the man. Brent didn’t say anything back right away, which was a good sign.

  Not caring if Ken glared at her more, she took Gavin’s hand in hers and faced Brent. “We’re committed to rescuing your daughter and Rose. You can trust us. Gavin’s caution will only make us better prepared for anything Stephen has planned.”

  “Fine,” Brent said, eyeing their clasped hands. “If the people who took Emma are after you, I understand his concern. Besides, I need all the help I can get. If you have any ideas on how to deal with this group, I’d like to hear them.”

  “I’ve been thinking about it,” Shelley said, feeling victorious that she’d calmed the situation and had come up with a plan that had a chance of working. “I think I should get on the train some stops before you do, in disguise so Stephen won’t know it’s me. Ken can do the same thing. I’m trained in karate. Being a police officer, Ken can carry his gun. That way, when they come to get the money from you, we’ll be there to make sure they give back Emma and Rose and everyone gets through the exchange safely.”

  She didn’t say the other thing she was thinking. If they didn’t happen to bring Emma, they could also make sure they got Brent out of there alive. She didn’t trust Paul to just hand back the girl, no matter what had been promised.

  “Rose.” Brent looked at the table. “I’m such a jerk. She takes care of my daughter, and I never even asked about her.”

  Just as she and Gavin figured. “When they call to tell you the final plans, you’ll demand they give her back too. This is my condition of helping you.”

  Gavin shifted restlessly in his chair. “You never mentioned my name, Shell. Where do I fit into this plan?”

  What could she tell him? He had no training, no way to protect himself or help force Stephen to hand over Emma. The truth was, the more Shelley thought of it, the more she didn’t want him anywhere near that train. What if he was right and this was a trap? She didn’t want him in danger because she was being stubborn about helping in this situation.

  “This is the part you might not like.”

  Gavin’s eyebrows narrowed. “What?”

  “I want you to wait at the subway station wherever Brent and Ken plan to exit. If something goes wrong and we don’t get off where you expect us to, I need you to call in Nick and Jenessa. You’re our backup plan and the most important part of this mission.”

  ***

  “No. Absolutely not.” Gavin took a few more calming breaths, though it did nothing to cool his frustration. “Not only no, but hell no! I’m not trusting Ken with your safety if Stephen comes after you.”

  His angry words echoed around the room, and no one else spoke. Shelley wouldn’t meet his gaze. What was she thinking? She had to know he’d never agree to something like that.

  He crossed his arms together and lowered his voice, struggling to remain calm. “If I have to, I’ll call Nick tonight and put a stop to this entire thing.”

  Her head snapped up. “Don’t do that. He’ll come out here.”

  “Maybe he should!” Gavin stood up, pacing between the sitting area and Brent’s desk. “Maybe we need more agents involved in this case, people Nick trusts. So far, Paul’s gotten the better of us in every situation. He has us fighting each other instead of working together, and we’re all paranoid about who’s on our side and who’s in Paul’s pocket. We need more people here who can be trusted.”

  “You know why Nick can’t come here.” Anger was evident in Shelley’s raised voice. “If you really loved me, you wouldn’t threaten me like that.”

  “And if you loved me at all, you wouldn’t ask me to sit behind while you put yourself in danger,” he shot back.

  Without waiting for her reply, Gavin marched from the room, heading for the elevator. After punching the call button repeatedly, his anger quickly cooled to embarrassment. That wasn’t the best place to express his frustration over Shelley’s lack of response to his confession of love. She was the one who brought it up, though, trying to manipulate him again. What did she expect?

  The elevator doors slid open and Gavin put off entering. He half-hoped Shelley would run up behind him, beg him to come back and be part of the plan. After a few seconds, he walked into the elevator and pushed the lobby button with a heavy heart. Another peek down the empty hallway showed she really didn’t care.

  ***

  Shelley stared at the picture of Emma while Ken drove to her hotel. Emma had her father’s dark hair and brown eyes, but her skin was fairer than his and her lips fuller. She was a beautiful child, and Shelley reminded herself once again that rescuing her was important enough to fight with Gavin over.

  She wished he hadn’t walked out, but she didn’t entirely blame him. She would have acted the same way, if he came up with a similar plan for her to sit out while he took all the risks.

  Hopefully he hadn’t called Nick. Somehow, she had to convince him to see things her way. She did love him—too much to risk losing him if whoever was on that train pulled a gun. Th
ey’d already had one too many close calls with death since they met. She didn’t want Gavin in that situation again.

  However, her stubbornness about that led to her catching a ride with Sergeant Slime Ball. Gavin had texted that he would return to pick her up when they finished planning. Even his text sounded frustrated—he’d put planning in quotes. When Ken offered to give her a ride, Shelley accepted. She needed time to collect herself before facing Gavin.

  “Here you go.” Ken pulled into the valet parking line in front of the hotel. A smile on his face, he reached across the console and rested his hand above her knee. “Now that you and Gavin are fighting, you’re free to invite me upstairs. Wanna have some fun?”

  She shoved his hand away, her insides heaving with disgust. He must have quickly gotten over his anger about her earlier rejection. Ken had a one-track mind. The pig didn’t even have respect for his missing niece. Could he be involved with S.A.T.O. and that was why he didn’t worry about Emma? Maybe Gavin was right about the trap.

  No, she didn’t truly believe that. Brent was too shaken up for this to be a setup. He was honestly in fear for his daughter’s life. Facts were, Ken was a disgusting human being, who wouldn’t pass up an opportunity for sex, no matter the circumstances.

  She aimed her best glare at him. “Don’t mistake my desire to help your niece for anything more than that. Your wife deserves better than you.”

  “Come on, baby. My wife doesn’t understand me. I have needs, needs she refuses to satisfy. She knows I go elsewhere for those needs, and she’s okay with it.” He placed his hand higher on her thigh, squeezing. “Tomorrow will be dangerous. I can’t bear to think about what Emma is going through. Why don’t we take our minds off this stress by enjoying our bodies?”

  Yuck! He mentions Emma and sex at the same time. Shelley couldn’t control her shudder of revulsion, but forced a smile on her face. “If you move your hand half a centimeter higher,” she said in a syrupy sweet voice, “you won’t have to worry about the dangers of tomorrow. You’ll be hospitalized tonight.”