by Jen Talty
She moved to the other side of the booth.
Thompson stared at her with an ominous smile. “My money,” he said with a snarl.
She placed the large envelope on the table, keeping her hands pressed against the paper. “Along with the cash, there is a key to a locker at the train station. In the locker is the same buyout for every business in this neighborhood.” She pushed another envelope across the table. “Here are the contracts, all signed, voiding the previous ones. They just need your John Hancock.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” he leaned back in his seat. “Like hell am I going to do that.”
“What you’re doing borders on illegal.”
He laughed. “No, it doesn’t. Not my fault if they don’t understand what they are agreeing to.”
“You mislead them regarding your buyout clauses, and then you force your bogus suppliers on them. I think, if taken to a court of law, a judge and jury might see things differently. Not to mention forcing young ladies to go to work at Nightshade, which come on, let’s call the kettle black, that place isn’t companionship for hire.”
“You’re mistaken, little girl.” He leaned forward, keeping his hands under the table. “You talk a good game, but you’re way out of your league. The only reason why we’re letting your parents off the hook is because you proved to be more resourceful than we expected, and we don’t need that boyfriend of yours poking around in our business.”
“We?” she asked.
“I have business partners,” he responded with narrowed eyes. “And while amused by your creativity, they won’t be pushed into backing out of the other binding, legal contracts. You can’t muscle me. Besides, you entered Nightshade of your own accord. I only offered you the job. There was no twisting your arm.”
“Really? You’ve got to be kidding, right? I’d say it was two hundred and fifty thousand of twisting.” She waved her hand dismissively. “But what I want to know is why does Carlucci really want with these businesses?” Her heart beat so hard that along with the federal agents listening in, she bet the entire diner could hear it.
Thompson cocked his head.
“Who?”
“Don’t play dumb. I know you work for them, and I know it’s a legit,” she held up her fingers making quotation marks, “business, but the Carluccis have other dealings shadier than this one, and I have to think that whatever those are, it’s the reason they want to put these poor people out on the streets and take their daughters and prostitute them out.”
“You’ve got it all figured out, don’t ya?”
A hard object hit her leg with a gentle tap. She jerked her knee away.
“That’s a gun. In case you were wondering,” Thompson said.
“Are you threatening me?” Her throat rattled worse than her hands shaking against the table.
“Consider it a warning. Now, I’ll take the money, and the key with all the other cash, but I’m not signing anything, nor will we be negotiating any new contracts. We’re taking over those establishments, and there isn’t a damn thing any of you can do about it. Nor can you stop us from hiring any woman at Nightshade.” He jabbed her thigh, pressing the muzzle of the gun hard against her leg. “If you meddle in my business again, I’ll make sure your parents don’t make it to their next birthday. Got it?”
She nodded, fighting back the tears. She hoped Sadie had all she needed to make the arrest.
“Watch your back,” Thompson said as he rose, stuffing the gun in his pocket. “Mr. Carlucci isn’t a man who takes too kindly to people like you.”
She kept her hands flattened on the Formica tabletop, gaze glued to Thompson as three agents stormed the diner, guns pointed, yelling at him to hit the deck.
“You’re a dead woman,” Thompson said as Sadie slapped a set of handcuffs around his wrists. “You and your parents.”
The tears broke free, streaming down her cheeks. She dropped her forehead to her hand, letting the sobs bellow from deep in her gut.
“Cali.” Xavier’s voice filled her brain and engaged her heart with a sense of belonging she never wanted to lose.
His strong arms wrapped around her body like a favorite blanket. “Shhhh, it’s going to be all right.”
“I’ve never been so scared in my life.” She rested her head on his shoulder.
“You did good,” he said, smoothing down her hair. “I’m sorry we had to put you through that.”
“I’d do anything for my parents.” She glanced up at Xavier. “I owe you a lot of money, and I have no idea how I’m going to pay it back.”
“What money? We got the cash you gave to Thompson back.”
“Oh. That’s right.”
His smile brightened the room and filled her heart with joy. He leaned in and kissed her temple.
“Sorry to break up the party, but until we have Carlucci in custody, I need all of you in a safehouse.”
“How long will that take?” Xavier asked, keeping her tucked neatly against his chest.
“We’ve got the warrant for Nightshade, all the local businesses, as well as his home. I’d say twenty-four tops. But I’ve got to make this stick. We don’t want that asshole getting off on a technicality.”
“As long as Cali and I get our own room, that’s fine.”
She slapped him on the shoulders. “Our parents will be there. I don’t think—”
“Our parents will get over it.” He cupped her face, fanning his thumbs across her cheeks. “Cali, I love you.”
“That’s not taking things slow.”
“Slow is overrated.” He cocked his head. “Are you going to seriously leave me hanging like this?”
She smiled. “And to think it only took a good old-fashioned shakedown for me to find the love of my life.”
Epilogue
Four years later…
“California Banister Sumner.”
Xavier puffed out his chest. “That’s my wife,” he whispered to his mother-in-law sitting next to him at the commencement ceremony. They’d only been married for a few months, having had a winter ceremony at his parents’ place out on Montauk. Right on the beach. Snow and all.
“Go, Cali!” he yelled as the dean handed her a diploma.
“You’re more excited than she is,” her father said.
“He’s always been hyper,” his mother said.
He ignored both sets of parents as he stared at the woman who rocked his world.
She glanced out over the stage and gave him a smile and a little wave.
His leg shook for the next twenty minutes. All he wanted to do was take his bride and twirl her around. She’d worked so hard to be a lawyer, and he couldn’t be prouder.
Or happier.
As soon as the commencement ended, he raced through the crowd, weaving left and right like a football player dashing to the goal line until he found Cali.
“My wife. Attorney-at-law.” He hugged her, lifting her in the air.
“You left our parents in the dust,” she said, laughing.
“Couldn’t help myself.” He kissed her like a husband would in the privacy of their own home. He didn’t care if people stared.
“Stop,” she said, pressing her hands against his chest.
“You’re spoiling my fun.” He tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear, admiring the new diamond earrings he’d gotten her for graduation. She hadn’t been one of those wives who demanded jewelry, but diamond earrings she’d been mentioning for a while, so he splurged.
“There will be plenty of time for that when we get home.”
“We still haven’t christened the one guest room that still doesn’t have furniture.”
“I was thinking about what I wanted to put in that room,” she said.
“It’s a bedroom. How hard can that decision be? Just pick a set you like.”
“I have something else in mind,” she said, palming his cheek, giving it a couple of love taps.
“Like what?”
“Baby furniture.”
Thank you for taking the time to read NIGHTSHADE. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Please feel free to leave an HONEST review on Amazon and/or Goodreads
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Books by Jen Talty
NY State Trooper Series
IN TWO WEEKS
DARK WATER
DEADLY SECRETS
MURDER IN PARADISE BAY
TO PROTECT HIS OWN
DEADLY SEDUCTION
WHEN A STRANGER CALLS
Other novels
REKINDLED
JANE DOE’S RETURN
THE BUTTERFLY MURDERS
The Aegis Network
THE LIGHTHOUSE
HER LAST Hope
THE LAST FLIGHT
THE RETURN HOME
Coming soon!
THE MATRIARCH
The Collective Order
THE LOST SISTER
THE LOST SOLDIER
THE LOST SOUL
Coming soon!
THE LOST CONNECTION
Special Forces Operation Alpha
BURNING DESIRE
BURNING KISS
BURNING SKIES
BURNING LIES
BURNING HEART
BURNING BED
The Brotherhood Protectors
ROUGH JUSTICE
ROUGH AROUND THE EDGES
The Twilight Crossing Series
THE BLIND DATE
SPRING FLING
SUMMER’S GONE
Coming soon!
WINTER WEDDING
Witches and Werewolves
LADY SASS
ALL THAT SASS
Coming soon!
NEON SASS
PAINTING SASS
About the Author
Welcome to my World! I’m an Award-Winning and Bestselling Author of Romantic Suspense, Contemporary Romance, and Paranormal Romance. DARK WATER, book 2 in the NY STATE TROOPER series hit number 10 in Barnes and Nobel overall. THE BLIND DATE hit number 1 in the Contemporary Romance/Kindle Worlds List on Amazon. JANE DOE’S RETURN won both THE MOLLY and the BEACON before being published by the WILD ROSS PRESS.
I first started writing while carting my kids to one hockey rink after the other, averaging 170 games per year between 3 kids in 2 countries and 5 states. My first book, IN TWO WEEKS was originally published in 2007. In 2010 I helped form a publishing company (Cool Gus Publishing) with NY Times Bestselling Author Bob Mayer where I ran the technical side of the business through 2016.
I’m currently enjoying the next phase of my life…the empty NESTER! My husband and I spend our winters in Jupiter, Florida and our summers in Rochester, NY. We have three amazing children who have all gone off to carve out their places in the world, while I continue to craft stories that I hope will make you readers feel good and put a smile on your face.
Visit my website at http://jentalty.com
Sign up for Jen’s Newsletter (https://dl.bookfunnel.com/rg8mx9lchy) where she often gives away free books before publication.
Join Jen’s private Facebook group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/191706547909047/) where she posts exclusive excerpts and discuss all things murder and love!