Rebecca Zanetti - Forgotten Sins

Yet the air smelled dead.

She couldn’t help the long shiver that shook her shoulders. The world was suddenly too quiet. Steeling her shoulders, she forced herself to move toward her parking spot, the hair on the back of her neck standing up. Shane was there somewhere, watching her. Her body responded just because he was near. Who knew that desire and warning could comingle?

A figure moved away from the building and grabbed her arm. She yelped, jerking back. “Tom. What are you doing?”

He frowned. “Sorry, Josie. I really am.” The wind tousled his hair even more than usual. He tightened his grip and began to drag her back to the office building’s main door.

Daniel had just opened the door and he froze, both eyebrows raised.

She struggled. “What’s happening? Let go of me.”

“I will in a minute,” Tom hissed, jerking harder. “I swear, you’re as bad as my sisters. Don’t you gals ever think?”

Another figure stepped out of the shadows. “Let her go, Marsh.”

Shane. Thank goodness. Tom yanked her behind his back.

She stumbled in her heels, grabbing his flannel shirt to keep from falling on the concrete.

“Freeze!” A male voice bellowed as a man wearing a black vest labeled SWAT jumped into range. Vehicles screeched, and sirens yowled as emergency vehicles skidded into the lot.

Malloy stepped out of an unmarked black car, his gun on Shane. “Major Dean. You’re under arrest.”

Shane eyed the detective and the myriad of weapons pointed at him. “Quite the firepower you brought, Malloy.”

“Yes, well. I’ve seen what happens to men who cross you.” Malloy gestured. “Turn around and place your hands on the building.”

Josie elbowed Tom out of the way. “Detective! I told you Shane didn’t kidnap me. You can’t arrest him.”

Tom turned toward her. “I’m pressing charges. He broke into my house and knocked me out before taking you. That’s a crime.”

Shane growled. “You had a gun on me, asshole.”

Tom shrugged. “It was my house and you were trespassing. I had the right to defend Josie.”

Panic heightened Josie’s breath to a hard pant. “Tom. Don’t do this. Please.” Her mind spun. What could she do?

“I’m sorry.” His eyes darkened in the soft light, his jaw hard as his voice lowered to the tone he used when dealing with his younger sisters. “You don’t know what you’re doing. You’re not thinking clearly.”

Son of a bitch. Malloy flipped Shane around, frisking him and cuffing him within seconds. Because Shane allowed him to. Thank goodness her husband wasn’t fighting back. Right now, anyway.

Malloy tipped his head, resignation in his eyes. “Mrs. Dean, you can probably bail him out within hours.” He prodded her husband toward a squad car.

“Josie.” Shane gave her a look, his hands behind his back, his eyes a seriously pissed off hue of gray. “Watch your tail and go home. Don’t leave until I call you.” Malloy shoved his head down before pushing him into the car.

Seconds later they drove away. The SWAT team packed up. The parking lot emptied.

Tom grabbed her arm, pulling her to face him. “Come home with me. I can protect you.”

Fury cascaded through her system. She shot her knee into his groin.

Tom bent over with a muffled oomph, dropping to one knee. “Damn it.”

She turned and glared at Daniel, who’d remained motionless at the door.

He shook his head. “You’re going to ruin your career.”

Without another glance, she flipped around and ran for the Toyota, keying the ignition and ripping out of the lot. Shane said to watch her tail and go home. Probably the crappy motel. She knew he had cash hidden in a large duffle bag. She’d need the money to bail him out.

The files slid out of her briefcase. She’d lose the bar as a client for sure if she didn’t drop those off as promised. Okay. New plan. She’d drop off the files and head back to the motel to get money to bail out Shane. The police would need time to process him, wouldn’t they?

She chewed her lip. What was the bail procedure? Did she go to the police station? Man, she had no clue.

Josie kept an eye on the rearview mirror as she drove across town. Shane had told her to watch her tail. Would someone really follow her? Cars zipped behind her, probably people rushing home after a hard day’s work. Like she should be. But no. First she had to appease a pissed-off client, and then she had to bail her husband out of jail. She’d become one of those women from television who bailed their man out. The giggle that escaped her had an edge of hysteria to the high pitch.

She parked on the street in front of The Pound, shoving the files back in the case. Thunder rolled above. The first winter storm was about to hit.

Heavy metal music pounded as she ran into the club. The stench of sweat mixed with stale perfume and smoke filled her lungs. Lights flashed. Bodies gyrated on the dance floor. A lot of bodies, considering it was only eight o’clock on a Tuesday night. Glancing around, she made a beeline for the burly bartender who stood behind a large marble bar.

He grinned, a gold tooth gleaming in the dim light. “Hi, pretty lady. What can I get you?”

“I have some papers for Paul,” she yelled over the loud music.

“He’s in a meeting.” The bartender nodded at a sparkling bar stool. The booming voice matched his large bulk. “Have a seat, have a drink, and he’ll be done in a few.”

She didn’t have time for this, but neither did she have a choice. She absolutely couldn’t lose any more clients. With a shrug, she slid onto the stool. “Rolling Rock, please.”

The guy slid the beer across the bar. “On the house.” He winked.

“Thanks.” She took a deep drink. The beer was light with a smooth finish, and she allowed herself to relax. The bartender loped down to the other end of the bar to serve two young women in tight tank tops and short skirts. Really short skirts.

The outside door opened and shut. A cool breeze wafted across her skin, and the hair prickled on the back of her neck. She turned, surveying the doorway.

A man, a large man, stood just inside. Smooth and graceful, he crossed to a table close to the doorway. He prowled like a panther on the hunt. A dark T-shirt covered a thick chest, while faded jeans rode low on his hips. Black hair fell to his shoulders, giving him a bad-boy look that matched the biker boots on his feet.

Two waitresses nearly collided in a rush to serve him. The buxom blonde got there first, and her ass actually twitched as she took his order.

He shouldn’t be there. Adrenaline whipped through Josie’s veins. The club catered to a young crowd, a partying crowd who liked to dance. The guy sitting across the room was no partier. Even more alarming, he did nothing to hide the fact that he didn’t belong. Arrogance and an air of apathy filtered around him in a deadly, frightening combination.

His glance at her increased her adrenaline rush. He looked away as the waitress dumped a beer in front of him. Long neck. The woman tripped in her heels as she moved on.

Josie’s breath caught in her throat. A sense of awareness pulled her gaze from the man at the table to the rear entry near the bathrooms. Another man, just as big as the first, leaned against the wall, a beer in his hand. His gaze settled on her. No expression. Just focus.

Danger. Between the two men, a sense of danger filtered through the club.

Josie shivered. Were they following her? Who the hell were they? They didn’t so much as acknowledge each other, but they didn’t fit in. Not in this club.

She’d left the gun in the jockey box of the car. Without a doubt, she needed a weapon. These had to be the men after Shane. Maybe. Or perhaps she’d lost her mind, and these guys were just looking for a good time.

Nope. The one standing ignored a chippy in barely there clothes to keep his gaze on Josie. They weren’t looking for a good time. The girl pouted out her bottom lip and flounced back to the dance floor.

“Hey, Paul’s free,” the bartender bellowed, flipping up an opening in the bar. Josie jumped, almost spilling her beer.

“Thanks.” She scurried past him, all but running down the narrow hall to the offices at the back. A glance toward the bar showed an empty hallway. With a deep breath to calm her jumping nerves, she knocked on the door.

“Come on in,” a male voice said.

Calm. She needed to be calm. Opening the door, she walked in wearing a smile. “Hi, Paul. I have the benefits package lined out for your employees.” She crossed and sat on a pleather guest chair to face her client across his massive marble desk.

Paul leaned forward. “Great.” In his early twenties, Paul had inherited a bundle from his grandfather and had quickly built his dream club. He’d been smart enough to hire the accounting firm to assist him. He pushed thick blond curls away from his face. “Sorry I was so much of a pain earlier. I just don’t like anyone knowing about my finances.”

Josie nodded. Especially his drug-dealing brother, who had been annoyed when Paul inherited all the money. She made a mental note to let Malloy know about the brother. Could be a lead for the break-in at the offices. “I know. And I assure you, we’re doing everything we can to discover what was taken and by whom.”

Paul nodded. “I know. So what papers did you bring for me?”

She pushed the manila files toward him. “The first is a plan for employee benefits, the second is a list of deductions I think you can take throughout the year.” Right now she had a more immediate concern. Were the men still out in the bar? She hoped not. “The deductions should save you about ten thousand dollars each quarter.”

“Great.” Paul glanced at his watch. “How about I look these over tonight and give you a call tomorrow? I, er, have a date.”

Josie smiled and stood. “No problem.” Relief filled her. Paul wasn’t going to hire another firm. Excellent.

She followed him down the hallway to the bar, her senses on high alert. Her hands tightened to fists. The guy against the wall had gone. The man at the table remained in the same place, his gaze on her as she dodged through the bar. Anger and fear slammed together. She wasn’t taking this. With a huff, she grabbed her beer from where she’d left it on the bar.

Lifting her chin, she stalked toward him, plunking her beer on his table. The liquid fizzed up and spilled over the top. The bartender and two bouncers were close enough to call if she needed them. “What do you want?”

The guy raised an eyebrow and took another drink of his beer. “In general or right now?”

He appeared casual but a muscle pounded in his jaw. The words might be a double entendre, but not one ounce of sexual innuendo echoed in them. “In general.”

Surprise flashed in his dark eyes. The light was too dim for her to determine color. “A quiet life.” He set down his beer. “What do you want?”

She shrugged. “What happened to your buddy across the room?”

A smile flirted with the corner of his mouth. Familiar. There was something so familiar about this guy. Was he a client of the firm? “What buddy?”

“Whatever.” She rolled her eyes. “I’ve had a long day and don’t want to play. Leave me alone or you’ll regret it.”

“You approached me, doll.”

She needed to get to the motel and then bail out Shane. “My mistake.” She whirled around, her gaze seeking refuge. Plastering on her flirtiest smile, she wandered over to the bartender. “Hey, would you do me a huge favor?”

His grin split his face. “Anytime, lady.”

“There’s a guy at a table behind me, a big guy. Would you distract him for a few minutes after I leave?”

The bartender glanced behind her. “What guy?”

Josie turned. He was gone. Only two beer bottles remained on the sparkly table. Unease caught her breath in her throat. “Well, how about escorting me to my car? Just in case.”

The bartender jumped over the bar and held out an arm. “I’d be delighted.”

The rain drenched down as they hurried outside, and she checked the backseat before getting in. Empty. With a wave to her temporary hero, she pulled into traffic, keeping an eye behind her.

Darkness fell as she took side roads, driving the opposite direction of where she needed to go several times. No one followed her. That she could see at least.

Finally she arrived at the motel and parked across the lot from their room, watching. Waiting. Nothing moved. She grabbed the gun out of the glove box and stuck the heavy weapon in the back of her pants. Her purse offered little comfort at her side while she scrambled across the unkempt lot and opened the door.