But, with the cab driver on my side, there was no doubt in my mind that car would be following him until he was past my house. If he took the turns that I’d asked him to take he wouldn’t be there until after I was, and that would give me the time I needed to get back inside.
I continued to run, right up the path to the doorway and into the complex. I felt a lot better once the door closed behind me, but I knew I still wasn’t safe. That door was open to anyone. If there were other men following me, they would be able to come in after me.
I didn’t stop running until I reached my door. Then, with a pounding heart and heaving chest, I dug through my purse as though my life depended on it. The thought crossed my mind that it would have been smarter to get the key out before I got to the door, but I hadn’t thought about it in the cab, and there was no time for me to look when I was on the street.
Finally, I found the small key and with shaking hands, I tried to get it in the lock. I heard the door open and close downstairs, and my heart nearly landed in my throat. I knew it could be a neighbor, but I wasn’t taking any chances.
I finally got the key in the door and was in my apartment in a flash, pulling the door closed behind me and locking the deadbolt along with the doorknob. I stood for a moment, my chest still heaving, my lungs on fire. I did my best to hold my breath.
I wanted to hear what was going on in the hall. I heard the sound of someone walking up the steps, but it was shortly followed by them going into their own apartment. I heaved a sigh of relief. My plan had worked. I was safe, at least for tonight, though my theory was now confirmed.
Carefully, I walked to the middle of my living room. That angle allowed me to look down on the street below, but no one on the street could see me. I waited. The cab I’d been in just minutes before came down a side street and looped around, as though he was going to pull up in front of my house.
Instead, he just kept going.
Not long after, the same black car that had been following us came down the same street, also taking the turn. They slowed down when they got in front of my apartment, and I had a feeling they were trying to see through the window.
But I wasn’t going anywhere near where they could see me. They’d figure it out soon enough. In fact, I had a feeling they already had. After sitting at a dead stop in the middle of the street for a few moments, they screeched away, leaving black marks on the road behind them.
I breathed another sigh of relief, finally able to relax a bit. My phone was buzzing in my purse, and I pulled it out, finding three messages from Jack. They all said basically the same thing – he wasn’t sure why he hadn’t heard from me yet, he was worried about my safety, and he was on the verge of coming to look for me himself.
I quickly sent him a reply.
Just got home. Had to make a run for it. I’m being followed by one of the men that Rocco had at the club earlier. Safe now but be careful. They might know where you live
I hit send then closed all the curtains in my apartment. I didn’t want to risk anyone being able to see me if I got too close to the window. As I flicked off the lights and pulled my clothes off for bed, my phone buzzed once more.
I’m on my way over.
I smiled and replied. You don’t have to do that. I’m fine now.
You don’t know that. They could come back. I’m not letting you stay alone tonight. I’ll be there in thirty minutes. Don’t open the door until you confirm it’s me. Got it?
I couldn’t stop the grin on my face or the lightness in my heart. He really did care. I tapped out my reply.
Got it.
17
Jack
“Good, I wanted to catch you before you started for work,” I told Sky. I had had a busy shift and didn’t have the chance to talk to her all day. I had slept on her couch the night before and all had been quiet. I’d left early in the morning before she’d gotten up to get into the station.
“Yeah, I’m going to be leaving in about five minutes,” she said. She didn’t sound worried, which was definitely a relief for me.
“Are you walking?” I asked.
“If they follow me, they’re going to follow me to work,” she said. “And Rocco’s going to be there anyway.”
“True,” I said. “Just be careful and try not to let yourself get caught alone with him. He’s going to be pissed knowing we were together last night.”
“I’m not too worried about it. He might be an arrogant asshole, but he’s not stupid. He won’t risk doing anything to me in public. There are always people around. I’ll be safe as long as I’m there.” She laughed then, but it held no humor. “Ironic isn’t it? That I’d feel safest in that damn club?”
“Ironic, yes. But it does make a certain amount of sense.” There were too many people around for him to get away with a so-called accident, and I’d have the proof I needed to get him locked up for life. Or worse.
“What do you want me to do?” she asked. “I don’t have anything to record him with.”
“We aren’t going to worry about that yet. I’m going to talk to my commanding officer today and see what we can do about that, and I’ll get back to you. Tonight, I want you to act like you always do. Play the part, don’t act like there’s anything different in your life, and if you can manage, pretend you don’t know why you’d be followed,” I said.
“I’m sure he’s not going to think I’m that dumb,” she replied. “At least I hope not.”
“It’s in your best interest to play dumb right now,” I told her. “Really. You need to play the part as best you can.”
“Okay,” she didn’t sound convinced. “Can you do that for me?” I asked. “Please trust me Susie.”
“I can do it,” she said. I could hear the conviction in her voice, but she wrapped up the phone call quickly. “I’ve got to get going. If I’m late he’s going to freak, and I don’t want to set him off.”
“Keep in touch with me as best you can. And I would rather you took the bus home when you get off tonight. Stay off the streets. Even if they follow you back home, you’re safer on the bus than being on the sidewalk,” I told her.
“Okay,” she said again.
“Do you want me to be at your place when you get off?” I asked, hoping she’d say yes.
“Probably not, right? You said to make it seem like nothing was up,” she said, though I could hear the hesitation in her voice.
I couldn’t help but smile. “No, you’re right. But if you don’t feel safe for any reason, you call me and I’ll be there. Got it?”
“Okay,” she said. She hung up the phone and I sighed. I scrubbed a hand over my face and tried to shake myself out of my funk. I was definitely falling for the girl, but did I tell her that? I knew there was something between us, and not just because of the amazing sex we’d had. I felt the magnetic pull whenever she was around, and I knew she felt it too.
But where would that leave us when the whole thing was done? Would she leave the city that was so full of shitty memories for her once she was safely free to do so? Would I beg her to stay? Did I even have that right?
Shit, I was on the verge of driving myself insane. I needed to focus on taking Rocco down before anything else. Then Sky and I could figure out what happened next. Together. After checking in with Sky, I knew I had to talk to Captain Markel. I had been doing a lot of the work on my own, independent of the station. I knew he’d be pissed because he’d specifically asked me not to go off on my own and I’d promised him. But the case was different. He had to know that.
I was far more emotionally invested in this than any other case I’d worked on, and I was invested in the outcome. In order to move forward though, I would need his approval. I just hoped he would give it to me.
“Captain, you got a minute?” I asked as I stopped at his office.
“Thomas, come on in,” he said. “Do you have anything good for me?”
“I do,” I said. I closed the door and walked over to his desk, sitting down. “I’
ve been working quite a bit on it, actually.”
“On your own time?” he looked at me hard.
“I didn’t do anything that you wouldn’t approve of,” I lied. I knew he wouldn’t approve of me getting sexually involved with one of the witnesses.
“So, what do you have for me?” he put his hands in his pockets and sat back in his chair, still looking at me carefully. I knew I had to be careful. Everything needed to be by the book, and I needed to remain the one in charge of handling Sky’s involvement.
After all, if I fucked this up in his eyes, he could take the case from me and assign it to someone else. I couldn’t let that happen. Not with Sky in the middle of it.
“Rocco has called some of his associates into town. I think he’s up to something. Maybe about to make a play,” I said.
Captain Markel looked surprised. “How many associates you talking about?”
“Four. They’re all made guys from what I can tell,” I said.
“And how do you know this?” he asked. “Where is your proof?”
“I don’t have any tangible evidence I can give you. But I did elicit the help of one of the girls who works there,” I replied. He bristled slightly.
“Hopefully not the one you intervened with,” he said.
“Who would be better to help with the case than a girl who hates him?” I asked.
“Who would be better to lie about what was going on than a girl who hates him?” he shot back. “You know you have to be careful when you have crimes of passion thrown in the mix. We aren’t going to seek revenge on this man, we need cold, hard facts.”
“That’s what I’m going to be getting, and I need your permission for a plan I have,” I said quickly. I knew it was time to tell him straight what I wanted, or I was going to lose him. He clearly wasn’t thrilled with my methods, but I was going to stand by them.
It didn’t matter that she was the victim in this crime, she was still the best person to help as far as I was concerned.
“What’s that?” he asked dryly.
“I want to put a wire on this girl,” I said.
“Out of the question,” Captain Markel replied without hesitation.
“But Sir,” I started, but he cut me off.
“Did you even think for one second what would happen if he found that wire on her? You already saw that the man has violent tendencies, especially toward this woman. Not to mention, there aren’t a lot of places to hide a wire when they barely wear any clothes,” he said.
“Understood, but I promise he’s not going to find it. We’re going to wire it into the seam of her panties, and she’ll be able to wear it through her routines. No one is going to have a clue it’s there,” I said quickly.
“What about when she gives a lap dance to someone?” he asked.
“There’s a no-touching policy. You know that. There’d be no reason anyone would find the wire in her panties.”
I sat back in my chair and looked at him with all seriousness. “Please. If I have your permission to get a wire on her, we’re going to be able to hear for ourselves everything that’s going on. That’s going to give any evidence we need to get him off the street and behind bars.”
Captain Markel thought for a moment. I knew I’d given him a convincing argument, but now it was up to him. I sat silently, hoping he’d give in. At last, he did.
“Do what you feel is best, but don’t you dare put any innocent life in danger with this little scheme of yours. If there is so much as a fraction of a chance she’s going to get caught, I’ll pull the plug,” he said.
“Thank you, Sir,” I said with a smile as I rose from the chair. “You won’t be disappointed.”
“I sure hope not,” he replied.
18
Sky
I gave myself one last look in the mirror before grabbing my purse to head out the door. It was one of my days off, and I was meeting Jack for the first time since the night he’d spent on my couch. He invited me over, telling me he would give me a ride back personally if he had to.
He was worried about me being followed again, and though I assured him I was fine, he wasn’t going to listen. So, I was on my way. I no longer tried to convince myself I was doing it just for my safety. I wanted to look good for him. I wanted him to see there was more to me than my job.
I wanted him to see there was more to me than my circumstances. Sure, he probably helped a lot of women out of their problems, but I didn’t want to be just another success story for him when it was all said and done. I wanted to be so much more.
I sneaked out of the back of the apartment complex and into a waiting cab. I knew it was supposed to be an emergency exit only, but our landlord didn’t bother to maintain the place as well as he should, and the alarm didn’t sound when I walked through.
I was glad to see it was the same cab driver as the other night, and he seemed amused to see me again.
“How’d it go with our plan the other night?” I asked.
“They quit following me right after I drove past this place,” he told me as he pointed back to my complex. “What about for you?”
“I’ve never run so fast in my life,” I said with a laugh. “They stopped outside for a moment, then drove off. They left rubber on the pavement.”
“I saw it the next day. I thought I’d drive by and make sure you weren’t lying dead in the yard or something,” he said.
I smiled at his comment, morbid as it was. “I appreciate it.”
We drove in silence, but I was in a good mood. I knew I was taking another risk going to Jack’s, but he wasn’t at all afraid of these men, and I wanted to see him. I felt safe when I was around him, and I was still sure Rocco wasn’t going to do anything to me at work.
After paying the cab driver, I headed inside. It was the first time I wore a dress in front of Jack, and I felt girly in it. Sure, I spent a lot of my time in lingerie showing off my body, but I never felt like I did today. Today, I felt sexy and fun. I walked up the steps and into the complex, only looking back at the street after the door had closed behind me.
I knew the sun reflecting off the glass would keep me shielded in case there was a car there. But, to my surprise, I didn’t see anyone. Perhaps they had taken the day off from following me. I wouldn’t let my guard down, but it did feel good to not see that black vehicle ominously behind me.
I fluffed my hair and put on a big smile before knocking, but my smile became even more genuine when Jack opened the door. His face was everything as he looked me over from head to toe. “Damn. Come on in.”
“Oh, this old thing?” I joked with a laugh.
“You look good all the time, but damn,” he said again. “You hungry? I thought I’d cook.”
The apartment smelled amazing, and I was, in fact, starving.
“I am hungry, but you didn’t have to go through all that trouble,” I told him.
“It wasn’t any trouble,” he said. He pulled out chicken alfredo and served the two dishes, then he set them on the table. “I talked to Captain Markel, and we’ve got the wire.”
“Really?” I asked with wide eyes. The idea of it put another knot in my stomach, but I powered through. I’d been feeling so much more confident with Jack in my life, and I didn’t want to revert back to my old ways.
“Yes, but he’s only going to let me use it if you’re sure you’re not going to be too close to Rocco,” he said.
“What’s too close?” I asked.
“You’ve never given him a lap dance?” he asked. He looked at me hard, and I quickly shook my head.
“He’s never asked for anything like that,” I told him. “Good,” Jack said. “But I’m going to leave this up to you. The last thing I want is for you to be in any kind of danger. If something were to happen to you, I don’t know what I’d do. If I was responsible, I’d never be able to forgive myself.”
“You won’t be,” I told him with a quick shake of my head. “Trust me. He’s never asked for anything like that. W
e just put on the wire, I’ll get what I can, and I’ll give it to you.”
I was surprised to hear myself talking. It didn’t sound like the same girl I had been for so many years. I sounded bold, brave even. Jack nodded, clearly happy with my own confidence.
“After we’re done, I’ll show you how to put it on so you can do it with your lingerie at work,” he said.
“Oh shit,” I said. “There’s a problem.”
“What’s that?” he asked.
“I’m not wearing any undergarments,” I said with a mischievous smile.
It was hard for me not to laugh at the difficulty he was having focusing on his plate of food “Is that going to be a problem?”
“I don’t believe you,” he said with a small smile. “You’re going to have to prove it.”
In reply, I rose from the table and moved back a few steps. Jack looked surprised once more, but I kept going. I reached up to my shoulders and pulled my dress down, revealing my tits. He blinked as he stared at them. I knew he enjoyed them the night we hooked up, but he now had the chance to see them in full daylight.
“And the rest?” he asked. I was sure he thought I was going to pull my dress up, but I didn’t. Instead, I just let the whole thing fall free. My dress landed in a heap around my feet, and I stood naked in front of him.
“Believe me now?” I asked.
He didn’t answer. Instead, he put his fork down and rose from the table, walking over to me and taking my breasts in his hands and kneading them. I closed my eyes and leaned my head back as he bent down to nuzzle his face into the crook of my neck. Reaching up, I wrapped my arms around him, intertwining my fingers.
Jack stopped kissing my neck and looked down into my eyes, but my chest was already rising and falling with anticipation. He bent forward again, but this time our lips met in the middle. He wrapped his arms around my back, squeezing me to him.
I let go of his neck and brought my hand down the front of him, pressing my hand firmly to the bulge that was in his pants. He was already rock hard, and I was getting wetter by the second.
Saving Sky Page 10