Code Word

by Traci Hunter Abramson

  “They weren’t shooting at her,” Lou interrupted. “They were shooting at you.”

  Jay’s eyes narrowed. “Why?”

  Carina looked from Lou to Jay, an unsteady breath shuddering out. Had Nick’s friends been shooting at Jay? Had they somehow mistaken Jay for whoever it was that Nick thought was a threat to her? Her shoulders lifted. “I’m not sure.”

  “Maybe we can sit down and you can start with explaining who that guy was,” Jay said as he helped Lou into Carina’s apartment.

  Carina’s instinct was to hide her past and keep the walls she’d built around her and her family firmly in place. Then she thought of the Book of Mormon she had found in Jay’s car and the way he had so quickly rushed to defend her and Lou. Maybe he really was someone she could trust. Carina’s eyes met Lou’s, and she saw his subtle nod. “I can try. But it’s complicated.”

  “That’s okay. I’m an expert at complicated.”

  Carina lowered herself onto the couch, searching for a good place to start. Before she could get a single word out, sirens sounded, growing louder as they drew closer.

  16

  Jay listened to Carina give her statement to the police, waiting the whole time to hear the real story behind Nick and the men who had shot at them. Carina explained that Nick was an old family friend of her father’s and that he was trying to convince her to move back home. When the police questioned her about why their “friends” had shot at them, both Lou and Carina had insisted that it was just a scare tactic.

  Jay thought of the spray of bullets that had come from the car and the evidence in the outside wall of Carina’s apartment. Carina and Lou clearly knew these men, and yet, for some reason, they were protecting them. Going over the incident in his mind again, Jay considered Lou’s earlier comment that he had been the target rather than Lou or Carina.

  Admittedly, if these men had wanted Lou dead, he wouldn’t be breathing right now. They had definitely had a clear shot at him when they had first opened fire. The bullet holes in the wall had all impacted in a line about six feet off of the ground, which was admittedly above Carina’s head. Had these men really been shooting at him? And if so, why?

  The minute the cops left, Jay turned to Carina. “Why are you protecting those guys?”

  “I’m not.” Carina sighed and looked over at Lou as though asking his permission to talk to Jay. Lou nodded, his eyes troubled.

  “Tell me what’s really going on. Why do you think they were shooting at me?”

  “They thought you were someone else.”

  “Who?”

  “I don’t know.”

  Jay merely lifted one brow and waited.

  Carina let out another sigh and ran her fingers through her hair impatiently. “Nick showed up last week, insisting that I go back to Chicago with him.”

  “Yeah, I already figured that out.”

  “He said my father sent him, but I haven’t seen or heard from my father since my mom died,” Carina told him.

  “Why didn’t your father just come see you himself?”

  “He’s in prison,” she said flatly. She raked her fingers through her hair again before letting her eyes meet his. Jay didn’t miss the way her hand trembled or the way she bit her lower lip as though trying to fight back her emotions. “Look, I’m sorry those guys shot at you, but this really was one of those situations of someone being in the wrong place at the wrong time.” Carina sighed. “Nick thinks one of my father’s enemies is trying to get to him through me.”

  “Your father’s enemies carry guns?”

  “They aren’t exactly the law-abiding types,” she said dryly.

  Across the room, Lou shifted in his seat, wincing in pain. “Carina, after what happened today, I think it may be time to move again.”

  “Lou, I can’t keep running. We have a life here now. Bianca’s happy with her coach, and I have a decent job,” Carina said with a shake of her head. “Besides, it’s not like the family to put hits out on people these days.”

  Jay was still trying to decipher Carina’s reference to “the family” when Bianca rushed inside, her eyes alight with worry. “Why is there a cop car parked outside? Is everything okay?”

  “Everything’s fine,” Carina insisted, her eyes shifting to the woman who followed Bianca inside.

  Jay’s brows drew together when he looked at the slender brunette whom he knew to be in her late twenties. “CJ?” Jay stepped forward. “CJ Whitmore?”

  “Jay?” CJ’s eyes widened as she stepped into his outstretched arms for a friendly embrace. “Oh my gosh! I didn’t know you were in town.”

  “It was a last-minute thing. I’m just around for a couple of weeks.”

  “Well, it’s good to see you.” CJ looked from him to Carina. “How do you two know each other?”

  “I had some car trouble after one of Bianca’s practices. Jay was nice enough to help me out.” Curiosity was visible on her face, as though she was trying to put a puzzle together. “I gather you two know each other through Pete.”

  CJ nodded. “When Pete was coaching me for the Olympics, Jay came to practice a couple of times and gave me some competition.” Amusement filled her voice. “I never did beat him in freestyle.”

  “And we don’t talk about breaststroke. Those results are still classified,” Jay added. Then he glanced over at Carina and considered. “CJ, you still live in the same house, don’t you? The one with all of that enhanced security?”

  CJ nodded.

  “Any chance you would be up for a couple of house guests?”

  She shrugged. “I’ve certainly got extra space. Why? Aren’t you staying with your dad?”

  “Not me.” Jay motioned to Carina and Bianca. “Them.”

  Before CJ could answer, Carina shook her head and gave a pointed look toward Bianca. “Jay, we’re fine here.”

  Bianca looked at her sister suspiciously. “What aren’t you telling me?”

  Lou slowly rose from his seat. “Bianca, can you help me back over to my apartment? I think I need to get some rest.”

  Bianca hesitated, but then she gave him a reluctant nod. “Sure, Uncle Lou.”

  As soon as Lou and Bianca left, CJ narrowed her eyes and studied Carina. “What’s going on? And why were the cops here?”

  “Someone just shot at us,” Jay announced before Carina could respond. “I don’t think it’s safe for Carina and Bianca to stay here.”

  “Someone shot at you?” CJ reached out and laid a hand on Carina in understanding, concern visible on her face.

  Carina sighed and gave CJ the abbreviated version of what she had just told Jay. As soon as she finished, Jay was relieved to see CJ side with him.

  “Jay’s right. You shouldn’t stay here, at least for a few days,” CJ said with a definitive nod. “My house has plenty of room.”

  “CJ, we can’t stay with you. I don’t want to take the chance that we might put your family in danger.”

  Jay’s eyes narrowed as the puzzle pieces started falling into place. He thought of Lou’s mangled hand. That combined with Carina’s words created an interesting picture, one he definitely hadn’t expected to find. The family doesn’t put out hits. Father’s enemies. Not exactly the law-abiding types. “Exactly how involved are you with the Chicago mob?”

  Jay watched Carina’s cheeks redden and CJ’s jaw drop.

  “The mob?” CJ glanced over at Carina before her eyes fixed on him again.

  Carina’s lips pressed together for a moment, and she took a steadying breath. “I’m not involved with the mob.”

  “But your father is,” Jay finished for her.

  Slowly, she nodded. “Look, I haven’t talked to him since the day my mother died, and before that, we hadn’t seen him for years. My mother left him when I was fourteen, and we never looked back.”

  “How much does Bianca know about this?”

  “Not much. She knows our father killed our mother, but Lou and I have tried to protect her from the truth about th
e rest of the family.”

  Jay swallowed the words of comfort that burned on his tongue. “And the truth is . . . ?”

  “My family isn’t just involved in organized crime in Chicago. They are organized crime in Chicago. My grandfather headed the Outfit for as long as I can remember. My father and uncle were being groomed to take over.”

  “Is your grandfather still in charge?”

  Carina shook her head, and her voice lowered. “According to Nick, he’s dead.”

  Jay noticed the combination of confusion and grief in her voice. “You think your uncle is in charge now?”

  Carina nodded.

  “How does Lou fit in?”

  “He was assigned to be my mother’s bodyguard when we were kids. He showed up in Denver right after my mother was murdered and insisted on helping us relocate. He’s been with us ever since.”

  Jay absorbed her words, trying to realign his understanding of who she was and where she had come from. He reminded himself that she hadn’t chosen her family, that she hadn’t asked for this to happen. “Look, one way or another we have to get you out of here. Whether those guys were aiming for you or me, this apartment isn’t safe.”

  “Maybe we should contact the FBI,” CJ suggested. “They might be able to protect you.”

  “Don’t you understand?” Carina’s voice broke. “The family is already protecting me. Those guys shot at Jay because they thought he was a threat. Bringing the government in will only make things worse.”

  “At least spend the night somewhere else tonight,” Jay said gently. “I can help you get to CJ’s without anyone knowing where you are.”

  “Jay’s right. Come home with me,” CJ insisted. “Things will look brighter in the morning. Besides, Matt wants me and the kids to go on his next road trip with him. We’re supposed to leave tomorrow, and we’ll be gone for about a week. You can house sit for us.” She nodded toward Lou’s apartment. “At least, you can tell Bianca that’s why you’re coming over.”

  “Great.” Jay pointed toward the bedrooms. “Carina, why don’t you go pack whatever you need. We can swing by the pool to pick up my car on the way to CJ’s house.”

  “Why are you going to go to CJ’s?” Carina looked at him with a baffled and wary expression. “Besides, I didn’t say I was going to stay there.”

  “You can’t drive your car anywhere you might be followed until I’m sure there isn’t a tracking device on it. I’m coming with you to CJ’s to look over the security system,” Jay said, countering her retort methodically. “And you know you don’t want to stay here, not until that Nick guy and his friends leave town.”

  Carina stepped toward him and straightened her shoulders. “You know, I’m not in the habit of having other people decide what’s best for me.”

  “Then make an exception,” Jay suggested mildly. When Bianca walked in, he stepped toward the door. “I’m going to go talk to Lou for a minute while you two pack.”

  “Are we going somewhere?” Bianca asked.

  “Yes,” Jay said simply and walked out the door.

  17

  Carina stood in the middle of CJ’s enormous kitchen and stared out the back window, where floodlights illuminated two swimming pools and the gardens surrounding them. She had always loved this house, the openness of it, but right now the emotions churning through her were keeping her from enjoying the atmosphere. “You know this is ridiculous, right?”

  “I know that’s what I thought when Pete helped install all of this fancy security equipment when I was in the Witness Protection Program,” CJ countered easily. “And I kept thinking that right up until someone showed up here looking for me.”

  “CJ, that was different. You were a witness in a high-profile case, and you knew someone was after you.” Carina sighed and looked over at her friend.

  “Yes, it was different. And I was lucky enough to be able to leave WITSEC after I testified the last time. That isn’t typical, but your situation isn’t either. What do you have to lose if you start over? Especially if it will keep you and your sisters safe?”

  “No one is really trying to hurt me. They wouldn’t dare.”

  “Carina, I know the mob isn’t like it used to be. Killing people probably isn’t in your family’s normal course of business, but that doesn’t mean that there isn’t some truth to what that guy Nick said about you being in danger. After all, your father is in prison and your grandfather is dead. There’s no way to be sure how that might have changed the dynamics of your family and their involvement with the mafia.”

  “But there’s no reason for anyone to come after me or my sisters. We haven’t been around the family or their business for years.” Carina threw her hands out in frustration. “My mom took us away from all of that so we wouldn’t ever have to deal with this kind of thing again. I don’t want Bianca and Gianna to think of themselves as daughters of a crime boss.”

  “But that’s exactly how you’re thinking of yourself right now, isn’t it?” CJ asked. Her tone softened when she continued. “I know you don’t like to talk about it, but is there any chance your mother’s death had anything to do with your father’s criminal activities?”

  She shook her head, not to deny the possibility but because she didn’t want to consider it. “I’ve never been able to understand why my dad came looking for us or why my mother had to die.”

  “I’m sorry, Carina. I know it’s a hard memory to deal with.”

  Carina let out a shuddering breath as she fought against the images of that day, of the moment she had heard gunshots, of what she had found once silence had returned. Her throat closed up as she clamped down on a sudden urge to cry.

  She caught sight of Jay and Bianca walking on the pool deck between the traditional backyard pool and the twenty-five-yard lap pool. “How well do you know Jay?”

  “I only know him through Pete,” CJ admitted. “He was attending the Naval Academy when Pete started coaching me. I’ve only seen him a few times over the years when he’s come home to visit.”

  “With the way you greeted him, I thought you were good friends.”

  “We are.”

  “But you just said . . .”

  “That I only know him through his dad.” CJ nodded. “Jay is one of those guys who is easy to be friends with. When I first met him, Matt and I were already married, but we weren’t allowed to live together for fear that someone might find me. The only people I considered friends at the time were the US Marshalls protecting me and the FBI agent assigned as my handler.”

  “And you had Pete.”

  “Pete was my coach, but I didn’t see him as my friend. At least not at first,” CJ corrected. “When he brought Jay in to work out with me, Jay helped me see Pete differently. I finally got it that Pete cared about me as a person as well as a swimmer. We’ve kept in touch ever since.”

  “I can’t get a handle on Jay.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Look at him.” Carina pointed out the window. “I’d never even laid eyes on him before a few days ago. But in those few days, he’s already fixed my car, lent me his car, and tried to protect me from a shooting. He even came with me to Matt’s game last night. Now he’s out there checking out your security system to make sure I stay safe. Kind of odd for a complete stranger to do something like that, don’t you think?”

  “Maybe for some people.” CJ shrugged. “I don’t know much about what Jay does for the navy, but I do know that he and Pete don’t talk about it. I’ve been around the government enough to know that their lack of conversation about his job probably means he has some kind of security clearance.”

  “So you think I can trust him.”

  CJ nodded. “I’m sure of it.”

  * * *

  “What do you mean you don’t know where she is?” Frank demanded in a booming voice.

  Guido Manchione shifted his weight and hoped his job as messenger wasn’t about to get him shot. “There was an incident at her apartment.”

>   Frank’s eyes narrowed. “What kind of incident?”

  “Nick went there to try to talk to her, and some guy was there.”

  “Who?”

  “We don’t know. Tony thought it was one of Alex’s men.” He hesitated a moment before pushing on. “When a fight broke out between the guy and Nick, they tried to take him out.”

  “The boys killed some kid who was hanging out with Carina?”

  “Tried to.” He shook his head.

  “Figure out what hospital this guy is in and find out who he is.”

  “He’s not in a hospital. He wasn’t hit,” Guido said hesitantly. “Apparently, he saw them coming and jumped out of the way.”

  Frank’s jaw clenched. “Find out who he is. And book us on the next plane to Miami. It’s time we get the Perelli girls. I’m tired of playing Alex’s games.”

  Guido nodded as he took a step back. Then, quickly, he hurried from the room.

  * * *

  Jay watched the monitors on the wall and clicked on a button to zoom in on the car turning into the driveway. A glance at his watch revealed that it was already one o’clock in the morning. Despite the impressive security system in CJ’s house, Jay hadn’t been able to bring himself to leave until he was sure CJ’s husband was home.

  Pete had volunteered to go to the underground garage where he had parked Carina’s car to check it out for tracking devices. He hadn’t found any, but he had indulged Jay and followed his request to install a signal jammer. Jay wasn’t sure who might be trying to track Carina, but after the incident when he was nearly hit while driving with Bianca, he figured it wouldn’t hurt to play it safe.

  Jay verified the license plate of the approaching car to make sure it was indeed Matt pulling into the garage. Then he headed down the stairs.

  CJ and Carina were both sitting in the living room, and he could see the signs of exhaustion on both women’s faces as well as the strain on Carina’s. He had to imagine that Bianca had already gone to bed in one of the two guest rooms situated on the main floor.