Deadly Conflicts (Hardy Brothers Security Book 21) (17 page)

“I’m worried.” Mandy’s voice was small and she hated admitting something like that to her husband. “He makes me nervous.”

“I am coming for you right now,” James said. “I’m going to beat him senseless when I get there. Just … hold on. I promise I will be right there. Just … hold on. I promise everything is going to be okay.”

“
L
et’s order more drinks
.”

Fifteen minutes later the second pitcher of margaritas was toast and so was Mandy’s patience. She grabbed the empty pitcher from Ally and shook her head. She’d managed to sober up nicely in the time since she called James and she’d been watching the front door for a familiar face ever since.

“You don’t need another drink,” Mandy admonished. “How about you have a glass of water instead?”

Ally wrinkled her nose. “I don’t want a glass of water.”

“Yeah, she doesn’t want a glass of water,” Vince intoned, leaning into Ally. His chair had gotten progressively closer with each passing moment. “She’s a big girl. Leave her alone … killjoy.”

Mandy already disliked the man when she made the call. She hated him now. “Don’t talk to me like that.”

“Like what?” Vince feigned innocence. “I’m not talking to you like anything so … chill.”

“How about you bite me?” Mandy shot back. “I think that sounds like a better plan.”

Ally was beyond tipsy so she had trouble wrapping her head around Mandy’s attitude. “Am I missing something?”

“No,” Vince said. “You’re too cute to miss anything.”

Mandy rolled her eyes so hard she thought she might fall out of her chair. “Yeah, you’re missing something,” she said. “This guy is following you around and he’s a total douche.”

“Excuse me?” Vince’s eyes flashed with anger. “I see you get your social skills from your husband.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“You shouldn’t,” Vince said, raising his hand to signal the waitress. “Come on, Ally. Let’s get more drinks and move out to the deck. Your friend is raining on my parade and I don’t like it.”

She might’ve been drunk, but Ally wasn’t so far gone she would get up and abandon Mandy. “No, she’s right. It’s a weekday and I have to work tomorrow. I’ve had more than enough.”

“Oh, good grief,” Vince lamented. “What happened to you? You used to be so much more fun. This is what happens when you spend your days pining for a carny.”

“Stop calling Jake that!” Ally exploded.

“Hey, it’s not my fault he’s not giving you what you want,” Vince said. “He can’t. He’s a limited individual … just like this one.” He jerked his thumb in Mandy’s direction. “She’s only friends with you because she thinks she has to be to make her husband happy. What she doesn’t understand is that her husband is an ass and he’s probably sleeping with every woman in town when she’s not looking.”

“That did it.” Mandy grabbed a pitcher of beer from a passing waitress’s tray and didn’t hesitate. She threw it in Vince’s face before the waitress had a chance to register what was happening.

“Hey!”

“I’m going to kill you,” Vince hissed, wiping the beer from his face. “I just … this is an expensive suit!”

“That doesn’t make you any less of a douche,” Mandy shot back, flashing a rueful smile at the waitress. “You can put that on his tab. He’s paying.”

“You stupid bitch,” Vince barked. “I hope you die a long and torturous death and that your husband knocks up some hussy and embarrasses you so much you crawl into a hole and are never heard from again when it finally happens.”

“Hey!” Ally was on her feet, but she didn’t get a chance to blurt out whatever angry remarks flooded her mind because Vince was being dragged away from her by a hand around his throat before she could form words. “What the … ?”

James was furious when he slammed Vince into a wall. “Don’t ever talk to my wife that way!”

“Let me go,” Vince choked out, gasping for breath. “I … she started it.”

“Yes, I’m sure the tiny woman deserved you threatening her,” James seethed. “Don’t look at her! Look at me.”

Jake stood between Mandy and James, his face unreadable.

“Jake?” Ally was confused. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m going to take you home, angel,” Jake said gently, sliding a glance at Mandy. “James is here for Mandy.”

“But … how did you know?”

“I called them,” Mandy replied, taking Jake by surprise with her fortitude. “I was worried when Vince showed up. There’s no way he could just happen upon us here. We never come here. That’s why we picked this place.”

“But … do you really think he’s following me?” Ally’s mind was muddled from the margaritas. “Is that why you were mean to Vince from the moment he sat down?”

Mandy shrugged. “I don’t like him.”

“She threw beer on me,” Vince sputtered, his cheeks crimson. “She’s a bitch!”

James slammed Vince into the wall again for good measure. Everyone in the bar stared in their direction, but he didn’t care. “Don’t ever say anything about my wife again. Do you understand me?”

Vince’s eyes were murderous, but he slowly nodded.

“Don’t come near my sister again either,” James warned. “I will not be happy if that happens.”

“She’s an adult.” Vince was defiant. “She can make her own decisions.”

“And I have,” Ally said. “I don’t think you should come near me again. I … have you been following me?”

“Of course not,” Vince said. “Don’t listen to them, Ally. They’re making things up because they want to control you. Your brother is the ringleader, but his airhead wife is just as guilty.”

James slammed Vince against the wall a third time, ignoring the nervous-looking waitress approaching from his left. Vince was in no real danger since his shoulders were taking the brunt of the blows, but the bar was completely silent except for their small group now and everything was occurring out in the open.

“I will not warn you again,” James said, refusing to lower his voice. “Stop following my sister! Stop insulting my wife! Stay away from my family!”

“James, I think that’s enough,” Jake said, putting his hand on his boss’s forearm. “He gets the picture.”

James reluctantly released Vince, his glare pointed as he refused to take a step away from the man and give him room to breathe.

“I see you’re a trained carny,” Vince said, shooting Jake a derisive look.

To everyone’s surprise, Ally slapped Vince so hard it echoed throughout the room. “Don’t ever talk like that to him,” Ally said. “Don’t come near me again either. I’m not joking.”

“None of us are joking,” Jake said, extending his hand to Ally. “Come on, angel. Let’s get some water into you and put you to bed.”

Ally nodded as she accepted Jake’s hand. “Can we stop for fast food on the way home? I drank a lot more than I probably should have.”

“Whatever you want,” Jake said, flashing a warm smile.

James gave Vince another dirty look before opening his arms and pulling Mandy in for a hug. “You’re in trouble.”

“I know,” Mandy said, sighing.

“Do you want fast food?”

Mandy shook her head. “I only had two drinks.”

“What about the pitcher of beer you threw?” James asked. “Do I need to pay for that?”

“That’s taken care of.”

James glanced at the waitress for confirmation.

“They put it on his tab,” the waitress said, not bothering to hide her amused grin as she pointed at Vince.

“Well, that’s good enough for me,” James said, slipping his arm around Mandy’s waist. “You’re still in trouble, wife. I’m going to spank you when we get home.”

Mandy giggled. “Can I have ice cream first?”

“Sure. I think you’ve earned it.”

“
J
AMES
?”

Mandy found her husband in his office shortly before midnight. Rose and Louis retired hours before, no one mentioning her escape – or the stupidity associated with it – and instead the older Hardys allowed the younger ones space to deal with their issues. James dealt with it by giving Mandy ice cream and then retreating to his office.

James shifted his eyes from the computer screen to his wife’s face. “What’s up?”

“I … um … are you going to come to bed tonight?” Mandy hated how whiny she sounded, but she needed to know.

James nodded. “That’s where I sleep, so yes.”

“Can we make up first?”

James didn’t want to smile. He was still annoyed with his blonde. That didn’t mean he wanted her to suffer. “Come here, wife.” He patted the open spot on his desk and waited for Mandy to join him. She sat on the edge of the desk and twisted her hands together as she nervously waited for him to explode. “Why did you leave, Mandy?” James’ voice was as soft as a kiss.

“Because … I was ticked off.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know,” Mandy admitted. “I was in a good mood for most of the day. Then … there was so much work and my head started hurting. I kept trying to run information on the search you gave me, but I didn’t have enough time. Things kind of overwhelmed me.”

“You could’ve told me that,” James pointed out. “If you were overwhelmed, all you had to do was call – or even text – and tell me you couldn’t get to the search. Did you think I wouldn’t understand that?”

“No.” Mandy’s expression was earnest. “I didn’t understand it.”

“Now I’m the one who doesn’t understand,” James said, tucking a strand of her silky hair behind an ear. “What are you saying?”

“I didn’t want to do my work. I wanted to do your work.”

“I still don’t understand.”

“I’m ready to leave the courthouse,” Mandy admitted. “I hate being there. I used to like it. I thought it was exciting and even though I hated the criminals, I still liked the work. That changed over the past two years and I don’t know how to explain it.”

“So quit, baby,” James prodded. “You don’t need that job. We’ll both be happier when you quit.”

Mandy wet her lips and lowered her eyes. “If I tell you something, do you promise not to make fun of me?”

“I have no idea until you tell me,” James replied honestly. “I love you beyond measure, but you’re occasionally silly.”

“I think I’m agitated because Judge MacIntosh keeps telling me that I should go,” Mandy admitted. “I thought it would be hard on him. I thought he needed me. It turns out I was making that up in my head.”

“Oh, baby, that’s not true,” James said, tilting up her chin and forcing her to meet his gaze. “The judge loves you. He told me you’re the best worker he’s ever had. He also wants you to be happy. He wants that more than he wants a good worker.” James wiped a stray tear from Mandy’s cheek. “Is that what’s bothering you? You thought you were indispensable and now the judge is urging you to go because he wants you to be happy?”

“It’s not that I thought I was indispensable … well, not mostly.”

“You’re indispensable to me, Mandy,” James said. “I can’t live without you. The judge loves you, but that is a job. That’s not your life. This is your life.” He took her hand and pressed it to his heart. “This is yours. This is where you’re most important.”

Mandy pressed her lips together and nodded.

“I don’t think that’s the only reason you left, though,” James said. “I think there was more to it.”

“I heard what Jake said about me,” Mandy admitted. “I didn’t like it. I waited for you to stand up for me … but you didn’t do it.”

“I
did
stand up for you before then,” James said. “I realized after the fact that Jake was just venting. He’s nervous, Mandy. His heart is pounding all of the time and his palms are sweaty. Do you know how I know that? I felt the same way before I proposed to you.”

“But … why? Ally is obviously going to say yes.”

“He mostly knows that,” James replied. “I mostly knew it, too. There was still a small part of me that thought you were going to laugh and run away. It’s hard to be exposed like that, especially when you’re a strong and silent tough guy like he is. Jake doesn’t think you told her. He just needed someone to complain about and you were the easiest mark.”

“But … .”

“Baby, I would never let him speak badly about you if he meant it,” James said, shaking his head. “You know that. I love you and think you’re the sexiest and coolest person in the world.”

“Okay, there’s no need to lay it on so thick,” Mandy said, giggling. “I get it.”

“You’d better get it,” James said, pushing himself to a standing position and wrapping his arms around Mandy’s waist as he positioned himself between her thighs. “I will always stand up for you.”

“And come for me,” Mandy said. “Even though I was worried when I called you tonight, I knew you would come.”

“I will always come for you.” James rubbed Mandy’s cheek as a devilish smile washed over his features. “In more ways than one.”

“You’re a total pig,” Mandy said, her laughter warming James in specific places.

“You have no idea,” James said, sliding his hands under Mandy’s rear end and lifting her so she could wrap her legs around his waist. “Let’s go to bed so you can reward me for coming.”

“That was absolutely filthy,” Mandy said, sliding her arms around his neck and kissing his cheek. “I would love to reward you, though.”

“Good,” James said. “We’re going to reward each other and get a good night’s sleep. Then, tomorrow, we’re going to talk about you quitting your job right now.”

“I can’t,” Mandy protested.

“Oh, no. You just said you could.”

“I … fine.” Mandy blew out a sigh. “We’ll talk about it tomorrow. I’m not giving you a definitive answer until after this next weekend, though. I need time to think.”

“I’ll take what I can get, baby,” James said, flipping the light switch off. “Just think, though, if you quit I’ll reward you five times a day, every single day, for the rest of our lives.”

“That sounds like an expensive – and possibly exhausting – bribe.”

“Something tells me you’re worth it.”

“
H
ow are you feeling
?”

Jake pushed Ally’s hair away from her face when she stirred the next morning. He’d been up for two hours but contented himself watching her sleep rather than shifting and waking her. He was calmer now, embarrassed at the way he acted toward Mandy. He couldn’t understand why he said what he did, but he knew he owed the effervescent blonde an apology – as soon as he made sure his brunette was okay.

“Not very good,” Ally admitted, her voice raspy. “My head hurts.”

“I have aspirin,” Jake said, reaching for the bottle on the nightstand. “Twice in one week. Are you going for a record?”

Ally sighed. “I didn’t plan on getting drunk.”

“I think that’s the refrain of hangover sufferers the world over,” Jake said, handing Ally three aspirin and opening a bottle of water. He watched as she swallowed the tablets – and then guzzled half the bottle down – before offering her a rueful smile. “Better?”

“I will be in about an hour,” Ally said, rolling so she could rest her head on Jake’s chest.

He took the bottle from her and returned it to the nightstand before slipping lower between the sheets and cuddling her close. “Do you want to talk about what happened last night?”

“Not really.”

“Okay.” Jake didn’t want to pressure her when she was feeling down. They would have to talk about it eventually, but there was no rush.

“I think we should, though,” Ally said.

“Okay.” Jake ran his hand down Ally’s back as he considered how to begin. “How come you went to the bar without telling me?”

“I left a note,” Ally protested. “You were at James’ house and I thought Mandy would tell him what was going on. I didn’t think it would be a big deal. I swear it was supposed to be like an hour of complaining about men and that’s it.”

“Ally, I’m not trying to tell you what to do,” Jake said. “I just … it upset me to think you were out with another guy. I’m not going to lie.”

“I was not out with another guy,” Ally snapped, grabbing her head when a pain wave washed over her. “Ugh.”

“Angel, let’s not yell at one another, okay?” Jake pressed Ally’s head to his chest and massaged the back of her neck. “I didn’t mean you were on a date or anything. It’s just … I don’t like that guy.”

“It’s probably because he keeps calling you a carny,” Ally said. “Just for the record, I don’t think you’re a carny.”

Jake knew she was trying to make light of the situation, but he was unsure how much wiggle room he should give her. “Ally, I love you so much I don’t even know how to absorb it half the time,” he said. “I know I’m not great with words, but … I adore you.”

Ally’s heart swelled at the sentiment and she hugged him as tightly as she could. “I love you, too. I need you to know that I didn’t expect to see Vince there. I was just planning on spending some time with Mandy. She was upset about something.”

“Did she say what?”

“No. We never got that far. We started talking about other stuff and then Vince showed up.”

“It’s okay,” Jake said, rubbing the back of Ally’s head as he held her. “I’m trying really hard not to tell you what to do, but I need you to be careful around Vince, Ally. Mandy is right. He’s popped up several times out of the blue now … in places he has no business being … and for him to keep happening upon you in an area this size … .”

Ally lifted her head so she could study Jake’s face. “You don’t think he would hurt me, do you?”

“I don’t know,” Jake said. He didn’t want to frighten her but he needed her to be mindful of her surroundings. “I love you and want you to be careful while we’re dealing with this. Can you do that for me?”

Ally solemnly nodded. “Jake, I don’t want to be with anyone else. You know that, right?”

“I do now,” Jake said, smiling as he kissed her forehead. “Now rest. If you’re feeling better in an hour we can take a shower together before work.”

“Ugh. I don’t want to go to work.”

Jake studied her a moment. “You could call in sick.”

“I don’t think that’s right to do when I have a hangover and am not really ill.”

“No one would know but me, and you have like twenty days a year and only use half of them.”

Ally pursed her lips as she considered the suggestion. “Are you going to play hooky with me?”

Jake grinned. “I will play at least partial hooky with you,” he said. “We’re still waiting on information from Vince’s car. I’ll text James and tell him I’m sticking close to you this morning. That’s not really a lie.”

“Whatever will we do with our extra time together?” Ally asked, making her eyes as wide as possible. “My mind is a total blank for options.”

Jake snickered as he rolled them, making sure he was on top of her but not squashing her with his weight. He pressed a soft kiss to her lips as she giggled and caught her breath. “I have a few ideas, angel. Are you sure you’re feeling up to it?”

“I’m only fake sick,” Ally replied. “I’m totally in love with you, though, so I think we can work it out.”

“That’s exactly the answer I was looking for, angel. Prepare yourself. I’m a master at playing hooky.”

“Somehow I think I already knew that.”

“
J
AKE CLAIMS
he’s sick this morning so he won’t be here until later,” James said the next morning, glaring at the car in the middle of the garage as Sven and Rodrigo diligently worked and Grady ate a doughnut and pretended he was interested in what they were doing.

“It’s not like we need him here,” Grady said. “The two of us can watch Rodrigo and Sven do all of the work just as easily as three of us could.” Grady was boastful and proud, but he was also aware of his limitations. “It’s not a big deal.”

“He’s not sick, though.”

“You’ve called in sick at least ten times that I can think of offhand and you weren’t sick either,” Grady pointed out. “You once called in with a hangnail and I could hear Mandy splashing around in the hot tub.”

“Yeah, well, I’m the boss,” James said. “I’m allowed to call in sick for a hangnail.”

“I don’t understand how you get anything done at all,” Sven said, wiping his hands on his coveralls. “There is absolutely nothing odd about this car. It’s not missing any pieces. Nothing has been tampered with. It’s just a car.”

“Well, that’s a bummer,” Grady said. “I was really hoping we could find something to nail Vince to the wall.”

“What were you expecting to find that could do that?”

Grady shrugged. “If you found cocaine or something under the hood, that would be great.”

“We could always plant it,” Rodrigo suggested.

“We’re not planting cocaine,” James said. “He’s a dirtbag. We just need to figure out what pies he has his fingers in.”

“And they’d better not be my sister’s,” Grady added, realizing what he said when it was too late to take it back. “Wait, that came out wrong.”

“And gross,” James said, smacking the back of Grady’s head. “I just don’t get it. Who steals a car and drives it twenty miles to an empty garage just to dump it? No stolen parts. No crimes committed in the car. We’ve got nothing.”

“Maybe whoever stole it thought better about what they did after the fact,” Sven suggested. “Maybe they changed their mind and ran instead of profiting.”

“That would indicate a novice and I don’t think a novice would steal a car in broad daylight,” Grady said.

“Unless the individual was drunk or high,” Rodrigo said. “Maybe the guy was lit and thought it was a great idea at the time.”

“We don’t even know if it was a guy,” James said. “That reminds me … where is Maverick?”

“He’s inside,” Grady replied. “Mom is making him pancakes.”

“Oh, good grief,” James muttered, stalking toward the door. “She’s fawning all over that kid. I almost think she likes him better than Avery.”

“That’s only because she hasn’t seen very much of Avery,” Grady said. “With Finn and Jeff recuperating, Emma has been something of a homebody. I don’t blame her. Still, Mom and Dad came all of this way and they’ve barely seen the baby.”

“Yes, but they’ve seen plenty of my naked wife,” James said. “She’s still complaining about that.”

Sven perked up at the information. “Seriously? How naked are we talking?”

“Watch yourself,” James warned. “That’s my wife and I love her more than anything.”

“You brought it up.”

“Yes, but not because I wanted comments from the peanut gallery,” James said. “I brought it up as an illustration.”

“Are you painting a picture that proves you have a hot wife?” Rodrigo asked.

James rolled his eyes but couldn’t hide his smile. “Maybe. That honestly wasn’t my intention, though.”

“What was your intention?” Grady asked. “I’ve totally lost track of this conversation.”

“That’s probably because all of the sugar you’ve eaten this morning is going to make you blind,” Sven said.

“I liked you better when you didn’t talk,” Grady shot back.

“My point is that Mom and Dad showed up out of nowhere and threw our lives into upheaval,” James said. “I thought it was because they wanted to see the baby, but they’ve barely spent any time with him.”

“What do they do all day?” Rodrigo asked.

“That’s a very good question,” James said. “They take off on outings every afternoon, but I haven’t asked what they’re doing because I’ve been distracted.”

“Are we back to the naked wife part of the conversation?” Sven asked.

“I agree with Grady,” James said, extending a finger. “I liked you better when you didn’t talk, too.”

“Oh, I may cry.”

James growled to let Sven know he meant business. The low-key mobster didn’t appear bothered in the slightest. “I’m saying that Mom and Dad have an agenda. We need to find out what that is.”

“I’m kind of busy with my doughnut,” Grady said. “If you want to investigate that, though, go nuts.”

“You’re going to help,” James said. “I’m going inside and dragging that filthy little computer genius out here so we can get some answers. Start putting the car back together so we can deliver it to Vince as soon as possible. I’m sick of that guy.”

“You’re awfully bossy,” Sven said. “Maybe I don’t want to put the car back together. Did you ever consider that?”

“Are you joking?”

“Perhaps,” Sven replied. “I think I might need more talk about your naked wife when you return. That will probably motivate me.”

“You have the oddest sense of humor,” James muttered.

“I kind of like your sense of humor,” Grady said.

James found Maverick sitting at his kitchen table with a huge pile of pancakes in front of him. He gripped a fork with one hand, a knife with the other, and he held his chin up as Rose tucked a napkin into the collar of his shirt.

“I need to come over here more often,” Maverick said. “Your mother is the best.”

“Did you hear that, James? I’m the best.” Rose’s eyes twinkled.

“I heard it, Mom,” James said. “I agree you’re the best. You’re not supposed to be feeding him, though. He’s here to work.”

“I have been working,” Maverick said, pointing at his computer, which sat on the table in front of him.

“Well, I need you to work harder,” James said. “That means you need to bring the computer back out to the garage and leave my mother to do … whatever it is she’s sneaking off to do these days.”

“I don’t sneak, James,” Rose chided. “And this boy is eating his breakfast. Don’t even think about making him leave before his food has time to digest.”

“Oh, geez, Mom.” James was annoyed. “He eats six times a day from what I can tell. He’s obviously in no danger of starving.”

“Shut your mouth and go play with your friend,” Rose said. “When Maverick is done I’ll send him out.”

“Play with my friends? I’m not playing with my friends.”

“That’s what it looks like to me,” Rose said. “You’re obviously not investigating anything.”

“We are investigating,” James snapped. “That’s why I need Maverick. We need to know what you found on those video feeds outside of the courthouse.”

“All I know is that it was a small individual,” Maverick replied, plopping a huge forkful of pancakes into his mouth and continuing to talk as he chewed. “I can’t even tell if it’s a man or woman. The cameras aren’t bad up close, but the digital image is such poor quality I can’t blow it up. All I see when I look is a blob.”

“What about at the parking garage?”

“There were no cameras.”

“So we have no idea how long that car was out on the road after it was stolen,” James said, rubbing the back of his neck. “We have nothing. We have absolutely nothing.”

“How about some pancakes?” Rose suggested. “Mandy didn’t cook you breakfast before she left for work this morning. You must be hungry.”

“Mandy only cooks breakfast on the weekends and that’s the limit of her abilities, Mom,” James said. “It’s fine. We shared a package of Pop Tarts.”

“That doesn’t sound like much of a breakfast.”

“Yeah? She makes up for her lack of cooking skills in other departments,” James said, his mind busy. “I just don’t get it. Who steals a car for no financial gain whatsoever? There’s nothing missing from that car.”

“Oh, that’s not entirely true,” Maverick said, using his sleeve to wipe the syrup from the corners of his mouth. “There was one thing missing.”

“What?” James asked, making a face as his mother handed Maverick a napkin.

“The guidance chip from the navigation system of that car is gone,” Maverick replied. “Not only that, it was modified at a certain point.”

“I don’t know what that means,” James admitted.

“Those navigation systems are only made to input bare bones information,” Maverick explained. “The one that was placed in that car was meant to hold a lot more information.”

“What kind of information?”

Maverick shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine, but whatever it was, I’m betting it was good.”

“Me, too,” James murmured, licking his lips. “Well, at least we have a start. Now I just need to figure out where this all ends.”

“I would think that’s easy,” Rose said. “It ends at the same place it started.”

James nodded grimly. “Vince.”