by Jen Talty
“That can is tiny, though.”
“Let’s see if you can hit it. But remember, it’s going to be loud, and you’re going to feel the gun jerk, so be prepared for that.”
“All right,” she said. “Here goes nothing.”
He stepped back, and…
Bang!
Pop!
“I hit it!” She turned, smiling at him like she’d just hit the jackpot.
The corners of his mouth drew upward. “That’s my girl.” Was there beginner’s luck with target practice?
“Can I try again?”
“Sure.” He nodded. “Engage the safety and never aim while someone downrange, even if you think the safety is on. That’s how accidents happen.” This time, he lined up six cans.
He leaned against a tree behind and to her left so he could study her aim, which was near-perfect. “Whenever you’re ready, babe.”
Bang!
Silence.
“You twitched as you pulled the trigger. Try again.”
She nodded, raising the gun again with both hands, adjusting her stance. He wondered if there was anything she wasn’t capable of, if she her mind to it, letting her insecurities go.
Bang!
Pop!
“This is so empowering, yet utterly terrifying.” She lowered her weapon and rolled her neck.
“It’s important to respect weapons and how dangerous they are.”
“That’s why I said ‘terrifying.’ The power in my hands scares me as much, if not more than, the excitement when I pull the trigger.”
“Give it another go.”
She raised the gun with steady hands.
Bang!
Pop!
“Remind me to never piss you off again.”
She laughed.
Bang!
Silence.
He watched in awe as she adjusted her aim to the next tin can.
Bang!
Silence.
Bang!
Pop!
She secured the weapon the way he’d shown her before handing it back to him.
“I think it’s safe to say you can handle a weapon.”
“I can’t believe I hit as many targets as I did.” She shook out her hands. “But I’m not sure I could aim at anything with a heartbeat and pull the trigger.”
“You could, if someone was about to hurt a person you loved.” He waggled his forefinger in a come-hither motion.
“What?”
“Might be completely inappropriate, but I’m so turned-on right now, it’s painful.”
She chomped down on her lower lip as her eyes lowered. “I can see that,” she whispered as she took a few tentative steps him.
He groaned as he wrapped his arms around her tiny waist, drew her against his chest, and pressed his lips hard against hers. Their tongues met with force, swirling around, exploring, devouring each other. Her hand roamed his shoulders and arms before he felt her fingers against his skin just above his pants.
Beep, beep.
They both jumped.
“Who’s here?” she asked, wide-eyed.
“I don’t know.” He grabbed his gun. “You stay back here. If I whistle, we’re in trouble. If I call your name, we’re fine.”
“What should I do if you whistle?”
“Run.” He kissed her forehead before racing around the side of the cabin, doing his best to hide behind a large bush. The sound of tires rolling across mud and gravel echoed in the foggy air.
Narrowing his eyes, he raised his weapon as a familiar convertible rolled into the clearing. “Delaney,” he shouted. “It’s Tristan.” Josh frowned as he put the weapon in the back of his pants, noticing Tristan had brought Viv.
Tristan held up a couple of bags of groceries. “We come bearing gifts.” He handed them to Viv. “Why don’t you and Delaney take these into the cabin?”
“Sure thing,” Viv said holding up a couple of plastic bags. “We brought some prime stuff.”
“Follow me.” Delaney nodded, but gave Josh a cross-eyed glance.
He wasn’t sure what that was all about, but he needed to deal with Tristan and his lack of judgment. “What the fuck are you doing?”
Tristan held his up. “I know, but she was in bed with me when Stacey called.”
“So?”
“She saw the name and got pissy. I explained who Stacey was, but she was still mad and ypu know my track record with women. I’d like to keep this one around for more than a month.”
“Still not a valid reason for you to bring her here.” Josh wanted to throttle him.
“She overheard the conversation with Stacey.”
Josh arched a brow.
“I went into my family room and started a pot of coffee when I called Stacey back. I didn’t know Viv was on the sofa.” Tristan held his hand out. “Before you ask, I didn’t say anything about Craypo or anyone in his organization. All she heard was me saying I’d bring you and Delaney some supplies. She wanted to come along and say hello to Delaney. They seemed to have hit it off.”
“And what about when the news breaks that Delaney is considered a missing person, and she tells everyone you brought us supplies?”
“This will be over by then.”
“You don’t know that.” Josh fisted his hands. “I have a feeling Kirk and Liam are on their way, and they will be using that missing persons case to get the attention of police, and probably the news.”
“Then we need to pull the trigger on whatever plan you have, in the next twenty-four hours or less.”
Josh nodded, knowing he was going to do the one thing he swore he wouldn’t. “We’re going to have to have Delaney as part of the plan.”
“Have you lost your fucking mind?” Tristan shook his head as he leaned against the car. “She’s a civilian, and Jared isn’t going to go for it.”
“I’m not going to tell him,” Josh said. “At least, not until after it’s done.”
“You’ll be dead by then.”
“I’m dead if I do nothing. Delaney, too. So, I’d rather deal with the wrath of Jared than wait for approval.” Josh leaned against the car, crossing his arms. “I’m going to need some help getting Craypo up here, because I’m not bringing this fight to his territory. I also need a few more weapons and a wire.”
“We haven’t gotten permission—”
“I’m not waiting any longer.”
“It won’t be admissible,” Tristan said.
“It will, if I tell him I’m recording him.”
“Now I know you’re crazy, but I can get you those things by tonight. If I can’t, I’ll have someone else drive them up.”
“I appreciate it.”
“You better let us all know before you set this in motion so we can be ready, and if you change anything in this cockamamie plan, you need to inform us.”
“Only thing that might change is location. Other than that, I need to get Craypo, Kirk, and Liam in one place at the same time, get them to confess something, and then get them to take a couple of shots at me.”
“You’ve got a bigger death wish than anyone I’ve ever met.” Tristan nodded toward the house. “How are things going with her?”
“Not bad, but she’s a little freaked out that her brother has been working for Craypo’s organization for years, and even more so that her dad had been involved. I think it’s going to harden her.”
“Sometimes that’s a good thing.”
“I hope so,” Josh said. “Now get your ugly mug out of here so I can prepare for the shit-storm.”
“Yo, Viv! Get your ass out here so we can go.”
Josh shook his head and let out a chuckle. “Not the way to woo a lady.”
Tristan opened the passenger side door. “This better?”
Josh nodded, though he figured Tristan would say something stupid before he pulled out onto the dirt road.
Viv and Delaney appeared from the cabin.
“Hope to see you again,” Viv said as she slid into the ca
r.
“You, too.” Delaney didn’t seem to share the enthusiasm Viv’s voice conveyed.
Once the car disappeared down the driveway, he turned to embrace her, hoping they could pick up where they had left off, but she pushed him away, shoving the tablet at him. “Do you have Kirk’s file on this new thing?”
“I do. Why?”
“I need to check something.”
“Now? I was kind of hoping we could…” He leaned in, but she pressed her hand firmly on his chest.
“It’s important.” She shoved the tablet at him again.
“All right.” He unlocked the tablet then handed it back to her. “Let’s go sit.”
She lagged behind him as she started swiping on the screen.
“What are you looking for?”
“Give me a second,” she said, plopping down on the bench.
He inched closer, looping his arm over her shoulder, smelling her fresh spring hair.
“Fuck.”
“I really don’t like the way that word sounds, coming from you.”
“Neither do I, but look.”
He leaned in and looked at the image as she made it bigger. “Doesn’t that look like Viv?”
“That’s Jillian Richie.” His heart sank. “She worked as a waitress in Esposito’s. I met her maybe a handful of times.”
“I met her once when I was dating Kirk at a party. I thought Viv looked familiar, but couldn’t place it until she mentioned bringing ‘prime stuff’. She used those words when I met her, and I thought it was weird then.” Delaney looked up at him, her eyes turned cold. “Do you think they’re the same person?”
Josh took the iPad and looked closer. “Same eyes. Same facial features. Radically make-up and hair, but I think you could be right.” He pulled out his cell and looked up Tristan in his contacts.
“What are you doing?”
“If you’re right, Craypo’s men could be close by,” he said, helping her to her feet then pushing her toward the door. “I need to warn my buddy. We need to get inside, just in case.”
“What’s up?” Tristan answered the phone.
“Did she see your caller I.D.?”
“No.”
“Good,” Josh said. “Long story short, we think Viv is actually Jillian Richie, who might work for Craypo.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
“Need you to look to make sure you weren’t followed, or that there aren’t eyes on me.”
“I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.”
“Be safe, man,” Josh said, hoping there was time to get everything in motion.
“Talk soon.”
The phone went dead.
Chapter 11
“We’re sitting ducks.” Delaney paced in a circle around the kitchen table. “We’re in the middle of nowhere, all by ourselves, waiting for a bunch of mobsters to come kill us. This is worse than a bad movie, and less believable.”
“I need you to relax. At least sit down.” Josh stood by the front door, looking out the window, his weapon in one hand, his cell in the other.
“No, I can’t.” But she scooted across the floor and flung herself on the sofa directly behind him.
“Tristan is ninety-nine percent positive they weren’t followed, and he had Viv text them, saying she had no idea where we were.”
“How can he be sure she didn’t give them some secret code? I mean, she gave up what she was doing pretty quickly.” Then again, so had Delaney. The moment those men attacked her, she knew she could no longer lie. Viv had been a waitress in Esposito’s for at least five years, probably longer.
“Tristan found her weak spot and threatened to have her arrested. I trust these people with my life. I need you to trust me.”
“Trust has nothing to do with this,” she said while she dug her fingernails into the palm of her hand. “You’re in dangerous situations all the time. I’m not.”
“Look.” He glanced over his shoulder. “Reese is on his way up here with Jake, along with more gun power—”
“And that doesn’t help my nerves.”
“I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”
“You can’t promise that,” she said, her heart tightening as if someone had reached inside her chest and squeezed it like radio active insect. “And what if something happens to you?”
“Let’s stop the negative thinking and make sure we all know what role we play in this plan. It’s our best shot.”
“We could run off to New Zealand. I hear it’s beautiful there.”
He chuckled. “You’d run off with me?”
“Better than getting shot at.”
Josh tapped his phone, then brought it to his ear. “Hey, Reese.”
Long silence, which made her even more crazy. The muscles in her neck knotted. She watched Josh as he nodded, but he said nothing. She wished she could hear the other side of the conversation.
“See you shortly.” Josh tossed his phone on the end table before setting his weapon down. “Reese and Jake are three miles out. Luke, the P.I., has Viv and will keep working her for information. Tristan is somewhere in the woods, doing a sweep. Stacey is keeping an eye on Kirk and Liam, who are in Lake George, asking around about you.”
“This is really going to happen.” She tugged her knees to her chest and shivered.
“Yes,” he said. “We’re going to have to turn on your phone soon.”
“Why can’t you call?” She resented how weak her voice sounded, but she’d never been this scared.
“I need the call to come from you.” He wrapped his arms around her. “I might not be able to promise nothing bad will happen, but I will do everything I can to make sure we both come out of this upright.”
“I know you will.” She dropped her head to his shoulder, sucking up all the comfort and strength he had to offer. Her body shook, while his was rock-solid. “I didn’t sign up for this.”
“I know,” he whispered. “If I thought there was a better way, I’d do it, and while my buddies aren’t thrilled with the plan, they agree it will be the most effective. I can have Reese take you to a safe location while this plays out, if you’d rather.”
“No. I need to know if my brother had anything to do with sending me to destroy you. I need to see this through.” She tilted her head, looking up at him. “I trust you.”
He tilted her chin with his thumb and forefinger. His lips parted and he kissed her softly. His lips held hers for a long moment before he darted his tongue in her mouth, gently intertwining it with hers. His eyes still open, making it hard to close hers. She burrowed into the safety of his embrace, but the feeling wasn’t real, and if they did make it through this alive, he’d walk away from her.
Finishing this was the scariest part of facing her brother and the men he’d gotten tangled with. Because she loved Josh.
He cupped her face, breaking off the kiss. “Reese and Jake are here.”
She nodded.
Moments later, Reese and Jake strolled in, carrying a couple of bulky duffle bags. They motioned for Josh to come to the table. He tugged her, but the moment she stood, Jake held his hand up.
“I think it’s best if we do this in private,” Jake said.
“I disagree,” Reese said as he straddled one of the chairs. “If she’s going to be part of the operation, she needs to hear this.”
Jake shook his head, giving her the evil eye. Of all the people she’d met, he was the coldest, with a look of disgust every time she was in his presence. “I don’t like this,” she said.
“You don’t have to stay,” Josh reminded the men.
Delaney held her breath as a loud silence filled the room.
“You know I won’t leave you hanging, and not because I think I owe you.” Jake hoisted one of the large bags to the countertop. “My wife will make me sleep on the sofa if I walk away.”
Josh nodded. “We’ll need to give Delaney a weapon.”
“I get why you need her,” Jake said, “but
I don’t think it’s a good idea to give her a gun.”
“She’s a good shot,” Josh said.
“I don’t care.” Jake pulled few handguns and rifles from the bag.
“She’s going to have my immediate back, so I want her armed.”
Delaney fisted her hands, the blood rushing to her head in a raging ball of fire. “I’m right here, so let’s not talk about me as if I’m not in the room.” She swallowed the lump in her throat, but it bubbled back up. “I might have come here with bad intentions, and you might not completely trust me, but my life is on the line here, too, so it would be nice if you didn’t treat me like the enemy.”
Jake stared blankly at her for a few moments. “Can you handle a rifle?”
“I’ve never shot one, but I seem to be pretty good with one of these.” She lifted a handgun, but it felt heavier than Josh’s, and she fumbled it. “So what, exactly, is the plan?” she asked. “What am I supposed to do?”
“Stand behind Josh,” Jake said, his face still sullen and his lips drawn tight. “And do whatever you’re told.”
“I think I should have a better handle on things than that.” She stared at Jake, not blinking or moving, but on the inside, she shook and bit her tongue.
“We don’t know exactly what will happen,” Reese said in a softer tone. “Best case is, they show up, they talk, giving us what we need to make an arrest.”
“What’s the worst case?” she asked, leaning into the table, pressing her hands against the wood.
“We all die.” Jake arched his brow. “But my wife wouldn’t like that, so let’s make sure it doesn’t happen.” He handed her a smaller handgun. “If Josh says you’re a good shot, I believe him.”
“Okay,” she said. “And for the record, I trust him, so I will do whatever I’m told.”
Jake cracked a smile. “I’ll be covering the back.”
“And I’ll be on the north side of the clearing, on a ridge where I can get a good look at the cabin,” Reese said as he held up Delaney’s phone. “Once you make this call, someone needs to clue Jared in.”