JARED (Lane Brothers Book 4) Page 10

  She turns at the door and my mouth goes dry at the heated look of invitation in her eyes.

  “Come on, Lane. Come wash my back and all my girlie parts,” she purrs, licking her lips once before disappearing with a smile.

  Oh what the hell. One for the road, I mutter to myself, jumping to my feet just as the shower turns on and I hear her groan in bliss.

  She’s humming and rinsing her hair when I reach her and I feel myself pause in wonder when she turns and smiles at me unabashedly, no longer self-conscious about the faint silvery lines running along her hips and upper buttocks.

  I don’t see anything but perfection in her, and I told her so, but I’m glad she feels secure enough with me not to hide anymore. So much of a woman’s confidence comes from the way her man sees her, and I’d die before making her feel like she’s lacking in any way.

  “Let me take care of you, Cupcake,” I murmur lovingly, coming in behind her to glide a hand through her long hair and rinse the soap from her tresses.

  She smiles and leans back into me, breathing deeply as if totally sated now that I’m near.

  “You already do, Jared. You take care of me in the best of ways.”

  I feel my chest tighten with the sweet elation her words bring. Who would have thought, just one week ago, that I would be so gone for a tiny slip of a woman like Paulie Hayes?

  Chapter Eleven

  Paulette

  We make good time later that morning and reach the small town of Fisher’s Watch a little after eleven after driving without pause for the last four hours.

  My nerves are strung tight now that we’re here, and I have to force myself to breathe constantly when the panic attack I’ve been battling since our shower threatens to make itself known in the worst way.

  I can’t allow it freedom now, not when we’re so close to finally getting somewhere, because I know my guy. If he so much as suspects that I’m about to spazz out, he’ll have me home so fast, my panic attack won’t know what hit it.

  He’s just as jumpy as I feel inside, and that fear is only adding to my own, making me want to cry and tense up.

  “We’re here,” he says, and I find a smile somewhere deep inside at the irate tone he’s trying to tamp down for my sake.

  We’re currently parked just on the outskirts of the sleepy little town in a copse of tress that hide our location from the rest of the town and the road leading in.

  Case and Jace have stopped behind us and gone off to scout the warehouse and surrounding area for a good place for them to set up the rifles that Miah drove all night to bring to them.

  I’m a little glad he didn’t stay and that Jared managed to make him leave because the man looked fit to kill, an attitude we don’t need, not when everything is so delicately balanced.

  “You realize that if anything happens to you, I may as well die, too, right?” Jared says after a long silence, taking me completely by surprise with his seriousness.

  His intensity and the utter truth I see reflected in his gaze give me pause and I feel myself start to tear at just the notion of anything happening to my love.

  “Nothing bad will happen.”

  He grunts and grips the steering wheel so hard, I hear it shine beneath his fingers.

  “Hope does not a success make, Cupcake, we all know that. Just remember, if something feels off or you start getting antsy, you run and keep going. Don’t stop till you get to your car. We’ll keep you covered at all times.”

  I know this all already, he’s said it so many times on the drive over, but if he needs me to say it again, I will if only to put him at ease.

  “I won’t stop. I promise. Just swear that you’ll meet me and leave those idiots alone if things go wrong,” I say now, hating my suspicion that Jared could get himself killed going after Clyde or Roman.

  He sighs and releases the wheel to take my hands and lay gentle kisses to them.

  “You get out and I get out. That’s the plan. I won’t do a damn thing to mess with that scenario, so stop worrying and breathe, Cupcake.”

  I swallow and breathe, not even realizing that I’ve been holding my breath till it rushes out in a loud whoosh.

  “Good. Now remember to keep your wire concealed. If one of those assholes starts patting you down, you drop him like you mean it and spit on his ass for daring to touch you. Got it?”

  “Yes, worry wart, I got it. Kick in the balls and haughty attitude. Done. Should I go for outright testicular decimation or just a little warning kick that will leave them unable to father children ever again?”

  That brings at least a small twitch of his lips and I feel some of my tension ease.

  “You leave them able to wear a bikini without showing a scrap of cock and we should be just fine,” he quips back and we both laugh.

  I almost jump right out of my skin when a knock suddenly explodes on the window beside me and I turn to see Case step back and look apologetic as Jared snarls and grabs me close.

  “Shh, it’s okay.”

  I can do this. I can so do this, I keep repeating as I steady myself and turn to aim a glare at Case.

  “A little warning next time, if you will. I was just about to get dirty with my old man, and you almost gave me a freaking heart attack.”

  Case chuckles and holds his hands up in surrender.

  “Sorry, sweetheart. We found a good vantage point in some trees just up that hill to the south. Minimal glare off the scopes and a good view into the warehouse. There are already people milling around inside, so I guess it won’t be a bad idea to get ready now.”

  I feel my heart start beating wildly before Jared pulls me in and kisses me hard on the lips.

  “You won’t leave until you absolutely have to. Got that? Case, stop trying to bust my nuts and get the stuff up there. Tell Jace to make sure he’s got a good view of the back if he can get it. We may need to cover Paulie from there if she has to hotfoot it out that way.”

  “Will do, boss.”

  We watch him leave before Jared pulls me around and stares into my eyes.

  “Now remember—”

  “If I have to go out the back, I go in the water and stay under for as long as possible and keep going till you come and get me,” I say before he can tell me this yet another time. “I have it all, baby, trust me. Now stop fretting and breathe with me, yeah? Just think, by this time tomorrow we could be well on the way to getting rid of this whole operation and your brother could be home.”

  I keep to myself that the man, as well as myself, could be arriving in body bags because that joke will definitely not go down well, no matter how good it is.

  When the hour finally ticks over and I can’t wait anymore, I give Jared a deep lingering kiss and get into the car, hating the pale pall that comes over his face as he closes the door and hunches down to look deep into my eyes.

  “You die, I die,” he says for the millionth time, and I swallow loudly just thinking about it.

  “Right back at ya, buddy. Now move or I’ll be even later than we planned.”

  The drive over to the warehouse takes no less than the ten minutes Jared planned, and I arrive as the absolute last person, feeling my fear spike so hard, my throat swells up with it.

  My breaths are shallow now and I get out of the car wearing the sleek thigh-length dress and low heels Jared bought, just in case I do need to swim. This way I won’t be hampered by pants and I can run in these shoes in a cinch.

  “Well, well, well, look who finally decided to arrive. Your mom and dad thought you’d be MIA and we’d have to come find you,” Jerry sneers the moment I walk into the warehouse, his ugly face making my nerves dissipate beneath the anger he always inspires.

  “Oh shut up, you obese simpleton. You knew I’d be here no matter what, so can your shit and keep your foul breath to yourself,” I snarl, eyeing the guards up and down as one approaches me and reaches out as if to touch me.

  I remember everything Jared said and I almost crack a smile when my foot shoots
out and lands so hard on his soft parts, I actually hear them squish before he screams like a girl and drops to the ground, yelling in pain.

  “I’ll thank you very much not to touch me, you lowlife,” I trill, adopting the same happy tone Mama uses almost all the time.

  After giving the next guard a raised brow that turns his face ashen, I turn to the other occupants of the room and glare at them all.

  “Look, can we just get this over and done with please? I actually have a life now that I’ve hooked Lane, and I’d like to get back to it.”

  I hear Jared chuckle into my earpiece and my teeth gnash when Jerry starts laughing and plops his fat ass down in a chair at the long, scarred wooden table used for all council meetings.

  My heart is beating so hard and the feeling just gets worse when I surreptitiously scan the table and fail to see Clyde or Andrew.

  “What’s the matter, little Paulie? Looking for someone, perhaps?” Noel Landry quips, chuckling maniacally.

  “Your mother, Landry. She still owes me five bucks after I paid for a night with a tenner,” I snarl, almost choking when Jerry starts cackling and shoots Landry an amused glare.

  Oh God, where are they? Clyde and Andrew have to be here, they just have to. I’m barely holding on to my control when my vision starts blinking and I feel my arm twitch before going stiff and rock hard.

  “Don’t panic, Cupcake. I got you directly in line of sight, baby,” Jared croons and I feel some of the strain melt away.

  “Come, Paulette dear, sit, sit,” a voice says and I turn slightly to see Margery…something, I can’t quite recall her last name, as she indicates a chair between the rest of them.

  I refuse her offer and push my nose into the air, taking a seat at the head of the table and daring them all to say a word. This spot is reserved for the higher ups, usually, but Jared warned me not to get hemmed in and I won’t allow it. I can’t.

  “Move this shit along, would you, Jer, old buddy old pal? I’m shopping with the mother-in-law this afternoon.”

  That gets me a glare as he starts cursing poor Mama and I can practically hear Jared’s teeth grinding with rage.

  “You’re one to talk, Jer. Your own wife despises you and your son was a lunatic. Heeellloooo pot!”

  “Tone it down, baby,” Jared hisses in my ear and I laugh to cover my nervousness when Jerry sneers and aims a death glare at me.

  “Watch your attitude, bitch. You’re proxy, not bulletproof,” he warns.

  Here’s the part where I’d usually start having a meltdown and it would be mere seconds before an attack hit. I feel it there, lurking in the shadows, but for once it’s not right on me.

  “Sorry, Jer, I forgot how sensitive you are. I’ll call your mother and let her know you need a hug later. Now, the vote?” I urge as the last member comes in and sits across from me.

  My heart almost stalls when I look up to see the smirking face of Roman Lane, his blue eyes so cold, I feel my blood freeze as he looks me over.

  “So you’re the one Jared was slobbering over, huh? He’s got really simple taste, if you ask me.”

  That makes my earpiece go wild with expletives and I jerk my head to the side, covering it with a tilt and a sweet smile that could rot your teeth.

  “I didn’t, in fact, ask you a thing, Mr. Lane, so I’d thank you to keep your unimaginative gibes to yourself. Now, the vote, if you please,” I say again, hoping like hell this time that they take the hint and let me just get the hell out of here.

  I had hope that this man was just playing a role, but as he continues to look down the table at me, his blue eyes so like Jared’s and yet too cold to be anything like my Sugar Bear’s, I feel my blood run cold.

  I think this was a monumental mistake, and he proves it with his next words.

  “So, you’re marrying a Lane, are you? Hmm, you must really be into the little nerd if you’re willing to put up with the Punch and Judy Show.”

  Jerry laughs raucously while the rest just titter, and I’m forced to look him dead in the eye and gamble my life on the truth.

  “As a matter of fact, I do, Mr. Lane. I love Jared very much. He’s given me a life and happiness that I have never known, thanks to being raised by my horrible parents. I also happen to love George and Judy and the rest of the family, so I’d thank you to shut your Goddamned mouth if you can’t keep a civil tongue. I’m only here because as proxy, I have no choice in the matter. After this vote, I am out and I’m staying out. I’ve got a new life and something to live for.”

  My earpiece is dead right now and I want to start bawling when Roman rises and strolls my way, his movements looking as casual and easy as I know they are deadly.

  He finally stops beside the table and grabs my chin none too gently, gazing down at me for several seconds.

  “Now I know what he sees in you, Miss Hayes. Good show, though I would have refrained from trusting Clyde quite as much as you did,” he drawls, smiling with real mirth.

  Oh, shit.

  I swallow and keep my tongue glued to my teeth, trying to pull off haughty when all I feel is fear and the overriding need to flee. That’s impossible now, with him standing so close, so I rise and smile derisively.

  “You’re calling me out for using blackmail to sway a vote in my favour? Tsk, tsk, Mr. Lane. How sad of you not to appreciate my efforts. They’re totally legitimate, after all. Jerry very often likes to use Landry and his cohorts to get in his own agendas. What’s a little help from…friends every now and then?”

  Roman narrows his eyes and smiles after a while.

  “Hmm, I suppose. It’s just strange that you would go to them after what they did to you,” he points out, rubbing at his chin slowly. “That was quite the show, if I do say so myself.”

  My blood goes from cold to boiling and I clench my teeth to keep from hissing at him.

  “They did what they were told to do, Mr. Lane. Nothing more and nothing less. If I were to be angry at anyone, it would have to be Jerry and his friends. The order came from them, after all. Didn’t it?” I prod, looking over at Jerry just to escape the hypnotic pull of Roman Lane’s intense blue stare.

  Something about this whole setup is hokey and I want to run just like Jared told me to, but he’s so close, and if my previous instincts were wrong and he’s the one, I am in deep, deep trouble here.

  “That was not me, Paulie! For God’s sake, girl, what do you take me for?! You’re one of my own,” Jerry hisses and I close my eyes with a shudder.

  “Who was it then, Jerry? The only other person sadistic and cruel enough to want something like that done is Cleo, and she’s…” I leave the sentence trailing, watching both Jerry and Roman for some response.

  Jerry shakes his head and Roman’s eyes seem to glow as he looks around the room before sighing, as if bored, and turning back to me.

  “Back to business since no one wants to take credit. What would you need to have Rydell and Huley’s votes for if you aren’t even aware of the topic?” he muses softly, leaning so close I feel his warm breath touch my cheeks.

  “Hedging one’s bets is never a bad idea. They’re simply, well, they were simply just insurance, if you will. I take it you’ve caught them and the council wants a vote on their fates?”

  That seems to satisfy him and the twitching in my left arm stops the minute he turns and walks back to the other end of the long table, taking his seat with an amused smile.

  “Please sit, Miss Hayes, we would like to commence the voting since you’re just dying to go shopping.”

  Did he just say dying and smile at me sinisterly?

  I wanna scream mayday and have a magical pick balloon crash down to spirit me away to safety. Alas, that is not my lot. I’m in this till I hear from my Jared and I know it. I sit with a baleful glare and almost have a hernia when he announces the topic.

  “Everyone in favor of releasing dearest Cleo from her onerous mortal toil say aye.”

  Nay, nay, nay!

  The ayes are resou
nding and I turn to Jerry in horror.

  “Why?”

  He shrugs and pulls at his tie with a grimace.

  “She’s as good as dead anyway.”

  “That’s not true!”

  “Come on, Paulie. She needs to make way for new blood and you know it.”

  But the only new blood is me! Or is it? I suddenly recall my conversation with Jared about Lynn. That she-thing is on her way here as we speak, and for all I know Jerry could be clearing the way for her.

  But no, Cleo is one of Lynn’s friends, and I do not see her playing this dirty. Lynn may be crazy, but the woman has some honor, and I know that if she’d been here days ago, I would never have been harmed the way I was.

  “You’re trying a takeover before you can get Lynn back. Aren’t you, Jerry?” I ask, laughing derisively and shaking my head. “She’d kill you first and you know it.”

  That has him spluttering and I almost jump with relief when I hear Jared’s voice again through what sounds like static or almost as if he’s underwater.

  “Don’t piss him off, Cupcake. Just vote and get the fuck out!”

  I want to, but this is all so much more than what we knew before, and it could help the Lanes end this once and for all.

  “I don’t want power here, Paulie. I’m a follower and you know it. I just don’t want her coming back and ruining the deals we’ve made because of some stupid vendetta she should have dropped years ago. Bolton got what was coming to him for what he did.”

  “Oh yeah?”

  “Yeah.”

  I see and hear him sigh tiredly, and for a second I think that maybe he’s not so bad after all.

  “You did try to save Ellie.”

  That gets a laugh and another shake of his head.

  “I was trying to salvage something from this whole situation. I knew Miah and the others were getting close, and I wanted to lay low and let it all blow over. But she couldn’t help herself when Wyatt brought Ellie home. She just had to go nuts on me.”

  “I’m surprised you all want her back then, Jerry. Seems to me your lives are easier without her.”

  Another laugh, this one bitter, and I see Jerry’s eyes go hard. I know instantly that I’ve underestimated him.