Authors: Cait Jarrod
“Are
you planning on chasing after Andrew on your own?”
Damn
straight, she was. Telling Pamela her plans for revenge didn’t seem right, like
it was a conflict of interest considering what her husband did––
does
––for a living.
Pamela
touched her arm. “Don’t worry about answering. I already know you want to get
even with him. I’m asking you… please don’t. Think of Henry, think of us. We
don’t want to lose you. He’s a dangerous man.”
Puzzled,
Charlene narrowed her eyebrows. How’d Pamela know she planned to get revenge?
Yesterday, she didn’t even tell anybody she’d hit Andrew with the bat. Why
would anybody think she’d take the initiative to go after him? Then she
remembered her mom gasping after Charlene had said,
I’ll handle it
. “Mom said something to you?” Now, she knew the real
reason her mother dropped by unannounced. Charlene eyed the front door and
found Doris watching from the porch.
Charlene
faced Pamela. “I understand and appreciate your concern, but you know as well
as I do I need to convince him to leave me and my family alone.” She looked
away to check on Henry. He rattled away to Jake, but shadows had formed over
Jake’s face. Clearly, his mind was elsewhere, other than listening to the
ramblings of a six-year-old.
“That’s
why I’m here. I do know you and I care. I saw how you came to life to make sure
we got out of the cabin alive. That day changed us. Well,
several
days did it to me.”
Charlene
nodded. Her friend had been through pure hell.
“We’re
fighters, but we can’t take the law into our own hands. Promise me you’ll talk
to Jake. He can offer advice. If you need him to investigate, he will.”
Jake
approached, holding Henry’s hand. He kissed Pamela and faced Charlene. “Are you
doing okay?”
Charlene
knew why Pamela fell hard for Jake Gibson. The man oozed
badass
. Sunglasses covered his beautiful blue eyes; a permanent
five o’clock shadow covered his jaw. “I am. Listen—”
“Are
you mad at my mom, Uncle Jake?”
Jake
knelt in front of Henry. “I’m not. I’m mad at the person who did this.”
Henry
scuffed the toe of his shoe against the pavement. “That’d be my dad.”
Jake
nodded. “I know.”
“My
dad’s an asshole.”
“Henry,”
Charlene chastised.
“I’m
not a little kid, Mom. I’m almost seven. I can say those words when I
really…really mean them.”
Charlene
sucked in a deep breath. How could she argue with such wisdom?
Jake
saved her from responding by tugging on Henry’s shirttail. “Are you free to go
to lunch today? Aunt Pamela and Marge are making your favorite.”
“Spaghetti?”
“Second
favorite.” Jake chuckled.
A
toothless smiled stretched across Henry’s face. “Mac and cheese?”
“You
got it.” Pamela smiled. “Charlene, if it’s all right with you, I’d like to take
Henry with me when I leave. He can run errands and then pick up Grand Ann and
Grand Ben with me.”
Henry
squinted against the bright sun to look up at her, his sweet face beckoning
her. “Can I go?”
She
squeezed his hand and smiled. “Yes.”
“Henry,
breakfast is ready,” Doris hollered from the front porch.
Henry
rubbed his belly. “I have to eat first. Will you wait?”
“I
drove separately from Uncle Jake, so whenever you’re ready.”
Charlene
looked at the two vehicles parked along the street. Pamela’s red Toyota and
some ugly looking car.
“I’ll
hurry,” Henry said, rushing into the house.
Charlene
had no doubt he’d suck his food down way too fast. “Don’t rush.”
“I’ll
see you this afternoon, buddy,” Jake said.
Henry
grinned and jogged up the steps.
“Work
waits.” Jake kissed Pamela’s lips. He pulled Charlene into a hug and kissed her
cheek. “This is not your fault.” His voice lowered. “I’ll see that he pays.”
She
nodded, yet thought:
Not if I see him
first
.
He
kissed Pamela again and left.
Pamela
studied her. “Please consider what I said.”
****
Larry
stormed into the ranch-style building that housed Old Towne Detectives. After
leaving Charlene’s this morning, he’d given up on the idea of sleep and went to
the FBI office to search the databases. “I can’t find the SOB anywhere,” he
spouted before realizing Jake’s office was empty. “Hell.” He spun on his heels
and observed the empty reception desk.
“Can
I help you?” a dark-haired man with an earring in his left ear whose hair
touched his shoulders asked.
The
man gave Paul a run in the height department. “Who are you?”
He
squared his shoulders and crossed his arms, puffing out his chest.
Must be
military.
“You’re
in my place of business. I’ll ask the questions.”
“You’re
in Jake Gibson’s agency,” Larry challenged back.
“I
work here. You don’t.”
Respecting
the guy for watching out for Jake’s agency, he gave a slight nod and offered
his hand. “Larry Newman.”
The
man relaxed and grasped his hand. “Pleasure. Jake’s told me a lot about you.
I’m Quigley.”
“Quigley?
Your parents have something against you?” Larry chuckled.
“Did
yours? Only Larrys I know are simpletons.”
Definitely
military
.
“Got a last name?” Larry asked, releasing his hand.
“Collins,
Quigley Collins.”
Larry
had heard of him. Navy Seal, forced into retirement after a bad drop. The man had
an outstanding military reputation. “Good to meet you. Where’s Jake?”
“Right
here.” Jake kicked the door shut and carried a box into his office. “What’s up?
Larry
followed while Quigley walked back down the hall and disappeared inside another
office. The space looked like a living room more than a workplace with a couch,
recliner, and TV. “I’ve searched all the databases for recent information on
Andrew Smith. It’s like the man has vanished.” Larry slumped onto the couch.
Wrapped so tight with need for Charlene, he hadn’t given any more thought to
the reason Smith stopped by her home. He hadn’t probed her for more information
when he should have.
He may not know exactly what happened,
but he did know Charlene possessed enough grit to get her mother and son out of
the house before Smith showed his wrath.
The
gleam in her eyes spoke volumes for the strength she possessed, a look he
recognized all too well. He rubbed his jaw and wondered what the hell happened
inside that house to make Andrew Smith furious enough to take a bat to a car.
“I
need to find him before he makes contact with Charlene again.” Larry’s gut
instinct said if Charlene saw Smith again, the man’s life would be in danger.
Not something that concerned him, but Charlene did. If she threatened his life,
she could pay for her actions behind bars.
“What’s
his angle?”
Larry
thought back on past conversations and the details the FBI had learned about
him when Charlene and Pamela were kidnapped. Other than Smith realizing he was
a putz for walking out on someone as breathtaking as Charlene, he didn’t have a
clue. “Don’t know.”
Jake
set the box on the desk and lifted a figurine.
Larry
raised a brow.
“It’s
a wedding present,” Jake said defensively. “I gave her one, so she gave me one.
Enough said.” He placed the sculpture of a couple holding each other in the
center of his desk.
“Damn,
you’re soft.”
Jake
glared and tossed the box into the corner. “How are you feeling?”
His
brain went right to last night. Charlene’s touch had given him a temporary
moratorium to his turmoil and pain he’d endured every day. Each soothing caress
had ratcheted up his desire to the point of no return. Arousal shot through
him. He shifted, cleared his mind and took in his friend’s worry lines on his
face. “Little sore, not bad.”
“You’re
one lucky SOB.”
I am.
Charlene was a
treasure. He narrowed his eyes. No way had Jake known what he did last night.
“Why exactly am I a lucky SOB?”
“You
weren’t bitten by a venomous snake.” Jake dropped into the chair behind the
desk. “What the hell did you think I was talking about?”
“That.”
“Uh-huh.
More like Charlene. I’ve seen the connection between you two. Only stands to
reason, you’re seeing her.”
Larry
said nothing.
Jake’s
stern gaze landed Larry’s. “Are you telling Charlene?”
“What?”
“You
know what I’m talking about.”
Larry
groaned. The unspoken subject was clear and didn’t need mentioning. When he
remained quiet, Jake said, “If you’re dating or even contemplating dating her,
she deserves to know. Otherwise, she’ll never understand you.”
Digging
into his past, telling his secret, exposing a side of him that Jake alone knew
wouldn’t benefit anyone. Charlene would have empathy for him and their friends
with benefits relationship would become cluttered. He wanted and needed
simplicity. “We’re not anything.” His throat tightened on the lie.
“You’re
not?” Jake leaned forward, bracing his elbows on the desk. “Well then, you must
be sick. Whenever she’s around, you turn red, like either you’re pissed or in
heat.”
“If
you’re noticing that much about me, then Pamela isn’t keeping you busy enough,”
Larry retorted.
“Maybe
the relationship I have with Pamela allows me to understand what’s ailing you.”
“Ailing?
Damn.”
Jake
relaxed against the back of his chair. “I’ll drop it.”
Before
Jake brought it up, the idea had already been planted in Larry’s brain. Should
he or shouldn’t he confide in Charlene?
“Let’s
talk shop,” Jake said, interrupting Larry’s musings.
Larry
straightened. “Let’s have it.”
“Once
Smith left the area, there’s no history.” Jake tossed a folder onto the center
of his desk. “How in the hell did he vanish from the techno world?”
“Don’t
know, “Larry said. “ The FBI has no information.”
Quigley
propped his shoulder against the doorjamb. “No record?”
The
man had soft feet. Larry didn’t hear him approach.
“Sorry
for eavesdropping. I blocked out the girly parts.” Quigley focused on Jake.
“Wonder if he assumed another identity to disappear off the radar.”
“Like
a Navy Seal.” Larry arched a brow. “You guys are ghosts.”
“We
drop from the sky, dressed, and ready to kick ass,” Quigley chuckled.
“By
the way, how’s the coccyx?” Larry teased.
“You’ve
done your homework on me,” Quigley said. “It’s fine. Wanna check?”
Larry
held up a hand. “I’m good. We have no leads, no address, what about his friends?
People he hung out with while he and Charlene were married?” Speaking of
Charlene and Andrew’s past relationship felt like acid on his tongue. “Maybe
someone has been in contact with him.”
“I’ll
do some digging. See what I come up with,” Jake said. “If I find anything, I’ll
follow up.”
Larry’s
gaze snapped to Jake. He knew exactly what Jake was up to. “Man, don’t go
there. You can’t take revenge. The authorities will have no choice but to take
your PI license.”
Jake’s
grunt was his only response.
Shit
. Another person
to worry about.
“Switching
cases, I talked to the Director concerning the lights.”
“Yeah,
I got my phone call early this morning.” Larry had just pulled out of
Charlene’s driveway when the Director called, demanding a full report. He wanted
the case solved ASAP. “What’s the rush on this case?” Before the Director had
given Larry all the details, he received another call and had to disconnect.
“The
owner of Greenwood Manor is a childhood friend of his,” Jake said. “He’s doing
it for a favor.”
“Again?”
The case involving Charlene and Pamela had Hal Kennedy asking for favors
because of a war buddy. “He’s friends with everyone.”
“Small
community.” Jake’s lips pressed into a flat line. “We should do surveillance on
the manor, especially in the area of the man-made holes. By the way, I sent
Quigley out there yesterday to check for more traps.”
Larry
twisted to look at Quigley who shifted from one side of the doorjamb to the
other. “Find any?”
“Yeah,
there’s one about every twenty yards, just inside the fence row.”
“Sounds
like we’re dealing with an underground operation.”
Jake
propped his elbow on the armrest. “That’s my guess.”