A Jar of Hearts (27 page)

“You better be there tonight, Mark,” Ray said as he drove towards his rented apartment.

“You fuck! You could have got yourself killed!” Mark roared in his ear.

“But I didn’t. And now you can get more than evidence on the Trent Harvey case.”

“You arrogant fucking bastard.”

“So what say boss, we doing it or not?”

“I hate to admit it but we don’t have a better chance than this. But Ray, you will obey instructions this time. I won’t have a man on my team who decides to play lone wolf McQuade whenever he feels like it.”

“I understand, Captain.”

They signed off, departing into different directions, both eager to finally put an end to Juan Carlos and his band called The Pachecos.

Two- thirty seven, Leroy noted in his watch. The world was asleep and they were meeting in the middle of an isolated road to do a drug deal with mules from across the Mexican border.

“Leroy, you okay to be the lookout driver?” Juan asked.

Leroy put his hands in his pockets and strolled over to his car. “Looking forward to it.”

Juan’s men slammed down the trunk of their car, a million dollars worth of cocaine stashed under the false bottom of the spare wheel.

“Lead the way, Leroy,” Juan called out to him.

Ray began his route, his eyes on the headlights of Juan’s car following him a mile away. He knew they would double that distance, just enough to keep clear of any cops on the way Ray was supposed to report to them about.

He headed into the highway and as he had assumed, he saw them lag in the darkness.

“Okay, they went past us,” Casey informed into his earpiece.

Ray headed around the bend, losing them completely. But Casey and Corey were on them and with Corey at the wheel, he was sure they wouldn’t lose Juan. Very few people could shake off Corey when he played tag.

He slid down his window, feeling the night breeze flutter his hair and cooling his face. He put his arm out the window and gave a thumbs-up in the dark, smiling as he drove past Mark and his crew disguised by the darkness of the night.

Immediately, they turned their lights on and blocked the highway, agents further up already detouring the rest of the traffic.

He heard cars skidding to a stop, bullets firing and the night blazed with colorful red and blue lights.

Corey helped Juan Carlos up to his feet and sat him at the back of a police car.

“Was it Leroy who told you about our run?” Juan asked, his face stained with the blood of his colleagues.

“Leroy?” Corey feigned ignorance. “Your lookout driver? No, he’s pretty much dead after trying to escape a couple of miles down the road. It was your guy José Menendez who ratted your ass.”

“I don’t believe it,” he muttered.

“No? Hmmm… oh well, he was arrested after killing James Connelly. You know him? His partner, Snipes died in the altercation between them. Thanks to some neighbors who heard all the commotion and had the good sense of calling the cops, we caught José trying to escape the property.”

“That’s bullshit,” Juan spat out.

“You can call it what you want,” Corey said without a care. “The fact is Leroy is dead, your buddies there are dead, Connelly is dead, Snipes is dead, and so is José after realizing you were going to kill him anyway for bitching on you. Yeah, the sucker put a knife to his throat and jabbed it straight into his windpipe. Nasty stuff. Anyways, we got enough dead bodies and of course, Trent Harvey’s to lock you away for life.”

Juan went pale, life visibly draining out of him. “Wait,” he said quickly before Corey could shut the door on him. “What about Anne Mullen, the blind woman?”

“What blind woman?” Corey asked with puzzlement. “Ahh… Connelly’s ex-partner. She had split and returned to her parents after discovering what a cunt he was.”

He slammed the door, watching the gangster king grow limp and helpless as he was chauffeured to prison.

Mark strolled up to Corey with his hands on his hips. “Did he see me?”

“I doubt it.”

“Did he believe you?”

“You should have seen how his tan ran off his face.” Corey grinned. “Of course he did. Every word.”

“That’s good. Now all I have got to do is tell Eric and wrap this case up. Take the next couple of days off. We sorely need this break before we begin our next mission.”

“Speak for yourself. You’re the one eager to head back home,” Corey teased.

“The captain’s got a girlfriend,” Casey sang just loud enough to catch Mark’s ear.

“Who’s got a girlfriend?” Ray jumped in.

“The captain.”

“Really? Who wanted him?”

“Someone who wouldn’t want a Leroy,” Hank chirped in, putting an arm about the sulking Ray.

“I swear I’m knocking the next person who calls me Leroy,” he grumbled.

“Leroy,” Corey said, following a chanting by the rest.

It sparked a friendly fight between them as they playfully tussled with each other. Mark smiled and walked back to the van.

This had been his family for a very long time and he was far too grateful that they had escaped unhurt from their operation. It wasn’t always that they celebrated with such cheer.

He picked up his jacket and headed off towards a car ready to pick him up and take him to the airport. While he wanted to be here and be part of the fun, he had Eric and Anne to think about. And of course, there was Julia and Ashley. When all this was done, there was nothing that could stop him from racing back home to his new family.

Eric leaned against his balcony rails with a frown etched on his brow as he studied the man who he had once despised for tossing his life into chaos. He had never bet on though that he would come to grow attached to the very same man.

“It’s really over?” he asked again, incredulous that it would ever be.

“Juan’s in prison and we intend to keep him there for a very long time,” Mark replied with a sigh.

“What about Avanna?”

“Avanna is nothing without her brother. And it is unlikely that the next man appointed to run The Pachecos would be interested in you and Anne. In fact, there are already signs of the gang disseminating.”

“What about José and Snipes? They know where we are.”

Mark braced his arm onto the rails as he looked down into the valley in the mountains. “They won’t talk. We’ve relocated them to a prison across the country and promised them a new identity if they keep their word. They’re going to testify against Juan and that itself is going to scare them into keeping their mouths shut if they want to stay alive. Being a gangster is an unforgiving business.”

“So no one else knows where Anne and I are?”

“Just them. They wanted to be sure they had got you first before announcing their victory to Juan. Unfortunately for them, things didn’t turn out as they had hoped it would.”

“But how did they find out about our locations?” Eric shook his head with bafflement.

“It just goes to show The Pachecos have their reach in extraordinary places- ones that go beyond the common man.”

Eric looked over at the luscious green valley. The breeze ruffled his short dark locks, relaxing the tension in his muscles. He realized though the news of Juan Carlos’ end had a lot to do with it too.

“Juan thinks James Connelly is dead,” Mark said slowly. “It would be good if we can keep it that way.”

Eric understood what he meant. If James died, that meant a need for resurrecting Eric Tanner. And that also would mean revealing the truth to Anne.

That annoying pulse returned to his temples. Fuck, why was it that good news always had the habit of possessing such short lives? He didn’t know if Anne would accept such farce with good humor. And he wasn’t sure if he was ready to tell her that truth just yet.

James led Mark to the front door. “You sure you won’t stay any longer?”

“No, I think I’m done for now. I’d just like to go back to Julia and Ashley.”

“You’re leaving already?” Anne asked, walking over to them.

James put an arm around her shoulders. “He’s eager to go back home.”

“I can understand why.”  She smiled. “I wish though you could have brought Julia and Ashley along with you. I miss them all. And Boots and Harley.”

“I’ll be sure to bring them next time,” he replied, leaning over to kiss her on her cheek. “But I expect you to make your first visit. That cat of yours has made it known that he belongs to no one but you.”

She laughed. “Boots can be such a spoilt brat sometimes. Thank you for putting up with him.”

“We love him and he is no trouble at all. I don’t think Harley shares my opinion though.” Mark grinned.

“Give my love to Julia and Ashley,” she said.

“I will.” He glanced over at James. “Take care of Anne.”

James nodded, fully comprehending his underlying message. Anne would be hurt and it was left up to him to figure out how he was going to minimize that as much as possible.

“For Anne?” the florist said with a smile as she handed over the radiant bouquet of sweet peas, jonquils and hyacinths.

“Yes.” He smiled. Although Anne might not be able to see such a beautiful and elegant bunch of flowers, she would love its divine feminine fragrance and he couldn’t wait to see her bury her nose into it.

He tried ignoring the honesty niggling at his conscience, prodding him that the flowers was actually compensation for hiding the truth from her, and he hated himself for it.

A week had gone by and his decision to not reveal that he was Eric was beginning to smother the life inside him.
I need to tell her soon… today… maybe tomorrow.

He weighed the state of her temperament recently. She had grown calm and happier since being told Juan was behind bars. She was ecstatic that they finally could live an ordinary life without worrying all the time about someone trying to hurt them. Perhaps, he should let her cherish that peace a little longer.

He drove back home, conflicted about when he should tell her. As he wove into his driveway, he noticed a dark Bentley standing outside his house, its insignia sparkling in the light of the sun. Its driver was leaning against his door, seemingly waiting for whoever was visiting Anne. Everything about it spelt wealth and extravagance.

A knot tightened in his stomach, hoping against all hope that he was mistaken about the person calling on Anne.

He stepped in warily into his house and overheard Anne’s cheery tone.

“Oh, James is finally here,” she was saying.

“That’s good. I have been eager to know who this James Connelly is for a long time,” the man answered sternly. “I have a good mind to tell him what I think about him for running my daughter all over the country like she was some goddamned fugitive.”

“Phillip,” a woman growled at him.

“Dad, you promised that you will behave,” Anne added strictly. “I won’t have you talking to James with that tone.”

“And why not?”

“Because he’s my boyfriend! And he’s important to me!” she exclaimed impatiently. “If not for him, at least for my sake you will respect him.”

Her father huffed and he heard her stomping out of the room and towards the hallway.

“James?” she asked, trying to retain some placidity in her voice.

“Hey.” He put an arm around her and kissed her on her brow, slipping the bouquet into her hands at the same time.

“For me?” She smiled.

“Yes.”

“They smell delicious.”

“They’re beautiful as well,” he said.

“I’m sure they are.” She beamed. “James, I know this has come as a surprise but my parents are here.”

She put her hand into his and he gripped it firmly. Was he going to lose her today?

His nervousness flooded through him, almost drowning his senses as she walked with him into the living room.

“Dad-” she started.

“Eric!” the woman standing beside her father gasped.

Anne paled on hearing the name, but tried ignoring it. “This… this is James Connelly.”

“You were dead,” the woman continued as she stared at him in a state of shock and bewilderment. “What kind of joke is this?”

“What’s going on?” Phillip Mullen growled with anger.

“He is James Connelly,” Anne said sternly.

“I’ve met Eric. I know Eric. He is Eric!” The woman burst out dizzily.

“Stop it! James may look like …him, but he is
not
him!” she shouted furiously,

“I don’t believe it… I don’t believe it,” the woman muttered as she fell against Phillip Mullen, her eyes wide and pinned on James with utter stun.

“This is not Eric! This isn’t Eric!” Anne screamed, her body shaking from her ire and her tears flowing from the frustration inside her. “Please… please stop it…”

“Lucy,” James said slowly.

Anne quavered, letting his hand go. And when he looked at her, she was staggering, her face ashen and drained from color.

“Anne.” He reached out to hold her but she pushed him away feebly.

“Stay away from her!” Phillip shouted. “Stay away from my daughter, you lying bastard!”