“It’s after ten—you’ll wait an hour for a Manhattan-bound train.”
“But what if we hit traffic? I can’t risk—”
“Wait. Shh!” Jared held up his hand, signaling for her to stop. They’d just reached the door in the small sitting room at the front of the brownstone—their way out to the main hallway and the front door that lead outside. But something was off—Ari had heard it too.
They strained to listen, neither of them moving a muscle. Ari’s heart thudded loudly in her ears, banging out a single beat: Tasha. Tasha. Tasha.
Ari’s hands were still trembling. She gripped Jared’s arm to steady herself.
Fuck.
There it was again.
Jared met her eyes, their matched gazes wide. He’d heard it too.
Footsteps.
It sounded like someone was on the front stoop. A second later, Ari’s suspicion was confirmed—the doorbell rang.
“Did you lock the door?” she whispered.
Jared shook his head.
“Fuck,” she whispered. She should have double-checked that. She’d been too distracted, too worried about Jared.
I should have come alone.
The bell rang again. Twice. Whoever was outside, he was getting impatient.
“Evan just texted,” Jared whispered, checking his phone. “He’s still in the city with Errington.”
Ari released Jared’s arm and crept toward the front window, holding her breath with every step. She hoped that whoever was out there wouldn’t try to enter. She hoped he’d just go away. She hoped Tasha was okay. She hoped a lot of things.
At the front windows, she carefully pulled back the curtain, peeking out through a pencil-thin gap. The person outside was a man, dressed in dark clothes and a black leather jacket. That’s all she could see.
He rang the bell again, then, after a moment, backed away from the door and walked across the small stoop; Ari watched, frozen, as he passed by her window.
Leaning back against the bricks, not one foot from where she stood, the man lit a cigarette and pulled out his phone.
“Go away,” Arianne whispered, carefully releasing the curtain. There was no back door, and she had no idea where the fire escape was. The front door was their way out, but they couldn’t risk being seen. Every puff on his cigarette, every casual exhale, precious time ticked by. She needed to get to Tasha.
The man was talking now, shouting into the phone in a deep, gruff voice. He wasn’t speaking English.
“Russian,” Jared whispered, joining her at the window.
Ari nodded, a shiver racing up her spine. A pissed-off Russian making a late-night house call to a guy like Errington? Probably not here for a cup of sugar.
“We’re trapped,” she whispered.
Jared could only nod.
The man was still yammering into the phone when his shadow appeared in the window again. Seconds later, he was banging on the glass, so hard she was certain it would shatter.
Time stopped, Ari’s entire world shrinking into this one moment, in this tiny sitting room, her fear for Tasha an icy stone lodged deep in the pit of her stomach.
If she didn’t get out of there, her sister was going to get hurt. She knew it, felt it in her gut, in her bones.
“Tasha,” she whispered. The sound of her sister’s name brought everything back into focus, adrenaline flooding her limbs.
“We have to find a way out,” she said. Her mind spun backward, remapping the rooms upstairs, trying to remember the windows, wondering about the location of the closest fire escape.
“Okay. Wait here,” Jared said. “I’ll go out, try to get him away from the house. As soon as you have a clear shot, go.”
“But what about—”
“Go to your sister. I’ll meet you at Perk as soon as I can.”
Ari shook her head, gripping his arm. Her mind was reeling with thoughts of Tasha, but she couldn’t just leave Jared to face—whatever that guy outside was. She wouldn’t.
“Forget it,” she whispered. “I’m not leaving you. Don’t ask me to do that.”
“I’m not asking, love.” Jared leaned in and kissed her on the mouth, a crushing, bruising kiss that left her dizzy. Taking the backpack from her shoulder and hefting it onto his own, he said, “As soon as it’s clear, get out.”
Jared moved toward the door, but she reached for him again, grabbing his arm and yanking him backward. Ari was wired, her muscles wound tight, her stomach in knots, everything around her coming into sharp relief, despite the darkness.
Stay calm stay calm stay calm…
“Jared,” she said, “we don’t know who this man is. He could be working for Davidson. Or he could be a hit man. Probably both. We’re not splitting up.”
“Your sister needs you.”
Ari held firm. “If you try to walk out that door, Jared Blackwell, I will run after you and get us both killed.”
“You’re impossible!”
“Deal with it.”
They faced off, staring each other down, their chests heaving, Ari’s heart pounding from the rush of adrenaline, from fear for her sister, from an upwelling of emotion toward Jared, who was so willing to risk his life for her.
The man outside pounded the window once more, but then it was quiet. Seconds later, they heard his footsteps echoing off the steps.
They waited a few more minutes in the dark, silent brownstone. Jared peered out the curtain.
“Looks like he’s gone,” Jared said. Seconds later, a car screeched by. “I’m betting that was our Russian friend.”
“Clear?” Ari said.
“Looks like.”
That was good enough for her. “Let’s go. Now.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Jared floored it across the bridge, but Evan’s clunky Lexus SUV was not Jared’s Ferrari, no matter how hard he pushed. Arianne was silent in the passenger seat beside him, chewing her thumbnail, her knee bouncing, frantically trying to reach her sister. Jared reached over to give her a reassuring squeeze, but he couldn’t stop her from fretting.
“Everything will be okay. We’re almost there, love,” Jared said, for both of their sakes. Guilt roiled inside him as he thought about his antics at Errington’s place.
If I hadn’t been so damn eager to touch her, to taste her, we would’ve gotten out of there before the Russian showed up…
“Everything will be okay,” he said again, more forcefully this time. He needed to believe it. He did believe it. Tasha was smart and resourceful, probably as tough as her big sister. They’d get to her soon enough, figure this out, and then he’d bring both women back to his apartment where he could keep an eye on things. Keep them safe.
“How can you say that?” Arianne barked. She had her phone in a death grip, but Tasha hadn’t responded to any of Arianne’s calls or texts. “I have no idea where my sister is. She’s probably freaking out. Can’t you go any faster?”
“I’m trying,” he said, but there was nothing he could do. Eighty was about the limit on this beast, and they’d just crossed the bridge back into Manhattan, which meant traffic, cops, and lights.
Not long after he had that thought, an endless river of red brake lights appeared ahead. He tapped the breaks, easing them into a stop. The traffic lights ahead were green, but when Jared opened his window and leaned out to see what was going on, his stomach dropped.
Police activity on Sixth Avenue, right where they needed to be. Several NYPD cars were in the intersection, attempting to redirect traffic. On the sidewalk, they were setting up barricades, clearing away a rapidly-gathering crowd of onlookers.
“What’s happening?” Arianne asked, opening the window and craning her neck to get a better view.
“Police activity. Looks like it’s just starting.” A fire engine roared down Sixth, followed by two ambulances and a fire chief SUV. “Probably a fire.”
Two military vehicles came next, followed by a S.W.A.T. van.
“Or… not,” Jared said. Christ. It w
as these kinds of “special” New York moments that had him rethinking his choice to live in such a crowded, crazy place.
“Shit,” Arianne said, banging her head into the headrest. “Shit, shit, shit!”
She took the words right of Jared’s mouth.
They were at a complete standstill, boxed in from all sides, nowhere to drive. Up ahead, Jared saw two cops walking down from the main intersection with police dogs. Two more followed behind them, holding poles with mirrors on the ends. It looked like they were stopping at each car, checking out the undercarriages, talking to the drivers.
“They’re looking for someone,” Jared said. “Or something.”
“I can’t stay here.” Arianne unhooked her seat belt. “They want those dogs to sniff everyone’s ass for drugs or bombs or whatever, fine. But I need to get to my sister.”
“Arianne, try to relax. We’ll—”
“You relax. My sister needs me. Now.”
“We’ll get to her as soon as we possibly can,” Jared said. His knuckles were tight on the steering wheel, but he kept his voice calm. “Let’s just get through this snag and—”
“I’m taking the subway.” Arianne pushed open the door, but Jared caught her arm.
“Just wait,” he pleaded. “We’ll cut across town as soon as we reach the next block.”
“Do you see this mess?” Arianne gestured out the windshield, the cars in front of them deadlocked, the police presence rapidly increasing. Construction on the other side of the street wasn’t helping matters, either. “We’re going nowhere in this.”
Jared clenched his teeth. She was right.
“At least wait until I can pull over somewhere,” he said. “We’ll leave the car and take the train together.”
“No time.”
“Arianne, I don’t want you going into this mess alone. You can’t—”
“I’m leaving.”
“Arianne!” He reached for her again, but she slipped out of his grasp, hopping out of the SUV and slamming the door behind her. Jared unhooked his seatbelt and got out of the car, meaning to go after her.
“Hey, hey, hey!” A cop noticed him and jogged over, one hand on his gun. “Back in the car, sir.”
“But I—”
“You can’t just abandon your vehicle. Get back in the car.”
Jared kept his eyes on Arianne, her figure getting smaller and smaller as she ran toward the subway station. “My girlfriend left,” he said, as though that would explain everything.
“Yeah?” The cop shook his head. “My wife left, and you don’t see me running out in the middle of the street during a police investigation.” He pointed at the open car door. “Back inside. Now.”
Jared nodded toward the commotion up ahead. “What’s going on up there, anyway?”
“Just another day in paradise,” he said. “Back in the car. Now.”
Jared finally obeyed, climbing back into the driver’s seat and buckling up. The cars in front of him hadn’t budged. Arianne was right—they were going nowhere fast. And here he was, trapped in Evan’s SUV while the NYPD sniffed around for who knows what, and Arianne ran headfirst into what was probably a trap.
Jared pounded the steering wheel, inadvertently hitting the horn.
The police officer promptly issued him a ticket for noise pollution.
By the time the cops had rerouted everything and gotten traffic rolling again, Arianne had already been gone for more than half an hour.
She wasn’t answering her phone. Jared had no way of knowing what was happening, whether she’d gotten to Tasha, whether they were safe.
He was forced to cut all the way across town, but the West Side Highway was—thankfully—clear. He merged in and floored it.
With any luck, he’d get to Perk in ten minutes.
He just hoped he wasn’t too late.
Chapter Twenty-Six
The night was black and sinister as Ari approached the wide alley that led to Perk’s delivery entrance, her nerves raw, her eyes alert.
In the distance, a clunky street-sweeping truck whooshed along the avenue like a damn freight train. But back here, long before the morning deliveries were set to arrive, the alley was quiet, dark, and deserted.
No one can see me here.
Ari’s instincts were screaming at her to get out of there. It was likely a trap, but what choice did she have? An hour had already passed since Tasha’s text. There was no time for fear or second-guessing.
With one hand on her cell, the 9 and the 1 already dialed, she crept into the darkness.
Up ahead she saw the delivery doorway, dim and abandoned. Just outside the door, someone had knocked over a big plastic trashcan, its contents spilling all over the pavement.
Odd.
Fighting to keep her voice steady, she called out for her sister.
“Tasha?” she said, taking another step forward. “Are you out here? Tash?”
Bad idea bad idea bad idea…
A skittering from behind the trashcan made her jump, but in the dim light of the alley she saw only shadows.
Probably just a rat.
Shaking off the fear, she crept toward the service entrance, trying to figure out where her sister was, what could’ve happened. Tasha had insisted that Ari come alone, but now that Ari’s initial panic had subsided, she realized that the request made absolutely no sense.
Ari gripped her phone, ditching the partial 911 call and thumbing back to the texts.
Emergency. In trouble. Meet @ Perk ASAP. Back entrance. COME ALONE NO MATTER WHAT.
And then the next, immediately after.
O.M.G. HURRY ARIANNE THEY’RE HERE
That was it. Ari had sent a dozen urgent texts in response, but Tasha had gone radio silent after that.
Holy shit.
Ari’s heart nearly stopped. Only now did she see what she’d missed before.
O.M.G.
Her sister never, ever put periods between letters like that, and she especially wouldn’t do it in a frantic text message. She hardly ever called Ari by her full name via text, either—took too long to spell it out.
Ari’s entire body went rigid, muscles tensing as she slowly turned around, scanning her surroundings.
Fight or flight.
Something crunched in the darkness, like wheels rolling over crushed glass.
Ari crouched down low.
Too late, she noticed the car, black and sleek, no headlights.
Too late, she felt the hand clamp roughly over her mouth, the other around her waist.
Too late, she felt herself hauled up from the ground, her feet swept out from under her.
Too late, she remembered Jared’s Brawler lesson. Foot stomp. Knee stomp. Most effective shot.
She was too paralyzed with fear, unable to hit any of those targets as the man dragged her toward the car, and then unceremoniously tossed her in through the open door.
By the time she got her bearings, Vincent was climbing into the limo behind her, pulling the car door shut tight.
“Good evening, Arianne.” Davidson was perched in the seat across from her, facing her, his eyes glinting with satisfaction. His breath smelled like alcohol, but his words were clear and forceful. “If you’re thinking about opening the other door and bolting, don’t.”
She’d walked right into their trap.
Her mind raced. Was it the Russian? Was he working for Davidson after all? Did he see Ari and Jared inside Errington’s brownstone?
Davidson knows. He’s going to kill me.
“Haven’t heard from you in a while,” Davidson said casually. “I was beginning to worry that our lines of communication were faltering.”
Forcing herself to remain calm, she said, “What are you guys doing here? It’s a little late for a cappuccino, don’t you think?”
Davidson laughed, his whole body shaking with exaggerated effort. As he shifted in his seat, the moonlight filtering in through the sunroof caught on something in his hands.
&nb
sp; Metal. A knife.
Ari swallowed hard. He’d wanted her to see it, wanted her to understand the gravity of the situation. He didn’t need to warn her; the blade said everything for him.
Don’t move. Don’t talk. Don’t do anything other than shut the fuck up and listen.
In his other hand he held an apple, and now he brought the two together, peeling the skin with his knife with a long, slow turn of his hand.
Ari closed her eyes, racking her brain for an excuse, an explanation, anything to slither out of this Errington mess. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t think. Fear and anger immobilized her.
She took a deep breath, waiting for the words to fall.
This is going to hurt you more than it hurts me.
Close your eyes.
Goodbye, Arianne.
Instead, Davidson said, “Do you know the most heartbreaking thing about the One Night Stand job? The thing that keeps me up at night?”
Ari shuddered. Whatever her cruel fate, she wished Davidson would get to the point, not drag her down Memory Lane. For months after her father’s death, she’d wanted nothing more than to talk about the One Night Stand, but Davidson forbade it. Now, five years later, she was no longer interested in his thoughts—especially now that she believed, as Jared had all along, that Davidson was responsible for her father’s death.
“It was supposed to be his last job,” Davidson said, not waiting for Ari’s response. He shook his head and clucked his tongue. “None of us wanted that—he was too good to retire early. But there was his little girl to consider, wasn’t there? He wanted you to have a normal life.”
Davidson may have been lying, but even so, the idea filled her with regret. Had her father really intended to leave the game? To give her a shot at a regular life?
“After the job,” Davidson continued, the apple peel curling into a pile on his lap, “he was planning to take his share, and get you out of the country. Start over somewhere new. Of course, I had no idea he was planning to double-cross us. In the end I suppose it didn’t turn out well for either of you.”
“Please,” Ari finally said, keeping her tone meek. Davidson needed to believe he had a lot more power over her than he did—that she’d never do anything to betray him. Her eyes were wet with tears, and she let them fall freely, making herself tremble and stutter. “I… I need to leave. I’m supposed to m-meet my sister.”
Bared to the Billionaire: The Complete Series Page 38