The Bounty Hunters: The Marino Bros.: Box Set (66 page)

He was sitting on the sofa drinking a cup of coffee and playing a game of solitaire on the coffee table. He also had a radio placed next to his layout of cards. But all was silent.

He quickly gave her the news that the night had passed without any surprises. The Pigeon Forge PD was due to arrive within the hour. She looked at the clock and it said eight.

“Michael will be heading to the club owned by Tony Roman when it opens at 11.” At her uplifted eyebrow, he added, “Michael is Nikko’s friend in the Tampa PD.”

Bella nodded and headed to the kitchen to get a cup of coffee. “Did you get any sleep?” she asked.

He nodded. “Yeah. I slept okay,” but his face looked worn. She knew from her conversation with Blaze yesterday that Gio’s mind must still be on Lisa, his ex-girlfriend, and the woman he had just seen in New York.

Not wanting to pry, but also not wanting to consistently think about what was going on back at the cabin she asked, “How did everything go in New York?”

Gio placed an ace of diamonds he had just revealed on top of his layout. “Blaze told you about her?”

Bella nodded opposite him in one of the wingback chairs. “Yes. Sorry if I’m prying, I just need to get my mind off of what is going on over at the other cabin.”

“It’s okay. I understand. Um, well, she’s in some serious trouble.”

“Are you going to help her?” she asked, taking her first sip of coffee.

“Probably. Sorry if this comes off like I’m being an ass, but I wanted to make her sweat it out a bit.”

“Blaze said she got arrested for trying to kill her husband. Do you think she did it?”

“I don’t know. I used to think I knew her, but that was a long time ago.”

Bella nodded giving him a sympathetic look. Gio put two more cards on top of his lone ace.

“She told me some stuff about her marriage and it looks like she really went through the wringer. I shouldn’t care after what she did to me but she’s got a kid.” Gio was frowning. She felt horrible that he was in this quandary.

“How old is her child?” she asked.

“Hmm, she didn’t say and I didn’t ask. Ten, I think.” Gio scanned the spread of cards looking for the next possible move.

“It’s hard when kids are involved.” She saw Gio’s nod as he turned over another three cards.

“Yeah, true. It’s not the kid’s fault the parents are a mess. I saw plenty of that when I worked on the force. When we take care of all of this here, I’ll probably head back up there and bail her out.”

“Everyone deserves a fair trial and a chance to defend themselves,” Bella commented, knowing this from first-hand experience. She knew that would have been very hard for her with the reputation the Roman’s had in the Tampa Bay area.

Gio gave her a gentle smile and then picked up all the cards. He was out of moves. “Her husband was, and I guess still is, a real prick. I’d hate to think about him raising their child.”

“Hopefully for the kid’s sake, she can prove her innocence.”

Gio dropped the deck of cards on the table, and got up suddenly. “Let’s order some breakfast.” He headed towards the phone.

“I don’t think I can eat much,” Bella confessed to his back.

“Yeah me too, but it will pass the time.” The lead in his stomach was going to make it hard for him to eat, but he didn’t want to talk about Lisa anymore. Not right now. It was bad enough he was going back to New York to bail her out in a few days, and would have to see her again, but no kid deserved having a sick bastard for a father and a mother rotting in jail for a crime she claimed she didn’t commit.

*     *     *

Blaze was in
the kitchen cleaning up the dishes from breakfast. He’d just talked to Bella, and she sounded good. She was holding up, and she and Gio just finished breakfast. They were planning on playing some cards to pass the time. He was teaching her how to play poker, told her she needed to know if she was going to be in this family.

Blaze laughed. All the brothers gathered at least once a month at Andreas’ to play. Ronnie attended last time. The girl was a shark. And they actually enjoyed her company and sharp wit, especially when Nikko was her target. She even took Andreas for a hundred bucks. It was hilarious when she revealed it was on account of a bluff.

Andreas was pissed as hell, but Blaze knew he had been secretly smiling at the little minx who bluffed him. He imagined having Bella there next time. He ached to hold her, but they needed to take care of this business first.

When the doorbell rang Blaze stayed in the kitchen. One of his brothers could answer the door. They were both in the living room finishing up another cup of coffee, and he knew it would be the Tennessee PD. He heard Andreas welcome them and ask them to come in. “It’s good of you to help us out on this case. Thanks for coming.”

“No problem, Andreas. I’m just glad you reached out.” The juice glass Blaze was washing shattered in his hand. He knew that voice. He’d never forget it.
What the hell was going on?
He dropped the remaining pieces into the sink and ran his hand under the water, relieved he hadn’t been cut.

When Blaze turned around he was about to call out, “What the fuck is going on?” but then choked on his own words as he got his second shock of the morning. Standing right behind Alex Simmons, the voice he had recognized, was Nicole White. He was speechless. Nikko just held up his hands in his direction and gave him the sign not to over react. Andreas narrowed his eyes cautiously. Blaze looked at his two brothers and knew in an instant they both had known who would be showing up this morning. He was furious as hell they hadn’t clued him in on this little tidbit of information.

Blaze finally found his voice. “Well, well, well, thanks brothers.” He gave them the evil eye but stood his ground.

Alex spoke first. “We asked them not to tell you we were coming. We knew you wouldn’t agree to our help, and we wanted to do something. I’m one of the prosecutors here, and Nicole is one of our best detectives.”

Blaze’s eyes went round. Nicole, a cop! “Hi Blaze.” Nicole spoke up for the first time. She wasn’t in uniform, but was dressed casually, her long brown hair loose around her shoulders. She looked the same, hadn’t changed much at all from what he remembered. “We always felt bad for what happened. I should’ve told you the truth. Just let us help.”

Blaze shook his head, turned on his heel and walked back into the kitchen. “Whatever. You’re here now.” Bella’s safety was what was important now. If Alex and Nicole wanted to do this to ease their conscience, he was surprised, but it didn’t bother him at all. He just wished his brothers had been truthful.

He picked up the sponge again intending to clean up the broken glass and to wash the few remaining glasses. A voice behind him startled him.

“Blaze, I want you to know we never intended to fall in love,” Nicole spoke softly.

He turned around and looked at this woman. He’d been engaged to her.

“I thought I knew you Nicky,” he stated, putting his sponge down and leaning against the counter behind him. He was surprised he didn’t feel any malice, just a strange curiosity.

“Blaze, I’m sorry. I really am. I always knew I was gay. But, I want you to know I did love you. Not in the way you wanted, but . . . I was just . . . so confused back then. I hadn’t told anyone, not even my parents. When I met you I was living the life my parents expected of me. Be a teacher, find a husband, but it just wasn’t me. None of this was about you.”

Crossing his arms over his chest, he looked at Nicole with new eyes. He’d had no clue. She had hid this part of her very well.

“Well, I guess it worked out for the best.” He’d found the woman he was meant to be with, Bella. He could see Alex looking around Nikko to keep an eye on them, but still talking with his brothers. “Are you happy?” He asked, wishing her no ill will.

“Yeah, we are. We,” she cleared her throat, glanced at Alex and smiled. “We got married last year. We’re going to try and have a baby next year, too.”

“Wow, congratulations. That’s great.”

“Thank you,” she stated, letting out her breath. One of her biggest regrets was hurting this man. He’d been nothing but kind. “Alex is sorry too. I just wanted you to know, I pursued her. It wasn’t her.”

“It’s okay, really. I mean it,” he reached out and pulled Nicky to him. “Be happy. And thanks for helping. I appreciate it.” In a way some part of him was glad she had shown up to do this. He could now completely put the past behind him. He let her go.

“Oh Blaze, I’m just glad I could finally explain. And I’m glad you’ve found someone too.”

“She’s amazing,” he stated pulling back, and thinking it best to join the others and get this plan underway. He steered Nicole back into the living room but he couldn’t help getting in one more dig before they got down to business. “Yeah, so when we are in bed tonight, just keep your hands to yourself.” The room went silent, and when Blaze smiled revealing he was teasing, everyone burst into laughter.

The Sting

B
y ten PM
everyone was in place. Blaze was allowed to talk one more time with Bella before radio silence would be required by all parties involved.

Only ‘need to know’ information would be shared. He’d told her he loved her, reassured her he was wearing his vest as was the decoy. Alex, Andreas, and Gio were in place in the loft. Two other officers were hiding in the closet sitting on crates for comfort, and another was in the bathroom. They had six men in place outside. Two watching Bella’s condo. Nikko was with her now much to his disgruntlement. He wanted to be part of the action, but Andreas was firm. He had been shot only six weeks ago. There was no way he was allowing him anywhere there might be gunfire.

They received word from their tech guy, several calls had been placed between Vincent Roman and the hit men. The last call just ten minutes ago and satellites revealed the hit men were in Pigeon Forge. They were nearby.

Blaze and Nicole were ready to crawl into bed. As much as he wanted to tell Bella who the decoy was, he resisted. He didn’t want to leave her in the dark, but she had enough to worry about without this. He was sure she would understand, but he felt it was the right thing to do.

*     *     *

Bella paced the
small space the condo provided. Nikko tried to distract her, but her nerves were at the breaking point. It was well past midnight, and they’d heard nothing in over two hours. All was silent. Nikko watched a movie, and she’d tried to as well, but when the last fifteen minutes of the program played, she was too worked up. She needed to move, to do something.

Nikko was on his phone, texting someone. He laughed.

“Your fiancée?” she asked.

He nodded and slipped his phone back in his pocket giving Bella his attention. “Yeah, she is um . . . trying to distract me.”

Bella smiled. She could guess how the newly engaged couple was distracting each other.

“Want to play cards?” he added, reaching for the deck.

“No, I . . . just can’t. No. Sorry,” she shook her head in the negative.

Just then the radio crackled. A strange voice, a woman she didn’t recognize came on. “We got movement. A car just entered the resort. No plates.”

Nikko nodded. “This is it.” Bella took a deep breath. She’d be holding it for a long time. She glanced at the clock. It was one AM.

Blaze and Nicole lay in bed. They heard the announcement, and then they heard Alex. “Okay, no more talking. Radio silence is critical now.”

Blaze knew the reason why too. They didn’t want to spook the hit men. The place was crawling with cops, but he was glad to have his brothers here too. The killers needed to enter the cabin, they needed to catch them in the act and it would be even better if they got them on the video talking if they wanted to get to Vincent Roman. If they brought him down, then Bella would be safe. She’d be free too, free to have a life with him. He wanted that for her, wanted her by his side for always.

He felt Nicole’s hand under the blanket, reached for it and gave it a squeeze. She rolled over onto her side as they had agreed, and he curled around her, spooning her. Her weapon was in her hand, his lying between them. They’d need to act fast. As soon as the two hit men were in the cabin, and just as soon as they entered the bedroom all hell was going to break loose. Alex would give the orders, and the place would be flooded in light. Blaze was going to push Nicole off the bed, and follow behind her for cover. They had their vests on, but a head shot couldn’t be prevented if they didn’t act fast enough.