No Ordinary Romance

by Smith, Stephanie Jean

  Connie rubbed the wolf tattoo on his chest hoping that her touch would ease the tension form his body. "You're nothing like your father Thomas. When I saw you this morning it wasn't a man in a jealous rage, but a man intent on protecting his woman."

  "You are my woman Constantina; nothing about background can change that. There's one thing we haven't talked about, what did Elise say to you?"

  "Oh she came into my office like a territorial ex-wife, trying to convince me that I wasn't good enough for you."

  Thomas chuckled; visions of Constantina putting Rachel Creswell in her place at his mother's luncheon came to mind. "I wish I could have seen that, it makes my cock twitch when your eyes change color, and you go for the jugular. Seems to me that you're my match in more ways than one."

  Connie straddled him with vigor eager for her man to take her again. "We are perfect in every way."

  "No more running Constantina, I want the world to know that you're mine."

  "No more running Thomas."

  ***

  Chapter 16

  Chad wasn't going home to an empty apartment tonight, Beth was ripe for the picking and he was tired of denying himself. "Are you sure about this Beth?"

  Beth knew that Chad consider himself a lady's man, but she saw a lot more than a man on the make. "I've been ready Chad; you're the one holding out on me." Beth rubbed his thigh easing her hand closer to his crotch.

  If she kept that up, he's going to lose control quickly. "Could you stop doing that while I'm driving and I haven't been putting you off? I know that we've gone out a couple of times, and you expected more than a quick peck on the cheek." He tried to find an expedient way to explain his actions. "You're not the type of girl I could screw and walk away from."

  Beth gave him a brilliant smile. "That's the nicest thing any man has ever said to me." Beth reached over and kissed his cheek. "I expect you to come into my apartment tonight and put my fantasies to shame. You can't stay the whole night because we have to work in the morning, but if you please me, I'm free for the weekend."

  He took his eyes of the road giving her his best pirate's grin. "If I please you, I'll have you know that I'm a master at pleasing women." The problem comes after sex when women want more than I could give them.

  Beth took her hand off his thigh; she hated the thought of Chad being with other women. "Okay Chad, you're killing the mood, the last thing I want to hear about is you and other women."

  She was so cute when she pouted. "Don't be jealous Beth; those other women were for my education only."

  "Yeah Right!"

  Chad pulled into the parking lot outside Beth's apartment building. "Come on Lizbeth, don't pout, nobody matters right now except you. So why don't you take me home and ravish me like you been promising all through dinner."

  They got out of the car and walked hand in hand to Beth's apartment building. "We may have to call in sick tomorrow Beth, I'm sure Connie would understand."

  Chad jumped back as she tried to pinch him in the side. "She might let you slide, you're her brother, and I'm just an employee lusting after her brother. Somehow I don't think she'll give me a pass."

  "I'm happy that Connie knows about me, we have a lot of catching up to do. At this moment, the last thing I want to talk about is my sister, this time is for us."

  Chad was happier than he'd been in a long time, he barely paid any attention to the two men walking toward him and Beth until it was too late. "Something's not right, get behind me Beth."

  Chad braced himself for the confrontation that was coming; he hadn't counted on a third man until he heard Beth scream. He hit one man in the jaw and kicked the other man in the junk. He chased the other man who was carrying Beth to a waiting van. He was hit from behind and everything turned dark.

  "Are you sure this is the right guy?"

  Jimmy Lee gave his cousin a dirty look, "of course he's the right guy. We weren't supposed to take the woman. Crystalline ain't going to like this at all."

  "That bitch Crystalline ain't running the show. Besides, I think Cousin Joe is in love."

  ***

  Connie was surprised to see Beth's empty desk when she arrived for work. Beth always arrived twenty minutes early. Connie shrugged her shoulders. Maybe she was running late. Connie put her purse in her office, turned on her computer, and got the coffee brewing. Another thirty minutes passed, and neither Beth nor Chad had shown for work. It finally dawned on Connie that Chad slept over at Beth's apartment last night. "Looks like Beth finally got her man."

  She called Beth's cell phone and got no answer. "Beth, just calling to see if you and Chad are okay. I figure you're together since both of you are not at work." Connie decided to harass Chad, she called his phone, and it rang several times before going to voicemail. "Come on Chad, you and Beth have all weekend to play bedroom games. As your employer, I expect both of you to get here A.S.A.P."

  Connie had an important meeting with a client today; she sat at Beth's desk waiting for him to arrive. Leonard Caprise started a restaurant five years ago, and now he wants to expand. Leonard beat the odds of the small business conundrum, most small businesses failed within two to three years due to poor management. When Leonard was re-deployed after 25 years of service, he decided to take his severance pay, and create Sophia's a restaurant named after his wife.

  One thing Connie loved about Leonard, he listened to her advice and reinvested into the business, and he set money aside for growth. Many small business owners experience a large influx in revenue and start spending. She convinced Leonard to build up the business and let Sophia's grand tasting entrees speak for themselves and his business would grow.

  She prepared an expansion proposal and submitted loan applications to two local banks. Leonard wanted to use his own capital for the expansion until she convinced him that the best money to use for expanding the business was someone else's money. Both banks were interested in extending a loan for Leonard's expansion plans at a good interest rate. She added the loan payments to his monthly budget to give him a preview of projected operating expenses. Leonard could still maneuver comfortably while earning interest on his capital reserves. She really loved it when clients trusted her to do her job.

  She was starting to worry about Beth and Chad; it wasn't like either one of them to miss work without calling. Regardless of what's going on in their lives. Leonard walked into the office right on time. "Good morning Leonard, how is Sophia and the kids?" Connie shook his hand, locked the door, and flipped the sign to close.

  "Connie everything's going great the kids are eager for summer break and Sophia, and I are excited about the expansion. Hey, looks like you're all alone today. Where's Beth hiding?"

  "Oh Beth's out sick to day, so I'm managing the office by myself."

  Leonard was so pumped about his expansion plans for the restaurant and he knew that it wouldn't have been possible without Connie. He sat down at Connie's desk and reviewed the proposal. "Which offer do you think I should take?"

  "Well Leonard both offers are straight forward business loans. The first offer is from your own bank, you have an established relationship with them, and the terms are such that the loan will be paid off six months sooner. The second bank is offering an interest rate a half point lower, it's a longer term, which means you could end up paying more for this loan. I would suggest going with the offer from your own bank, it makes no sense to pay more for a loan unless you desperate and don't have a choice."

  "Let's go with my bank then." He signed the loan papers and got up to leave.

  "Leonard, I'm working with a loan officer, Angie McCormick. I'll fax the paper work right now so she can start processing, then I'll send over all the paper work by courier. She should have a check for you no later than Monday."

  "Connie I don't tell you this often enough, but Sophia and I appreciate everything you've done for us. You're more than just an accountant you're a friend. I heard on the news that the Cabbage Patch Foundation is breaking ground on a new lot
. I'm glad that whole situation worked out."

  Connie could feel the heat rising in her face as she walked Leonard to the door. She felt awkward when people gave her praise. "Leonard it's what you pay me for, but it's also a pleasure to watch you achieve life time goals. Tell Sophia I said hello if you have any more questions or run into financial snags let me know immediately."

  Connie waved to Leonard locked the door heading back to her office when the phone rang. "Connie Jacobs."

  "Miss Jacobs I want you to listen carefully to what I have to say. Your brother Chad and his girlfriend have been taken. If you want to see them alive you better take some notes."

  Connie didn't recognize the voice. She couldn't tell if it were a man or a woman. Listening to the person speak gave her a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. She took her cell phone out of her purse and sent a text to Mike and Thomas. She didn't know why someone kidnapped Chad and Beth. "What do you mean you've taken Chad and Beth?"

  "Shut up bitch and listen. I want you to get fifty thousand dollars together in unmarked bills and wait for my call. You are being watched, if you contact the police, I don't know if I can promise the safety of your friends.

  Connie's telephone was vibrating, but she couldn't focus on the phone and the kidnapper. "Wait! I don't have fifty thousand dollars just lying around. I'll have to make arrangements to get that type of cash..."

  "I don't care how you get the money! You have seven hours to get the cash, when I call back you better have the cash available, and I'll give you drop off information."

  Connie answered her phone it was Mike. "Mike kidnappers have taken Chad and Beth, and they told me not to call the police. They want fifty thousand dollars..."

  "Remain calm Connie and tell me everything that happened."

  "Beth and Chad didn't come into work today; I didn't think anything of it at first. I placed calls to both of them, and they didn't pick up. They're the most responsible people I know, but neither of them called me this morning. I had a client in here as soon as the client left, the kidnapper called me." Connie's head jerked upward at the banging on the door

  "Connie what's wrong?"

  "Someone's at the door."

  "Put the phone on the speaker and go see who's at the door."

  Connie put the phone on the speaker and peaked through the blinds. She yanked the door open and threw herself into Thomas's arms. "Thomas! How did you get here so fast?"

  Thomas ushered her into the office and locked it behind him. "I was on my way over to take you to an early lunch when I received your text. What instructions did receive from the kidnappers?"

  "I was just giving Mike the details when you knocked on the door. I have him on speakerphone. As I was telling Mike, when Chad and Beth didn't show up for work I wasn't worried. Neither of them called which is strange. I had a client in this morning and as soon as the client left the kidnapper called. He told me that he had Chad and Beth, and he wants fifty thousand dollars. He only gave me seven hours to raise money. He said he would call back with directions for the drop off."

  "Honey you need to call the FBI and let them handle this situation."

  "Thomas I can't the kidnapper told me not to contact the authorities."

  "I have to agree with Thomas. Connie you have no guarantee that the kidnappers will let Chad and Beth go once they receive the money."

  Thomas was getting agitated, he wanted to scoop up Constantina and turn the whole matter over to the authorities. "There's no way I'm letting you near a drop off location. I know an FBI agent; he's out of the Cedar Rapids office. I'll give him a call."

  "Great idea Thomas, Connie give me the addresses for Chad and Beth, I'll take a couple of black and whites, and we'll check out their residences." Connie gave him the information he requested. Thanks Connie, stand by, and I'll keep you guys posted."

  Connie turned off the speaker and turned to face Thomas. "Thomas..."

  "I know what you're going to say Constantina. Let me call Eric he's a professional, he'll know what to do."

  Connie came to a decision to follow Thomas and Mike's direction. "While you're contacting the FBI agent, I'll work on the task of raising money."

  Thomas gave her his full attention, "Do you have that much cash on hand?"

  "I have the money, between my savings, CDs, and a couple of investments accounts; it could take awhile to raise money. My portfolio is not very liquid."

  Constantina was independent and would probably refuse his offer to pay the ransom. "Hold off until I speak to Eric."

  Connie paced back and forth as Thomas spoke with the FBI. She was afraid that the phone would ring and equally afraid that it might not ring. He got off the phone and didn't say anything at first. "Thomas. What did he say?"

  He knew that Constantina didn't have a lot of love for authority figures, but she would need the FBI and the police to resolve the kidnapping. "Eric said to expect to hear from two detectives he's worked with from the Council Bluffs PD. They will collect information until the FBI can get here. Eric is about an hour away, and he's bringing his team; in the mean time he wants you to write down everything the kidnapper said." Thomas got on the phone with his banker to raise the money while Connie put a timeline to everything that happened that morning.

  Less than ten minutes later, Thomas answered the knock on the door. Two men in suits showed their badges, they must be the detectives form CBPD. "I'm Thomas Galvin, my fiancée; Constantina Jacobs received a call this morning that her two employees were kidnapped."

  Connie didn't even blink at Thomas's introduction; she had more weighty issues than his false claim. She eyed the two detectives as they sat near the desk. One was tall and lanky, the other short and stocky, both of them were serious about the job. Saying to no one in particular, "if the kidnappers are watching me, they're going to know I contacted the police." Connie was angry at the situation and angry with herself for contacting Thomas and Mike. "Can I get you gentlemen anything to drink?" The short stocky detective spoke first.

  "Miss Jacobs I'm Detective Green and my partner here is Detective Morrell, Agent Eric Constantine notified us of a possible kidnapping. Please tell us everything the kidnapper said, no matter how inconsequential it may seem."

  The phone rang, and Connie looked around the room before picking it up. "Hello."

  "Is this Connie Jacobs."

  "Y-Yes."

  "Miss Jacobs, I'm Agent Constantine, I contacted the Council Bluffs PD, have the detectives arrived yet."

  "Yes, Agent Constantine Detectives Morrell and Green just arrived."

  "Miss Jacobs please put the phone on speaker."

  Connie put the phone on the speaker and waited for further instructions. "Okay Agent Constantine I have you on speaker."

  Connie relayed everything that happened that morning. Agent Constantine and Detective Green did all the questioning and Detective Morrell took notes. "The voice of the kidnapper was low and raspy. I couldn't tell if the voice belong to a man or a woman."

  "Is there any other connection between you, Chad, and Beth that we should know about?" Agent Constantine's voice echoed throughout the room.

  "I just found out the day before yesterday that Chad is my half brother."

  "Do you share the same mother or father?"

  "We have the same mother."

  "Who else knows that information?"

  "Only a hand full of people."

  "So the only real link you have between you is your mother."

  Connie frowned at the phone in confusion. "Agent Constantine do you think Crystalline is behind this?"

  "Is that your mother's name?"

  "I haven't seen her since I was seven, I probably wouldn't recognize her if I did."

  "Would Chad recognize her?"

  Chad never mentioned seeing their mother, did he even know what she looked like. "I don't know if Chad has ever seen our mother, she gave birth to him while in prison. He was raised by his grandparents in Des Moines.

  "What is
your mother's full name?"

  "Crystalline Jacobs. She was often called Crystal." Could Crystalline be responsible for kidnapping, if so what made her think that Connie had money to pay the ransom. "I'm not rich by any means, but someone may have come to that conclusion if they read the paper. The last couple of months I've been in the news a lot because of fundraisers and the new building project on 72nd Street." Everyone look at each other, completely forgetting that Agent Constantine was still on the line until he spoke.

  "Very good, detectives I think we have hour link, pull up everything you can find on Crystalline Jacobs. I want to know who's she linked to, friends, family, husbands or boyfriends. We should arrive in twenty minutes, in the mean time we'll pull up her prison records. Miss Jacobs we're doing everything to find your assistant and brother."

  "Thank you Agent Constantine!"

  Thomas hated feeling helpless; he had half a mind to go search for Chad and Beth on his own. He knew some questionable people with ties to the street that might be able to help. He felt like a tiger in a cage, but that was nothing in comparison to what Constantina was going through. The detectives took over Constantina's office and turned it into a command center waiting for the arrival of the FBI. She stood in the corner of her office her violet eyes bright and troubled. He pulled her into his arms trying to comfort her when he wanted to punish someone. "Trust me baby, the FBI will safely retrieve Chad and Beth." Silently he pledged to damage the kidnappers if the FBI couldn't.

  ***

  Chapter 17

  Chad woke up with a severe headache; he opened his eyes to find himself tied to a chair in a dingy basement. He searched the room, and there was no sight of Beth. "Beth! Beth where are you/"

  "She's fine. You need to quiet down for you get everyone all up in arms."

  Chad couldn't see the woman clearly, she looked like a weather beaten female who was on the ripe side of sixty. She stepped closer to him, and he realized that she probably wasn't as old as he initially thought. "Who are you?"

  "Don't you recognize your own mother?"