by Alex Strong
“You don’t have to quit because of me.”
“I know. But I want to. It just feels like the right step.”
Jillian tried to control the shaking in her hands as she sat in the stiff chair, waiting for her father to appear on the other side of the plexiglass. She hadn’t seen or spoken to him since he’d been restrained at the cabin and wasn’t sure if she wanted to now. But at the moment, he was the only one keeping Morozov out of jail.
The door buzzed and Jillian watched a guard bring her father in. The sight of him in orange overalls and chains around his hands and feet broke her heart. How could this be the same man who had chased away her nightmares when she was a little girl?
His face brightened at the sight of her, but the smile only accentuated the sallowness. Had he aged that much in the last week, or had she simply not noticed before? The burden of his guilt must have taken its toll on him over the years.
“Tesoro,” he said into the phone that enabled them to communicate across the barrier. “They didn’t tell me who my visitor was. It’s so good to see your face!”
“Why won’t you tell them it was Morozov you were working for?”
He closed his eyes and shook his head.
“I can’t,” he said.
“I don’t understand,” she said. “What could you possibly have to gain by saying nothing?”
“I do it for you, to protect you!”
“But if Morozov is behind bars, what is there to worry about?”
Again Jacob shook his head. “The man is too smart. Even if he went to jail, someone in his family may come after you. I can’t risk that.”
“So you would rather rot in jail.”
“It is to protect you,” he said. “I love you, Jillian.”
Her eyes stung from the tears threatening to break free, but Jillian refused to cry here for him.
“I loved the man you were before mother died,” she said. “Now, you’re just a coward.”
She hung up as her father began sobbing, but she couldn’t hear it, could only see his body shaking while he buried his head in his hands. The guard took him away as she exited the visiting area to where Reid was waiting for her by the sign-in desk.
“Will he talk?” he asked.
Jillian shook her head.
“It was worth a shot, right?”
She shrugged as they walked out to Reid’s SUV. He let her sit in silence on the ride home. As they neared Renton, a thought struck her.
“I can’t stay here anymore.”
“What?” he asked. “Stay where?”
“Here. In Renton, in Washington. I need to make a fresh start somewhere else.”
She looked at him, wondering what his reaction would be. He continued to stare at the road in front of them, his brows knitted together more in thought than a frown, or at least that what she hoped.
“I understand,” he said, slowly nodding.
“You do?” she asked. Was this it? Were they breaking up, after everything they had been though?
“Yes,” he said, reaching across for her hand. “But I hope you realize I won’t let you do it alone.”
“Really?” Jillian could feel the smile forming on her face. “You’d come with me?”
They stopped at a red light and Reid looked right at her. “You’re the only thing keeping me here, Jillian. If you’re ready for a fresh start, then so am I.”
Two weeks later Reid was loading the last of the boxes into a moving truck when Aaron pulled up on his motorcycle.
Reid set the box down and walked over to greet his friend, who he hadn’t spoken to since turning in his resignation.
“You weren’t going to leave without saying goodbye, were you?” Aaron asked.
“I wasn’t sure you were speaking to me.”
Aaron’s fingers fidgeted with the strap of his helmet.
“So Denver, huh?”
“It was the one place that appealed to us both,” said Reid.
“I hear they have a great football team.”
“Don’t tell Jillian that,” Reid laughed.
“You sure she’s worth it?” Aaron asked.
“Without a doubt.”
As if on cue, Jillian walked out carrying a box. She dropped it by the others and joined the two men.
“Hey,” she said.
“I couldn’t let Jackson here leave without saying goodbye.”
“Of course,” she smiled.
Aaron stared down at his feet awkwardly before pulling Reid into a big bear hug.
“Good luck, man. I’m going to miss you.”
“Same here, Wells.”
Aaron let him go and after hesitating, pulled Jillian into a hug. She looked as surprised as Reid was.
“Take care of him,” Aaron told her. “And call me if you guys ever need anything.”
“I will,” she said.
Aaron stepped back, gave Reid one last handshake, and climbed back onto his bike.
Reid put his arm around Jillian as they watched him ride off.
“Are you okay?” Jillian asked and Reid looked down into her warm brown eyes.
“Absolutely. Are you ready for our next adventure?”
Her face broke into the same huge grin he fell in love with at the falls. “Absolutely.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
Aaron Wells sat at the stainless steel table where Casimir was already seated and handcuffed to a bolted metal bar.
“To what do I owe this pleasure?” Casimir asked with a smirk.
“You look pretty smug for a guy who is going to rot in prison,” Aaron said.
Casimir shrugged. “If you are here, then I must have something you want.”
“I want to know who your buyer is.”
“What makes you so sure I had a buyer?” Casimir asked.
“Because we both know you’re in it for the profit,” said Aaron. “Why risk everything if you didn’t have some someone ready to fork over the cash?”
When Casimir didn’t respond, Aaron continued talking.
“Jillian Sandro said there was someone else on the boat. Someone reminding you not to fuck this up.” Casimir flinched when he said this. “Who was he? Was that your buyer?”
“Unless you have something to offer me,” Casimir sighed, “then we are done here.”
“Who gave up Reid Jackson’s name? Is it someone in the agency?”
Casimir shrugged. “I never bothered to ask.”
“What about your cousin, Morozov?” Aaron asked. “Maybe we can get him to talk.”
This made Casimir laugh. “Good luck with that. He is even better protected than I.”
“We’ll just have to see about that,” Aaron said as he stood, signaling for the guard to let him out. “Hope you enjoy prison food.”
As Aaron walked back out to his car, he couldn’t help feeling disappointed, even though he hadn’t really expected Casimir to give anything up. Hopefully he’d have better luck with Aleksandr Morozov.
Don’t Miss
No Way Out
The Second Book in the Love & Lies Series
When Aaron Wells finds an unlikely ally in Aleksandr Morozov’s wife, he begins to question Clara’s motives, and his own judgment.
Available June 2015
Also available by Alex Strong
Island Runaway
Acknowledgments
Being an independent author means I did this book all by myself, right? That couldn’t be further from the truth. This book wouldn’t be half as good without the support of many people. First I have to thank Cattigan for all her work on this series and helping me to see hidden sub-plots that did not help the story, but they sure were good for a laugh! Thanks again to my cheer squad, Andrea, Liz, and Tama, for believing in me and making me feel like I can pull this off. Thank you to Luke L. for helping to fix my mistakes and your invaluable input not just on this book, but the last one as well. I also want to acknowledge my friends and fellow writers from the Eastside RWA group. I have learne
d, and continue to learn, so much since becoming a member. And a big thank you as always to my supportive husband for shamelessly promoting my work to his friends and colleagues. I love you!
About the Author
Alex Strong has loved stories, whether she’s reading them or telling them, since she was very young. But it wasn’t until after the birth of her youngest son that she realized what she wanted to do most was be an author. Her past lives include working as a waitress, a sales clerk, and a nanny. Though she has been all around the world, including two years living in the Philippines as a child, Alex is proud to call the Pacific Northwest her home and lives in the Seattle suburbs with her husband, their two boys, and two fluffy dogs.
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