Loose Ends (Magnolia Series Book 1) (23 page)

“Fine. I’m putting mine down.” Luke began to lower his weapon and then crouched to the floor. He placed the black metal in front of him and stood with both hands raised in front of him.

“Kick it over here,” she blurted out. “Now.”

“Okay.” Luke put his foot over the gun and slid it across the floor. The scraping sound echoing in the room around them.

Ava kept hers trained on his broad chest as she crouched to retrieve the gun he’d slid over. When she stood, she tucked the extra weapon in the waistband of her jeans. “Do you have any other weapons on you?” she asked.

“No.” He didn’t seem at all phased by having the barrel of a deadly weapon aimed at his chest.

“Good. I’m going to grab my stuff and leave. If you try to follow me, I will fucking shoot you, Luke.”

“Ava,” Luke’s voice held warning.

“Don’t try to stop me. I know why you’re here.”

“Why am I here?” Luke asked, cocking his head to the side.

“You were hired by Frankie to take me out. Well I have news for you, I won’t go down without a fight.” Ava raised her chin in defiance.

“Jesus. Ava, before you leave, I need to explain a few things.”

“I don’t want to hear anything from you, Luke. You’re full of lies.”

“Fine. But at least let me show you something before you go.” He began to reach around to his back pocket.

“Hands where I can see them!” she shouted.

“I already told you I don’t have another weapon. I have something to show you and I need you to see it.”

Ava nodded. “Pull it out slowly and toss it over here.”

Luke grabbed ahold of something and brought his arm back around to the front of his body. It looked like he was holding some sort of wallet. With a flick of his wrist, the item was at her feet. Ava held her gun on him while she picked up the black leather item. She turned it over several time in her hands.

“Open it,” Luke said.

“I am.” With one hand Ava unfolded it and gasped as three bold letters and the unmistakable gold emblem stared back at her. “This isn’t real.” She tossed it to the floor and gawked at Luke.

“It’s as real as they come, Ava.” Luke ran a hand over his face, the sound of his beard rasping against his fingers. “And you’re holding a weapon on me.” He began to step forward.

“Back up,” she demanded but he kept taking steps, coming closer and closer.

“I think you know deep down that it’s real. So ask yourself what the repercussions are if you shoot me. Do you think they’ll go easy on you?”

“Please don’t do this, Luke.” Ava felt the hot sting of tears fill her eyes.

Luke held out his hand. “Then give me the gun.”

“How do I know you’re telling the truth?” The salty liquid began to stream down her face.

“He
is
telling the truth,” Cole said as he stepped into the room. He then whipped out the same black bi-folded item Luke had tossed to her. “See?”

Ava’s back hit the wall behind her. She was trapped. Her head dropped forward and her arm went limp. Before the gun could fall from her fingers to the floor, it was gingerly taken by Luke’s bigger hand. Emotions flooded her as she tried to hold herself upright.

“I think she’s in shock,” Cole pointed out.

“Ava, sweetheart, I need you to look at me.” Luke placed a finger under her chin to make eye contact. Ava’s vision was blurred from the mass tears bleeding from her eyes. She nodded but her head felt like it was floating and her legs seemed like they were made from Jell-O.

“I don’t feel so good.” Her stomach roiled.

Luke stepped out of the way just as she doubled over and vomited. He grabbed her hair and pulled it back in one hand as she heaved. Her stomach muscles protested as she straightened.

“Let’s get you cleaned up.” Luke put an arm around her waist and led her down the hall to the bathroom. “Here, have a seat.” He helped her sit on the side of the bathtub. He worked around the small room and was soon crouched in front of her with a damp washcloth. He pressed it to her forehead and she sighed in response.

“Are you going to arrest me?” she asked.

“No. We aren’t here to take you in. We’re trying to draw out Frankie.” Luke continued to pat her face with the cloth.

“But I stole money,” she admitted.

“Wait. You did
what
?” Luke became serious all of a sudden.

“I stole it,
all
of it. When I saw what he did to that man, I grabbed it and ran.”

“Where is it, Ava?”

“Hey Daughtry, you’ve gotta see this.” Cole stood in the doorway with the large black duffle in his hands. “There has to be millions in this thing!” he exclaimed.

“Almost $2 million,” Ava’s voice came out weak. Both men looked at her. “I used some to buy this house.”

“That’s why they’re looking for you.” Luke ran a hand through his shaggy hair.

Ava nodded. “Frankie won’t stop until he finds his money. And since I took it, he’ll want to make sure I won’t take anything else.
Ever again
.”

“Get on the horn with the home office. Let them know what we’ve found. Tell them to get their asses down here,” Luke barked orders to Cole.

“What do we do in the meantime?” Cole asked.

“We get her somewhere safe.”

Ava glanced over to Cole and sucked in a breath.

“You’re bleeding.”

Cole looked down to his leg and back to Ava. “Bullet grazed me. You had some company earlier and we took care of them.”

Ava stood up so fast her head spun. “They know where I am now?”

“Yes. That’s why we need to get you someplace safe.” Luke grabbed her shoulders and looked her in the eye.

“No. I’ll leave. If I go they won’t be able to find me.”

“You can’t keep running like this, Ava. They’ll track you no matter where you go.”

“He’s right,” Cole agreed. “You’re best bet is to stick with us. We’ll make sure you’re safe.”

Just then Luke’s cell phone rang. Ava watched as he pulled the device from his pocket and stared at the screen. “Fuck,” he cursed.

“What’s up?” Cole stepped further into the room.

“They never call on my personal number, only the burner phone. They know who I am now.”

“Then we’d better get the hell out of here.” Cole snatched up the duffle full of money and left the bathroom.

Luke turned to a shaky Ava and grabbed the sides of her face in his rough hands. “Listen, I will explain everything once I have you in a secure location. I need you to trust me. Can you do that?”

Ava didn’t want to trust him. She wanted to flee and hope she’d get a running start. But the sincere look in Luke’s eyes told her everything she needed to know. She could trust him. He knew how to protect her. “I trust you,” she whispered.

Luke leaned forward and brushed his lips across her forehead. Confusion washed over her at the intimacy in the action. “I’m sorry about all of this. The lying and the things I said, Ava.”

“I don’t know if I can forgive you.” She wasn’t lying. It was hard to forgive someone when they shredded your heart like it never mattered to them.

“I understand.” Luke nodded.

“I need to grab my bags.” Ava brushed past his warm body; a shudder wafted over her as the jolt of attraction sparked deep in her core. She shouldn’t still be attracted to him. He wasn’t who he said he was. But there was nothing that could quell the boiling sensations she felt when close to him. She hated to admit; Luke was it for her. But unfortunately, this wasn’t going to have a happily ever after.

Chapte
r
Twenty-On
e

“The guys are coming
from Gulfport. Should be here by morning,” Cole informed Luke as he drove toward his house.

It was the safest location he could think of. Ava would be comfortable and he had enough firepower stashed around the property to take down a small country. With his and Cole’s talents, they could quite possibly come out of this thing unscathed. He glanced over at Ava in the passenger seat. Her hair was loose around her shoulder and the glow from the dash lights shone on her flawless face, making her appear angelic. Damn it he loved this woman. But now wasn’t the time for hearts and flowers. If they made it through this shit, he’d figure out what to do with his feelings. For now, he needed to be in combat mode.

“We’ll hunker down and wait it out. I have a feeling Frankie and his boys are on their way. If we can hold them off until the cavalry arrives in the morning, we can get on a plane and get her into Wit-Sec,” Luke said, turning his head and looking at Cole in the back seat.

Ava’s head popped up. “I’m not going into witness protection. No fucking way.”

“You don’t have a choice.” Luke was all business.

“Yes I do. Pull over!” she shouted in the interior of the truck.

“Ava, calm down.” Luke could see she was on the verge of another breakdown.

“How am I supposed to calm down? You want to stash me away in some Amish community, change my name and pretend I don’t exist. I can’t live like that.”

Luke couldn’t help but feel saddened by the way the prospect of witness protection affected Ava. Her strong will and determination held steady even though she was in a life-and-death situation. He admired her even more for it. “Okay. Let’s get through tonight and then we’ll figure out what to do.”

Ava visibly relaxed and leaned her head against the window. “I’m so tired,” she whispered.

“When we get home you can rest,” Luke offered.

“No, I’m tired of running. I’ve done nothing but look over my shoulder for the last two years. I don’t know if I can do this anymore.” She sighed.

Luke didn’t know what to say to that. He couldn’t guarantee she’d never have to run again, although he wanted to. If he could climb a ladder to the moon, he’d hand her that glowing hunk of rock and every damn star in the sky if she wanted. But the only thing she wanted was safety. That was something he’d try to give her until he was taken from this world. The decision was made a long time ago; he’d die for this woman.

***

“How about you go upstairs and get a shower. Cole and I will secure the house and perimeter.”

Ava stood in the kitchen of Luke’s home. The same spot where he’d spouted off horrible things and broke her heart into tiny fragments of nothingness. She was almost certain if she swept her hand across the floor, she’d feel the piercing shards that were left behind.

“Hey.” Luke stood so close she could feel his body heat trying to give her strength. “Ava, it’s going to be okay.”

“I want it to be.” Her voice came out weak.

“I swear to you.” He grabbed the sides of her face and grazed his thumbs over her cheeks. “I won’t let anything happen to you.” The confidence in his voice was a stark contrast to the uncertainty in hers.

“Okay,” she said weakly.

“Take this.” Luke pushed a walkie-talkie into her hand. “If you need anything, just talk into this. Either Cole or I will be in here in seconds.”

She curled her fingers around the device and nodded. Nothing else was said as she turned on her heel and dragged her feet through the house and up the gorgeous staircase. But tonight, it didn’t hold the appeal it once had. It was only a vehicle to take her to a room she didn’t want to be in. Nonetheless, she was headed there anyway.

Each step Ava took further into Luke’s room caused her to reminisce back to the times they shared here. The moments when life had the illusion of being serene and filled with perfection. Now it was clear everything was a fool’s paradise wrapped in a pipe dream and sealed with fallacy. Either way, she was here. Might as well get cleaned up and lay down for a few minutes.

***

“You okay?” Cole asked as they swept the perimeter of the property. There was no way to gauge the entire sixty acres, but they could do their best to make sure the house wasn’t vulnerable.

“Fuck if I know.” Luke stopped and placed another motion detecting device on the lawn.

“I don’t know how she’s lasted this long.” Cole shook his head.

“Because she’s smart and has an iron will.”

“Too bad she’s had ties with the mob. I’m sure the agency would love to have someone like her on our team,” Cole joked.

“Yeah, I’m sure.” Luke continued on their path, placing more devices around the grounds.

“I’m sure you have a lot of explaining to do.”

“I at least owe her that much. She’ll hate me no matter what at this point but I have to clear the air at least.”

“You’d better get to it then. I’ll finish this up.”

“Alright, man.” Luke clapped Cole on the back.

“I’ve got the first watch. I’m pretty much wired so take all the time you need,” he offered.

“Thanks, I appreciate it.” Luke was honored to have a partner like Cole. He knew that no matter what, the other man had his six. But now it was time to bite the bullet and tell Ava everything. Some things she wasn’t going to want to hear, but he knew it was time to tell her.

Making his way through the house, Luke took the stairs two at a time on the way up to his bedroom. When he opened the door the breath was knocked out of him at the sight of Ava sitting in the middle of his bed, her knees pulled to her chest. She looked absolutely beautiful with her hair still damp from her shower and a baggy t-shirt covering her small frame. Instinct screamed for him to go to her, pull her body next to his and never let go. But he couldn’t do that. She was like a cornered animal right now. If he spooked her, she’d draw further into herself and shut him out completely.

“Can I come in?” Luke stood in the doorway.

“It’s your house.” She shrugged. “Or is this your house at all? Was this another elaborate ruse?” She pinned him with a no-nonsense stare.

“Actually, this is my house. The story about my grandmother and family is true. She left it to me when she passed away.” He stepped closer to the bed. “I want to explain everything…if you’ll let me.”

“Seems like we have time. Might as well get to it.”

He admired the little bit of sass and fire she was showing. It told him she hadn’t yet given up. “I’m not sure where to start exactly, but I guess the beginning will suffice.”

“I’d say so.”

There was that attitude once more. Luke grinned in response. “When I was first accepted into the academy I was assigned to a case in Chicago. We didn’t have a choice back then, you went where they told you.” He took a seat on the end of the bed. “The investigation was a homicide.”

“Why would the FBI be involved in a murder investigation?” she asked. “That’s not really in your jurisdiction.”

“Very smart. You’re right. But when the suspects have ties to organized crime, we
do
have jurisdiction. This one was one of those cases.” Luke watched Ava scoot back and prop herself against the pillows behind her. His mouth automatically went dry at the sight of her bare thighs. He snapped his attention back to her face. “A couple was murdered and all leads pointed to the Bohannan family.”

It didn’t take long for recognition to dawn on Ava’s face. “Bohannan? Wait, that’s Frankie’s last name.”

“Precisely.” Luke didn’t want to reveal the next part but he had to tie all the pieces together for her. “Ava, the case I was working on was the one involving your parents.”

“
What
?” Her eyes narrowed into tiny slits as she tried to process this new information.

“The case had gone cold and myself and a couple colleagues were trying to figure out the connection between the Bohannans and your parents.”

“My parents weren’t in the fucking mob.” Her defenses went up.

“No, they weren’t. But their business was secured by Frankie Senior. He owned the building that housed their bookstore.”

“So what? He was their landlord. That doesn’t mean he killed them.”

“Ava, he had a laundering operation in the basement of that building. Your mom and dad discovered it. How do you think Frankie Senior reacted to someone knowing about his little business?” Luke watched the tears begin to roll down Ava’s cheeks but he continued. “They were taken care of because they saw too much. The same thing they’re trying to do to you.”

“Why would Frankie want me as his girlfriend then? Why go to the trouble of having your son date the daughter of the people you killed? It doesn’t make sense.” Ava shook her head.

“Think about it. If you wanted to take the heat off yourself, wouldn’t you want to get as close to the family as possible?”

“Yes.”

“Where did you meet Frankie Junior?” Luke asked.

“He was a client when I was in cosmetology school.”

“Did he become a client shortly after your parent’s deaths?”

“Yes, he did.”

“They’ve been using you to keep us off their trail.”

“That still doesn’t explain how you ended up here.”

“When Frankie Junior needed someone to take care of you, I went undercover. He didn’t know me from the investigation with your parents because I only dealt with his father. So I was golden to slip in there and find you.”

“You were hired as a hitman?”

“Yes. But they wanted something other than to dispose of you.”

“The money,” Ava breathed.

“Exactly. But now they know who I am.”

“What do we do?” Ava had a worried look in her eyes.

“We wait. Cole and I have everything secure. He’s taking the first watch so we can rest.”

Ava glanced around the room and back to him. “I’m scared,” she said on a whisper.

Luke couldn’t help himself. He sat beside her on the bed and pulled her to his chest. The top of her head sat just under his chin and he ran a hand down the damp strands of her hair. “I’m here, sweetheart,” he soothed.

Ava pulled back. “Luke, I need you.” She looked into his eyes and it was almost like she was pleading with him.

“You have me,” he said.

There was no warning when she launched herself at him and fused her lips to his. The force of her actions caused him to lose balance and land on his back on the soft mattress.

“Just one more night, that’s all I’m asking for,” she said as she lay on top of him.

He thrust his fingers in her hair and tugged. “One more night.”