Page 77 of Owning Emma

Chapter 38

SHAW

I lookedat my phone again, waiting for the inevitable message from Emma reminding me never to send Roman to help out again, but the message still hadn’t come through. That was odd since she always messaged me after the doors were shut and customers were no longer lined up.

But my phone remained silent.

I tapped my fingers on my desk, trying not to be distracted. After shopping for presents, I came home, wanting to finish off this last bit of entry into our newly formed organization system. It had taken weeks, months if you’re being technical, but it was almost done and once it was complete, it would make my job so much easier.

I hooked up all their computers into one main database, so all of our businesses could be controlled and viewed by me if I so pleased. Which I very much did. Then, in addition to that, I could review everything that happened all without leaving my computer and I was hoping that additional insight would help me figure this fucking puzzle out.

I needed to figure it out.

I needed Roman and Emma safe; it was by far the most important thing to me.

My phone rang and I jumped up, answering it without looking at the caller ID. “Babe?”

A rich masculine laugh filled the line before my childhood friend said, “I love when you call me pet names.”

Prick. “What’s up? It’s Christmas Eve, shouldn’t you be home, sucking Royal’s dick or something?”

Troy laughed, not even phased by my jab. “He has Bianca to do that now. He forgot about little old me.”

“I bet you’re heartbroken.”

“I need some mending. Up for it?” Then he laughed, “Hey, so I was passing through town, on my way to your place, and I saw something a bit odd.”

“Why are you coming here?” It was getting late, he had a child at home.

“Not all of my men went home for the holiday; I needed to get their bonuses to them.” I could almost see him shrugging like it was no big deal, but in reality, he and Royal were the best bosses. Right next to Roman and I, of course. “But hey, back to the something odd. Earlier, I had stopped by the compound and chatted with Roman, dropped off a few bonuses and such. While we were having coffee and catching up, Jack came in. He seemed surprised to see Roman home, but Roman didn’t think much of it, even though the guy had just walked into your home without knocking.”

Yeah, that was annoying, but it did happen from time to time. “Continue.”

“He seemed a bit on the agitated side, but said he was just letting Roman know he was heading out and wouldn’t be back until next week. Common courtesy and all that.”

“Okay?” What the hell was Troy getting at?

“Roman had to meet you guys at the shop. So we parted ways, but I had some time to kill before Eduardo got off from his patrol so I though, meh . . . I’ll go to town and get lunch. At this point, Jack had left town a few hours before. But as I was driving through the street, I swore I saw a man that looked just like him. I brushed it off, since I knew he had left town. But I finished my meal, and was just leaving the lot when I saw him again. Definitely Jack, and he was climbing into your truck. It could be nothing, but I wanted to run it by you since it seemed odd to lie for no damn reason about leaving town.”

My heartbeat picked up, and I nearly dropped the phone. “Hold on, let me check something out. I’m putting you on speaker.”

I hit the speaker button and tossed my phone onto my desk, pulling up the new program. I knew Jack had some access, he was one of our top guys. But the question remained, did he have access to all the locations in question? How much control and trust did Roman put on him?

I shuffled through papers while the program started up, searching through the last bit of info I hadn’t quite entered. Now that I knew what I was looking for, of course, Jack’s name stuck out like it was highlighted in blinding neon letters. My stomach grew queasy as his name appeared on each paper and location I’d seen it, the memory of him being at lunch the day I was drugged, the terror in realizing I trusted Emma’s life in his hand.

My system loaded and I logged in, searching out his presence in the places I wished never to find him, each time, being disappointed at the discovery. The threats. The missing money. The defaced property. It all pointed somewhere and that somewhere was Jack. I cleared my throat before exclaiming, “Something isn’t right.”

“That’s my thought too.” I nearly jumped, forgetting I had Troy on the line.

I grabbed my keys and coat. “I’m on my way there now.”

I didn’t have to say more than that, Troy knew the drill. Watch. Wait. Observe. Act only if necessary.

I hung up, quickly dialing another number as I hopped on the bike, waiting what seemed like forever for my helmet to connect to Bluetooth before I pushed off and started my drive. The helmet made a click, alerting me that the phone was answered.

I licked my suddenly dried lips. “We have a situation, I’ll see you at the bakery in ten.”

I hung up, knowing that the only other person I trusted with my life would be there and willing to do and give what it took to protect the ones I love. Ten minutes? It was risky. The drive was usually at least twenty on a good day, and with the snow and flurry . . . today wasn’t a good day. But there were more important things at stake than my life. There was Emma’s.

God, this couldn’t be happening. Not again. Not to me. The loss of not one but a total of three people I loved, on the same day, years apart? No. I couldn’t let myself entertain the thought. I couldn’t let myself believe that they were going to be lost. Not when what we were starting to build together was so damn good. Enchanting. Mesmerizing. Not when I’d finally been ready to admit it. To say it out loud. To let them know the truth about my feelings. To declare my love.

No.

I loved them and I would get the chance to declare it; any other outcome wasn’t a possibility.

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