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Sweet Vengeance

Page 24

by Cindy Stark


  Jase nodded. "Three, six, something, five, six, nine."

  She didn't want to admit it, but the scenario did intrigue her. "Do you think he really did have incriminating evidence, a recording of Franco Trasatti? That he hid it somewhere, and together, our tattoos are the combination to that lock?"

  "It makes sense. Trasatti probably wondered the same thing after they murdered Joey. That could be why they wanted you so badly. They figured you were the key." He squeezed her to him. "You've been the answer all along. If I would have just kept you in my life like you wanted...God, the years I could have saved us."

  She pulled back, wanting to see his eyes. "Are you admitting you knew I loved you? You purposefully forced me out of your life, knowing it would hurt both of us?" Would she have kept her baby if he would have let her stay? No, she couldn't go there now. She'd made the best decision she could at the time, and giving her baby a better life could not have been a wrong choice.

  His lips thinned into a tortured line. "Allie, you can't possibly know how much I regret that."

  "And yet, you're poised to do it again." She elbowed him in the gut.

  "I admit it. I live a dangerous life, Allie. Like I told you last night, I love you, and I'll die trying to keep you safe."

  She scoffed. "What good does that do me? What good is it to be alive if I can't be happy?" She leaned back into his chest. "Why can't you understand that?"

  He wrapped his arms around her. "I do understand, but—"

  "But you're a pig-headed control freak." And she loved him despite it. "So, now what?"

  "Now, I have to figure out where the lock is that goes with this combination." He leaned his head close to her ear. "Allie, if this pans out, you realize that we'll be free. Free from the past, free to love each other without fear."

  She wanted that more than anything. She turned her head, putting her cheek against his. "Do you really mean that? Can you let the past go?"

  He nodded. "I think I already have. I didn't realize it until I saw your tattoo. It's like somebody's trying to tell me something. You dropped into my life six years ago, and if I'd been smart enough and listened to my instincts, I would have realized you were the answer." He kissed her cheek. "Well, I'm listening now, and my heart's telling me to finish this one last thing and let it go. I'm ready to move on."

  She lifted a hand over her shoulder and pressed it to his cheek. "I love you, Jase."

  He rolled her onto her back and followed her down, pinning her with his thighs. His face was mere inches away. Softly, he ran his fingers across her bangs and down the side of her face, as he stared into her eyes. A shiver of happiness squeezed her heart. Her perfect man was right in front of her.

  "I love you, too, Allie." He gave her a gentle kiss. "I've loved you for a damn long time."

  She smiled, her heart swelling with joy. She had one more thing to tell him. She put her hands on the sides of his face. "Jase, I think I know what we're trying to unlock."

  His eyes widened in surprise. "What?"

  She nodded, feeling as though everything that had been such a puzzle for years was finally falling into place. "It just came to me. I'd never given it a second thought in all these years. Joey used to take me bowling all the time. He loved it. In fact, it's where we met.

  "I worked at a place called Brad's Bowling. Joey knew the owner and would go in on weekend mornings and help him polish the floors. Then Brad would let him play for free sometimes. I'd only worked there for a few days before Joey asked me out." Goosebumps spiked on her arm. Could this really be the answer? "I liked it because Joey never took his 'boys' there. It was our special place."

  "Tell me why you think the recording is there."

  Allie rolled her eyes, wishing Jase could mind-read so he could keep up with her. "Joey had a locker there. Brad gave him one to keep his bowling ball in. Plus, his boys wouldn't know anything about the locker. What safer place?"

  "That could be why the Trasattis never found it." He paused, and she could see the thoughts turning behind his eyes. "Do you really think it would be left untouched after all this time?"

  Excitement bubbled out of Allie. "There's only one way to find out. We need to go there. Now."

  Jase glanced at his watch. "It's barely nine. Bowling alleys don't open this early."

  She pushed at his biceps. "They might. Somebody might be there."

  He kissed her before rolling out of bed. He held out a hand to help her up. When she was on her feet, he drew her against his muscled chest. "Just slow down. I want to check it out as much as you do, but I don't think it'll do us much good to get there before ten at the earliest. I'm going to shower and then go get us breakfast while you get dressed."

  "That's too long," she said as she slipped into his robe. She didn't think she could wait any longer. Too many years had been wasted all ready.

  He smiled at her impatience. "If it hasn't already disappeared, another hour isn't going to change anything." He gave her a quick kiss on the lips and tugged her toward the shower.

  * * *

  Jase left the coffee shop, his hands full. Two coffees to go and a couple of bagels. The morning air was cool and muggy from the previous night's rain. Dark clouds hung heavy in the sky. Leaves and small branches littered the sidewalk, casualties from the wild weather.

  The pulse throbbed in his temples from the extra adrenaline that had been pumping through his body since the moment he'd discovered Allie's tattoo. He was close. So close, he could taste it. Since Allie had re-entered his life, everything had started to fall into place. The clues that seemed to come out of nowhere. Allie's memories. He had the Trasatti family by the balls this time, he chuckled, and they didn't even know it.

  He crossed the busy street when the pedestrian light gave him the go ahead and then walked one block north to the building that housed his suite.

  Once he'd taken down his enemies, he'd sell the place. That and everything else he owned in the city that had been so cruel to him. He'd leave Chicago with Allie and never look back.

  He noticed the unmarked police vehicle parked alongside the curb in front of his building. Most people would think it was an innocent tan sedan, but he'd learned to look for the telltale signs of a police presence. Plus, it was parked in a loading zone.

  His first thought was for Allie's safety, but the cops weren't a threat to her, and as far as he knew, nothing had gone down recently that he could be linked to.

  He headed toward the entrance, his momentary calm dashed away by the officers leaning against the front of the building. He forced himself to remain relaxed, keeping his stride steady and even. The doorman glanced at him with a guilty expression, turned and went inside the building.

  Something was up. As he reached the front doors, the undercover officers straightened. "Mr. Tyler?" They moved toward him.

  Jase surveyed the men. Both were in decent shape. One didn't look old enough to wear the uniform, and the other had a ridiculous mustache. He didn't recognize either one. "Yeah?"

  "We're going to need to take you downtown for questioning."

  Before Jase had a chance to react, the youngest officer reached for Jase's arm causing him to drop one of the coffees and the bag of bagels. The handcuffs clicked around his wrist. "What the hell?" Jase threw the remaining coffee at the cops' feet before either of them could grab his other arm.

  After that, he didn't struggle. He'd learned a long time ago that arguing or even trying to defend himself against the cops only made things worse. They shoved him to their car and roughly put him in the backseat.

  "What are you taking me in for?" he asked, as the unmarked sedan pulled away from the curb.

  "Sergeant Cates would like to question you on the kidnapping of a woman named Alexandra Fox." The moustached-cop eyed him in the rear-view mirror.

  "What?" Jase nearly exploded. "I didn't kidnap her."

  The younger officer turned in his seat. "Witnesses say she was forced into a limo yesterday afternoon, outside the police s
tation. The car is registered in your name. She hasn't been seen since."

  Jase knew better than to talk. He should keep his mouth shut until his attorney was present, and they'd actually charged him with something. "Yes, I picked her up in my car yesterday. But I didn't kidnap her for hell's sake. She's in my penthouse right now. That was her damn breakfast you tossed on the sidewalk back there. If you turn around, we can clear this whole thing up."

  The officer kept driving. "We have our orders, sir."

  "This is absurd. You're wasting your time and mine." And God knew he had better things to do.

  "We'll send someone to check it out, Mr. Tyler," the younger officer replied with a sarcastic tone. "In the meantime, Sergeant Cates wants a word with you."

  Jase cussed under his breath and sank back against the seat, admitting his defeat. And that was why he should never piss off a cop. Maybe if he hadn't thrown the other coffee, they'd be a little easier to work with. Cates obviously wanted to harass him or the officers would have gone back to check for Allie.

  Ah, hell.

  He thought of Allie waiting for him back at the penthouse. She would think he'd ditched her.

  * * *

  Allie glanced at the wrought iron clock that hung near Jase's front door. It was already past ten. The bowling alley would be open—she'd checked the phone book for operating hours after Jase left to get breakfast at a nearby coffee shop. Since then, she'd had time to blow-dry her hair and get dressed. A pair of jeans and a T-shirt had been waiting on his bed for her.

  She shifted on his soft leather couch, listening to the minutes tick by. He'd been gone almost an hour. There was no way it took that long to go a couple of blocks for bagels and coffee.

  She picked up her phone and then sat it back in her lap. She'd tried to call him five times already. He hadn't answered. She tucked her phone back in her purse, pulled out her gun, checked it, and put it back. She sighed as she glanced around the room, wondering what she should do. Her gaze skipped past the window seat where they'd made love the previous night, and settled on the water splashing down the wall fountain. The tinkling sound it made should have relaxed her, but she felt anything but calm.

  One by one, her insecurities dropped on her like the water falling to the basin below. Jase had said he loved her. She'd believed him. Even now, she had no doubt she was important to him. But was she more important than his thirst for revenge? The small voice inside her spoke. He's left you behind again.

  That was the only explanation as to why she sat on the couch alone. He'd gone without her. She'd given him all the information he'd needed. Then he'd put her back up on that damned pedestal where she was not allowed to live or love, but where she'd be safe.

  She sighed in disgust and stood, walking to the windows, gazing down at the street below. No sign of him, and she'd played the waiting game long enough. Sure, he could have fallen off the curb and broken his ankle. Or maybe the bagels were still baking. Or maybe he'd gone off on his own to play superhero.

  She scoffed. That was exactly what he would do. And why should she be surprised? He'd been pushing her away since they'd first met. He always said he needed to get revenge on his own. He probably figured he'd get to the bowling alley and be halfway back to his apartment before she realized what he'd done.

  Damn him.

  She grabbed her purse and hurried to the door. He wasn't doing this without her.

  Allie had been so intent on getting out the front door of the lobby that she collided with a man entering the building.

  "Whoa." He caught her in his arms taking the brunt of the impact.

  She looked up, startled to find Max's blue eyes staring back at her. "Max?"

  Surprise widened his eyes. "Allie?" He looked around the lobby as though searching for Jase. "What are you doing here? Jase said you were somewhere in Florida."

  Florida? Jase really hadn't told anyone where she'd gone. "I'm here on some personal business." She wasn't about to give Max any details. He hadn't been the kindest person during her previous stay with Jase. "What are you doing here?"

  "I came to see Jase."

  No doubt Jase had called Max to give him the good news. "He's already gone out searching for it." She was still ticked. "He was supposed to wait for me, but as you can see, he didn't."

  Max arched his brows. "I guess he was in a hurry."

  "I'm sure he was. But something this important...he should have taken me along."

  "You know how worried he is about you." Max narrowed his eyes, tilting his head slightly. "If you'd like, I can drive you there. You do know where he's headed, right?"

  "Of course, I do." Max still irritated her. "I'm the one who figured out where it was."

  He nodded toward the entrance. "My car's just outside."

  As much as she didn't care for Max, riding with him would save her the time it took to catch a taxi. "Fine. Let's go." And if he tried anything stupid, she did have her gun.

  * * *

  The handcuffs chafed against Jase's wrists as the moustached officer shoved him into a chair in Sergeant Cates' office. "Wait here."

  Jase cussed under his breath at the retreating officer's form. He should have become a cop instead of a vigilante. Then he wouldn't have to put up with this bullshit.

  He looked around Cates' office, anxious to give the sergeant a piece of his mind. He wasn't surprised the place was a mess. Cates had always been a pig. Files scattered on the desk, a soggy-looking fast-food cup sitting near his computer. Cates was worse than an asshole for hauling him in. He didn't have anything on Jase. He'd been trying for years, and Cates could never make anything stick.

  The name on one of the folders caught Jase's attention. Joey Pagano. Jase scooted closer in his chair to get a better look at the other files. Benny Trasatti. Gregory Winslow. Shit. Everything Cates knew about those cases sat inches in front of him, and his damn hands were cuffed behind his back.

  Maybe he could elbow one of them open. But before he could act, Cates entered his office.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  "Jase Tyler." The veteran Chicago police officer stared down his nose and over his bushy moustache at Jase. "Looks like you've been busted again."

  "You haven't got shit on me, Cates, and you know it." Jase eyed him with contempt.

  "What about Alexandra Fox? I have several eyewitnesses willing to testify you kidnapped her." The sergeant sat at his desk, gathering all the files into one pile.

  Jase eyed the manila folders before he shifted his hardened gaze to the overweight officer. "Miss Fox is happily ensconced in my apartment waiting for her breakfast." Jase gave him a cocky grin. "We were up quite late last night. In fact, she might still be in bed." Jase wanted the cop to know Allie was in his camp, not the cop's.

  Cates' eyes narrowed. "So you say."

  "So, she'll say, too, if you'll cut out this bullshit game and go check on her."

  A smug smile curved the sergeant's lips. "Already did. No one's there."

  Jase straightened in his chair. "What? What do you mean she's not there?" A wild panic flared inside him. "Did they knock on the door, or did they go inside?"

  "She's not there. She was spotted leaving with a blond man who sounds an awful lot like your sidekick, Max Carper."

  "No." The jolt to Jase's heart would have been enough to revive a dead man. "I've got to get out of here." He stood, and Cates followed suit.

  "You're not going anywhere, Tyler."

  Flames heated Jase's fear to white hot. "It's obvious I didn't kidnap her. You just admitted she left of her own free will." He'd had enough of this idiotic cat-and-mouse game. "You have nothing to hold me on."

  Cates walked around until he was face-to-face with Jase. "Maybe, maybe not. I still have people saying you committed a crime." He shoved Jase's chest, knocking him back into the chair. "Until I have a chance to gather some facts, it would be remiss of me to let you go."

  Jase glared at the man he'd long despised. "You know you haven't got anything on
me."

  Cates shrugged and opened one of the folders on his desk. "I've got men looking for Miss Fox. Once we verify she's okay, I'll let you go." He arched a bushy brow. "Unless I manage to come up with something else on you in the meantime."

  Jase buried his fear in order to get a clear head. Allie was in danger. He knew it. More likely than not, Allie would think he'd left her behind. He should have been more open with her about Max. Damn. More open about everything.

  She'd be just pissed enough she'd trust Max. And why shouldn't she? Jase had always trusted him, too.

  Could be he was wrong and Max would help her.

  No. He knew that wasn't true. Max had never let on he didn't have Allie's best interests at heart, but there was something in the way he continually probed Jase for information on her. He wanted to find her, and Jase's gut told him it didn't have anything to do with helping their cause.

  Shit. "Cates."

  The cop looked up from his files with a lazy gaze, and Jase knew damn well the officer had been playing him.

  "We can't wait for your men to find Allie."

  A bushy gray brow shot up. "Allie? I thought her name was Alexandra." He gave Jase a thoughtful look as though he were pondering some new information. Jase rolled his eyes. "Hmm," the officer continued. "Wasn't there someone connected to the Pagano murder by the name of Allie? Joey's girlfriend, I believe."

  "Don't make an ass of yourself, Cates. If you haven't figured out she's one and the same, you're an idiot. She told me all about your meeting."

  "You're the one playing games, Tyler. It sounds to me like you need to come clean with some information." A look of triumph sparkled in Cates' eyes.

  Jase didn't care. At this point, he didn't even care if they located Joey's recording or not. All he cared about was making sure Allie was safe.

  He took a deep breath. "Allie thinks she's figured out where Joey's recording might be. We were going to go there this morning until your men hauled me in." He tried not to think of what might happen to her. "I'm sure she's now headed there with Max. And if my gut instinct is correct, Max is no longer playing for my team." He released a worried breath, pinning the cop with a serious look. "I think Trasatti has him in his pocket. If I'm right, once they get what they want, Allie's dead."

 

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