A Bid for Love

by Rachel Ann Nunes

  “Shut up,” Laranda growled, the phone still pressed to her ear. With her free hand she waved Jared’s gun threateningly. Cassi and Jared fell silent, but Laranda’s agitation grew.

  “What do you mean, we’re being watched?” she shrieked into the phone. “The Feds? Oh, don’t worry about them. I’ve got the real Buddha to show them if they come knocking. They can’t prove a thing without witnesses.” She paused and smirked meaningfully at Cassi and Jared. “Well, if you won’t come here, I’ll come to you. Give me a few hours to avoid whoever’s outside. Where? Okay, I’ll be there. I want the money in the same manner as before.” She paused and then laughed. “Of course I trust you—at least as much as you trust me.”

  Laranda hung up the phone and threw it onto the nearby table with more force than necessary. She picked up a length of packing twine and approached Cassi in a cloud of expensive perfume, working the twine back and forth in her hands. Fear beat at Cassi’s insides, but she schooled her face to show nothing. She was all too aware that Laranda held their lives in her hands, and the woman’s heart seemed as perfectly cold as her white, flawless face and icy green eyes implied.

  “Let her go,” Jared said, his voice calm but as hard as Cassi had ever heard it.

  Laranda laughed, a tinkling, free sound. “I don’t think so.” She tied Cassi’s hands behind her back, laughing again as she winced from the pain. With hard fingers she gave Cassi a cursory search, patting down her sides and legs, paying particular attention to the pockets of her jeans.

  Cassi held her breath, but Laranda didn’t find the gun in her bra, and the bullets must have made too small a bulge to worry her. As she touched Cassi, Laranda’s smile mocked her, as if the woman also searched for and found expected physical flaws beneath her ill-fitting clothes. Cassi felt naked under her gaze.

  It seemed a long time before those cold eyes left hers and turned to the man near Jared. “Ivan, put them in the vault and lock it. They’ll be all right there for a while. There’s enough air for a least an hour, don’t you think?” She flashed her white teeth at Jared and Cassi. “Make yourselves comfortable. I may not be back for a while.”

  Ivan motioned for them to precede him to the vault, which Cassi saw was larger than Linden’s—about twice the size of a large elevator. Cassi went in first without protest, but Ivan had to shove Jared in after her, clicking the heavy door into place behind him.

  “How did you know?” Jared asked, recovering his footing.

  “Linden called Renae and told her he was working with the FBI, and that they suspected Laranda was behind the smuggling. I was worried about you.”

  Jared sighed. “I can’t believe I trusted her. We’ve been friends for over six years. She has her faults, but I never imagined she had this in her.”

  Cassi didn’t think it odd that Jared hadn’t understood Laranda’s true nature. In a world where physical beauty seemed to equal virtue, good looks often blinded men to a woman’s other attributes. Her heart ached for Jared, though, who was obviously in pain at the woman’s betrayal. He sank to the floor, looking miserable.

  “Don’t you want to know how I got here?” Cassi asked, sitting beside him. He managed to look interested, so Cassi recounted her adventure with Donny. In turn, Jared shared how he’d come down the alley and described his fight with the nameless man who lay unconscious by the door. Both were in better spirits when they finished.

  “I’m really sorry about Laranda,” Cassi said. “I remember how awful I felt when I thought Linden was involved. It was as if suddenly the whole world had changed, and I didn’t know who to trust.”

  “I should have seen it coming. And I wish you were safe back at the apartment.” He paused, and a determined look passed over his face. “You know, I think I may have a way out of this situation.”

  His face became so grim that Cassi was frightened. “Look, the FBI should come soon,” she reminded him. “Renae said that Linden and others flew to New York yesterday. Just wait for a while and see what happens.”

  “But Laranda has the real Buddha. She’ll just have Ivan take us to the attic or somewhere while she shows it to them, and then take care of us at her convenience. No, I’ve got a better idea.” Jared stood up and walked to the vault door. Sheer determination had replaced his misery.

  “Wait!”

  Jared paused and looked back at her, arching one eyebrow questioningly.

  “I have a gun. Meela gave it to me.”

  “Where?”

  Cassi looked down at her chest, heat rushing to her cheeks.

  “Is it loaded?”

  She shook her head. “I’ve got the bullets in my pocket.”

  He nodded. “Well, hang onto it. It might come in handy.” He turned and kicked at the door with his feet. “Come on, Ivan, open up! I’ve got something to tell Laranda.” Jared repeated his request several times before the thug opened the vault.

  “Did you say somethin’?” he asked.

  Cassi was amazed Ivan had heard anything at all through the thick door.

  “I need to talk to Laranda privately. Please ask her if she can spare a minute.”

  Ivan nodded and shut the vault again. While they waited, Cassi began to rub the twine that bound her hands against a metal shelf where the finish was uneven. The twine was strong but couldn’t hold up to her efforts. One by one, the strands making up the twine began to severe.

  Cassi was about to tell Jared the good news when Ivan returned and ushered him from the vault. This time he left the door halfway open, placing himself just outside it, obviously not expecting the discussion between Jared and Laranda to take long.

  Cassi felt the last of her bonds break away. She moved to the door, keeping her hands behind her. From her position, she could both see and hear Jared and Laranda.

  “What do you want?” Laranda’s voice was impatient. “We’ve said all we have to say.”

  “I’ll go with you to Europe,” Jared said, “if the offer is still open.”

  Laranda started at his words, but no more than Cassi did. What was he doing? She reached under her shirt and retrieved the revolver. Carefully and quietly, she pushed the six bullets into the chambers with shaking hands, wishing that she’d had more training.

  “You want to go with me?” Laranda stared intently at Jared. “So you change your mind now that you’re facing death. I thought you might.” She sidled up to Jared until they were separated by only an inch. “Or did you decide you’ll miss me?”

  “We’ve been friends for six years,” Jared said. “Why wouldn’t I miss you?”

  Laranda laughed. “I could use your help getting the diamonds to my buyer. I’ve got four men outside from an opposing cartel, and most probably the Feds as well. But how can I trust you? Of course, I do have your girlfriend, don’t I?”

  “She could never be you, Laranda,” Jared said.

  Cassi’s heart throbbed painfully at his words. What was he saying? It had to be an act. Unless he was unaware that Cassi could hear him. Was it possible that Jared cared for Laranda despite her betrayal? Could he even love her? Her stomach turned at the thought.

  “Untie me, and I’ll show you what I mean,” Jared said.

  Laranda laughed one of her low, sultry laughs. “Okay.”

  Cassi watched as Laranda set down her gun on the table behind her, found a packing knife, and cut Jared’s bonds. With Ivan standing guard, she put her arms around Jared’s neck and kissed him. Jared’s arms slipped around Laranda as he kissed her back.

  Cassi felt ill. Only last night, Jared had kissed her in much the same way. Did it mean nothing to him? Did she mean nothing to him? Another part of her argued that Jared was simply trying to free them, and playing his role convincingly so Laranda wouldn’t suspect.

  Cassi’s grip on the gun loosened. She desperately tried to hold it tighter, but her fingers refused to obey. The gun slipped from her hand, clattering to the floor.

  A loud shot shattered the stillness.

  Cassi felt as
if the world moved in slow motion. She saw Jared wince and grab his left shoulder. At the same time, Ivan whirled around to face Cassi, bringing up his gun. Before he could pull the trigger, Cassi heard a low whizzing sound, and he crumpled to the floor. She blinked in surprise but had no time to dwell on her good fortune.

  Jared dived for the gun Laranda had set on the table and turned it toward the door leading into the main part of the gallery, a place Cassi couldn’t see from the vault. As he did, another silenced shot whooshed by, and Laranda, still standing next to Jared, slumped against the table. Jared returned fire, and Cassi scrambled toward her fallen gun lying in the vault doorway. She held it in front of her as she sprang from the vault.

  Jared and a hook-nosed man were facing each other, holding their guns ready. The intruder stared at Jared with hard black eyes, and any moment Cassi expected him to kill Jared. Beside the thug lay a motionless companion.

  Cassi recognized the men who had chased them at the beach and whom the FBI agents had accused of smuggling at the airport.

  They’re from the opposing cartel. The thought only had time to flit through Cassi’s mind as she tightened her grip on the gun.

  “Put it down!” she shouted. The man glanced at her and back at Jared. “Don’t be stupid,” she snarled. “I will shoot, and gladly.” She meant every word, and at this range, it would be hard for her to miss. Something in her face must have convinced the man of her sincerity, for he slowly lowered the gun and tossed it to the floor several paces in front of him. Cassi retrieved it quickly, still pointing her gun at the man’s chest.

  “Jared!” Near the front table several yards away from Cassi, Laranda held her stomach where a darker patch was quickly spreading through the glittering red of her dress. Jared gently lowered her to the floor, wincing noticeably as blood poured from his own wound.

  At that instant, the back door sprang open and five men filed in, each heavily armed. Cassi experienced a wave of fear as she watched additional men emerge from the hallway that led into the main gallery. “FBI!” someone shouted. “Put down your weapons!”

  Cassi began to shake. As much as she wanted to obey the command, all the guns pointing at her struck such fear in her mind that she couldn’t move. Tears slid unchecked from her eyes to her cheeks.

  “Wait!” Linden bounded toward her, gathering her into his arms.

  She sobbed against his lean shoulder as he loosed her fingers from Meela’s gun and the one she had taken from the cartel thug.

  “It’s okay now,” he murmured against her cheek, stroking her hair. “It’s all over. You’re safe.”

  “Jared?” Cassi asked. She knew her gun had been the one to fire on him when she dropped it. Was he all right?

  With an arm around her, Linden took a few steps toward Jared and Laranda. A man had tied a cloth around Jared’s shoulder to staunch the flow of blood, and Jared now sat on the floor with Laranda’s head in his lap. Her dress was soaked with blood.

  “Please stay with me, Jared,” Laranda pleaded. “I’m scared. It hurts so much. Stay with me. You love me, don’t you? Please say you love me. I didn’t want to hurt you.”

  Tears glistened in Jared’s eyes as he stroked Laranda’s hair. “Hold on, Laranda. Help is coming. Of course I love you. Hold on!”

  Cassi buried her face in Linden’s chest. “Take me home, Linden,” she said through her tears. “Please, just take me home.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  With an arm around her, Linden hustled Cassi past the armed FBI agents and down the steps of the gallery to a car parked across the street. “She’ll answer questions later,” he said brusquely to the only man who dared stop them. “You have the diamonds and the smugglers, and that’s enough for now. I’ve helped you, now let me through.” Linden’s voice was unyielding, and Cassi wasn’t surprised when the man allowed them to pass.

  Outside, an ambulance drove up and men rushed from it into the gallery. Cassi averted her gaze from them and allowed Linden to settle her into his car. Seconds later, he stepped on the gas and sped around the corner, leaving the scene behind. He drove on in silence, his sharp eyes occasionally darting to Cassi.

  “Well?” he asked finally.

  She looked up. “I’m sorry. You were right. I shouldn’t have gotten involved. It’s just that we didn’t know who to trust.” Another tear rolled down her cheek. With the three little words Jared had uttered to Laranda, Cassi’s dreams had shattered. But then, how could she have ever expected to compete with the beautiful Laranda? Still, she found it difficult to believe Jared had chosen to stay with the heartless woman, even in her time of need.

  Linden stopped the car against a curb in a No Parking zone. His brown eyes were kind as he looked at Cassi. “I’m the one who should apologize. I should have told you everything from the start. The Feds made me promise silence, and I agreed, thinking I was protecting you by keeping you in the dark. You were never, ever supposed to be in any danger.” He shook his head and frowned, making him look older than the sixty years he claimed.

  Cassi bit her lip. A vision of Jared dressed as the gray-haired man on the plane came to her, cutting deep. In the short time they had been together, they had shared so much. How was she to go on alone?

  “How did they know about the Buddha?” Cassi managed to ask.

  “A man who works for the auction alerted the FBI that the statue wasn’t quite as it should be. He was certain enough that they began to look into it and found evidence pointing to smuggling. At first we suspected a major smuggling cartel to be involved—Big Tommy’s gang, they’re called—but they weren’t bidding on the Buddha. In fact, we’re pretty sure they didn’t know which object contained the diamonds or the identity of their competition until after Jared won the Buddha at double its real value”

  “That explains the note I received,” Cassi said.

  “What note?”

  “A plain white sheet, no markings, warning me not to bid on something, but not specifically naming the Buddha. At least one other person I know received the same note.”

  “Probably trying to send a warning to anyone they thought might be involved. Everyone who knew nothing about the smuggling would have considered it a joke.”

  “A sick joke, you mean.” Cassi frowned. “It’s odd that they knew about the diamonds when Jared didn’t.” Even saying his name made Cassi ache.

  “You might be surprised at the things they know.”

  “So once Jared bought the Buddha for so much, they knew it had the diamonds,” Cassi said almost bitterly.

  “Even then, it could have been a mistake.”

  “You never intended for me to buy the Buddha, did you?” Cassi rubbed her temples, which had begun to throb painfully. “You gave me enough money to make it appear that I was a serious buyer, but not enough to win the bid. It was all just a cover-up.”

  Linden nodded. “I’m sorry.” He put his thin hand on her shoulder, kneading the tension there. “I promise you it will never happen again. If I’d had any inkling that you’d be in danger, I would never have agreed to any of it.”

  Cassi sighed. “I know you did what you thought was best.”

  “I’m having serious regrets about either of us being involved at all,” Linden said. “From what I’ve gathered in the past few hours, it seems Miss Garrettson has been intruding on Big Tommy’s operation for a few years now. Meaning the cartel would be more concerned about revenge than simply getting the diamonds. They probably would have enjoyed stealing them, and then sending Jared’s body to Miss Garrettson in pieces or something.”

  Cassi blanched at the thought. She sighed again, heavily. “Well, it’s all over now. Can we go home? To San Diego?”

  “You’ll have to answer some questions, but I think I can get that delayed with a few phone calls.” He patted the phone in his suit coat pocket. “Meanwhile, they’ll have your friend Jared and Miss Garrettson to question here—if she lives. That ought to keep them busy. Is there anything you need, or should w
e go straight to the airport?”

  “My Mother and Baby,” Cassi said. “I left it at Meela’s, along with my dress, and some shorts.” The fluorescent pink shorts from Venice Beach were one of the few mementos of her time with Jared, and they were every bit as important as her statue, even if the memory was now painful. “We have to go to Jared’s apartment building.”

  She was about to give directions, but Linden already knew the way. “The FBI staked it out for a while and even had the other residents questioned,” he said, pulling out into traffic. “No one had any information.”

  “We came in last night dressed as an older couple, and stayed with his neighbor.”

  “We know that now. That’s one of the reasons we went blazing into the gallery when we heard the shot from your gun—luckily it wasn’t silenced like the others. You see, Jared’s neighbor called the local police, but they didn’t believe her. So she finally contacted the FBI—they’d left a card with each person they questioned in the building. When we were on the phone with her, we saw two members of the smuggling cartel go down the alley toward the back of the gallery. Needless to say, we began moving in our men. That’s why we were so close when we heard your shot. Our evidence was thin, though, and there was a lot of debating about whether we should enter because of the legal ramifications. Until we heard the shot.”

  Cassi nodded. “Guess it’s good I dropped the gun, then.” Though Jared being shot wasn’t exactly the ending she’d envisioned.

  “When we have more time, you’ll have to tell me how you and Jared got past both us and the cartel thugs who were guarding the alleyways.”

  “Okay.” Cassi shut her eyes, and tears again spilled over. “Can we go now?”

  “Sure. I’ll arrange a flight while you collect your things.”

  Cassi felt grateful for Linden’s sensitivity in not pressing her for more at the moment. Time would help to get her emotions under control, even if it didn’t heal the wound in her heart.

  Linden pulled up outside Jared’s apartment building and pulled his phone from his pocket.