by Jami Denise
He turned and walked out, leaving me alone with my thoughts. He was right, as usual. I couldn’t worry Flynn with my bullshit insecurities. He had enough to deal with, and if I wanted him to come home safe, I had to get my shit together.
~~***~~
When I walked into the room, the atmosphere was not what I expected. Vince, Kelsey, and Flynn were sitting around the table eating and laughing while Collins stood off in a corner on his cell phone, looking as creepy as usual. I assumed by the way he was dressed that he was going with them. I hadn’t seen him in his Sunday best in a while, and the memories of him in that black suit gave me chills.
As I entered, they all went silent, turning to face me. Kelsey was smiling, and her sweet face made my stomach flip. I smiled back, trying to be reassuring and supportive, and let my gaze travel across the table to Flynn.
He didn’t smile, but stood and walked toward me, his lips pressed tightly together and his eyes sullen.
“Are you okay?”
I nodded, looking down. “I’ll be fine.”
He chuckled. “My little liar.”
I grabbed onto his shirt and pulled him forward, pressing my face into his chest. “Come back to me in one piece.”
He hugged me against him, wrapping his arms around my back. “I need to talk to you about something.”
I nodded again, encouraging him to go ahead.
“Marry me.”
It was like time froze in that moment. He’d muttered those words before, but something about the way he said it seemed different this time. Urgent. Desperate.
I didn’t like it.
“No,” I whispered. “Don’t do this now.”
He leaned closer, pressing his lips against my ear. “Marry me right now. We’ll go downstairs to the chapel, and it’ll be permanent. You won’t have to worry about what will happen to you—ever again.”
I dug my fingernails into his chest and growled, shaking my head. I looked up, pushing away from him so I could look into his eyes. “You don’t get to make me queen of this castle and think that makes everything better. Do what you have to do, and remember you have an impatient, very pissed off woman to get back to. Come back, ask me properly, and I just might marry you.”
“That’s a promise I intend to keep.”
He kissed the top of my head and gave me another hard squeeze. “Come eat, and we’ll talk about what’s going on.”
He held his hand out for me, and I followed him to the table. There was everything you could imagine laid out, but my stomach turned just thinking about the way the bacon smelled. Instead, I grabbed two chocolate donuts and poured myself a cup of coffee. I had a feeling I was going to need plenty of caffeine to get through the morning, and lots of alcohol to get me through the night.
“Kelsey, why don’t you go finish packing. By the time you get back, it’ll be time to go.”
I saw the confused look on her face and looked away. I hated lying to her; the betrayal was more than I could take. I concentrated on my breakfast and waited for the heavy tension to eat me alive.
Once she was out of the room, Vince slammed his hand on the table, causing silverware to jump and cups to shake.
“If you think I’m letting you take her alone, you’re out of your fucking mind, Maguire.”
I looked up at him, surprised. So much for bucking up.
“If I show up with you, he’ll know something is up. We can’t chance it.”
“The fuck we can’t! We’ve been through this before—we’re repeating history here, asshole.”
His eyes flashed to mine, but he looked away quickly. I knew exactly where he was going, and I was on his side. They were pulling the same evasive crap on Kelsey as they had me. Lying was only going to make things worse.
“You want to straight up tell her we’re using her for bait? Go for it. Then we’re shit out of luck, and my dad disappears. That’s putting a target on all of our heads. What she doesn’t know won’t hurt her.”
I huffed and threw my donut down. “This is like a bad dream. You do realize this is the same situation as before, only the sitting duck is blonde. I’m telling her what she’s in for. You two can kiss my ass.”
I pushed away from the table and started for the door. “We’ll be back if and when she decides she wants to do this. You can start thinking about plan B.”
I slammed the door behind me and stormed down the hall toward the other suite. The fear had been replaced by pure rage. This was a suicide mission. I wondered briefly if I’d accidentally fallen in love with the stupidest man alive. He was beyond ignorant to believe that lying to Kelsey would work out in his favor.
I knocked on the door and called out, letting her know it was me. She answered the door with a smile.
“I was going to send you a text! I’m glad you came down. I don’t know how many days we’ll be gone, so I don’t know what to bring.”
I sighed. “Kelsey, let’s sit down.”
I led her toward the sofa and patted the seat next to me. “I need to tell you some things, and I need you to stay calm.”
She wrung her hands in her lap and frowned. “Kris is dead, isn’t she?”
“No, Kelsey, but I don’t know where she is, and neither do they.”
“I knew it. Where is Flynn taking me? Is he taking me back home?”
“No, Kelsey, and this is where I want you to listen. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do.”
“What do you mean?”
“The man that wants your sister is Flynn’s father, and he’s waiting for you to come to him. He wants to use you to get to Kristine. She stole money from him and turned him in to the feds. He’s a bad man, Kelsey. He killed my father—he’s killed a lot of people. I don’t know what’s going to happen. I want to believe Flynn when he says you’ll be safe, but honestly I have no idea.”
“What would you do?”
That was a good question. I knew what I would do, but could she do the same?
“Flynn will do everything he can to keep you safe. If he thought for a moment something was going to happen to you, he wouldn’t do this to you. I believe that. I just don’t think he’s God. I don’t think he has the power to predict what’s going to happen.”
She took a deep breath and looked up at me with so much determination that it knocked me on my ass.
“I’m going. If it will help my sister and help Flynn, I want to do this.”
“Are you sure? Kelsey, this isn’t a game.”
She nodded. “I’m tougher than I look.”
~~***~~
An hour later, we were standing outside the Maguire watching the driver put their bags in the back of the limo. Flynn and Vince were talking in hushed tones while Kelsey and I stood back, holding hands and keeping ourselves together. Finally, they shook hands, nodded, and turned to us.
“It’s time to go.”
A shudder wracked my body when I looked up and saw him staring at me. I bit down on my lip to prevent the onset of another round of tears and took a step forward.
“Listen to Vince. Keep your phone on, and if you feel like something’s not right, head to the safe room. Last night was a trial run. You know how to get in and how to get in quick.”
I nodded. “I won’t tell you to be careful again. Just do it, okay?”
“C’mere,” he ordered.
I flung myself at him, jumping so my legs were wrapped around his waist and my arms around his neck. “Make it all go away so we can live.”
“Anything for you, Janie. I promise. When this is all over, we’re done with all of it.”
He hugged me so tight I thought he was going to suffocate me and then let me fall and placed me on the ground. Flashing a look at Vince, he nodded at me. “Make sure nothing happens to her.”
Vince nodded, his face devoid of emotion. “I always do.”
He walked around Flynn and stood in front of Kelsey, and I could see the hesitation in his eyes. It was only there a moment, but I noticed his v
ulnerability.
“Listen to Flynn, and do exactly what he says. You’re as safe with him as you were with me.”
“Okay,” she said softly. Her voice cracked, and I felt so bad for her. She was so close to losing it. This was too much.
Vince nodded and started to turn, but she reached out and grabbed him, hugging him around the middle. “I love you. You don’t have to say anything. I just want you to know.”
I covered my mouth and looked over at Flynn. His face was grim, and the groan that escaped his throat was nothing less than horrified.
Vince said nothing in return. He looked past her over her shoulder and gave her a quick nod before bending and kissing the top of her head.
“Go.”
She sniffled but did as he asked without another word. Climbing into the limo, she looked out the opposite window as her body shook with sobs.
I was devastated for her. The poor girl just had her life implode around her, and now she had to endure a trip to hell with a stranger. It was so unfair.
“Goodbye, sweet Jayne,” Flynn said, pulling my attention. “Kiss me. I need your mouth.”
His hand cupped my neck as his tongue invaded my mouth eagerly. I suddenly felt like a widow of war, kissing the man I loved for possibly the last time. It was morbid, yet romantic in its absurdity.
“I love you. Don’t forget that you’re the best reason to keep myself alive, Jayne. I love you so fucking much.” He kissed all over my face, whispering sweet words between every peck. “Don’t do anything stupid. Just wait here for me.”
“I’ll be here,” I promised. “I’ll be here waiting.”
We watched the limo drive off until it was out of sight. The tears dried up the second Flynn climbed into that back seat. I was determined to be strong—if not for myself, then for him.
I was ready to put the fears to bed and wrap my mask around my face. Jayne King wasn’t raised to sit back and watch. I would be the strength that held down his fortress. I would reign while he fought his way back to me.
I’d do whatever he needed from me.
Vince chirped out a whistle from beside me, and for a moment, I’d forgotten all about him. I looked up and watched a young valet run over to the valet station, grabbing a set of keys and nodding at Vince.
“Where are you going?” I asked.
He smirked. “I have something to take care of.”
I frowned. “What? You aren’t leaving me here by myself, Vince.”
He raised an eyebrow and pulled a pack of cigarettes from the pocket of his shirt, tapping one out and slipping it into his mouth. “You’re right. I’m not. Get in the car.”
I shook my head, confused. “Where are we going?”
Giving me a light shove, he pushed me toward the car. “We’re going on a little trip, and we need to leave now, so get in the car.”
Like a light bulb switching on in my brain, I let out a small gasp. “I thought you trusted Flynn to handle this.”
He blew a large plume of smoke out of his mouth, directing it in the air away from me, and stepped forward. “I trust Flynn, but he’s a pussy. He won’t kill his father. I will.”
I wanted to be insulted, but he was right. I had serious doubts about Flynn killing his father in cold blood. He was no pussy, as Vince so eloquently put it, but that was his father—good, bad, or indifferent.
“Well, are you coming or not?”
I blinked several times and nodded.
Hell, yes, I was going, but I didn’t even have real shoes on.
“Give me ten. I need shoes—and my gun.”
I heard him chuckle as I hightailed it back to the room to gather my gear. “That’s my girl.”
TWENTY-SEVEN
My head was about to explode. I hadn’t seen anything but bush and dirt and road for hours, and everything was getting on my nerves. Vince was chain-smoking like a fiend, the radio waves were nonexistent, and I was nervous as hell.
After about three and a half hours on the road, I gave up and fell asleep. With nothing but my own insane thoughts to keep me company, I decided to shut down.
Vince woke me a while later when he stopped at some dusty little town to fill up on gas and coffee. I got out, stretched, took some deep breaths, and looked around.
There was nothing. Deserted and empty. Mostly, I noticed how peaceful it was. Away from the hustle and bustle of Las Vegas, my lungs filled with new life. My bravado had returned and my motivation was clear.
The quaint convenience store called me like a beacon. I grabbed handfuls of sugary treats and the biggest cup of coffee I could pour. My body was tired, but my brain was going strong. I just needed a little more power to get me to the end of the road.
“Do you have a plan or something, or are we just rushing in there with our guns blazing?”
Vince chuckled around his cigarette, puffing as he held it between his teeth and opened the door to the car. “I’m not sure yet.”
“Great,” I drawled out. “That sounds pretty solid. Fuck me...”
He tossed the garbage food on the console and shut the door on me, still smiling as he cleared the front of the car and got inside. We were about an hour or so away from what I calculated, so I thought it was a good idea to get some kind of action plan in place.
I turned in my seat and ripped a bag of snack cakes open. “Do you know anything? Did Flynn at least fill you in before he left?”
Taking the lid off his coffee, he blew into it slowly and stared out the windshield. “Flynn is going in wired. They flew into Reno, and the FBI dialed him in before they flew out to Elko. The house is south of there, so they are probably just getting there.”
“Fucking wired!” I shrieked. “That’s incredibly stupid! He’s a fucking idiot!”
“Actually, he’s a genius. His father won’t expect that, and if he gets paranoid and checks, he’ll already be in. That’s when he’ll need the balls to kill the fucker. If he kills him right away, he won’t have to deal with any of it.”
“Christ,” I swore. “Let’s get back on the road. If they are already there, we could be too late.”
He turned the ignition and revved the engine. “You ready for this?”
I was more than ready. My adrenaline was pumping, and my mind was on the game. We were back to being a team. Bonnie and Clyde, ready to fuck things up. That’s when we were at our best. When I was young, Vince was on top of his game, and he taught me well. We were simpatico, working toward a common goal. The people we loved were in danger, and that’s what drove us.
Guns blazing, it was.
“So tell me what I need to do. What happens when we get there?”
He pulled back onto the highway, and we went over our strategy. Flynn had given him a brief overview of the ranch house, and thankfully, Vince never forgot a detail.
“We’ll walk in through the back end of the property. We’ll drive up through the hills, and it will take us back there. I have a pretty good idea of where we can get in, but we’ll probably have to wing it. Once we’re inside, listen for voices and move slow. Make sure you know what’s behind you, and what you’re walking into.”
I nodded, waving for him to continue.
“Doyle always covers his bases. I had to take out about fifteen guys before I found where he was holding your dad. They’ll be armed, so make sure you’re ready to shoot. Shoot to fucking kill, Janie. You hesitate, and you’re dead. They won’t give a shit who you are.”
“What am I supposed to do once we’re in there? Get Kelsey out?”
“Go on instinct. That’s the best I can tell you. Remember that time we tossed that club and the owner found out? What did I tell you?”
“Fuck up anyone that got in my way.”
“Damn right. If you think it’s the right thing to do, do it. Keep yourself alive, keep Flynn alive, and keep me and Kelsey alive. That’s all you need to do.”
It sounded like a shitty plan to me. I was afraid of what I would walk in on. If I found Flynn hurt, I w
asn’t sure what my instincts would tell me to do. Move along and find the core of the disease, or help my lover. It felt like a lose-lose situation.
“The FBI has the place surrounded. We’ve got backup—just make sure you don’t get in their way if they storm the place. You hear cops, you drop, you hear me?”
“Got it, boss,” I told him. “Drive faster. We need to do this.”
TWENTY-EIGHT
Two hours later, we crept across the property toward a house that just didn’t fit the description I had in my head. It was rugged and nondescript, bigger than I expected, but nothing grandiose.
“You sure we’re in the right place?”
He nodded. “Follow me.”
I looked back and forth, waiting for the boogey man to jump out at any minute. I halfway expected to find snipers and SWAT teams, but there was no one. Only us.
It was dark by then, so we only had the light of the moon and the glare from inside the house to guide us. Somehow, that made it easier. My senses were lit and my reaction time was precise.
As we got closer, I heard voices, so I sneaked around the side where it was darker and well hidden. Blood pumped through my body vigorously, my heart on overload. The thrill was racing through me and trumped the fear. Finally, it felt like we were going to be in the clear and able to go on with our lives.
Vince went straight for the back door, and my eyes widened as he stepped over the threshold and through the door without difficulty. My hands shook as I walked around the other side of the house toward the front. I wanted to get a better feel for where things were—doors, windows, all escapes possible. My worst fear was getting caught up inside without a way out.
I peeked around the corner and saw three men standing on the elevated porch smoking cigarettes. As I looked closer, I saw one of them was Flynn. I blinked several times to clear my focus. He looked calm and composed, like there wasn’t a care in the world.
I ducked down so I could further investigate and look for Kelsey without being found. It wasn’t easy. There weren’t many bushes or shrubs to hide behind, and that was a problem. Being out in the open, dark or not, was incredibly stupid.