He gave me a reproachful look, and I backed out of his office. The less concern I caused him, the better. I didn’t want him to stop me from telling this story. I had started something and I fully intended to finish it.
Back at my computer, I did a little digging and found addresses and contact information for Horton Price and Dominique Coulson. Coulson was easy to find because he still worked as a lawyer. I typed his name into a search engine and his law office was the first hit.
Price was a little trickier to find, as bookies generally kept their information hidden from the public. Unsurprisingly, if you want to run a successful illegal gambling business, you keep it quiet. Luckily, I had gotten good at researching these types of people, so within the hour, I had a list of his most recent whereabouts. I could easily find him.
Before I knew it, it was time for lunch with Andrea. I shut down my computer and locked my files in my desk for good measure. I wasn’t going to take any chances with my security.
“Hey, Jane,” Andrea called to me with a big smile on her face. “I feel like it’s been years since I last saw you.”
“Thanks for meeting up with me,” I responded, feeling guilty for having to ask her a huge favor after losing contact with her. “Would you be interested in going to the steakhouse across the street?”
“Sounds fancy,” she said.
“It’s on me,” I said quickly. “Besides, it will be a nice break from sitting in the office.”
She smirked. “I know that whatever you want to talk about is serious because you’re taking me to a fancy restaurant in the middle of the work day. You don’t want to be overheard.”
“And their rib eye is to die for,” I added.
“All right, you don’t have to twist my arm,” she joked. “Let’s go.”
“How’s business?” I asked as we walked across the street, toward the restaurant.
“Good,” she said. “If you would have asked me where I would be in fifteen years when I was enlisting, I would have never guessed that I’d be running my own security company.”
“Has it really been fifteen years?” I asked. “Time goes by so quickly when you’re living the civilian life.”
We walked up the short staircase to the restaurant, Andrea slightly hobbling behind me. For the most part, I could hardly tell that she had a prosthetic leg. Moments like this where I could see the lasting effects of her injuries sent a pang of guilt through my chest.
As I had suspected, most the tables at the restaurant were empty. I could see Andrea carefully surveying the place, probably looking for the most secure place to sit. I supposed that this kind of behavior came second nature to her. It made her the perfect candidate for the job.
“I hate to do this,” I said hesitantly, “but I have a personal favor to ask you.”
She raised her eyebrows. “What’s up?”
“Do you remember the story I wrote a few years back? It was the one about the mob boss.”
“Of course, I remember that. That was some great reporting.”
“Well, I’ve been working on part two of that story and I’ve run into a little snag—” I trailed off.
“What kind of snag?” she asked, her eyes lighting up.
“The boss is out of prison. He should be in prison for much longer, maybe even the rest of his life. If I’m able to pull off this next story, he probably will be. The problem is, he knows that I’m talking to his former associates.”
“That’s not good,” she said. “Are you looking for someone to watch your back? I can get someone out to your place to rig up a nice little security system.”
I chuckled. “You know that I can handle myself.”
She joined in the laughter. “Oh, I absolutely know that. You can save your ass, plus the asses of everyone around you. I mean, you saved mine.”
I fidgeted. I was hoping the topic wouldn’t come up. Andrea had lost her leg in the war, yet she had no problem bringing it up. I think the therapist she had to see after the amputation helped her out a lot. Maybe I’d have to get a referral from her.
Every time I see Andrea limp, my mind rushes back to the field, where I dragged her away from a burning building, her leg in absolute shambles. I can smell the blood, hear the gunshots, and see the bodies scattered around me.
Andrea was my best friend, but every time I see her, I’m transported back in time to the worst day of my life. After a while, I just stopped coming over to her house for beers. Then I stopped calling. After a while, we would go months without hearing from each other. She understood why, but it still wasn’t fair to her.
“No, I actually need someone to watch this guy’s house— “
“What guy?” she interrupted, a giant grin spreading out over her face.
I rolled my eyes. “Nothing like that,” I said. “He’s my big source, but he’s been targeted ever since he started working with me.”
“Is he hot?” she asked. “I wouldn’t mind watching his house if he was.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “As a matter of fact,” I said nonchalantly, “he is pretty hot. But, the guard isn’t for him; it’s for his daughter. The girl’s aunt and uncle have full custody of her. We think she might be used by Tilucci to get to Bryce.”
“That’s grim,” she said. “Kids should never be involved with these things.”
I swallowed a lump in my throat. “No, they shouldn’t.”
“Well, that shouldn’t be a problem. When can I meet with the family?”
“That’s another thing,” I said. “He doesn’t want them to know. For all we know, it’s an empty threat. Still, we don’t want anything bad to happen to her. Is there a way to discreetly watch the house without the homeowners knowing?”
Andrea ran her fingers through her hair. “It will be trickier, but we can make it work. Text me the details later and I’ll set up a team.”
“Thank you so much,” I said.
“It’s no problem at all,” she smiled.
“I hate to ask this,” I said softly, “but Bryce doesn’t have a lot of money. Is there any way you can give him a bit of a discount? I’m probably going to help him out too since this is partially my fault.”
“Don’t worry about it,” she said. “This one’s on me.”
“No,” I objected. “I couldn’t possibly let you do that. You have a business to run.”
“Money’s not an issue,” she said softly. “The business is doing very well and I’ve also been doing consulting work for other organizations. You saved my life, and now I’m going to make sure this child’s life isn’t in danger.”
“Thanks,” I said. “You have no idea how much I appreciate it.”
“It’s nothing, really,” she insisted. “Now,” she said, changing the subject, “where is our food?” she asked, looking around the restaurant.
I chuckled and took a sip of my water. Now that I had this problem under control, I could probably convince Bryce to take me to Price and Coulson. I imagined the look on his tan, handsome face when I told him that his baby girl is nowmpersonally being guarded by the best sharpshooter I’ve ever met. I bet he’d be so relieved that he’d even embrace me with his strong arms.
I pulled myself out of my daydream to listen to Andrea talk about some job she worked recently. I couldn’t let her know that I was secretly fantasizing about being near Bryce again. I didn’t even like to admit it to myself.
Evidence
Bryce
“See you tomorrow,” I said to the guys at the shop as I got into my car. I sped down the road, trying to get to Jane’s office as quickly as possible. She told me that she had news about Arianna, but that she didn’t want to tell me over the phone.
I hadn’t stopped thinking about my little Ari since that package arrived. Jane said that she could fix this, but I had been in the game long enough to know that some things just couldn’t be fixed. I was desperate, though, so I’d take whatever assistance I could get. I couldn’t lose Arianna.
“I t
alked to my friend,” Jane said as she climbed into my car. I didn’t feel like her smile matched the seriousness of the situation.
“The one who works in security?”
“That’s the one. She’s ex-Army and one of the smartest women I know. She’s personally constructing a team to make sure no one lays a finger on your daughter. I gave her all the details. She’s working on it as we speak.”
“How much is it going to cost?” I asked nervously.
“She said she’d do it as a favor to me. We go way back.”
“Are you sure she’s good?” I asked.
“She’s the best in the business,” Jane replied. “Your daughter is going to be just fine.”
I rested my head on the back of the seat and let out a sigh of relief. Jane patted me on the shoulder.
“I told you I protected my sources,” she said. “Now let’s go talk to Horton Price. I’ve got a few questions for him.”
I pulled out of the parking lot and drove toward the address Jane gave me. I had heard of Horton, but I didn’t know him. Like any other ex-employees of Tilucci, I didn’t feel like he would want to talk to us. Jane always had high hopes for these encounters, so I didn’t want to completely burst her bubble.
“So,” Jane said, breaking the silence, “what’s Arianna like?”
“I don’t know,” I mumbled. “I don’t hear much about her.”
“But you do get updates, right?” she pried. “What’s her favorite color? What does she like to do? What’s her favorite school subject?”
“I don’t really want to talk about it,” I replied. I felt ashamed for not knowing the answers to very simple questions and I wasn’t about to talk about Arianna with someone I didn’t know very well. Ari was the one last thing I was proud of. I wasn’t about to share her with anybody.
“Oh,” Jane said, apparently surprised by my reaction. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know.”
“It’s fine,” I said, but the damage had already been done. There was this awkward tension between us now. We rode the rest of the way to Horton Price’s house in silence.
I shouldn’t have spoken so harshly with her. She was just trying to make nice conversation and get to know me. Now, she probably wouldn’t want to talk to me about anything other than her story ever again. I supposed that was fine—I wasn’t really looking to become friends with her. As far as girls went, though, Jane was pretty cool. She was smart and confident and pretty.
“Ready?” she asked when we finally pulled up to the apartment complex where Horton apparently lived. It was pretty run down. It didn’t look like anyone lived here.
“Are you sure this is it?” I asked as I watched a rat scurry down the sidewalk.
“Should be it,” she replied cheerily.
I followed her to the second floor and stood nearby as she pounded on the door.
“Are you Mr. Price?” she asked in an unnaturally sweet voice when he opened the door.
“I am. Who’s asking?”
“My name is Jane. I’m with the company that manages this apartment building. Do you mind if I ask you a couple questions?”
I gave her a sideways glance. She never told me that this was the plan.
“I’ve never made a late payment and I keep this place in good shape,” he said.
She laughed a high-pitched laugh. “Oh, it’s nothing like that. May I come in?”
He opened the door wider and I followed the pair of them inside.
“Have a seat,” he said, gesturing to the kitchen table.
I took the chair closest to the window facing the street so I could see if someone was following us.
“How long have you lived in this residence?” Jane asked, taking out her notebook.
“Oh, about seven years,” Horton said in his raspy voice. He was a short, squat man who wore a lot of gold jewelry. He looked old school.
“Who is your previous employer?”
“Retired,” he said, cracking open a beer. “I’m sixty-eight years old, though I don’t look it,” he cackled.
It was clearly a joke. The man was so weather-beaten; he looked as though he had spent several years of his life in a tanning bed.
“What was your occupation before you retired?” Jane asked sweetly.
“Huh,” he grunted. “Finance, I suppose you could say.”
“Like at a bank?”
“Not quite, sweetie,” he trailed off. “What other questions do you have for me?”
Jane’s expression changed from sugary sweet to smirking. “I have quite a few questions, Horton.”
“Let’s make it quick. My show is on in fifteen minutes.”
“Do you know a man by the name of Tommy Tilucci, Jr.?”
Horton froze. “Who are you?” he asked sternly.
“Like I said, my name is Jane. Obviously, I’m not with the apartment complex. I’m working on some research that could put Tommy away for life, but I can’t do that without your help.”
“How did you find out about me?” he asked, looking around.
“I always protect my sources. I’m willing to protect you too if you help me out. What do you say?”
“I’ve been in the business for too long to open my yap about stuff that’s not my business.”
“You worked with the Tilucci family for a long time, didn’t you?” she said, standing up from her wooden chair.
“I worked with the senior Tilucci. He was an honorable man. His son, on the other hand, is a disgusting piece of scum. He has no respect for his elders.”
“Do you have any evidence of Tommy’s crimes?”
He sat with his jaw clamped shut and slowly shook his head.
“Come on,” I said to Jane. “He’s loyal to Tilucci. You can see it on his face. He probably gets off on all the brutal stuff Tommy did to his father’s closest associates.”
This struck a nerve.
“Okay,” he said. “There’s a safe deposit box downtown. There are some old books in it. Tilucci doesn’t know I have them, but if he finds out that they’re out in the public, then he’ll know it was me who gave them away. You see why I can’t tell you, right?”
Jane slowly walked closer to Horton, staring down at him the whole way. Her intense stare sent a shiver down my spine.
“You see, Horton,” her voice icy, “I really need those books. In fact, if you’re not going to cooperate and be a source, I see no reason why I should protect you. Tilucci’s after me too, so if he asks who I talked to, I see no reason why I can’t give your name.”
Horton’s eyes widened. Jane crouched down next to Horton, meeting his eye.
“But,” she whispered, “if you give me the books, I can make sure that Tilucci never even knows that they were missing, and certainly not because of you. You have a choice to make. For your sake, I hope you make the right one.”
“Are you threatening me?” Horton said, raising his voice.
“No,” she said softly. “I’m advising you to do what is right for once in your life. I would hate for anything bad to happen to you.”
Horton buried his face in his hands while he thought it over. I looked nervously toward Jane. She was scary but good.
“Fine, fine,” he said. “I’ll give you the information for the account, but I’m not going near there. In fact, I think it’s about time I move away from the city for good. You don’t know who you’re messing with, getting into Tilucci’s business.”
“Oh, I think I know perfectly well whom I’m messing with,” she said, smirking.
She got out her phone and called her boss and explained that she needed a way to retrieve and store the contents of a safe deposit box. He must have been a little unsure about the idea because she had to reassure him a few times. She gave the phone to Horton, and he told her editor all the passwords and codes to get into the box. Once he was finished, he hung up the phone and hung his head, defeated.
“Why so blue, Horton?” she asked. “You did the right thing here. We’re going to expose all o
f Tilucci’s heinous crimes.”
“You know that his second in command is on parole, don’t you? Tilucci has a lot of friends locked up that he’ll be able to get out now. If he doesn’t personally come after you, Max Malone will.”
“What?” she stuttered.
“This Malone is a nightmare. I’ve never seen anyone so cold and calculating,” he said as he grabbed the safe deposit box key and handed it to Jane.
Jane swayed on the spot, her eyes bulging. She looked like she was about to faint.
“Jane?” I started to ask.
She snapped back around the face me. “Let’s go,” she said, a fake smile plastered on her face. “I think we have everything we need here. Thank you, Horton. You’ve been very helpful.”
“Are you okay?” I asked as we walked back to my car. I kept my head on a swivel in case anyone was watching the house. “You went a little pale back there.”
“Great,” she said. “We have exactly what we need.”
“Let’s get out of here, then,” I said. “Where do you want me to take you?”
“My house,” she answered. “If Horton makes any phone calls to anyone in the organization, they’ll probably be waiting for me at the office. Do you think he can be trusted?”
“You’re asking the wrong person. I don’t think anyone can be trusted.”
“Not even me?” she asked, batting her eyelashes.
I smiled. “I don’t know what to think about you.”
Bullet On The Doorstep
Jane
“What do you really think about Horton?” I asked as I flipped through my notes. I hardly wrote anything down because things escalated so quickly. “Do you think we need to worry about him?”
“He’s the kind of guy that acts completely in self-interest. I think he spoke to you because he was afraid of you, not because he wanted to do good,” he said. “He’s the kind of guy to bet on both sides and quietly rake in the money. He doesn’t like to lose.”
“Does it make sense for him to rat on us?”
Her Protection: A Bad Boy Mafia Romance (Omerta Series Book 2) Page 6