Clenching his jaw, Jesse watched as myriad conflicting emotions chased across Eva’s beautiful face. “I can’t, Dad. I wish you would consider some other alternative.”
“What, jail?” Raul laughed, a sound totally without humor. “I got this, baby girl. And believe it or not, I understand. This is for you.” He pulled a thumb drive from his pocket. “There’s information on Drew and also Lori on that. Take a look at it, but wait to give it to the Feds until I’m gone. Ask for immunity. This will clear you and should make sure you’re free from prosecution, but make sure.”
Accepting the thumb drive, she nodded. “I promise.”
Raul kissed her cheek before turning to face Jesse. “I want you to drive me to the airport. I’ll have Shorty keep an eagle eye out for trouble here. Oh, by the way, I’m giving you my bike, unless the Feds confiscate it for auction.”
Touched, Jesse agreed. “When do you want to go?”
“I think now.” Raul’s answer surprised him. “One thing I’ve learned is it’s best to not stick to a schedule. I’ve got my pilot on standby. I’ll call when we’re five minutes out and have him meet us there.”
“Why so soon?” Eva protested. “Can’t you wait until the morning?”
Raul told her he couldn’t. Jesse understood. Now that the older man had made sure his daughter wouldn’t change her mind, he’d decided to cut his losses and take off. Too much could go wrong in a short time, so why take a chance?
Eva folded her arms. “Has it ever occurred to you that I might want to see you off too?”
Smiling sadly, Raul kissed her cheek. “I think it’s best if you stay here. I still have a lot of enemies and I don’t want to take a chance of putting you in a dangerous situation.”
Her mouth tightened. “But if I was going with you, I’d be with you. What’s the difference?”
“I’d have taken additional precautions,” he said. “And if you’re trying to tell me you’ve changed your mind, I will set them up immediately.”
Eva shook her head. “I haven’t changed my mind. But if this is going to be so dangerous, why take Jesse?”
“Because he can handle himself.” Ruffling her hair, Raul moved away, signaling to Jesse that he was ready to go.
Raul had packed two medium-size bags. Jesse loaded them into the car, staying back a respectful distance as Eva hugged her father and they said their goodbyes.
Once they’d finished, Jesse waited to see if Raul planned to say goodbye to his guys. They weren’t assembled to see him off, which seemed a bit odd.
“I didn’t tell them,” Raul replied when Jesse asked. “Honestly, I have no idea who I can trust anymore. With the exception of you, that is.” He clapped Jesse on the back.
Swallowing back his guilt, Jesse nodded and got in the car.
Raul kept up a steady stream of chatter, directing Jesse toward the smaller regional airport. “Normally, I would have had to pay off some local officials to get permission to land and take off from there,” Raul said smugly. “But this jet is registered to a fictional eccentric billionaire and I let leak that Anniversary was on the short list for his fake company headquarters, so everyone was really amenable. I’ve had my pilot file a completely false flight plan, but even if the Feds eventually figure out it was me, it won’t matter.”
Jesse nodded, not sure how to respond. He could only hope that Raul didn’t decide to go all buddy-buddy and actually mention his true destination. If he did, Jesse planned to interrupt and stop him. He truly didn’t want to know.
Though Jesse had decided against mentioning anything about a plea deal to E.J., in case even the mere suggestion raised alarm flags, he wanted to see if Raul would like to give it a shot. At the very least, he could offer Eva’s father another choice instead of disappearing.
“Have you ever thought about maybe going to the authorities and telling them you weren’t involved?” Jesse asked, just as they turned down the back road onto the private airstrip.
“Like they’d believe me,” Raul snorted. “Plus, I might be a lot of things, but I’m not a snitch.”
“I know,” Jesse replied. “But since these guys went against your wishes and got involved with a rival cartel...”
“How did you know that?”
Perplexed, Jesse shrugged. “You told us. Both me and Eva, remember?”
“No, I told you what they’d done, but I never mentioned anything about the cartel.”
Stomach clenching, Jesse tried to play it off. “I guess I just assumed.” Damn, he’d blown it. He knew better, but he’d managed to mess up. Every instinct screamed an alert. But this was more than being caught in a lie. He’d also betrayed the man he’d come to love like a father. He took zero comfort in knowing at least he hadn’t jeopardized the entire assignment.
They pulled up in front of a gleaming silver Gulfstream and parked. Instead of climbing out, Raul gave Jesse a long look.
“You’re a Fed, aren’t you?” His flat tone matched the disappointment in his eyes.
Jesse thought for a moment and then decided what the hell. “I am. I’ve been undercover this entire time.”
“I could shoot you, you know.”
“I know.” Jesse nodded. “But you won’t. You’re too decent for that.”
This made Raul laugh. “Maybe so. What are you going to do? Arrest me?”
“No.” Jesse took a deep breath. “I’m going to let you go and pretend I never saw you leave.”
Raul considered him, as if trying to determine if Jesse spoke truth. “You know you might lose your job over this.”
“I’m going to quit as soon as all this is over,” Jesse replied. “I can’t do this kind of work anymore. I’ve gotten too involved.”
Expression too wise, Raul nodded. “You love her, don’t you?”
“Yes. I always have and I always will.”
“Are you going to tell her?” Raul asked, his expression both curious and compassionate.
“I am. I don’t really have a choice. If she and I are ever going to have a life together, we can’t begin it with lies.”
The pilot stepped outside the jet door, signaling a crew member who came and collected Raul’s bags. Once again, Jesse knew Eva’s father could snap his fingers, give a simple order and have his people take Jesse down.
“Best of luck, Jesse.” Raul shook hands. “I respect your decision and I really appreciate you telling me the truth. I wish you and my Eva many years of happiness.”
Moved despite himself, Jesse managed a smile. “For you, I hope for beautiful women, umbrella drinks, warm sand and lots of sun.”
“I’ll drink to that.” Raul’s infectious smile warmed Jesse’s heart. “Take care. Give my daughter a kiss for me.”
With that, Raul turned and went up the steps to the jet, never looking back even once.
Jesse stayed by the car and watched the jet taxi onto the runway. He didn’t move until he saw it take off and launch into the sky.
With her father gone for good, Eva felt the emptiness of the big house even more keenly. She longed for Jesse, even though she knew he’d be back soon enough. She missed Liam even more. She’d never been away from her son any longer than a few hours and this felt like an eternity. Though Marie and Mike made sure to call her at least once a day and let her Skype with Liam, she ached to hold him in her arms.
Yet she still didn’t feel comfortable having him back here. While she’d considered the possibility of bringing him home, she couldn’t shake the sense that the danger wasn’t quite over yet. Her worry might have had something to do with the fact that Lori Pearson was out in the wind somewhere and Eva had no idea how much malice the other woman bore toward her. For all she knew, Lori could be involved with the cartel. If she could convince the wrong person that Eva had their missing money, they’d come after her. She couldn’t risk exposing Liam to that kind of danger.
The thumb drive her father had given her felt as if it was burning a hole in her jeans pocket. Curious to see what it contained, she took it into Drew’s office and plugged it into his computer.
Video files. Several of them, as well as data files. She carefully copied everything to the computer so she could make a second thumb drive and keep it safe.
Once she’d done that, she took a deep breath and clicked on the first video.
Though black-and-white, the quality seemed surprisingly good. While she wasn’t sure how her father had obtained this footage or even if he’d been the one who’d planted cameras in Drew’s office, when she heard the discussion between Drew and Lori, she actually gasped out loud.
Clearly in charge, Lori berated Drew, who looked frustrated and agitated. She demanded he tell her why there’d been a delay and asked if he didn’t understand the cartel had been breathing down her neck.
The video ended abruptly and Eva clicked on the next one. This time, Drew outlined to Lori the ways campaign funds could and couldn’t be used. Listening to Lori’s replies, Eva quickly ascertained the two were figuring out ways to use that money without being caught.
But for what? Though she’d hoped for answers, this video provided none. So she checked out the next one.
Apparently, they got worse as they went on. There was one of Drew and Lori talking to Chris on speakerphone, as they all made plans to leave the country once they’d wired enough money to their individual offshore accounts. Judging by the amount of money they were discussing, the missing three million dollars seemed to be a mere drop in the bucket. In fact, the more she heard, the less the amount made sense.
Either way, just the first few videos were enough to convict Lori of several crimes. And Eva hadn’t even watched half of them.
But she would. She clicked on the next one. This time, it wasn’t just Drew and Lori. She was so engrossed in watching her husband and his campaign manager meet with three well-dressed politicians as well as two men who probably were part of the cartel, she didn’t notice Shorty enter the room until he was right behind her. She smelled him before she saw him, recognizing the combination of cigarettes and beer and unwashed man.
“Hey.” He greeted her, eyeing the computer screen with undisguised curiosity in his bloodshot eyes. “What’s that?”
“Nothing.” Hurriedly, she minimized the open page. “What’s up, Shorty? Is there something I can help you with?”
“Um, yeah.” He scratched the back of his bald head. “I’m wondering if you know when Raul will be back. We’ve got a bit of a situation that he needs to handle. One of his top lieutenants has been trying to reach him without any luck.”
She shrugged, hoping like hell she appeared nonchalant. No doubt it had something to do with the big drug deal Raul had wanted to escape from. “I’m not sure. He and Jesse left a little bit ago. But I can tell him to find you when he returns.”
Though Shorty stared for what felt like a bit too long, he finally nodded. “Thanks,” he said, and ambled off.
Suddenly, she realized she didn’t actually know whom in the club she could trust. Though Raul surely wouldn’t have left her with someone who might be a danger, she still needed to be more careful. More than anyone, she knew how things could change on a dime.
She’d better quit wasting time. Heart pounding, she grabbed a blank thumb drive and copied the files to it. Now she had two extra copies—one on the computer and the other on the second thumb drive. She even had a good story to tell the sheriff on how she came to obtain all this information now—that she’d found the thumb drive in Drew’s office.
The house seemed too quiet, as it did a lot these days. She truly was coming to hate this place, and as soon as she could, she planned to sell it and escape the bad memories.
When she heard the front door open, she knew Jesse had returned. Her father’s loss hit her then, low and deep like a blow to the gut. Though tears filled her eyes, she refused to allow herself to cry. Raul had made his choice, just as Jesse had once when he’d chosen Brothers of Sin over her.
Despite that, despite everything, she slipped one thumb drive into her pocket and put the other inside the liquor cabinet behind a bottle of expensive Scotch and went to greet him.
Jesse looked as if he had been run over by a truck. Immediately alarmed, she went to him and touched his arm. “What happened? Is my dad all right?”
Slowly he nodded, his expression tortured. “He’s fine.”
“Then why—”
“I’m not.” Interrupting her, he took her hand and gripped it tightly. “I have something I need to tell you.”
For whatever reason, she hesitated. “I’m not sure I want to hear it. I can tell from your voice that it’s bad news. I’ve had enough of that to last a lifetime.”
“Please just listen. This is important.” He looked around. “Where is everybody? I want to make sure we’re not overheard.”
“No idea. Shorty was in here a little bit ago, looking for Raul. I haven’t seen any of the other guys.”
“Do you mind if we go somewhere private? Like maybe Drew’s office.”
Though she really just wanted to be alone, she gave up. “Sure. We can close the door.”
Once they’d done that, Eva perched on the edge of one of the expensive Italian leather chairs. “What’s up?”
Instead of immediately answering, Jesse dragged his hand through his hair. Whatever he wanted to say must be bad, because he looked as if pain was eating him up from the inside out. Watching him, her heart ached. The last time she’d seen him like this had been when she’d given him the ultimatum and asked him to choose either her or the motorcycle club.
She didn’t see how anything he could possibly say now would be worse than when he’d told her his choice.
“I’ve been lying to you,” he began, his voice catching. She saw him visibly gather himself, his handsome face a study in torment. “I’m not at all what you think I am.”
Studying him, she tried to make sense of what he meant. “I know you, Jesse Wyman,” she said slowly. “You’re loyal and dedicated and strong. No matter what kind of baggage we’ve had between us, I’ve always known I can count on you. My father thinks so highly of you, he trusted you to become my personal bodyguard.”
“Not anymore.” Expression grim, he swallowed hard, apparently struggling to find the right words to convey whatever he was trying to say. Finally, he shook his head. “Damn. I didn’t expect it to be this difficult. Before I begin, know that I will always be there for you, no matter what you think of me.”
A shiver ran up her spine. “You’re beginning to scare me. I don’t understand.”
“I told Raul the truth about me earlier. I’m—” His cell rang, cutting him off. Swallowing hard, he checked it. “Sorry, I’ve got to take this.” He flashed a clearly forced smile. “Looks like I’ve been granted a brief reprieve.”
Then, to her disbelief, he stepped away and answered his phone, opening the door and walking out of the room, talking in such a low voice that she couldn’t make out the words.
She sat frozen in the chair. What had he meant? He’d been lying how? She’d told him the truth—she considered Jesse one of the best men she’d ever known. Except for his unwillingness to leave Brothers of Sin, she honestly felt Jesse might be the most perfect man she’d ever met.
Right then and there, she decided she’d rather not know. Lies were lies and it didn’t really matter what they were. Drew had lied, so had Lori. Of course, she herself had been guilty of lying when she’d hoped everyone would believe Liam was Drew’s son.
No one was perfect. She could forgive a falsehood or two, as long as no one got hurt. What she honestly couldn’t forgive was the awful, hurtful choice Jesse had made over two years ago. He might be an awesome specimen of a man, one with character and strength and integrity. But in the end, she’d had to face the fact that she’d never come first with him. Even now, she knew she never would. Damned if she’d let him unburden his conscience just to make himself feel better.
Decision made, she turned and eyed him outside on the patio, still deep in conversation on his phone. Perfect. She turned to leave the room.
And came face-to-face with Lori Pearson, holding a gun pointed directly at her.
Eva froze, her heart beginning to pound. “Lori? What’s going on?” she asked, trying not to reveal her fear.
“You’re coming with me,” Lori said, her expression hard. “And don’t try to alert that bodyguard of yours. I’d hate to have to shoot you like I did Drew.”
Shaking, Eva swallowed. “You killed Drew? But why? I thought you and he were partners, both in his campaign and his legal practice.”
“Partners.” Lori spoke the word as if it was unfamiliar. “Maybe we started out that way, but partners don’t screw over one another. Drew stole money and planned to leave me to take the fall. Those cartels don’t mess around. They want what belongs to them and they have zero tolerance for waiting. I had to go into hiding so they didn’t kill me. All because your husband ripped them off.”
Eva took a deep breath, striving for the appearance of calm, though inside she was a mess. Did Lori truly intend to kill her? Why not, since she’d already killed once? All Eva could think of was her son. She couldn’t die and leave little Liam an orphan. She had to figure out a way to outwit Lori. Staying calm and keeping Lori talking was all she could think of. That, and not revealing her terror. “That’s what Chris said. Was he involved with the two of you in this money laundering scheme?”
Lori grimaced. “Of course not, you idiot. He’s the entire reason that Drew decided to grab the cash and make a run for it.”
Aware she had to keep Lori distracted, Eva nodded. “But why did you kill him? Wouldn’t that mean the money would be lost forever?”
Eva’s head was spinning. While she’d known from watching the videos how deeply Lori had been involved in Drew’s illegal activities, she’d never in a million years suspected the other woman would go this far. Murder?
“I had to prove my loyalty to the cartel.” Eyes gleaming, Lori spoke the words as matter-of-factly as if they were discussing the weather. “That got them off my back for a bit. Plus, I was super hopeful that I’d be able to dig up a clue as to where Drew stashed the money.”
The money. All Lori really cared about was the money. Maybe Eva could somehow convince the other woman she knew where it was hidden, if only to buy herself time.
“Were you?” Eva tried hard not to sneak a look out the window at Jesse. Her one real chance at salvation. She hoped if she could keep Lori talking long enough, Jesse might be able to get in here and help her. If not, she’d have to figure out a way to help herself. Despite the way her knees were shaking, she couldn’t think of a better time to reclaim her strength. For Liam.
Lori snorted. “I looked, believe me. Despite that, I still haven’t a clue what Drew did with it, but I’m guessing it’s sitting in some private offshore account right now. I would venture a wild guess that Chris knows exactly where it is, but I haven’t had any luck in locating him.” With her gun still trained on Eva, Lori squinted her eyes. “I don’t suppose you know where he is, do you?”
For a second, Eva considered shaking her head. Instead, she decided to go with the truth. “He’s in police custody in downtown Anniversary.”
“What? Why?”
“He’s been threatening me. He’s the one who shot out my back window and sent a package bomb.”
“No.” Though the hand holding the pistol never wavered, Lori appeared on the verge of hysterical laughter. “Are you serious?”
“I am.” Eyeing the gun, Eva decided she might as well ask point-blank. “What are you doing? Why are you holding a gun on me?”
“Tying up loose ends.” Lori glanced around Drew’s office. “You truly didn’t have any idea about anything, did you?”
“You mean about Drew being in love with someone else? No. Or about you and him engaging in illegal activities like money laundering?” She thought of the video recordings that Lori didn’t know she had. “I’m going to venture a wild guess that there’s a lot more that I didn’t know.”
“Definitely.”
Catching a glimpse of Jesse from the corner of her eye, Eva prayed he’d finish up his call. “Lori, are you going to shoot me?”
“Not yet.” Lori’s ambiguous answer didn’t make Eva feel any better. “But I will shoot him, if I have to.” She gestured toward Jesse with her pistol. “Just like what happened to the two biker goons outside. They were so busy smoking and shooting the breeze that they never saw what hit them.”
“You shot them?” Pushing down the panic clawing at her, Eva tried to remain calm. “I didn’t hear any gunshots.”
“Silencers.” Lori pointed toward some sort of attachment she’d put on her weapon. “They’re very effective at keeping things quiet.”
Plural. Which most likely meant Lori hadn’t come here alone.
“What if I know where the money is?” Eva asked.
Lori snorted. “You don’t though. Or you would have told me already.”
Could Eva manage to convince the other woman? Or should she abandon this line of defense and try something else?
Carefully, heart still pounding, Eva began to look for something she could use as a weapon. “Please don’t hurt Jesse.”
“Aw, you care about him, don’t you?” Lori sighed. “He’s easy on the eyes, I’ll give him that. But you know what? He’s a Fed.”
“What? No, he’s not. He works for my father.”
“You really are gullible, aren’t you? I just found out from one of my contacts that Jesse Wyman—which probably isn’t his real name—is an undercover ATF officer. He’s been using you, honey.”
“He’s not.” At least Eva could speak with authority. Though she remembered what Jesse had said earlier, when he’d tried to tell her about lying to her and how he wasn’t who she thought he was. What if it was true? Devastated, she pushed the sense of betrayal away. “I don’t know why your contact, whoever he is, would say such a thing, but Jesse is on my side.”
“Right. At least until he’s finished his job. I’m not sure what that is, but I can take an educated guess that it has a lot to do with the cartel, BOS and a large shipment of drugs.”
“How do you know all this?” Eva asked, stunned and not sure what to think. “How reliable is your source?”
Now Lori grinned. “Pretty damn reliable. He works for the ATF too. Only he’s in it for the money. And I can promise you, the cartel is going to pay a lot of money when we deliver you and your precious Jesse to them. Now move.”
Aware she had to stall to at least give Jesse time to realize what was happening, Eva stood frozen. “Move where?”
“Here. In front of me. You’re going to be my shield in case your bodyguard gets any foolish ideas.”
Outside, Jesse appeared to be finishing up his call. Though he continued to talk, he turned and made his way toward the door.
“Now,” Lori barked. “He’s worth ten times more than you are, so don’t make me shoot you.”
Reluctantly, Eva moved closer to Drew’s former campaign manager.
As Jesse reached for the door to come inside, he looked up, glanced through the window and locked eyes with Eva. His expression hardened as he caught sight of Lori and her pistol.
“He saw,” Eva said, warning Lori. “He’s not going to let you get away with this.”
“Really? I’m willing to bet you’ll be his first priority, Eva.” Lori grabbed her arm, yanking her up closer and putting the barrel of the gun against Eva’s temple. “I guess you’ll find out quickly how much you actually matter to him. Will he rush in and try to save you or run off and alert his law enforcement coworkers?” Lori’s savage grin made Eva feel ill.
“We’ll know any second, won’t we?”
Eva swallowed hard. “Yes, we will,” she replied. In her heart, she had to believe Jesse would choose her. In her head, she wasn’t entirely certain.