“You’re not fine, Ally,” Jake countered. “I can tell when you’re fine. You put on a good show for your parents’ benefit tonight, but you weren’t yourself. Why don’t you want to tell me what’s going on?”
Ally opened her mouth to answer and then merely shrugged.
“You don’t know what’s going on?” Jake prodded. He wasn’t used to being the one forcing a conversation. It felt alien to him.
“I just feel a little out of sorts,” Ally answered. “I think I’m just tired. We were up late last night and then I got the call from my boss early this morning. That put me in a bad mood. Running into Vince outside the office didn’t help.”
Jake narrowed his eyes. “Excuse me?”
“I told you about that,” Ally said.
“No. This is the first I’m hearing about it.”
“But … .” Ally broke off, biting her lip. “I guess I didn’t tell you. I told James. He was the reason Vince followed me.”
“What do you mean he followed you?” Jake worked overtime to control his temper, but he seriously wanted to punch something. Vince’s face would do nicely, but that wasn’t an option. He had to remind himself that Ally wasn’t at fault here and raising his voice would do nothing but alienate her – and that was the last thing he wanted.
“He said James didn’t give him his cell phone number so he looked up an address,” Ally explained. “He thought just showing up at James’ house was a bad idea so he looked me up. He wanted me to give him James’ cell phone number because the office phone goes straight to voicemail.”
“Oh.” The answer made Jake feel a little better, but only marginally. “I still don’t understand why he followed you to the office.”
“He said he was pulling up when I was leaving and he honked to get my attention and I didn’t notice so he followed me.”
“Did you hear honking?”
Ally shrugged. “A lot of people honk at me when I’m driving,” she said. “I tell myself it’s because I’m hot, but in reality, I think they just don’t like the way I drive. I’ve learned to ignore it.”
Jake didn’t want to laugh, but he couldn’t help himself. “Your driving has worried me on more than one occasion,” he said. “What did Vince say to you?”
“Just that he needed to talk to James.”
“And that’s it?”
Ally nodded, but for some reason Jake didn’t entirely believe her. He had a feeling Vince hit on her. She wouldn’t admit to something like that because she didn’t want to upset him. Instead of pressing her, though, Jake opted to let it go.
“I’ll be glad when we find his stupid car,” Jake said, brushing Ally’s hair away from her lovely face. “If we never have to see that guy again, you won’t hear me utter one word of complaint.”
“You never complain anyway,” Ally teased, kissing his chin before resting her head on his chest. Jake hugged her close as he swayed back and forth, enjoying the way her body melded to his. “Can I ask you something?”
Jake smiled. “When Mandy says those words to your brother he says he wants to deafen himself with Q-tips.”
“Yes, but she knows that and enjoys playing with his emotions,” Ally said. “I have a legitimate question.”
“Okay. Shoot.”
“Do you ever think about our future?”
It was a simple question, but it caused Jake’s heart to drop to his stomach. She was fishing. Did Mandy say something? No. It was impossible. She loved Ally too much. Still … . “I think about our future,” Jake confirmed. “I think it’s going to be great.”
“But … do you ever think of what comes next?” Ally pressed, lifting her chin so she could stare into Jake’s eyes. “What do you see for us?”
“Happiness.” Jake knew it was too simple of an answer but he didn’t want to show his hand before he could surprise her with a big proposal. He wanted everything to be perfect when they had the big discussion. This was not what he had in mind. “What do you see for us?”
“I want to get married and have a family.” Ally refused to pull punches. “You want that, too, don’t you?”
“Ally, I want you and all of that,” Jake said. “I … what are you getting at?”
Ally licked her lips, unsure how to proceed. “Nothing,” she said finally, shaking her head. “I just want to be loved.”
“You are loved, angel,” Jake said, cupping the back of her head. “I swear that I’ve never loved anything as much as I love you.”
“I love you, too.” She smiled, and this time the emotion made it to her eyes, although they were still tinged with sadness. “I guess I’m just feeling pouty today.”
Something niggled the back of Jake’s brain. “Did Vince say something to you?”
“No.”
“Did Mandy?”
Ally shook her head. “Mandy? What would she say to me?”
“Nothing,” Jake answered. “I just … don’t worry about it. I think your parents showing up out of the blue has everyone acting differently from what they normally would. That festival job came out of nowhere and ruined a holiday weekend, too. Now we have to deal with that jackass Vince and his stupid car.”
“You really don’t like Vince, huh?” Ally’s eyes twinkled, causing a sense of relief to wash over Jake. She was in there. Maybe she really was overtired.
“I think he’s a dick.”
“You and James should form a club,” Ally suggested. “James can be president because he likes being the boss and you can be the treasurer because you’re good with money.”
“Very cute,” Jake said, tickling her ribs. “I want to be the president, though. I really hate that guy.”
“I think he likes that people hate him,” Ally said. “I think he gets off on it.”
“He doesn’t want you to hate him,” Jake pointed out. “Perhaps he only likes it when the men in your life hate him.”
“Perhaps.” Ally pursed her lips as she mulled the statement. “I guess it doesn’t matter. He says he’s grown as a person, but I’ve learned that anyone who says things like that hasn’t changed at all. I think he’s playing a game.”
“We’re starting to think the same thing,” Jake said. “Peter says that word on the street indicates the car theft was an inside job. That doesn’t necessarily mean it was Vince – he has employees, after all – but we can’t rule him out.”
“I don’t know why he would steal a car.”
“I don’t either.” Jake kissed Ally’s cheek and rocked her for a moment. “How about we take a long bath and I’ll rub your back? Then we can go to bed early. How does that sound?”
“Pretty good as long as I get to rub something of yours in there, too.”
Jake snorted. “Oh, I love you so much, angel. That right there is only one reason why.”
“I guess we’re a good match.”
Jake clutched her tighter. “We’re the best match.” And we’re going to be even better in a few days when I can give you everything you want, he silently added. It was close. He just had to get all of his ducks in a row. He would make her happy if it was the last thing he ever did.
14
Fourteen
James woke to the familiar sensation of Mandy body weight resting on his, her smooth skin pressed against his chest, and took a moment just to enjoy his life. The sun filtered in through the half-closed blinds on the window and the bed – which used to be in Mandy’s old apartment – was comfortable and friendly. They first made love on this mattress, and he was reticent to ever replace it because it held an important spot in his heart.
“What are you thinking?” Mandy murmured, her eyes remaining closed as she nestled closer. “If you want to do it again I’m going to need something with caffeine to wake me up.”
James chuckled. “I was thinking that … I am so content I don’t even know what to do with myself.”
Mandy finally wrenched her eyes open as James smoothed her tangled hair. As usual, the shark projector put her in a wild
mood. They added blueberry margaritas to the mix and had a grand time of it. They were so loud he briefly wondered if his parents heard them. In the end, he didn’t care enough to take things down a notch.
“You’re content, huh?”
James nodded. “Blissful. If we spent the rest of our lives exactly like this I would die a happy man.”
Mandy propped herself up on one elbow so she could stare down at him, the sheet falling down her bare back and revealing a naked breast. James cupped it with one hand, rubbing it lovingly.
“You have a wonderfully romantic streak,” she said. “I didn’t think you did when we first got together – and I was fine with it – but you are amazing.”
“Ooh, you’re the amazing one,” James said, snaking his arm around her waist and resting it on her naked bottom. “Do you want to be amazing together before breakfast?”
Mandy giggled. “What about your parents? They’re probably wondering where we are.”
“For your information, we’re not wondering where you are,” Louis said, appearing in the doorway of the upstairs guesthouse bedroom. “We heard the ruckus last night and we’re not stupid.”
“Omigod!” Mandy shrieked as she dived under the sheet to cover herself, inadvertently kneeing James very close to his groin with her efforts.
“Careful, baby,” James instructed, fixing his father with a dark look. “What in the hell are you doing up here?”
Louis met James’ challenging gaze without flinching and tossed his son’s cell phone at him. It landed on his chest when James didn’t make a move to reach for it. “That has been going off for an hour. I figured it might be important.”
James grabbed the phone and checked the screen. “There aren’t any missed calls.”
“Yes, but Jake has been texting for an hour and he’s all worked up,” Louis said. “I didn’t mean to read the messages, but they scrolled across the screen like magic and I couldn’t help myself. You really should get better security on that thing.”
“I have a passcode,” James said.
“Mandy’s birthday.”
“There’s a backup passcode, too.”
“Your wedding day,” Louis said. “Seriously, upgrade your phone security.”
“Yes, well, I’m used to living alone with my wife and not having to worry about it,” James grumbled, thumbing to the text messages and furrowing his brow as he read them. “Um, baby?”
“Don’t talk to me,” Mandy ordered. “I’m not here … and I’m definitely not naked.”
“Don’t worry, honey,” Louis said. “I didn’t see anything … not that I was looking, of course. You’re a lucky man, son.” He offered James a teasing wink.
“How did you even get in here?” James groused. “I locked the door.”
“Yes, but I have three sons in the security business and I know how to pick a lock,” Louis said. “You should’ve set the security system before retiring. I have a feeling you had other things on your mind, though. I believe there was some horse racing going on because I kept hearing Mandy yell ‘giddyap, little sharky.’”
James fought the urge to laugh – and failed. “That’s a long story.”
“I don’t need to hear it,” Louis said. “I just wanted you to have your phone and your mother wants you to know that breakfast will be ready in fifteen minutes.”
“Thank you, Dad,” James said. “I’m thrilled to hear that. We might not make it to breakfast, though.”
“If you don’t, your mother will come looking for you.”
“We’ll be there,” Mandy squeaked, causing Louis to chuckle.
“She’s so darned cute I can’t stand it,” Louis said, shaking his head as he turned to leave. “I would text Jake back, too. He sounds angry.”
“Yeah, I noticed,” James said dryly, glancing at the lump under the covers. “Baby, you didn’t tell Ally Jake’s plans by any chance, did you?”
Mandy was offended, even though she refused to take her head out from beneath the sheet. “Of course not! I’m not stupid. I wouldn’t ruin things for Ally.”
“Jake thinks you did.”
“Well, Jake is a butthead.”
James pressed the heel of his hand to his forehead. “He says Ally asked where he saw their future going last night,” he said. “That seems a little coincidental that she would bring it up so close to Jake proposing.”
“What are you accusing me of?”
James pushed the tip of his tongue against the back of his teeth as he considered his options. He wasn’t particularly in the mood for a fight. “I’m accusing you of being the love of my life.”
“Good answer, son,” Louis said as he descended the stairs. “Don’t forget breakfast. Your mother will come looking for you if you’re late.”
“And we don’t want that,” James said, patiently waiting for Mandy to poke her head out. When she did, he fixed her with a pointed look. “Are you sure you didn’t say anything to Ally?”
“Of course not!”
“Okay.” James kissed Mandy’s forehead. “It must’ve just been some weird coincidence. I wouldn’t worry about it.”
“I’m not worried,” Mandy muttered.
“So … we have ten minutes until breakfast,” James said. “What do you want to do?”
“Go back in time so your father doesn’t see me naked.”
“I can’t arrange that but, I think I can schedule a trip of another sort if you want to join me in the shower and multitask.”
“Fine,” Mandy grumbled, throwing the sheet off her body and hopping off the bed. “You’d better wow me, though.”
“Consider it done.”
“ARE YOU sure?”
Jake didn’t want to call his boss a liar, but ever since Ally pressed him on the issue of their future he couldn’t get the idea of Mandy letting something slip out of his head. Ally seemed happy with their living arrangements before yesterday. Now Jake was nervous and antsy and he needed someone to blame. A loose-lipped blonde seemed like an easy mark.
“She didn’t say anything,” James said, following Jake into a dark parking garage on the south side of Warren. “I asked her twice. She said she wouldn’t do that to Ally and I believe her.”
“I’m not saying she did it on purpose,” Jake clarified. “It just defies reason for Ally to bring it up when she did.”
“I agree,” James said. “Mandy didn’t say anything, though. She’s gossipy, but she would never do something like that. She loves Ally too much. If she did do it she would freak out and run to me to fix it.”
“Maybe she told someone else,” Jake suggested.
“No, she would tell me that, too,” James said. “She can’t keep her mouth shut. Even when she does something wrong she tells me. She’s a terrible liar. I would know.”
“Then I don’t know what to do,” Jake said. “Ally looked so sad I almost blurted it out right then and there. I don’t even pick up the ring for another two hours.”
“Chill out, drama queen,” James intoned, narrowing his eyes as he studied the numbers on the wall. “Sven said it was just around this corner. He should be waiting for us.”
James was in the middle of an uncomfortable family breakfast – Mandy refusing to make eye contact as Louis kept laughing to himself – when he got a call from Peter. Someone found a car matching the description of Vince’s stolen model in an abandoned parking structure in one of Macomb County’s largest cities. The parking garage itself was rundown and ramshackle. It was due to be destroyed later in the week, in fact. James couldn’t believe the car would be that easy to find – or think of a rational reason for someone to dump it in an empty garage after all the work it took to steal it – but he knew he had to exert due diligence and check it out.
“It’s over here.”
James recognized Sven’s voice and moved in that direction until he saw a familiar figure under the limited emergency light on the wall. Sven stood next to the car, his boredom evident, and waited for James to close
the distance.
“Well, it certainly looks like our car,” Jake said, shaking his head as he circled the vehicle. “It still has all of the tires and rims, which defies logic.”
“The VIN matches, too,” Sven said. “I checked it myself. No one tried to file it.”
“Huh.” James moved to the driver’s side door and opened it. “How long were you listening to us before speaking, by the way?”
“Long enough to know that Mandy is a blabbermouth, but you would die denying it and that Jake is going to propose, which will make Ally very happy,” Sven replied, not missing a beat. “She’s my favorite – other than Sophie, of course.”
“What about Mandy?”
Sven shrugged. “I like Mandy, too. Ally has a very loud personality, though. Mandy has a weird shark fetish that worries me. Ally’s very cute when she bats her eyes.”
“I’m not sure if that should worry me or not,” Jake said, running his hand over the trunk. “There’s not one mark on this car. It doesn’t make sense. Who would risk stealing a car like this in the middle of a festival for a joyride?”
“That’s a good question,” Sven said. “As for worrying, you don’t have to. I think Ally is adorable, but I would have to kill myself if I lived with her. You’re a very patient man.”
Jake chuckled. “She’s my angel.”
“She also doesn’t shut up,” Sven said. “Don’t you ever just want to gag her so you can have an hour of peace to watch a baseball game?”
Jake shrugged. “Not really. She’s not as chatty when it’s just the two of us. She likes to talk, don’t get me wrong, but she’s perfectly happy with a book and a glass of wine.”
“I have trouble believing that,” Sven said. “What about the blonde?”
“What about her?” James asked, sliding into the driver’s seat and making a face. “Whoever took this car was short. My legs are almost up to my chest the seat is so close.”
“Don’t touch the lever,” Sven instructed. “We’ll dust it for prints.”
“I’m not new,” James said, making a face. “What were you about to say about my wife, by the way?”
“Does she ever sit quietly and read?”
Deadly Conflicts (Hardy Brothers Security Book 21) Page 12