Sweet Cheeks (22 page)

Holy, frigging crap. How do you get past that?

Not sure if I can.

“Jen. Are you okay?” Travis the ass, asks.

I scoff,
what the hell does he think?
And while we’re on that thought, why the hell does he care? I hope he's not here to extort more money, or to get the photographs. He can’t know about those, we have to get rid of him, and quickly.

Under hooded lids I glance in his direction and clench my jaw. He’s dressed in his normal faded jeans, with a green work shirt and cowboy boots. His dirty blond hair is all messed up. His dark brown eyes, seem a lot clearer than the last time I saw him, but they still have that ice cold look, that sends a shiver down my spine.

Bailey takes a seat next to me, and grabs my hand. “Jen. Um ... there's something you don’t know. Something you need to know.”

I turn to her and narrow my eyes.
What does she know that I don’t?
This is Travis we’re talking about here, he’s pretty straight forward. Loser with a capital L. Not really complicated.

Bailey glances across to Travis. “Show her,” is all she says.

Goddamn it! Show me what?

I’m so over this conspiracy stuff. If it's photos of Jason, I’m seriously going to puke. I couldn’t stomach seeing anymore of their criminal acts. They are both as bad as each other. I blow out a breath. “I don’t want to see. Take your vile disgusting self elsewhere. You make my sick.”

My rant over, I pant out another big breath. Travis seems unaffected by my words. He’s still staring at me with a weird look on his face. Kind of a cross between amusement and concern.

Smug bastard. God I hate him. I hate him so much. My life is ruined because of him. I want to reach over and strangle him, but that probably isn’t a very good idea, not when I’m reminded of the guy he beat up.

So I continue to glare at him, digging my nails into the palm of my hands. Hoping he gets the blatant message and leaves.

Travis nods. “Yeah. I get that. I really do. That’s kind of what I was going for.”

What is he rambling about?
He must be high again, even though he looks clean.

He edges forward on his seat, and I sink further into the couch. I don’t want him any closer to me or Treasure Pot.

He gives me a tight smile as he reaches into his back pocket and pulls out a small black wallet. I arch a brow and twist my lips in disinterest, though I must admit I am a little curious.

Then he flips the wallet open and I choke, spluttering out a dry cough, my heart literally stopping.

Oh. My. Frigging. God.

There is no way. No way on this earth.

He must have a fake one. Though I’ve seen enough real ones to know the truth.

The golden glint from the badge taunts me, like some twisted, sick joke.

There is no way in the world.

That is just not possible.

Travis is a cop.

Holy shit!

I'm speechless. My mind can't even begin to process this.

Travis is a cop. A cop.

What the hell! 

I blink and my mouth gapes open, and I'm staring at him, and his shiny badge like it's the Hope diamond.

 Travis gives me a small shrug and puts his badge back in his jean pocket.

 Bailey pats my hand. “You, okay, Jen?”

 I still can't speak. I sit there like a mute. But honestly, I don't even know where to begin thinking about this.

 Travis sighs big and long. “I'm really sorry Jen. I'm sorry I couldn't tell you.”

 I swallow hard.

 ”I've been undercover for over a year now. I had a role to play, and I couldn't jeopardise the case ...”

He pauses, as if he expects me to say something, but I remain frozen in shock, so he continues.

 ”I came to town because of Jason. He's involved in some really bad shit, and we caught wind of his plans to return here.”

 ”How bad?” Bailey asks softly, then cringes. “I mean we saw the photos ...”

 ”What photos?” Travis cuts her off and sits forward with a deep frown.

 I'm still coming to grips with the fact this guy who I've perceived as a complete asshole, is actually not. Or maybe he is. Maybe he's just an asshole with a badge. I mean he did get me pregnant, he did leave me high and dry, and he did take my money.

Yeah, part to play, or not, that equates to an asshole.

 I scowl at him some more.

 ”What photos?” he asks again, except it's more like a demand, from the death glare he's giving me.

 I suck my bottom lip through my teeth and give Bailey a quick glance. She's watching me, and gives a small nod, as though she's saying it's okay to show him. Me, I'm not quite so trusting. This could all be another one of their sick little games. After all I've been through I wouldn't be surprised.

 I finally find my voice, though it's a bit crackly. “How do we know you're telling the truth?”

 Travis clenches his hands together. “Well, apart from the badge I have a tonne of paperwork I could bore you with. Or you could just get over your insecurities and tell me about these photos.”

 ”Insecurities,” I shriek out and clasp my hands to my head. “You have to be frigging kidding me. You honestly expect me to trust you? You? The one who left me high and dry, knocked up, stole my money and ... and ... said all those things to me. Jesus, you have a goddamn nerve.”

 Travis gives me an intense stare, then reaches in his shirt pocket and pulls out an envelope. The one Tanning gave to me, and along with it, a wad of notes. My notes, my money, my envelope.

 ”Here. I was going to give it back to you.” He hands it to me, but I don't take it, so he places it in my lap. “I know I have a lot of explaining to do, Jen. And I intend to do that when we're...”

 He flicks his gaze to Bailey, and she shifts on her seat, but I don't want her to go anywhere, so I grab hold of her hand.

 ” ... Alone,” he finally finishes.

 I don't want to be alone with him. I don't care for his explanation right now, I'm too hopping mad.

 Bailey clears her throat and squeezes my hand. “I think we should show him Jen. I mean what else are we going to do?”

 She has a point. And I guess I could call Travis on it, and get him to show me more evidence, but he really has no reason to make up a whopper of a story like that, and he seems pretty confident about it all.

 ”Fine,” I bite out, and pluck the envelope from behind the cushion where I hid it, and throw it at him.

 Travis arches a brow, but catches it. He opens the top and pulls out the photographs, and begins to look through them. There's no reaction as he sees himself in all those compromising shots, until he gets to the last one. The one where he's beaten up the guy.

 ”Christ no,” he mutters under his breath and frowns deep.

 ”What?” Bailey and I ask at the same time.

 He flicks his gaze to both of us, and then continues to examine the photo further. “This isn't me in this photo.”

 ”It's not?” I question. Sure looks like him.

 ”No. And the guy ...” he sucks in a quick breath, pointing to the beaten up man. “The guy was my partner.”

 ”Was?” I choke out.

 ”Yeah. He was murdered.”

 I close my eyes, my hands are trembling, and my churning stomach is getting worse. Bailey squeezes my hand even tighter and I hear her ask Travis, “So, in the photo, is he ... is he dead?”

 I open my eyes to see Travis shift in his seat. “No. He’s only beaten up. But we found him a day ago.”

 ”Found him?” I whisper.

 ”Yeah. He was shot and buried in a shallow grave a few miles from town. That's kind of why I'm here, telling you all this. Things are getting way more dangerous than I thought. Jason is becoming suspicious, and he's a loose cannon. We have to be so careful from here on in. And giving you these photos, kind of feels like a message, Jen. Like he might be on to me.”

 That was the exact thought I had. I immediately think of Tanning, and Jason's threats. Surely he isn't a murderer though, I mean he's a bully and he's into some bad crap, but murder? That's a bit hard to believe.

 ”Tanning. He threatened Tanning,” I say, my eyes wide, my breath caught in my throat.

 Travis shakes his head. “I don't think he'll go near him, unless you give him a reason to.”

 I narrow my eyes. “What do you mean?”

 ”I mean. You have to get Tanning out of the picture. For some reason, which I'm yet to find out, Jason's got a thing for you Jen, he's had his sights on you for a while.”

 I swallow hard at the thought of leaving Tanning, but I press that to the back of my mind, there is too much else to worry about right now. “How do you know that?”

 ”Um ... well, not sure how to tell you this, but we found pictures of you. Lots of pictures, hidden in his apartment in Chicago. He left in a hurry and didn't have chance to clean it all out. That's how we figured he'd turn up here eventually.”

 I blow out another big breath. Hearing that sends waves of chills up and down my spine. So creepy. But I really don't get it. Why would Jason have a thing for me after all these years? It doesn't make sense. And where would he get photos of me?

 ”So, that's why you turned up, and why you've been undercover? To get to Jen?” Bailey asks.

 ”Yeah,” is all Travis offers.

 I have a lot more questions, but that's not police business. That is between Travis and me, and we will be having that conversation, but not now.

 ”Why hasn't he made a move? Why all this cat and mouse crap? If he's that dangerous, he's had ample opportunity to kidnap me, or ...” I can't bring myself to say something worse.

 Travis sighs. “He's nothing, if not careful. He obviously isn't ready to make that move just yet. He's hard to track down, never stays in one place, always covering his ass. You're the only one we've been able to tie him to. He doesn't have any family or friends...”

 ”What? I thought he moved back here with his mom and dad?”

 ”His mother and father are dead. His father killed himself and the mother was found not long after, took a whole bottle of pills, and overdosed.”

 ”Jesus, when did that happen?”

 ”About four years ago, that's when he got involved with the big boys, and started dealing drugs. That's why he left Chicago in a hurry, he gambled with the wrong guys, and now they have him on their hit list. But he has evidence. Evidence that could put some of the big players away for a long time. That's why I've been trying to get into his inner circle. That's why we've been treading so carefully. We need to get hold of that evidence, and we can't afford for him to go ... missing.” Travis twists his lips, and averts his eyes from mine for a moment. I guess he doesn't want to say killed. Probably figures we're scared enough. I know I am, and I can see from the grey pallor on Bailey's face, she probably is too.

 I rub my eyes. I'm so tired. This has all been too much. I can't believe I'm  caught up in some huge crime ring. I have no idea how that happened. But I know one thing, I have to work with Travis, to get out of it. If Jason is as dangerous as he says he is, I won't be able to fight this alone anymore. I'll need to cooperate with the police. Even though it goes against my every grain.

 ”So, what are we suppose to do now?” I ask.

 Travis sighs hard and gives me an intense stare. “We're going to need you to do what we tell you, Jen. You've been under police surveillance for a while now, and we need you to cooperate, no questions asked.”

 ”The cops have been watching me?” I scream out. Holy crap. That brings back bad memories.

 ”Yeah. Well, there was no way, I was leaving the mother of my child unprotected, so you've had our top police officers looking out for you. We've also tapped your phone and ...”

 ”What!” This is unfrigging believable. “They tapped my cell ... but when? How? Oh my god!”

 Travis leans toward me, and holds out his hand attempting to pat my knee, but I flinch away.

 ”Hey, calm down. We weren't taking any chances. And I kind of had to do it, you know when we were together...”

 I can't listen to anymore of this. My ears are ringing and my heart is thumping in my chest. I stand and walk out. I really don't want to look at him at the moment. I need some time to process all he's told me. This is just like when I found out about my father's deceit. Like I'd been living a lie. A lie that wasn't of my own making.

 Once again I want to block it all out, to pretend everything is normal. When I know deep down it's not. I'm covered from head to foot in other people's crap, and no matter how hard I try to wash it off, I'm forever being dragged back into the mud.

TWeNTY-FiVe

_________________________

I turn on the faucet in Bailey's kitchen, pour myself a glass of water, and gulp it down. The fresh cold taste soothes my throat and mouth. I stand at the sink and look out on the green lawn covering the back garden. Unlike the front garden, it looks freshly mown, neat and tidy, the complete opposite to my messed up mind. I don't know what to process first. My head is pounding, and it hurts every time I have a new thought, or remember snippets of the conversation we've just had.

There's the sound of feet shuffling behind me, and I know it's Travis without even turning around. I was waiting for him to come and find me, but I have no intention of trying to deal with him right now. I hope he doesn't try to explain, because I don't have the patience to listen to his lame excuses. For all I know he's married with three kids. God, that thought makes me dizzy. I have to stop it. I can't even go there.

“Jen. We have to finish talking about this. It's important.”

I close my eyes and nod once. “I'll be back in a minute, just give me a sec.”

An image of Tanning swims into my mind.

God, what am I going to say? How will I ever manage to lie to him?

I know I'll have to, and for the first time in my life, that is one lie it will kill me to tell. I don't want to lose him, but I can't see an alternative. I love him too much. I have to be strong and keep him safe. This might all be over soon, and I can explain. Or not. I don't know what Travis's plans are for Jason. Truth be told, I'm scared to death about seeing him again. Somehow I think that will be part of the plan. I'm obviously the only one he wants anything to do with, the only one who can get to him. Particularly if he suspects Travis, and those photos were a message of sorts.  A shiver snakes its way down my spine and I wrap my arms around my swollen belly. I will have to cooperate, to keep us safe. I can't afford to let anything happen to Treasure Pot.