by Paula Cox
She was still hung up on it. Did she really think he would walk into the den of enemies with her and offer her as a sacrificial lamb? As she changed her clothes, he sauntered into the bathroom. His eyes widened as he took in the gleaming tiles and the opulence of the bathroom. Jason was one successful bastard, but he wasn’t the one who was with Tania – and that was all that mattered to Riley.
He took a shower and changed into the same outfit since he didn’t have another set of clothes. Perhaps he would drop by his house and pick up some stuff later. Or it might be a good idea to take Tania along with him. He wasn’t comfortable living in another man’s house. But then, this was the safest place for her to be, and he didn’t want to put her in a risky situation.
When he came out, she wasn’t in the room. He went looking for her and found her in the dining room. “I’ve ordered some toast and eggs for you.”
“One could get used to a lavish lifestyle like this,” he commented even though he felt a stab of jealousy in his heart. Did she like living here? Was Jason good to her? No. He wasn’t going to think along those lines. She loved him, not Jason. And there was no way he was letting his insecurities make him a lesser man.
“Yeah, one sure could. Now, let’s talk about our plan. I don’t think we should wait too long. They must know that you’ve contacted me.”
Riley buttered his toast. “I tried to make sure no one followed me to this place but I can’t be a hundred percent positive. They could be outside right now, but as long as you are inside, nothing bad could happen. They’re not idiots enough to storm this place in an attempt to kidnap you.”
“Yeah, well. I’m not going to be inside for long. Do you have any idea where they might be keeping their records? Surely, there are some papers that have their signatures on it related to the warehouse deal? If we can find them, and if we can find something that links them to that damned explosion, we will have nothing more to fear.”
“It’s not going to be easy to search for such records. I bet, if such papers exist, they would be with Raymond. He is the financial head and the master planner. He dreams up schemes and the rest of them execute them.”
“Do you know where Raymond lives? Do you think you can access his place?”
This was a foolish scheme, but it was the only one they had. Riley’s mind spun with ideas as he ate his breakfast. The maid brought in two eggs, sunny-side-up, and he devoured them as he fine-tuned the plan without talking about it. Sure, it could be done. There was a chance that it might work.
She bounced on her seat. Of course she was excited. The woman probably thought it was as easy as walking inside a room and snatching the papers off the desk. The task was likely impossible, but he did intend to try – without Tania. He’d intended to bask in the glory of his new found happiness for some time, perhaps spend a few days in her company, and relish the love that they shared, but he would have to burst her bubble sooner than he imagined. And he didn’t think she was quite ready to hear it. Sparks would fly, but he was adamant. He wasn’t taking her to Devil’s Mafia Brotherhood.
“It might work…if we get a lot of luck on our side.”
“We will.”
“It won’t be that easy.”
She set her fork on the plate. “Nothing worth achieving ever is. Don’t worry. I have full confidence in you. I am sure you will be able to fool them. All you need is access to that place; then you can go to the police and they will rescue me.”
He took a deep breath, finished chewing the last bite, and set his fork and knife on the table. As an extra precaution, he pushed it away so she couldn’t hold the knife. Her temper he had seen and, although he was confident she wouldn’t hurt him, he didn’t trust her fully. “I am not taking you.”
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me.” Pushing back his chair, he stood. “Look, it’s too dangerous for me to take you to them. What if they don’t want to wait? What if I can’t convince them to let you live long enough to find the papers? It’s too dicey and, frankly, I don’t have the stomach for it.”
“So…we just leave them and slink out of town.”
“No, you get out, go to a friend’s place, or, perhaps, to your parents’ for a couple of weeks. I’ll tell them you’re still in town and I am looking for you, and, in the meantime, I’ll search Raymond’s office if I get a chance. If there is anything worth hiding, it has to be there. He has a safe. I’ve seen it. Maybe I can find out the number. There are tools you can use to break into a safe. I could ask around. It would work.”
“You’ll ask around?” She stood, strode over, and jabbed her finger in his chest. “This was my idea, my baby, and there is no way in hell I am letting you get away with it while I get out of town. I’m not some helpless damsel who needs to be protected. Don't forget that I was the one who was kidnapped and escaped on my own. You weren’t there to help me, and I didn’t need your assistance.”
Riley didn’t flinch. A lesser man would’ve cowered under the glare of her eyes but he didn’t as much as blink. “You were fucking lucky to get out of that place. They made that mistake once, and they are not going to commit the same error again. If they get you, they will kill you the first chance they get so you pose no threat.”
“They won’t kill me. We’ll tell them keeping me alive is in their interest because I’ve got a backup. You’ll inform them that you’re looking for those papers that I’ve hidden somewhere and, once that backup is removed, then they can kill me.”
“That foolish scheme works in movies. It won’t bring the desired results in real life.”
“It will,” she said. “I’ve been in this house for days. All you have to do is tell them that a friend of mine is holding something for me that points to the gang. They will bide their time until they get that particular thorn out of their side. It will buy some time and that’s all we need.”
He couldn’t believe she was so naïve. If only he had realized how dangerous these people were, he would’ve left the gang ages ago. He didn’t want to get involved in illegal activity. Thrill and adventure wasn’t the same as crime, and he damn well knew the difference. She was playing games while they were blowing things up. How long would it take them to decide that she was better dead than alive? He couldn’t take the risk. “We’re not doing this, and that’s my final word on it.”
Her eyes narrowed and a low growl escaped her lips. “How dare you treat me like a child.”
“And how dare you think I would allow you to step forward in a place where people are waiting to kill you.”
“As exciting as this conversation is, I believe I would like to know what the hell is going on?” said another voice.
They both whirled to face the man who sauntered into the room. He was better looking than his pictures, Riley admitted even as he noticed the way the man sidled closer to Tania as if he intended to stand between her and Riley. He was actually trying to protect her from Riley. Shit! Was there something between them?
From the way the man’s gaze rested on her, he could tell they had a history…and something more. Riley didn’t have time to think. Tania pushed a hand through her mane of gorgeous hair. “Jason, what are you doing back so early? I thought you were going to stay for a few days.”
“I was, but then I didn’t feel comfortable leaving you alone when things are so dangerous for you.” His eyes glittered as he glanced at Riley. “And I am glad that I came in. It seems that something exciting is happening here. What’s going on?”
“Jason, this is Riley. He is…”
“He is the man who nearly got you killed.”
Riley ground his teeth. If it were another man, he would’ve punched him in the nose for delivering such an accusation, but this man helped Tania. She was likely alive because he kept her safe. He gave her protection and a safe place to stay. For as long as he was alive, Riley would consider himself indebted to this guy. Rather than argue, he thrust out his hand. “That was a misunderstanding. It didn’t go down the way she thou
ght, but I am grateful you allowed her to stay here.”
They shook hands. Jason’s grip was strong. “Tania always has a place here whenever she wants.”
The message was clear. She was special to him. Riley swallowed the sharp words that rose to his lips. There was no doubt in his mind that this man liked Tania, not just as a friend, but something more. Had she lied to him? Was there something going on between them that he didn’t realize as yet? Had she taken Riley back only because Jason was not in town?
His gaze flitted from her to Jason. Insecurity raised its ugly head in his heart, and he felt disoriented, confused. What the hell was going on here?
Chapter Twenty
Jason’s sudden appearance threw her off course. She didn’t expect to see him back so soon, and she certainly wasn’t expecting to witness the sparks that flew between both men. They sized each other up as if they were boxers, ready to fight in a ring.
She felt the urge to put out her arms and make sure they remained at arm’s length. Tania bit her lip. “Jason, Riley wasn’t the one who rigged the warehouse. It was a misunderstanding.” She proceeded to tell him the entire tale, leaving out only their explosive reunion the night before. “We hatched a plan last night and, already, he has backed out.”
Riley’s eyes narrowed. “We didn’t hatch anything. It was your plan, but it’s dangerous as hell and I don’t want you to be a part of it.”
“It’s my life and I can decide what to do with it,” she huffed.
“Not when I am looking out for you. No, you can’t,” he stated.
Tania opened her mouth but Jason beat her to it. “Sure, this has nothing to do with me, but I’ve got to say that I agree with Riley on this.”
She wasn’t sure which one of them was more surprised; Riley or her. To her consternation, Riley grinned.
“Thanks, man.”
“You’re both chauvinistic pigs.”
“We are gentlemen and we don’t like to put ladies in danger, especially when the lady in question is so beautiful,” said Jason in a smooth voice. “Let’s go to the living room and talk about this.”
Tania threw Riley a vicious glance and then marched off. They followed her. Tania wasn’t sure as to what the man was up to. Why was he sticking his nose in their business? If this were any other person, she would’ve told them to mind their own business, but she couldn’t say anything to Jason. His generosity saved Tania’s life. If she’d fallen in the hands of the gang after she escaped from them, they might have killed her on the spot.
Once she was seated on the couch, Riley took a seat opposite her. Jason chose to remain standing. “Are you guys determined to chase down this gang?”
“I am,” said Riley.
“And so am I.”
“Over my dead body,” he growled.
“You…” She pointed a finger towards him. “I can’t believe…”
“Shush!” said Jason. Tania’s furious glance shifted to him. She opened her mouth, but he waved a hand. “Your plan is good, Tania, but there are holes in it and there is quite a margin for error. Now, I feel if the gang believed this threat was real, that you did indeed have some backup plan, and if anything happened to you, the person to whom you had entrusted the papers might go to the police, they would likely keep you alive.”
“Likely is not enough for me to bank her life on,” growled Riley. It was obvious that he didn’t like Jason’s change of tune. Tania was also confused. Was Jason actually approving her plan? “They would kill her.”
“Not if they thought said person would release the papers. So we need to make them believe your backup plan really exists.”
“And how would we do that?” asked Riley.
“I offer my humble services for this great task,” said Jason.
She was stunned, as was Riley. They both glanced at each other and then at Jason. “You want to be a part of this plan?” she asked.
“Frankly I think this plan will fail without me. I would be the linchpin on which would hang Tania’s lie. If we can convince them that I am a real threat, they would concentrate on getting me and, until the time they do so, they would leave her alone.”
“That’s absurd,” said Tania.
“And why is that?” said Jason in his smooth voice.
“It’s because…you don’t have anything to do with this. Why should you get involved? It’s dangerous and risky.”
“Exactly my point,” growled Riley, “and that’s why I don’t want either of you in this mess.”
Jason walked over to the window. “I’m afraid both of you are running out of choices. When I came in, I saw a man lurking outside. He appeared to be keeping tabs on the house. My first impression was that he was a movie buff, a guy who wanted to see his favorite director…but now, well, I am sure that he is a member of this illustrious gang.”
“Shit! How the hell did they follow me?”
Tania tapped her fingers on her thigh. “Maybe they didn’t follow you. After all, my pictures were splashed in the papers. Was this your plan all along, Jason? Is that why you dragged me to all those restaurants?”
“The plan was to lure Riley in. I didn’t know that he would bring in a crowd of people behind him,” said Jason.
Tania was amazed at his sharp mind. He actually paraded her in front of the newspapers so he could bring in Riley. That means he realized Riley would take personal risk and contact her. He was too smart for his own good and, although she was annoyed, she was now suddenly interested in what he had to say. “You still can’t get involved,” said Tania in a fierce battle. “This is our fight, mine and Riley’s, and I don’t want you to take any risks.”
“He is already way more involved than he should’ve been,” stated Riley. His gaze met Jason’s. “What is that you want in exchange?”
“Ah! A man after my own heart…if I were leaning in that direction, of course.” Jason walked back. “Tania, dear, I have to admit that once you came to me with this whole cock and bull story, I was flummoxed. It sounded more like one of the scripts I create into pictures than real events, but I’ve never known you to lie and I knew you wouldn’t create a drama over something that didn’t exist.”
“So you hatched a plan?”
“It wasn’t as complicated and daring as the one Tania has now come up with, but my scheme was simple. I wanted to see the man who would reduce Tania to such a state, and I wanted to see fireworks. And, frankly, as devastated as she was by your apparent betrayal, to me it looked that you were as much a victim of the circumstances as she was.”
Tania snorted. “He dragged me into it.”
“And you didn’t go kicking and screaming. You love the guy,” he shot back before Riley a chance to say something. “What amazed me most about Tania’s story was that she didn’t even realize how much she loved you. She was angry but she was hurt, and that intrigued me. The whole thing could be the foundation of a beautiful movie. I love the premise: a girl falls in love with a guy but he is not who she thought he was. There is a fight, love, risk, and in the end…justice and reunion.”
Tania sat up straighter. “Excuse me. This is our life, not a movie script.”
“Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t write a better story,” shot back Jason. “In this case, the truth is, indeed, stranger than fiction.”
Riley didn’t look surprised. It was obvious he’d realized long ago it wasn’t just altruism that motivated Jason to help them. The man wanted something. “What do you want?”
“Exclusive rights to write this tale once it has come to an end,” said Jason. “Come on. It’s the least you can after I help you out. And think about it…your life story will be captured on celluloid for eternity.”
“Immortality never appealed to me,” said Tania.
Jason glanced at Tania. Much as she wanted to keep his private life off celluloid, Tania was intrigued. If Jason were on their side, if he helped them, this plan could actually work. Still, she wasn’t sure if it was a good idea to involve him. H
is life would be in danger.
Riley stood and walked over to her. He sat and took her hand in his. “If Jason is with us, this might actually work.”
She bit her lip. “I can’t put him in danger.”
“You wanted to be a part of the plan. Well, I don’t, but…if Jason helps us, if he agrees to act as the backup, then I could…maybe we could go ahead.”
“Are you saying you would agree to this scheme as long as Jason were a part of it?”
She wasn’t happy by this new development. But the truth was that they both needed Jason. As long as someone remained outside the gang’s control, Tania would be relatively safe. Jason was their only hope to actually make it work.
“We need him,” said Riley.
Tania frowned. She was trapped in her own cleverness. Now that she initiated the plan, it was hard to back out when they were both willing to support her. “I suppose…okay.”