Black Pawn (Michael Cailen Book 1) Read online

“Was it because of that guy?” she asked.

  “Yeah.”

  “He's creepy.”

  “Yes he is.” He started the truck and they drove off. “I just have to make a quick stop and then we can get something to eat.”

  Michael pulled into the parking lot of what looked like a nice sports bar. He parked on the side of the building where there weren't any windows. Not that you could have seen in the tinted front windows anyway. The parking lot was about half full. A decent lunch crowd she thought.

  “Are we eating here?” she asked.

  “No. I just have to go in for a minute. You wait here.”

  “Too bad. It looks like a nice place. What do you have, a nice truck stop in mind for us?” she replied sarcastically.

  “Just wait here.”

  He seemed irritated. She wondered if it was because he hadn't wanted to take her along. Maybe this was the lead he didn't want her to know about. Five minutes passed and her curiosity was almost unbearable. She began thinking of excuses she could use to go inside, finally deciding she had to use the bathroom.

  She stepped out of the truck, her body trembling. She knew he would be upset with her, but figured she could talk her way out of it. She opened the door and scanned the dining area until her eyes fell on the bar. She felt like someone had punched her in the gut as she watched Michael locked in a kiss with a pretty blonde behind the counter. She stood frozen, feeling like her heart had just been ripped out. This was the lead? He has some girl he's been seeing? She felt sick. They parted from their kiss and the girl looked up at Jessica standing in the doorway staring at them. Michael turned to see what the blonde was looking at. Jessica could see his jaw clench when he saw her.

  She turned away, walking quickly to the bathroom. She fought back tears and the urge to throw up. How could she be so stupid and believe he actually cared about her? She dried her eyes, trying hard not to fall apart. She needed to get out of the bar without having a breakdown. She rallied herself and headed straight for the front door. She didn't look towards the bar in case he was still talking to the blonde. As she got to the door, Michael was suddenly next to her. She ignored him and kept walking. Storming out of the bar, she passed the truck and continued on the sidewalk. Michael was right behind her.

  “Jessica. Let me explain,” he said, but she just kept walking. “Jessica! Stop!” He grabbed her arm.

  “Let go of me,” she forced through clenched teeth. “There's nothing to explain.” She tugged her arm free and started walking away again.

  “You don't know what's going on!” He grabbed her arm again.

  “I had a pretty good view.” Her voice broke and tears fell from her eyes.

  “She's a lead,” he said firmly.

  “A lead?” she repeated as though she didn't believe him.

  “Yes, a lead,” he spoke calmly.

  “She didn't look like a lead.” Tears were flowing freely down her face.

  “Look just get in the truck. I'll explain everything.”

  She shook her head and looked away. She was hurt and wasn't sure she believed him.

  “Jessica,” he sighed. “Please get in the truck. You know I'm not leaving without you. Let's not make a scene.”

  She reluctantly did as he asked. He put the keys in the ignition but didn't start it. It was silent for a moment while he tried to gather his thoughts. He was furious she didn't stay in the truck like he asked. He was angry she didn't stay in the room and he was forced to take her along. Every time he turned around, she was defying him and making things more difficult. At the same time, he knew she was hurting right now and being angry with her wasn't going to help the situation. He was trying to get a grip on his anger before he spoke.

  “I tracked down the name Charlie, my friend at the CIA, had given me, Ronald Sanders. It was the only lead I had since whatever Charlie uncovered had been retrieved when he was killed. Ronald was a two bit criminal. Robbery, drug trafficking. But he was working as an informant for the CIA. They promised to quash a federal drug trafficking charge in exchange for information. By the time I found out where he was, he had already been killed. I managed to track down one of his business associates. After a little persuasion, he told me that Ronald had a good friend. Ronald watched over him like an older brother. He kept him out of his conversations with the CIA. If anyone knew what Ronald knew, it was this guy. But after Ronald was killed, the guy took off. He got spooked. His name is Dominic Fosters. That girl at the bar is Brook Fosters. His sister. I'm hoping she can lead me to her brother.”

  “Why don't you just ask her?”

  “I only found her about a month ago. Took me a few trips to the bar to get her to go out with me. I still haven't been able to determine if she's had any contact with her brother. I'm trying to keep my cover until I find out if she knows where he is. If she doesn't know, then I might try to keep the relationship going in the hopes that her brother might contact her. If I find she does know, then all I have to do is extract the information. But I can't do that unless I'm sure.”

  What do you mean extract the information?”

  “Interrogation.”

  “You mean torture?”

  “I don't think it'll come to that. Drugs usually do the trick, with a lot less screaming,” he stated coldly. He turned to her. “Now, let's talk about how you don't listen to me.”

  She felt his eyes boring holes in her. She didn't say anything.

  “How many times have I asked you to stop snooping?” His tone was angry and frustrated.

  “I wasn't snooping, I had to use the bathroom.”

  “You have got to be the worst liar on earth. You are just terrible at it.”

  She didn't deny it. She just looked down.

  “Do you feel better now that you know what the lead is?” he asked, knowing full well she didn't.

  “No.” She felt awful. Jealous and insecure, she wondered if he felt anything for the other woman. If he even felt anything for her. If he could carry on a fake relationship with Brook, then he could do the same with her. She would have been happier not knowing. She wiped a tear away.

  Michael sighed. “What do you want to eat?” he asked, changing the subject.

  “I'm not hungry.”

  “Great. You know this is exactly why I kept this from you.”

  She didn't say anything, she just wanted to cry. Michael started the truck and after picking up a couple salads and sandwich wraps from a nearby deli they were back at the motel. The creepy guy was nowhere in sight. It was a good thing because with the mood Michael was in, he might have killed him. When they got in the room Michael put the food in the refrigerator and Jessica started clearing off the other bed.

  “What are you doing?” he asked her.

  “I think it's time we stop pretending,” she said, her voice trembling.

  “Pretending?”

  She didn't say anything more, she just kept removing items from off the bed.

  “What are we pretending Jessica?” His tone was angry.

  She broke down crying. Michael thought he was ready to lose his mind. She didn't listen to him, she was jealous and emotional, frequently overreacted. He was losing his patience.

  “Stop it Jessica. Just stop it.”

  In seeming defiance of his request, she only cried harder.

  “I can't take this. You're being ridiculous.” With that, he stormed out of the room. He was rapidly losing patience and knew it would only lead to him saying something nasty to her if he stuck around. When the door shut, Jessica slumped on the bed and buried her face in one of the pillows while she continued to cry.

  Michael stepped out of the room and took a deep breath. He ran his fingers through his hair and started walking towards the street, keeping an eye out for the creepy man. He didn't know what he was going to do about Jessica. He didn't know how much more he could take. He took another deep breath when he reached the street. He was starting to calm down. He looked back towards their room and sighed, trying to t
hink of what he could say that would diffuse the situation. Slowly and reluctantly, he started on his way back to the room.

  Still lying on the bed with her face buried in a pillow, Jessica had just about cried herself out by the time he got back. Soft whimpers emanated from the pillow. He sat on the edge of the bed next to her.

  “The only woman I'm pretending with is Brook.” He tried to use a calm tone in spite of how agitated he was. “The only woman I'm lying to is Brook. I'm not pretending when it comes to you. You're seeing the real me. And in spite of how crazy you're acting right now, I still care about you.”

  She turned her face to look at him. Her eyes were bright red. She took a deep breath and tried to regain her composure. “I'm sorry I'm such a basket case.”

  She looked like she was about to cry again. Michael reached out and ran his hand down her back and gently stroked her hair. Her whole body seemed to relax and she closed her eyes.

  “I have never met anyone as emotional as you,” he remarked.

  “I can't help it,” she sniffled.

  He tugged on her arm so she sat up and he wrapped his arms around her. He held her for a few minutes before she finally declared that she was hungry. He squeezed her tight. “You're gonna drive me to drink.”

  Chapter 19

  Morgan was leaving for lunch when his phone rang. He answered it. His face went flush and he looked distressed. “I'll meet you in ten minutes.”

  He looked greatly troubled as he quickly grabbed his jacket and left his office. Driving to a park he had been to many times before, he walked down a familiar path to a small wooden foot bridge that crossed over a small stream. He stood in the middle of the bridge looking out over the water. Within seconds a man appeared next to him and started throwing pieces of bread into the water. It was Evan.

  “What did you have to tell me?” asked Morgan.

  “Someone was there before me,” Evan answered.

  “What do you mean someone was there?”

  Evan threw a few more pieces of bread into the stream. “One of the windows was unlocked.”

  “That doesn't mean anything. Maybe she just forgot to lock it.”

  “It was locked the day before.” He tossed the last of his bread in the stream.

  “I see.” Morgan was clearly upset. It had to be Michael and he feared he knew why. He stood watching the water for a moment, then turned to say something else to Evan but he was gone.

  Chapter 20

  Michael and Jessica finished eating lunch. Jessica was lost in quiet reflection, feeling like she was living in a dream and would wake at any moment. Between the shooting in the cafe, being kidnapped, finding out people were trying to kill her, and the intense feelings she had for Michael; none of it seemed real.

  “Jessica?” Michael broke into her thoughts.

  She looked up. “Huh?”

  “I've been talking to you for a few minutes now.”

  “Oh, I'm sorry. My mind was elsewhere.”

  “I noticed. I was trying to talk to you about tonight.”

  “What about tonight?”

  “Brook wants to go to a night club. She wants you to come.”

  “What?!” Jessica raised her voice in disbelief. “What do you mean she wants me to come?”

  “I had to tell her I knew you. If she saw me with you, I'd have to have some explanation. Especially after you came in the bar like that and stared at her ...” Expecting World War III to erupt, he wasn't sure he wanted to finish what he had to say. “I told her you were my sister.”

  Jessica was quiet. Her expression didn't change. He wasn't sure what to expect next. She was eerily calm. The calm before the storm? he wondered.

  “Makes sense.”

  “Really?” he asked suspiciously. She was taking this awful well.

  “I'm not going.”

  And there it was, he thought. “I can't leave you here alone. It's not safe, especially with that creep wandering around. You have to come.”

  “I'm not going,” she insisted.

  “You're going,” he said firmly.

  “I'm not hanging around like a third wheel while you go on a date with some other woman!”

  “It's unpleasant, but you have to.”

  “Unpleasant for who? Not for you. It didn't look too unpleasant when you were kissing her. You seemed to be enjoying it actually.”

  “Well I doubt she'd want to see me again if I acted repulsed by her,” he countered. “If it gets unbearable, then you can say you're not feeling well and we'll cut it short. I've been putting her off for a week. She isn't going to keep taking no for an answer. We have to go.”

  Jessica just shook her head. She couldn't believe he was asking her to do this.

  “By the way, she thinks my name is Jake and your name is Melanie,” he added.

  “Well I'm glad you told me that. It might have led to some awkwardness if I used the wrong name,” she said sarcastically.

  “Let's just get through this night.”

  “What time does my hell begin?”

  “We pick up Brook at nine.”

  They spent the rest of the afternoon in the motel room. Michael rested in bed while Jessica kept trying to crack the rest of the drive. After a couple of hours, Michael told her to take a break. She was having a hard time concentrating and she was getting frustrated. She closed the laptop and sat staring at a corner of the desk, trying not to think of anything.

  “We have some time to kill before we have to leave,” Michael commented.

  She turned sideways in the chair and looked at him lying on the bed.

  “Come here and relax with me.” He smiled and patted the bed next to him.

  “I don't think so, Romeo.” She looked away disgusted. She was still angry that he was seeing Brook and that she had to go with him on his date. It didn't matter that she was just a lead. She didn't like the thought of him with her. She wasn't entirely convinced it was all an act.

  Michael knew she was angry and frustrated. He also knew some together time might help her feel better. He moved to the edge of the bed near her. He gave her a gentle smile. It was hard to stay angry with him, but she wasn't going to give in that easily.

  “Come on.” He held out his hand. “Sit with me.”

  Reluctantly she took his hand and moved to the bed next to him. He put his arm around her. Avoiding his gaze, she just looked down at the stains on the carpet, pondering what they might be.

  “I'm sorry, Jessica,” he said softly.

  “For what?”

  She still wouldn't look at him.

  “For everything. For what you have to do tonight. What you've been through the past few days.” He tenderly kissed her shoulder. Her breathing became heavy and she closed her eyes. He touched her face, gently turning her to him. Her eyes still closed, he felt her softly nuzzle his hand. He leaned forward, tenderly kissing her. She let out a soft whimper. He kissed her again, more passionately, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. She didn't want to give in, but he was impossible to resist. She felt emotional and wanted the comfort he was offering. She settled in his arms and let him hold her.

  “I don't know how I'm going to make it through tonight,” she confessed as she mellowed in his arms.

  “Try feeling bad for her,” he suggested.

  “Feel bad for her?”

  “I'm lying to her, manipulating her and toying with her emotions. All to find out if she knows where her brother is. Then when I have that, I'll be done with her and she'll never see me again.”

  “Yeah, I'm not sure I'm capable of feeling bad for her.” She still felt jealous.

  “Well, then feel bad for me.”

  “Why feel bad for you?”

  “I can't stand her,” he admitted.

  “What do you mean you can't stand her?”

  “She's just not my type at all. She's flirty and aggressive, conceited, spoiled, self centered.”

  “Wow, now I really can't wait to meet her,” she replied sarcasti
cally.

  “Yeah, well ... Imagine trying to pretend to like her.”

  “I do sort of feel bad for you now.”

  He laughed. “It's almost seven. You take forever to do your hair, so maybe you should start getting ready.”

  “Can I get drunk tonight?” she asked.

  “Sure.”

  MICHAEL WAS ready long before Jessica. She had to blow dry her hair and curl it. Since her hair went halfway down her back it took a while. When she finally emerged from the bathroom, she looked stunning.

  “I need to get some makeup,” she said as she fiddled with her hair in the mirror.

  “You're beautiful.”

  She turned to him and smiled. “I still need makeup.”

  “We can stop somewhere before we pick up Brook. We should also grab a bite to eat. If you're ready, we should get going. We'll take your laptop with us. I don't want to leave it here.”

  MICHAEL SQUEEZED Jessica's hand before he got out of the truck to get Brook. Her heart pounded as she watched them walk side by side back to the truck together, Michael's arm around her waist.

  Brook opened Jessica's door as Michael got in. “Hey sweetie, do you mind getting in the back so I can sit next to your brother?”

  Jessica shot Michael a look that told him it wasn't going well already. She turned to Brook and forced a smile. “No problem.” Michael wasn't kidding when he said she was aggressive and self centered.

  “You're a doll,” Brook smiled.

  Michael began to fear the night would turn into a disaster. He knew Jessica would have a hard time dealing with Brook. Heck, he had a hard time dealing with her.

  A STREAM of well-dressed young people waited in line along the side of the nightclub. A bouncer stood at the entrance under a bright blue neon sign that read “Celsius.” Michael parked the truck and they headed towards the back of the line.

  “Wow, this place is packed,” said Jessica.

  “It always is,” Brook replied. “Don't worry though, I know the bouncer at the door, we'll get in.”

  Jessica looked towards the front of the line and saw people being turned away. Selective club, she thought. She turned back around and immediately wished she hadn't. Brook was falling all over Michael. She quickly turned away. She wanted to go back to the motel already. She kept imagining herself pulling Brook off Michael by her hair.