Jill had barely pulled the T-shirt and pajama bottoms on when the doorbell rang. She’d planned to take her e-reader to bed with her since she felt wide awake and knew sleep wouldn’t come easily. Looking at the doorbell’s camera, she took an automatic step back in shock.
The doorbell sounded again. This time, knowing who stood on the other side, the sound resonated with an eerie sense of foreboding. Fleetingly, the thought raced through her head to pretend not to be home, but she got the feeling her unwanted guest already knew she was cowering behind the door. She wondered if he was amused or irritated by her delay in answering his summons.
“Can I help you?” she asked through the intercom on the doorbell.
“Ms. Monroe? It’s Emmanuel. Emmanuel Benevides. I’d like to speak with you.”
Jill felt a shiver race through her at the sound of his voice. Did he think she wouldn’t recognize the man who’d had her brother beaten bloody? Not likely. “Mr. Benevides, is this something that can wait until tomorrow? It’s late, and I’m really not comfortable opening the door to a stranger this late at night.”
“Ms. Monroe…or may I call you Jillian? Such a lovely name for such a lovely woman. I’m only asking for a moment of your time.”
“I’m sorry, Mr. Benevides—”
“Please, call me Emmanuel.”
Jill shook her head, unable to believe she was having a conversation after ten o’clock in the evening with a known thug. Was thug even the right word? No matter how he tried to pretty up the circumstances, he ran a gambling ring, and she wasn’t about to open her door to a man like him—especially when she was alone.
“Mr. Benevides, it’s late, and I barely know you. Unless this is some kind of emergency, I’d really like you to leave.”
“Querida, I heard you had some difficulty with your car. I wanted to see for myself you were alright. I hope it was nothing serious.”
An eerie sense of dread spread through her with each word he spoke. How could he possibly know about her tires? She doubted it was the hot topic around Shiloh Springs. Jill knew she was a tiny fish in her small town, and didn’t warrant any kind of attention or notoriety.
“Everything’s fine, Mr. Benevides. It wasn’t serious. My brother, Dante, fixed the problem right away.” Instantly she regretted mentioning Dante’s name, bringing up the reminder of what the other man’s actions had done to her brother.
“Ah, yes, your intrepid brother. I haven’t seen Dante is a while. He’s doing well, I presume?”
“My brother is fine. Is there anything else, because I’d like to turn in. It’s been a long day.”
“Very well, querida.” I’m going to leave my card with my number.” Jill watched a small white business card appear beneath her front door, and picked it up with two fingers, not wanting to touch it.
“I have it.”
“Excellent. I look forward to hearing from you.”
Eww, why does the thought of talking to him make my skin crawl?
“By the way, did you receive the gift I sent you?”
“Gift? What are you talking…do you mean the bracelet?”
“Si, the diamonds. I know it will look beautiful on you, though not even their brilliance compares to your beauty, Jillian.”
“I got your gift, although I had no way of knowing it was from you, Mr. Benevides, since there wasn’t a card. I turned it over to the police. I’ll make sure that Sheriff Boudreau makes sure it’s returned to you. I can’t possibly accept such a gift. It’s far too expensive.”
“I insist. I’ll personally notify Sheriff Boudreau to return it to you. Please, call me tomorrow. I look forward to getting to know you. Good night, my dear. Pleasant dreams.”
“Ah, good night, Mr. Benevides.”
She kept her eyes glued to the camera, watching until he was out of sight before leaning against the door and drawing in a ragged breath.
That was weird. I’ve barely spoken to the man, and he’s acting like he wants to—what—go out with me? Date me? I wasn’t very pleasant the only time we’ve been face to face. What in the world is he thinking?
“Well, guess that confirms it. No way am I sleeping tonight.”
She’d barely taken two steps before her phone rang, and she jumped. During the whole conversation with Mr. Benevides, she’d held her cell in her hand, and once he’d walked away, she’d forgotten she still held it. She was surprised to see her brother’s name on the caller ID.
“Dante? What’s wrong?”
“You tell me. What was Emmanuel Benevides doing at your apartment?”
“How’d you know he—”
“Never mind how I know. Sis, you need to stay away from him, he’s bad news.”
Jill walked over to the couch and sat back against the cushions, tucking her legs beneath her. Something in her brother’s voice had goosebumps popping up on her skin. Guess her instincts were right about Benevides. He was trouble, the kind she didn’t need to get involved with. She had enough on her plate, and didn’t need to attract the unwanted attention of a psycho.
“It’s not like I invited the guy over, Dante. He showed up at my door, saying he heard about my car trouble. I have no idea how he found out about my flats, but he gives me the creeps, so I didn’t open the door. He did admit he’s the one who sent me the bracelet.”
“What bracelet?”
“That’s right, you didn’t know about that. It’s been kind of a crazy night. Somebody left a diamond bracelet outside my front door. There wasn’t anybody outside, because I checked. I called Rafe and he came over and took the bracelet to the sheriff’s station, because those diamonds looked real, and I didn’t know what to do with something that expensive.”
There was a long pause before Dante asked, “Emmanuel Benevides sent you a diamond bracelet?” Each syllable got louder than the last.
“Yep. Of course, I told him I’d given it to Rafe, and I’d have it returned. Mr. Benevides insists I keep it. Said he’d talk to Rafe and have it given back to me. Which seems really odd, don’t you think? I don’t know the man. Only met him one time, which I’m sure you remember?”
“Yeah, it’s kinda permanently etched into my brain. A beatdown like that isn’t something you forget.”
“He left me his number. He wants me to call him tomorrow.”
“Jilly, you stay as far away from Emmanuel Benevides as you can. You aren’t part of his world, and if I have anything to do with it, you’ll never be.”
“I’ve got no intention of calling him. Now how about you answer my question? How did you know Mr. Benevides came to my apartment?”
When her doorbell rang, it startled her enough she almost dropped her phone.
“It’s me, Jilly. Open the door.”
She slid open the deadbolt and the door lock, and found her brother standing in the hall. He wasn’t alone.
“Douglas, I mean Mr. Boudreau, what are you doing here?”
“You can call me Douglas. I think we’d better talk.”
Pulling the door wider, both men walked into her apartment, and she found herself nervously pulling on the edge of her T-shirt, tugging it down to cover the gaudy sleep pants she’d put on. She hadn’t expected company, so she’d grabbed a pair or bright yellow bottoms with rainbow-hued unicorns dancing on them.
“Okay, somebody tell me what’s going on. First, I’ve got the local gambling lord showing up on my doorstep, sending me diamonds. Then the two of you show up immediately on his heels. What aren’t you telling me? Oh, by the way, what’s the big idea not telling me the tires were tampered with? I had to hear it from Rafe.”
“My son’s got a big mouth.” Douglas took her arm gently and steered her to the couch, taking a seat beside her. “I wasn’t convinced you’d rolled over something when I looked at your flat tires earlier, so I asked your brother to give them a once over. He spotted some scratches and damage around the valves.”
Jill nodded, understanding what he was saying. It had finally sunk in, though she still didn’t have a clue why. “I’m still not sure why I was kept out of the loop. Shouldn’t I have been the first person to be told?”
“Sis, we didn’t want you to worry.”
Jill rolled her eyes, before giving her brother a disgruntled glare. “I’m a whole lot more worried now than I would’ve been if you’d told me the truth.”
“I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.”
“Darn right it won’t. You’re not too big for me to wallop.” She smiled sweetly to temper her threat. “Now explain to me why you and Douglas are here? Or should I simply assume you decided to watch my apartment, since you couldn’t bother to tell me my tires were tampered with?”
“I was worried, okay? Lucas and I agreed—”
Jill stood up and slammed her hands on her hips, glaring at her brother. “You dragged Lucas into this without telling me? You are so dead!”
“Jill.” She froze on the spot at the sound of Douglas’ deep voice, filled with command. Fisting her hands, she turned to look at him. “Dante doesn’t bear all the responsibility. I knew. Lucas knew. None of us were going to stand idly by while somebody threatened one of our own.”
A feeling of warmth spread through her, displacing the icy chill which enveloped her for the last several minutes, ever since Benevides had knocked on her door. Something about the way Douglas said those words made her feel…cherished.
“While I appreciate the sentiment, guys, I’m a grown woman, perfectly capable of taking care of myself. From now on, include me in anything pertaining to me and my safety. Got it?”
“Understood,” Douglas nodded as he spoke, and Dante’s head bobbed in agreement. “Now that we’ve cleared that up, tell me about Emmanuel Benevides. Dante seemed very closemouthed when you mentioned him.”
Jill’s eyes met Dante’s, reading the shame and regret filling his expression, before he nodded. “Let me tell him.”
“Alright.”
Jill moved back to sit beside Douglas, watching Dante pace back and forth in front of the coffee table. She agonized along with him, knowing he’d give anything not to have to admit his weakness to Douglas Boudreau. Yet she recognized her brother had grown up a lot in the last few months, becoming a man she was proud of.
“Emmanuel Benevides runs the local gaming club. He’s got a place over on the county border. He’s the big boss, rakes in tons of money from illegal gambling. I got sucked in with some of my buddies. It was easy money at first. We graduated from poker games in Junior’s garage to informal back room poker tournaments for higher stakes. Benevides promoted my friend Junior to manager, because although Junior’s my buddy, he’s also ruthless when it comes to money and power—and Benevides tempted him with both.”
Dante scrubbed his hands over his face, and not for the first time Jill wished her brother had never given in to temptation.
“I knew there was illegal gambling in the county, heard rumors about it for years, but had no idea where the club was located.”
“Yeah, Douglas, these places aren’t out in the open, because then Rafe could bust ’em. It’s in a nearly deserted strip mall. Place is always packed. Heck, some nights there’s so many people there, they could get busted for being over occupancy. You can’t imagine the amount of money it pulls in on a nightly basis. Emmanuel runs the one here in Shiloh Springs, and another one in Burnet County. I’m ashamed to admit how much money I threw away, chasing after a pipe dream.”
“I think I’ve got the picture. Your buddy Junior encouraged you until you got in over your head, right? Racked up a debt big enough you couldn’t pay it back. That’s what they do. At least, they did when I was young and stupid.”
Dante’s eyes rounded in surprise. “You?”
Douglas chuckled. “Son, none of us is perfect. I was something of a wild man when I was in the Army, both here and abroad. It’s easy to get sucked in. People pay attention to you, make you feel important, especially when you’re winning. Losing, on the other hand, sucks. You find yourself chasing the next hand, the next win. The fever, the rush, catches you by the throat and doesn’t turn loose. Winning is a heady, intoxicating feeling. Makes you feel like you’re on top of the world and nobody can stop you. Problem is, nobody stays on top for long, and the fall can be a killer.”
“That’s it exactly!” Dante’s voice rose in excitement. “You feel like you’re invincible. Nobody can touch you because you’re the big man. Until reality slams you upside the head with a reality check. It certainly did for me.”
“Dante, it’s okay. It’s over, we’re past it.” Jill walked over and wrapped her arm around her brother, giving him a gentle hug.
“No, we’re not. I’m the one who brought Benevides to your door. You lost everything because I’m an idiot. Now that you’re in Benevides’ sights, I’m not sure what he’ll do. He might carry himself like a gentleman in front of you, but I’ve seen the real man. Trust me, he’s evil to the core. I want you to stay as far away from him as possible.”
“I agree with your brother, Jill. I think we should have Rafe and Antonio find out exactly who Mr. Benevides is, and why he’s suddenly sniffing around you.”
Jill shuddered as she remembered Emmanuel’s eyes, the soulless black void, and wrapped her arms across her chest, trying to ward off the sudden chill. “Excellent idea. I need to know who and what I’m dealing with.”
“How about I spend the night on your couch, Sis? It’ll make me feel better, especially since Benevides came sniffing around. In the morning, we’ll talk to Rafe, and fill him in on everything.”
“Yes, you can spend the night. I can’t go see Rafe first thing in the morning, though. I’ve got deliveries and shipments coming in, and I have to be at the bakery. We can call him in the morning, and see if he can come by there.”
Dante looked at Douglas, who gave a sharp nod. Jill bit her lip to keep from smiling at the way her brother deferred to the older man. He couldn’t find a better role model and example to follow. She walked over and clasped his hand in between hers.
“Thank you, Douglas, for being concerned about me, and coming to watch over me with Dante. Since he’s going to stay the night, you go on home. If anything happens, I promise we’ll call.”
“I’ll hold you to that, Jill. I haven’t told Ms. Patti much, because she tends to worry about you gals. Be prepared, because when she hears about this—and she will—you’re gonna have to answer a million and one questions. Don’t be surprised if she shows up on your doorstep. She might be a sharp businesswoman, but at heart she’s a nurturer, and you’re officially one of her baby chicks.”
“I’m honored. Thank you again.”
After he left, she twisted the deadbolt, locked the apartment up tight, and whirled on her brother.
“I’m too tired to deal with anything else tonight. Pillows and an extra blanket are in the hall closet. If you’re hungry, help yourself to anything in the kitchen.”
Walking the short distance between them, she grabbed her brother’s face between her hands. “I appreciate that you worry about me, but next time, don’t leave me in the dark, okay? I’m not a fragile porcelain doll. I won’t break.” She stretched up on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. “Love you.”
“Love you more.”
Emmanuel Benevides sat in his Mercedes in the apartment building’s parking lot, and watched the lights go off in Jillian’s apartment. Dante showed up on her doorstep mere minutes after she’d turned Emmanuel away, along with an older man who looked very familiar. If he wasn’t mistaken, and he rarely was, it had been Douglas Boudreau. Strange, his intel hadn’t mentioned either of the Monroe’s knowing the core family of Shiloh Springs, though he’d seen them traipsing through her new shop. Like everyone else in this tiny town, he’d heard of the Boudreau family and their foster sons. All of them held positions of authority, so-called honorable men, like their adoptive father. He doubted any of them would be darkening the doors of his clubs.
A few bad seeds had made their way through the Boudreau clan over the years, ones who’d managed to withstand the syrupy message spewed by the do-gooders. The Texas foster care system didn’t always succeed in placing kids with an environment that matched their personalities, no matter how careful the selection process worked. One of the men who’d stayed for a short time with the Boudreaus worked with his big brother, Javier, down in Harris County.
Might be time to dig a little deeper, and see if these Boudreaus were going to be a problem. Emmanuel chuckled, the sound echoing inside the car. Luckily, he was very good at taking care of problems. Do-gooders like the Boudreaus might think they were pillars of the community, but Emmanuel knew how easy it was for the mighty to fall. To give in to temptation. Or to threats. When that didn’t work, he wasn’t opposed to physical displays to get his point across.
It irked his pride that Jill Monroe turned him away from her door, a thwarted suitor for her affection. She fascinated him, had from the second he’d seen her standing before him, unafraid for herself, her only concern for her brother. It had been close, because he’d almost decided to wipe Dante’s debt clear, just to see her again. But business and pleasure didn’t mix, as he’d learned the hard way. Still, he hadn’t forgotten about Jillian.
Tonight, he’d heard the tremble in her voice, tinged with fear. Not such a bad thing, fear. People did a lot of things they’d never do, with a little motivation. She’d regret turning him away from her door.
Turning over the engine, he pulled out of the parking lot and headed for his club. Time to get a little work done, then he could turn his mind toward pleasure. Winning the beautiful Jillian would be his greatest challenge, and possibly his greatest reward. Regardless of the cost, he would have her.