Dynasty

by Jen Davis et al.

  “No, they don’t. But if I had to pick one of you, who would it be?” Roman insisted.

  Madison remained quiet by her husband’s side.

  “Jasper has all of you. You’re his family. You need him, and he needs you. I have no one left, no family. I couldn’t live with the thought that he died because of me.” Jackie stepped in front of him. She’d chosen him, and she’d chosen to die for him. His heart soared and dropped, all at the same time.

  Chapter 22

  Jasper

  “That’s where you’re mistaken, Jackie. We’re your family. Your father was a distant relative of my father’s,” Roman addressed Jackie. “While he worked on that expose, he contacted us about the information he’d found out about the Russians. Sid made us promise to take you in if anything ever happened to him, and in exchange, he gave us all the goods that he found first. That’s why, after they passed, I had my man contact you,” Roman explained.

  “None of that matters. I still turned you in to get Hower and made the call to the number the guy gave me. What if someone had gotten killed?” Jackie argued. “I’d never forgive myself. I just called and didn’t think.”

  “We set you up to do this, and Madison helped me.” Roman motioned between the two of them, while Maddy smiled and leaned her head against her husband’s shoulder. “You’re a smart girl. You had to know we were involved and that nothing would happen.”

  “Don’t you remember? I asked you to stop here to help the delivery man. We left the door open for you. You played right into our hands and did everything we wanted you to do.”

  “But…” Jackie wouldn’t give up.

  “Believe me, I know everything that goes on in this town. Most often, even before it happens,” Roman reassured her. “You helped us, and that’s that.”

  Jasper remained silent as he listened to more of the story. His mind was in turmoil. He’d been played, a chess piece that they’d all moved around the board to win the game, no matter the cost. He felt like a fool. A love-sick fool. For the first time in his life, he’d given his all to a woman, only to be crushed and tossed aside like day-old bread.

  What could only be called fear popped out of nowhere. Anxiety ran through his veins. Just mere minutes ago, he’d been ready to die for Jackie. Now, all he felt was confusion and a sense of betrayal. He’d been honest, while everyone else was lying, or so it seemed right now. His head throbbed, and it was difficult to breathe. All he wanted to do was run, but he couldn’t move an inch. He couldn’t turn off his feelings for her like a faucet. It still dripped through his heart.

  “So why are you still pointing a gun at me?” Jasper finally caught his breath when Roman lowered his weapon.

  “Because, like I said, I know what is going on even before it happens. Maddy, my lovely matchmaking wife, thinks you two are a match made in heaven, but right now, you both are living a nightmare. You both feel lost and not sure you’ll ever trust each other again, and you’re wondering whether or not anything between you was real. When you both calm down, you might remember that, at this point in time, with a gun to your heads, you were both willing to die for each other.” Roman put his gun away and kissed the top of Maddy’s head. “Just like we would. If that isn’t love, nothing is. Now, Jasper you close up the back door, and Jackie, you come with us. I think you both need time apart to process everything.”

  Jackie never looked his way. Jasper turned and left without acknowledging her, either. His heart had been pierced, and there was nothing left to do right now but go somewhere and lick his wounds. Now was not the time to talk things out. Roman was right. The more space between them right now, the better.

  Nearing the entrance to the tunnel, the panic attack started to fade. He knew what he needed to do. Grabbing his phone, he called Dom and asked for their location. Before Hower left this earth, he’d be giving Jasper the answers they needed and, with any luck, regain some of the faith his boss had lost in him.

  ***

  Jackie

  Jackie thought that when the man responsible for her parent’s death was dealt with, she’d feel something. Triumph, relief, accomplishment, but all that surged through her right now was emptiness. She was numb.

  What to do now? An hour from now? Tomorrow?

  It was all up in the air.

  After Jasper left, they’d gone to Madison’s office. Roman and Maddy spent a good hour counseling her through what had happened and what would happen. What to say if police questioned her about Hower. What to do about work—they didn’t want her to leave. What to do if she decided to go—she wouldn’t be allowed to come back. Despite the promise to her father, once she was out, she wouldn’t get back in. Any contact or help from the Caponellis would end. Forever.

  When it was time to go home, she couldn’t wait to get there. Walking into the apartment, she felt like a zombie. Her purse, her keys, her phone, everything just fell where it landed. She barely remembered stripping off her clothes and stepping into the shower until the cold water stunned her awake. Jackie screamed as her tears mingled with the water dripping down her face. She never needed her mother more than now, and that just caused the waterworks to flow even harder.

  It was a lot to take in. Not to mention she’d caused Andrew Hower’s death. A living, breathing person was now dead because of her. That was the hardest thing to deal with. She’d not actually done the deed, but by lying and leading him there to be killed, she had as much blood on her hands as Arlo and Dominic. Her relationship with Roman and Madison seemed fragile, but they didn’t seem to think anything of it. Her boss still expected her to show up for work on Monday. But could she? Would it be best to just pack the car and leave town? Where would she go, and what would she do? Life right now was a crossroad, and it was hard to know which direction to turn.

  A rattling noise brought her back from the brink, and she realized it was her teeth chattering. She trembled so badly, it took several attempts to turn off the water. Grabbing a towel, she dried off and slipped on a fluffy robe. Still cold, Jackie went to the kitchen, grabbed a bottle of whiskey, and started a fire in the fireplace.

  A half hour later, the fire roared, and half the bottle was gone. Jackie rocked while staring into the flames. Nothing helped. Nothing made her feel better. It was at if she’d died on the inside, but the outside just didn’t know it yet.

  In the brief time she’d been in Genoa, the place had become home. A bigger city held zero interest for her now. She liked it here. Being a reporter held zero interest for her, but she liked working at the winery and was excited to see the business grow. Then, there was Jasper. She loved him. As much as she had fought it, he’d won her heart.

  Jasper.

  She took another swig from the bottle and set it on the floor. Where was he? Jackie stood and paced the room like a caged-in cat. So tied up in her own mess, she’d not considered how much this had affected him. The man must be a turmoil. He loved his life with the family, and she’d made him look bad.

  Dishonored.

  Guilt spiked when she realized she had no idea where he was, but going to his house right now just didn’t seem like the right idea either. Jackie needed time to think things, though, and it was a good bet he did also. Rising slowly, she returned to the kitchen, carefully holding on to chairs and tables along the way. She wasn’t used to heavy drinking, and too much booze had made the room sway. Spying her phone on the floor, Jackie carefully reached for it. Hitting the start-up button several times, she realized it was clearly dead. Counting four deep breaths, she found the cord and plugged it in. Maybe it was a good thing it wasn’t charged. Right now, she didn’t even know where to start, and she was in no condition to form complete sentences.

  The clock on the wall said midnight. Where had the time gone? Fighting back a yawn, physical and mental exhaustion overtook her, and Jackie finally fell into bed.

  ***

  Jasper

  Never had he wanted to skin a person alive, piece by piece, but right now, Andrew Hower was
at the top of that list. Arlo and Dominic didn’t appreciate him making them wait to get rid of the guy, but he’d insisted. The urge to do something was overpowering. Ever since things had unfolded at the winery, it’d been hard to process what the hell had gone down. Just driving out of town helped ease the throbbing headache that had formed.

  The Restful Arms was anything but. It was a run-down motel that both the MC and mob used for things they’d like to keep under the radar of the local law enforcement. However, once the staff discovered the demise of Hower, they’d have no choice but to call the police.

  They were waiting for him in room number thirteen.

  “What took you so long?” Dom grumbled as Jasper entered the room. “Stephanie’s been waiting. She wants to go out to eat.”

  “Whipped.” Jasper couldn’t believe the change in the man since he’d met his true love. The guy had always preferred to be alone, so going out to eat in a restaurant was something new to the man who was uncomfortable around people. Steph had healed the man from the inside out. It was true love, and that just threw more salt on the cuts to his heart he was experiencing right now. “Has he said anything?”

  Arlo stepped to his side. “The usual shit. Help me. I didn’t do it. I can get you money.”

  “Nothing about the Bratva or the Smiths.” His friend just shook his head. “Did you bring what I asked?”

  “Yeah, but this is going rogue.” He nodded toward the man tied to a chair. Hower was pale, and from his lack of fight, he had clearly accepted his fate. “Roman said to kill him, not interrogate him. We can’t leave any marks. It has to look like a suicide.”

  “It will. Connie got the insurance money, so they didn’t suspect anything there.” Jasper now stood in front of the man who’d turned Jackie’s world upside down. “Give me the needle.” He held out his hand, and Arlo gave him the syringe. It was Amobarbital, which they used to get people to talk. It wasn’t actually a truth serum, but it did cause the person’s central nervous system to slow down, and they would have a hard time coming up with a fake answer. Even if he couldn’t get his girl back, he would prove his worth to his boss.

  “A needle pick will leave a mark.” Dom moved to stand behind Andrew. “But we’re going to hang ’em, so just poke him where the rope will hit. Hold him, and I’ll do it.” That caused the man to squirm and come to life.

  Jasper and Arlo held Hower motionless while Dom inserted the needle in the correct spot, and they waited. The drug made him drowsy but not enough to not answer questions. For the next hour, Jasper asked question after question and recorded it all on his phone. It was risky to do that, but it was important for Roman to hear it word for word. The man revealed the full details of what had happened to Jackie’s parents and the names of the men who had murdered them.

  It was when they asked him why he had gotten involved with the Bratva that things really got interesting. Andrew hadn’t always been a willing accomplice. He was over his head in debt and had agreed to help in return for a payoff. Once he was on the payroll, the man got addicted to the money and the other benefits of working for the Russian mob. The high-end hookers and access to their clubs were just a few of those benefits. The guy gave up the addresses of some of the clubs and major hangouts. He also mentioned that they’d been responsible for some of the hits on Caponelli and Rinaldi businesses.

  “What are they planning to hit next?” They didn’t have much time left. It was getting late, and the motel would get busy with people paying by the hour. Also, Hower had broken out in a sweat, his skin was clammy, and it looked like he might be going into cardiac arrest. The guy had been under extreme stress for several hours.

  “The daughter,” he mumbled, and Jasper shook the man awake.

  “The daughter? What daughter?” Jasper asked again. “Whose daughter?”

  His mind raced as he counted in his head the names of single women in the Caponelli and Rinaldi families who might be the focus of the Bratva. It was anyone’s guess who they’d go after, but everyone needed to be extra vigilant.

  Andrew jerked as the impending heart attack kicked in, and in a matter of seconds, his head rolled to the side.

  “Son of a bitch. Untie him.” They loosened the ties that bound him, and Hower collapsed onto the floor in a thud. He was still breathing but not long for the world.

  “Well, this makes it easier. We don’t have to hang him now and the needle gauge was small enough it didn’t show at all.” Dom glanced at his watch. “I just got a text from the tech guys saying that everything has been uploaded to his computer and phone. They said to just leave the laptop up and running. Can you finish up? I got to go.”

  “If everything is swept and clean. Go.” Arlo groaned, and his eyes met Jasper’s. At least Dom’s love life was on the right track, even if theirs weren’t.

  Dom hustled out, and his van could be heard turning on the crushed rock as he spun out.

  “I guess that means you’re driving me home.” Arlo checked the man for a pulse. “He’s dead, but we’d better stay another ten minutes, just to make sure.”

  “Yeah, sure.” Jasper checked his phone for messages, but there were none.

  Chapter 23

  Jasper

  The sun was already up when Jasper finally drove into the driveway to his place. What a long fuckin’ night. Turning off the car, he checked his phone for the hundredth time. If Jackie cared as much as she said, why hadn’t she called? And did he even want her to? After leaving the motel, Arlo and he had driven to Roman’s house to play the recording. At least Jasper felt redeemed in Roman’s eyes. The man said he knew that Jasper would do what needed to be done and that Jasper was loyal to him. Arlo and Dom had been given instructions to interrogate the guy, if Jasper hadn’t beat them to it. He’d played right into their hands again.

  The Caponellis and Rinaldis were taking extra precautions to protect their wives and the daughters of everyone in the family. Arlo hadn’t said a word, but you could tell he was concerned about Layla. If anyone was a target, she’d be the biggest. With Madison out of town and married to Roman, Layla was the remaining daughter of Bruno Rinaldi in Chicago. The closest dot on their radar.

  After business was taken care of, Arlo left, while Jasper stayed to ask about Jackie and where he stood with the family. Again, Roman stressed that he should have been more careful about pursuing the reluctant redhead, but that all was forgiven. She’d be welcomed into the family with open arms, if Jackie wished to stay. Oh God, how he wished she would. Even if there was no future for them, he wanted her to be safe.

  Entering stalker mode, he drove past her place. Her car was parked in its usual spot, and nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Finally, Jasper dragged himself out of the vehicle and into his home, where he collapsed onto the couch. There was no way he would sleep in his bed with the scent of her perfume on the pillows. It hurt way too much. He should have hated her, but he didn’t. He should have wanted her to leave, but he didn’t. He should have gone after someone, but he wouldn’t.

  In the past few hours, he’d gone through all the stages of grief, only this wasn’t a death, but the possible end of relationship. Her betrayal had shocked him beyond belief. It had come out of left field and nailed him with a right hook. She had her reasons for keeping quiet, but she should have trusted him, and that hurt most of all. It’s human nature to want to get back at those who harmed you. Was he angry? That was an understatement, but then, he remembered what else she had done.

  Jackie had stepped in front of a loaded gun pointed at his chest. She’d accepted death to save his life. How could he say that wasn’t love? How could he ever let her go? Groaning, he rolled over and reached for his phone. He’d always regret it if they didn’t see this through.

  Jasper checked the time on his phone. It was too early to call. She may still have been sleeping. Being overly tired and overly emotional was never a good time to talk. So he sent a text.

  Jasper: We need to talk. 7 tonight at the Pier. Please be
there.

  He hit SEND and closed his eyes.

  ***

  Jackie

  Her mouth was dry, and her head throbbed like a bitch. Yawning, she rolled to the side and closed her eyes. The sun was up and shinning right through the window. Glancing at her alarm clock, she’d clearly overslept. Reliving what had happened in the last twenty-four hours, she hugged her pillow tighter. Andrew Hower was dead, and her relationship with Jasper was on life support.

  Dragging her feet, she headed to the bathroom to freshen up for the day. After a warm bath, yoga pants and a t-shirt were her choice for the day until she knew what came next. Coffee. That was what came next. It briefly crossed her mind to go to the Java Shop, but right now, she didn’t feel like talking to anyone. Making her own would have to do.

  Jackie spied her phone on the counter where she’d left it late last night to charge. She was afraid to check and find no messages. That was just too much to handle right now. What was needed was some caffeine first.

  It was a good thirty minutes later before she gained the nerve to start up the phone. There were several messages, in fact, so she started at the bottom.

  There was one from Stephanie, asking if she’d be interested in a girl’s trip and bachelorette weekend. It was a group message that also included Valentina and Madison. Jackie was officially included in the mob wives/girls club. Having never been a part of anything like that, she yearned to have close friends to do things with. There were a few reward texts from local businesses. A free cookie with purchase of coffee at the Java shop. Maybe she’d go there, after all. And a free car wash with gas fill-up at the Kwik Trip. The next was from Maddy. She no longer thought of her as Madison, but Maddy, as her friends and family called her.