Run to You

by Lynne King

  “I’m calling it a day,” he stated to Reid who was poring over reports.

  “Well, I’m off to pay a visit to O’Riley’s sponsor, old man Mahonney. The corporation owns the apartment O’Riley was in. It says here he was employed as a contract manager, which is bullshit.”

  “You’re wasting your time until we find out O’Riley’s real identity and something that links him to the bank raid. Mahonney won’t talk to the cops. You’ll just get his lawyer on your ass.” Jack stood up and put his jacket on.

  “You got a hot date tonight or something.” Reid threw him a smirk.

  Jack didn’t answer as he marched out the door. Elizabeth Saunders was hot in more ways than one and it was driving him crazy that one female could have this much effect on him. It was a weakness he had no time or need for.

  Liz woke up feeling groggy and light-headed and for a moment couldn’t remember where she was. The magnolia walls closed in on her and the drawn curtains made the room appear misty. The heat in the room was quite stifling and she felt damp with perspiration. There was also something heavy bearing down near her ankles. Sitting upright she looked down to see a stretched-out Romeo lying across her feet. His presence was strangely reassuring as she leaned down and stroked his thick tiger-striped fur. Deep guttural purring followed and he rolled over exposing his white underbelly.

  “Romeo, for one who looks like a bruiser…” She smiled. “You’re really a big softy at heart. I wonder if you take after your owner.”

  “Rub those fingers over me like that and I’ll let you know.”

  Her gaze flew to the open doorway where Jack stood grinning back at her. Her hand pulled away from Romeo and snatched up the quilt to cover the exposed upper part of her body. Though she had kept her bra and panties on, she wore nothing else and the lacy white bra was practically transparent. She could feel her skin getting hotter by the second.

  “I’m sorry, he shouldn’t be in here. Romeo, out, now.”

  He wasn’t excusing himself for creeping up on her like that—instead he was apologizing for the cat, making her feel slightly peeved. “Romeo’s fine. I like cats and unlike people, they can’t knock first before barging in.”

  “The door was ajar and I heard your voice. I thought you might be in need of this.” He reached behind him and retrieved her case and placed it in the room. “Feel free to use the shower. There’s fresh towels in the closet in the bathroom.” He kept his eyes off her and his tone was blunt. “I’m fixing us something to eat. You’re not vegetarian, are you?”

  Now she didn’t feel churlish anymore but ungrateful. “No, I’m up for anything as long as it’s edible.”

  “I’ll do my best.” He disappeared from the doorway.

  “Jack, did you get hold of my sister?” she called out to him.

  “Your sister’s okay. She left a message on your cell phone a couple of hours ago, said they’d been away and had only just got back.” He answered as his footsteps retreated off down the hallway.

  Liz glanced at her watch and realized she’d been asleep all afternoon. It was now nearly 7:00 p.m. No wonder she was feeling light-headed, seeing she hadn’t eaten all day.

  Standing under the warm cascading spray from the shower, she smoothed the soap lava over her body, trying to cleanse away the impurities of what she had been party to and witnessed. If only it could be that easy. When she had crept down the hallway toward the bathroom, she had caught sight of the back of Jack standing in the kitchen. Shirtsleeves rolled up, he was juggling with a frying pan in one hand and reaching for the spice rack with his other hand, and where did her gaze end up on, his cute butt. This was a man who was about to sit her down, feed her up, and then the inquisition would start. He wanted information, answers and if she didn’t provide or he thought she was cheating him with the truth, she was no longer of any use to him.

  First Simon and his betrayal, and then Shaun who felt she was an ideal sacrificial lamb, and now Jack. Maybe it was time she stopped being a victim and started putting herself first.

  Chapter Eleven

  Jack was still in the kitchen, busy draining the pasta and stir-frying something that smelled very garlicky, when Liz emerged from the bathroom. Fully clothed in a denim skirt and T-shirt, she stood in the doorway and watched. He was obviously used to cooking and not just simple dishes.

  “There’s a bottle of California white in the fridge. Take it out onto the balcony. It’s a warm evening so I thought we could dine outside,” he said over his shoulder.

  Doing as he asked, Liz removed the wine and walked across the spacious lounge area and out through the open patio doors. The setting was certainly romantic with a red tablecloth thrown over the circular patio table set for two people, the wineglasses already in place. At least he hadn’t placed a candle in the center, she found herself thinking while already feeling seduced by the breathtaking view the height and location allowed. Below, the area was quiet and seemed removed from the hustle of city life and tree tops and lush greenery marked the edge of Central Park that seemed within walking distance. Feeling softness against her leg, she looked down to see Romeo had brushed past her and was now making his way to the fire escape. Obviously the approaching dusk beckoned.

  She sat down and watched as Jack came through, the aroma from the dishes he carried causing her stomach to cry out in anticipation. He disappeared and returned with a basket of garlic bread and the corkscrew.

  “Here’s looking at you, kid.” Jack lifted his glass of wine and took a large sip.

  Liz raised her glass. “I’m not sure what you mean by that, but I hope you’re simply quoting an old movie line.”

  She took a large gulp of the crisp fresh wine, feeling in need of instant stimulus to help her through. “Here’s to figuring you out, Jack Willis.”

  He lowered his gaze and started eating, allowing Liz to do the same. Each mouthful was delicious and she wanted to enjoy every morsel before the questions started, which she knew would destroy her appetite and the relaxed atmosphere between them. After several minutes however, the silence became the unwelcome barrier.

  “This is delicious. Where did you learn to cook like this?” she blurted out.

  “I had to learn from an early age to take care of myself and two younger brothers, otherwise we would have starved.”

  “Why, what happened to your parents?” The fork of pasta remained paused at her mouth.

  He placed his fork down, lifted the glass of wine to his lips, and leaned back in the chair. “She woke up one morning, my mother that is, and decided she didn’t want a husband and she certainly didn’t want his kids anymore and walked out on the four of us. Now how about we start talking about you.”

  Liz could feel his gaze upon her, but kept hers down on the fast-disappearing food and tried to slow her eating down.

  “How about we start at the beginning and I tell you what I know and you fill in the blanks. Can’t make it easier than that.”

  Her stomach tightened with the implication of his words and swallowing became like a boulder going down her throat. Finally she placed her fork down and listened as Jack relayed how he suspected Shaun O’Riley first made initial contact with her at that bar.

  “O’Riley obviously had your description, but he needed Mark Hunter to confirm you were the one and also to initiate contact. O’Riley jumps in like a hero rescuing you from a drunken assault and establishes contact.”

  Liz remembered that night like it was yesterday and also the role Jack played in it. How she had caught him watching her with the same interest as Shaun and with it, what she had felt at the time. It was Jack she was attracted to, not Shaun, only he had stood by and allowed it to happen. Her eyes flashed the accusation. “You were there and knew what was happening and could have warned me and stopped him. Instead you allowed me to be used.”

  “Hang on there a minute, sweetheart. I had no idea who Mark Hunter was, who you were, and at the time had no idea what O’Riley was planning.”

 
; He was using that term sweetheart on her again. It was spoken in a derogatory way and Liz had come to recognize it as his way of distancing himself from her when he was on the defense. Liz snatched up the bottle of wine and filled up her glass. Raising it to her lips she started drinking the wine like water and emptied the glass with three swallows. She went to fill her glass up again, only Jack’s hand wrapped around hers on the bottle and held it there.

  “Hold on. I want a lot more conversation from you and not incoherent ramblings and tears.”

  “I know how to hold my drink and there won’t be any more tears. What do you want to hear? Yes, I switched the backup cameras off and no, I don’t know whom Shaun was working with. All I know was he had a conversation on his cell phone when we got back to his apartment.”

  She pulled at the bottle and Jack released his hold. Topping her glass up again and emptying the bottle in the process, she took another gulp before continuing. “Whoever was on the other end threatened Shaun and whatever had been removed from those boxes is now in another in that vault. Ironic, isn’t it, and quite clever. He steals from one box and places it in another where it can never be found unless he tells which one. Seeing he his dead, it will remain undiscovered for eternity, no doubt, seeing as Shaun stated half of those boxes are taken out by criminals with something to hide.”

  This revelation had Jack rising from his chair and disappearing into the kitchen. He returned with another bottle of California white, which he had already opened on his way back.

  “The guys you heard in the apartment were not linked with the one on the phone, then?” he asked.

  “No, they arrived straight afterward and they wanted to know who set the bank job up. I heard them mention someone called Gandini and how he wanted his property back.”

  “Jesus,” Jack sighed. “This gets more complicated by the minute. Gandini heads a New Jersey crime family. In recent years they’ve been trying to make themselves out to be legitimate, but it was laundered money that built those so-called legitimate businesses. We all know where that came from, racketeering, drugs, and gambling.”

  Liz felt her head was beginning to spin. “Bloody hell, I’ve watched the Sopranos. They’re going to hunt me down and kill me. Why did the crazy bastard steal from mobsters?”

  “That’s TV fiction but it doesn’t mean these punks are any less dangerous. Did you sleep with O’Riley? I need to know everything if you want me to help you and the truth.”

  Her fingers were wrapped around the empty wineglass and as the tension exploded within, so did the pressure of her fingertips increase on the glass. The shattering and sharp pain caused her to cry out.

  Immediately Jack rushed to her side and was holding her hand. “Jesus, Liz, you crazy fool. Why the hell did you do that?” He started picking out shards of fine glass from her palm as the color of cranberries dripped down her wrist and onto the tablecloth, staining it a darker red. Pulling her up out of the chair, his arm wrapped around her narrow waist and supported her shaky body. His other hand held her wrist up and holding her close to him, he led her through the living room and into the kitchen. Turning on the cold tap, he held her hand under it and examined it at the same time to make sure there was no more glass left embedded. Then grabbing some paper towels, he gently compressed the cuts to stem the bleeding.

  “Luckily no main artery, but it was a very expensive wineglass you chose to crush.”

  Those blue eyes of his were almost caressing her and his voice was so full of warmth she wished it could be this way between them all the time. She held his gaze and could feel the intimacy transpiring between them as he continued to hold her hand and dab it. The shock had worn off and now she simply felt a pathetic victim again.

  “The first time you saw me in that bar, the night you were watching Shaun—what did you see?”

  “What do you mean?” He lowered his gaze.

  “If it wasn’t for Shaun’s interest in me, would you have looked at me the way that you did. I remember that night probably more clearly than you do, seeing it was when my nightmare began. You spoke to me, a few words admittedly, but was I what you Americans call a patsy, the detective and the criminal both toying with the English broad to see which one she’ll go for?”

  “Look I’ve already told you, I had no idea what O’Riley was into that night. I was simply tailing him. For the record, I noticed you before O’Riley did. I’ve always had a thing about redheads, but unfortunately they’ve usually proved to be my downfall. Now hold this tissue tight over your palm while I fetch some bandages.” He replaced his hand with her free hand and went off to the bathroom, returning with some bandages that he carefully applied to the several cuts still oozing blood from her palm.

  “Right, I think it’s coffee time, don’t you?” He smiled and then proceeded to make a pot of fresh coffee.

  Liz leaned back against the sink and watched. “I came to New York for a fresh start and a new life after a man I thought I knew screwed me over, and I allowed it to happen all over again. So whatever you think of me can’t be as bad as I think of myself.”

  “Well I wasn’t going to bring that bit of your past up yet, but now you’ve mentioned it. That guy you left was about to be charged with embezzlement, so I heard, and yet you knew nothing about it. Weren’t the two of you living together and about to be married?” He turned and faced her.

  “Obviously you have been prying into my background to make sure I’m not part of some Bonnie and Clyde outfit leaving a chain of notorious crimes behind me. Did you also happen to read how my ex fiancé re-mortgaged the house I owned without my knowledge? He cheated on me, left me stony broke and so-called friends deserted me in droves. Michael and Eve Anderson stood by me and helped me pick up the pieces, and coming here was meant to be my cure.”

  Jack had been busy putting the cups and coffee jug on the tray while she had been talking and now motioned for her to follow him into the living room. “You know New York City is a great place to be in and I couldn’t imagine myself living anywhere else, but that’s because I’m a born and bred New Yorker.”

  “What are you trying to say, that I chose the wrong place or I’m the wrong person for New York.” Liz sat herself down in the brown leather armchair and watched as he placed the tray on the oak table in the center of the room.

  It was the first time she had a chance to look around at the décor and taste of the man who now, it seemed, was responsible for her life. It was very masculine with no ornaments or feminine touches of printed cushions or fancy pieces of furniture. A hi-fi, an area where the TV must have been, and bookshelves lining one wall. On the top shelf were several framed photographs. She stood up and went over to get a closer look. One was of three teenagers sitting on the steps of a brownstone building, the middle one the oldest-looking with straggly tawny hair reaching his shoulders. Sky blue eyes stared into the camera and a guitar rested against his jean-clad knees. She picked the photo up and held it up to get a better look. “The one in the middle, that’s you, isn’t it.”

  Jack stood up and came over to her and took the photo from her hand. “Sure is, ugly-looking punk. Going through the rebellious heavy-rock phase.”

  Liz didn’t agree about the ugliness. In fact, he looked wild and sexy and still held that untamed look suited more for a rock band than the police force. She swirled round to the far corner of the room. Yes, she had seen one earlier, a guitar resting against the wall.

  Her gaze remained fixed on it. “Do you still play?”

  He followed her gaze. “When I’m in the mood.”

  “What do you play?”

  “I’ve mellowed to playing country with a little light rock. It depends on my mood,” he finally replied to her question.

  “Play something for me, please.”

  He slowly shook his head. “I don’t play to audiences.”

  She turned back to the photograph. “Are those two your brothers?”

  He nodded as he replaced the framed print.

&nb
sp; “Is that your father?” She was looking at the black and white photo of a middle-aged man in a policeman’s uniform. On closer inspection, she could just make out from the badge that he was a sergeant. When he didn’t reply, Liz went on to ask, “Is he still a serving police officer?”

  “No, that was taken just before he was killed in the line of duty twelve years ago.” His tone was blunt.

  Liz turned to look at him. “I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be—if the job hadn’t of killed him, the bottle of bourbon a day would have.” He went over to the couch and sat back down.

  “Are your brothers in the police as well?”

  “One is. He’s with the Organized Crime Division. Our paths cross occasionally. Family tradition with us, we either make good or turn bad, no in-between.” He paused as if reflecting on his words.

  “What do you mean?” She questioned, wanting him to go on.

  “Oh! Simply that it stems right back to my Irish forefathers—immigrants who fled Ireland for a better life and depending where they settled, either became cops or gangsters.”

  Liz sat opposite again and leaned forward to pour the coffee using her left hand and waving Jack’s assistance aside. “I’ve got out of doing the dishes so at least let me pour the coffee. What about your other brother?”

  “He chose the opposite path. Now let’s get back to why you are here. Did O’Riley give you any idea where the key might be for this box or what it might contain?”

  She sipped her coffee and kept her gaze lowered. “What if you have the key? How will that help me or find out who Shaun was in league with?”

  “It will help me discover what was so valuable that O’Riley would risk stealing from Gandini. I also think he was well aware of whom he was dealing with, but he didn’t count on Gandini finding out about his involvement.”

  That all-important key still hung from the chain around her neck. She hadn’t forgotten about it, couldn’t—not with it resting between her breasts. When the time was right, she would produce it along with Shaun’s cell phone and then she would be of no further use to him. That was what held her back, fear and the vulnerability of being alone again. She needed him so much to believe in her, but now he was leaning back in the leather upholstery and regarding her with that questioning suspicion again.