Jake: The Sinner Saints #3 (10 page)

For a moment, it felt like the world slowed down just for the two of them. Suddenly, Verity was aware of everything—the warm sun on her skin, the scent of the dry grass in the wind, the lap of the waves against the pebbled shore.

The faraway roar of car engines.

Jake must have heard them too. His eyes were no longer on her. All of his attention was firmly focused on the opposite shore, where Verity could just make out a couple of black sedans driving.

“Hold that thought,” Jake said, letting her go. He turned suddenly and headed back to the driver’s side of the truck.

Hold what thought
? The one where, for a brief second, she’d dared to believe that the man she had a massive crush on was about to kiss her senseless on the shore of a lake?

Yeah, she was fine holding on to that one as long as she needed to.

A moment later, Jake came back with the binoculars he’d used at the farmhouse. He trained them on one of the cars. And then the other.

“Shit,” he muttered under his breath.

“What is it?” Verity asked as tension slowly started to creep up her spine.

Jake slowly lowered his arms. His expression had gone as hard as stone. “We need to go.”

“Why? What’s going on?” she demanded. There was something that he wasn’t telling her.

Jake stared down at the binoculars in his hand as if debating with himself how much to tell her. After a long second, he handed them over.

“Look in that car over there and tell me what you see,” he said, pointing to the black car that was just cresting the hill.

Verity held the eyepiece up to her face.

“Three guys,” she said, as the passengers came into focus. “All of them wearing red bandanas.”

“Norteños,” Jake said. “They run the Central Valley drug trade.”

Verity swallowed down past the lump that was quickly growing in her throat. “And you don’t think they’re just out here to enjoy the sunshine?”

“I doubt it,” Jake said. “And so will you when you see who’s riding shotgun in the other car.”

Verity scanned the road until she found the second sedan. She had to wait until the car came around the bend before she could get a good look inside the passenger side window.

Then all the air left her lungs in a rush.

“Roman,” she said. She let the binoculars fall and turned to Jake. “Do you think he saw me back at the house?”

Do you think that he knew it was me he was shooting at?

That was the real question…and the one she couldn’t bring herself to ask.

“More likely he put it together once he heard it was me that kicked his friend down the hillside,” Jake said.

“So why the hell is he the one out here now?”

“Only two reasons I can think of,” Jake said, his voice hard. “Either he doesn’t trust anyone else to capture you, or he wants to be the one to put the bullet in you himself.”

A chill swept up Verity’s spine. On any other day she would have laughed off the suggestion that Roman would ever want to kill her, but today wasn’t like any day she’d ever known.

“Do you think they’ve spotted us?” she asked, cursing the quiver that had snuck into her voice.

“If they had they’d already be hightailing it over here,” Jake said. “But we shouldn’t stick around until they do.”

Verity gave a shaky nod. “Good idea.”

She didn’t waste any time hopping back inside the truck. Jake slowly backed up and headed back to the main road that had brought them in, taking care not to gun the engine, or kick up too much dust.

A familiar silence fell over the cab of Jake’s truck as they made their way back down the road that brought them in. She retook her usual position of staring out the window at the passing scenery. The only difference was now not a single thought that tumbled through her mind brought her a lick of solace.

She’d failed on every conceivable level. She wasn’t going to save the art. There was no way she could help her brother. Hell, Fate had even stepped in to make sure she blew her one chance to be thoroughly kissed.

Jake must have sensed her despair, because about a half mile down the road he clasped his hand around her knee.

“I’m so sorry it had to end this way, Verity,” he said, sounding heartbreakingly sincere.

“I know,” she said, fighting back the tears and giving her bravest smile. “At least, things can’t get any worse, right?”

Chapter Seven

Verity, what the holy hell is going on? Are you all right? Screw that. Are you even still alive?

Verity’s brows pulled together as she looked down at Cheryl’s text.

She was ashamed to admit that she’d been caught off guard when the familiar alarm on her phone had sounded. After everything that had happened she hadn’t devoted a single thought to her friend all day. Apparently, it had been more than a minor oversight.

It wasn’t like she hadn’t had the time to check in. Since spotting her brother at the lake, Jake had figured that Silas’ men had followed the truck long enough to know they were headed south, and decided that it was safer to take the long way back to San Francisco. That meant heading back north for a while before cutting west on back roads.

And he wasn’t kidding. It was the long way. They’d been at it for a couple of hours now, and she guessed they still had a couple more to go. That was fine. There was no rush. Someone back at Macmillan Security had been kind enough to book her on the first flight back to Detroit but it didn’t take off until late that evening.

Until then, Verity figured that she’d just sit back and soak up what little time she had left with Jake until she flew out of his life forever.

Of course, that was before she’d seen Cheryl’s text.

I’m alive
she wrote back.

It only took a few seconds for the reply to come back.

Oh thank God.

Why? What’s going on?

I was hoping you were going to tell me. The police are here. They’re all over your office. Looks like they’re clearing the place out.

The air left Verity’s lungs all at once, like someone had punched her square in the gut. This couldn’t be happening. It had to be a mistake. It had to be.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Jake turn towards her.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

But Verity couldn’t answer. Hell, she could barely even get her fingers to type the next message.

Do you know why?

Her hands began to tremble as she waited for the reply.

They didn’t say. All I know is they have a warrant. They’re in with the Dean now. What kind of trouble did you get yourself into?

She had no idea. She couldn’t think of any reason for the police to be searching her office…any reason that didn’t chill her to the bone that was.

She began to tremble all over as the blood started to drain from her face.

“Verity,” Jake prompted her.

Sheer panic started to take over, closing her throat. She’d never deluded herself into believing there wouldn’t be consequences for what she was doing out here, but somehow she’d always thought the worst of the fallout would be between her and Roman. Not once did she ever think that the police would come knocking on her door…or even worse, her boss’.

Dear God, she was going to lose her job.

The realization hit her like a bolt of lightning, shocking her system until she couldn’t move, couldn’t even breathe.

That job was her life. Her passion. It was everything she’d ever lived and fought for.

“Verity,” Jake called out again.

When she still didn’t answer, he pulled over to the shoulder and hit the brakes. A cloud of dust crested over the top of the cab as they came to a sudden stop. Jake didn’t wait for it to settle before taking the phone from her hand. He cursed under his breath as he quickly scanned through the messages.

When he looked back up at her face, the look in his eyes was angry but resolute. He clasped his hand over her shoulder, and, just like that, a little of her fear slipped away. It was almost as if she could feel some of his strength seeping into her with just a simple touch.

“Listen to me, Verity. We’re going to take care of this,” he said, his voice low and even. “I’m going to call my office. Someone there should be able to figure out what’s going on.”

Verity gave a shaky nod. That sounded like a reasonable first step. Maybe things weren’t as bad as they seemed.

“While I’m doing that I need you to send Cheryl another message,” Jake went on. “You need to tell her that she needs to get out of there before the cops talk to her. Tell her to go away for the weekend. It won’t keep the cops off her long, but it will buy us a couple of days.”

Then again, maybe things were
exactly
as bad as they seemed.

“A couple of days before what?” she asked.

“Before the police get their hands on her phone and all the messages that you two have been sending back and forth to each other. Before they find out exactly who you’re with and where we are.”

Verity’s heart clinched hard in her chest. He couldn’t be saying what she thought he was.

“You can’t be seriously suggesting that we run from the police,” she said.

“No,” Jake said, cocking his chin to the side. “But we can make it damned hard for them to find us.”

“But what if it’s just a misunderstanding?” she tried. “What if we can clear everything up with a simple conversation?”

The tight lines around his eyes deepened, and Verity instantly knew that wasn’t an option.

“Then we can have that conversation in a couple of days.”

“Are you sure?” Her brows pulled together. “People are shooting at us. Maybe we’re better off with the police.”

“Maybe,” Jake admitted. “Then again, maybe not. All I know is that right now someone else is trying to make that decision for us, and until I know exactly who that is and why, we need to fly under the radar. Understand?”

Verity bit into her lip as she gave a reluctant nod. “Yeah.”

“Good,” he said and opened the driver’s side door. He paused before he stepped down onto the ground and turned back to her. “Oh, and tell her you’re not going to be able to contact her for a few days. Then turn your phone all the way off.”

“So the cops can’t track it?” she asked.

“The cops. Roman. Silas. Take your pick,” Jake said before pulling his own phone from his pocket and closing the door.

***

Jake propped his boot heel up on the rear bumper of the truck and his back against the lift gate. He let his gaze lazily wander down the two-lane country road as he hung on hold, but he couldn’t help the tension that crept into his jaw while he waited for Charlie to pick up the phone.

It wasn’t any better knowing that she wouldn’t keep him hanging. She never did. If there was one constant in this job it was that Charlie was always there when they needed her.

No thanks to him.

Jake gnashed his back teeth together as another sickening wave of guilt washed over him.

He hadn’t spoken to Charlie in months. And the terrible truth was if he had any other options he wouldn’t be on the phone waiting to talk to her now.

But there weren’t.

If it had been anybody else sitting in his truck right now, he would have found another way. But it wasn’t just anybody. It was Verity, and for her he’d do anything.

Even the one thing that he’d been avoiding since the day he’d walked out of the hospital.

He didn’t want to dig too deep into why that was. Not now, at any rate.

Later, he’d have time to figure out what exactly he saw in her dark eyes that held him so rapt. What it was inside her that made her passion burn so much brighter than everyone else’s. How she was able to draw out his most private thoughts and emotions with a single touch.

Later, when she was back safe at home.

And he was alone again.

“Hey, stranger.” The familiar bubbly voice on the other end of the line jerked Jake right back into reality. “It’s been a while. For a second there I thought the receptionist was pranking me when she said you were on the phone.”

Jake brought his boot down and kicked the dirt.

Damn it. This was every bit as hard as he thought it would be.

“Sorry,” he grumbled. “I wouldn’t have called if it wasn’t important.”

There was a slight pause on the other end. Long enough for another wave of shame to crest.

“Jake, you’re my friend,” Charlie said. “I’m happy to hear from you. I’ve missed you. We all have.”

The sincerity in her voice only made him feel worse. He couldn’t help feeling that he’d have an easier time if she were angry with him…as angry as he was with himself.

After all, his sloppiness had nearly gotten her killed. What kind of person could forgive a mistake like that?

“Anyway,” he said, clearing his throat. “I’ve got a problem and I need your help.”

“Of course. Anything.”

“You remember that woman you sent my way?”

“Verity,” Charlie said, her voice instantly brightening again. “She was sweet. A little on the mousy side, but determined and sweet. I had a feeling you two might hit it off. Was I right?”

“Yeah, well, the assignment has hit a snag,” he said, side-stepping the whole
hit it off
topic entirely. “I was hoping you could find out why the Ann Arbor PD is searching her place of employment.”

“That doesn’t sound good,” Charlie said. “Give me a minute.”

“Sure.”

Jake looked down at the dirt beneath his feet as he waited for Charlie to work her magic. In the background he could hear the faint click of computer keys. The wind rustled through the leaves of an oak tree a few feet down the road. But those faint sounds weren’t enough to alleviate the crushing silence that stretched between the two of them.

Suddenly, Jake felt like a total ass.

“So, uh,” he started. “How’ve you been?”

He swore he heard a slight chuckle on the other end amidst all the furious typing.

“I’ve been good, Jake. Real good,” she said. “Missed having you around though.”

Yeah, he wasn’t about to touch that one either.

“And how’s the shoulder?”

He could barely get the question out without the familiar image of her splayed across her couch in a pool of her own blood flashing in his head again.

“Just fine. It’s been all healed up for a while now,” she said without hesitation. “All that’s left is a gnarly scar.”

He unconsciously let out a small grunt as another pang of guilt stabbed into his side.

“No, it’s super cool,” Charlie rushed to say. “I like to show it off when Bowie’s around just to see his face turn white. Who knew the big guy was so squeamish?”

Jake cleared his throat. Bowie Tamatoa was many things, but
squeamish
was not one of them. What he happened to be was madly in love with Charlie for the last couple of years…even though she was the only one that never seemed to notice.

“You’d just think that after everything he’d seen,” she went on, “he’d be used to the sight of—whoa.”

Jake straightened up instantly. “Whoa, what?”

“You weren’t kidding when you said you hit a snag,” she said. “More like a brick wall.”

“What did you find, Charlie?”

“It’s not just the local PD in Ann Arbor that are looking for Miss Green. She’s wanted for questioning by the FBI. Looks like they’ve put out feelers in all the areas that Verity’s been known to have visited recently. That includes San Francisco.”

“Shit,” Jake grumbled.

“That’s not all,” Charlie added. “She’s been flagged by the TSA, so there’s no way she’s getting on a plane.”

“What the hell do they want to question her about?”

Charlie hummed to herself for a half second, and Jake could see her in his mind, sitting in front of her bank of computers, quickly scanning over all the information on her screens.

“Looks like the FBI received a reliable tip that Miss Green is involved with an international antiquities smuggling ring.”

“Reliable, eh?” Jake said with a scoff. Must have been someone with some pretty solid federal connections. Someone like John Silas.

“I think at this point we have to assume that the FBI is about to come knocking on our door any minute now,” Charlie said. “Do you want to be the one to break the news to the
Captain
or shall I?”

“I think I’ll leave that up to you and ditch this phone as soon as we hang up,” he said.

“Wise move.”

“Do me a favor, and pass along a message to Carter for me,” he said.

“You mean, ‘everything’s gone to hell’ isn’t going to be good enough?” Charlie said with a dark laugh.

“Not this time,” Jake said. “Tell him this isn’t about the art. Tell him John Silas is involved. Silas and the Norteños and I’m guessing a whole shitload of heroin.”

A moment of stunned silence stretched out on the other end of the line.

“Wow,” Charlie finally said. “You’ve been gone so long I almost forgot that when you get into trouble, Jake, you don’t half-ass it.”

“No, I guess I don’t.” Jake couldn’t hold back the smile that pulled at the corner of his lips. He’d missed Charlie’s humor…more than he wanted to admit.