Deadly Questions (Hardy Brothers Security Book 8) (13 page)

Jake glanced down at his phone, the incoming text message catching his attention as he drove. It was Ally. She was wondering where he was.

Jake frowned. He’d officially been lying to Ally for four days. Sure, he hadn’t told her an overt falsehood, but he certainly hadn’t been telling her the truth. He felt guilty – and dirty. He wanted this to be over.

Jake pulled into the parking lot of Hardy Brothers Security and killed the engine of his truck. He picked up the phone and read the message again, considering his options.

She wanted to know what time he was going to be over. He was already an hour late for the dinner he’d promised to be on time for. There was no anger in her words, no recrimination, and yet Jake felt … filthy.

He hated what he was doing. He hated the men at the warehouse. He hated the betrayal.

He didn’t know what to do.

Without realizing what he was doing, Jake started typing. He told her he couldn’t make it, that work was calling him away, and he apologized and promised to make it up to her. He pressed the “send” button and waited.

After five minutes, he gave up on waiting for a response and trudged into the office. He was surprised to find James sitting behind his desk. “What are you doing here?”

“Just finishing up a few things,” James said. “What are you doing here?”

“I didn’t know where else to go.”

James looked Jake up and down, not liking the slouch of his friend’s shoulders, and the grime covering his skin and clothes. “How was work?”

“Great. You’ll be happy to know that I was invited to a prostitute party tonight.”

“A what?”

“They dropped a hundred bucks and bought two prostitutes to give everyone blow jobs.”

James scowled. “You’re done.”

“If I’m done now, we’ve just wasted four days,” Jake said. “I can’t be done. They’re starting to trust me.”

“How … how did you get out of things tonight?”

“I told them my mother was in town.”

James quirked an eyebrow.

“I’m not sure they believed me,” Jake admitted. “The good news is, they think I hate women because of my recent
divorce
. They could think it’s because of that.”

“Maybe they think you’re gay?” James was trying to be helpful.

“I wish.”

James made a face. “How is Ally?”

“She just texted,” Jake said, holding up his phone. “I promised her I would be there for dinner. I’m late.”

“So, why are you here?”

“Look at me,” Jake said, gesturing to his dingy clothes. “I can’t explain this.”

“What did you do?”

“I texted that work had delayed me and that I couldn’t make it.”

“That’s not technically a lie,” James said.

“Really? Because it feels like a lie.”

“Jake, just … let it go. We’ll figure something else out.”

“I can’t,” Jake admitted. “I’m sure Wayne is involved. I can’t walk away when we’re so close.”

“What makes you think Wayne is involved?”

“He has two phones,” Jake replied.

“That could be anything.”

“Whenever the second phone dings, he makes a beeline outside,” Jake said. “That’s business. That’s a specific business. He’s acting odd. I know he’s got something to do with this.”

“It could be a woman.”

“Not unless he’s married,” Jake countered. “He’s not married.”

James sighed, running his hand through his hair. “You still don’t have concrete information.”

“The only way to get it is to stay there,” Jake said. “I’ve got to somehow prove that I’m important to his plans.”

“Any idea on how to do that?”

“None.”

“Jake, I don’t want you risking your relationship with Ally,” James said. “This has already gone on longer than I would like.”

“I could tell her.”

“How do you think she would take it?” James asked.

“She’s going to freak.”

“Do you want to tell her? You can put the blame on me. This is my fault.”

“There’s no way of telling her without making myself look guilty,” Jake replied. “I made the decision to hide things. If I’m going to tell her, I have to admit what I’ve done wrong.”

“Do you want to tell her?”

“I don’t want to hurt her,” Jake said. “No matter what now, I’m going to hurt her.”

“How do you figure?”

“Let’s face it,” Jake said. “Mandy can’t keep quiet for much longer. I have no idea how you’ve managed to keep her lips zipped this long. It’s only a matter of time. Even if I quit now, the truth would come out.”

“Mandy’s been really good,” James said. “I thought she would crack that first night. She can’t hold out much longer. She’s going to cave – and she’s going to cave soon.”

“We’re in a spot,” Jake said. “I can’t quit, because we need information. No one else is going to be able to get close. If I disappear now, they’re going to have their walls up. Quitting isn’t an option.

“The truth is going to come out now no matter what,” he continued. “It’s better that it come from me. We have to tell her. She’s going to worry, we can’t stop that now. It’s better that she worries about the right things.”

James tilted his head, considering. “What right things?”

“She’s got to be wondering if I’m cheating on her,” Jake said. “Let’s be realistic. We all know how she thinks. We haven’t … spent quality time together … in days. I’m always coming home after she’s already asleep. I can see her mind working, and it’s breaking me.”

James sighed. “Tell her.”

“She’s going to be pissed at you, too.”

“Blame it all on me,” James said. “Do what you have to. You’re only in this position because I forced you into it. She has to forgive me. I’m her brother.”

“I don’t want to do this,” Jake said. “I can’t see another way.”

“Do it.”

MANDY
let herself into Ally’s house, worry and guilt propelling her. She couldn’t take much more of this. She’d been dodging Ally’s calls for two days. When she’d listened to her voicemail tonight, Ally’s sobs had been incoherent.

Mandy knew what was going on, and she was done letting her friend suffer. She didn’t care how angry James was.

“Ally?”

Mandy followed the sound of sniffles and found Ally sitting on the living room floor, used Kleenex spread around her.

“What’s wrong?”

“Jake is cheating on me,” Ally announced.

“No, he’s not.”

“He is,” Ally said. “There’s no other explanation.”

“Ally, Jake would never cheat on you,” Mandy said, sinking down onto the floor next to Ally and wrapping her arm around her friend’s shaking shoulders. “Oh, don’t cry.”

“I’m so … sad.”

“Ally … .”

“I thought he cared about me.”

“Ally, he adores you,” Mandy said, biting her lower lip.

“No, he doesn’t,” Ally said. “He’s cheating on me. You don’t cheat on people if you adore them.”

“Why do you think he’s cheating on you?” Mandy was buying time. She was going to give in and tell the truth. She had no doubt. Now she was just trying to figure out the best way to do it.

“We haven’t slept together in days.”

“He’s been busy.”

“Oh, come on,” Ally protested. “James is busy all the time. When was the last time he went twenty-four hours without touching you?”

“I’m sure he’s touched you.”

“Yeah, he came home Saturday night and carried me into bed,” Ally replied. “He smelled like smoke, and he insisted on taking a shower before he got into bed.”

“Maybe he was just being considerate?”

“I’m not stupid.”

“Ally … .”

“And then yesterday he didn’t show up until after midnight,” Ally said. “I didn’t even bother waiting up for him. I was already in bed. He showered again before climbing in next to me. He put his arm around me, but he didn’t even kiss me.”

“I’m sure there’s an explanation,” Mandy said, searching for something – anything, really – that would clear Jake without making him look like a total tool.

“There is,” Ally agreed. “He’s cheating on me.”

“He would never cheat on you,” Mandy said. “You’re his whole world.”

“Oh, whatever,” Ally said. “You’re living in La-La Land.”

“I know you’re upset.”

“Then, this morning, he promised he would be home for dinner,” Ally said. “I actually downloaded a recipe from the Internet. I was going to make him pasta.”

Mandy looked around the house, her eyes landing on the full bowl on the counter. “What happened?”

“I texted him to tell him that I was waiting for him,” Ally said. “He texted back to say he wasn’t coming, and that he would see me tomorrow.”

“Oh.”

“He promised to make it up to me,” Ally said, her brown eyes filling with tears. “He’s cheating on me. He’s sleeping with another woman. He’s still pretending he’s going to make it up to me, though. I should be happy with that, right?”

Mandy closed her eyes, inhaling deeply. “He’s not cheating on you.”

“There’s no other explanation.”

“There’s one.”

Ally stilled as she fixed her eyes on the only friend she’d ever cared about. “What do you know?”

“You’re going to be mad.”

“I’m already mad.”

“You’re going to be pissed beyond reason,” Mandy corrected.

“I’m going to rip your hair out of your head if you don’t tell me what’s going on,” Ally warned.

“Jake is undercover.” The second the words left her mouth, Mandy felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

“Undercover where?”

“He’s been working at a warehouse in Detroit,” Mandy said. “He’s trying to get close to people who might know something about the trafficking across the bridge.”

“No,” Ally argued. “He works for my brothers.”

“He technically has two jobs right now.”

Ally leaned forward, her face a mask of righteous indignation and anger. “And whose idea what that?”

“I’m not sure.”

Ally furrowed her brow. “How do you know?”

“I overheard them talking.”

“Do they know you overheard them?”

“Yes.”

“That means it was James!” Ally was on her feet, pacing.

“Ally, they didn’t lie to hurt you,” Mandy said. “They lied to protect you.”

“Oh, whatever.”

“They did,” Mandy said. “That’s how they convinced me to lie.”

“Oh, you’re so on my list,” Ally railed. “You’re my best friend. You’re supposed to have my best interests at heart.”

“They didn’t want you to worry, Ally,” Mandy said. “They were scared you’d be sitting at home and obsessing about what he was doing.”

“Why was he the one who had to go?”

“Because the rest of them had been asking questions for days,” Mandy replied. “They were known to too many of the players.”

“So, they made Jake do it?”

“I think he was okay with it,” Mandy said. “They’re working to save women, Ally. He’s doing a good thing.”

“By lying to me?”

“I … I don’t have any excuses.”

“How long have you known?” Ally asked, swiveling to face her friend head on.

“Not long.”

“How long?”

“Since Sunday.”

Ally’s face crumpled. “You betrayed me. You, and your
husband
, and my brothers … you all betrayed me.”

“We were trying to keep you from worrying, Ally. I didn’t want to lie. James convinced me it was the only way.”

“Get out.”

Mandy stilled. “What?”

“Get. Out. Of. My. House.”

“No.”

“This is my house,” Ally exploded. “You have no right to be here. You lied to me.”

“I love you.”

“You don’t lie to the people you love.”

“You do if you think you’re protecting them.”

“Get out!”

“No.”

Ally’s shoulders were shaking. “I hate you.”

Mandy inhaled deeply, calming herself. “I love you.”

“I hate you.”

“I love you.”

Ally collapsed back to the carpet, burying her head between her knees. “I hate you.”

Mandy moved to her side, wrapping her arms around the woman she could now legally call sister. “I love you.”

Ally sobbed openly, and Mandy held her while she did.

“I love you,” Mandy repeated. “I’m so sorry.”

“Uh-oh.”

James climbed out of his truck, fixing the familiar black Focus with a worried look as Jake joined him on the driveway in front of Ally’s house.

“Mandy is here,” Jake said.

“She is.”

“Did you know she was here?”

“I thought she was home,” James said. “She’s been taking a painting class once a week. That’s why I was working late.”

“I didn’t know she was taking a class.”

“She didn’t want anyone to know right now,” James said. “She’s afraid everyone will make fun of her.”

“Well, that is the Hardy way.”

James grimaced. “If she’s here, that means Ally called her.”

“And if Ally called her, that means Ally is upset,” Jake finished.

James sighed, pressing his eyes closed. “Maybe she hasn’t told her yet.” When he opened his eyes again, he saw Jake was already at the front door.

James followed him, watching as Jake slipped the key in the door. When Jake pushed, the door only opened a few inches and then held steady. The security chain was in place.

“I’m going to guess she knows,” Jake said, his expression grave.

James knocked on the door. “Ally?”

“Go away!”

“Ally, let us in,” James said. “We want to talk to you.”

“You mean you want to lie to me some more,” Ally shot back.

“Ally, I’m really sorry,” Jake said. “Can you please open the door so we can talk?”

“I want to be alone,” Ally replied.

“You have Mandy in there with you,” James pointed out.

“Only because she won’t leave,” Ally said. “I’m not talking to her either.”

“She’s not dead, is she?” James asked, exchanging a noncommittal shrug with Jake.

“She’s dead to me.”

“Ally … ?”

James and Jake watched as the door pushed closed, the sound of the security chain being disengaged obvious. When the door opened back up, Mandy was standing there, and she’d been crying.

Jake shot Mandy a sympathetic look before moving into the house, pulling up short when he saw Ally sitting on the floor by the couch. Her arms were locked around her ankles, and her head was resting on the top of her knees. His heart flopped when he saw how red and puffy her eyes were. “Angel … .”

“Go away,” Ally said, turning her head so he couldn’t see her face. “I don’t want to see you right now.”

James looked Mandy up and down, his expression unreadable. “You just couldn’t keep your mouth shut, could you?”

Mandy ignored him.

Jake sat down on the floor next to Ally, and he cautiously ran his hand up and down her back. “I’m really sorry we lied to you.”

“You’re sorry you got caught,” Ally countered.

“That’s not fair, Ally,” James said, stepping into the room. “We were in a spot. Jake was our only option. We thought we were doing the right thing. We went about it the wrong way. We didn’t want you to worry.”

“Oh, well, good job.”

“You can’t be mad at Jake,” James said. “It was my idea. Blame me.”

“Oh, I do.”

“I understand you’re mad,” James said. “You have a right to be.”

“I’m beyond mad.”

“I understand you’re hurt,” James said, trying a different tactic. “Just … blame me.”

Ally swiveled, her tear-streaked face landing on James. “I do blame you. I’m not in a relationship with you, though, am I?”

“Ally,” Jake leaned forward and brushed her tangled hair out of her face. “I’m so sorry. I wanted to tell you. I just knew you would be sitting here obsessing about what I was doing if I did. We thought it would only be a few days. It looks like it’s going to be longer than that. I just didn’t want to upset you.”

Ally stuck her bottom lip out. “I know why you did it,” Ally said. “Mandy told me all about it.”

“I’ll just bet she did,” James said, shooting his wife a hard look.

“Don’t look at her that way,” Ally grumbled. “She didn’t want to tell me. She had no choice.”

“Oh, did you wrestle her down and beat it out of her?” James challenged.

“No. I told her I thought Jake found someone else,” Ally said. “I told her that he wouldn’t touch me anymore, and that he’d lost interest in me. That’s when she told me.”

“Oh.” James stilled, his gaze softening as he took another look at Mandy. “Well … .”

“That’s a stupid thing to think, Ally,” Jake said. “I could never lose interest in you. I … I wish you had told me what you were thinking.”

“When?”

“What?”

“When should I have told you? When you were sneaking in the house after I was asleep and immediately jumping in the shower to clean yourself off before climbing in bed with me?” Ally pressed. “Or, should I have asked you via text message and waited for you to blow me off like you did tonight?”

Jake rubbed the back of his neck. “I can see how that looked bad from your perspective,” he said. “I wasn’t taking a shower to wash some … woman off me. I was taking a shower because I’d been sweating all day, and the guys I’ve been hanging around with smoke, and that whole area is just a cesspool, and I didn’t want it to touch you.”

“You didn’t want to touch me period,” Ally said.

“I … I always want to touch you,” Jake said. “I am not the type of man who is going to walk in here late and wake you up for sex, though.”

James cleared his throat.

“Dude, you’re going to have to let it go,” Jake said. “She’s upset. I told you she would think I was cheating, and I told you that I couldn’t bear the thought of it.”

“I know you weren’t cheating on me,” Ally said. “Mandy told me.”

“So, are you upset because you thought I was cheating on you or because I was lying?” Jake asked. “I need to know which one so I can try and make it better.”

Ally refused to answer, causing Jake to shift his gaze to James and Mandy. “Why don’t you two go? I think Ally and I need some time alone.”

James sighed, nodding. “Ally, I’m really sorry for all of this. We’ll talk tomorrow. Come on, Mandy.”

Mandy grabbed her purse from the couch. “I’ll call you tomorrow, Ally.”

“Don’t bother,” Ally said. “I don’t want to speak to you ever again.”

Mandy’s face was ashen. “Ally, you don’t mean that.”

“I do,” Ally said. “I expect these two to lie to protect me. I never expected you to lie to me.”

“But … .” Mandy broke off, her voice thick with tears.

“Get out,” Ally said. “Don’t come back.”

James reached for Mandy as she moved through the door, but she slapped his hands away. He could hear her sobbing as she rushed down the driveway to her car.

“I’m going to go,” James said. “Ally, I know you’re upset, but you shouldn’t be taking this out on Mandy. She wanted to tell you right away. I convinced her it was a bad idea because it would hurt you. Blame me.”

“Go away, James,” Ally said. “I can’t look at you or your wife right now.”

James shut the door behind him, focusing his attention on Mandy’s car as she drove across Ally’s yard to maneuver past his truck and escape from the driveway. He wanted to call out to her, but she was already gone. He had no idea what horrors would be waiting for him at home, but he wasn’t looking forward to facing them.

“HAVE
you eaten anything?” Jake asked, helping Ally up from the floor.

“I’m not hungry.”

“You need to eat,” Jake said, moving into the kitchen. He frowned when he saw the uneaten bowl of pasta and breadsticks on the counter. “Did you make this?”

“It’s ruined now,” Ally said, rubbing her eye with the heel of her hand.

“I’m sorry,” Jake said.

“It doesn’t matter,” Ally replied, slinking into the kitchen. “I found the recipe on the Internet. It’s not a big deal.”

“It is a big deal,” Jake said. “I promised I would be here for dinner, and I didn’t make it. I am so sorry.”

“I know you are,” Ally said.

“Do you want me to order some food?” Jake asked. “It won’t be as good as what you made, I’m sure, but you need something to bolster you.”

“I’m not hungry.”

“Come here, angel,” Jake said, holding his arms open.

Ally looked him up and down, unsure.

“I want to hold you,” Jake said. “Come here. Please.”

Ally gave in. Jake pulled her tight, kissing the side of her face as he wrapped himself around her. She was heavy in his arms, and Jake let her drag him down to the floor so he could pull her on his lap.

“I’m sorry, Ally,” Jake said, kissing her between words. “I’m sorry. Please forgive me.”

Ally’s chest heaved as the tears started again.

Jake squeezed her against his chest. “I’m sorry, angel. You have to know, I would never cheat on you. I don’t want to. There’s no one better than you. It’s you and me. There’s no one else. I promise.

“I know I shouldn’t have lied,” Jake continued. “I know it was wrong. I’m so sorry.”

Even though she was still in emotional turmoil, Ally let the anger go. She wanted to forgive Jake, so she did. “Let’s go to bed.”

Jake lifted her, scooping her in his arms and shuffling toward the bedroom. “It’s going to be okay, angel. Everything is going to be okay.”

JAMES
stood at the sliding glass doors in the dining room and stared out at the guesthouse, unsure of what to do. Mandy had already been out there by the time he returned to the house. While he had been the one with righteous anger on his side when he arrived at Ally’s house, he knew he was in the wrong now.

He never should have asked her to lie.

James sighed, pushing open the glass door and stepping outside. He hadn’t spent a night away from the woman since she’d officially become his wife, and he had no intention of starting now. She’d just have to forgive him. He wasn’t going to give her a choice.

He found her in her studio. She was sitting on the floor, cross-legged, a myriad of paint tubes spread out around her.

“What are you doing?”

“Organizing.”

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.”

“You don’t look fine,” James said, kneeling down next to her.

“Thanks.”

“You know what I mean,” James said.

“I do.”

James made an exasperated sound in the back of his throat. “How long are you going to be mad at me?”

“Two days.”

James arched an eyebrow. “Two days? You’ve sentenced me?”

“You’re grounded,” Mandy said.

James pursed his lips, fighting the urge to laugh. He knew she was upset. Her face was cloudy, and she was fighting eye contact. He had a feeling that was because she was worried about bursting into tears, something that made her feel weak.

“Okay,” James said. “How about we go to bed? You look like you could use some sleep.”

“I’m not having sex with you when you’re grounded,” Mandy said.

“I figured,” James said. “That doesn’t mean we can’t go to bed.”

“I’ll sleep out here,” Mandy said. “You can have the bedroom.”

“We’re not sleeping apart,” James countered.

“Why not?”

“Because we have spent exactly one night apart since we got together,” James said. “It was one of the worst nights of my life – and I’ve been to war. I’m not doing it now.”

“Even if I’m angry?”

“Even if you’re angry,” James confirmed.

Mandy sighed, getting to her feet. “Fine. I’m still sleeping out here.”

“I can live with that,” James said, following her into the small bedroom next to the studio. He watched as she stripped out of her pants and climbed under the covers. He followed suit, rolling up behind her and wrapping his arm around her waist after killing the light by the bed.

With nothing but darkness and silence surrounding him, James detected faint shaking in his wife’s shoulders. “I’m sorry Ally is mad.”

“I don’t want to talk about it right now,” Mandy said.

“Okay,” James said, kissing her neck and pulling her body to the center of the bed where he could hold her properly. “I love you, baby.”

Mandy didn’t respond.

“I’ll be here in the morning when you want to talk.”

“I love you,” Mandy finally huffed out. “I’m still mad at you.”

“It’s going to be okay, baby,” James said. “Ally will forgive you.”

“Go to sleep, James.”