More than Money (Found in Chicago Book 1)

by Allison Michaels

  Neil stared at a spot on the wall behind her, silent and stone-faced.

  I peeled off a length of tape and smiled when her eyes widened at the noise. “What was it you said to me earlier? Oh yes, I remember now. ‘To hell with compassion.’” Smoothing the strip over her mouth, I muttered, “Silence never sounded so good.”

  “Damn right,” Neil said. He walked over and took his phone. “Mind if I step outside to call Les and get some air?”

  Waving an arm at him, I perched on the edge of a chair. After the front door had clicked shut, I leaned back and tried to shake off the thick veil of exhaustion hanging over my head. My energy level had tanked now that the excitement was over. The adrenaline rush I’d experienced earlier must have receded, because my head and nose throbbed.

  Sirens wailed in the distance, and soon red and blue flashes of light from a fleet of emergency vehicles danced across the walls. A line of police officers and paramedics followed Neil inside. As Diana was escorted out, a mustached police officer placed a hand on my shoulder. “Are you okay?”

  I nodded and blinked back the tears pricking my tired eyes. Now was not the time to get emotional. Not if it meant delaying my ability to leave this place so I could reunite with my girl and sleep away the rest of this god-awful day. “Get me out of here,” I grated, struggling to gain my feet.

  He and an EMT helped me up and led me out the front door to a waiting ambulance.

  ***

  My mother gasped when the orderly wheeled me into the exam room at the ER. “Oh God, what did they do to you?” she cried, rushing to my side. “Your face…and what happened to your arm? Why is it bandaged?”

  “I’m just a little banged up,” I said hoarsely. “No permanent damage. Who called you?”

  “Les,” Dad said, filling a plastic cup with water and adding a straw before handing it to me. “He told us that you and his brother were missing. We drove to Collette’s house right away and stayed there until we got the call to come to the hospital.”

  “I would have had a nervous breakdown if it wasn’t for that young man.” Mom pulled a tissue from the box on the bedside table and dabbed under her eyes. “He never left my side and stayed optimistic the entire time, even after the kidnapper called with his demands.”

  Water sloshed on the tray table when I unsteadily set down the cup. The thought of crass, womanizing, carefree Les comforting my parents made my stomach hurt. He probably would have preferred to keep his finger on the pulse of whatever the authorities were doing to facilitate Neil’s safe return, but stayed with my mom and dad instead. I owed him a tremendous debt of gratitude for keeping them calm during the crisis.

  An argument out in the hallway sent all of our heads turning toward the doorway.

  “There has to be some kind of protocol you’re supposed to follow. And if not, burn it. Or shred it.” Collette’s voice floated into the room. “I need to see for myself that my boyfriend is okay. He’s more important than money right now.”

  She came through the opening a few seconds later, stopping in her tracks when she saw me. I smiled, happy that she was here, and she rushed forward.

  Our arms opened at the same time. Collette slowed to a quick walk and loosely embraced me. While I appreciated the fact that she was trying to be gentle, this was not the kind of reunion I wanted.

  “You call that a hug?” Banding an arm around her waist, I pulled her closer. She was warm and soft and smelled like vanilla. Burying my face in her hair, my eyes drifted shut. My parents, the voices of hospital personnel in the corridor, and the pain from my injuries faded away.

  Her slim shoulders shook as she cried. Her tears triggered mine, but this time, I didn’t fight them. These three people knew me better than anyone and I didn’t have to hold my emotions in check around them. So I let all the negativity–anger, sadness, anxiety, fear, and exhaustion–out. The release was cathartic, an emotional purge which made the pain meds more effective because they no longer had to compete with the tension that had prevented me from fully relaxing.

  Peering over the crown of Collette’s head, I met my father’s gaze. “Could you please hand me my jeans?” His brows furrowed and I quickly added, “Don’t worry, I’m not going to fly the coop. There’s something I need in one of the pockets.”

  He handed them to me, and I dug out the ring. “I believe this,” I slid the gold band into place on Collette’s right index finger, “belongs to you.”

  “Thank you,” she choked out, sobbing uncontrollably. “I thought I’d never see this again.”

  Les barreled into the room. “What’s wrong?” His eyes frantically darted from face to face. Collette held up her hand, and he caught it in his bigger one. “How?” he asked me.

  “Have a seat. This story might take a while.”

  I gave an abbreviated account of the abduction. A doctor appeared to share the results of my CT scan and X-rays as I explained how Neil took the ring away from Diana. The bad news was that my nose was broken, and I had a concussion. But because my nose wasn’t out of place, no surgery was necessary, and the tape which had been applied would keep it aligned as the bones mended. He wanted to keep me overnight for observation since I had sustained head trauma.

  “Will you stay with me?” I asked Collette as my parents gathered their belongings to head back to her house.

  “I’ll take them home and come back to pick you guys up in the morning.” Les helped my mother into her coat and escorted her and Dad out of the room after a round of goodbyes.

  A porter arrived and took me upstairs to a patient room. Neil cracked an eye from the other bed. “Haven’t we spent enough time together in close quarters for one day? What does a guy have to do to get private accommodations in this joint? Don’t answer that. It was a rhetorical question. Just keep your voices down so I can get my beauty sleep and it’s all good.”

  “No amount of sleep will make you prettier than me.” I shifted to one side and lifted the blanket, patting the spot next to me. “Get in here.”

  Collette stepped out of her shoes and snuggled up to me under the covers. “I’m sorry about what happened,” she whispered. “I was so busy with Christmas stuff that it took a while to realize you guys had been gone much longer than necessary.”

  Tipping my head back, I eyed her curiously. “What Christmas stuff?”

  “I bought a tree and dragged out all the decorations. Baked up a storm so we could eat cookies while hanging ornaments. It was supposed to be a surprise.”

  Oh, I was surprised, all right. Pleasantly. This woman never ceased to amaze me with her strength and bravery. My heart swelled with love for her. “There’s nothing to be sorry for. We can have an old-fashioned tree trimming tomorrow.”

  “I hope you made those little pecan pies,” Neil said. “It won’t feel festive without them, Coco.”

  “They’re the best,” I agreed.

  “Hands off, dude.” The bedding rustled as he tried to get comfortable. “Touch them and I’ll open a can of whoop-ass.”

  “I’d stop talking and get some rest if I were you. It’ll take more than one can to keep me away from those things.”

  He chuckled. “We’ll see.”

  “I made an entire batch just for you, so settle down over there.” Collette turned and maneuvered into little spoon position. “Love you,” she murmured.

  “Love you more, sweetheart.” I slung an arm across her waist and drifted off, lulled into slumber by the familiar comfort of her heat and scent.

  ***

  We donned Santa hats after brunch the next day–Oscar kept his on for a grand total of five seconds before pawing it off–and sipped homemade peppermint hot chocolate while decking out the pine tree Les had set in front of the bay window in the brownstone’s sitting room.

  My parents took pictures and laughed at our shenanigans. Oscar ate most of the popcorn meant for a traditional garland and stole several sugar cookies before anyone noticed him rooting around in the containers on the coffee ta
ble. Neil and I recited lines from A Christmas Story, doing our best impressions of different characters.

  Collette teared up a few times while hooking Henri’s favorite ornaments on branches. But she stayed in the room and brushed off my attempts to whisk her away for privacy. She surprised Neil with an ornament she had made while we were at the football game. Oscar’s paw prints were indented in the clay bone and his name and the year were written on the back. Neil loved it and hung it where it could easily be seen.

  Les was uncharacteristically quiet. He doted on the women, waiting on my mom and Collette like a hybrid butler-bodyguard. His actions spoke volumes, showing just how much he missed his own mother and how much his surrogate sister’s mental well-being meant to him.

  It took a while, but I finally got him alone in the kitchen during a cocoa refill. “Hey, thanks for everything you did yesterday. I appreciate how you kept my parents from freaking out,” I said, extending a hand across the island.

  He reached over and gave me a firm shake. “I’m just glad it ended quickly and ended well. One of the FBI agents spouted a bunch of statistics about how important the first hours are and scared the crap out of your poor ma and Coco. He had them convinced you’d be on a slab the next time they saw you. Guy’s damn lucky I was outnumbered, or I’d have thrown him out. Sort of wish I had done it anyway.”

  I shivered at the mention of a morgue. Good thing Neil and I had been snatched by a ragtag group of idiots. Diana’s harebrained plan never would have worked the way she envisioned. Even if she and the men had managed to get away with the money, they couldn’t hide forever. A million dollars wasn’t enough to buy three new identities. Not when one of the three people it was supposed to support had a severe addiction to casinos.

  Carl would have eventually gotten bored with staying cooped up indoors and headed out for a night of fun with a portion of his cut of the ransom. His gambling habit would have been at the top of the list of facts I would have shared with the investigators. With how well-known he was at his usual haunts, someone was bound to call the cops when he showed up. Not one to go down in flames by himself, he’d strike up a deal and rat out his co-conspirators to lessen his charges.

  Death had certainly seemed like a possibility before I’d heard Diana’s voice. Thinking about Collette had kept terror from consuming me whole, but fear had still gnawed at my edges. And even after the blindfold had been removed, I still hadn’t been sure if I truly knew who I was dealing with. But the chance to walk out of there had outweighed uncertainty, which was why I hadn’t hesitated to untie Neil.

  “I heard you beat the shit out of one of the kidnappers.” Les smile-smirked and added a dash of peppermint schnapps to his cocoa. “And that you got the busted nose for kicking him after he called Collette a bitch.”

  “True and true.”

  “Good for you.” His voice held a note of genuine admiration.

  “You’re next if you don’t clean up your act.”

  He laughed and passed the alcohol. “Mild-mannered guys are the most dangerous. They fool you into thinking they’re milquetoasts and kick your ass to within an inch of your life before you realize what’s going on.”

  “Blitzkrieg is best.” I doctored my own drink and followed him back to join the others.

  My parents left shortly after the lighting ceremony. Les went home a little while later. Neil took Oscar for a walk while Collette and I took care of cleanup. I went upstairs for a nap while she ran out to take care of some errands.

  When I woke up three hours later, she still hadn’t returned. Panic set in when my texts and calls went unanswered and my mind immediately honed in on the crazy notion of another person involved in the kidnapping who had somehow stayed in the fringe and gotten away while Neil and I subdued the others. He could have taken Collette to avenge his cohorts.

  Neil shot up off the couch when I yelled his name. He shook his head as I babbled about my fourth man theory. “No. You’re way off the mark, Ryan. She’s fine.”

  “Where is she? And why is her phone off?”

  “Get your coat.” He got up and retrieved his car keys. “I’ll explain everything in the car.”

  I crossed my arms over my chest. “I’m not going anywhere until you tell me where the hell Collette is.”

  “She’s with her parents.”

  32

  Collette

  Present

  Leaves and snow crunched beneath my visitor’s shoes.

  I caught a glimpse of Neil’s Escalade rolling down the narrow asphalt path toward the exit and tensed up. If he wasn’t the person approaching me, it could only be one other man.

  It wasn’t normal to sit on a blanket in the middle of a cemetery in mid-December while eating cake. But I had a picnic with my parents every year on their shared birthday. The cold kept most people away, so I was able to speak out loud while telling Mom and Dad about what had transpired in my life since my last visit. I didn’t mind if any of the nearby souls eavesdropped. Maybe they didn’t get many visitors and felt lonely. If I cheered them up with my mindless babbling, then so be it.

  The plaid wool blanket shifted as Ryan sat down and tucked his legs beneath him. He pecked me on the cheek and leaned forward, setting a small poinsettia on either side of the granite double headstone. “Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Russo.” His gloved fingers brushed over each of their names as he addressed them. “You’ve probably heard about me from Collette. I’m Ryan. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”

  He reached over and picked up the fork, spearing a bite of cake. “Your daughter is an extraordinary woman. But you already knew this, didn’t you? I’m sure you’ve seen all of her good deeds. Just wait until you see what else is in the works. Her generosity knows no boundaries.”

  My face heated in spite of the cold air. My heart raced in response to this man’s instant acceptance of my quirky celebration. Scratch that, he crashed it and joined in without missing a beat. Neil must have prepped him well on the way over because Ryan seemed perfectly at ease and not the least bit creeped out by the macabre setting. The gigantic Good Shepherd statue with the eroded face down by the pond still gave me the heebie-jeebies, even after all these years. But it didn’t seem to bother him.

  Ryan popped the cake in his mouth and winked at me. “And she bakes like a dream, too. Best angel food cake I’ve ever tasted.” He scooped up another chunk and held it aloft. “Happy Birthday.”

  Mom would have adored him. Dad would have pretended to dislike him before giving up the act when he saw how deeply Ryan cared for me. Every father wanted to see another man treat his daughter like a queen. I’d been lucky enough to find someone who treated me like a freshly-mined jewel instead of a pampered royal on a pedestal.

  Ryan didn’t try to polish my chipped facets and even out my asymmetrical edges. He proudly showed me off just as I was.

  “I’m almost done here,” I said softly, setting the dessert platter inside a picnic basket.

  “We can stay as long as you like. You don’t have to cut the party short because of me.”

  I studied his face, taking in the tape over the bridge of his nose and the swollen, discolored skin around his eyes. He should be home, where it was warm and comfortable, resting after the hell he had gone through yesterday. I’d already been here for hours, so it was no big deal if we left.

  A cold breeze ruffled his dark hair as he slid the basket across the blanket to help himself to more cake. “What’s this?” He reached inside and pulled out a worn, dog-eared book.

  “My father’s favorite book. One of them, anyway.”

  “I love all the Tolkien books.” He flipped the paperback open and whistled. “Wow, this is from a printing back in the seventies. It’s in good shape, though.”

  “He gave it to me right before we went on vacation. I read it a lot in the car and before going to bed. I got pretty far before…” I trailed off and closed my eyes. “Before the accident.”

  Ryan gently set down The Hobbit and too
k my hand. “I’m so sorry, sweetheart. But I’m glad you were able to salvage it from the wreckage.”

  “I had some help. There was a boy…he found the book on the side of the road and read to me while we waited for help to arrive.”

  Ryan threw the fork in the basket and shoved it aside. He covered his mouth with a hand and stared at me, the color draining from his face. I had never gone into detail about the crash with anyone outside of my second family, and he seemed shocked at my willingness to discuss it. To be honest, I was kind of surprised with myself for sharing so freely. But then again, it was him–the one who always listened without prejudice and with compassion.

  So I kept going.

  “He passed the book to me before he moved out of the way so the emergency workers could get me out of the car. I never saw him or got his name. And I never thanked him for what he did that day.”

  “You’re welcome,” Ryan said, his voice hoarse and his dark blue eyes glossy with tears. “Did you ever get around to reading The Fellowship of the Ring?”

  “What?” Confusion flooded me as he quickly thumbed through the yellowed pages.

  “My father and I were on our way home after he picked me up from a track clinic downstate. Two cars were racing on the highway, weaving in and out of traffic. One of them clipped a red SUV. It spun like a top before going off the road and rolling into a cornfield.” He pointed at the beginning of the fourteenth chapter. “The bookmark fell out, and this was where you thought you’d left off. I had no idea what to say to you and was terrified that you’d ask me about your parents.” He drew in a shaky breath. “So I did the only thing I could think of.”

  Understanding slowly trickled in. I’d never told anyone about my mystery reader. The only way Ryan could know such specific details was if…

  “You read to me,” I said, my voice cracking on the last word.

  He tossed the book aside and scooted closer, pulling off his gloves and cupping my face between his warm palms. “This is insane. What are the chances of us finding each other years later?”