Settling The Score (BBW Romantic Suspense Contemporary Romance)

by Diane Blake

  Jasinda started her car and slammed her foot on the gas pedal. Gravel flew out from under the spinning back tires. The car lurched forward.

  Too late! The other car smashed into them. The force jolted Tim and Jasinda in their seats. The seatbelts held them in place and the airbags deployed.

  Tim recovered from the shock first. He opened the passenger door and tumbled onto the ground. He produced a gun from his pocket. He walked towards the other car shooting.

  Bullets pinged off the metal. One shattered the windshield. He kept firing inside towards the driver's seat.

  Jasinda stared blankly as she watched her accountant boyfriend wield the weapon like a pro. The surreal feeling of watching something traumatic unfold in front of you and also being part of it at the same time washed over her.

  The passenger door of the offending vehicle opened. A brutish, uniformed security guard crawled out. Blood stained his arm, but he somehow kept the pain at bay.

  "Tim! Look out!" Jasinda screamed. The security guard got to his feet and moved around the car in a crouching position.

  Jasinda grabbed her cell phone from her pocketbook. She had to call 911. Her fingers shook as she entered the password on her phone. She swiped the screen too hard. The phone tumbled from her hands.

  "No!" she cried out as the phone slipped between the center console and her seat. She looked in and saw the phone landed upright. If only it had slipped all the way through and ended up under the seat itself, she would have been able to reach under and retrieve it.

  She jammed her fingers in the tight space. Jasinda pushed down until they hurt. Still, the cell phone and her only means of summoning help remained unavailable.

  Jasinda screamed when she looked up. Tim had caught the injured guard trying to sneak up on him. He held the guard at bay with the gun. "See you, sucker," Tim said as he pulled the trigger.

  Click. Nothing happened.

  Tim pulled the trigger again. The empty gun clicked with a whimper!

  Taking advantage of this surprise turn of events, the security guard rushed Tim.

  Tim pistol whipped the guard with the butt of the gun.

  The hulking man clearly knew how to take a beating. The guard wrestled the gun away from Tim. He kicked it under the car when it hit the gravel.

  The two men engaged in hand to hand combat. They worked their way towards Jasinda's car. The guard gained the upper hand. He put his massive arm around Tim's neck.

  Tim lost his footing and they both crashed onto the hood. Jasinda screamed again as she saw Tim's restrained face and neck through her windshield.

  Tim choked the words out, "The gun! Jasinda, get the other gun!"

  She looked at the weapon on the console. Jasinda had to save her boyfriend's life. She grabbed it and jumped out of the car.

  The guard yanked Tim to a standing position. From the chokehold, Tim coughed, "Help me!Shoot him!"

  Jasinda breathed rapidly. Her heart raced. "Let him go!" she ordered. "You don't understand. Tim's working with the FBI."

  "Is that what he told you?" the guard scoffed. "He just stole millions of dollars worth of information."

  "That's not true," Tim yelled. "This guy isn't really a security guard. He's one of the real criminals in disguise. My boss sent him to kill me."

  Beads of sweat formed on Jasinda's forehead. Her hand trembled. Her trigger finger went numb.

  The security guard's arm tightened around Tim's neck. Tim only had a second or two of air left. With pleading eyes, Tim said, "You know I love you, Jasinda. I'd never lie to you."

  Jasinda pulled the trigger.

  The bullet hit the security guard squarely in the chest. His shirt moistened with blood instantly.

  Jasinda's hand drooped to her side. The handgun slipped from her grasp. It barely made a sound as it landed gently on the gravel.

  The guard fell to the ground. He landed face up.

  "He's not breathing!" Jasinda yelled before she froze in place staring at the dead man's open eyes.

  Tim coughed. He rubbed his neck where the dead guard's arm had pressed the most. He breathed in as much air as he could. "You were a good girl today, Jasinda," Tim said.

  He retrieved the gun from the ground and put his hand on her arm to nudge her back to the car. "I know you're in shock, but we've got to get out of here now!"

  Exactly five seconds too late, several police cars screeched into the parking lot from both directions. Blue and red lights bounced off the trees. Sirens blared, drowning out the natural background sounds of the park.

  The commotion snapped Jasinda out of her semi-fugue state.

  Police officers jumped from their vehicles with guns drawn. The officers surrounded them. The only way Tim and Jasinda were leaving the park was in handcuffs.

  A short time later in police custody, Jasinda learned the truth. Tim Collins was, in fact, Jim Dagostino! He didn't work for an accounting firm. He worked for his father, mobster Sal Dagostino.

  Jim and his mafia cronies had concocted a scheme to steal millions of consumers' credit card numbers and corresponding information. The data came from the payment processor at which Jim had gotten Jasinda a job.

  Jim's original briefcase contained hundreds of USB devices filled with the stolen information. The briefcase he exchanged it for contained millions of dollars in cold, hard cash.

  He'd orchestrated it all so if anything went wrong, the evidence trail would lead back to Jasinda. She'd be blamed for the theft. When she told the authorities all about her boyfriend Tim Collins, who would believe her? They obviously wouldn't be able to find a man who didn't exist.

  If they hadn't been caught together, Jim's plan would have worked.

  An astute prosecutor realized Jasinda's ignorance of any part of Jim's plans. However, as the driver, she was directly implicated in the commission of the crime as an accessory after the fact.

  Then there was the significant matter of the man she had shot. Jasinda had pulled the trigger, even though she was acting under false pretenses. Sadly, the man had not been a criminal in disguise as Jim claimed. He had actually been a security guard with a wife and two children.

  Heroic police officers on the scene jumped into action. They performed CPR until the paramedics arrived and were able to revive the guard fully. In addition to other internal injuries, the bullet had damaged a nerve in his spine which affected his ability to walk. After years of grueling physical therapy and a mountain of medical bills, the guard finally regained the ability to get around without a wheelchair.

  For a time, Jasinda thought the best she could hope for was a charge of attempted murder with mitigating circumstances which still could have carried significant jail time. In the end, the prosecutor couldn't pass up a chance to nail a member of the Dagostino crime family. In exchange for her full cooperation and testimony, Jasinda was given an immunity deal.

  Despite the mitigating circumstances, the horrible incident had weighed heavily on her conscience ever since.

  As if vying for the title of the man who personified "adding insult to injury," Jim Dagostino still wasn't finished with her.

  During his trial, as Jasinda stepped down from the witness stand, she had to walk by Jim at the defense table. He turned his head and looked her directly in the eyes. "You'll be sorry. Don't ever think you're safe from my revenge. By the way, I just want you to know one more thing. The thought of kissing you and touching you turned my stomach. You believed I found you sexy! What a delusional fool. No man would ever find you attractive. You're disgusting!"

  Jim Dagostino had used her and violated her trust in every way possible. She vowed that she'd never trust another man again.

  Chapter 55

  Back in the present in Craig Wilder's bedroom, Jasinda finished her story saying, "And that's when I vowed I'd never trust another man again."

  Craig's face overflowed with sympathy. "My poor, sweet Jasinda. I can't even imagine what you must have felt going through that. Everything that happened to you was
wrong on so many levels."

  Jasinda turned away from him. "How can I ever expect to be happy? It wasn't fair. I never had to pay for my crime."

  The surprise showed in Craig's voice. "Never paid for the crime? Are you kidding me? Look what you've been through in just the past week!"

  Craig pulled her closer to him. "Never mind how you've tortured yourself all those years with guilt. There was no criminal intent. You didn't even know what Jim was doing. He manipulated you and took advantage of your trusting nature."

  "I know, but I always thought if I had been smarter or less needy, maybe I wouldn't have been fooled by him."

  Jasinda hadn't spoken a word of any of this to anyone since the day she walked out of that courtroom. She'd carried the guilt for so long that it had taken on a life of its own. It sabotaged her in many ways over the years that she was just beginning to understand.

  Craig took her face in his hands. He looked directly into her eyes. "Jim Dagostino was already a master criminal by the time you met him. He was raised by a monster. In an environment that trained him to do exactly what he did – exploit and prey upon any weakness he could find or develop in someone."

  A tear welled in Jasinda's eye. It escaped down her cheek. After all these years, just hearing someone verbalize these thoughts overwhelmed her.

  "I wish I could do something for the guard and his family. I know there's no way to make up for the pain and agony he and his family went through, of course, but something that could make life easier for them," Jasinda said.

  "What if we set up a trust fund for his unpaid medical bills and the kids' college education?" Craig suggested.

  "That would be lovely, but I could never afford that."

  Craig shook his head. "Look around, silly. I think you know someone who can."

  Jasinda reacted sincerely. "Oh, no, I wasn't implying that you-"

  Craig cut her off. "Calm down. I know. You didn't have to imply. I offered."

  Jasinda looked at Craig with love and admiration. "You would do that? For them? For me?"

  "Of course. I'll call Marty tomorrow to set it up. We can make it anonymous or under your name, whatever you feel comfortable with."

  Jasinda threw her arms around Craig's neck. "Thank you," she whispered in his ear.

  He kissed her cheek in return. "Jim lied to you about everything. What he said to you in the courtroom was no exception. You know that, right?"

  Jasinda offered a weak shrug.

  Craig continued, "That terrible man's words weren't just lies. They were the opposite of the truth. I wish you could see yourself the way I see you. You're the most beautiful woman in the world, Jasinda. I know it seems like we haven't known each other very long, but I know what's in my heart. I love you."

  Tears flowed down her cheeks. For the first time in years, it all became so clear. Her head and her heart were in perfect sync.

  Craig Wilder wasn't Jim Dagostino. Jim had only used her, preyed on her insecurities and twisted them to his advantage. He'd taken an innocent girl and made her fearful and mistrustful of everyone she encountered.

  Craig had done just the opposite. He offered her unconditional love. He looked at her and loved her for exactly who she was – every beautiful pound, inch, and even insecurity. The one man she should have been running towards was the one she almost pushed away.

  "There's one other thing I need," Jasinda said.

  "Name it."

  "You," she said simply. "I need you. All of you right here. Right now."

  Craig grinned. "I think I can accommodate the lady's request for that!" Craig eased her back down on to the bed.

  Jasinda wrapped her arms around his muscular torso. Finally unburdened, she prepared to give herself to him fully and completely.

  Chapter 56

  Jasinda and Craig lay on their sides facing each other. Craig wasted no time letting his hands roam all over her clothes. Her body reacted with tingles of anticipation wherever she felt the pressure of his strong fingers. Jasinda almost dared not imagine what it would be like when he did that to her with his hands against her bare skin.

  Craig leaned in for a kiss. He had a seductive method of letting his lips brush lightly against hers at first, like a butterfly's wings teasing her. Then, without warning, he pressed against her harder. The force and determination took her breath away.

  Whatever wall she'd erected around her heart to protect herself, Craig tore it down instantly with a kiss so deep and passionate that Jasinda had no choice but to respond in kind. She put her hands around his head. She anchored her fingers in his tight haircut.

  Jasinda pulled his face against hers, sending two unspoken messages. First, that she intended to give as good as she got in their exchange. Second, giving him permission and encouragement in his aggressive behavior.

  On an subconscious level, the football player received both messages. His libido revved itself into an even higher gear.

  Craig's arm reached around Jasinda's backside. His hands traveled up and down the round curves of her ass. "Oh!" she murmured in delight as he gave her buttocks a surprising firm slap with his strong hand.

  She reached between his legs and rubbed her hand against his inner thigh. They both knew her ultimate goal. But she was going to make him wait for it.

  Jasinda went up one leg and down the other. She reached under his shirt. Her fingers slid across the rippled peaks and valleys of his lower abs.

  Craig's cock strained at the material in his pants. The way she teased him drove him wild.

  "Two can play at that game," Craig announced with a devilish grin. He put both hands on her blouse. Grabbing the material between his fingers, he yanked his hands outward without warning. No match for his strength, the buttons and material easily gave way.

  He cupped a breast in each hand. He rubbed, squeezed and teased through her lacy bra. It was impossible to tell from their faces which of them experienced the greater pleasure.

  "I think they might need to come out to play," Craig whispered as he reached around Jasinda's back to unhook her bra. He accomplished the task in one swift motion. The bra fell from her body to the sheets.

  Craig stared at her exposed breasts, taking in their full, beautiful shape. He plunged his hands between her cleavage. "I've wanted to do that since the first moment I laid eyes on you!" he admitted.

  Jasinda opened her mouth to respond, but ended up on the receiving end of another of her partner's hungry kisses.

  The football player continued enjoying her chest in varying ways. His fingers glided over her boobs in a gentle tickle one moment. The next moment, he tweaked the nipples which sent waves of delight through her body.

  Jasinda longed to feel his bare chest against hers as well. She'd fantasized about it since he put his arms around her on their date in the park when he showed her how to throw the football.

  She managed to show more restraint than he did when she unbuttoned his shirt. Craig sat up on the bed and she helped him wriggle out of it. Craig tossed the shirt on the floor.

  "Your arms!" she said when she got the first full glimpse of his magnificent biceps unencumbered by sleeves.

  "You like?" he teased her with a flex that made them pop even more.

  Jasinda's hand traced the outline of the hard muscle from one end to the other.

  She remembered what it felt like to fall asleep in his arms on the couch when they were both fully clothed. Now her head swam with desire as she felt the heat of their skin to skin contact.

  Craig's hands deftly unfastened her pants. He slid them over her legs in no time. He carelessly threw her garments aside. Only her pink panties remained on her body. Overall, they covered very little. That's exactly how Craig liked it.

  Jasinda freed herself from Craig's ravenous embrace. She reached over towards the lamp on the nightstand.

  "What are you doing?" he asked.

  "Shutting off the light."

  "Why?"

  She stated the obvious. "I'm almost naked." />
  Craig's eyes twinkled. "That's the point, Jasinda!" Craig kissed the back of her hand. "I want you to be comfortable. But if I have a vote, it's lights on. I want to enjoy your body with all my senses."

  A tear formed in her eye.

  "What is it, sweetheart? What's wrong?" he asked with a face full of concern.

  "Nobody has ever really and truly wanted me...like this..."

  Craig guided her hand down his pants. She felt the details of his manhood that were unavailable from her previous over the jeans exploration. "Is there any doubt that I want you, all of you?" he asked.