Forever Alexa (Book Four In The Bodyguards Of L.A. County Series) (41 page)

“Sounds good.” His phone beeped, alerting him to another call. “I’ve got another call coming in.”

“I’ll be back in a couple hours.”

“See you then.” Jackson clicked to the waiting call. “Matthews.”

“Mr. Matthews, it’s Agent Terron.”

“What’s the plan for tonight?”

“We’re still hammering out all of the logistics, but—”

“Not good enough. You give me something right now, or Alex will be a no show.”

“Ms. Harris has agreed to—”

“Don’t push me on this, Terron. If you want Alex, you’ll give me something her security team can work with. I want to know how you’re going to monitor her. There’s no way you’re sending her in with a wire strapped to her chest.” Jackson climbed the stairs and walked into his father’s office.

“We have our boys in the lab playing with a couple pieces of jewelry. She’ll be wired and wearing a GPS. Ms. Harris won’t be taking a step we don’t know about.”

As he listened, Jackson opened his laptop and shot Ethan an e-mail with the Escalade’s license number. “And what’s the procedure if the shit hits the fan?”

“We’ll give her a phrase.”

“So, you’re telling me you’re going to raid the place if things start to go bad for Alex?” He leaned back in the chair. “Won’t you be blowing your whole case?”

“We’re working on a tiered plan based on the level of threat to Ms. Harris. If she wants out, we’ll get her out.”

“And where do Tucker and I fall into the mix?”

“You don’t.”

He shot up straight. “Like hell we don’t. We’ve signed paperwork that makes us legally and ethically responsible for our client’s well-being.”

“And my authority trumps your legal contracts, Mr. Matthews. This is a federal investigation. It’s obvious you’re personally involved in this case. I won’t have you screwing this sting up.”

He pulled the phone away, hardly able to believe what he was hearing, then set it against his ear again. “Are you
serious
? You wouldn’t even
have
a case without the man hours Ethan Cooke Security has put into it.”

“Nevertheless, we won’t have you distracting Ms. Harris or using your emotional pull to sway her in any certain direction.”

“You mean like convincing her to scrap the whole thing for her safety.”

“Mr. Matthews,” Terron warned.

“So, I’ll back off.” Like hell he would. “Tucker’s in or Alex is out.”

“That’s not your decision.”

“I just made it my decision. I want something faxed over in writing in the next five minutes that says Tucker Campbell is in on this operation, or I can promise you Alex and our daughter will be on the next flight back to LA. I better hear my fax line beep, or we’re done.” He hung up and faced the window. “
Damn
it.” He should’ve known something was up. Canon and Terron had been their new best friends when he and Tucker gave them several leads to follow—funny how things changed.

“‘Emotional pull to sway her in any certain direction,’” he muttered with a clenched jaw. “What the hell?” So, he was out. Tucker was in, of that he had no doubt. The authorities weren’t about to blow their chance at taking down the Big Kahuna.

Jackson smiled when the fax line alerted him to an incoming transmission. He picked up the paper and scanned the documentation. His smile faded and he shook his head as he read one of the contingencies.
Mr. Jackson Matthews is to be at least 1,000 feet from the perimeter of the surveillance activity at all times.
“You fucker,” he muttered.

He reread the same line several times, liking the idea more and more. He would be free to do a little surveillance of his own. As long as he and Tucker wore their earpieces, he would be kept fully apprised of Alex’s situation. “Didn’t mention anything about that. Nice try, bastard.”

Jackson set the sheet on the desk and spotted Livy’s stuffed frog in the corner of the couch. He sighed, knowing his next step was to make things right with his daughter—and hopefully Alex, too. He walked down the hall and knocked on their door. No one invited him in despite the murmurs he heard on the other side. He twisted the knob and peeked in. Alex and Livy sat on the bed, snuggled together with a book, both with blotchy cheeks and watery eyes as they looked up at him. He swallowed, suddenly nervous. “Can I come in?”

“Daddy made me cry,” Livy said as her lip wobbled.

“Liv.” He walked in and shut the door, unsure of what to do. “I’m sorry I made you cry. I didn’t mean to.”

“You made me so sad, Daddy.” She wiped at her eyes.

He sat on the edge of the bed. “I hate that I made you cry, Liv. I never want to make you cry. He held out his hands and relaxed a fraction when she crawled from her mother’s lap into his. “I love you.”

She sniffed. “I’m a bad girl.”

He kissed the top of her head and hugged her tight. “You’re not a bad girl, but I needed you to listen to me and let me buckle you in.”

“I wanted to fly to Kylee and play.” She burrowed her head against his chest.

“Liv.” He looked to Alex for help, but she only stared at him. On his own, he eased Olivia away and dried her tears. “We’ll go to the park again, but we had to go home. You can fly to Kylee’s house another time.”

“Okay.” She nodded. “Do you want to read princesses with me?”

He blinked at her sudden change of mood. “Huh?”

“You can read princesses with me—the pink book.”

“Okay. Sure.” He crawled toward the head of the bed, realizing he’d just survived his first serious parenting situation. As he settled against the pillows and stared into Alex’s miserable eyes, he knew it wouldn’t be so easy to fix things with Olivia’s mother. “We need to talk, Alex.”

“Later.”

“Here, Daddy.” Olivia took the book from Alex’s lap. “Read me the story.”

Jackson lifted Livy up and plopped her in his lap, making her giggle. “I love you, Liv, so much.”

“I love you too, Daddy. So much.” She planted a sloppy kiss on his jaw.

He snuggled her closer and opened the book. “So, where are we?”

“This page.”

Jackson picked up where Alex had left off.

Twenty minutes later Jack still sat against the pillows, watching Olivia prepare for the ball as the princesses had done on the final page of the story. Decked out in her favorite dress up gown, white gloves, and tiara, Livy ran the bright pink brush through the blond hair of her doll. “We’re almost ready,” she announced.

“You look beautiful.” Alex gave Livy a smile, but it faded as she met his gaze. “I would like you to book our flights for LA. We can leave first thing tomorrow if that works for you and Tucker.”

He nodded, relieved that she truly seemed ready to go. “Okay.”

She traced her finger around the bold purple polka dots on Livy’s blanket with small jerky movements. “I meant what I said. This is the last time. I know we can’t stay here any longer.”

He strained to hear her quiet voice over Livy’s happy chatter. “I think it’s a good idea, at least for a little while.”

Her finger moved more frantically along the soft fleece as a tear rolled down her cheek.

“Alex—” He brought his hand to her arm, wanting to give comfort, but dropped it, unsure if she would accept his touch. He hated this—the uncertainty of where they stood.

She rushed from the bed as another tear fell, and her breathing shuddered out. “I should—I should get some laundry done and start packing things up.” She turned away and went to the closet, grabbing the small basket of dirty clothes. She slid the pocket door shut and stood motionless while her hand gripped the oak handle.

He walked to her, recognizing her attempt to shore herself up and deal with her pain on her own—classic Alex. Hesitating, taking a chance, he rested his hands on her shoulders, refusing to back away when she stiffened. “Talk to me.”

“I’m fine.” Her breath heaved out in a helpless rush as she bent for the basket. “Really. I’m just fine.”

He traced his thumbs in gentle circles along her rigid shoulders. “No you’re not.”

“I—I’m abandoning my sister.” She pressed her hands to her face.

“You’re not.” Damn this entire situation. “You’re not, Alex.”

“Then why do I feel like I am?” She turned to him, her devastated blue eyes hopeless and brimming with more unshed tears.

Enough was enough. She could be angry with him later. “Come here.” He pulled her against him and wrapped her up tight in a hug. Her fingers clutched at the waist of his t-shirt, and it no longer mattered that they were both walking on eggshells. She needed him. He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “We’re not giving up on Abby.” He eased her back until they looked at each other. “We’re just taking a step back to make sure you and Olivia are safe.”

“She might not come home.” She pressed her face to his chest. “We may never find her. I’m trying to deal with that.”

He could only imagine the depths of her despair. How could he make this okay when she was exactly right? Abby hadn’t been seen since the night at the strip club. There was no telling where the ring had shipped her. “We’ll never stop looking. I promise.” He tilted her chin up and met her gaze. “I promise, Alex. We will never stop looking.” He emphasized the last three words.

Her lower lip trembled, and she nodded.

He curled a lock of her soft hair around his finger. “We’re not giving up.”

“But we’ll be so far away.”

For all they knew, Abby was lost somewhere in the Orient or Europe or a million other places he couldn’t even begin to imagine, but he kept that to himself. “Technology’s pretty damn amazing, especially the stuff Ethan has on hand. It’ll be like we’re still here, but we can breathe a little easier knowing you and Liv aren’t targets.”

“I never meant to put our daughter in danger. I never, ever meant to do that, Jack. Ever.”

“Of course you didn’t, but I’ve certainly implied differently. I’m sorry.” He wiped a tear from her cheek. “You’re a great mom, Alex. There’s no one else I want as the mother of my children.”

She clutched at his fingers, which were still lingering at her jaw. Doubt clouded her eyes.

“Look what you’ve done all on your own. Look at that bright, beautiful little girl over there playing with her dolls. You did that.”

“I don’t know what I would do if anything happened to her.”

He pulled her close again. “Nothing’s going to happen to her. We’re leaving first thing tomorrow.”

“But what about the black truck?”

His cellphone vibrated against his hip, alerting him to a text. He wanted to ignore it, but there was too much going on to carelessly disregard messages. “Hold that thought.” He pulled the phone free and read Ethan’s note.
Escalade registered to a Christian and Chloe Ridgeway. No criminal background. Christian is an investment banker and Chloe a stay-at-home mom. Not seeing a connection here.

“What is it? What does it say?” Alex leaned in.

Jackson read the message again. “Hold on,” he said to Alex as he typed back.
Are you sure?

The phone vibrated in his hand.
Ran it three times. Think you’re good.

Well thank God, but it still left him uneasy. Why was the Escalade moving so slowly through the parking lot?

“What’s going on?”

He shoved the phone back in its holder. “Ethan ran the license number from the vehicle at the park. Apparently it was just a really big coincidence. The owners have no criminal record and appear to be upstanding citizens.”

She frowned. “Are you sure? Is Ethan sure?”

“He ran the plate and their records three times.” He shrugged. “If Ethan’s not concerned, I guess I won’t be either.”

“What about tonight?”

“What about it?”

“What about Livy and your parents?”

“Dougie’s coming to stay again. Tucker’s going to let Dougie and his wife use his family’s vacation home in Utah for a week as thanks.”

She pulled away from his arm still wrapped around her waist. “I just figured you would stay home.”

“Doug can handle stuff here. I wouldn’t leave my daughter and parents in his hands if I didn’t think so.”

“It’s not that. I trust your judgment completely. You don’t—you don’t approve of what I’m doing.”

“I’m worried the risks won’t be worth the end result.” He took a step back, concerned that they were about to head down the ugly path this same conversation had taken them down last night.

“I have to believe something good is going to come from this.”

“I hope it does.” He sighed as unease started to creep up his shoulders again.

She reached for her necklace and dropped her hand immediately, but not before she darted a glance at him. Despite their civil conversation of the last few minutes, her gesture brought the major obstacles of their relationship back to the forefront.

“I should get this laundry sorted and in the wash.” She yanked up the basket, all nerves again, and headed for the door. “Go ahead and grab your stuff, and I’ll wash it too.”

“We need to talk about last night.”

She stopped. “Not now.”

“Why wait?” He wanted the air clear and to be on the right track again.

She turned to face him. “Because this is complicated. Because I don’t know where we’re going.”

“The way we should’ve gone all along.”

“I’m not so sure anymore. I have no idea what’s left between us. What if—what if we’re trying to relive the past?”

Shocked, speechless, he could only stare. They’d had a hell of an argument last night, but he’d chalked it up to a major difference of opinion and raw emotion; never did he doubt their relationship the way she did right now. “I don’t—I don’t even know what to say. We’ve had some problems over the past few days…” Completely deflated, he shoved his hand through his hair and sat on the edge of the bed. “I love the past we had. I regret walking away, but I’m not trapped in some time warp trying to recreate our glory days. I thought we were building a future. We have Olivia. I love you right now for who you are right this minute.”

“I love you too, Jack. More than you’ll ever know, but I’m not so sure that’s enough. I just don’t know anymore—about anything.”

A kick to the balls had never hurt this bad. “I am. I’m sorry you’re not.” He stood and glanced at his daughter still playing with her dolls, then at the woman he didn’t want to live without. His future was slipping through his fingers, but the guarded look in Alex’s eyes told him he would only push them further backward if he didn’t give her space. “I’m going to go make some phone calls.” Shaken to the core, he opened the door and stepped into the hall.