The back window was open and she juggled Jacob as she stood next to the car. “Rocco.”
His hands were cuffed behind his back. He looked up at her and she noticed his left eye would be black and his bottom lip was puffed out. “Mica, this man won’t get to you ever again.”
But he didn’t know he was free. She’d bring him back and explain. For now she glared at the officers who were all heading to their cars as she said, “I’m following you to the station.”
He softened as he peeked at Jacob and then back at her as he shook his head. “Don’t. They’ll send me back to prison now, but at least this time it’s for a good cause.”
Absolutely not. This wasn’t how she directed her life. She wished she’d told him earlier what she'd done. “You’re not going to prison for me.”
He turned and whispered as if afraid they might be overheard by a recording device, “You don’t understand. I escaped. This is the end of the line for me.”
She leaned in and her body tingled to hold him as she said, “I’ll see you at the station. You’re free. Don’t admit anything to anyone.”
Without another word she backed up and headed to her car.
A minute later, she patiently placed her son in his car seat, checked the straps, and jumped into the front seat. Mica emerged from her underground parking lot, and watched the police car with Rocco leave.
This was stupid.
Her Jaguar purred and she headed down the mountain, keeping a small distance from the police car while she called her lawyer. Once she was patched through she didn’t wait for introductions. She was back to being the CEO as she said, “Cardona, Rocco’s been arrested for protecting me.”
“You’re in danger, Miss Murphy?” Cardona asked.
She put her blinker on once she made the fork in the road that led to the small town, but her shoulders softened.
“I’m following the police car he’s in.” She’d cry or drink later, probably the second part, as she never cried. Her medications after birth to get rid of the poison had destroyed her ability to breast feed, which had hurt her, but hadn’t caused tears. In a calmer tone she said, “I’ll need legal ensuring I get him out of the Summit County police station right away.”
Cardona said, “I’ll have someone there to represent your interests and meet you. Turn on your GPS so I know where you are.”
Perfect. She stopped at a red light and changed her phone setting. “Good. I don’t want to wait too long. Jacob’s already fussy.”
“I’ll be as fast as I can, as always,” Cardona said.
Now if Ali’s family was also tracing her tracking app, a police station wasn’t a bad place to be until she could get out of town.
She stopped her car and gassed up. Once Rocco was out and in the car with her, it was time to move on. She’d turn that tracking app off and ensure no one found her unless she wanted to be found.
With Rocco at her side. He’d make this all endurable just from being in the empty passenger seat.
Chapter 14
Four walls. The mirror in front of him was clearly one-sided in the holding cell. Three white walls. One mirrored wall. Four chairs. One table with two chairs on each side. This was more like a movie than the rougher cell he’d been in when he’d been falsely arrested before, but the cop on the ride had noticed his designer Saks jeans. Maybe they’d put him in the rich people cell. Cops were probably staring at him on the other side. Rocco was glad that the prison system didn’t just tattoo numbers into the skin that couldn’t be removed.
It would make identification even easier.
But it didn’t matter.
This was the end of the line. Soon he’d be back in his orange jumpsuit, though he’d probably be moved to a more isolated and guarded cell.
Mica’s whispers of freedom made no sense.
Escapees tended to give regular prisoners too much hope. Soon he’d be a number again and not a person.
The door handle turned. He sat up and the officer came in, put his badge on the table, and took the seat opposite him.
Rocco glanced at it and noticed the four digits, 4973. It might be nice to start thinking of guards as numbers instead of people with faces and families.
Maybe this time, he’d be a better prisoner as he'd accomplished what he needed to.
His mother had agreed to get cancer treatment. Mica was safe for now and hopefully hired herself better security if they were after Jacob. If the other man was a hired killer like his brothers had been, then she needed an army.
This time, he’d disappear into the system until no one remembered him. He’d been innocent the first time, but the prison break was all him.
The officer took his badge back, as if he'd given Rocco enough time to read the numbers, and folded his hands. Rocco’s entire body was pumped with adrenaline in preparation of another stint behind bars. “Mr. Hellsworth.”
Wait. Huh? His name? He widened his legs taking up more of his seat while he waited for the end of any rights. He was still handcuffed. “No one’s called me Mister in years.”
The officer stood.
Rocco’s hair was standing on end, but the officer unclasped the handcuffs, freeing his hands. Rocco’s eyes widened as the officer then said, “Your lawyers are here.”
“My…” The officer stood and left the room, locking the door behind him. Rocco got to his feet, rolled his shoulders and glanced at his face in the mirror.
He’d have a scar on his lip from the assassin's metal -rings.
A second later the knob turned again. Rocco took his seat and a short bald man in his fifties, wearing a gray suit and red tie, came in and shook his hand.
This man seemed too affluent to be a public defender. Rocco scooted his seat away from the table and asked, “Mica sent you?”
The man opened a manila folder with Hellsworth written on the tab. “Michaela Murphy? Yes. She’s waiting for you once we get you squared away. I told her to leave the waiting room full of germs and take her son across the street.”
Waiting. A good man deserved someone like Mica to be outside--he'd tried to be a good man, and failed.
He'd probably never see her again after this, whatever was happening. Anything he said to a lawyer was confidential so he leaned forward, met the thin man’s face and asked, “What’s your name?”
“Brickenridge.”
Okay. Rocco inched closer until he was less than a foot from the other man. “Look, Mr. Brickenridge, the police officers are going to look me up soon. They know my name. My prison number is 127361. I escaped and they’ll send me back now. If you can just tell Mica that I’m happy I could help her in any small way, and she needs to hire herself a team of bodyguards, I’d appreciate it.”
The lawyer held up a printed paper. “Mr. Hellsworth-”
“You’re the second person today with the Mister.”
Brickenridge continued, “Mr. Hellsworth, let me do my job now. Don’t answer any questions unless I give you permission and stick to answering only the pertinent details. Yes and no answers, with no elaboration will be best.”
Rocco slumped back in his chair. Hopefully this man would give Mica the message but for now, he nodded and said, “Sure. My last lawyer never gave me signals, so thanks.”
Brickenridge snorted and glanced at the paper he held. “From what I’ve read so far about your case, your last lawyers were horrible and their law licenses are under review at the moment. I’m not.”
“Okay.” Rocco's mind raced. If Brickenridge knew who he was, the cops would too. Were they just waiting till he gave them something?
If he protected Mica, and she continued to help his mother, then what happened to him didn’t matter.
Brickenridge stood and banged on the door like they were done.
Officer 4973 returned with a pad of paper and took the seat opposite him. Brickenridge sat beside him like they were friends, or at least on the same side.
Once everyone settled, 4973 asked, “Mr. Hellsworth, do y
ou work for Miss Murphy?”
Mr. Brickenridge gave him a pointed stare.
Rocco scratched his neck as this wasn’t how he remembered the last time he was questioned. The last time the cops all had acted like he was guilty and talked down to him, but he nodded as he said, “Yes, sir.”
4973 then asked, “Did you ensure she and her son were safe before you scouted the house for danger?”
Again Brickenridge’s gaze was penetrating and he didn’t blink. This must be his sign to answer simply.
Rocco folded his hands together. “Yes, sir.”
4973 then played with his pen between his fingers and glanced up, “Do you know who you fought?”
Brickenridge’s blue eyes seriously didn’t move. It was like he saw everything. Rocco’s face felt hot and he shrugged. “No. He hit me from behind with my boss's flower vase and started the fight.”
4973 hit the button of his pen and it clicked. “You’re clearly an expert brawler, Mr. Hellsworth. You survived a former professional boxer’s assault.”
A professional wouldn’t need metal rings. It was a low end trick, like his brothers would have used on him as a boy. Rocco had survived because this wasn’t his first run-in with bruisers. “I see.”
The officer stood up and held his hand out to shake.
Rocco’s stomach twisted.
Was this some sick joke? He half expected to be thrown against the wall and handcuffed.
But he stared at the man’s hand again as he stood.
The older lawyer with the tie wouldn’t be much help and would probably be knocked out in any fight fast. Rocco reached forward and shook 4973’s hand who then said, “You can go now, but stay close in case we need to question you further.”
He didn’t care that his eyes opened wider. He knew because of the slight sting in his cut eyelids from the fight. “Is Miss Murphy still in danger?”
4973’s lips pressed together and he stared at him like they were equals. “We believe she is, yes. The perp was paid a large sum of money to locate her whereabouts and we believe he signaled her location to his boss.”
“Got it,” Rocco said.
His job wasn’t over then. Somehow he was being let out, and he’d get his chance to ensure that Mica and Jacob were safe from harm.
The officer patted his arm and said, “Keep her safe.”
Then 4973 opened the door.
Rocco’s body tightened, certain they were going to cuff him, but as they were buzzed through to the waiting area, he asked his short bald lawyer, “They’re just letting me go? That’s it?”
His lawyer adjusted his red tie and said, “I told you. I’m a good lawyer.”
They made it to the door and the cool night air brushed against his battered face that must look like a mangled mess. He crossed his arms and glanced down at his lawyer. “But they didn’t look me up?”
Brickenridge shrugged as they went down the few steps and said, “Miss Murphy wants you with her and with her kind of money, we all do what she wants.”
Until he’d met Mica he hadn’t believed women like her existed. Half of him still didn’t, but he glanced up and down the street. The lawyer said she was in a nearby diner. Rocco said, “I see.”
Brickenridge walked with him to the bottom stone step and clicked his Lexus on. “She’ll make this town a fortune when she opens next year and brings in high-end clientele who will eat at our restaurants and shop in our stores.”
“Still, I would think just searching my name in the database would matter.” How had she done it?
Brickenridge pointed across the street to a diner. It took a second for Rocco’s gaze to focus but then he saw Mica waving at him as his lawyer said, “There’s Miss Murphy now, sir. Have a good night.”
She had waited for him.
Her smile was brighter than the moon that was now starting to show up on the horizon. He was transfixed as he crossed the street and walked into the warm restaurant.
Jacob was in her lap trying to touch banana slices on her plate. Rocco halted in front of Mica. She went on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek, holding onto his arm as she said, “Glad you’re out. We need to eat and then get going.”
He nodded his agreement. Mica needed more protection than he could offer and right now all he wanted to do was stick his bruised face in the freezer. He sat opposite her at the table. “Where to?”
She shrugged and then sipped her iced tea. “I have no idea, honestly. I just know we need to get moving. They've found me and won't stop until…”
If she ended up leaving the country, he’d go if she asked—he just wanted to see his mother before leaving. “My mother-”
She took his hands. He stopped talking and breathed in, searching for calm. She nodded like he’d asked a question and said, “Florida is a couple days by car and I want to avoid registering a flight path. Are you game for a car ride?”
Adrenaline rushed through him again. He was a wreck, but she was a beautiful angel. “You’ll take me… home?”
She let go of his hands and sipped her tea like she was in total control and nothing out of the ordinary had happened today. “And you’ll protect me. Sounds fair to me.”
The aches in his cheek muscles where he’d been beaten with metal ached, but he didn’t complain. Being able to see his mother meant the world. She leaned closer. “Are you hungry? I’d like to drive for an hour or two to get away from where I turned on my tracking app. Then we’ll stop and sleep.”
App? Somehow he'd missed a beat but that wasn’t the first time in his life he’d been behind and confused. He scratched his head and decided not to ask as he leaned back. “If you want me to drive, let me know.”
She blinked and pushed a menu at him. “You didn’t answer my question. Are you hungry? You should order something while we’re here.”
He glanced around the diner that had metal walls and red chairs that reminded him of the 1950s and didn’t bother to open the menu. “Oh. Yeah. A coffee will be fine for the road to keep the adrenaline up and maybe a cheeseburger and a soda for now.”
The waitress in a blue-striped skirt stopped and Mica told her the order. “Burger it is then. I’ll go with a cranberry chicken salad. For take-out, let’s get coffee and some snacks. I’m thinking popcorn and an order of fries.”
The waitress wrote everything down. “Yes ma’am.” She gave him the once over but didn’t say anything.
Once they were alone, Mica squeezed both of his hands. “Rocco?”
Her touch set off sparks he shouldn’t have. He sighed and said, “Mica, I just want to thank you.”
Her brown hues darkened with confusion. “For what?”
“For sending your lawyers. I wish… I wish I’d had someone like Mr. Brickenridge at my side a few years ago.”
Her cheeks reddened as she glanced at him. “You have me.”
She was the best person he’d ever met. Until now he hadn’t thought anyone might ever be on his side. He sat straighter, took his hands back and said, “Mica, I should probably call you Miss Murphy from now on.”
Her nose wrinkled and she lowered her head as the waitress came from the back and headed toward them. ”From you, that’s worse than ma’am. Just call me Mica as I said. And we need to talk…” The waitress put the plates of food down and Mica briefly closed her eyes. “After we eat.”
She seemed upset about something, when she hadn’t done anything wrong. “Then let’s eat and get going. This isn’t the best town to be caught in if international bad guys start showing up.”
She pointed toward the door and the huge windows that overlooked the station he’d just left. “Or it’s the best, as we’re this close to the police station.”
True. He picked up his burger. “As long as you and Jacob are safe. That’s what matters.”
Rocco hardly tasted the food he ate. His mind kept replaying today. The cops should have known who he was. He should be in jail, but somehow the sweet angel in front of him had saved him.
&nb
sp; Chapter 15
Mica’s heart raced so fast she was absolutely sure that she might just melt into a pile of water.
Rocco was confident without needing to take charge. Most men weren’t comfortable with her domineering ways, but he just went with the flow. And now that his record was clean, he could just leave her when she… cared.
Rocco buckled her son into the Versace stroller as Jacob was asleep and held the door to the restaurant for them.
She pushed the stroller but straightened her shoulders.
She had to tell him right now. The last place she should head was the car with such tight quarters for passengers.
Not as every cell in her body flared.
It was time to come clean.
She sucked in her breath like this might be the last one she’d ever have and noticed the black swinging gate to a small park to her right.
At least there she could stand and face him. And give him room to leave.
She pointed that direction. “Rocco, walk with me.”
He motioned toward the parking lot where her car was and said, “We should get you out of town.”
And in a few minutes she’d drive them out of here. Jacob might wake from the night air, but Rocco might want to leave. Mica had to explain. She positioned the stroller where she wanted to go and said, “We will. I’m not veering far from the station, but I figure the park is a better setting for what I have to say.”
He stayed beside her but shook his head like he hated her plan. “It’s late at night and parks are open to the public and often have homeless…” She reached for the gate and he dropped his hands to his sides. “Okay. Just for a minute.”
Her body was tight. “Thanks. I just need to move a little and not worry someone is going to interrupt us.”
He let the gate close behind them and then glanced around the park, instantly directing them to the brightest spot with a bench beneath two street lights bearing down. “This sounds serious. If you don’t want me to go with you, I understand. I have to tell you—I have a prison record. I escaped from jail so there is no way I should be anywhere near you.”
Hidden Rocco (Hidden Alphas Book 5) Page 12