Lizzy Gardner #2_Dead Weight (11 page)

“After much deliberation I had the kitten’s name narrowed down to Rumpelstiltskin or Harriett, so—” he leaned over and reached deep inside the basket and pulled out a tiny book, “—I got you this. .a book of names.”

Holding the kitty close, she came to her feet and stood on tippy-toes so she could brush her lips against Jared’s stubbled jaw. “Where did you find her?”

“After arriving home less than three hours ago, I took a shower and then ran to the store for milk. I was almost to the entrance when I overheard a mother telling her child that ive out of six wasn’t bad.

But apparently the woman had to work for a living and they had been there all day already and they couldn’t afford to take the kitten home. Their next stop was the pound.”

Lizzy made a sad face.

“I kept walking, reminding myself I didn’t have time for this. Then the kid started crying and when I looked over my shoulder, I saw Rumpelstiltskin’s head peek out of the box.” Jared shook his head.

“She was looking right at me with those big blue eyes. I inwardly cursed the kid, the cat, and the heartless mother, reminding myself of all the reasons why I should keep on walking just like everyone else sauntering by the sad little trio without consequence.”

Lizzy laughed.

“It’s not funny. A man in a suit mouthed the word ‘sucker’ as he dashed past me and disappeared inside the store.”

“That’s horrible.”

“I thought so.”

“But you are the sweetest, most adorable man in the world,” Lizzy told him.

“That’s more like it.”

Jared was a sucker for poor helpless creatures, which was just one of the many reasons why she cared about him so much. “Is she mine?”

“It’s complicated,” Jared said.

She kissed the kitten’s belly before setting the kitten on the loor.

Together they watched Rumpelstiltskin wander around on wobbly legs.

Lizzy wrapped her arms around Jared’s waist and looked into his eyes. “Complicated in what way?”

Jared pulled Lizzy tight against him and kissed her good and long.

“I’ve missed you,” he said after pulling away. “But on the ride over here, me and Rumpelstiltskin formed a special bond. And besides, I already promised Stiltskin that she could come home with me. But you, Lizzy Gardner, get to give her a proper name, and when you’re ready to move in, me and Rumpel will be waiting with open arms.”

She dropped her arms to her hips. “Are you blackmailing me, Jared Michael Shayne?”

“I would never do such a thing.”

He kissed the side of her neck.

She reached a hand beneath the hem of his shirt and reveled in the feel of his hard, warm torso against her palm.

That’s all it took. Jared picked her up and carried her down the hall and into the bedroom.

She pulled his shirt over his head. Then he pulled off her shirt too.

She had a dif icult time with his belt, so he took over from there. He stood naked at the end of the bed before she could slide the sandals off of her feet.

He smiled and slid one sandal off at a time. The man made everything he did look sexy. Her jeans and red panties came next.

Then he climbed onto the bed, hovering over her before he slid his hand behind her back and unhooked her bra with one quick lick of his wrist.

“Impressive.”

He smiled. “You haven’t seen anything yet.”

Reaching for him, she stroked the length of him, enjoying the look of blissful satisfaction on his face. “If that’s true,” she said, “I’m in
big
trouble.”

He let out a growl and then proceeded to make a meal out of her, starting with her neck and nibbling his way over her collarbone and lower until she was rendered speechless.

Chapter 16

Don’t Judge a Book by its Cover

Jessica climbed in behind the wheel and turned the key in the ignition. Nothing happened.

Hayley climbed in on the passenger side and took a seat.

“The car still won’t start. I’m going to call a tow truck.”

“That would cost a fortune,” Hayley said. “Put your foot heavy and flat on the accelerator before you turn the key next time.”

“That doesn’t work. I just need to give it a minute before I try again.”

“Let’s knock on Farrell’s door,” Hayley said, “and see what he’s up to.”

“No way, Jose.”

Hayley thought only ten-year olds said shit like that, but like most things that came out of Jessica’s mouth, she let it go. “I thought you wanted to be a criminologist?” Hayley asked instead.

“What does that have to do with anything?”

“How are you going to igure people out if you’re too afraid to talk to strangers?”

“I’m not afraid to talk to strangers.”

“Well, what was your problem with talking to Johnson then?”

“He’s a criminal and a full-blown druggy.”

“You don’t know that.”

“Give me a break. His hands were shaking. He was experiencing shortness of breath and he was sweating profusely.”

“I guess you didn’t see the stack of vitamins and prescriptions on the coffee table, did you?”

“I figured those were for his elderly mother.”

“Wow, you don’t stereotype, do you?”

“Okay, then what were the pills for?”

“He wasn’t shaking; those were tremors. Theodore Johnson has full-blown Parkinson’s. The prescription was for L-dopa.”

Jessica took in a long deep breath. “Okay, I admit, I was too quick to judge. Happy?”

“No. Not happy, but satis ied. So which one of us is going to knock on Farrell’s door?”

“I have a perfectly good cell phone if we want to call a taxi. Why would you want to bother Farrell?”

“He’s on our watch list and his house is right across the street staring back at me.”

Jessica dropped her foot on the gas pedal and turned the key. The engine had no choice but to sputter to life.

“Don’t go anywhere,” Hayley said, her tone firm. She tipped her chin toward Farrell’s house, prompting Jessica to look over her shoulder.

They both watched Farrell’s garage door open. A white minivan backed out onto the street.

“Let’s follow him.”

“Why?”

Hayley reached under her seat and grabbed the digital camera Lizzy had loaned her for just these types of instances.

“It’s going to be getting dark soon and we still haven’t checked in with Lizzy.”

Hayley waved her comment off. “Lizzy would have called if she needed us. Come on, let’s go. We’re going to lose him.”

Hayley was surprised when Jessica didn’t argue further. Jessica made a quick three-point turn. It didn’t take long to catch up to the minivan. There was a driver, but no passenger inside the van. It was de initely Farrell behind the wheel. His crew cut and big ears made him easy to spot.

After removing the lens cap, Hayley made a few adjustments for exposure so she could get a decent picture if they caught Farrell getting out of the car without assistance. According to his ile, a fall at work had aggravated his knees. He was supposed to be wheelchair bound for another six weeks. The fall had supposedly taken away his ability to get around and therefore he was suing for loss of wages.

“He’s getting onto the freeway.”

“Don’t lose him.”

Jessica stepped hard on the gas. The engine noise went from tolerable to deafening as Jessica did her best to stay a few cars behind the van.

“I wonder where he’s going.”

They didn’t have to wonder for long. The minivan took a right off of the Harbor Boulevard exit. They took a left on Harbor and a right on Industrial. A few minutes later, they followed the van into a deserted parking lot.

Farrell parked in front of a rundown auto mechanics building complete with a row of abandoned cars that had been picked apart.

Across the street was a gas station with a mini-market.

“I don’t like this,” Jessica said, revving the engine to keep it from puttering out and dying on them. “I think we should go.”

“Just stay calm.” Hayley examined the camera in her lap. “Let’s wait a few minutes to see if he gets out of the car.”

“We shouldn’t be here. I never should have listened to you.”

“Why does everything I do piss you off?” Hayley asked.

“You really want to know?”

“I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t.”

Jessica pointed a inger at Hayley and said, “For starters, you’re sel ish. You come into work whenever you feel like it. You don’t care about anybody but yourself. You’re not the only one in the world who was dealt a crappy dysfunctional childhood.”

“Really? You mean I’m not the only fourteen year old to get fucked day after day, week after week, by her mother’s boyfriend and all of his friends? Well, thank you, Jessica. I feel better already. And here I thought I was the only one. Wow.”

Hayley screwed the lens cap back onto the camera, put the strap over her shoulder, and opened the car door.

“What are you doing?”

“See that market across the street?”

Jessica nodded.

“I’m going to go inside and get something to drink. Then I’m going to sit on the sidewalk over there and wait and see what Farrell does next. In the meantime, you can drive on home before it gets dark.”

“I’m not leaving you here in the middle of nowhere. Lizzy would kill me.”

“Have it your way,” Hayley said before shutting the door and heading for the market.

Jessica’s shoulders slumped forward as she watched Hayley walk off. Once again, Hayley had managed to make her feel like crap. Twice in one hour. Johnson was not a druggy; the man had Parkinson’s. And poor Hayley had been forced to endure multiple rapes at a young age for how many years, she wasn’t sure.

Jessica thought about calling out to Hayley and apologizing, but she’d already disappeared inside the store.

A bad feeling settled in the pit of Jessica’s stomach. She looked at her cell phone and thought about dialing Lizzy’s number. Lizzy would tell her what to do. But that would only serve to get Hayley into trouble and then Hayley would hate her more than she already did.

Jessica placed her phone on the console at the same moment a big hand reached inside her window and opened her car door. Before she could process what was happening, Farrell unlatched her seatbelt and pulled her from the car, his beefy hands clamped around her upper arms, his knuckles white as he shook her.

“Let go of me!”

“Somebody’s got to teach you two not to meddle in other people’s business,” Farrell growled.

“You better let me go or I’m going to call the police.”

“I’ll be the one calling the police. You and your friend might just end up spending a night in jail for trespassing. There isn’t a neighbor within a block of my house who didn’t see you two speeding through the neighborhood, almost killing our kids before deciding to trespass.”

“I wasn’t speeding. And it was a dog I almost ran over, not a kid. That dog ran into the street without warning. And we didn’t trespass. We had a legitimate reason for being in your neighborhood and it had nothing to do with you. Now get your hands off of me.”

“I’ve had enough of you two following me and getting in my way.”

He shook her so hard, spittle flew out of Jessica’s mouth.

Jessica was about to scream when she saw Hayley run up from behind the man and put him in a chokehold.

Everything happened fast after that.

Farrell let go of Jessica, and he might have taken Hayley out with one quick jab of his elbow if it weren’t for the three-inch blade she held against his throat.

A drop of blood hit the cement.

It took Jessica a moment to grasp what she was seeing. “Hayley, no!”

Chapter 17

What’s Love Got to do With it?

Thoroughly satisfied, Lizzy’s hand rested on Jared’s naked chest.

She had fed Rumpelstiltskin an hour ago and the kitten was curled up on the chair in the corner of her room. She’d slept like a baby last night. No nightmares. No waking up in a cold sweat. She turned on her side and nibbled on Jared’s ear. “I think that might have been the best night of sex we’ve ever had.”

“Good, because I need you to keep that thought for the next two weeks.”

She propped herself up on an elbow so she could see his face.

“You’re leaving again?”

“Not until Saturday morning.” He kissed her forehead. “We have the rest of the week before I leave. And besides, I’ll be back before you have time to miss me.”

“Not true. I miss you already.”

“I’ll set you up on Skype so we can get some face time.”

“I don’t like Skype.”

“You don’t know that until you try it.”

She lopped backward until her head hit the pillow. “What about kitty?”

“It’s all taken care of. My neighbor agreed to watch Pinocchio.”

“You mean Rumpelstiltskin?”

“Yes, that’s what I meant.” It was Jared’s turn to swivel to his side so that he was hovering over Lizzy. He played with a strand of hair near her ear.

“You knew you were going to be leaving. Why did you wait so long to tell me?”

“I knew you would be sad and I didn’t want to ruin our one night together with one big tear-fest.”

She smiled. “Ridiculous.”

“That’s right—ridiculously in love with you. That’s what I am.”

Lizzy didn’t respond. She never responded when he used the L

word. Although they had dated back in high school, they had only been reunited six months. Even if the luttering of butter ly wings she felt every time he looked at her were the stirrings of love, it was too soon. Way too soon.

His eyes glistened, making her feel adored as he gazed at her before he brushed his lips across her forehead. He pushed himself from the bed and looked around for his clothes, giving Lizzy a chance to admire his naked form in all its glory. He had a killer ass and a well-toned physique that made it dif icult to possess a single coherent thought.

She should have already moved in with him.

What kind of an idiot was she? Hell, she should have asked him to marry her for God’s sake, but she couldn’t. .or wouldn’t. .and instead she said absolutely nothing.

“What are you thinking about?” he asked after he was dressed from the waist down.