Tattoo My Heart (Heroes of Seaside Point, Book 1) (20 page)

“V – V- a – n …” Her tears fell from her eyes like heavy raindrops and her teeth clanked at the force of her speech.

“Ssssh. She’s okay.”

“No, she’s not! I heard her scream!”

He wiped the tears from her eyes and tried hard to harness his incredible fear. He hadn’t lied. Vanessa was okay for the moment, but in a whole shitload of trouble.

Wailing sirens drowned her distress as ambulances and fire trucks converged on the area. Police cars soon followed and officers cleared the block, marking off a crime scene.

“Sit.”

He released a heavy sigh as an unusually docile Annessa lowered herself to the curb. “What happened?”

“D – d- don’t know,” she chattered. “Van went to the bathroom and then we heard her scream.”

“Take a breath, baby.”

Her shoulders heaved while she did as he said, her body still shaking out of control.

“Again.”

She shook her head. “I can’t,” she wailed. “Casey, do something! Anything!”

Desperate to stop her pain, he squatted in front of her, grabbed her shoulders, and squeezed. “Annessa, enough. Think. What did you see?”

“Not much. I waited at the sales counter because Agent Godzilla wouldn’t let me check on her.”

“You bought something?”

She gave him a slow nod.

“What color?”

“Black,” she whispered.

He moved his thumbs to wipe the tears from her cheeks and wished like hell he could erase the pain. “Long or short?”

“Short.”

“Silky?” he pressed.

She paused. Her mouth opened and then closed. Suddenly, the terror seemed to drift from her eyes. “You’re trying to distract me.”

“Is it working?”

“Somewhat.” She took a deep breath and then exhaled slowly. “Where’s Latrice?”

“In the car with an agent.”

She gave a slow nod. “Leather.”

His thumbs stalled. “Huh?”

“Not silky, leather.”

He ran a hand through his hair, not quite sure how to react. He only meant to calm her. Leave it Annessa to beat him at his own game. A few seconds later, he’d never been so relieved in his life to see a uniformed Dane approach them.

“Somebody brief me.” Dane wrapped Annessa in a blanket then motioned Casey to sit beside her.

He sat and folded her into his embrace. “Ramano radioed for back-up. Vanessa was taken hostage inside.”

Annessa whimpered yet Dane remained amazingly calm. For once in his highly controlled life, Casey was at a loss. He had absolutely no idea how to handle this situation.

He glanced at Dane. “Where’s Dupree?”

“He and Mav brought the ladder truck,” Dane answered. “The upstairs window is open.”

Annessa pushed out of his arms and stood. “I can fit better than anyone.”

Casey grasped an arm and attempted to pull her back down to the cement. “Absolutely not.”

“Yes.” She swatted his hands. “It’s our only option.” The heavy blanket smacked Dane in the face when Annessa tossed it his direction. “It’s me they want.”

“No.” Casey stood and looked her directly in the eye.

Dane shoved the blanket into a heap. “He’s right, Annessa. Ramano and his guys will handle it.”

“That’s my sister in there!” Casey watched, somewhat amused when Annessa’s inner three-year-old diva attempted to take charge. “And your fiancée, Dane!” She spun back around and poked his chest with her index finger. “I’m going after her, like it or not.”

“Ness.” Casey captured her finger in his grip. “Sit.”

His stomach churned like an overloaded washing machine when she finally said what they were all thinking. “They probably don’t even realize they have the wrong woman.”

Casey pulled his gaze from Annessa to see Travis and Agent Ramano jog toward them. Travis squatted in front of his sister.

“Are you hurt?”

She shook her head. “I want them to trade me for her.”

“No, baby. That’s not the answer.”

Her shoulders shook violently and tears once again poured from her eyes. Casey felt like someone had ripped his heart from his chest. Travis appeared to be just as desperate.

“Annessa.”

Casey glanced up at the sound of a feminine voice. “Hey, Verity.”

Travis grunted as Verity bumped him to the side with one hip. “You’ve got to stay calm.” She pushed Annessa’s hair back from her face. “Take a deep breath so you won’t hyperventilate.”

Annessa took a deep breath.

“Good,” Verity told her. “Now another.”

In the next few seconds, Annessa’s sobs quieted. Casey seriously considered planting a big, wet kiss right smack in the middle of Verity’s lips. Except, Travis hadn’t taken his eyes off her the whole time she comforted Annessa.

Interesting.

Ramano finally ambled over. “We’ve got an ID on the two perps.”

Casey fought the urge to ask him what the hell took so long. “Marcelli?”

“No. Our sources indicate they don’t work for Marcelli. In fact, he’s attempted to contact Annessa several times.”

Annessa groaned. “I thought he was responsible.”

“Apparently he wanted to warn you. Did you get a good look at them?”

“The bigger one is bald, angry-looking, and has a jagged scar over his left eyebrow.”

“Max
Mad-Man
Lucetti. What about the other?”

“Tall and thin. Someone reeked of cigarette smoke.”

“Reggie
The Locomotive
Valero. Both members of Johnny Ricci’s organization, a rival of Marcelli’s. Shouldn’t be hard to take them down.”

Casey squeezed the bridge of his nose. “Anybody else inside?”

“No. We managed to clear the store.”

Annessa glanced at Travis and then back at him. “Trade me.”

“Annessa,” Casey growled.

Ramano tilted his head to one side. “That’s not a bad idea.”

Casey’s jaw ached with the force of keeping his mouth shut. What the fuck was he thinking? “Ramano--”

“We’ll wrap her in a vest and put two snipers in the air.”

“They want to murder her!”

“I don’t think so. Marcelli mentioned the diamond bracelet. Do you have it?”

Annessa lifted her left wrist.

Casey’s forehead cramped with the force of his groan. “What the hell is so special about that bracelet?”

“Lucetti and Valero want it. According to Marcelli, it’s a Ricci family heirloom worth close to a million dollars. Marcelli ended up with it because Ricci’s son couldn’t repay a debt. Long story short, Ricci refuses to pay and wants the bracelet returned.”

“They won’t settle for the bracelet. Not now.”

“If we use Annessa to distract them, we can move in quickly.”

Incredible fear sliced his gut into pieces. “What if they hurt her?”

“We won’t give them a chance.”

One look into Annessa’s eyes told him he had no choice but to agree. Annessa wouldn’t hesitate to defy him. Not when Vanessa’s life was at stake. He glanced at Annessa then back at Ramano. “On one condition.”

“Of course,” Annessa grumbled while she pinched the bridge of her nose. “There are always stipulations with you, Casey.”

“I’m going in with you.”

“No!”

“It’s either both of us or no one.” He gave a slight nod to Ramano who then left the area.

“Uh, Casey.” Travis cleared his throat. “Are you sure about this?”

“Hell no I’m not sure about this!” His fists opened and closed with the force of his temper. “You know as well as I do that she’ll run in there alone if I don’t go.”

“Annessa—” Travis stopped and frowned when Verity punched him in the shoulder.

“Stay out of it,” she mumbled.

Ramano returned and handed him two bulletproof vests. “The fire truck is positioned so that the ladder will lead you to the window.”

Casey snatched the vests, grabbed Annessa’s hand, and then dragged her to the truck. “C’mon, let’s get this over with.”

Had it been any other place, Annessa would’ve been extremely turned on while they stood behind the fire engine and he unbuttoned her blouse and slid it from her shoulders. Now was not that time or place.

“Casey, I trust you with my life but I refuse to let you bail me out this time.”

“You don’t have a choice.” He buckled the straps on her vest and yanked them tight. “No way in hell are you going in alone.”

“And what if we don’t come out?” she spat while she pushed his hands from her body and replaced her top.

“
You
will.”

Terror be damned. Her mouth watered as he unbuttoned his uniform shirt, shucked it off, then slipped his arms through his own vest. As if he’d done this a hundred times before, he redressed in record time, pausing only to cup her chin in his palm.

“If I don’t, I will die a happy man, Annessa. I spent one helluva night with you and now I know where my heart belongs.” Her lips tingled when he pressed his against them. “Dead or alive.”

Her heart plummeted. “No. If something happens to you, I’ll never forgive myself.”

“Annessa, stop! You’re not going inside alone. End of discussion. If Ramano is half the cop I think, we should be able to pull this off without a hitch.” He turned her and nudged her to climb the ladder. “Up.”

“You would make me climb first,” she mumbled.

“Amazing view.”

Despite incredible fear, she released a short laugh and negotiated each rung until she stood eye-level with the window. Sweat coated the back of her neck as she contemplated her next step.

“Mav’s at the bottom, baby. He can help you down.” Casey’s voice never lost its tenderness while he offered her one last chance to change her mind.

She squeezed her eyes closed and then opened them as she looked over one shoulder. “I love you.”

“Guess this means we’re going in.”

“Yeah.”

She gripped both sides of the ladder just in case he might try to pry her loose, throw her over his shoulder and run down the ladder. Instead, he cupped her chin with one hand and pressed his lips to hers. “I love you too.”

Annessa turned away and eased through the open window until she stood inside the second floor room.

“Holy hell!”

She frowned at Casey’s outburst until she glanced around the room and her gaze focused on a display in the corner.

She cleared her throat. “This is a
private
viewing area.”

“I’m not quite sure what happens up here.”

Obviously he focused on the novelties arranged on a table in the corner. And if his earlier confession was any indication, the long, pink vibrator in the middle held his undivided attention.

“I’ll buy one as soon as you save my sister.”

“Deal.” He grabbed her hand and led her out the doorway to the staircase. “Kick off your shoes.”

She glanced down at her heels. No doubt they would click against the oak on the way down. She quickly bent to release the ankle straps and slip them off her feet.

Casey’s voice issued a
no-arguments
tone as she stood. “I’m going first this time.”

She followed him down with her heart in her throat and hoped to hell Agent Ramano put those snipers in place. Finally, they left the bottom step.

Casey turned and pressed her against him. “In thirty seconds you could climb the stairs and leave the building,” he whispered in her ear.

She stepped back and shook her head. No way in hell would she let Van go through this alone.

“Sonuvabitch.”

She barely heard the expletive leave his mouth before he squeezed her hand and they stepped into view. She gasped and held on for dear life when her gaze met her sister’s.

Valero tightened his hold on Vanessa and poked a gun under her chin. “Fuck me!” His weapon shook as he gave Lucetti a glare. “There’s two of them!”

The other man took a step back. “I thought you said this would be an easy snatch and grab? Idiot!.”

“Shut your pie hole!” Valero squeezed Vanessa tighter.

Casey inched closer. “You snatched the wrong woman, Valero. Your hostage has nothing to do with it.”

“She does now,” Valero growled. “Give us the bracelet.”

Vanessa whimpered when he cocked the trigger on the gun.

“As soon as you release your hostage.”

“Don’t be a hero, Sheriff.”

“Just asking for an even trade. Let Vanessa go and the bracelet is yours.”

Annessa reached into her pocket for the jewelry. Her heart skipped a beat when her fingers brushed another familiar object. As she rolled the notorious tube between her fingers, her vision reddened and suddenly all good sense escaped her. With one more
sorry-about-this
glance at Casey, she thrust the vial from its hiding place, aimed it into Valero’s eyes and sprayed.