Settling The Score (BBW Romantic Suspense Contemporary Romance)

by Diane Blake

  Jasinda blinked her eyes. "Craig!" she yelled.

  Then she saw it all at once. Sal! Craig! Gun! She was too far away, she couldn't make it to Sal in time. After everything they'd been through, Sal was going to win anyway!

  Chapter 48

  Jasinda saw Sal wrap his finger around the trigger. "Nooo!" Jasinda screamed. She picked up the closest object to her – one of the soda cans.

  Jasinda held it exactly the way Craig had taught her to hold the football on their date. She brought her arm back. With no time to think about aiming her mini-missile, she just went with her instinct. She hurled the can across the room.

  It's not going to make it in time, Jasinda thought.

  The can sailed through the air.

  Sal's finger started to pull the trigger.

  Jasinda dreaded watching, but she dared not look away.

  Bullseye! She saw the can hit Sal's hand at the same time she heard the gunshot.

  Jasinda held her breath, She turned her head towards Tommy and Craig. The impact of the bullet jerked their bodies backward.

  Tommy looked down at the blood staining his shirt below his heart. He glanced across the room and saw the horrified look on his father's face.

  Jasinda willed herself to breathe again. She'd done it. The jolt of the can against Sal's hand had been enough to knock his aim off. He'd shot his own son instead of shooting Craig!

  Tommy tried to speak, but he just gagged on his own saliva. The once rising mobster fell to his knees. He brought a hand to his chest. He trembled as he pulled it away and saw his own blood dripping to the floor.

  Tommy Dagostino looked up once more at his father. Then he keeled over - dead on the floor.

  Realizing what happened, Craig said, "You saved me, Jasinda."

  "We saved each other," Jasinda pointed out. "In more ways than one."

  Sal looked blankly at Jasinda. Still blaming other people for the consequences of his own actions, he said, "Now you've taken both my sons away from me."

  Craig zip cuffed Sal and got him back into his wheelchair. Craig put his arm around Jasinda. "You'll pay for everything you've done to her. You're going to jail for the rest of your miserable life," Craig promised.

  Sal stared at both of them with hatred behind his eyes. "You foolish boy. Do you know who I am?"

  Jasinda filled in Craig. "That's Sal Dagostino, head of the Dagostino crime family."

  "Am I supposed to be impressed?" Craig asked Sal as the older man straightened up in his wheelchair.

  Jasinda couldn't help herself. She had to ask, "You couldn't keep your son out of prison seven years ago. What makes you think you can keep yourself out now?"

  "Seven years ago we had the incredible bad luck combination of an extremely rare, unbribeable district attorney along with a period of limited resources. That is no longer the case – on either count. After today, I've got virtually unlimited resources."

  "What are you rambling about, old man?" Craig asked.

  "When you – or whoever you got to take your place in the Big Game today - followed the instructions, my family's financial empire grew by a factor of hundreds."

  A flash of recognition crossed Jasinda's face. "That was the second phase you mentioned. That was Tommy's plan, why he wanted me alive longer. So you could force Craig to throw the game with a very specific minimal margin. You bet on the outcome!"

  An evil, greedy smile crossed the older man's lips. "That's right. In casinos. In online pools. In backroom bars. Anywhere and everywhere. With bookies all over the state and even the country. That's how you turn tens of millions of dollars into a billion dollars in one afternoon."

  In the confusion since the grenades went off, the rest of them had forgotten all about the Big Game. Jasinda marveled that the first one to think about it again was the man who had just lost his second son in barely over a week.

  Rivera went over to the AV cart. The flatscreen TV remained on its back on the top shelf of the cart. It was a minor miracle that the cart hadn't tipped over itself or that the TV hadn't been damaged beyond use when it fell over.

  Rivera set the TV upright again. The cracked screen distorted the picture slightly along the jagged line, but not enough to obscure the overall view of the cheering crowds going wild. The sound failed to work though. The rough military guy handled it appropriately. He gave the TV case a smack with his open palm. The sound once again filled the speakers.

  No score showed on the screen at that particular moment. They'd caught it just in time for the sports announcer. "Wow, that was one heck of an amazing game, wasn't it sports fans? One for the history books for sure. Let's take a break from the post-game show and full play by play commentary. Let's take one more look at those final few seconds."

  The screen reverted to the same score that had been in place when the grenades exploded: Blazers 30 – Tigers 23. Only ten seconds remained on the official game clock positioned in the corner of the screen.

  Sal smiled at the thought, that with the game over, all his winnings were already being transferred into his accounts.

  Chapter 49

  On the TV screen, the ball went into play at the Blazers ten yard line.

  The center snapped the ball to Craig, or whoever was on the field in the Wilder uniform. He glanced to his left and right. All his receivers were covered. There was no clear path to the end zone. However, Wilder had no choice. He had to run it!

  Wilder took off like a rocket.

  Two Blazers defensemen charged at him. They looked like a moving freight train. Unfortunately, he had no way or time to go around them. It was through them or not at all.

  One of the approaching Blazers players tripped. His massive body slammed to the ground. His legs flew sideways and took out his teammate. Both fallen men provided a new challenge: a moving mound of opposition.

  If Wilder went down with them, he'd never make the play. The 30 – 23 score would stand.

  The rolling human obstacles closed in...

  Wilder could only go in one direction. Up!

  He jumped. He paid no attention to the flailing arms and legs below him. Wilder kept his focus on the end zone.

  The camera zoomed in as one of the Blazers player's hands scraped the bottom of Wilder's shoe.

  The game announcer speculated whether the Blazers player on the ground could get a grip on Wilder's foot and bring him down.

  Wilder prevailed. He landed on his feet and ran the ball all the way to the end zone! Touchdown!

  The TV sportscaster excitedly reported, "With that amazing play, the score has tightened to Blazers 30 – Tigers 29."

  In the breakroom, Sal slammed his bound fists against the arms of the wheelchair. "Noooo!" he screamed. "What's that fool up to?"

  The sportscaster continued, "What play will Wilder call next? Will he go for the easier one point kick bringing the game to a 30 – 30 tie? A Big Game going into overtime? Rare, but not unheard of. Or will Wilder go all the way? Call for a two point conversion and pull off a miraculous last second win?"

  On the screen, Wilder signaled for his team to go for the conversion! Everyone in the breakroom gasped.

  The official set the ball at the two yard line.

  The center snapped the ball to Wilder who executed a pump fake. The pretend throw worked! While the Blazers searched for the ball, Wilder tucked it under his arm and ran like hell.

  On the way, he feigned a lateral pass to a teammate. The opposition fell for it a second time. He knew there wouldn't be a third. His only option was to force his way to the end zone.

  The defense didn't make it easy. One player after another grabbed at him, blocked him, or tried to knock him over. He plowed them down like bowling pins.

  With two men at his heels, Wilder crossed the goal line. He threw the ball on the ground and pumped his fists in victory.

  The roar of the crowd drowned out the ref's whistle. The successful two point conversion gave the Tigers a win. Final score: Tigers 31 – Blazers 30.


  The sportscaster marveled, "What a game folks! That's why star quarterback Craig Wilder gets paid the big bucks! And that is how you play football!"

  In the breakroom, Sal shook his head in disbelief. "I'm ruined. I've got nothing left. We bet it all. We had it all worked out. Every detail." Sal's left arm ached. He figured he must have landed on it when he hit the floor diving for the gun earlier. Sal continued to stare at the TV screen. "It was impossible to lose. It was a sure thing..."

  "The only sure thing in life is true love," Craig said with a comforting arm around Jasinda. She gratefully cuddled against him, enjoying the warmth of his protective embrace that she had feared she'd never experience again.

  "If I had known you were going to turn this sappy, Wilder, I wouldn't have agreed to help you out on this mission," Rivera teased.

  "Shut up, Rivera! You're just jealous," Craig shot back.

  Seeing the expression on their faces when Craig and Jasinda looked at each other, Rivera couldn't argue the point.

  Sal gasped for breath. He slumped over in the wheelchair. "It feels like an elephant is stomping on my chest."

  "He must be having a heart attack!" Jasinda yelled.

  Sal raised his clenched fists in Jasinda's direction. He croaked out his last words, "Damn you. Damn you all!"

  Sal fell back. Nobody moved for a second.

  "He's not breathing anymore," Jasinda whispered.

  Craig stepped forward and checked for vital signs. "It's all right, Jasinda. It's over now. He's dead."

  Jasinda's whole body went limp with relief. For exactly twenty seconds. Then she remembered the questions. Sure, she had questions for Craig, namely how he found her and how in the world he had managed to be in two places at once.

  She feared the answers to those questions might pale in comparison to the inevitable questions he must have for her. Starting with how she got mixed up with the Dagostino crime family.

  Then there was the one question she dreaded the most. Would Craig Wilder still be interested in her when he found out what she had done seven years ago?

  Chapter 50

  Craig obviously couldn't stay around and wait for the police. He wasn't about to explain to them how he could be rescuing Jasinda at the auto chop shop while at the same time be across town playing in the Big Game on live television in front of one hundred million fans worldwide.

  They'd agreed ahead of time that Rivera would get sole credit for the rescue operation. He'd simply tell the police that he acted alone. The only people left who could contradict him were the two henchmen in the breakroom.

  The police would hardly consider two low level mafia goons as credible witnesses. Beyond that, Rivera planned to tell the police that the disorienting effects of stun grenades often cause people to misperceive reality.

  Rivera stayed inside to watch the henchmen while Craig and Jasinda exited the building. The pizza delivery van roared down the street and screeched to a stop alongside the curb.

  "I know its ridiculous to think of food right now, but I wish that van were here for us," Jasinda said.

  "Actually, it is," Craig informed her. "Come on, we don't have much time. I'll explain everything."

  Craig slid the door open to reveal the inside was no ordinary hollow van. A mobile computer lab greeted them. Wires zigzagged among the several keyboards and monitors. Communications equipment that provided satellite high speed Internet access flashed its operating lights.

  Craig and Jasinda jumped into the van. It sped away from the curb.

  "Wow!" Jasinda commented.

  "You ain't seen nothing yet!" Craig teased. A man wearing Craig's number eighteen football uniform emblazoned with the name Wilder came out from behind a partition.

  "Oh, my God," Jasinda said as she saw his face. "You look so much like Craig."

  "I like to think he looks like me, even if he's more famous. I am the one who's a year older."

  "Jasinda, meet my brother Stephen," Craig said. "I hope you weren't worried it was going to turn out to be some sort of freakish sci-fi twin explanation."

  Jasinda laughed, but thought, I can't believe how well Craig knows how my mind works. She said, "Speaking of sci-fi...in a pizza delivery van." She gestured around the vehicle.

  Stephen explained, "That logo on the outside was just for fun. It sure came in handy today. This inside? Just a rich computer geek's mobile playroom filled with toys. I like to keep my equipment with me wherever I am."

  Craig said, "Before he starts explaining every pixel and megabyte, we don't have a lot of time. I'm sure the Tigers are going crazy with their quarterback missing after the Big Game victory."

  "You're not kidding," Stephen agreed. "I actually had more trouble slipping away from the sports paparazzi after the game than I had impersonating you on the field on live TV!"

  "Great job by the way. I saw the replay. Awesome touchdown and conversion."

  "Thanks."

  "I always said you'd make a great pro player too."

  Stephen accepted the compliment with a nod. "Once was enough for me. I was dying out there. I don't know how you deal with that pressure all the time."

  "We need to switch clothes," Craig pointed out..

  "I brought you a fresh outfit. I was hoping I could keep this one as a souvenir," Stephen said.

  "You earned it, bro."

  "Your new duds are behind the petition."

  Craig left his brother to talk with Jasinda while he went to change.

  "How did you guys find me?" Jasinda asked.

  "We monitored police broadcasts and learned they knew nothing of your whereabouts. The police couldn't get a full or even partial license plate from any of the angles of the university's surveillance cameras. That left them stumped."

  "But not you, apparently."

  "Nope. I hacked into the university security system. Retrieved footage of the abduction. Then I hacked into the city's traffic cam archives as well as that of other local businesses with security cameras with street views - like banks and stores. It was a matter of combing the footage with image recognition software to find a match. Then tracking the movement of the vehicle among all the different physical locations until it disappeared from the grid."

  "Sounds so complicated," Jasinda marveled.

  "The real obstacle in situations like this is time. Could I get the result before the deadline?"

  Jasinda winced in reaction.

  "Sorry, poor choice of words. Believe me, it was close. The systems didn't provide the necessary info to coalesce and analyze until the last few minutes of the game."

  "How did you keep track of it all from the football field?"

  Stephen held up his wrist. "Latest tech available. High speed Internet watch connected to my systems you see here. I couldn't wear the watch during actual game play because it's non regulation pro gear. I was only able to check it when I could get to the sidelines."

  Craig reappeared in his new clothes.

  "Spiffy, bro," Stephen observed.

  "I love how you go from post modern techno geek to retro in like half a second."

  "It's part of my charm."

  "Wait, how did you guys communicate?" Jasinda asked. "We all saw Craig on TV, actually Stephen pretending to be Craig, reacting to Tommy's commands."

  Craig smiled. "I was in the van the whole time, riding around the city, just waiting to get the location. I was connected into the call the whole time too. It was really my voice answering with Stephen providing the visuals."

  "Yeah, we used to do a silly ventriloquist routine like that when we were kids. It finally paid off."

  "And of course we could also talk to each other without Tommy hearing us," Craig added.

  "And who's Rivera?" Jasinda asked.

  Craig explained, "An old military buddy. I'd invited him to town ages ago as a guest to attend the Big Game. He was happy to help me when he heard about the rescue mission."

  "What about Sauvage? How did you get his jacket?"

  Crai
g laughed. "It's mine. That was my nickname in my unit. Sauvage means 'wild' in French. My friends had this jacket custom made outside of normal channels since official regulations only permit real names."

  As the van approached the private back entrance to the stadium, Jasinda said, "Craig, I'm so sorry I made you miss your first chance to play in the Big Game."