Page 32 of Dangerous Games

“Jimmy, did you finish the job?”

“No. I can’t do it.” He shakes his head, grabbing handfuls of his hair.

“They’re going to kill you. Dominic and his brothers are going to kill you if you don’t do the job. You either have to finish it or get out of town. That’s what you have to do.” I want to smack some sense into him, but I can’t be angry with him. I’m just as terrified and he is handling it about as well as anyone else.

I move toward him, reaching for him to pull him in for a hug and I hear gunshots. My instinct is to drop to my knees. The shots are so loud it shakes the walls. I crawl to the window, looking out over the street. From this vantage point I can’t see anything. So, I crawl past the window and stand, peeking out in only one direction. I see Dominic’s cousin staggering. He falls, clutching his chest. Three other men surround him; one of them kicks him. Then they look up at the house, as if they can see past the curtain behind which I hide.

Fear paralyzes me. I look to where Jimmy was standing, and he’s gone. I hear the back door slam shut and frantically head that direction. I don’t know if these men are Dominic’s men or enemies, the mole perhaps? All I know is my ride back to Dom’s house isn’t going to work out if the driver is dead in the street. I turn at the hallway, hooking around toward the back door and something trips me up. I hit the ground hard, slamming my head on the wood flooring.

“Well well, if we don’t have the pretty little bitch right here.” A man’s voice hits my ears, making my skin crawl. I try to blink my eyes open, but someone pulls something over my head and ties it around my neck. I can still breathe but my hands shoot to my throat instinctively. I scream.

“Let me out! You can’t do this.” I kick and swipe at the air, hoping Jimmy got away. I feel myself being hoisted off the ground and slung over someone’s shoulders while male voices talk and laugh as if they are just out for a stroll at the park, not kidnapping and murdering.

This didn’t go at all as planned. And now I realize why Dominic put that bracelet on my arm. I only hope they don’t realize it’s there.

19

DOMINIC

The minute Nanette gets in that car I know something is going to go wrong. I can feel it in my gut and my gut is never wrong. I watch Red pull down my long drive and turn off onto the road, then I retreat into the house. The tracking chip I put into the bracelet will tell me where she is at all times, so for now I head for the kitchen. The app on my phone knows the pre-planned route to Jimmy’s house, and it will chime if the tracking bracelet does not follow that prescribed path.

Mika is busy polishing silverware when I walk in. Her polite smile greets me. “Sir, what can I do for you? Would you like a drink?” She puts the butter knife down and drapes her towel over her shoulder, gazing up at me expectantly.

“No, that’s okay, but what about a snack? Have any of those delicious chocolate chip cookies?” I walk toward the counter where the cookie jar sits and she clicks her tongue, mothering me.

“Before dinner?” she asks, snickering. “Of course, I always have chocolate chip cookies for you, sir. I’ll get you a glass of milk too.”

I sit down at the island where I imagine Nanette has taken breakfast and lunch every day since she arrived. Mika is a wonderful cook and her personality is inviting. I wonder how much Nanette opened up to her, or how many times Mika has had to get after Nanette. As she prepares my snack, I decide to broach the topic.

“Mika, you’ve seen our guest around here lately, cooked for her, cleaned up after her.”

“Yes, Sir. Ms. Nanette is a joy.” She says this without turning to look at me, though I get the hint that Mika isn’t being entirely truthful. I know Nanette now; she is anything but a sheer joy. She’s a handful through and through.

“What sort of vibe do you get from her? And be honest with me.”

Mika turns, holding a plate of cookies and a small glass tumbler full to the brim with milk. She sets them in front of me and dusts her hands on her apron. She looks thoughtful, as if she needs to word things correctly to avoid upsetting me. I’m a stern man and all of my staff know this. I appreciate the care she puts into her response.

“Well, Sir, Ms. Nanette is opinionated. She is strong-willed, and that’s a good thing for you, Sir. She will need that if she stays here long.” Mika tilts her head a bit. “She’s too curious. If you don’t intend to reveal yourself to her fully, you need to reinforce some doors.” She chuckles and pats my hand. “You like this woman?”

I look into the warm brown eyes of the woman who nearly raised me, not that my mother wasn’t a good mother, but given her circumstances, Mika was the one there for me the most. I insisted she stay on when Dad moved out and left the place to me. I’d be lost without her. Besides, she knows the family in and out, her late husband being one of the higher ups before my time.

“I do.” I smile at her and take a bite of a cookie. It’s not warm still, but it is delicious. After I wash my bite down with a swig of milk, I say, “Do you like her?” I don’t need her approval, but I do appreciate her companionship. My father will never approve of Nanette; he’ll call her a common whore just like the sluts from the bar. Those will be his exact words. But when he’s gone, none of that will matter, and I’ll be on top.

“I do,” she says, grinning. “She will keep you on your toes and you need that.” Mika taps her temple. “It keeps you sharp up here.”

I laugh a deep hearty laugh knowing she’s true. Nanette will give me a run for my money on a daily basis. I’ve never wanted a passive wife who gives me everything I want and fawns over me. I want a lively, high-spirited woman who can challenge me and make me think. Nanette is just that.

I hear a chime go off, and I pull my phone out. It’s been less than thirty minutes and she has already deviated from the plan. “One second,” I tell Mika, shoving the second half of a cookie into my mouth. I swipe up to unlock my phone and the app appears, the last one I had open. Nanette’s beacon is not signaling me from Jimmy’s place. She is moving, and fast—how I don’t know. Her chip is showing nearly three blocks away already and heading north quickly.

I roll my eyes, heaving out a sigh. “Well, Mika, it looks like I’ll have to eat the rest of these delicious cookies another time. Thank you for the company and the sweets.” I tap my hand on the counter and say, “Maybe you’ll add double chocolate chips next time?”

“Oh, you know I’m trying to help you watch your waistline. The doctor won’t take kindly to your cholesterol going up with all these sweets.” She winks at me and picks up the plate and glass. “Go on, get to work. I’ll prepare a roast and potatoes for dinner.”

I nod at her and walk out, heading to my office. I’m not worried about where Nanette goes. As long as she’s dumb enough to keep the bracelet on her wrist, I’ll be able to track her. But that thought gives me pause for a moment. Nanette knows I put a tracker in that bracelet. It’s possible she’s thrown me off her scent by tossing the bracelet into a moving vehicle, or worse—someone snagged her. The second thought makes my chest tighten.

I go to my desk, pull out my Glock and the extra clip, then holster it at my side. The clip goes into my pocket before I slide my knife out of my top desk drawer. Part of me is scolding myself for not just riding along with Red. She is a lot to handle. No doubt she gave him a hard time. I slide the knife into my boot sheath and walk over to my closet where I pull out another small nine-mil. I can’t be too prepared for this. If it’s just Nan on the run, I’ll bring her back without trouble, but if someone came for her, I’ll need as much firepower as I can take. So, I grab my three eighty and slide it into my waistband.

My phone rings, buzzing in my pocket where I stuffed it after seeing her chip moving across the map. I pull it out and see it’s Jimmy. Nanette should be with Jimmy right now, not calling me. I swipe to answer and hold the phone to my ear to hear him going berserk.

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