Harlequin Romantic Suspense January 2021

by Marie Ferrarella, Regan Black, Karen Whiddon

  Instead, he made himself go slowly. Once inside, he headed to Eva’s room. Her door was closed, so he tapped lightly on it. “Eva? Are you okay?”

  When she didn’t immediately answer, he tried again.

  “I’m fine,” she finally said, her voice shaky. “I need some space. I’ll be down soon.”

  Jesse backed away. More than anything, he wanted to bust through that door and gather her in his arms. Since she clearly didn’t need that, he’d do as she requested and leave her alone.

  Back downstairs, he walked outside where Raul stood talking quietly to the others. Now that he knew that Eva was safe, he wasn’t sure what to do with himself.

  Evidently, Raul had the same problem. Eyeing Jesse, he waited until Shorty and Patches had parked and gone inside to speak. “Is she okay?”

  Jesse managed a nonchalant shrug. “I think so. She’s holed up in her room. Says she wants to be left alone.”

  “That makes sense.” Raul sighed. “Has Eva had any luck finding the missing money?”

  “No.”

  “Then I’m going to cover it,” Raul said. “I can liquidate some assets and take care of the debt.”

  Battling his inner ATF agent, Jesse kept himself from answering any questions. “I’m thinking you might want to discuss that with Eva,” he said.

  “Maybe so.” Raul jammed his hands in his pockets. “There are a lot of things I need to talk to her about. Do you mind if I tell you something in confidence?”

  Dread coiling in his gut, Jesse nodded. He’d been undercover too long. He thought of this man as a friend. He really didn’t want to know something he might be obligated to report. “Go ahead.”

  “I’m thinking of retiring.”

  Whatever he’d been expecting Raul to say, it wasn’t this.

  “Retiring? From the club?”

  “Yeah.” Raul grimaced. “I’m tired of the grind. The cartels want more and more and there’s too much infighting. I’ve got some money stashed away and I’m thinking I’d like to take off to a tropical island. The only thing keeping me from doing that is Eva and Liam. When this is over, I’m going to see if I can talk her into going with me.”

  Jesse froze. He swallowed hard, struggling not to reveal the depths of loss he felt at the idea of Eva disappearing forever, along with his son. He’d worked hard on getting over her in the time they’d been apart. Her marriage to Drew had made that somewhat easier. Then Raul had sent him here around her and his traitorous heart had started back up where it had left off.

  In love.

  And now he had Liam to get to know.

  Blinking, he forced himself to focus. “You’re talking complete identity change, aren’t you?”

  “Of course.” Raul chuckled. “I don’t want there to be any chance that someone could tie me back with my former life of crime.” He squeezed Jesse’s shoulder, his expression growing serious. “I’ve been lucky, you know. There’ve been several times when I could have ended up either dead or in jail.”

  Not sure what to say, Jesse nodded. “I can imagine.”

  “You can go with us,” Raul offered. “I know how you feel about my daughter, and now you have a son to think about.”

  Stunned, Jesse stared. “You know?”

  Raul nodded. “I suspected.”

  “I’ve asked for a DNA test,” Jesse admitted.

  “I think that’s a good idea. Either way, let’s all take off together.”

  The idea carried more appeal than it should. “I think you need to run it by Eva and see what she says. But yeah, I really wouldn’t be happy if she disappeared with my boy. I haven’t even had a chance to know him.”

  “True.” Releasing him, Raul walked toward the door that led into the house. “Let’s go find Eva and see how she’s doing.”

  The instant they stepped into the kitchen, Jesse could tell something was wrong. Eva stood at the kitchen counter, an open bottle of wine in front of her, a half-full wineglass in her hand. Her dark eyes seemed huge in her pale face.

  “What’s going on?” Raul asked. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

  “The early news just ended,” Eva said, her voice wavering. “They said the FBI is investigating Drew for campaign violations. Lori Pearson is, according to the news story, cooperating fully. I tried to call her and she wouldn’t take my call.”

  Jesse cursed. This was the first he’d heard of that. Usually, his handler stayed on top of things and kept him fully briefed.

  Though Raul didn’t speak, judging from his steely glare, he was furious. “You know she was fully involved. She’s selling out her dead boss to try and save her own skin. Though I can’t really blame her, I’m guessing she doesn’t care what an investigation like that will do to you.”

  “Obviously not.” Eva took a long drink of wine. “I’m dreading when his parents find out.” Looking from Jesse to her father, she sighed. “They also showed footage of you two on your bikes. They’re speculating about the Brothers of Sin’s involvement in all this.”

  Raul didn’t appear worried. He shrugged. “They can check into it all they want. We weren’t involved. Drew did some work for the cartel, not us. We might have introduced them, but that’s where our involvement ended. And I’m pretty damn sure none of that involved his campaign funds.”

  “Well, the press is having a field day.” Eva took another sip of wine. The vulnerability in her eyes tugged at Jesse’s heart.

  “Just don’t answer your phone,” Jesse advised. “It’s bad enough you’ve got some guy demanding money and making threats against you, but now this. I’m imagining you’ll be getting calls from all sorts of news outlets.”

  “I already have.” She pointed toward her cell. “I had to turn it off. They were blowing up my phone. Someone published the number.”

  Muttering under his breath, Raul excused himself and took off for the stairs. Jesse and Eva silently watched him go.

  “He’s probably going to make some calls and try for damage control,” Eva said wearily. “Though I think it’s too late for that.”

  The doorbell chimed, interrupting whatever else she’d been about to say. Eva stiffened. “Surely those reporters aren’t going to start pounding on my door.”

  “I’ll go see who it is,” Jesse offered. “Wait right here.”

  He checked the peephole first. When he saw Ted and Beth Rowson standing on the doorstep, he winced. For a few seconds, he debated not answering and pretending no one was home, but he caught sight of Baloo standing to one side of the older couple and figured he had no choice but to answer.

  He’d no sooner opened the door when Beth Rowson pushed past him, demanding to see Eva. Ted reached for her, no doubt intending to try to calm her, but she shoved him away hard.

  “Where is she?” Beth strode past him on her way toward the kitchen.

  Before Jesse could answer, Eva stepped out into the hall. “Beth?”

  Beth stopped short, as quickly as if she’d been jerked on a chain. She glared daggers at Eva, her complexion mottled with fury. “How could you?” she demanded. “Why on earth are you so intent on ruining my son’s reputation? What did he ever do to you to make you so hateful?”

  “Are you talking about the news story?” Eva stared right back, clearly undaunted. “Because I don’t honestly know how you could possibly think I had anything to do with that. It was all Lori Pearson.”

  “Right,” Ted scoffed. “We know Lori. She was completely loyal to Drew. She’d never turn on him like this.”

  Looking from one to the other, Jesse had to wonder how much Drew’s parents knew. Had they possibly been aware that their son had been misusing campaign funds? If so, it seemed likely Lori would implicate them too.

  “Perhaps you should rewatch the news coverage,” Eva pointed out gently. “They said Lori was cooperating with authorities. Of co
urse, I didn’t believe that for one second. But when I called her, she wouldn’t take my call.”

  Ted and Beth exchanged glances. Jesse could tell by the shell-shocked expressions on their faces that the possibility had never occurred to them until they’d seen it on the news. Had they just now realized Lori might have betrayed them?

  He saw the moment Eva came to the same realization. “You knew,” she said, the disbelief in her voice matching the shock in her face. “All along, you knew full well what Drew was doing. Were you in on it with him and Lori?”

  Beth slapped her. Hard enough to send Eva reeling. “How dare you,” Beth began.

  “Lady, you’d better get a hold of yourself right now,” Jesse ordered, trying to tamp back the fury. “That was uncalled for.”

  “Don’t even think about moving one inch closer to her.” Raul appeared in the doorway, his furious expression and clenched fists a warning. “Touch her again and I won’t be responsible for what happens to you.”

  “Threats,” Ted muttered. “Just great. Now we’ve got a biker threatening us. Maybe my hunch was right. Did your motorcycle gang have something you were holding over my son’s head? Something you used to get him involved in illegal activities?”

  Jesse could hardly believe his ears. He didn’t dare look at Raul, because he knew exactly what the other man would be thinking.

  One hand to her cheek, Eva finally spoke up. “You need to leave,” she said, her voice flat. “I want both of you out of my house right this instant.”

  No one moved. Jesse wondered if Drew’s parents would attempt to ignore Eva’s order. Not on his watch. “I’ll escort you to the door,” he said, taking Beth’s arm and turning her forcibly around. “Let’s go.”

  “Get your filthy hands off me!” she screamed, slinging herself backward toward her husband. She flailed about, still trying to get to Eva. “You cheated on my son and tried to pass off another man’s child as his. I’ll never forgive you for that.”

  Ted caught her and held her with one arm, both keeping her close and stopping her from any further hysteria. “Let’s go,” he said, edging them both backward toward the front door. Both Raul and Jesse advanced toward them, which served to hurry them along.

  “You’re not welcome here again,” Raul snarled. “And if you ever lay a hand on my daughter again, you’ll have me to answer to.”

  Ted hustled his wife out the door without another word. Jesse slammed it behind them, turning the lock on the dead bolt.

  When he and Raul returned to the kitchen, they found Eva holding up a bag of frozen peas to her cheek. It took every ounce of self-control Jesse possessed not to go to her.

  “Are you okay?” he asked, managing to keep his distance.

  She nodded but didn’t speak. He could tell by the wobbly set of her mouth that she was trying not to cry.

  Raul went to her and roughly pulled her in for a hug. “They’re awful people,” he murmured, smoothing her hair away from her face. “Don’t let them get to you.”

  “All of this is getting to me,” she said. “I miss my son. Whenever I try to follow up with the police, they act as if they have no idea who I am or what I want. There’s three million dollars missing and I have no idea where it might be. Oh, and someone not only calls and threatens me, but they shoot out my window and try to blow me up. I honestly don’t know how much more I can take.”

  “About that,” Raul said, steering her toward the table. “I need to talk to you about a plan of mine. I’m thinking you might find it interesting, especially after everything that’s happened to you.”

  Jesse edged out of the room. He didn’t want to hear any more. If Eva jumped on the idea of taking their son and disappearing to some remote tropical island, he would have to speak up. And right now wouldn’t be the best time to do that.

  Unless… He could go with them. The idea sorely tempted him. If not for the fact that both Eva and her father knew a man who’d been living a lie, he might seriously consider asking if he could join them.

  * * *

  Eva watched Jesse withdraw into himself and fought back tears. She could take the Rowsons’ enmity and rancor, she could take the whole world thinking that her former husband had been a cheat and a con man, but she didn’t know if she could accept Jesse distancing himself from her.

  She’d been wrong. Making love with him had changed things. She just hadn’t wanted to face it. Yet while she had to acknowledge that, she also knew some things remained unchanged. Jesse’s commitment to the motorcycle club and the fact that he apparently would always choose that over her. Even knowing they’d had a son together clearly wasn’t enough to pull him away from the BOS.

  That stung. Hell, more than stung. It freaking hurt.

  And even then, even knowing the painful truth, somehow her foolish heart still wanted him.

  Long after darkness had fallen, Eva tossed and turned in her huge bed. Tired of trying to rationalize her physical desire with her shattered heart, she got up and went to her window. Outside, the full moon illuminated her yard and the brick wall surrounding it. She caught sight of one of the biker guards leaning against the massive live oak tree, one end of his cigarette glowing red in the shadows.

  Home. And yet, not really. Though she’d lived in this house for over two years, it had never felt like hers. Not only had she not been part of choosing to buy it, but even the decorating had been done by a designer. When she sold it, she thought she’d offer it fully furnished.

  Movement outside caught her eye, making her tense up. A pinpoint of light swept the ground below, the low buzzing sound unlike anything she’d ever heard.

  The man below her caught sight of it finally, as it neared her window. “Get down,” he shouted. “It’s a drone.”

  She’d seen enough movies to know what drones could do. Jumping aside, she dropped to the floor and crawled toward the door, glad of her dark room. If the thing was armed, she wanted to make herself the smallest target possible. Luckily, her window was closed. She figured if it crashed into the glass, the drone would come apart.

  By the time she reached her closed bedroom door, the thing hovered right outside her window, its bright light illuminating most of her room. She dived for the door just as the drone tapped against the glass, lightly and precisely enough to tell her whoever controlled it was very good at the job.

  She’d just turned the knob when the drone exploded, blowing out her window and sending shards of glass like deadly weapons into her room.

  “Eva!” Jesse’s voice, yelling out her name. She focused on that, despite the stabbing pain in her leg. Somehow, she managed to pull the door open and half fell into the hallway, one hand against her leg.

  Heart pounding, she scrambled away from her doorway, dimly registering the trail of blood she left in her wake.

  “Are you all right?” Reaching her, Jesse scooped her up in his muscular arms and hauled her farther down the hall. Outside, she could hear men yelling. One of the voices sounded like her father’s.

  “Is everyone else okay?” she asked, concerned.

  “As far as I know,” Jesse answered. “Though I haven’t been outside yet to assess the situation. What happened?”

  “It was a drone rigged with explosives.” Briefly she closed her eyes. When she reopened them, she found his face mere inches from hers. “Someone aimed it right at my window.”

  Fury warred with concern in his dark eyes. He focused intently on her. “There’s a lot of blood. Where are you hurt?”

  Hurt. Odd how being with him made everything else fade into insignificance. In his arms, she finally felt safe. Glancing down at her bare leg, she saw a large piece of glass sticking out of her thigh. “There.” She pointed. “It went in kind of deep, but I’m going to pull it out. Can you grab a towel or find something I can use to stop the bleeding?”

  Instead, he took a look himself. �
��Luckily, that thing lodged in the fleshy part of your leg, rather than near an artery or something. Do you have any more wounds that you know of?”

  “I don’t think so.” She took a deep breath, assessing. “Nothing else hurts.”

  “Good.” Though his tone seemed light, the grim set of his rugged jaw told a different story. Releasing her, he got up and disappeared into the guest bathroom, returning with a large bath towel. “This ought to work,” he said, handing it to her. “How about I yank it out and you apply the towel? Then, you can tell me where I can find bandages and antiseptic so we can get you fixed up.”

  Instantly, she nodded. “Thank you,” she managed. “I can be all brave in theory, but if I really think about it…”

  “I got you,” he said, his voice gentle. “Are you ready?”

  “I think so.” Just in case, she looked away. “Go for it.”

  “One, two, three… It’s out.” He took the towel from her and pressed it against her leg.

  Surprised, she shook her head. “Seriously? I didn’t even feel that.”

  “Good. You lucked out. It could have gone in a lot deeper.”

  “Has anyone called the police?” she asked.

  “I don’t know. Let me check with Raul and the guys. If not, I’ll make sure it gets done.”

  The front door slammed open. Someone rushed inside, taking the steps two or three at a time. Breathing hard, Raul stopped short when he saw her, still on the carpet near the landing.

  “What happened?” he demanded. “Eva, are you hurt?”

  “I’m fine,” Eva answered. “I got cut by a piece of glass, but Jesse got it out.”

  Though Raul nodded, he paled when he saw the blood. “Are you sure you got it all? I saw what that explosion did to your window.”

  “I was just about to double-check,” Jesse said. “Hold still, sweetheart. Let me look.”

  Though she knew better, that sweetheart got her. He used to call her that, right in the middle of lovemaking, the sexy rasp in his voice sending her over the edge every single time. She blinked, her face heating as she realized where her thoughts had gone.