Chapter 14
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
By the time Zeke returned to the safe house, Sienna had worn a path in the carpet moving from the front window to the door and back again. She’d played with Bailey while Taylor was kind enough to make spaghetti and meatballs for dinner.
“Who taught you to cook?” Sienna asked.
“My mother.” Taylor offered a half smile. “I often had to help make dinner for my younger siblings.”
Zeke stepped through the garage door. Their gazes locked. She stepped closer, as if to welcome him home with a hug and a kiss but stopped herself. The grim expression in his gaze made her heart sink.
“You didn’t find a connection?” She wasn’t sure how much to say in front of Flynn and Taylor. Bailey was too young to understand.
Her daughter pulled herself up and took several steps toward Zeke, lifting her arms in the universal sign of wanting to be held.
“Not yet.” Zeke’s expression morphed into a wide smile as he bent and lifted Bailey in his arms. The little girl laughed as he swung her from side to side. “Hey, pretty girl.” He pressed a kiss on Bailey’s cheek. “You sure know how to brighten the mood.”
“Again. Do again.” Bailey patted his cheeks. Zeke’s gaze softened, then he obliged her by swinging her around again.
She told herself not to be depressed, but technically, the time frame she’d given him was running out. If she had to cancel the show, she probably shouldn’t go in and do the interview at the TV station.
Although if she canceled that, would the morning show have another guest to put in her slot? Probably not. This was getting complicated, and she still didn’t know what to do.
Stay or go?
Watching Zeke play with Bailey made her want to stay. Made her wish their engagement was real. Made her want... no, what was she thinking? She’d pledged to never marry again.
Okay, never was a really long time. And it was totally unrealistic for her to think she’d never fall in love.
Love. How was it possible she’d fallen in love with Zeke? Her heart swelled, and she had to look away to keep herself from blurting out the truth.
Time to get a grip on reality.
Their situation of being forced together wasn’t real. Her feelings toward Zeke were probably commingled with the fact that he’d saved her life, more than once. Besides, even if she did care for Zeke, this wasn’t the time to think about her personal life. She had responsibilities to her manager and the fans who’d purchased tickets to her show.
Not to mention her daughter. Allowing Josh to take Bailey even for five minutes was not happening.
She glanced at her watch. Zeke must have noticed because he set Bailey back on the floor and moved toward her. “There’s still time. Rhy has approved for Gabe to work overtime on this. He has just started going through Belinsky’s phone records. We’re going to find that connection we need.”
She desperately wanted to believe that. But her hopes died a little more with each passing minute.
“Dinner will be ready in ten minutes,” Taylor said.
Zeke glanced from Taylor to Flynn. “You went out for groceries?”
“Nah, we had them delivered,” Flynn said. “You took my car, remember?”
“That’s right.” Zeke scrubbed his hands over his face. “I’m sure getting a grocery delivery is fine. It’s been a long day.”
“Even longer for some of us,” Flynn said dryly.
When Cassidy had dropped her off, Flynn had peppered her with questions. She’d filled him and Taylor in on the highlights of the day, glossing over the incident where she’d kicked her manager out of the Pfister Hotel.
Then Flynn had called Gabe to talk through what Flynn could do from here. Which only consisted of checking Belinsky’s social media.
“What have you been up to?” Zeke asked as he stepped into the kitchen. “Last I heard you were going through Belinsky’s social media.”
“Yeah, unfortunately the guy hasn’t posted much in the past year.” Flynn gestured to the image of Toby up on the screen. “I’ve made a note of each of his social media friends and have been going through their pages to see if I can connect any of them to Allenton.”
“Just before Belinsky died, I tried to get him to tell me who hired him,” Zeke admitted. “He said Al, but that was it. Not the full name of Allenton.”
“That’s interesting,” Flynn agreed. “I was able to rule out the ex-girlfriend as a suspect. I found Analise Waverly now Walden on social media. She’s married with two kids and lives in Madison. I doubt she’s involved.”
Flynn had shown Sienna the pictures, and she’d agreed with his assessment. Besides, it seemed to her that Belinsky must have been the shooter.
“Flynn, do you mind putting the computer in the living room?” Taylor asked. “I’d like to set the table.”
“Sure.” Flynn closed the laptop and stood. “Food is fuel for the brain, and I suspect I’ll be going through this for the rest of the night.”
“I’ll help,” Zeke said.
Flynn nodded and carried the laptop into the other room. Sienna propped Bailey’s car seat in the chair so that she was able to sit at the table with them.
Taylor set a large pot of noodles on the table, along with another container filled with spaghetti sauce and plump meatballs. She added another basket of garlic bread, the scent making Sienna’s mouth water.
Earlier she hadn’t been the least bit hungry, but now that Zeke was back, her appetite returned. She hadn’t exactly feared for his life, but the shoot-out in Toby Belinsky’s backyard was a stark reminder of the danger Zeke and his teammates faced every day.
How difficult it must be for Zeke and Grayson to end someone’s life, even as they’re protecting their own and those innocent people around them.
“I’d like to say grace,” Sienna said once they were seated. No one complained, so she bowed her head. “Lord Jesus, we thank You for this food we are blessed to eat. We are also thankful for the everlasting life You have given us and ask that You please continue to keep us and the rest of the police officers safe in Your care. Amen.”
“Amen,” Zeke, Flynn, and Taylor echoed.
“Dig in,” Zeke added for levity.
They passed around the spaghetti, meatballs, and garlic bread. Sienna helped Bailey with her food between bites of her own meal. The little girl was covered with spaghetti sauce by the time they were finished.
“She’s wearing more than she ate,” Zeke said with a smile.
“I’ll give her a bath when I’m finished with the dishes,” Taylor offered.
“I can take care of the dishes,” Zeke said. “Flynn is on a roll with the social media stuff, and you cooked. I don’t mind cleaning up.”
That was something Josh would never have done, but that was mostly because Josh had become spoiled when his parents had become wealthy. Yet he also believed cooking and cleaning was her job, not his.
A true chauvinist , she thought with a sigh. That should have been her first sign that she’d made a mistake in marrying him.
One of many signs she’d ignored or had been too na?ve to recognize.
“I’ll help with the dishes,” she said, rising to her feet. She loved giving Bailey baths, but it wasn’t fair to make Taylor clean up after cooking.
“Fine with me,” Taylor said. “You haven’t let me do much with Bailey since you’ve been home.”
That was true, and really, she probably didn’t need a live-in nanny. She’d hired Taylor because it seemed easier than getting a babysitter for her rehearsals, the TV interview, and the three shows. Now, she wasn’t so sure. It might be smarter to do short-term nanny stints, like just over the weekend during her shows.
If she was still performing after all of this.
“I think you should do the interview tomorrow,” Zeke said as they stood side by side at the kitchen sink. He’d wanted to wash, so she’d begun to dry. “We learned today that Belinsky had taken out a loan. I know that Gabe will find the connection we need. Besides, I don’t think it’s fair for you to cancel the morning show at the last minute.”
“I plan on doing the interview,” she said. “But I’m on the fence about moving forward with the performances.”
“If we don’t find anything to link Belinsky to your ex, then I agree doing the shows might be too risky,” Zeke agreed. “It’s hard to imagine, but if we’re wrong about Belinsky, the shooter is still out there.”
Maybe she was being overly cautious, because why would Toby try to avoid being interviewed by the police and, worse, fire his gun at a cop? He must have been hired by Josh.
“I’m leaning toward doing the Milwaukee shows,” she said. “But we can discuss that more tomorrow.”
“You’re supposed to be at the studio by eight o’clock tomorrow morning, so I think we should leave here by seven fifteen, in case we run into traffic.”
“Sounds good.” She eyed him as she put the last of the dishes away. “Don’t work all night, Zeke. You need to sleep.”
“We’ll get some rest.” He flashed a smile. “I’m hoping Gabe will call with good news before the night is over.”
She nodded and hung the damp dish towel on the oven handle to dry. “Wake me up if you get good news.”
He hesitated, then nodded. “If that’s what you want.”
There was so much more that she wanted, but she simply nodded. Leaving Flynn and Zeke to their work, she helped dry off Bailey after her bath, then played with the toddler until it was time for her to go to bed.
An hour later, Sienna checked in on the guys. From the frustrated expressions on their faces, she understood there was no point in asking if they’d found anything. She bade them good night and went to bed.
When she awoke at quarter past six the next morning, her first thought was that Zeke hadn’t woken her up. Bailey was still sleeping, so she took a quick shower, blow-dried her long, dark hair, then headed to the kitchen for some badly needed coffee.
“Good morning,” Zeke greeted her with a faint smile. He gestured to the half-full pot. “It will be ready soon.”
“Nothing from Gabe?” she asked, even though she knew the answer.
“Not yet. He quit working about nine o’clock last night. His vision was blurring from staring at the computer screen. He’ll start up again at eight this morning. Maybe we’ll have good news once the interview is over.”
“I’m sure he will.” She wasn’t convinced, but there was no point in dwelling on the negative now. The upcoming interview was front and center in her mind. She wasn’t afraid to sing her praises to the Lord in front of large groups of people—that was simple, heartwarming, and freeing. The exact opposite of what she was about to do. Sitting in front of a live camera to be interviewed by the two Milwaukee Morning show hosts was a bit nerve-racking.
Zeke filled two mugs with coffee. When Bailey woke up, she took some time to care for her daughter. Taylor was in the kitchen making breakfast, but a quick glance at her watch proved they didn’t have time to stay.
“We’ll grab something on the way,” Zeke said.
“Okay.” She wasn’t sure she could eat much anyway. She gave Bailey a kiss, then followed Zeke to the SUV in the garage. The traffic wasn’t terrible, so they made it to the studio in plenty of time.
Zeke had gone through a drive-through fast-food place for breakfast sandwiches. She only took a few bites of hers before setting it aside. Silly to be nervous.
The next hour passed in a flurry of activity. Hair, makeup that seemed way too heavy-handed, and a few tweaks of her sweater and skirt ensemble. Before she knew it, Sienna was standing off camera, waiting for her cue.
“Please join us in welcoming Sienna!” Tiffany, the blond-haired morning show hostess gushed. The small studio audience clapped as Sienna moved to the sofa on the raised platform.
“Thank you for having me,” Sienna said with a warm smile.
“Tell us about your recent engagement,” Barbie, the dark-haired hostess said. “So exciting to know you got engaged here in your hometown.”
While the engagement wasn’t real, Sienna found herself relaxing. It was far easier to discuss how wonderful Zeke was than to talk about herself.
When they stopped recording for the first commercial break, Sienna was pleased with how things were going. Tiffany and Barbie were sweet and relaxed. The second part of her interview was focused on her show and her career. To her surprise, the interview ended in what seemed like record time.
“Thanks again,” Tiffany said, leading her off the platform. “Maria will take you back to the dressing room.”
“Thanks for having me.” She followed Maria to the small dressing room, grateful for the chance to remove the clown makeup. They’d used far more than she did even on show nights.
When that was finished, she grabbed her purse and headed for the door. She was wondering what Dirk had thought of the interview when she stopped abruptly at seeing a familiar face.
“Alice, what are you doing here?” Josh’s mother was the last person she’d expected to see here. Obviously, the woman had come to talk to her about giving Josh a second chance.
So not happening.
“Sienna.” Alice Allenton always seemed to speak her name in a sneer. It was no secret Alice thought her son could do better.
“How did you get in here?” Sienna asked in confusion.
“You should know money talks,” the older woman said with a careless shrug. “I donated some advertising funds in exchange for being allowed to watch the show. I believe my money paid for that big billboard featuring your picture.”
The idea of Alice sitting in the audience watching as she gushed about her engagement to Zeke made her feel sick. But then Alice grabbed her arm and shoved something hard against her side. It took Sienna a moment to realize the woman had a gun. “I think it’s time we had a little talk, don’t you?”
For a moment, she couldn’t move as her mind grappled with what was happening. Then she knew. Josh hadn’t been the one to hire someone to send notes, then attack her. It had never made sense to her that Josh would suddenly care about his daughter when he hadn’t been the least bit happy to learn of her pregnancy.
No, Josh didn’t want custody of her daughter.
Alice did.
Zeke looked at his watch for the fifth time in five minutes. What was taking Sienna so long? Maybe she was taking the time to bask in her success. It was well deserved. Her interview had been incredible. Despite her nervousness on the way here, she’d looked completely at ease during the entire conversation. Even while describing how Zeke had proposed at their favorite Italian restaurant, Mario’s.
The entire audience had sighed at the romantic gesture. He’d felt like an idiot for not realizing this subject would come up. They should have discussed it, but as it turned out, Sienna handled the questions without hesitation. To the point he felt guilty over the lie they were perpetrating. He could imagine Rhy, Joe, and the other members of the team watching this interview.
In truth, he and Sienna had gone to Mario’s for dinner the night of Luke’s funeral. Despite their grief, they had gotten caught up on their personal and professional lives.
And he remembered how beautiful she looked as she described her foray into Christian music. How she’d found God and believed in Jesus Christ who’d died for their sins. How blessed she was to have been given a beautiful daughter and the talent to sing music that resonated in her heart.
He’d been so touched and humbled, he’d almost told her how much he’d admired her while they were growing up. How much he’d wanted to ask her out, even if that meant suffering Luke’s wrath.
But she had been going through a divorce, not to mention becoming a single mother of a baby girl, so he’d kept his feelings to himself.
A familiar face walked past, and he instinctively grasped the woman’s arm. What was her name? Marta? Martha? Maria?
“Um, excuse me, Maria?” Yeah, Maria. “I’m waiting for Sienna. Will you find her for me?”
“Sienna? I think she just left with that older silver-haired woman.” Maria waved to the door leading out of the studio. “If you hurry, I’m sure you can catch up to them.”
Older silver-haired woman? That didn’t make any sense. Without answering, he quickly hurried toward the door. Bursting through, he scanned the area.
And saw them. A silver-haired woman holding Sienna close to her side, walking quickly toward a waiting long, black stretch limo.
Limo? A horrible realization washed over him.
Was that silver-haired woman Josh’s mother?
Alice and Tom Allenton. The names of Josh’s parents flashed in his mind. Had Belinsky tried to identify Alice as the person who’d hired him?
He broke into a run, kicking himself for leaving his weapon in the glove box of the car. The security at the studio had lured him into a false sense of security. That and there were No Weapons Allowed signs everywhere. “Stop! Police!”
As if they were conjoined at the hip, the two women turned as one to face him. It was then he realized Alice was holding a gun pressed firmly into Sienna’s side.
“Don’t come any closer,” the woman ordered in a raspy voice. “This has nothing to do with you. We’re just going to have a little talk, right, Sienna?”
Sienna didn’t answer, her gaze clinging to his. He understood she didn’t want to go anywhere with Alice. But the gun pressed into her side didn’t leave her much of a choice. A wave of fury hit hard, but he managed to battle it back.
He wasn’t the hostage negotiator for the team, but he’d learned a few tricks along the way.
“I’ll go with you,” he said, slowing to a walk. He didn’t want to spook the woman into pulling the trigger. “I’m sure we can work something out that will make everyone happy.”
“Stop right there!” Alice repeated harshly. “Or I’ll shoot her now and be done with it.”
He hoped that was an empty threat, but he was concerned that Alice had the money and power to cover her tracks. After all, she’d gotten this far.
There was no way on earth Rhy would never believe this woman over him. The Milwaukee DA’s office wouldn’t either. Rhy’s brother-in-law Bax Scala worked as an ADA as did Rhy’s cousin Maddy Sinclair.
“You won’t get away with this,” he said to buy time. “Our tech expert Gabe Melrose has identified the disposable phone you used to communicate with Toby Belinsky.” It was a lie, but the flash of concern in her eyes gave him a sense of satisfaction. “Belinsky is dead, but I’m sure you already knew that. It’s why you’re here now, right? You ran out of bad guys to do your dirty work.” He hesitated, hoping she’d comply, but she didn’t move. “Walk away and drop the custody battle and we can pretend this ever happened.”
That was another lie. Two men were dead, and someone had to be held accountable. But he’d say anything to convince Alice to drop the gun and let Sienna go.
“Stop! I’m not kidding. I will shoot,” Alice repeated in a cold, emotionally detached tone. “It’s easier for us anyway. With Sienna out of the picture, Josh will get custody of their daughter. And he’ll in turn hand the little girl over to me.”
“Actually, that’s not true,” Sienna said quickly. “Josh won’t get custody of Bailey. After Zeke and I got engaged, I updated my will to name Zeke as Bailey’s guardian if anything happened to me. And you can rest assured, Zeke will never let your son anywhere near my daughter.”
The woman recoiled from that information as if she’d been tased. Then she abruptly pulled the gun from Sienna’s side and turned the muzzle toward him.
“No!” Sienna threw herself at the older woman, trying to knock her off balance as she reached for the gun at the same time Alice pulled the trigger.
Searing pain caught him off guard, but he didn’t hesitate to charge toward them. Sienna had managed to push Alice up against the side of the limo, and the two women struggled for control over the gun.
He reached between them, grabbed the weapon, and wrenched it free. He wanted to toss it far away from where they were standing, but then he remembered the limo driver. There was no sign of the guy. Had he taken off during the scuffle? Or was he still inside the vehicle? Either way, he couldn’t risk the driver being loyal enough to Alice to go for the gun. Rather than tossing it aside, he slipped her gun into the hollow of his back.
At some level, he heard the screams and shouts of people running away due to the gunfire. Was there a cop nearby? He hoped so. He also hoped someone had called 911. He could use some backup, especially to get Alice secured.
No easy feat since he didn’t even have his handcuffs on him.
As if reading his mind, Sienna said, “Here, use this.” She removed her purse from her shoulder. In two quick movements, she released the strap from either end of the bag. Then she handed him the long thin cord.
Perfect. He smiled his gratitude, then turned his attention to the woman who’d started this nightmare.
And who had nearly succeeded in kidnapping Sienna.
“Alice Allenton, you’re under arrest for threatening to kill Sienna and for the potential murder of a police officer.” After nudging Sienna out of the way, he used his full weight to press Alice’s slight frame against the side of the limo. The smaller frail woman was no match for his strength and bulk.
As he spoke, he looped one end of the purse strap around her wrists, then brought the other end of the strap between her wrists so he could tie them together. Ignoring her whimper, he continued, “You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney.” He paused, frowning as the next part of the Miranda warning failed to materialize in his mind.
A wave of dizziness hit hard. He tried to fight it off until he saw the blood running down his arm. The pain in his shoulder was getting worse to the point he couldn’t feel his fingers in his left hand.
Dazed, he realized he’d been shot.