In Jack's Arms (Fighting Connollys) (17 page)

help. I hated that I had put him in this position but understood that Jack would do so much more to keep

me safe. There were no lines he wouldn't cross to protect me. "Jack, please be careful tonight."

"Don't worry about me, sweetness." He leaned down and pressed our lips together. The gentle kiss heated quickly, his tongue invading my mouth and dancing with mine. My hands slid from his wrists to the

sleeves of his shirt. I gripped the thin cloth and rose on tiptoes. His arms slid around my waist, pulling me in tight and reminding me just where I belonged.

When the kiss finally ended, we shared a silly smile. Even with all that cartel hellfire threatening to rain down on us, we couldn't ignore the blissful glow of newly confessed love. Our newfound relationship had

been a long time coming, and nothing—not even some contract killer—was going to stop us from finding

joy in the love growing between us.

Jack ran his fingertip along the outline of my lips. "Stick with Finn. He'll keep you safe."

"I will."

"I love you, Abby."

"I love you, Jack."

He patted my bottom. "You best get going. Mattie will never let either one of us forget it if he's late for his art class."

Chuckling, I rubbed his chest and stepped away from him. I glanced over my shoulder one last time

before leaving Jack in the hallway and heading out to join Finn and Mattie. I made sure Marley, Mark and

our two security guards had the shop under control for the night and left the building. Because Mattie called shotgun, I ended up in the backseat of Finn's truck. Not that I minded, really. I used the short ride to

answer a text from Bee and then stared out the window.

Not wanting to alert Mattie that anything was wrong, I didn't glance back at the car that I was certain

would be close behind us. So far Besian had upheld his promise to keep the heat off me. My gangster detail seemed to be keeping away the trouble that threatened me.

How long my mobster bodyguards would hang around was anybody's guess. I doubted Besian was

going to let this spin out much longer. Having a psycho contract killer running around the city and the

possibility that a cartel and motorcycle club were going to start attacking one another on the streets of

Houston wasn't good for business. Above all else, Besian was a businessman.

When we reached the art center, Finn found a parking place and scanned the area before signaling that it

was all right to get out and head inside the building. I spotted a black SUV pulling into a corner spot. The two men sitting inside it were strangers to me but I could feel their gazes following us until we disappeared into the center. Finn glanced at the vehicle but didn't react. Apparently they were on our team.

Swinging his backpack, Mattie led us into the brightly lit lobby. There were already a dozen or so

parents and caregivers seated on the sofas and chairs there, most of them tapping at phones or tablets. Two older moms sat side-by-side and knitted while chatting.

"Hadley!" Mattie excitedly greeted the spunky instructor who was carrying two large boxes through the lobby.

"Mattie!" She returned his greeting despite being unable to see him due to that bulky load.

Always a gentleman, Finn stepped forward and intercepted her. "Here. Let me help."

"Oh. Um—thanks." Hadley smiled at Finn as she brushed some loose, dark waves behind her ears.

Those striking gray eyes of hers, the unique color such a contrast to her warm, brown skin, narrowed

slightly with recognition. "Are you one of Kelly's brothers?"

He nodded. "I'm Finn. You're one of Bee's friends, right?"

"Yep." She turned to Mattie. "Hey, your friend Ellie is here today. She saved you a spot up front."

Hadley's eyebrows bounced suggestively. "She brought you a cupcake from Benny's bakery. It's that cherry limeade flavor. She said it's your favorite."

Mattie's cheeks turned red. "I'm going now."

Curious about my brother's reaction, I waited until he was out of earshot to interrogate Hadley. "Is he sweet on her?"

"I think so. They knew each other before they started coming to my class."

"They were in high school together, but Ellie graduated a year before him. They have run-ins at the

rehab center every couple of weeks, but I had no idea he might have a crush on her."

"That's not something a brother is going to tell his sister," Finn remarked matter-of-factly. "It's something he's going to tell his brother."

"Except Mattie doesn’t have a brother," I reminded him.

"He's got me. He's got Jack. He's got Kelly. When he's ready, he'll let us know." Shifting the boxes, he asked, "Where do you want these, Hadley?"

"Sorry," she said, with an apologetic smile. "Let's take them into the main studio." She glanced over at him as we walked into the studio. I might have imagined it but I thought I spotted a spark of interest. "So Bee told me you like to draw?"

"I've always wanted to do comics," he admitted, his voice betraying a slight embarrassment. "I've been working on my own characters and world for the last few years."

"Really? You know I'm a graphic novelist, right?

Finn cast a quick look down at her. "I'm reading your new series, the supernatural one about the post-apocalyptic insurgency."

"And?" she asked as he slid the boxes onto the table she indicated.

"I like it."

She picked up on something in his voice that made her eyes narrow to slits. "But?"

"But it's clear you've never been to war."

She blinked and then laughed. "Boy, Bee wasn't joking about you Connolly brothers. Y'all are some

straight shooters."

The tips of his ears flushed. "I didn't mean to sound so rude."

"It's not rude when it's honesty." Her pouty lips quirked with a smile. "I like honesty. We should get together sometime for a drink. You can let me pick your brain. Maybe you could become a beta reader for

me."

I realized Hadley didn't know that Finn was a recovering alcoholic. He deftly sidestepped the issue with

a counteroffer. "How about coffee? I teach a lot of classes in the evenings so it's easier for me to get away from the gym in the mornings."

"Works for me." She grabbed a piece of pink construction paper and a silver pen and jotted down her info. With the skill of a practiced origami expert, she folded the note into a simple little frog that she dotted with two silver eyes. Giving it a flick, she shot it at Finn who caught it with a smile. "You can call or text me or send me an email."

He held the frog on his palm and seemed a bit taken aback by the woman in front of him. "I will."

Hadley pointed to a big board on the far wall. "We have a group of comic book artists and graphic

novelists who get together twice a month. You should come to the next meeting. I think you'd like it."

"I'll think about it."

"Miss Rivera?" A teenaged boy armed with markers waved his hand. "Class started two minutes ago."

"Then I better stop chatting away up here, huh?" She winked at us and started unpacking the items she had brought for the class while telling them about the project they were going to make.

Finn and I headed back to the lobby with a stop at the board where he grabbed a flyer. We found a

comfortable spot in a corner. I noticed the way he took a seat that gave him an unobstructed view of the

entrance and the parking lot. He placed the silly paper frog on his denim-clad thigh and ran a fingertip along the exquisite folds.

"She's single."

He glanced at me and then fixed his gaze on the entrance. It was a long moment later when he finally

spoke. "A girl like that is way out of my league."

"Why?" I stared at him and wondered if he had any idea how high his dating stock was. "You're hot as hell. You're part owner in a successful small business. You're sweet. You're kind. You're—"

"A recovering alcoholic," he interjected a bit roughly. "That's not something a girl like Hadley Rivera is going to consider a perk."

"What does that even mean? A girl like that? Like what?"

Finn shot me a look. "Her name is on this building. The Rivera Center for the Arts?" He shook his head.

"Her dad is one of the wealthiest men on the planet with that telecom network he owns. Her mom comes

from old school Houston oil money. Girls like
that
don't give guys like me—vets without college

educations who are barely holding onto the middle class dream—a second glance."

"That's bullshit." I hissed quietly, mindful of the people sitting nearby. "She's not like that, but I guess you'll never know since you seem bound and determined to smear her with stereotypes and your own hang-ups."

Annoyed with him, I shoved out of my seat and headed to the window that overlooked the parking lot.

My phone started to vibrate in my pocket. I fished it out and answered without even glancing at the screen.

"Hello?"

"Abby Kirkwood." The raspy male voice sent a shiver down my spine. "My name is Romero Valero.

Can we talk?"

The realization that I had a brutal, machete-wielding ex-con on the other end of the line made my

stomach drop like a runaway elevator. "I—"

"You have something I want, and I have something you need."

"And what is that?"

"I'll guarantee your safety."

"How?" Looking around nervously, I stepped away from the window and moved into the corner. Voice soft, I said, "You couldn't keep your friend safe. Why in the world would I believe that you could help me?"

"Things aren't always as simple as what you see on a video, Abby. There is more at play here than you could ever understand. So, if you're smart, you'll tell your Albanian handler to put together a meeting. Give me the camera, and I'll take care of everything else. You and your brother and your boyfriend can go on

living your nice, clean life." He didn't give me a chance to answer. "I'll expect an answer by midnight."

A second later, the phone call ended. Stunned by the mostly one-sided discussion, I lowered my phone

and tucked it back into the pocket of my jeans. I fought the urge to glance over at Finn. He would be able to read the panic on my face so easily. Instead, I took a few moments to compose myself before returning to

my seat and picking up a magazine.

"Work?"

I realized he was asking about the phone call and nodded. "Marley had a question about a watch."

Finn's face was unreadable. Did he believe me? Did he suspect the call was something more? If he did,

he didn't push. He left me to read my magazine in peace. Well—I pretended to read the magazine. I scanned

the pretty pictures and flipped the pages but my brain was fixated on that phone call.

Was that the smart move here? Should I use Besian to make a deal with Romero Valero? Should I give

him the evidence of the hit and wash my hands of it? There was no doubt in my mind that blood would be

spilled if I did. Of course, if I didn't cooperate, it might end up being my blood.

I thought of the note the assassin had left in my house. I couldn't run or hide behind Jack and Besian

forever. At some point, I had to make a decision. It just had to be the right one.

When Mattie came out of class, I pretended not to notice the way he chatted with Ellie. The blonde-

haired young woman laughed at something he said. Her response made Mattie's eyes glow with such

warmth. It was the same way Jack looked at me.

Though I had always known this day would come, I didn't have the first notion of how to proceed

when it came to dating. The rehab center and the support groups we belonged to were so good at offering

education and advice on so many topics but relationships? That hadn't been covered by any of them. I

wouldn't even know where to begin.

But something told me Jack and Finn would. It occurred to me that Jack was right. I didn't have to do

everything by myself. In fact, it was probably better for Mattie if I let other people step in and offer advice and help whenever possible. I trusted the Connolly brothers would do right by Mattie and guide him if he

gave dating a try.

"See?" Hadley eyed me conspiratorially as she came to stand close. "Look at the sparks flying between those two. Maybe you and Jack could double date since neither of them have a driver's license."

"God no," Finn cut in, aghast. "He can't go on a double date with his sister. That's a good way to guarantee he'll never get a second date."

"Is that your way of offering to chauffeur?" Hadley asked.

"Sure." He gestured to the studio area. "Do you need help cleaning up?"

"No." She waved her hand. "They clear up their spaces before they leave. I just need to tidy up a few things, but thanks for asking." She gave my shoulder a poke. "Don't forget that the shooting club meets on Sunday. I didn't see your reply on the emails Marjorie sent."

"I'll check my inbox later," I promised.

"Shooting?" Finn looked confused. "You don't meet guns?"

I shook my head as Hadley laughed. "No, it's a photography club that pairs professional photographers with amateurs. They organize these get-togethers they call shootouts where they give us tips and tricks."

"This weekend it's classic cars and pinups," Hadley added. "You should come out and see it, Finn. It should be a lot fun."

"We'll see."

Mattie wondered into the conversation. "Okay. It's time to go home now."

I smiled at Hadley. "That's our cue. I'll see you Sunday."

"Yeah. Bye, Mattie." She patted my brother's shoulder and grinned at Finn. "It was nice to meet you. I hope you take me up on the coffee date. I'd love to have a different perspective on the books."

"I'll be in touch."

As we left the arts center, I wondered whether the obvious chemistry between the pair would lead

anywhere. I hoped Finn was brave enough to take a chance on Hadley. After everything she had survived