Текст книги "Blindfold "

Автор книги: M. S. Parker

Соавторы: Cassie Wild
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Текущая страница: 5 (всего у книги 11 страниц)

She gave me a sweet smile that I knew was anything but sweet. “Ash, I'm calling you out. You're being an ass. I've already told you that I can take care of myself. More, I've proven that. You've seen it.” She gave me a half-smile. “How does your nose feel, by the way?”

Red crept up the back of my neck. “This is different. This isn't about you getting in a free shot on someone who isn't expecting it.”

“No. You're right,” she agreed, to my surprise. “It's about you going after people who, for all you know could have murdered somebody. And I'm not going to let you go tearing off after them.” She looked up at me, her expression frank. “I know you. You're going to get hot under the collar if you see them. You're going to think about what they did to Isadora and you're going to lose your temper. If I'm there at least you'll stay in the car.”

“No,” I growled, my stomach twisting at the thought of Toni being anywhere near danger. “This isn't up for discussion.”

“Right again.” Her eyes narrowed and the look on her face hardened. “It's not. You and I both know that if you physically wanted to hold me back from going, you could do it. But make no mistake, if you leave here without me? I won't be here when you get back.”

The impact of her words hit me, and I took a step back. I drew in a slow breath and tried to keep from feeling the sudden stab of panic that went through me.

But she didn’t give me time to fully process her words before she continued, “I promise, if I leave, you will never see me again, and if you try to come after me, I will call the cops. I'm not joking, Ash. If you walk out that door without me, we're done. For good.”

***

To her credit, Toni didn't sit in the car with a smug smile on her face. She actually looked nervous as we started down the road, and it took everything I had not to offer to turn the car around and drive her back. She clutched her phone like a talisman, and I knew that, at the first sign of trouble, she'd be calling Agent Marcum.

I wasn’t expecting trouble. I wasn't expecting anything, really. Just because there was an apartment listed under the name Lily Trask didn't mean anything. It didn't mean that Daniel Trask was using his former step-daughter's name.

And it definitely didn't mean that we were wrong about Lily being dead, and that she was using her step-father's last name.

This entire thing was stupid. I knew it, but I couldn't seem to stop myself. I had to know the truth.

Please don't let Toni pay for me being stupid and stubborn. I don't know who that thought was directed to, but I felt helpless and just sending that simple thought out there felt like it was better than nothing.

“This isn’t too far from where I grew up,” Toni said as I swung a left.

We were only about a half mile from our destination. It was a residential area for the most part, the buildings a mix of older homes and those had been set up into multi-family apartment homes. I slanted a quick look at Toni as I came to a stop at a traffic light.

“My parents’ house is two blocks north,” she said, gesturing. She gave me a proud smile. “A genuine house. We keep telling them they should put it on the market for a cool million and move somewhere. Retire somewhere with a beach.”

Aside from wanting the distraction, I wanted to know more about her, so I went with it. “If they're interested, give them my number. I'm always looking for real estate.”

Toni laughed softly. “My dad's told us more than once that the only way he’ll leave that house for good is when they take him out in a body bag. It’s been in the family for over a century. It'll probably stay in the family even longer than that.” She reached over and stroked her fingers down the back of my hand. “How brave are you?”

“Is this a trick question?” I asked warily.

“Well, I already know you're stupid. I mean, we're here, right?”

From the corner of my eye, I could see her staring out the front of the windshield, a smile on her lips.

“But that's not what I mean. How brave are you?”

I frowned as I started forward again. “I've honestly never thought about it.”

“You might want to think about it. If you really want this thing between us to work, you need to.” She twined our fingers together, and I knew she was only half-teasing. “My parents are going to want to meet you...and my brothers have already told mom and dad about...what happened. Or, at least, the part that they know about. And since that includes me going to jail...” Her voice trailed off.

But I didn't need her to continue. I could only imagine what her parents thought of me.

A picture of my mother's face popped into my mind. "Whatever you do, Ash," she'd once told me. "Try hard not to make an enemy of the parents of the woman you fall in love with. Treat her right and they will treat you right. Treat her wrong…" She'd laughed softly then, and had looked over at my father.

Even though all four of my grandparents had died when I'd been young, I knew that there'd been animosity of some kind between my father and my maternal grandfather. I didn't know what, but my mom's statement had always made me wonder what had happened.

Now, my insides were twisting enough to make me want to puke. Suddenly, finding a kidnapper and possible killer didn't seem quite as nerve-wracking. “So,” I asked, striving for a normal tone of voice. “Are they big on holding grudges?”

“It depends,” Toni said as she glanced over at me, her eyes dancing. “If you impress my mom, you've got a chance because she has my dad wrapped around her finger. But if you screw up with her? It won't be pretty.”

“Great,” I muttered, nosing into an empty spot just down the street from where we needed to be. It wasn't exactly a legal parking spot, but I wasn't worried about getting a ticket since we weren't getting out of the car.

I didn’t have time to brood about Toni’s parents, though. There could be answers here. Answers to what happened to Isadora. To Lily. To my parents.

“Which one is it?” Toni asked, squeezing my hand.

“Bottom left.” I pointed with my free hand.

“So I guess we just sit here until...” Her voice trailed off and her hand tightened on mine until it was painful. “Ash.”

I followed her gaze.

My heart gave a hard, painful slam as I saw a light flickering through a gap in the windows. A shadow passed in front of it, paused. The curtain swayed slightly, and then the shadow moved away. For several long minutes, neither Toni nor I moved or spoke. We just watched.

Then Toni tugged on my arm. “Ash. Look.”

He was clad in a long, dull gray jacket, striding up the sidewalk casually. Nothing about him would draw attention. Not really. But as he looked right, then left, his movements almost deliberately lazy, his gaze zeroed in on me. His eyes slid past the black sedan we'd come in. It was a little too high dollar for this area, but it was the most sedate vehicle I owned. The dark tint kept him from seeing through the window, but I had a feeling he still knew who was inside.

Shit.

“It’s him?” Toni asked softly.

“Yeah.”

I watched as he glanced around once more, and then headed up the steps.

Toni let out a breath as she turned to me. “What do we do now?”

Chapter 12

Toni

I knew what I wanted to do, but I asked anyway. I couldn't expect him to take my thoughts and desires into consideration if I didn't do the same for him. So, I blew out a soft, steady breath, and counted to twenty while waiting for an answer. When none came, I offered my opinion. “I think this would be a good time to call the cops.”

Ash made a face, tapping his fist against the steering wheel, but he didn't discount it outright, so I gave him silence as he thought. He didn't speak for the next few minutes as the activity behind the window we were watching grew more agitated. Shadows moved and merged, making it impossible for us to know what was going on beyond the fact that it didn't seem to be good.

Ash said something under his breath, his soft words lost as my phone began to ring. It was Vic's ringtone, and I gave Ash an apologetic glance. “It's my brother.” I didn't bother to specify which one until I answered, “Hey, Vic, make it fast. I’m kinda busy.”

“Ah...yeeeahhhhh...” He drew the words out. “That’s actually what I wanted to talk to you about.”

The tone of his voice made a shiver go up my spine. “Spit it out, Victor.”

“It’s just...well, you wouldn’t by any chance be doing some...investigating of your own?” He hesitated, and then continued, “Because that might not be the best idea at the moment.” Off in the background, I heard my brother talking to somebody in a hurried tone. When he came back on the phone, his voice was stronger. And more concerned. “I’m serious now, Toni. You need to go. Shit is about to go down in all kinds of different ways.”

Adrenaline surged through me, followed quickly by a chill. “Trouble...”

“Yeah. Go!”

I shot a look over at Ash. He was still staring at the building, but I had a feeling he could hear the conversation clearly enough. Judging by his clenched jaw and the tense set of his shoulders, however, he wasn’t planning on going anywhere.

Shit.

I'd known this was a bad idea.

I looked over at the building too. The activity behind the window had gone still. But there was a sudden tension that hadn't been there before. Now that I thought about it, things had been oddly quiet before. Throat strangely dry, I looked up the street, and then down, noticing things I’d missed earlier.

The plain car parked a few spaces up from ours. Nothing fancy, but still a bit out of place.

The couple that looked almost too casual at the bodega. They were together, except they weren't. No touching and no lingering looks. They smiled and leaned toward each other, and others might have been fooled, but to me, it looked fake, forced. And they kept watching things besides each other.

Something was off.

Something was really off.

Just as that thought came into my head, I heard a noise. Tires, squealing as they rounded the street.

Then, another sound. Sirens.

I tensed.

A black SUV slammed to a stop next to my side of the car, and Ash wrapped his arm around me, hauling me back against him. The driver was focused in the opposite direction, but the man in the back seat was looking at me.

And his gun was pointing in my direction.

Shit.

Vic’s voice shouted at me from the phone I still held clutched in my hand.

“I’m here,” I said without lifting the phone to my ear. Vic’s shouting ceased. “Somebody’s got a gun pointed at us.”

Vic’s furious cussing reached my ears much better than his tinny response from a few seconds ago.

“It's going to be okay.” Ash's voice was low and steady in my ear.

My heart was racing. The body’s fight or flight response, I told myself. I knew which one I wanted to go with. Flight. Flight sounded really good. But I didn't have anywhere to go.

“Uh-huh.” I kept my eyes on the man with the gun. He was no more than ten feet away. Would be hard to miss us at this range.

“Son of a bitch...”

Behind me, Ash tensed.

The men and women I’d already guessed to be undercover cops were running, some towards us, some towards the apartment building.

“Get down,” Ash said.

“What?”

He didn’t explain, just pushed me down and covered me with his body.

A bang nearly deafened me, and I heard Ash swear again. He shifted and I felt something hard scrape against my cheek.

“Are you hurt?”

His voice sounded strange, muffled, and for a moment, I was afraid he'd been injured. Then I realized it was only that my ears were still ringing. I nodded.

“I'm fine.” I pushed back against him.

“Wait.” He kept his hand on my back as he lifted himself up slowly. “Fuck,” he muttered.

I sat up, confirming I wasn't in any danger when Ash didn't immediately protest. As soon as my head cleared the window – or what had been the passenger's side window – I saw what Ash was staring at.

Another gun being pointed at me, at us. Except I was pretty sure that the woman holding it was a cop, and a familiar one at that. She didn't look like she was about to shoot us, but she didn't look entirely friendly either.

“Stay where you are,” she said.

“Like hell...” Ash started to move, but stopped when I reached over and put a hand on his arm.

“I think it’s okay, Ash.” I was surprised at how steady my voice sounded.

Behind the cop, I saw two men being pulled out of the SUV. The driver was swearing, but the man who'd had the gun – the one who'd shot at Ash and me – looked almost bored. I cut my eyes toward the apartment building again and saw Trask being led out in handcuffs.

“All right, rich boy, let's get you and the lady out of the car nice and slow.”

We did as she ordered, but as I stepped onto the sidewalk, my eyes narrowed, as much at how familiar she seemed as the way she was talking to us. It was something about the way she cocked her head, the set of her chin...

“Son of a bitch.”

A man's voice caught my ear and I looked toward it.

“Vic?”

The cop scowled. Without looking back, she said, “Gallagher, I told you I’d handle this.” Pointing at me and Ash, she said, “You two, my car. Now.”

Suddenly, it hit me. Holding. The people. The smells. The hooker–

“It was you!” I shouted.

Her eyes darted away from mine. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Vic’s hand clamped over my arm before I could press the matter. “Come on, Sis. You should sit down. Now.”

I glanced behind me to make sure Ash was following. I wasn't surprised to see that he was right there, his eyes finding mine. He wasn't going to leave me.

Chapter 13

Toni

“Give me a reason.” Marcum glared at me.

“Ah...well, I can tell you that I didn’t think we’d see anybody.” I shrugged.

My head was pounding with all that had happened.

Finding out that my troublemaking brother who used to get in trouble with the cops so often was now one of their informants...and with the FBI.

The ‘hooker’ who'd been in the holding cell with me hadn’t been a hooker. She'd been undercover on Vice at the time and had chosen to stay in the cell as soon as she recognized me. Because she knew Vic.

The FBI was pissed at Ash and me for nearly getting ourselves killed by being where we weren’t supposed to be. Marcum had told us to wait, but we'd taken matters into our own hands. We hadn't called her with what we'd found. If we had, we might not have been shot at. We might not have left the house at all because Marcum might have told us that my brother had helped her find the dirty cop. And that the dirty cop had given her the name Lily Trask.

My head was swimming, and all I wanted to do was go home.

Or maybe not home. Maybe somewhere I could just have Ash hold me.

Except I had a bad feeling I wouldn't be heading home, or anywhere with Ash, anytime soon. In the past two hours, I’d been questioned by the cops, by the FBI then more cops. Now the FBI was taking its turn again.

I hadn’t seen Ash yet, but I wasn’t surprised.

My experience with cops might have been limited to what happened with Vic and then my addiction to crime shows, but one thing I knew to be accurate was that they were pretty big on not letting the people they were questioning have time to talk. Once they’d let the EMTs look us over, Ash and I had been separated. He hadn’t been happy about it, either.

He’d actually argued the point for several minutes before I'd gotten him to listen to me. I'd known he could've called in some favors, but I hadn't wanted special treatment simply because Ash had money and friends in high places. Not even when it would benefit me.

Marcum must've been with Ash the last time the FBI had questioned me, because I'd spoken to an agent whose name I couldn't remember. Now, she was sitting across from me, and the expression on her face said there was a good chance Ash had done something to piss her off even more.

Placing my hands on the surface of the desk, I blew out a slow breath and then said in a soft voice, “Agent Marcum, look. I’m not trying to bullshit you and I’m not trying to stonewall you, either. Ash and I weren’t expecting to find anything.”

“Then why did you go?” she demanded. “And how the hell did you find Trask?”

I kept it simple. “We figured it out.”

“You figured it out.” Marcum crossed her arms. “You want to expound on that?”

Not particularly.

I didn't say that though. I was tired, not stupid. So, for the third time in two hours, I gave her the story, telling her about how Isadora figured out that there was a connection to her parents, how we'd gone through old photos and albums looking for clues.

And how we'd found one.

Then about Lily, and how Ash had started putting things together. Including the possibility that Trask and his associates were at the apartment building. When I finished, I fell silent and waited for more questions. It didn’t matter what she asked or how she asked it, my story wouldn't change.

“Why didn't you call me with it? I told you I was looking into it, that I had a lead. Do you have issues trusting law enforcement?”

“Well...yeah.” Shrugging, I crossed my legs and started to swing my foot. “But that's not the point. We didn't want to give you a false lead. Ash didn't think...”

A part of me insisted I be quiet now, but holding something back never went over well with cops. Marcum wouldn’t be any different.

“Ash didn't think we should say anything until we were sure. And, well, you obviously know there was a dirty cop, so...”

“So he didn't want to risk it,” she finished my sentence.

I nodded.

“But he trusted me.” She gave me a questioning look. “Why?”

“That’s personal.”

“Nothing’s personal if it involves an investigation of mine.” Marcum shook her head. “You two interfered with a federal investigation. I could throw both of you in jail. So...just give me a reason, Toni. Or in this case...don’t give me one.”

“He called because of me,” I said after another few seconds of internal debate. “Ash wanted to wait a few days, try to see if he couldn’t figure more out on his own, but I was too angry. They’d involved my family.” Tears burned my eyes now, and it took more effort than I liked to keep them back. I was so tired. “I told him if he wouldn’t do something, then I’d do it.”

Marcum’s ran her tongue across the inside of her teeth as she cocked her head, leaning closer as though that would give her a better view. “So he called. Just like that. Because you threatened to if he didn't?”

“Not exactly.” I drew in another breath and curled my hands into fists. “He saw me with my suitcase. I told him I'd leave too. That I'd never come back. That's why he agreed.”

The door swung open before she could ask anything else. A tall, thin black man with a silver-edged mustache peered in at us before beckoning to her. She nodded at me and then I was left alone.

Exhausted, I lowered my head to my arms.

I wanted this done. Even if they arrested me, as long as I had a flat surface so I could sleep, I'd be happy.

***

“For the record,” Marcum said, her voice flat. “I don’t want us crossing paths like this again. Ever.”

My head still spinning, I nodded at her. She gave a short nod in reply, and then leveled a glare over my shoulder. Turning to look at the object of her disdain, I didn’t notice her leaving. Then I just didn’t care because it was Ash.

I practically collapsed into his arms, relief and something much deeper flowing through me.

He cupped my face in his hands, studying my face. “Are you hurt? You’re not hurt?” he demanded, craning my chin to the right, then the left.

“I’m fine,” I told him. “You were there when the EMTs checked me out.”

I kissed him, rising on my toes to reach his lips.

He kissed me back, sliding his hands down my shoulders, then my arms and wrists and fingers. I broke the kiss as his fingers explored. There was little eroticism to the touch, and I knew he was searching for injuries I hadn’t told him about.

I leaned into him. “Take me home.”

“I will. Just...” He held me more tightly, clutching me to his chest. “I’m sorry, Toni. Dammit, I’m sorry. I was stupid. I don’t know what I was thinking. I’m so sorry. I put you at risk...”

“Just take me home.”

He nodded and kissed me again. Then again, each more frantic than the last.

After the fourth one, I tore away from him and caught his hand. “Home,” I said, squeezing him.

It wasn’t until we got there that I realized I hadn’t really specified what I'd meant by home. But I was okay with his choice, so long as it meant I got to fall asleep in his arms. Preferably sooner rather than later.

But as soon as we walked in, Isadora was there with Colton, flinging herself at her brother while a blank-faced uniformed officer stood behind them, watching the reunion.

“You’re all right!” She hugged Ash, then me, and then Ash again. “I was so scared. The news said there'd been a gunshot reported, but nothing else.”

“It's okay,” he said, pushing her curls back from her face. “They got Trask and the men who were working with him. You're safe.”

She sniffled, and then turned away as she started to cry. Colton came up to her and wrapped her in his arms, guiding her away as he spoke softly to her.

Envy curled through me. And then Ash came up to stand behind me, his hands on my shoulders. He slid them down, then around my waist to pull me back up against him. I went willingly, craving his warmth and strength.

“It’s over,” I said quietly.

“Yeah. It is.”

A breath shuddered out of me.

In the circle of his arms, I turned to face Ash.

Cradling his cheek, I rose on my toes and pressed my lips to his. He responded by parting his lips and sliding his tongue across the seam of my mouth. The sensation sent a ripple through me as I opened my mouth, my arms sliding around his neck. And then, a moment later, I was gasping because Ash was picking me up, his hands cupping my ass. I wrapped my legs around his waist, groaning as his denim-clad cock rubbed against my core.

I didn’t even remember him carrying me from the foyer to his bedroom, but suddenly, we were at his door. He paused there to press me back against the wall. He yanked my t-shirt up, shoving it up until it was twisted under my arms. He yanked the cups of my bra down and lifted my breasts out. While he teased one nipple into taut firmness with his thumb and forefinger, he used teeth and tongue on the other, until I was whimpering and rocking against him.

Then he was moving again, taking me the couple extra feet into his room, where, for one unimaginable second, he stopped touching me. It was only for a moment, though.

“I need you.” He cupped my face as he stared down into my face. “I need you so much.”

Desire coiled tight in my belly. “Then take me.”

He growled as he claimed my mouth, his fingers tearing at the button of my jeans. I pulled at his shirt, just as desperate to feel him as he was me. This wasn't going to be slow, and I was just fine with that.

I needed him.

He groaned as my nails raked down his chest. As he broke the kiss, he spun me around. He pushed my pants down to my knees as his other hand put pressure between my shoulder blades, bending me toward the bed.

A moment later, he drove inside me, hard and fast. I wailed, pain and pleasure spiking through me. I wasn't wet, wasn't ready, but I wanted him, wanted more. My hands twisted in the raw silk of his comforter, seeking purchase as I pushed back against him.

He withdrew and surged deep again, the friction rough enough to make me whimper. His body curled over mine as he thrust into me, each stroke rubbing against that spot inside me as his hands slid up under my t-shirt. His fingers rolled and tugged on my nipples, sending jolts of pleasure that helped slick his way.

“I love you, Toni,” he said, his voice raw and molten.

The sound made something break open inside me, something that fed my need until it was nearly unbearable. I lifted my hips as best as I could, taking his cock as he rode me with quick, short digs.

It was hot, and raw, and he came almost immediately after I did, our bodies left shaking and trembling as we slumped onto the bed. He twisted us around into a relatively more comfortable position and tucked me against his chest. He pressed his lips against my temple.

Neither one of us spoke, but I didn't need him to say anything right now. We had issues we'd need to deal with, decisions to make. But that could wait. For now, I just wanted to fall asleep in the arms of the man I loved.

After the shitstorm the last few weeks of my life had been, I felt like I deserved it.