Chapter 13
13
A fter spending a few days feeling exhausted and vulnerable, Tessa woke up this morning to the sun’s rays filtering through the window, feeling refreshed and safe.
As she stretched and got out of bed, she was grateful that Ford understood that the thought of staying alone in a strange cabin in an unfamiliar area made her uncomfortable. His sofa conveniently transformed into a queen-size bed. She’d offered to sleep on it, but he insisted she take the bedroom. She helped him change the sheets and then got ready for bed. All night, his lingering masculine scent on the pillows and blankets comforted her.
Now, however, she was in the middle of a huge conference table sitting next to Ford facing five very serious-looking men. The room was in the Brotherhood Alliance building. She couldn’t help feeling intimated by their intense stares and her stomach tightened.
They’d entered the room through a library that was warm and welcoming. Across from the table was a window with a view of the woods, but upon closer inspection, she realized it was a mural. Chase Maddox, the director, was at one end of the table with his IT guy sitting next to him. Across from her were three muscular men, and they weren’t smiling. She wished Colt was here. He at least smiled.
Ford told her he had briefed Chase about her situation, the incident at his cabin, and that he inquired about protection for her.
Chase was interested but wanted to hear Tessa’s side.
So far, their questions were simple to answer, but Tessa was waiting. No way would these ex-military men believe her flimsy story, especially not after Ford’s cabin was destroyed.
Her heart thudded in her chest, and she nervously licked her lips. Six pairs of eyes watched her every move. Could they see her pulse racing?
“Drink this,” said Ford as he handed her a bottle of water.
She grabbed the bottle and uncapped it and took a large gulp, grateful for the distraction. “Thanks.”
“So, Tessa,” began Chase as he stared at her intently. “I understand you’re running from an abusive boyfriend and by some miracle found Ford’s cabin.”
Tessa nodded.
“And you’re from Georgia?” asked Chase.
“Yes,” she replied, her voice barely above a whisper.
The man Tessa thought was Will asked, “Why did you drive so far? There must be lots of places closer to hide. Couldn’t you stay with a friend or family?”
Yes, Will, I could, but I didn’t want to put them in danger. Her mind raced as she tried to come up with something that wouldn’t raise suspicion. She absolutely wanted help but couldn’t tell them the real reason why. It was too dangerous. “Um. My parents are on an around-the-world cruise, and I didn’t want to bother my friends.”
“Hmmm.” Chase nodded and glanced over his shoulder at the IT guy. Dang, what was his name again? Oh, right. Dex.
Dex typed something on the computer and then turned his attention to Tessa. “Tessa Donnelly, 28 years old, single. No siblings. Resident of Atlanta, Georgia, and rents a one-bedroom apartment on the outskirts of town. Owns her own business called Elegant Gatherings, established six months ago, no debt. The rent is paid for another month. The last party was held at Illusion, a nightclub owned by Damien Moretti. One full-time employee, Amber Pierson.”
“Is that accurate?” asked Chase.
“Yes.” God, could this get any worse? Tessa felt exposed and vulnerable as Dex laid out her information.
But then Dex raised a finger. “Just received an update. Your apartment was vandalized last night. The super reported it, and the police want to speak with you.”
Oh my God! Tessa gasped, and her mouth dropped open. They trashed her apartment? She leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes in defeat. Would the torture ever stop?
She felt a warm hand reach for hers and give a little squeeze. Small comfort.
“Tessa,” Ford murmured. “We know he was more than an abusive boyfriend. Please tell us what is going on.”
Tessa felt tears threatening to flow as she looked into the men’s faces, knowing what she was about to reveal, but she couldn’t keep lying.
“I can’t,” she cried out. “They’ll kill you all.”
Tessa froze, her eyes darting from one man to the next. The room fell silent. Well, that was one way to surprise them. Bet they didn’t expect to hear that.
Silence.
Chase spoke first. “Tessa, no one is going to kill us or hurt you. Why don’t you tell us why you think that?” he asked softly.
Tessa bit her lip, and tears flowed down her cheeks. Ford pulled her closer to his side, ignoring the questioning looks from across the table.
Yes! She’s mine, he wanted to shout.
The thought hit him and was unexpected. When did that happen? He just met her. But something about her called to him. He admired her courage and quiet strength. The time they were together stacking wood, she never complained, just worked hard.
Tessa took a deep breath. “I’m an event planner. My big breakthrough was at my ex-boyfriend’s club, Illusion. Everything was going great. People were congratulating me on a successful event. I saw Damien—Damien Moretti—in the corner talking to his friend Marty.
“I worried something was wrong with the event,” said Tessa. “I could fix it, but I needed to know what the issue was.”
She swallowed hard. “As I made my way over, the two men slipped into Damien’s office and closed the door.”
Her heart was racing just remembering what happened.
“Go on,” encouraged Chase.
Tessa shuddered. “I was about to knock when I heard Damien tell Marty to kill someone. He said he didn’t care about the family, kill them too. Then he added something about how if you stole from him, you should be prepared to die as well as your family.”
Tessa took a deep breath. Her gaze darted around the table. Were they judging her? Did they think she was too naive, too stupid to live? As Tessa looked around, all she saw in their eyes was compassion and anger. She knew the anger wasn’t directed at her.
“I backed away from the door,” she continued. “But then Marty asked about me, said I was bound to figure it out. Damien said…” Her throat tightened. She couldn’t go on. It was too painful.
“Tessa,” Ford said kindly. “Tell us what he said.”
Her hands curled into fists. “He said that me being involved in these events helped him cover his tracks.” Tessa closed her eyes for a moment, then forced them open. “He said if I got suspicious, I was expendable too.”
“Oh, sweetheart,” Ford murmured, putting his arm around her shoulders. “You’re safe now.”
She shook her head. “I may never be safe. He’s dealing drugs and who knows what else. He mentioned the cops are looking at him. If that’s the case, they’re also looking at me.” Tessa shuddered. “I could go to jail. And then there’s this Malina who even Damien is afraid of.”
Tessa placed her hands over her head and muttered. “What the hell did I get involved in?”
“Smart,” said Chase. “That’s probably just the tip of the iceberg.”
The air was thick with tension as Tessa hung her head. She took a deep breath and looked up at the guys. “I decided whatever they were doing, I didn’t want to be involved in it, especially if they were murdering people. I went to the police…”
A collective moan went around the table. The men exchanged wary looks.
Ford squeezed her hand protectively.
“What happened next?” asked Will, his voice low and soft.
Tessa’s lips quivered. “The officer I spoke to was thrilled to have an inside contact and asked me to wear a wire. I didn’t know Damien was involved in criminal activities, but the officer did. I was terrified Damien would find the wire.” She paused, swallowing hard. “So, I recorded conversations.”
Tessa stopped and shook her head. “A couple days later, I accidentally left the recorder at my apartment. I was leaving to get it when Damien accused me of spying, screaming he was going to kill me. I escaped and ran home, grabbed some clothes and my purse and…” She looked at Ford. “I managed to lose Marty, who was following me, and ended up at Ford’s cabin.”
Ford’s jaw clenched with so many questions, but Titus beat him to it.
“I’m glad you got away,” said Titus, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “How did Damien discover you recorded him?”
Tessa licked her lips. “I learned he has an informant at the police station who is on his payroll and alerted him.”
“Did he mention anyone else?” said Chase. “Maybe a name?”
“No,” replied Tessa.
“What about the officer who helped you? Did you ever manage to give him the recording or follow up?” asked Chase.
“I ran before I could give it to him.” Tessa’s eyes widened, remembering. “Oh my! The recorder. I have it in my purse back at Ford’s cabin.”
“Good. Bring it down so Dex can go through it,” replied Chase. He leaned back in his chair and furrowed his brow. “Okay, here’s the plan. First, we get the recorder so Dex can go through it. Then we’ll contact the cop and see what he knows.” He looked around the group. “I think it is fair to say that we’ll protect Tessa.”
One by one, the men nodded.
Good. Ford let out the breath he’d been holding. This situation was so much worse than running from an abusive boyfriend. He was in awe of Tessa’s bravery.
But when she cried out, “They’ll kill you all,” her voice was raw with fear, and he was angry at whoever put that terror in her voice.
It was not at all what he expected to hear, and judging from the stunned looks from his friends around the table, neither had they.
The men were all ex-military and used to dealing with bad people. But threatening someone smaller and defenseless, especially if it was a woman, made them angry. This was what they trained for, why they banded together to provide protection, to take on battles others couldn’t fight alone.
“I can have Tessa stay at my cabin until this is resolved,” said Ford.
Tessa’s hand was still in his. She turned to give him a small smile, a gesture of trust. But this was just the beginning. She was safe for now, but for how long?
Whoever was after her wasn’t going to back down, but if they thought they could take on the Brotherhood, they were sadly mistaken.