Authors: Heather Lowell
“Kevin? Are you okay?” Tessa asked.
“Fine. This asshole is history,” he said, tightening his grip on Sledge’s arms and at the same time forcing the older man’s head down to his chest from behind. Sledge heaved and grunted a few times, but could not shake off his opponent.
Tessa thought fast. Yes, Sledge was immobilized. But as soon as Kevin let him go, he could take another shot and really hurt someone. She’d be forced to bash in Aiken’s brains with the flashlight, and there would be a lot of explaining to do to her boss.
“Yes, is this the 911 operator?” Tessa said suddenly. She watched as Sledge froze. “There’s a fight in the parking lot behind Game World. Someone just attacked a guy here, we need help. How long? Okay, I’ll stay on the line.”
Sledge made another effort to throw Kevin off his back. “You’re breaking my neck, man.”
“The police will be here in about four minutes,” Tessa said.
“I can hold him that long. No problem,” Kevin said. “I’m not even sweating.”
“Why don’t we forget about this little incident?” Tessa said, looking at Sledge. “That way, no one has to deal with the paperwork.”
“What?” Kevin asked, surprised into loosening his hold.
“How about you let go of Mr. Aiken, then he gets in his car and drives away. We forget this ever happened, and he stays the hell away from Kelly. Sound like a plan?” Tessa asked Sledge.
“Fine. Whatever. Just get this dickhead off of me.”
“Let him go, Kevin. We’re not going to solve this tonight.” Tessa checked Kelly to make sure the window was rolled back up and the door was still locked.
Kevin stood and dusted his pants off with his hands. Normally, he’d hold a hand out to help his wrestling opponent off the ground. Instead, he stood over Aiken with feet spread and arms at his side, ready to take the guy down again if he made a move toward Tessa or Kelly.
Sledge pulled himself off the ground and wiped his bleeding nose with the back of his hand. With a wary eye on Kevin, he began to edge toward the Hummer. “This isn’t over. You can’t get off telling lies about me to the police. No one is going to believe that little slut, so y’all had best just keep your mouths shut.”
Kevin took a step forward. “I’m going to say this real slow-like, so you understand. Go on home, boy. Git!”
It might have been over a decade since Kevin had left Virginia, but the rhythms of the South could still come through in his speech. He spoke to Sledge in the same way he had addressed the sweet and stupid hound dog he had gotten as a boy.
Sledge pinned Tessa with a glare. “You know what they say about paybacks—they’re a bitch. Bitch.”
Tessa leaped forward to restrain Kevin. “Let him go. He’s just talking trash because he can’t do anything else. Let’s get in the car.”
Kevin waited until Aiken’s taillights had disappeared. Then he opened Kelly’s door and helped her into the rear passenger seat. “I think you should lie down back here.”
Kelly said nothing, just slid over and slumped low in the seat so she couldn’t be seen.
“Good idea, Kev. I’m going to drive around for a while so we can all calm down.” Tessa met Kevin’s eyes. He knew she was going to make sure they weren’t being followed, but said nothing that would upset Kelly. Instead, he opened the front passenger window and adjusted the side mirror so he could
watch the traffic behind them. He had no idea what was going on, but since he’d grown up as the son of the director of the FBI, he knew well the security routines that were routinely employed to ensure the Jacobi family’s safety.
Half an hour later, Tessa turned down yet another residential street. She hadn’t seen any cars behind them, and felt it was safe to go to the shelter.
“I think she’s asleep,” Kevin said.
“Good. Christ, what a night,” Tessa said. “I can’t believe I threatened to arrest Sledge Aiken.”
“I can’t believe what a candy ass he is. He wouldn’t last ten seconds with my wrestling team.”
“If I hadn’t seen it for myself, I never would have believed it.”
“Why, because he’s a star quarterback? That’s nothing. He knows how to throw a ball, run, and get tackled. He clearly doesn’t have any experience with self-defense or wrestling. Bet he takes some lessons after tonight,” Kevin said with a grin.
“God, don’t remind me. Humiliated men with inflated egos make very dangerous enemies. Especially when they have media sharks as lawyers. My boss is going to kill me,” Tessa groaned.
“Nothing’s going to happen.”
“What are you talking about?” Tessa asked.
“You just don’t understand men, Tessa. He’s not going to say anything to anyone. Otherwise, he’d have to admit that he got his ass kicked by me in front of witnesses. His ego can’t afford that. He’s probably worried you’re going to say something and expose him.”
Tessa hadn’t thought of that. “Since I was instructed yesterday in very specific terms to leave Sledge Aiken alone and not antagonize him further, my lips are sealed. I don’t want anyone hearing how we ran into each other tonight.”
“Yeah, what are the chances of that happening in a city the size of Los Angeles?” Kevin asked.
Slim to none
, Tessa thought grimly, though she said nothing. Apparently, Sledge Aiken had been following their movements. Since he drove a high-profile luxury SUV, she figured that meant he had someone else following them so he could arrange the meeting in a quiet location—on his terms.
“Anyway, it’s just as well we left before the police arrived. No one needs this kind of publicity.” Kevin checked the mirror one last time.
“The police were never an issue,” Tessa admitted. “Kelly called 911, but the system was busy. I was on hold the whole time—when I said the police were coming, it was a bluff to get Aiken to leave.”
“Unbelievable. Kinda makes you want to sign up for self-defense classes and a permit to carry a weapon, doesn’t it?”
“Yes, it does. I’m learning the hard way that the police aren’t always there to save the day.” Tessa gripped the steering wheel. She needed to get this investigation moving, and quickly. She wanted to have at least enough evidence to request a restraining order against Sledge Aiken.
But what good is a restraining order? And how in hell is a legal document going to keep Kelly safe when we can’t even depend on the police to enforce it in an emergency?
Los Angeles, California
Late Saturday night, February 27
S
ledge Aiken aggressively drove through traffic on the freeway. His nose still bled sluggishly, and his neck and head were throbbing from the hold that had been used against him. He’d gotten his ass kicked, but only because the other guy hadn’t fought fair. It wasn’t right to use fancy tricks and holds in a parking lot brawl. Bastard.
He reached over and punched a button that activated the hands-free mode on his cell phone. “Call Jerry,” he instructed the unit.
A moment later, a voice answered the phone. “You didn’t tell me they were going to have a boyfriend along. That little bitch is causing problems, and you need to fix them,” Sledge said.
The person on the other end sighed. “Which little bitch?”
“Both of them. That prosecutor has been snooping around for days, and she’s starting to make things uncomfortable. She told me she has enough information to press charges and make them stick. If that happens, my sponsors will drop me like a sack of shit.”
“I’ll take care of things,”
“You do that. It’s why I went to you in the first place—to avoid any difficult situations. This is one mess you’re going to have to clean up, and fast,” Sledge said.
“Have I ever let you down? I said I’d take care of it, and I will.”
“You’d better. Otherwise, I’m going to take my business—and my friends—somewhere else. What would that do to your precious club?”
“Look, the Kelly situation will be under control very soon. Haven’t I been keeping an eye on things? Didn’t I tell you where she was going to be tonight?”
“That’s only because you got lucky and picked up on the lawyer stopping by her office before going to the pizza place. You still don’t know where Kelly is staying. What the hell are you going to do about that?”
“You don’t need to know. I’m going to make the problem go away.”
“Then stop talking about it and do it. I’m headed home. Don’t disturb me until you have good news.”
Los Angeles, California
Late Saturday evening, February 27
T
essa pulled to a stop at the top of the long drive of Paul Jacobi’s exclusive Bel Air home. She popped the locks so Kevin could get out.
“You’re not getting off that easy. I called to say we were on the way. Mom has coffee and dessert ready, so you may as well come in.”
“Oh, bother. Do I have to?” Tessa asked. This new trend of peace overtures from Paul Jacobi and her stepmother was disturbing, to say the least. Frankly, she preferred the cool politesse that had marked their relationship since Tessa had graduated from college.
“Quit whining. Besides, we need to plan the next time I get to see Kelly,” Kevin said.
“Why?” Tessa asked baldly.
“I like her. She seems really nice.”
“Ah, Kev, it might be a good idea if you forgot ever meeting her. As you can see from tonight, she comes with a lot of baggage. Paul would kill me if anything happened to you.”
“So put Sledge Aiken in prison, and the problem is solved,” her brother replied.
After they’d dropped Kelly off, Tessa had explained to him the situation and what Sledge had done. She felt she owed it to her brother for coming to the rescue in the parking lot.
“I’m not sure if that would do it,” Tessa said. “Kelly’s going to have emotional troubles to deal with for the rest of her life. Besides, putting someone with a Super Bowl ring in prison has turned out to be harder than I thought.”
“So make a plan. You always have one, don’t you?” Kevin opened the door and stood up. “There’s Mom checking in the window—you’ve been spotted.”
Tessa got out and locked the car, muttering. “I’ll have coffee, but no dessert. Not everyone has a turbojet metabolism like you guys.”
“Puh-lease. Not everyone likes skinny toothpicks, either. Besides, your butt’s not that big,” he said with an evil grin.
Tessa elbowed her brother in the side as they climbed the stairs. “Watch it, or you’ll use up the Prince Charming points you scored tonight helping me and Kelly.”
Kevin laughed and held the door open for her with a bow. She led him through to the formal salon, where the family normally had after-dinner drinks and dessert. Tessa didn’t see why the three people living in the home needed a kitchen, formal dining room, breakfast room, and salon in which to eat the various meals of the day—but hey, it wasn’t her house.
She mentally groaned at the sight of her place setting—rich Colombian coffee served in bone china cups, accompanied by a slice of Tessa’s favorite chocolate peanut butter cheesecake. While most people might consider this a thoughtful offering, Tessa was somewhat convinced her stepmonster was trying to fatten her up. For what, she didn’t know.
“Did you two have fun tonight?” Paul Jacobi asked.
Tessa tensed. She hadn’t asked her brother what he was going to say about the evening. While she didn’t want to put him in the position of lying, neither did she want the former head of the FBI to know that his son had gotten into a parking lot brawl with a celebrity athlete.
“The arcade was a lot of fun,” Kevin said carefully. “And I really liked Tessa’s friend. I hope to see her again.”
Tessa opened her mouth to reply, but was interrupted by her cell phone. “Sorry, that’s my business phone, so I have to answer it.” She walked through the open doorway to the formal dining room before she answered.
“Tessa Jacobi?” The caller mispronounced her last name, calling her “Ja-KO-bee” instead of “JACK-o-bee.”
“Speaking.”
“I have some advice for you. Lay off the Kelly Martin case.”
“Who is this?” Tessa asked in a low voice.
“Someone who doesn’t want to see you get hurt,” the male voice said. “Your boyfriend Kevin might not always be around to protect you.”
She didn’t correct that mistake, either. “Kevin has nothing to do with this. You have a problem, you take it up with me.”
“You’ve done enough already. You’re making things worse for Kelly by pursuing this investigation. She’s going to be punished. If you want to avoid the same treatment, I suggest you drop the case.”
“That’s not going to happen—” Tessa began.
“Oh, and one more thing. Tell your boyfriend that people who butt in where they don’t belong have a tendency to get hurt.”
The caller hung up before Tessa could respond.
Los Angeles, California
Late Saturday night, February 27
“W
ho was that?”
Paul Jacobi’s voice behind her caused Tessa to jump visibly. Receiving late-night phone calls with anonymous threats was unnerving to say the least.
Tessa held up a hand to silence her father as she used the last call return function on her cell phone to find out who the threatening caller was.
Caller ID blocked.
She scowled at the screen, then cleared it and dialed the women’s shelter where Kelly was staying. She asked to speak to the night manager.
“This is Tessa Jacobi of the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. I need to talk to your security officer, then have you check on one of the new residents, Kelly Martin. Yes, I’ll hold.”
Paul Jacobi closed the French doors behind him, giving them privacy. He said nothing as he listened to his daughter speak to a security manager and advise that there had been a specific threat made against a recent arrival.
He saw Tessa’s relief when she heard that Kelly was peacefully settled into her room for the night. His daughter’s face was pale, but slightly less tense when she finally ended the call.
“What the hell is going on? Did I hear you say something about Kevin?” Paul asked.
Tessa looked at him, realizing she was as trapped as she had been earlier by Sledge Aiken’s car. The thought did nothing to help calm the anger and frustration she was barely keeping contained.
“It’s a case I’m prosecuting—it made for an interesting evening, to say the least. But it has nothing to do with you.”
“It sounds like Kevin’s involved. That makes it my business.”
Tessa closed her eyes briefly. He was right—she couldn’t shut him out if her brother’s safety was at risk.
“Then there’s the fact that you have yet to call the police about the disturbing phone call you just got,” Paul continued. “And your question yesterday about finding an outside investigation firm. If this whole situation is messy enough that you don’t want the police involved…I don’t like it, Tessa.”
“I know you’re worried about Kevin—”
“I’m worried about both of my children, even if you choose to shut me out,” Paul said.
Tessa didn’t want to go there. Not on top of everything else she was dealing with tonight. She turned away to focus her thoughts. The best way to get Paul off her back would be to give him a job to do, like keeping Kevin safe.
“I can’t tell you much more than I told Kevin,” she began. “A high-profile celebrity athlete is being investigated for a date-rape incident involving an eighteen-year-old girl. She’s the friend of mine that Kevin met tonight. Our investigation has hit a few speed bumps, mainly because of the suspect’s fame and popularity. His lawyer doesn’t help things, either.”
“Who’s the lawyer?” Paul asked.
“Carl Abrahms.”
“Jesus. Ramirez must be worried about losing her newly refurnished District Attorney’s office.”
“Um, she’s definitely not happy. I’m supposed to stay away from the suspect and not upset him—which is kind of hard to do when he pops up in front of me wanting to talk and not wanting to take no for an answer. Seems to be a theme with him.”
“There was a confrontation tonight?”
“He wanted Kelly to go with him. But Kevin was able to stop the guy. He was great, as a matter of fact. You should double his allowance,” Tessa said.
“But your brother’s not always going to be with you. Frankly, while I know he can take care of you and himself, I don’t want him involved in anything like this,” Paul said.
“I don’t, either. I’m going to talk to a judge about getting a restraining order on Monday morning.”
Paul snorted. “You’ve been followed, confronted, and threatened on the phone. And this is all just tonight. I think the case is bigger than you want to admit, Tessa. So you should know a piece of paper isn’t going to stop a man with a great deal to lose, not when he’s already gone to such lengths to keep things quiet. Maybe you should back off for a while.”
“I owe it to Kelly to keep pushing. She’s been through a lot since I talked her into pursuing this case, and I promised I’d take care of her.”
Paul’s eyes narrowed at Tessa’s tone. He knew from experience that it meant she wasn’t going to budge on this argument.
“Besides,” Tessa continued, “this is just some loser who intimidates teenage girls. The D.A. eats jerks like him up for breakfast.”
“And craps them out before lunch, no doubt,” Paul said. “But only when formal charges have been filed. And that hasn’t happened yet, has it?”
“I’m working on it. Besides, I tried to get additional help with the investigation from Novak International. Mr. Novak
didn’t seem to believe Kelly’s story, but as you can see from tonight’s activities, we’re certainly onto
something
concerning Sledge Aiken. I’m going to keep digging until I find what it is.”
Paul knew there was no talking to Tessa when she was so determined. Frankly, he had trouble talking to her at any time. That was his fault. But she didn’t need a rehashing of family communication issues right now—she needed help with her investigation. Fortunately, that was one thing he was uniquely qualified to provide.
“What is your plan?” Paul asked his daughter.
“I’m going to follow a couple of leads. Ed Flynn and his partner from LAPD have taken over the rape investigation, so I’ll be able to follow it very closely. We’re working together to build a case, but I’ve been given orders to come in under the radar on the background checks. It’s going to take some time. But I’ll make sure Kevin is kept out of things in the future.”
“Was Kevin mentioned specifically?”
Tessa met Paul Jacobi’s eyes. “They threatened him. Look, I know he’s on break from school. Maybe now would be a good time to send him on a ski trip or something. Get him out of town.”
Paul hadn’t realized the threat was so serious, but knew it took a lot for Tessa to admit this to him. “He’s been angling for it, and Lana as well. I’ll take care of it.”
He’d also be booking a fourth seat on the trip—for his daughter. But he wouldn’t tell her that yet, because she’d only fight it. Just as she’d fight Paul when he tried to involve a senior private investigator in the case. But she’d give in, because she’d realize it was the best way to help her new friend. He knew his daughter well enough to understand that her personal integrity and desire to help were both her greatest strengths and his main point of leverage.
“Thanks. I think I’ll skip the rest of dessert. I need to call
some people and write up the paperwork for a restraining order,” Tessa said.
“Go ahead,” Paul said.
He had some calls of his own to make.