Sweet Vengeance (9 page)

"What
the hell are you talking about?" 

"She
makes you careless, and you know it."

Was
this really his best friend talking smack to him across the counter?  "Are
you jealous of Allie being here?  What?  You want her for yourself?"

Max
shrugged.  "I'm just calling it like I see it."  He nodded and
smirked.  "In one night, that little girl has grabbed you by the balls and
brought you to your knees."

"What
the hell are you talking about?"  Jase sent him a disgusted look. 
"Where do you come up with this shit?"

"Then
answer this.  Do you like her?"  Max raised his brows in a challenge. 
"Do you?"

"No." 
The word jumped out of his mouth.  Then he paused.  Was he really putting their
operation at risk?  The one thing he'd worked so hard for?  Maybe.  But he sure
as hell wasn't going to admit it to Max.

"Do
you want to fuck her?"

"That's
enough," Jase yelled as he slammed his fist down on the counter, sending
white hot pain up his arm.  He dropped his head to his chest, covered his wound
and waited for the pain to subside.  Several moments passed before he felt like
he could breathe again.  He lifted his gaze, wishing he could throw a punch at
his so-called friend.

Max
took another swig of beer before he spoke again.  "That's exactly what I
mean.  When was the last time you were so messed up over a girl that you were
careless and lost control?"

"I
didn't lose control.  I just couldn't reach your face."  He tipped back
his own bottle, letting the cold contents cool his temper.  He set the Bud back
on the counter and pushed it away.  He couldn't afford to drink any more
tonight.  Not while he was trying to heal.

"Admit
it, Jase.  There's something about her that's stealing your attention."

"Fine."
 Jase eyed him, still wanting to punch him.  "There's something about
her."

"And
that's dangerous to men like us."  Max adjusted his baseball cap.

It
was
dangerous to men like them.  And the people around them.  "I'm
well aware of that fact."  He pulled a pan out from under the cupboard and
set it on the stove.  "But you need to give me some credit and realize I'm
not going to do anything to mess up our plans."  Though he'd constantly
thought about taking her to bed since he'd laid eyes on her.  And shit, Max had
been able to sneak in the house and up the stairs without him knowing.  That
couldn't continue.  Actions like that couldn't continue.  That could find him
and half his organization dead.

He
mentally cursed as he turned on the oven.  If nothing else, Allie deserved
better than to get messed up with someone like him.  He eyed Max, pissed that
he was right.  "Fine.  I'll take care of it."

"Good. 
I'm glad you can still see reason.  You need to send her on her way and soon. 
If you keep her around, she's going to mess up everything.  The guys want to
serve her up, and you can't focus.  The sooner she's gone, the sooner we can
bring down Trasatti."

If
Jase didn't know better, he'd have thought Max was jealous.  But Max was
dead-on with his analysis.  "Give me a day, and she'll be gone."

Max
nodded in agreement, his shoulders relaxing.  "Fair enough."  He
swallowed more beer.  "I'm sorry I had to act like an asshole to make you
see reason." 

"I'm
sorry you did, too."  Jase slanted a glance at the man who'd protected his
back for several years.  "You staying for dinner?"

*       
*        *

Jase
knocked on the bedroom door.  When there was no answer, he cracked it open. 
Allie lay on the bed in the semi-darkened room, the last vestiges of sunlight
creeping down the wall behind her head.  He leaned against the doorjamb and
swore softly.  What the hell had he been thinking, bringing her here?

Okay,
maybe he'd had no other choice last night.  She'd needed medical attention, and
this was the closest place they had to Doc Green's.  But he should have shipped
her off today.  Max was right.  Having Allie around was dangerous in more ways
than one.  Jase easily could have sent her to Jenna's, out in the quieter
suburbs of Chicago.  Allie would be safer.  She would also have been out of his
sight and easier to put out of his mind.  

He
crept to the bed, trying not to make any noise.  She slept a peaceful sleep,
her dark hair fanning out on the pillow next to her.  Her chest rose and fell
softly with each breath.  And she still had on that damned white T-shirt that
showcased every perfect curve.  Hell. 

Even
with her out of the picture, getting her out of his head wasn't going to be
easy.  How had she managed to have such an effect on him?  Had he spoken the
truth when he'd said there was something about her that reminded him of his
sister?  Maybe her vulnerability?  Then again, the thoughts he'd been having
about Allie were anything but brotherly.

Max
had seen it clearly, though.  Thank God for Max.  Jase's life was too dangerous
for Allie, and, unfortunately, she sure as hell threatened the success of his
future plans.

"Allie?"
he whispered as he sat next to her on the bed.  He picked up a strand of her
silky hair and twirled it around his finger.  She remained in a deep sleep, the
hand of her injured arm across her stomach, the other thrown above her head. 
He listened to her breaths, memorizing each angle of her face.  This would be
the last night they'd be together.  At dinner, he had to convince her she
needed to move to Jenna's and stay there.  If Allie ran, she'd be dead.

He
leaned over her, inhaling the scent of her shampoo, brushing his lips softly
over her hair.  She was beautiful.  And it was up to him to keep her safe.  He
wanted to give her a future, even if it wouldn't be a future with him. 

"Wake
up, Allie."  He leaned in so his mouth was next to her ear and allowed
himself a moment to bask in her sweetness.  "Allie?"

She
moved, bumping against him.  He pulled away, pretending he'd needed to be close
in order to wake her without startling her.  "Are you awake?"

"Mm-hmm." 
She rolled toward him, dropping her arm across his lap, her hand far too close
to his danger zone.  He picked it up and moved it a few inches away.

"Dinner's
done, sleepyhead."  He put a hand on her forehead, pushing back her
bangs.  "You need to wake up so you can eat."

She
groaned and opened her eyes.  "What time is it?"

"It's
just past 6:00."

"Okay,"
she mumbled.  "I'm up.  Just give me a couple of minutes, and I'll come
down."

He
left her sitting on the edge of the bed as he went to put the finishing touches
on dinner.  It was a good thing Max had decided not to stay.  There was no
doubt he would have given Jase a rash of shit over the nice meal he'd prepared
for Allie.

*       
*        *

Max
Calder leaned back in the office chair and put his boots up on the desk. 
Genuine alligator.  He admired his newest pair.  Not bad for a hick from
Alabama.  He tilted his hat forward, folding his hands on his chest, and closed
his eyes.  He could think better this way.

He
heaved a sigh and let his thoughts wander to the couple holed up in the hidden
apartment.  What the hell was he going to do about his buddy?

Not
once in the months he'd known Jase Tyler had he seen him go soft on a woman. 
Not once.  And now, just when he needed to have his head completely in the
game, Jase had started thinking with the wrong fucking head.  This had the
potential to change everything.

"Shit,"
he hissed under his breath.  "Johnson," he yelled, as he sat up
straight in Jase's chair.  "Get the hell in here."

Five-foot-six
and not more than one-hundred fifty pounds, Steve "Stick" Johnson,
appeared at the door.  "Yeah, boss?"  His head was as bald as a cue
ball, but he had a hell of a brain inside it. 

"I
need info, and I need it now.  What's the word out there?" 

"Not
much new.  Cops still haven't been able to come up with any evidence to link
the Trasatti family to the murder.  But it looks like the Pagano kid was
definitely connected to them."

Max
nodded. "That's what we figured."  He steepled his fingers. 
"But why whack him?"

The
scrawny man cleared his throat.  "I was just now talking to Jorge.  He
spent some time with a hooker who works in the Trasatti territory.  Rumor is
the kid threatened to expose the family.  He supposedly had something on
them."

Max
sat up straighter.  Now
that
was information he hadn't heard before. 
"What the hell could Joey have had?  He'd only been working for them for a
couple of months, and it sounds like that was petty stuff.  I've heard he was
close to Trasatti's grandson, but still."  The Trasatti family was a close
organization.  Jase and Max had tried numerous times to infiltrate them with no
success.  But the Pagano punk walked right in?  Interesting.  Very interesting.

Johnson
shrugged.  "That's the mystery, boss."

"What
about the girl he was with?  What have you heard?"

He
grunted.  "That's what's messed up, man.  A hundred-K for anyone who
delivers her, preferably alive, but they'll take her dead."

Max
couldn't have raised his eyebrows any higher.  He leaned forward, slapping his
hands on the desk.  "What?"  He couldn't believe it.  "A hundred
grand?"

Johnson
nodded.  "Jorge heard it from a couple of different people."

Max
whistled.  "Damn.  I know that family has access to millions, but still. 
What could possibly make her that valuable?"

"She
must have what they want.  Or at least they think she does."  The
bald-headed man paused, looking uncertain.

"What?" 
His employee obviously wanted to say something.

Johnson
took a step forward and lowered his voice.  "Has she said anything?"

Max
sent him a warning look.  No one was to say a word about the visitor they had
hidden away.  "Not so far."  He wouldn't tell Johnson anyway if she
had. 

A
plan jumped into Max's head.  "Here's what I want.  I want you to arrange
an accidental meeting between me and young Benny Trasatti.  Somewhere public,
but where people won't overhear our conversation.  Follow him until the
opportunity presents itself and then give me a call."

Johnson
nodded and turned toward the door.

"I
want it yesterday, Johnson."  Max needed answers now.  This whole shitty
thing felt like it was about to crumble around him.  He hadn't made plans for
years to see them fail now. 

"Sure,
boss."

As
Johnson walked out the door, Max picked up the office phone and dialed Jase's
cell.  Whether Jase liked it or not, he needed to put the screws to his little
darlin' before he shipped her off.

*       
*        *

Jase
stirred his concoction of sun-dried tomatoes, garlic and basil, sending the delicious
aroma swirling into the air.  He hoped Allie liked what he'd made for her. 
Although he enjoyed cooking, it wasn't often he indulged in more than a basic
meal.  Tonight was different.  He wanted to share a nice dinner with her, and
quite honestly, he hoped it would make up for his planned interrogation and the
news that she'd be leaving soon. 

He
still couldn't fathom why the mob would put such a large bounty on Allie's
head, but Max's sources were good, and he didn't doubt the information for a minute. 
Jase needed to find out what he could from Allie and then send her to safety.

"Something
smells like heaven."

Jase
looked up to find a sleepy-eyed Allie standing in the kitchen doorway.  If
anything was close to heaven, it was looking at her with her tousled hair and
bare feet.  "You're just in time."  He turned and pulled fresh rolls
from the oven.

"Wow,"
she said from behind him.  "This is nice.  Nothing sexier than a man in
the kitchen."

He
turned.  "Really?  You think I'm sexy?"  He liked her calling him
sexy.  He also liked the way her cheeks turned pink when he pinpointed her with
his gaze.

"I
mean...well, that's the saying."

"Oh. 
Then you're saying I'm only sexy when I'm in the kitchen."

"No." 
She shifted her stance.  "I'm saying—"  She stopped, her lips tilting
in a small grin.  "Stop teasing me."

"Whatever
you wish, sweetheart, as long as you keep telling me I'm sexy."  He lifted
the lid off the pasta sauce, unable to stop smiling.  He hated to admit but
being around Allie left his heart feeling lighter than it had in years.  For a
moment, it seemed okay to forget the past and enjoy the present.  "Will
you grab some plates out of the cupboard?"

Allie
brought two dinner plates, and Jase loaded them with capellini and topped it
with the tomatoes and basil.  A light sprinkle of gorgonzola cheese went on
top.

"I
don't think I've ever had this nice of a meal in my life."

"No?" 
Jase drew his brows together as he handed a plate to her and watched as she
breathed in the scents and exhaled with a smile.  The look on her face alone
made his efforts worthwhile.