Deadly Vacation (Hardy Brothers Security Book 10) (16 page)

“I’m coming with you.” James, his eyes red from lack of sleep, was adamant.

Peter was calm despite the rage wafting off of the belligerent man. “You can’t. You can ride with the police, and listen over the wire. You’ll know everything that’s going on as it’s happening. I can’t risk having you there, though.”

“That’s my wife!”

“And that’s exactly why you need to be away from that meet,” Peter said, refusing to back down. “James, I’m not telling you this because I want to boss you around. I’ve looked over this scenario very carefully. I need to be in control of the meet. I will have Grady and two of my most trusted bodyguards with me.

“The second the trade has been made, the police – and you – will swoop in,” Peter said. “You won’t be far from her, and we will keep her safe until you can move in.”

James crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m going.”

“You can’t,” Grady said, his tone soft. “You’re on the edge. I get it. I do. I will be there to protect her. I promise you that. If you’re there, though, you won’t be able to keep yourself in check. You could risk everything.”

“You could risk her,” Peter said.

James’ eyes filled with tears, the wisdom of their words stilling him. “This is my fault. She asked me to go to the room with her so she could change. I was more interested in hearing what Sophie had to say. This is on me. She needs me.”

“She does need you,” Peter said. “I’m guessing that’s the only reason Stevens got her out of this hotel.”

“What do you mean?”

“I know Mandy,” Peter said. “She would’ve screamed if Stevens hadn’t threatened you. No threat against her would have stopped her from screaming bloody murder. The only thing that could have gotten her to shut her mouth is you. You seem to forget, she loves you as much as you love her.”

“He’s right,” Grady said. “She left to make sure you were safe. She has a huge mouth. She would have risked screaming if she thought she could have. Now you have to return the favor and let us get her for you. If something happens because you’re antsy, you’ll never forgive yourself.”

“I understand you feel the need to have her fate in your hands,” Peter said. “Know that you have her heart in your hands, and let that be enough. I will not let anything happen to Mandy. This exchange requires precision, though. I need to be able to control everything that happens in that park – and you’re out of control right now.”

James gripped Grady’s arm roughly. “Don’t let her out of your sight. Don’t make the same mistake I did. Don’t … lose her.”

“I won’t let her out of my sight,” Grady said. “Once I get my hands on her, they won’t leave.”

James made a face.

“You know what I mean,” Grady said, shooting him a weak smile. “I’ll keep her close. I promise. I love her, too.”

“WE’RE
meeting at a park?” Mandy was exhausted. She’d been up for more than twenty-four hours, and all she could think about was James. She knew him. She knew he would be blaming himself. She knew he would be freaking out. She knew his heart was breaking. She needed to get to him.

“We are,” Stevens said, pulling her to her feet and ushering her toward the front door of the hotel room. “Sidney set it up with some business associate of his. We’re not making the exchange with the cops. You’re going to another mobster. I’m sorry for that, but I didn’t make the deal. He says he doesn’t want to hurt you.”

Mandy’s heart jumped excitedly. “What mobster?”

“Some guy named Peter Marconi.”

Mandy fought the urge to laugh out loud. Instead, she plastered what she hoped would pass as a panicked look on her face. “And what does he want with me?”

“I have no idea,” Stevens said. “I just know he’s trading the chip for you, and when I deliver the chip to Sidney, I’m going to be a millionaire. Everything else is incidental.”

“Well, we should get going then,” Mandy said. “I would hate to keep you from your bright future.”

Stevens gestured toward Kent and Philip. “Let’s get this over with. We’re dealing with a professional. He knows the rules. This should be easy … and quick.”

“What about Shane?” Kent asked.

“His father is making other arrangements for his release. He didn’t say what they were, just that he would handle his son. We have to leave that to him. There’s no way we can get Shane out of that hotel. I think Sidney has some other plan to get him while he’s in transit.”

Mandy knew that wasn’t the truth. There was no way the cops were going to let Shane go, not even to secure her release. Something else was going on. That could only mean that Peter was orchestrating another miracle. She was actually excited to find out how he was going to pull this one off.

“SHOULD
we be sitting out here in the open like this?” Grady asked, glancing around nervously.

“Don’t do that,” Peter admonished him. “You look like you’re auditioning to be a chicken in an elementary school play.”

“How do you know what that looks like?” Grady asked.

“Because Sophie was a chicken in the fifth grade.”

Grady smirked, the direness of the situation lifting briefly. “Do you have pictures?”

“I will send you some,” Peter said. “She was adorable … and very yellow.”

“You were a good father to her,” Grady said. “You’re still a good father to her.”

“I wish I could be a father she was proud of,” Peter said. “Unfortunately, my business makes that impossible.”

“All she needs is a father who loves her,” Grady said. “You always want to help her. You always come through. That is a good father. She doesn’t care what you do for a living. Trust me.”

“Thank you for that.”

The two men sat in silence for a few minutes.

“So, run me through this,” Grady said. “How is this going to go down?”

“Sven and Marcus will approach this Officer Stevens and the other two,” Peter said. “You and I will remain sitting here. Just try to remain calm, and don’t run to Mandy the second you see her. Sven will take Mandy at the same time we hand over the envelope.”

“How do you know they won’t look in the envelope before handing Mandy over?”

“I don’t,” Peter said. “There is a fake chip in there, though. I’m guessing Officer Stevens has no idea what a regular computer chip and a prototype computer chip look like. It will be fine.”

“And then what happens?”

“Sven will walk Mandy back to us,” Peter said. “The second she is with you, the police will move in.”

“What happens if they shoot?”

“Then we’ll shoot back,” Peter said. “I’m guessing that Stevens might try to go out in a blaze of glory, but the other two sound like cowards. They’ll surrender. It won’t be a long fight.”

“We need to make sure Mandy is protected if they start shooting,” Grady said. “My brother won’t survive if something happens to her.”

“Neither will Sophie,” Peter said. “Mandy will be taken care of. Just … play it by ear and be calm.”

“Here they come,” Grady said, pointing when he recognized Stevens. “I don’t see Mandy.”

“No,” Peter said, clenching his jaw. “I’m sure she’s here, though. Let me do the talking.”

“Okay,” Grady said. “Let’s do this.”

“YOU MUST
be Officer Stevens,” Peter said, remaining in his spot on the bench and fixing Stevens with a bored look.

“And you must be Peter Marconi,” Stevens said. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“I’m sure it is,” Peter said. “For you. Where is Mandy?”

“I’ll turn her over the second I have the chip,” Stevens said.

“I’m not handing over the chip until I see her,” Peter said. “I want her here, and I want her here now. I’m not here to play games. Bring the girl out right now.”

Stevens shifted from one foot to the other. “What is she to you?”

“A bargaining chip,” Peter lied. “What I need her for is really none of your concern. Just know she’s valuable enough for me to hand over a billion-dollar chip. Now, if you want the chip, I want the blonde.”

Grady was impressed with Peter’s tone. The man was icy, and he didn’t scare. He was a master, and Grady was glad he wasn’t alone for the exchange. For his part, Grady was a bundle of nerves, and there was no way he was capable of conducting a civil conversation with the man who had taken his sister-in-law from them. He was more likely to beat him to death.

“Fine,” Stevens said. He gestured to a spot near some trees about a fifty yards away, and Grady exhaled heavily when he saw a third man drag Mandy out into the open. “Now, give me the chip.”

“We’re going to do the exchange at the same time,” Peter said. “My security detail will take possession of the girl at the exact same moment you take possession of the chip.”

“How do I know the chip is really in there?” Stevens asked.

“Because I’m not willing to get into a mob war,” Peter said. “Didn’t Sidney tell you we had this worked out?”

“He did,” Stevens hedged. “I just … I don’t know him very well. I do know that guy, though.” Stevens gestured toward Grady. “Why is he working with the mob?”

“Because I owed him a favor,” Peter said. “Now he owes me one.”

“And that’s worth all that money?”

“It’s an interesting favor,” Peter said.

“What favor?”

“Again, that’s none of your concern.”

The man holding Mandy approached the small group. He was clearly nervous. Mandy’s eyes were unreadable as they bounced between the assembled men. She was looking for James. When she didn’t find him, her gaze finally latched onto Grady. He sent her a reassuring smile.

Peter withdrew an envelope from his pocket and handed it to Marcus. “Make sure Sven has his hands on Mandy before you hand this over.”

Marcus nodded wordlessly, and he and Sven approached Stevens. They were both monstrous walls of muscle, and Stevens blanched as they approached.

“Give me the envelope,” Stevens said.

Sven gestured toward Mandy.

“I’ll give her to you as soon as I look in the envelope.”

Sven shook his head and gestured toward Mandy again.

Stevens sighed. “Fine. Take her.” He nodded to Kent.

As soon as Kent released her, Mandy moved forward and Sven had an arm wrapped around her as he turned, shielding her with his body for the walk back to Peter and Grady. Grady got to his feet, and he drew Mandy in for a tight hug the second he could.

“Where’s James?”

“He’s fine,” Grady said. “He’s close. Get ready to run.”

Mandy nodded, her eyes fearful.

“You have your chip,” Peter said. “We have our girl. This deal is officially over.”

Those were the code words, and Grady braced himself for the onslaught of police officers. “Hold on, Mandy. Stay right here with me.”

“Great. Well, have a nice day,” Stevens said, his tone blasé. “Thanks for doing business with us.”

“Put your hands in the air!”

Thirty police officers – most of them in plain clothes – suddenly swarmed the park square, and Grady dragged Mandy down to the ground in front of him – draping his body over hers in case Stevens decided to start shooting.

“What the hell? You burned me?” Stevens' eyes were wide, and he moved to pull a gun out of his pocket. He didn’t get the chance, though, because a blur of energy tackled him from the left, knocking the air out of him.

James slammed his fist into Stevens’ face. “You should have never touched my wife,” he raged. He punched him again. “I’m going to kill you.”

Boyd made sure Philip and Kent were safely in custody before he approached James. “Mr. Hardy … .”

James was beyond hearing – or reasoning – as he lifted Stevens off the ground and then slammed him back down. He hit the man over and over, his fists raining an endless barrage of anger down on the man who had stolen – and injured – his wife.

“Mr. Hardy, you have to get off of him,” Boyd said. “He’s not a threat. We’re going to take him into custody.”

James punched Stevens again. “You hit my wife. You hit her.”

Boyd looked to Grady for help, and as Grady pulled Mandy to a standing position, she pulled away from him, only his hand on her arm remaining. “James!”

James stilled when he heard her voice, his fist cocked for another blow. When his gaze landed on his wife, he climbed off of Stevens and ran toward her. Mandy broke free of Grady and raced to her husband, letting him sweep her into his arms and hold her tight.

The second Mandy was with him, James felt the rage and fear of the past twelve hours vacate his body. He pressed her shaking frame against his chest and then sank to the ground. “Baby.”

Mandy kissed his cheek. “I’m okay.”

James tangled his hands in her hair and squeezed her. “I thought … I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have let you out of my sight. This was all my fault. I’m so sorry.”

“It wasn’t your fault,” Mandy argued, gasping for breath. “I can’t breathe.”

James relaxed his hold, but only marginally. “I’m so sorry.”