by Jen Davis
“I like that idea.” Ricky whimpered and rolled onto his side. Between the voltage and the hits, he wasn’t in the best shape to put up much of any disagreement.
Arlo pressed the button and raised the truck up a couple of feet. They grabbed the bully and placed him under the front tire.
“Any last words, dumbass?” Jasper shook the man.
Ricky’s eyes rolled around in his head. He would probably pass out soon from the stress alone, but he managed to speak. “Go to hell, and tell Connie that too.”
The fucker was getting the easy way out. Jasper would love nothing better than to make him pay in long and agonizing misery for hurting his wife.
“She won’t be going there, but you sure will.” Jasper gave Arlo the thumbs up to hit the switch, and the wheels lowered onto Ricki’s chest. “Punch a hole in the hydraulics.” Arlo did as told, and a hiss echoed from the hose as the truck lurched to the ground. Ricky made one last wheezing sound, probably from all the air exiting his lungs as his chest was crushed.
Jasper squatted down to make sure the man was dead. “I think we’re done.” Arlo stood beside him, staring at the dead man. “You want to get a drink?” Jasper rose.
“You don’t have a date? What, your flowers didn’t do the trick?” Arlo teased as they made sure everything was in its place and the shop looked like they’d never been there. Well, except for the guy under the truck tires.
“I’m working on it.” They exited the back door and strolled toward their vehicle. It was a nice night and still pretty warm out. “I didn’t see her all day, but I sent a little gift to her, anyway.”
“Didn’t she used to be a reporter?” Arlo hit the key fob and unlocked the doors. “Those people are pretty nosy. What if she’s just using this job to snoop around?”
“She quit the paper and seems to like working with Madison. The woman’s smart and has to know what she’s doing. Madison wouldn’t have hired her if she were a threat.”
“Yeah, she doesn’t want to go out with you, so the girl must be smart.” Arlo laughed.
“Hey, before I’m done, Jackie will be begging me to marry her.” Jasper eased into the seat.
“You? Married? Tell me another one.” Arlo started the car.
“Hey, a guy’s got to bite the bullet sometime.” Marriage? Where had that come from? “But right now, I’d be happy with a date. How about you? Rumor has it there’s something between you and Madison’s sister.”
“Half-sister. And no, there’s nothing going on between Layla and me.” They pulled out cautiously from behind the building, but there were no cars anywhere in sight.
“But you’d like there to be?” Jasper asked.
“Who wouldn’t? She’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”
Jasper nudged him in the arm. “Now I know you have the hots for her because guys always think the one you love is the most beautiful.”
“Little good that will do me,” Arlo cursed. “She’s the sister-in-law to my boss, and a soldier never ends up with the queen.” The man’s voice dropped.
“Well, technically, she’s not a queen. More of a princess, since her father is a don,” Jasper corrected.
“Either way, I don’t have a chance in hell.”
They spent the rest of the trip in silence before Arlo dropped him off at his place. Arlo may have given up on going after the woman he wanted, but that was something Jasper would never do. Jackie would be his. She just didn’t realize it yet.
Chapter 8
Jackie
The past week had flown by. Planning an event in less than seven days was quite the undertaking. Besides the flyers around town, they’d also sent out private invitations. Tickets had sold out in a flash. Since they would be working late, Madison had given her the morning off, and Jackie was now savoring her caramel mocha at the Java Shop.
Her fingers touched the necklace around her neck. It had been waiting for her when she arrived this morning. As were other gifts that arrived each day from a certain guy who always caused her heart to beat faster whenever he was nearby. They always arrived in a white bag or box and were accented with a purple bow or ribbon. It was the last thing she should be wearing, but screw it. She loved it. The Brighton necklace with the large Swarovski pendant felt warm on her chest. Jasper hadn’t been around much this week, but every day, he’d sent a present, sometimes two. Most were more on the thoughtful than high-end price, which helped with the guilt of keeping them.
A fruit basket, a teddy bear, gift certificate to a spa, perfume, the latest bestselling romance novel, and today was the necklace. At first, she tried to give them back when he was there, but the man refused. He said they were gifts and non-returnable. Jasper didn’t ask her out anymore, either, which was odd. Did he think she’d just give in because he was trying to buy her affections?
It was getting harder and harder to resist the man. Gifts were something other girls always received, not her. Was it a crime that she wanted to enjoy the attention for however long it lasted? Jackie knew the necklace was pricey. It was a brand she’d always admired from afar but had never been able to afford. He either had great taste or could read her mind. The man also seemed to be giving her space. Almost like he knew she didn’t like being pressured but needed to weigh her options in her head first. It was working. Not only was she attracted to him physically, but he was starting to win her over with his patience. The man was an obvious charmer, but playboys never impressed her.
“Hey, long time no see.” It was her former boss from the paper.
“Hi, Bruce.” Jackie pushed the chair opposite her out with her foot. “Have a seat.”
“Thanks, but only for a minute.” He set his Genoa Java cup on the table and sat down. “I’m on my way to a big story.”
“Really? Here?” She rolled her eyes. “Did someone catch a new record large fish?”
“No, something even bigger.” Bruce took a sip of coffee and seemed to enjoy dragging out the suspense. “There’s been a robbery.”
“What?” That was news. “A bank robbery?”
“No, Rodney Studd had a Picasso stolen.” Bruce was practically giddy and bounced in his seat. “Right off the wall of his office.”
“Rodney Studd? The rockstar?” Jackie frowned and picked up her pen. “That seems odd.”
“What? That it was stolen or that he had a Picasso?”
“Both, actually. Who would take that, and how’d they get in? Things like that just don’t happen around here.” Or at least when she worked at the Globe they didn’t.
“I know. Rumor has it the guy’s up to his hair extensions in debt, and off the record, police said nothing showed up on the security tapes.” He leaned back in his chair. “I’m thinking insurance fraud.”
“Hmm. So we don’t have a cat burglar out and about?” That would’ve been more exciting.
“At this point in time, no, but we can always hope.” Bruce lowered his voice. “I mean to say, it would make for more sales for the paper, but I’d never want a criminal on the loose.”
“That’s for sure.” She liked living in a safe town.
“How’s the new job going?”
“Good. I’m learning a lot. Tonight’s the big charity auction.” Hopefully, it’d go well. She’d lined up several bachelors, and various stores in town, including the Java Shop, were donating prizes. “I hope the Globe is going to cover it.”
“Wouldn’t miss it.”
“Great. I’ll see you there.” Jackie finished her coffee and got to her feet. “I better get going. I’ve got a lot to do before the event.”
“See you later.” Bruce grabbed his cup and headed out the door.
Jackie had been to Firenza before. One of her first jobs at the paper had been to cover the Snowflake Ball that was held there every fall, but this was different. This time, it was her job to make sure everything fell into place. Luckily, Madison was an expert at it.
All the tables had been decorated with black tablecloths an
d red napkins. Flowers were everywhere, also matching the color scheme of black, red, and green. There was a buffet of appetizers and fire-roasted pizzas. Attendees were able to try a flight of wines, and all the ladies would also receive a gift bag full of a variety of goodies donated by different businesses in town.
Madison stood at the entrance, welcoming people inside, while Jackie handed them their gift bags. A few even contained gift cards and other extra prizes.
“Maddy.” The tall woman in the high heels Jackie had seen at the coffee shop that morning long ago gave her boss a big hug. “This is so exciting. Congrats on the new enterprise.”
“Thank you, and thanks for coming.” Madison had dressed in a beautiful, strapless, white and red floral dress. The woman had designed it and made it herself. Was there anything she couldn’t do? “This is my assistant, Jackie. She helped pull all this together. Jackie, this is my sister-in-law, Valentina.”
“It’s nice to meet you.” Jackie shook her hand and smiled. “I think I met your husband at the police station when I was handing out flyers.”
“You did. He was glad he was married so he had a reason to say no.” She winked. “But he couldn’t say no to babysitting so I could come support you tonight.”
“That’s wonderful.” Madison smiled.
“So, what charity did you pick?” Valentina accepted the gift bag and peeked inside.
“In order to get the guys from the fire station to join in, we had to agree to donate the money to some new safety equipment.” The majority of the fire departments in Wisconsin were volunteer only, so they often held fundraisers to earn money and pay for expenses.
“Well, that’s a great cause. Since I won’t be bidding on any bachelors, be sure to remind me to write a check before I go.”
“Will do.” Madison kissed her cheeks. “And thanks for everything. Would you mind helping me meet guests while Jackie keeps any eye on the food and the guests in the main room?”
“Of course. I’d love to.” Valentina was also stunningly dressed from her diamond earrings to the red-soled shoes.
Jackie nodded at Val as she left the two and strolled into the banquet room. Since being hired, Jackie had done some research on the Caponelli family. The last thing she thought she’d be doing since leaving the paper was spending more time at the computer investigating people, but that’s exactly what was happening.
Roman was the only son of the head of the Caponelli crime family, and Valentina was his sister. She was a very accomplished lawyer, but since her marriage and their new baby girl, she’d cut back on the legal practice. Her husband, Ryan, was an unlikely suitor, being that he was a local police officer. From Jackie’s research, it seemed that Roman was trying to make this branch of the family legit with the restaurant, winery, and other ventures, but appearances could often be deceiving. He could be laundering money through them, for all she knew.
While doing her search, other names had popped up online. Arlo, Dominic, and Jasper all had minor police records, and except for Arlo, no one had served any prison time. Obviously, they had a top-notch lawyer on the payroll. Jackie had called in a favor to a friend, Cory, at the old paper in Chicago, for more info. Cory knew someone in records at the police station, so Jackie hoped to find out further info about the three of them. If she was going to be working around these people, she needed to know what she was dealing with.
The winery seemed safe, and hopefully, it was, but a girl couldn’t be too careful. And then there was Jasper. The guy had “bad boy” written all over him, yet ladies fell for him in droves. The man was the hottest thing in a three-piece suit, but that was not the sort of guy she needed. What kind did she need, for that matter? Certainly not one with a record. Her father had set the standard high, and no one would ever likely come close. But, still, temptation was a hard drug to turn down.
They’d interacted several times at work. It was hard not to, but what did he really do? His job there was to do…what? Security? What was there to watch over there? She was probably the only woman in town he hadn’t been out with, and that seemed to bother her more than anything. Jackie didn’t want to admit she wanted him, but she didn’t want anyone else to, either.
Jackie looked down at the simple shoes on her feet. Valentina’s had been designer, and Madison’s probably weren’t cheap, either. Guys didn’t care about shoes; they just wanted a cute girl on their arm. But she’d never been lucky in that department. Men always seemed to want the petite blondes and not the tall redheads. Jackie frowned. She was no beauty queen, but still, she wasn’t chopped liver, either. The man in her life should be honorable, not a criminal. Why was she even thinking about Jasper again? He was bad news and the last person in the world she needed to be associated with.
But still…
Ugh.
It was time to get back to work and not think about anything else.
After making sure all the wine was still free flowing and every guest had a glass in their hand, she double checked the buffet area. Everything looked amazing. After that, she ushered guests to their tables. The auction was about to start. Jackie stood along the wall to be ready in case anyone needed anything that the servers missed. Unfortunately, as hard as she tried, Jackie couldn’t get Jasper out of her mind. Damn that man for his wonderful gifts and tempting bet.
“Is everything all right?” Madison touched her elbow.
“Oh, yes. Sorry. I was day dreaming.”
“You looked sad.” Maddy titled her head. “Is everything okay? I haven’t been working you too hard, have I?”
“Oh, no. Nothing like that.” She blushed.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. Everything’s fine.”
“Well, you’ve done a great job with this, and I really appreciate all your hard work.” She glanced at her phone. “It’s almost time.”
“What do you want me to do now?” Jackie had done all the planning and set up, but they hadn’t talked about what she was supposed to do once the auction started.
“Take a seat at our table and enjoy yourself. Stephanie is lining up the guys, so rest your feet. You don’t have anything to do until it’s time to clean up for that night.”
“Great. Sounds like a plan.” It would be nice to sit down. Her feet did ache.
Their reserved table was toward the side. Valentina was already seated there, chatting on her phone. From the big smile on her face and the giggling on the phone, it was obvious she was talking to her husband and daughter.
“Attention, everyone.” Jackie turned toward the stage. Madison had taken the microphone. “I would like to welcome you ladies here tonight on behalf of Bella Luna Wines. I hope you enjoyed the wine and food. There are two additional wine samples at every setting, chocolate samples, and some delicious cake from the Java Shop. If you need any more, the servers with gladly get that for you.”
She went on to describe the wines and to share a bit about their new winery. Madison also talked about the charity and that all money raised would be going to Genoa’s volunteer fire department.
When she asked for a show of hands for those that wanted more to drink, every hand in the audience went up. That was a great sign. Also, the more they drank, the more they would spend. Madison introduced a couple more speakers. Local women, who shared a bit about their businesses and also gave a few prizes from their businesses. One owned a spa, and the other owned a chocolate shop. Jackie made a note to visit the candy store. The samples in the gift bag were to die for. That must have been where Jasper bought the sweets he’d given her.
“And, lastly, but not leastly. Leastly? Is that even a word?” she joked. “How about, last but not least, we have our bachelor auction. These nice gentlemen, all single of course, have agreed to help out. Get out your wallets, ladies. Bid the highest, and you will win a date night dinner at Firenza and a bottle of wine with your bachelor.”
The ladies all cheered and whistled.
Valentina said goodnight to her loved ones and tucked her
cell into her purse.
Madison handed the microphone over to a local realtor, Sandy Asher. The woman also held auctions, and Sandy had the perfect voice for it too, as she introduced the first bachelor to walk down the runway.
“I can’t believe that Roman agreed to this.” Valentina shook her head.
“Believe me, he wasn’t happy about it, but when I reminded him that his nickname used to be Romeo, he didn’t say any more.” Madison reached for her wine glass. “He refused to let me borrow any of the men, though.”
“I thought Jasper was doing it,” Jackie spoke up.
“Yes, he is, but not any of others.” Madison arched her eyebrow. “Are you going to bid on him?”
“What? Ah, no. Of course not.” This time Jackie reached for the wine. Was it okay to drink on the job?
“Why not?” Both women gawked at her.
“Well, look at what they’re bidding.” They all looked toward the stage, where the bidding for the first guy was already up to one thousand dollars. “That’s more than my rent.”
“So you’re saying you’d bid on Jasper if you had that kind of money?” Her boss was clearly teasing, but Jackie didn’t know how to answer.
“Sorry to interrupt, but Madison, can I have a word with you?” It was the spa lady wanting to offer a couple’s massage as another door prize. It also saved her from answering that question. Would she bid on Jasper if she could?
The practical side in her said no, but the adventurous girl in her said yes, yes, yes.
Chapter 9
Jackie
The lineup of guys was pretty impressive, but none really caught her eye like Jasper. Jackie was already comparing him to other men. That wasn’t a good sign. It clearly meant she had fallen under his spell. There were others who were tall, dark, and handsome, but it was his all-knowing eyes that always seemed to see right through her and cause that little spark to ignite. And then there was that amazing hair too. How much time had she already spent imagining what it would feel like to run her fingers through the thick strands?