Unleash Me, Vol. 2 (Unleash Me, Annihilate Me Series) (21 page)

“
It
’
s fine.
”

“
It isn
’
t fine.
 
I wasn
’
t thinking.
”

I relaxed against him.
 
“
You meant nothing by it.
 
Come on, Tank
—
I
know better.
 
I just had some
stupid, random response to it.
 
Don
’
t
worry about it.
”

“
I apologize.
”

“
There
’
s no need to.
 
OK?
 
I
’
m just on edge.
 
Now, come on.
 
We
’
re
bigger than that threat, aren
’
t we?
”

“
We are.
”

I admired him for a moment.
 
He was such a devoted, strong, and
loving man.
 
Tank didn
’
t
say much, but when he did
—
probably because he was a former
Marine
—
I always knew that what he said to me came with great
thought.
 
“
So,
you really want to put yourself through the hell of living with me?
 
What
’
s wrong with you?
”

His face softened.
 
“
Not a thing.
”

“
I think you might want to consider this.
”

“
I have.
 
Several
times.
”

Oh, Jesus.
 
He
’
s
serious.
 
I need time to think this
through.
 
“
Would you be offended if I take some
time to think about this?
 
To talk
it over with Jennifer?
 
It affects
her, too, after all.
 
I
’
d
be leaving her alone here.
”

“
Of course.
 
I
expect you to talk with her.
”

“
Maybe I
’
ll see if she
’
s
available for lunch today.
 
I
actually have nothing on my plate.
”

“
So, you
’
ll consider it?
”

“
I
’
ll consider it.
 
But I need to talk with Jennifer first.
”

“
If you go to lunch, you
’
ll need security
detail.
”

“
I want security detail.
 
But you can
’
t
be among them.
 
I need to feel as if
I
’
m
alone with Jennifer when I talk with her.
 
Otherwise, I won
’
t feel free to talk openly with
her.
 
Does that make sense?
”

“
It does.
 
See if
she
’
s
available.
 
When you know, let me
know, and I
’
ll have you covered.
”

“
I love you, Tank.
 
And I
’
m honored that you want this.
”

“
I just hope that you accept,
”
he said.

And then, unexpectedly, he made love to me.

*
 
*
 
*

Later that morning, just before the stores opened, Tank
left for Floral on Fifth to see if he could find out who had sent me the black
rose.
 
When he returned an hour
later, I had just gotten out of the shower and was preparing for my lunch with
Jennifer at noon.

“
Anything?
”
I asked when he stepped into the bathroom and kissed me on
the back of my neck.

“
Because of its exclusive list of clients, Floral on Fifth
has a policy never to reveal the identity of anyone who has sent something
anonymously.
”

I looked at him in the mirror.
 
“
Excuse me?
”

He held up a finger.
 
“
Naturally, I spoke to the manager on duty about that.
 
He started to give me some attitude
until I told him what else was inside the box
—
the
threatening note you received, and I showed it to him.
 
Then, I told him that since his store
delivered both the rose and the note to you
—
which
your doorman George would confirm because he was there when we opened the
package
—
Floral on Fifth was now a co-conspirator in this case
because of their involvement, and thus were ripe for a lawsuit unless they
cooperated with me.
 
The manager
said the lawsuit would be fruitless.
 
I said that neither of us knew what would happen, but I did know this
—
the
negative publicity would kill their business.
 
When he asked who I was, I told him that
I was the head of security at Wenn Enterprises, and that Wenn would issue the
lawsuit, hold a press conference, and make it as public as possible.
 
That
’
s when he cracked.
”

“
You
’
re a genius.
 
What did he tell you?
”

“
He didn
’
t tell me anything.
 
He went back and got the woman who had
dealt with the man who bought the rose herself.
 
What she told me confirms that it was
the same man who sent you the martini.
 
She gave a similar description.
 
When I showed her Kevin
’
s composite, she had the same
reaction as the waiter at JoJo
—
she said that it wasn
’
t
him.
 
When I asked her to imagine
him without a beard, and with a fresh haircut and cleaner clothes, she said
there was a chance that it could be him, though she wasn
’
t
sure.
”

“
So, we
’
ve got nothing?
”

“
I wouldn
’
t go that far.
 
Kevin has yet to be ruled out.
 
That
’
s something.
 
If it isn
’
t him, then someone
was hired to do the job.
 
This
morning, I put four more men on the streets.
 
They
’
re looking for Kevin,
all trying to score some meth undercover.
 
He
’
ll turn up.
 
You
’
ll
see.
”

“
But when?
”

“
I wish I knew, Lisa.
”

“
Did they have security cameras at the florist?
”

“
They had one above the door
—
but
it doesn
’
t work.
 
Hasn
’
t
for over a year.
”

“
You
’
re joking.
”

“
I wish I were.
”

“
Unbelievable.
”

He wrapped his arms around me, and I rested my head on his
forearm.
 
“
Nobody
is going to hurt you,
”
he
said.
 
“
Trust
me.
 
OK?
 
Go and have lunch with Jennifer.
 
Try to let go and have some fun.
 
You need to live your life.
 
Cutter will drive you.
 
I
’
ll ask him to bring another man with
him.
 
You
’
ll
be safe with them.
 
I promise.
”

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

It was just before noon when I met Jennifer for lunch at Le
Bernardin at 155 West Fifty-First Street.
 
I was determined to enjoy our time together as much as humanly possible,
so I was going to try not to think about the threats against my life.
 
Tank was right.
 
I needed to live my life.

So, that
’
s what I planned to do.

Jennifer and I had long been foodies
—
an
interest that went desperately unsatisfied during that rotten period of our
lives when we first arrived in New York in May and could only afford a derelict
apartment, cheap vodka for our martinis, and Ramen noodles while we worked hard
to achieve something greater.
 

Coming from Maine, we especially loved fresh seafood, which
is what Le Bernardin, a three-star Michelin restaurant, happened to be renowned
for.
 
Earlier that morning, Jennifer
said that the way they prepared the seafood here was
“
almost
raw, barely touched, lightly cooked
—
just like at home when you and I used
to cook together.
 
Well, sort
of.
 
OK, probably not even close,
but you get the idea.
 
Anyway, you
’
ll
love it there.
 
I
’
ve
only been there once for dinner with Alex, but never for lunch, where they only
serve a prix fixe menu.
 
I
’
m
dying to go again
—
and I also want to hear what
’
s going on with you,
especially after last night.
”

I arrived with Cutter and a new guard I didn
’
t
know
—
Max.
 
When they were certain that it was safe
for me to go inside, I left the limousine, cut across the sidewalk with Cutter
at my side, and entered the restaurant, which was known for its towering and
beautiful floral arrangements.
 
I
knew that Jennifer would be dressed for work, so I wore chic black pants, a
slim-fitting red sweater, and a pair of Jennifer
’
s Louboutins.
 
At some point, she
’
d
kill me for stealing her shoes, so maybe a shopping trip
—
at
some point
—
was due for each of us to remedy that.

When I approached the woman at the front desk, she greeted
me with a warm smile.
 
“
Ms.
Ward,
”
she said.
 
“
Jennifer Kent just arrived and is
waiting for you.
 
Let me take you to
her.
”

Another recognition?
 
It was unfathomable to me.

I was led to Jennifer
’
s table.
 
She was dressed in a winter-white suit,
and she
’
d put a flat iron to her long, brown hair, so that it hung
down her back and shimmered in the early afternoon light.
 
I thought she looked as beautiful as
always.
 
She stood and gave me a
heartfelt hug.
“
How are you?
”
she asked.

“
Let
’
s just say it
’
s
complicated.
”

“
Wine or martini?
”