Twin Peril (16 page)

“And is that all?” Salvatore asked softly. “You’re just going to sit back and wait for someone else to find her for you?”

“What do you expect?” Caruso asked with clear annoyance. “I have to be back in Washington by the middle of next week for the Senate vote on the budget bill. I can’t ignore the obligations of my career, Bernardo.”

“Perhaps it’s time to use her sister as leverage.”

Mallory reached out to grab Jonah’s arm. “We have to do something to keep Alyssa safe!” she hissed in a low tone.

“Drummond is with her constantly. She’s never alone,” Caruso said. “And besides, the Feds are watching them. I’m not about to walk into a trap.”

The Feds? Really? Mallory relaxed back in her seat.

“Idiot,” Salvatore mumbled beneath his breath. “Tony, have you forgotten how to bluff? If your ex-girlfriend is on the run, she won’t know that her sister is safe.”

“You have a point, Bernardo.”

Mallory could easily imagine how Caruso’s mind was exploring the possibilities. And despite knowing the Feds were watching over Alyssa, she couldn’t help but worry.

“I have a couple other options, too,” Caruso continued. “But rest assured I will have everything taken care of before I leave for Washington. Including hiding all evidence so that it doesn’t wash ashore to be discovered quickly.”

The subtle dig did not go unnoticed.

“Watch yourself, Anthony,” Salvatore said in a soft yet dangerous tone. “Your public position is extremely vulnerable, while I have the support of the family behind me.”

There was a tense silence and Mallory imagined they were glaring at each other as they exchanged their veiled threats.

“Bernardo, you worry too much. I will have everything taken care of. I managed to eliminate the earlier threat, didn’t I?”

“After you were stupid enough to get her pregnant.”

“Because she lied to me.” Caruso was clearly backpedaling, trying to make amends. “And I learned from my mistake. Our goals are still the same, Bernardo. We both want to be rich. Trust me to make that happen.”

There was another pause. “All right, then, I will grant your request for five days,” Salvatore said. “But I expect results by next Wednesday, understood?”

“Of course.”

Within a few minutes, Kate returned. “Are you both finished, Mr. Salvatore?” she asked.

“Obviously,” he replied in a snide tone.

Mallory could hear dishes being stacked, and then suddenly, there was a loud yell followed by the sound of dishes breaking.

“You imbecile!” Salvatore shouted. “Clean up this mess!”

“Yes, sir. I’m so sorry sir!” Kate’s voice was full of horror. “I’ll clean it up right away, sir!”

“You’re fired!” Salvatore shouted. “Get this woman out of my sight!”

“Right away, Mr. Salvatore.”

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry,” Kate sobbed. Once again, the sounds of voices in the background along with dishes clanking together made it apparent that Kate had retrieved the bug from under the table and put it back into her pocket. They could hear someone telling Kate to put her stuff together and get out.

Logan ripped the earpiece out of his ear, jammed the key into the ignition and started the SUV.

“Where are we going?” Mallory asked, barely having time to buckle her seat belt before he barreled out of the parking garage.

“To pick her up,” Logan replied tersely. “She must have set that whole scene up so that she’d get fired.”

Mallory’s jaw dropped in surprise. “She did? You mean that wasn’t part of the original plan?”

“No,” Logan spat the word with annoyance as he cranked the steering wheel with more force than was necessary before turning onto the street. “That wasn’t part of the plan.”

Mallory grinned. She was looking forward to meeting this Kate, who obviously had a thing or two to teach her.

* * *

Jonah glanced down at the notes he’d taken. He felt good knowing that their suspicions had been confirmed, yet he was just as disappointed that the two men hadn’t said anything more damaging than veiled innuendos.

He glanced up as Logan drove well beyond the restaurant, miraculously finding a place to park. Logan slammed out of the car, muttering that he’d be right back.

Jonah exited the passenger seat, opening the back-right passenger door to slide in next to Mallory. Within a few minutes, Logan and Kate returned, obviously arguing.

“You should have followed the plan,” Logan said.

Kate tossed her blond hair. “My way was better.” She turned in her seat, holding out her hand. “Hi, I’m Kate Townsend.”

“Jonah Stewart, and this is Mallory Roth,” Jonah said, making quick introductions as Logan pulled back into traffic. He shook her hand, as did Mallory. “Thanks for your help back there.”

“No problem.” The gleam in Kate’s eyes gave him the impression she had enjoyed every moment.

“I told you this isn’t a game,” Logan snapped. “You’re lucky all he did was fire you.”

Kate rolled her eyes and then turned back in her seat so she could buckle her seat belt. “Don’t be such a worrywart.”

Jonah hid a grin as Mallory choked back a laugh. Despite the seriousness of the situation, the relief of knowing they’d pulled off their mission was enough to give them a rush of adrenaline.

“So you’re Anthony’s ex-girlfriend?” Kate asked, glancing back at Mallory as Logan made his way to the interstate. There was no doubt he was planning to take Kate to Milwaukee, far from Salvatore.

“Unfortunately.” Mallory scowled and Jonah knew she regretted the decisions she’d made. “And you’re the detective wannabe.”

Kate laughed. “Yep, that’s me. Actually, I graduate at the end of the semester, so my career is well within reach. And it’s also why I’m not packing up to leave town the way the cowboy keeps demanding.”

“I told you, we’ll make arrangements to transfer your college credits to another institution,” Logan said, inserting himself in the conversation.

“But I’ll lose a semester if I do that,” Kate argued.

“How long have you worked for Salvatore’s?” Jonah asked, hoping to sidetrack the argument brewing between Logan and Kate.

“Just over a year.” Kate let out a heavy sigh. “Too bad I had to quit—I made good money working there.”

“How did you figure out Salvatore was involved with organized crime?” Mallory asked.

“They didn’t exactly keep it a huge secret,” Kate said. “Honestly, if I’d have known, I wouldn’t have applied for a job there in the first place. But my roommate was working there and gave me a good reference.”

“They must not have known you were studying criminal law,” he said, “or there’s no way they would have hired you.”

“I’m pretty sure they assumed I knew what was going on there because of Angela, my roommate. Salvatore is her uncle on her mother’s side. Angela is studying business but she’s made it clear she plans to get a job with her uncle when she graduates.” Kate wrinkled her nose. “Talk about keeping business within the family.”

“You took a huge risk tonight,” Jonah pointed out. He understood why Logan was so frustrated with Kate. Even now, she was acting as if this was nothing more than a game, when in fact it was anything but. Salvatore and Caruso played for keeps.

“I didn’t have much choice, once I knew what was going on in there.” Kate shrugged off his praise. She turned to sit back in her seat. “Did you get anything useful from them?” she asked Logan.

“They confirmed our suspicions but didn’t give us any new information,” Logan admitted.

Jonah leaned forward. “Is it true the bureau is watching over Alyssa and Gage?” he asked.

Logan lifted a shoulder. “I’ll check to be sure, but I wouldn’t be surprised. To be honest, I think they might have been waiting to see if Mallory would show up.”

Mallory reached over to tightly grip Jonah’s hand. “Please check right away, Logan. I need to know
Alyssa’s safe.”

“She’ll be fine,” Jonah murmured, helpless to defuse the tension radiating from her. “Gage won’t let anything happen to her.”

“I know, but he’s not a cop and he can’t possibly sit with her 24/7, either.” Mallory worried her lower lip between her teeth, and he wished he had the right to draw her into his arms, hold her close and kiss her.

“Don’t panic until we know what we’re dealing with,” Jonah reassured her. “Caruso isn’t going to make a move toward Alyssa until he’s exhausted a couple other options first.”

“I hope you’re right, Jonah.” Mallory’s wobbly voice betrayed her fear. “I really hope you’re right.”

The trip back to Milwaukee seemed to take forever. It was late by the time they all trooped back up to the large three-bedroom suite Logan had obtained for them.

“Kate, I’d be happy if you shared my room,” Mallory said, indicating the large bedroom containing two queen-size beds along with its own private bathroom. “That way we’ll have some privacy from these guys.”

Kate quickly nodded. “Sounds great. Thanks.”

The two women disappeared into the bedroom, closing the door behind them. Jonah glanced at Logan. “I don’t like the deadline Caruso created for himself. I’m afraid he might make a play for Alyssa to bring Mallory out of hiding.”

“I hear you. Let me make a couple calls tonight, but it could be that we won’t hear anything until tomorrow,” Logan said.

“I understand. But I think we should strike first. And I have an idea.”

“Let’s hear it,” Logan drawled.

Jonah shook his head. He needed some time to think through the details. “No, make your calls first. It’s late—we’ll have plenty of time tomorrow to talk it through.”

Logan nodded and went to make his phone calls.

Jonah went to his room and closed the door, going over the steps in his mind. There had to be a way to make his idea work. Because he refused to put Mallory in the center of danger.

He cared about her far too much.

* * *

Mallory awoke early and glanced over at Kate, who was still asleep. They’d been sharing the room for two days now, and she was reminded of the early days when she and Alyssa had shared a room while growing up.

She missed her twin so much. And she was determined to do whatever was necessary to keep Alyssa out of this.

Her stomach grumbled as she showered and dressed, making her remember she hadn’t been able to eat much of the meal they’d ordered from room service last night. The four of them had spent the entire day considering various plans but had not been able to come to an agreement.

Of course, Logan had wasted almost half the day trying to convince Kate to go into witness protection, to no avail. Mallory had admired Kate’s ability to stick to her guns, and selfishly, she’d wanted Kate to stay.

She eased open her door, silently entering the main living area of the suite. The other two doors were closed, so she knew she was the first one up.

In the small kitchen area, she made a pot of coffee and nibbled on some of the leftovers from the night before. But her stomach cramped and she gave up pretending to eat.

She glanced down at the map Logan had left on the table as she sipped her coffee. There were some drawings on it but she didn’t understand exactly what the scribbles meant. The guys had stayed up late, trying to decide what their next steps would be.

When Jonah’s bedroom door opened, she was so startled her hand jerked, spilling coffee on the table.

She jumped up to get a napkin to clean up the mess. “You scared me.”

“I’m sorry,” he murmured.

She took a deep breath, trying to slow her racing heart. She didn’t know why her nerves were on edge; it wasn’t as if they’d agreed to implement anything today. But at the same time, time was running short. They had to do something, and quick. “Would you like some coffee?”

“Uh, no thanks. I’m going to church.”

She blinked in surprise and frowned. “Church? It’s Sunday?” How could it be Sunday already?

He smiled. “Yes, it’s Sunday. There’s a small church down the road that offers an early service. Let everyone know I’ll be back in a couple hours.”

Mallory couldn’t remember the last time she’d attended church, mostly because she’d never wanted to. But as Jonah walked toward the door, she jumped up. “Do you mind if I come with you?”

He froze, and for a moment she thought maybe he was looking for time alone, but when he turned to face her, there was no denying the pleased surprise on his face. “I’d like that. It’s about a mile away, though, and I was planning to walk. Is that all right with you?”

A walk sounded perfect. Better, really, than sitting through a church service. “I don’t mind at all.” She glanced down at her casual attire. “I don’t have anything else to wear,” she said by way of apology.

“Under the circumstances, I don’t think God is going to mind,” he murmured.

His comment made her smile and relax. Her preconceived notions about God and church were obviously a bit outdated.

“Are you ready?”

As they walked outside into the cool summer air, she lifted her face, enjoying the breeze and her surroundings. The sky was a prettier shade of blue than she’d seen before and the white puffy clouds were the kind little kids would see as animal shapes. Being outside without fearing for her life was a novelty. For the first time in what seemed like forever, she felt like a normal person. As if she and Jonah were the only two people on the earth.

The church was picturesque—brown brick on the outside with a tall steeple and beautiful stained-glass windows. It wasn’t elaborate but it was beautiful in its simplicity. Funny how she’d never considered a church to be noteworthy before now.

As Jonah approached the steps leading up to the front door, she hesitated, gripped by a sudden surge of panic. She fought the urge to turn and run all the way back to the relative safety of the hotel room.

Going inside to attend church services was a big step for her. A step made even more important because she was going with Jonah.

She slowly realized that becoming closer to God would impact her relationship with Jonah.

Irrevocably changing her life—forever.

THIRTEEN

M
allory kept her head down as she entered the church, feeling like a fraud. She avoided eye contact with the other parishioners as she slid into the pew beside Jonah.