Return to Poughkeepsie (30 page)

Eve ended her call and slipped her cell phone in her back pocket. She looked up at the entrance to Mary Ellen’s mansion. There was a decided lack of activity. After Ryan had bolted from lunch, she’d known she was doomed to go back to the bitch’s place today.

Ryan had been shocked when the call came in. “What the hell? She was taken in the middle of the day? What the hell? Yeah, okay. I know. I’ll check in at the station in just a few.”

He shook his head at his phone. “Shit. I got to run. You okay?”

Eve had nodded. “Who?”

“My captain’s daughter. Keep your eyes wide open?”

Ryan had run to the parking lot, and Eve went to pay the bill. She got to her own car just in time to see a tidal wave of shaving cream fly out of Ryan’s truck as he drove away. Someone, most likely the illustrious Trish, had filled the bed with what had to be an entire store’s supply.

Then Blake had called on her way to Mary Ellen’s, and she’d decided to fabricate a story involving progress with Ryan and see if Livia’s name came up. Hopefully her timing was good. The kidnapping must have happened within the hour.

She observed as much of the property as she could before entering. No speeding cars or yelling. Just peaceful. A bodyguard opened the door for Eve. She nodded at him.

“Quiet day.” She waited for his reply, hoping for something.

“So far.” He locked the door behind her.

“The boss home? I have an update.” Eve kept her sunglasses on so she could inspect the inside of the mansion as well.

“Yup. I’ll let her know you’re here. She was getting her nails done, so it might be a while.” The bodyguard hit a button near his earpiece and relayed the news to someone else. “Go ahead into the ballroom. She says she’ll see you.”

It was a maddening wait, and Eve wondered several times if this had been the best place to come. This first few hours were critical. But this had to be Mary Ellen’s work. She seemed to be throwing everything she had at Poughkeepsie, rather than waiting for any one of her efforts to pay off.
Why the big hurry?
Eve wondered.
Just impatience and inexperience, or something more?
But Livia was connected to both the police and the brothers, so Mary Ellen was escalating—whether the irrational bitch realized it or not. Eve kicked herself for not seeing how vulnerable Livia and Kyle were. She’d focused on the kids.

Mary Ellen’s arrival broke her concentration. The woman smiled as she waved her hands dramatically. “My manicure refuses to dry! You know how it is…” Mary Ellen looked at Eve’s hands and made a face of displeasure at her unpainted nails. “I do hold my girls to a certain level of expectation.”

Eve stopped herself from sighing. “Ryan likes his lady unadorned. Makeup pisses him off.”

“Very well. But that would never work for something like the party I’m throwing this evening.” Mary Ellen gasped as her phone started to vibrate. “Oh no. Could you please, January? I don’t want to ruin my nails.”

Eve approached her and lifted her little pastel blue jacket. Her tailored skirt had a small pocket, and she lifted the phone out and held it for Mary Ellen. As the woman swiped her unlock, Eve read her text message upside down.

Package secured. Delivery now?

She glanced up and met Mary Ellen’s eyes.

“Did you like my message?” the woman asked.

Eve shrugged, kicking herself for getting caught.

“Well, you already have your nose in my affairs, type this back to him…” She turned her back on Eve. “Take the package to the safe house, and send me pictures for the database.”

Eve typed the message to Wren. While doing so, she glanced at the preceding messages and noted the time of “Package acquired”—about ninety minutes ago—before offering the phone back.

She patted her pocket, so Eve pulled up Mary Ellen’s jacket to slide the phone back in place.

“So tell me, January. What do you think of my plans?” Mary Ellen waved her fingers and blew on the nails.

“Which ones? Going to a safe house? That sounds like a good idea. Throwing a party? I think you just want to jerk yourself off to some sort of Cinderella fetish you have. It’s stupid and will probably get you killed, based on the last meeting you put on like an asshole. Or the Database of Moron-it-tude? Never write crap down. That’s all the feds need to nail your ass to the wall.” Eve crossed her arms.

Mary Ellen’s face went from deadly to that hollow smile again in an instant. “You know what? You’re going to bring Ryan tonight. I’ll secure you an invitation. You might as well stay here, and I’ll dress you. Then you can travel over with the girls. Have him meet you there. It’s on Long Island.”

Eve sighed. “Really? You think bringing a cop to one of your gatherings is a good idea?”

Mary Ellen looked at her sharply. “I think my party will be the perfect place for a dirty cop.”

“So what’s this package? Is it anything you’ll need me to protect your ass from?” Eve knew this pushed the boundary, but she had to have something.

“No, I’m quite capable of knowing what I’m doing. She’s in no shape to hurt anyone.” Mary Ellen made her lips into a convincing duck face. “You can just enjoy being a guest this evening.”

“You murdered her?” Eve used everything she had to stay neutral, bored.

“I really don’t see how the matter is any of your business. Should I be concerned that you’re asking so many questions?” She peered at Eve for a moment, eyes wide.

“I just like to know what the hell’s going on.” Eve sighed. “Things have gotten out of hand in the past.” She waited for a moment, praying for a response. None came. “Whatever. I need to go tell Ryan about this party thing. I’ll come back after that.” Eve stood. She needed to be out looking for Livia.

“Also, tell your boyfriend to bring the information I requested in exchange for the money I paid him.” Mary Ellen followed Eve to the door.

“Wouldn’t that break my cover? Bad enough I have to think of a reason we’re going to this stupid thing.” This woman was literally insane.

“True. Just testing you. No worries. You can be my brother Primo’s niece for the evening. It’s likely the closest he’ll ever get. This will be a big night for him.” She cackled to herself. “Anyway, I’ll find another way to get my hands on Ryan’s information. And since you’re so interested in details, you should know he’s bringing me anything and everything the police have on Beckett Taylor.” Mary Ellen paused for a split-second, as if gauging Eve’s response. Then she opened the ballroom door and waved a guard over.

Eve did her best to compose herself before she turned and looked down at the woman. “And why do you want information on a dead man?”

Mary Ellen snapped in Eve’s face. “Because sometimes dead people aren’t dead enough until you kill everyone who knew them. You’re a smart girl. I would have thought you’d see that coming.”

Eve nodded. “You’re badass all right.”

“Enough of your sarcasm.” Mary Ellen instructed her man to show January out and clicked her way back up the winding staircase.

As she left the mansion, Eve pulled out her phone and began looking for more information on Livia. She jumped a mile when someone tapped her shoulder.

“Yes?” She looked up to see Shark standing in front of her.

“The lady of the house requests that you call your boyfriend from here and remain. Actually, she demands it.” Shark allowed no emotion or recognition into his eyes. He just waited with his arms crossed.

Eve dialed Ryan’s number. When he answered, he sounded distracted.

“Hey. Remember my super-important uncle? He’s having a party at his house tonight, and I just found out we need to attend.”

Ryan was silent for a few moments. “Really?”

“Really. Drop everything tonight and come to Long Island with me or we’re breaking up. Wear a tux.”

“Where is it?” she mouthed to Shark who retrieved an invitation from his jacket and held it out to her. She rattled off the address and time. “I’ll meet you there.” Eve dropped her phone and stomped on it.

“That was dramatic.” Shark shook his head at the carnage.

“I do this to a lot of phones.” She kicked it with the toe of her shoe and located the SIM card. She crushed that with her heel. “Because, let me guess, she wanted it taken from me?”

Shark gave her a nod and motioned her back toward the mansion. Eve closed her eyes. Tonight she could tell Ryan about the latest update and maybe get his people on Mary Ellen’s computer. She had a sinking feeling the bitch was on to her. She just hoped she lived long enough to help Livia.

23

Boss

B
ECKETT
H
AD
T
HE
W
HOLE
S
ITUATION
on lockdown within fifteen minutes. Chery was with him at the store, and he explained as loosely as he could that he had a “family emergency” and had to go home immediately. Vere was safe at her day program for the next several hours, and Gandhi snored in the corner. After their brief discussion, Beckett went to the back and called two of his ex-employees—they were into shady shit now, but they were loyal.

They agreed to live at Beckett’s house and stay alert while he was away. Gandhi was to stay there with Chery and Vere. When the dog woke up and realized Beckett was gone, there would be hell to pay, but he was sure Vere would keep him settled. One more phone call and Chaos was on his way down from Poughkeepsie to provide backup. The dude was more than likely on his way back to jail anyway, so leaving the state was right up his fucking alley.

Beckett gassed up the Challenger and was on his way.
Whitebread
. If he didn’t have a soft spot for Livia…well, damn it, that didn’t matter because he did. She loved him even though she shouldn’t, believed good things about his heart when his hands had been murderous bastards. Coming back from the dead and arriving in Poughkeepsie was not what he’d had planned for this day, but hearing Blake’s voice had blown his mind. And he was flying blind. He had no idea who was pulling the strings in Poughkeepsie now.

On the way up, in the fast lane the whole time, he made phone calls. He tracked down as many of his old douchebags as he could and pumped them for information. He called Chaos again, and while they both went in different directions on the same road, he asked him questions. Chaos confirmed there was trouble in the air, but he didn’t know who was causing it. He seemed genuinely surprised to learn Beckett wasn’t involved.

Whatever these people wanted, taking Whitebread was uncalled for, and in Beckett’s opinion it escalated the Poughkeepsie situation considerably. She was a cop’s daughter. Snatching her was almost an amateur move—or a batshit crazy one. But if the goal was to get him home, it was fucking working.

As stupid as he was driving, he was shocked he hadn’t been pulled over, but three hours and forty-eight minutes later, he took the exit for Poughkeepsie without police involvement. He drove straight to John McHugh’s old house, Blake and Livia’s now. He refused to think of his brother alone with his kids, because he would find her.

Beckett parked the car as the sun began packing up for the day. A uniformed cop instantly materialized and opened his car door as another approached from the other side.

“I’m here to see McHugh and my brother,” Beckett explained as he stepped out. “And yes, you should arrest me. But let me talk to the men in that house first.”

Blake threw open the front door and jogged down the steps to grab his brother in a desperate hug.

“I’m here. I’ll get her. I promise.” Beckett held Blake’s shoulders. He didn’t like how unsettled Blake’s eyes were. “You know I’ll find her.”

“I had to call you. I just had to.” Blake held out his arm for the brothers’ shake. Cole stepped into the circle and held his arm out as well.

Beckett was solemn about the greeting, pounding Cole on the back. “I’ll find her.”

Cole and Blake thanked the officers and led Beckett toward the house. John McHugh now stood at the door.

“Hey, can I talk to your father-in-law alone for a minute?” Beckett didn’t drop his eyes from John’s intense stare.

Blake looked reluctant, but disappeared into the living room. Cole followed.

McHugh said nothing, so Beckett gave him a quick summary. “She’s been taken by some sort of crime organization. I know of no motive yet. I’ve been in touch with every douchebag I still have here, and I know where I need to go to get more information.”

John shook his head. “I’m not putting my daughter’s fate in your hands.”

Beckett sighed. “Listen, you want to put me in jail, yes? To get Livia from these people alive will take a lot of lawlessness—things I’m more than willing to do to get your girl back in this house where she fucking belongs.” McHugh still said nothing, but he didn’t slam the door, so Beckett kept talking. “You do your thing. You get the cops where they need to be, and I will keep you posted. You’ll know everything I do. But I can’t do jack shit if your boys are going to snap me up. After I have her, fine. But right now, Blake needs me. This is something I can do.” He waited, praying the father part of McHugh would buy in to his plan.