Sex & Lies

by Iannarelli, Michelle

  “I’ve warned you twice, the next time you die!”

  Ryan looked down at his phone. Miguel was right. He screenshot the message, hit send and then called Miguel.

  “I saw it.”

  “You were right.”

  “It’s not about right or wrong. It’s about keeping you and our women safe.”

  “I think I need to distance myself from them.”

  “Ryan, calm down.”

  “What if they come for me when I’m with Alex or Faith and one of them…”

  “RYAN! Listen to me, I have you all protected. I’ve increased my manpower and my men are already working on tracking down the phone number. It’s probably a burner phone but you never know.”

  “Thanks. I’ve got to go.”

  “Ryan, don’t do anything stupid.”

  Ryan ended the call.

  Faith pulled up at five o’clock and Ryan came out a few minutes later.

  “How was your day?”

  “Busy.”

  “Are you feeling alright?”

  “Fine.”

  “Ryan, is something wrong?”

  “I need to go home.”

  “I’ll head straight there.”

  “I need to go to my home.”

  “Ok. I can call and have dinner delivered there.”

  “No, Faith, you don’t understand. I need to go home to my house and you need to go home to yours.”

  Faith’s stomach knotted. “Why?”

  “I need some space.”

  “Don’t do this.”

  “This?”

  “Ryan, don’t shut me out. If something is wrong, then let me help you.”

  “You can’t. I’ve tried to figure this out and there’s no other…”

  “Ryan, no…”

  “Faith, I thought I could…” Ryan could barely speak he was so upset but he needed to say it to keep Faith safe. “I can’t be who you want me to be. I’m not cut out for a relationship. It’s over.”

  Faith burst into tears. “No, Ryan, you’re just scared. Please, please, don’t do this. I love you.”

  Ryan couldn’t listen to her cry. It was ripping his heart out. “Pull over.”

  Faith thought that Ryan wanted to talk so she pulled over but before she got the car into park Ryan opened his door and got out. As he limped away he could hear Faith crying. He felt as if his heart was tearing in half.

  “Hello.”

  “Ry…”

  “Faith…Faith…I can’t understand you.”

  Miguel could hear by the tone of Alex’s voice that she was worried. He walked over and placed his hand on Alex’s back.

  “She’s crying.”

  Miguel exhaled. He was fairly sure he knew why she was crying. Damn Ryan.

  “Ryan, he…he…”

  “Is Ryan alright?”

  “He broke….” Faith burst into tears again. “with me.”

  “He broke up with you?” Alex looked at Miguel.

  Faith squeaked out. “Yes.”

  “Oh, Sweetie, I’m home. Come over.”

  “I’m here.”

  “Here?” Alex walked over to the window and peeked out. “Why are you sitting out there then?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “I’ll come out and get you.”

  Alex disconnected the phone and handed it to Miguel. “I’m going outside. She’s sitting in her car out front.”

  “I’ll go get the ice cream and the Tequila.”

  Alex kissed Miguel on the cheek. “Thank you. After I get her settled, I’m going to beat the crap out of my brother.” Alex walked out.

  Miguel mumbled aloud. “You better hurry before someone else gets to him first.”

  TWO WEEKS HAD PASSED. Faith had texted and left voicemails but Ryan didn’t respond to any of them. He spent every day since he left Faith drinking and trying to forget the sound of her crying when he got out of the car. He stumbled into work still half-drunk from the night before and walked into his office.

  Faith was inside leaving a box on Ryan’s desk. She was beyond tears at the moment, now she was angry. “You left these things at my house.”

  Ryan’s heart sunk. It had been so much easier not seeing her or hearing her voice. He didn’t make eye contact, instead he looked down at the floor. “Thank you.”

  Faith walked toward the door and stopped when she was next to Ryan. “You’re a bigger asshole than I ever could have imagined.”

  Ryan closed his eyes and inhaled, he loved how Faith always smelled like vanilla sugar. He missed her so much but he knew he had to let her go. He didn’t reply, he just walked over to his desk and sat down.

  Faith walked out and headed toward the elevator.

  Ryan looked up from his desk after he heard Faith leave. He opened his desk drawer and his bottle of Vodka was empty. He needed a drink. He got up and headed out of his office. It was then that he saw Faith in Zac’s arms.

  Faith was about to get into the elevator when Zac got out. “Faith, are you alright?”

  That was all Faith needed to hear before she burst into tears. Faith shook her head. “Ryan’s an asshole.”

  “I probably should keep my opinion to myself on that.” Zac handed Faith a handkerchief.

  “I’m sorry. You’re the last person I should be crying to about Ryan.”

  “It’s awkward, but Faith, I’m still your friend.” Zac grabbed her and hugged her.

  “I really thought he loved me.”

  “Some people just aren’t meant to be in a committed relationship.”

  “I’m so sorry, Zac. Sorry about this and sorry about us.”

  “Why don’t you come to my office and have a cup of coffee? You’re too upset to go anywhere like this.”

  Faith pulled away and wiped her eyes. “Ok.”

  Zac wrapped his arm around her and walked her down the hall.

  Ryan couldn’t get away from Faith and Zac fast enough. He got into his car and headed to the nearest liquor store. He wasn’t even out of the store before he opened the bottle of Vodka and started drinking it. Then he got back into his car and pulled it around to the back of the lot so that he could continue drinking. All he wanted was to be able to forget about Faith and numb his pain.

  Ryan was awoken by someone banging on his car window. He guessed that he must have passed out. He rolled down the window.

  “Can I help you?”

  “Yeah, you’re going to do exactly as I say or I’m going to have my friend here blow your brains out.”

  Ryan glanced over at the other window and there was a man with a gun standing there. Ryan opened his car door and slammed it into the man who was standing there, then he put the car into reverse and hit the gas. Bullets were flying from every direction. The last thing Ryan felt was pain and then there was an explosion.

  Ryan was pulled from his burning car by Craig, who had also been hit while trying to protect Ryan. Reed, his partner wasn’t so lucky and was killed in the gunfight. Before Reed went down he managed to take out three of the four shooters. Craig killed the other one and then he pulled Ryan from his car before slumping over on top of Ryan’s almost lifeless body. Craig managed to remain conscious long enough for his back up to arrive.

  Miguel’s phone rang, he looked down and saw that it was the police department calling. Miguel looked at Miles. “This isn’t good.”

  Miles walked over to Miguel’s desk.

  Miguel answered the phone. “Cruz.”

  “It’s Detective St. Paul. Your brother-in-law and one of your men are on their way to the hospital.”

  “How bad?”

  “Bad, they’re both critical. One of your men, Reed, didn’t make it. I’m sorry.”

  “What the hell happened?”

  “Looks like someone tried to take out your brother-in-law, there was some serious gunfight here and his car burst into flames.”

  “I’m going to head to the hospital. Keep me posted.”

  “You keep me posted. Your m
en always seem to be one step ahead of us.”

  “Will do.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Thank you for calling me.”

  “You bet.”

  Miguel and Miles were already headed toward the door before he even hung up the phone.

  Alex came bouncing out of the elevator as Miguel and Miles came rushing down the hall. Alex could tell right away that something was wrong. “Miguel, what is it?”

  “We have to go. Get back on the elevator.”

  “But why? Tell me what’s going on?”

  Miguel reached for Alex’s hand. “Ryan’s been shot…”

  “SHOT!”

  “Alex, calm down. Craig and Reed handled it.”

  “Handled it? Handled it how? I mean if they handled it then Ryan wouldn’t have gotten shot!” Alex pulled away.

  Miguel wrapped his arms around Alex. “Sweetheart, I know you’re upset but these people, they are professionals too and…”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “It’s ok, I know how much your brother means to you.”

  Alex noticed Miles looked very upset too. “Miles, are you alright?”

  Miles briefly glanced at Miguel before answering. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

  Alex looked from Miles to Miguel and back again. “Miguel?”

  Miguel exhaled. “Ryan and Craig are critical but Reed…Reed didn’t make it.” Miguel shook his head.

  Alex grabbed Miguel and hugged him and then she pulled Miles into their hug. “I’m so sorry. I know he was your friend too.”

  The elevator doors opened and Miguel’s car and driver were waiting for them. The trio rushed over to the awaiting car and they sped off.

  Faith was rolling along in slow moving traffic when she reached what she assumed was the reason for all of the traffic. She watched as the firefighters extinguished a car fire. Suddenly out of the corner of her eye she saw what looked like bodies on the ground and a crew of EMT’s huddled around two of the bodies. Then the smoke started to clear…Faith shrieked out, “OH MY GOD RYAN! NOOO!” Faith jumped the curb, parked on the sidewalk and started running toward Ryan.

  A cop lunged in front of her and grabbed her. “Miss, you can’t…”

  “I have to see him.”

  “Miss, this is an active crime scene investigation. You need to go back to your car.”

  Faith saw one of the cops, Drew Travis, her friend Dani’s husband. “Drew!”

  Drew looked up and when he saw Faith he came right over. Drew remembered seeing Faith with Ryan at the last Legal Council Dinner. “Faith, I’m sorry.”

  “Can I go to him?”

  Drew nodded. “I’ll take it from here.” The other cop nodded and walked away.

  “Faith, before you get any closer, he’s critical and…”

  “I don’t care. I need to be there for him.”

  “Ok.”

  Drew walked Faith over to Ryan. Faith looked down and she started to shake. Drew wrapped his arm around her waist. “You have to be strong for him.”

  Faith looked at Ryan. The EMT’s were working on him to try and get him breathing again. His right leg and hand looked burned and the rest of him was covered with blood and soot.

  One of the EMT’s yelled. “I got a pulse.”

  Faith exhaled as the crew lifted up the backboard with Ryan on it and placed him down onto the gurney. “Can I go with him?”

  The ambulance driver nodded. “You can climb in after we get him set to go.”

  “Thank you.”

  Alex paced in the hall adjacent to the emergency room entrance. Miguel and Miles had both been on their phones since they arrived. Alex saw an ambulance arrive. She ran over hoping it was Ryan but it was Craig.

  Miles followed Craig inside hoping that he would regain consciousness and he’d be able to give him a lead or confirm if it was the Grimaldi family who was responsible for the attack on Ryan.

  Miguel hung up his phone and walked over to Alex. “Faith is with Ryan.”

  “What? Was she in the car too?”

  “No, she somehow found out and my men told me that she drove her car up onto the sidewalk and forced her way through the crime scene and over to Ryan.”

  Alex actually chuckled as she pictured tiny Faith forcing her way by all of the cops. “Thank God he isn’t alone.”

  Miguel hugged Alex. “I’m sorry that my men…”

  “It’s not their fault. I’m sorry I even suggested that they weren’t doing their jobs.”

  Another ambulance backed in and this time Faith jumped out. Alex ran over to Faith and the two hugged as they cried. Miguel’s heart broke for Alex.

  The crew rushed Ryan by them and into the ER. Miguel followed them inside. His men had told him how critical Ryan’s condition was but he hoped he’d regained consciousness, no such luck though. After seeing him, Miguel wasn’t even confident that Ryan would survive.

  FAITH HAD SPENT THE last three days praying at Ryan’s bedside. She knew that when and if he woke up that he’d kick her out but until she knew that he was going to be alright she wasn’t going anywhere.

  “Faith, why don’t you go home for a while and get some sleep.”

  “I can’t leave him, Miles.”

  “Faith, you need some rest.”

  “I’ll have time to rest after he wakes up and kicks me out.”

  “What? You mean you two aren’t back together?”

  Faith shook her head. “No.”

  “Oh. Eden told me that she saw you at the office when she stopped in to talk to Zac and I guess I just figured…”

  “I was there dropping off some of Ryan’s things and…” Faith broke down.

  Miles got up and walked over and pulled her up into a hug. “Shhh. It’s going to be ok.”

  “He’s going to die and not know how much I really love him.”

  “Faith, I’m sure he knows how much you love him.”

  “The last thing I told him was ‘that he was a bigger asshole than I thought’ but I love him. I was just so angry and hurt.”

  “You need a change of scenery. Let’s go get you a cup of coffee.”

  “I don’t want him to be alone if…”

  “Alex and Eden will be back in a few minutes.”

  “Ok, I’ll go but when they get back.”

  “Deal.”

  Miguel had barely slept. He had every available man working on Ryan’s case as well as tracking down the Grimaldi’s. He wanted to make sure that whoever killed Reed and wounded Craig and Ryan paid for it.

  “I much prefer to come back for a wedding than a funeral.”

  Miguel jumped up from his desk and shook Dane’s hand. “Don’t I know it.”

  Dane sat down and Miguel handed him a cup of coffee. “Thanks.” Dane took a sip. “Mmm, so good.”

  “I had Lacey make you a cup when I saw your car pull into the garage.”

  “She wasn’t at her desk when I came in. I will have to track her down and thank her later.”

  “Grimaldi’s men were definitely the ones in the morgue. This we know. Now what we need to do is come up with a plan of action.”

  “We need to take them down.”

  “I agree but until we’ve done that we need to find a way to keep Alex and Faith safe.”

  “You know as well as I do that unless Ryan is dead that they are in danger.”

  “Yes and that’s why I think we need to eliminate Ryan from the equation.”

  “It certainly would ensure their safety.”

  Miguel started to pace. “I just worry about how Alex will handle it.”

  “Alex is a strong woman. She’ll be alright.”

  “I hate hurting her.”

  “Migs, you’re not hurting her, you’re protecting her.”

  “I just wish there was another way.” Miguel sat down at his desk and dropped his head into his hands.

  Eden sat there watching Alex as she stared down at her brother with tears rolling down her cheeks.

  “He�
�s a stubborn jerk, he’ll wake up.”

  Alex sniffled. “I’m not sure he will.”

  “Alex, you need to be strong for the both of you.”

  “How can I be strong when he looks as if he is already dead. Look at HIM!” Alex stepped back. “He can’t breathe on his own, I can’t hold his hand because one is burned and the other is full of tubes. Eden, it’s like he is only existing because of all of these machines.”

  Eden wrapped her arms around Alex and held her while they both cried.

  “Lacey, Baby!” Dane grabbed Lacey from behind and kissed her cheek.

  Lacey felt her body heat up when she heard Dane’s sexy voice but when he wrapped his arms around her she began to melt. If only she could remain in his arms. “Welcome back.”

  Dane released his hold and stepped back. “Thank for the best cup of coffee I’ve had since I left.”

  “Maybe you should stay then.”

  “I wish I could. I’ll be here a few days but then I have to go back.”

  “I understand.” Lacey smiled a half smile. She wished he never had to leave again.

  “Yes, I knew as a military wife that you of all women would. Maybe we can grab dinner later?”

  “I don’t think I can.”

  “Because of Molly? She can come along. I’d love to meet her.”

  “Molly is with her grandparents this week.”

  “Then what’s up?”

  “I’m sure you have plenty of people to see during your short visit.”

  “Lacey, did I do something to upset you? Should I not have hugged you?”

  “No. It’s not you, it’s me. I don’t think I would make good company is all.”

  “What’s wrong? Talk to me.”

  “Today’s Dirk’s birthday.”

  “Oh. I see. So you’re missing him more today?”

  “I am. Some days are a lot harder than others.”

  “Then I definitely think that you should have dinner with me. I’m sure Dirk would want you to celebrate for him.”