Page 18

CHAPTER 18

S ephie was still reeling from Brick’s phone call, although she’d had an hour to process the news. At least they’d managed Kevin’s bathroom break without getting shot at.

Raymond wanted her dead, no surprise there. But hearing about Jack and Yvette’s relationship had stunned her. For now, she’d try to take Taschen’s advice and assume her friend was only trying to protect her.

Taschen turned down a tree-lined cul-de-sac. Well-maintained homes sat in mature yards. At the end of the street, he pulled into the driveway of a brick-and gray-sided two-story split level. “Is this your house?”

He parked in front of the double garage. A large maple tree filled the front yard, and she suspected it would boast vibrant colors in the fall. Would she still be speaking to Taschen then?

“Yup.” His gaze flicked to the house next door. An SUV was pulling into the driveway .

An older woman, maybe in her early seventies, got out and waved emphatically. Her gaze narrowed on Sephie, and she smiled mischievously.

“That’s Zelda, my neighbor,” he said, his tone terse. “I apologize in advance for Sunny.”

“Who?”

Taschen was already out of the vehicle and rounding it to her side when she finally opened the door. “Hey, Zelda,” he said. “How are you today?”

Sephie got out with Kevin in her arms, and Zelda stopped at the edge of her driveway, near the grass that separated her property from Taschen’s.

“I see you’ve got a friend with you, today.” Zelda blinked sweetly behind her glasses.

“Hello, I’m Sephie.” She crossed the grass to offer the neighbor her hand.

Zelda shook her hand with a beaming smile. “Well aren’t you just the prettiest thing. Taschen has good taste.” She turned her attention to Kevin, scratching behind his ears.

“It’s grocery day, isn’t it?” Taschen asked, making his way to Zelda’s SUV.

“Oh, dear. You don’t need to do that. You’ve got company.”

“It’s not a problem.” He popped open her trunk and took out her bags as if doing so was a regular occurrence.

“Come dear, let’s get the door. ”

Sephie blinked with surprise but followed the woman up her driveway and onto her front porch. Zelda unlocked the door, and a yippy Pomeranian burst outside to nip at Taschen’s jeans.

“Hi, Sunny. Missed you, too.” Taschen set the bags inside Zelda’s door dodging the still-yapping dog. Kevin snuffled and growled at the hyper dog but otherwise stayed still in Sephie’s arms.

“Couple more items and we’re done.” Taschen winked at Sephie and jogged back down the steps.

Zelda’s eyes turned to Sephie, warm and suddenly concerned. “I hope you don’t break his heart.”

“Oh gosh. I mean—It’s not. We’re... uh—” What could she say? Friends? That ship had sailed.

Zelda waved her off. “I’d just hate to see him hurt. He’s such a nice man. Always taking care of me.”

Sephie’s heart swelled. She turned her gaze back to Zelda’s SUV and watched Taschen sling a box of laundry detergent under one arm and a package of paper towels under the other before shutting the hatch.

He made the second trek without breaking a sweat. Her pulse quickened.

“Don’t know what I’d do without you,” Zelda said with a chuckle as she took the paper towels from his hand.

Sunny snarled and lunged at Sephie’s ankles. Kevin whined .

“Oh, my. Sorry about that.” She scooped up her dog. “Sunny has poor manners.”

The animal stopped barking, and his round black eyes took them all in. His short, pink tongue dangled as he panted from all the excitement.

“No problem.” Taschen smirked. “I forgot the holy water this time. My bad.”

Zelda tsked.

Sephie hid her laugh.

“Just joking, buddy.” He reached toward Sunny, and the Pomeranian craned his neck and opened his mouth as if he wanted a Taschen sandwich.

He managed to pat the dog’s head and remove his hand unscathed. “Need help with anything else, Zelda?”

“No, no. You two go ahead and get settled. Sephie,” Zelda said, turning her warm, knowing stare to her. “I hope I’ll see you around again.”

Sephie’s mouth twitched. Me too, Zelda. “Take care. Bye, Sunny.” She didn’t attempt to pet the dog.

She followed Taschen across the grass back to his SUV. He reached into the back and took out their bags while she grabbed Kevin’s bed. They approached the wooden front deck, which was freshly stained. A black metal railing surrounded the space, and a lone lawn chair sat near the door.

He punched a code into the keypad, and the lock clicked open. The warm scents of pine and fresh laundry reached her nostrils as he opened the door.

An alarm beeped in warning, and he walked over to a closet across from a powder room. Buttons beeped and the alarm stopped.

“I’ll leave your bags by the closet just in case we end up staying here tonight.”

She slipped off her shoes and followed him into the kitchen. A large island took up the center of the room, and white-painted cupboards made the space bright. The open-concept area extended to a dining room and living room, where a gas fireplace occupied the opposite wall.

Toffee-colored leather couches sat on a navy-blue carpet. The colors were bold and masculine yet warm and inviting.

“Want some water?”

“Sure.” She pulled out one of the stools at the island and sat. He took down two glasses from the cupboard and filled them from the fridge dispenser. Turning, he placed one down in front of her.

Kevin trotted to the back door off the dining room, then to the front door and a second later disappeared up the set of stairs near the entrance. “I hope you don’t mind him getting a lay of the land,” Sephie said.

“As long as he doesn’t mark his territory, we’re good.”

“No, he wouldn’t.” She took a sip of water. “ But I bet Sunny would.”

He rolled his eyes. “That dog’s possessed, I swear. Never seen anything like it.”

She laughed. “He’s certainly territorial. How long have you lived here?”

He dug his hand into the front pocket of his jeans and rocked back. “Hmm. Few years, I guess. Zelda’s husband passed away before I moved in. She’d just gotten Sunny to keep her busy.”

“I’m sure he’s taken that role seriously.”

He shook his head. “Fucking beast.” Despite his harsh words, the corner of his mouth tipped up with fondness. “I didn’t expect I’d take to my neighbors. Especially a sweet older lady. I picked this neighborhood because it seemed quiet...” He trailed off, as if stopping himself from saying more.

She rested her elbow on the wooden block counter and propped her chin on her fist. “What made you buy a house and not a bachelor pad? Seems like a lot of responsibility for a single guy.”

His smile faded, but the warmth in his eyes didn’t dim. “I guess I figured this would be a great family home. Just didn’t expect to be single for as long as I was.”

She dragged her bottom lip between her teeth and slowly got to her feet. She moved around the island until she stood face-to-face with him. His expression tensed, and a muscle in his jaw hopped, but he didn’t adjust his stance.

She got closer. Their thighs brushed. “Was?” she asked, carefully repeating the word.

His eyes darkened, but he didn’t look away. Didn’t blink. Finally, he broke out of his frozen position and hooked one hand around her waist, pulling her tighter against him.

“I hope by now you know how I feel about you. But if you want clarification? Sephie when all this is over, I hope you’ll still be interested in me.”

She blinked. A jumble of words formed on her tongue. Feelings she wanted to explore. Emotions she needed to release. She opened her mouth, and nothing came out.

Fervor seized her muscles. She wanted this. Him. But she might not survive the day let alone have a future. How was it possible that everything she’d ever wanted and didn’t know she deserved actually existed in the flesh?

In one man. Who wanted her.

Even though her mouth didn’t cooperate with her thoughts, he didn’t press. Didn’t seem put off by her silence. Instead, his fingers gently combed some hair behind her ear. “No need to talk about it now.”

“I want to talk about it,” she countered. “And I want to date you.”

His fingers froze against the side of her neck. Then he gave her a wide, toothy grin. “Good.”

Ring , ring

Sephie jumped at the intrusion. Taschen cursed and reached into his back pocket. “It’s Jack,” he said, looking at the screen of his phone. “Guy has impeccable timing,” he muttered dryly. He swiped to answer the call and then hit the speaker button. “Taschen speaking.”

“Hey. I’m expecting to hit Seattle by one. Can we meet somewhere off I-5? I want to stay on track as much as possible.”

“Sure. Let me think.” He quickly considered some popular coffee shops. One in particular came to mind. “How about Double Brewed? It’s close to I-5.”

“Sounds good. See you soon.”

Taschen ended the call, and Sephie glanced at the clock on the microwave. “We’ve got about an hour before we need to leave.”

“Yeah, I’d better let the guys know.” He brought the phone to his ear and paced toward the living room.

Anxiety pinched her shoulder blades together. Maybe insisting she go along to meet with Jack had been the wrong call. But what choice did she have?

It wasn’t as if Jack was going to spill everything he knew to some random guy who’d contacted him on the internet. The fact he’d even agreed to meet revealed that Jack could be in over his head. Best-case scenario was that he wanted Taschen’s help and would share everything he knew.

Worst-case scenario—Jack was spooked after what’d happened to Pippa and Yvette and was meeting with Taschen only to get him off his back.

Taschen returned, pocketing his phone. “The guys are already on their way. They’re going to follow us to the meeting point.”

“Don’t you think so many people will make Jack nervous?”

He compressed his lips. “Nah. Brick and Rami will blend in. Jack will only know they’re there if something goes down.”

“Okay.”

“Think Kevin will be okay for a couple hours?”

She shifted her gaze to her dog. He was curled up on the couch. “I think he’ll be fine. He seems right at home.”

Taschen’s eyes softened. “He does. I’ll let Dana know he’s here alone. She’s got the code, so if there’s an emergency, she’ll come get him.”

A wave of sadness washed over Sephie. How nice it must be to have not only a sibling, but also a whole group of tight-knit friends who’d come running at the drop of a hat. She’d never had that kind of connection. Pippa had been her best friend, but they hadn’t been inseparable for years. Sure, they’d stayed involved in each other’s lives—or at least she’d thought they had. Yvette had been the closest thing to family, but a be-there-in-a-heartbeat kind of relationship? She’d never had that. Certainly not with Danny or her own parents.

“What’s wrong?”

She pulled back her shoulders and stuffed down the pathetic facts about her life. “Nothing. I was just thinking about how nice it must be to have a sibling.” She forced a smile. “You and Dana seem really close.”

He grunted. “She’s always been a pain in my ass. But yeah, we’re close.”

“And your parents? Are you close with them?”

“Yeah, we’re as close as can be expected. My parents would love you.”

Butterflies batted their tiny wings against her ribs. “Oh, well. Maybe I can meet them someday.” The suggestion was meant to be offhanded, but hope filled her voice a little too obviously.

A slow smile spread his lips. “Absolutely.”

Knock , knock

“That’s them. We should scope out the area before Jack arrives. Ready?”

She nodded. Saying goodbye to Kevin, she followed Taschen out the door. A pang hit her as she made her way to the SUV, leaving Taschen’s homey place behind.

She couldn’t shake the prickly sensation that this might be the last time she saw his house. And Kevin.

***

Taschen found street parking outside the café after circling the block four times. He didn’t just need a good spot for a fast exit if necessary—he also needed to get a good lay of the area before Jack arrived.

An alleyway ran behind the café, which sat at the corner of a busy intersection. A large corporate building flanked one side, and across the alleyway was the back of a strip mall.

Sephie wore his baseball cap. The large black bill accentuated her cute nose and sultry lips. He hoped her face was concealed enough from anyone who might be looking for her.

“Ready?” She reached for the buckle of her seatbelt.

“Yeah. We’ll pick a table where our backs are to the wall and we have a clear path to both exits. Okay?”

Her eyes widened slightly. “Do you think someone’s followed us?” She glanced around.

“I didn’t notice any tails, but that doesn’t mean there weren’t any. Besides, someone could be following Jack, too. Let’s not forget he could also be a loose end for Raymond.”

Her green eyes slid to him, and his heart almost stopped. Damn, she was so pretty. But it was more than that. Sephie had a way of capturing his attention and tethering his heart to hers as if he’d been searching for her his whole life.

Maybe he had.

“I’m ready when you are,” she said softly.

Forcing his thoughts back to the present, he gave a sharp nod. “Stay in the vehicle until I come around.” He had his 9mm at his back and a switchblade clipped on his pants beneath his shirt.

An SUV, identical to his, parked across the street. He nodded in Rami and Brick’s direction. “That’s the guys. If I go down, they might have to take you to their vehicle.”

“Taschen, you’re freaking me out.”

He caught the material of her sweater and pulled her close. Her warm, exhilarating scent filled him, and he fought the urge to pull her across the console and onto his lap. “I’m not trying to scare you, but I warned you this would be dangerous. Be ready to get down or run. Don’t stop to ask questions, just move.”

Two men walked swiftly across the street and cut right in front of Taschen’s SUV. Neither one of them glanced at or acknowledged Sephie and him. “That’s them. Don’t make eye contact with them unless—”

“I know. Shit goes down. I got it.”

He smirked then tugged her closer. “Just be careful, okay? Stay with me.”

She swept her fingers over his temple. “Of course. This is just a meeting. We’ll be back to your house in no time.”

He swallowed over the pressure building in his chest. “Right. That’s the plan.” He brought his lips to hers, savoring the smooth feel of her flesh. Her eyes closed and she melted against him, making him wish like hell they didn’t have to do this. That they could hunker down in the cabin instead .

But they couldn’t.

He’d vowed to end this nightmare for her, and that meant doing whatever was necessary to restore normalcy to her world. He pulled away and dragged his thumb over her cheek. “Ready?”

She looked at him with heavy, dazed lids, and he placed one more quick kiss on her mouth because he damn well couldn’t help it.

“Yes.”

He met her at her door and swung his arm around her shoulders as they marched the short distance across the sidewalk. A wall of windows took up one side of the building, and an outdoor patio with flower-filled planters decorated the perimeter. He reached for the heavy door, and Sephie slipped inside a step ahead of him.

As they waited in line, an espresso machine hissed. A glass display case filled with all kinds of food separated them from the baristas. “Want something to eat?”

She wrinkled her nose. “I don’t think I can eat right now. If all goes well, maybe I’ll take something to go.”

“Okay.” He settled his hand on her back and moved her forward as the line shifted and they reached the front. She ordered a decaf latte and he got a medium-roast coffee.

Five minutes later they were seated in the farthest corner of the café, the windows at their side, the wall at their back, and a direct view of the door. The back exit was to the left of their table down a short hall. Out of the corner of his eye he located Brick and Rami. They sat a few tables over, between the door and them.

Sephie planted her hands on the table. “I’m so nervous. What time is it?”

He glanced at his watch. “He should be here any min—”

“There he is,” she said, tensing.

A tall guy with blond hair walked in. He wore aviator shades, jeans, and a light-blue T-shirt. He paused at the door, scanning the patrons. Taschen raised his hand, and Jack nodded in acknowledgment. Then his gaze landed on Sephie.

He approached the counter. A couple of minutes later, coffee in hand, he took the seat across from Sephie.

“Geez, Seph. I had no idea you’d be here.”

Taschen’s stomach lurched at the use of the fond nickname.

“It’s good to see you, Jack. Thanks for coming.”

Taschen extended his hand. “I’m Taschen. We had to keep Sephie’s whereabouts private. Considering the situation, I’m sure you understand.”

Jack removed his sunglasses. “’Course. I don’t know what I can do to help, but I’m all ears.”

Sephie leaned forward, her arms braced on the tabletop. “I’d like to know what made you and Yvette get so close. ”

Shock registered on his face. “I don’t know—”

“We know about the emails,” Taschen said, with authority. He didn’t come all this way, exposing Sephie, for this cocksucker to lie to them.

Jack’s clear green eyes flashed with alarm.

Interesting.

“Um, we stayed in touch.”

“You met almost every week and spoke more often than that,” Taschen retorted.

Jack’s face paled.

Sephie made a sound of irritation. “Look, Jack. No one’s trying to blame you for anything. But we know you were involved with Pippa and Yvette. Pippa wrote a letter before she died.”

Jack lifted his hand and rubbed his brow, resignation setting in.

Sephie placed her hand on top of his free one. “You’re in danger, Jack. Someone tried to kill me. More than once over the last few days. Whoever it is could know about your involvement.”

Visible sweat dotted Jack’s brow. “I—We can’t talk about this here.”

“Here is the safest it’s gonna get,” Taschen said. “Tell us what you know.”

Jack’s gaze swung around the café, and the rapid squeaking of his shoe told Taschen his leg was jumping beneath the table.

Taschen lowered his right hand to his hip, ready to draw his weapon if the guy bolted.

“It’s about the videotape, isn’t it?” Sephie pressed. “Was it you who recorded them?”

Jack gaped, and his skin turned ashy gray. “How do you know that?”

“I saw it.” Her voice trembled. “They sold Clay.”

Jack lowered his gaze and his throat moved on a swallow. Finally, he lifted his focus to Sephie then swung his attention to Taschen. “Yes. It was me. I recorded it.”

A chill raced over Taschen’s bones. “How were you involved? How did you get in there?”

Jack’s stare turned hard and unrelenting. “Pippa.”