Vinny: Alvarez Security Series (21 page)

“Absolutely, babe. We keep doing this and you’ll be swimming laps before you know it.” He met her lips, taking the kiss deeper. Pulling back, he tagged her hand as they headed toward the back elevator. Quickly entering his apartment, he hustled her into the warm shower.

And then he did exactly what he’d been wanting to do for an hour. He peeled the bathing suit slowly off of her body, exposing all of her beauty to his eyes.

Then he worshiped her long into the night.

*

The next morning
found Vinny and Annalissa arriving at the Alvarez Security building. Moving into the large work area, they found everyone gathered. The others greeted her warmly and Tony motioned for them to sit down.

“I’ve got a friend that was able to pull up the security camera feed from the airport in LA. I want you to watch them as carefully as you can to see if you recognize anyone.”

She sat for the next hour, carefully watching everything on the screen, but came up empty. She looked at the men, saying, “I’m sorry. I just don’t see anyone I know.”

Tony nodded and then moved to the file in front of him. “Don’t be sorry, Annalissa. It’s not your job to have to identify anyone. We just want as much input from you as we can get.”

She visibly relaxed, sinking back into her chair. Vinny’s hand slid from the edge of her chair to her shoulders, noting how tense they were. His eyes cut over to the others and silently signaled for a break.

“We’ll take a break, get some food in here and then we’ll resume checking into your contacts, all right?” Tony inquired politely.

“I’m fine, really.” Cutting her eyes over to Vinny, she said, “You don’t have to coddle me, you know. I’m not going to fall apart.”

Grinning, he touched his lips to her forehead. “I know, babe. You’re a helluva lot stronger than you even know. But we’re tired, so let’s take a little break.”

She cocked an eyebrow as she looked at the men around the table. “Hmmm, you expect me to believe that a group of former Special Forces soldiers are tired from sitting at a table?”

Laughter rang out as they shook their heads. “All right, Tiger. We’ll keep going,” Vinny said. “But how about we order some lunch.”

Several minutes later they began looking at the list of people she knew who had been in LA with them.

“I just don’t see why it had to be someone I know?” she complained.

“Well,” Gabe answered slowly, watching her reactions. “Your harp is always in your possession except for a very few minutes and even then it is close by. So that would indicate that someone close to you could have had the opportunity.”

“Yes, but what about motive?” she retorted. “Why would someone want to do this to me? I’m nobody. I’m not a threat to anyone.”

“We don’t know that anyone did it specifically
to
you. It may have just been that you were the convenient carrier,” Jobe replied.

She leaned forward, rubbing her temples, trying to force back the slight headache that was building. The men shared a look again. Just then, Sherrie appeared carrying barbecue sandwiches and chips from a little restaurant down the street. Her eyes scanned the room seeing the look on her husband’s face, she quickly moved over to the table.

“Hey everyone! I hope you don’t mind but I brought lunch over figuring ya’ll needed a break.” She looked at Gabe and said, “You may want to go help Jennifer. She’s lugging up the drinks.”

Gabe hopped up to find his wife as the others spread out the food. Annalissa looked at the lunch, realizing how hungry she was. As they ate, talked and laughed, she also realized how different this group was. They needed each other, but there was no pressure. No trying to force one or the other to do something for them.
How unlike my life this is. Someone is always pushing or pulling me to do something
.

As the meal was finished, she looked at Tony with renewed determination on her face. “All right. I’m ready.”

The others recognized her steely resolve and nodded as they pushed the empty plates to the side. Jennifer and Sherrie quietly cleaned up the table, but both stayed close wanting to hear what their new friend had to say. Tony and Gabe grinned, knowing their wives were nosy.

She looked at the list of people that had been around her harp and asked, “What do you need from me?”

“We have the list, but I’d like you to just talk about each one. Who they are. What they do. What your impressions of them are. Even what you know about them. Just talk and we’ll listen and take notes. You may say something without even realizing it that we find useful.”

Glancing to the side to see Vinny’s concerned expression, she squeezed his hand. “I’ve got this, Vinny. I’m okay.” Seeing his reassuring smile, she began.

The first name on the list was Todd Levine. “Todd’s my manager. My father hired him a year ago to chart out my career. He was supposed to take the shy harpist and turn me into a public figure.” Seeing the incredulous looks from around the table, she shrugged. “I know it sounds ridiculous. Most symphonic musicians are very anonymous. But sometimes a principle player is supposed to be the show-stopper. That was supposed to be me. So Todd took me in hand, hired a make-up artist and stylist to design for me and to travel with me. He schedules press releases and photo shoots.”

She looked down at the file with Todd’s name on it. “I hate it,” she confessed. Looking up quickly, she said, “Not him. I don’t hate him. Well, I don’t exactly like him either, but I don’t hate him. I just don’t like being on show. I love playing the harp in front of an audience, but not the forced status that is shoved down my throat.”

“Tell us what you don’t like about him,” Gabe prodded as Vinny moved his hand again to rub her shoulders.

Screwing her face up in concentration, she said with a half-hearted shrug, “He just doesn’t listen.” Looking around, she realized that for the first time, she did not hate talking about herself. This seemed like she was talking to friends…not the press judging her every word.

“I know I’m an introvert. I’m shy. That doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with me that needs to be fixed. I’m not some poor little girl that needs someone to lead me around. It’s just very hard for me to stick up for myself when someone is determined to overrun me. Todd has a job and he’s determined to do it. What I want doesn’t matter to him.”

They had been joined by Lily and BJ, who were busily typing in searches as she talked. The others were jotting down notes, but Vinny just kept his hand on her shoulder, listening as he took in what she said. Smiling up at him, she looked at the next name on the list.

“Okay, Gordon Fisher is my agent. He does the actual booking of the concerts. He works with Todd, but he’s actually the one who makes the arrangements with various symphonies or shows. He makes the arrangements as to which cities I will play in and then has his staff make the arrangements.”

“So Gordon is the one who actually decides if you will play in LA or New York or wherever?”

“Yes,” she said slowly, understanding the implication. “But that doesn’t make sense. He represents other musicians and bands. Believe me, if he wanted to move drugs, he’d have lots of better opportunities than me. I don’t travel much and certainly don’t tour. I’m located here with the Richland Symphony and just travel as a feature musician for certain venues.

“Next is Sharon Turner and Parker Williams, my makeup artist and stylist.” Stifling a giggle, she said, “Parker is my one true friend on the trips. He’s funny and nice. He actually listens and keeps Sharon in check.”

“How so?”

“She wants to do makeup for movie sets and I know she wishes that I would travel more. She used to apply the makeup with a heavy hand, making me feel like a drag queen, but Parker is the main stylist, so he pulls her back. She’s fun to talk to and understands that I don’t like crowds. She and Gordon seem to get along really well, but I don’t know about Todd. I think he irritates her too.”

“And Parker?” Gabe prodded again.

“He knows how I want to look and he works with that. He listens to what I like to wear and the colors that I like. Sometimes I think that if he wasn’t on a trip with me, I’d lose my mind. I definitely know it’s not him because he really likes me.”

“You can’t make that assumption, babe,” Vinny warned, only to be greeted with a frustrated look from her.

“I can’t just suspect everyone I work with. That’s not right!” she huffed, crossing her arms in front of her.

Wanting to keep Vinny from bearing her wrath, Tony jumped in. “Annalissa, right now, you can’t trust anyone you know. Anyone could have had motives that you don’t know about.”

She held his gaze a moment before leaning over the table, resting her head in her hands.

Sherrie brought a bottle of cold water over to her and wrapped her arm around her shoulders. “I know this is hard, honey.”

Annalissa looked up gratefully, giving a small smile. Looking down at the files again, she recognized others from the stage set up. “These people don’t travel with me. They’re hired by the concert halls for each city’s symphonic orchestras. They would have no idea of who I am or where I go. Someone would be responsible for bringing my harp to me after the concert is over. I don’t carry it with me. After the final bow, I exit the stage and Easnadh is left there on her stand. Once the curtain goes down, the person in charge would make sure she was cased and brought to my room.”

“Could someone slip in unnoticed in all the confusion of a full orchestra and stage hands moving about?”

Scrunching her face in thought, she answered, “I suppose. They all have name badges that they wear around their necks, but…I guess anyone can make up a badge.”

The others grinned at her innocence, knowing that each of them had used fake badges, licenses, and identifications on multiple occasions. Tony turned to Lily, saying, “Check the stage crews for the last year of concerts for Annalissa and see if there are any crossovers.”

Turning back to the file in front of her, she flipped the page and stared at a picture of her father. Looking up sharply, she asked, “Why is this here?”

Tony, his gaze steady on hers, said, “We have to look at everyone.”

She sat still, no longer feeling Vinny’s touch even though he was still caressing her shoulder.
My father. He’s no drug dealer…just…
Suddenly feeling very vulnerable, she stood up saying, “I’m sorry. I’ve given you all I can today.”

Vinny jumped up with her, pulling her in for a hug. “Babe, you did really good. Let me take you home.”

She leaned back, her eyes flashing. “Home? What home, Vinny? My home has been broken into and trashed. Right now I don’t even have a home.”

He looked down at the dark circles under her eyes and the trembling of her chin telling him she was holding on by a thread.
Fuck, I should never have let this go so far.
Calmly he said, “I know and I’m sorry. Let me take you back to my place so you can rest or practice if you would like.”

Jennifer moved over, knowing that the group would want to continue to work and process all that Annalissa had told them, saying gently, “Hey, why don’t you, me, and Sherrie go out for a little while for some girl time.”

Annalissa looked over at the faces of the two women she was fast considering as friends. “I think I’d like that,” she admitted.

Vinny leaned down and kissed her…on the lips…a simple kiss but one that spoke volumes to those who knew him. He had claimed her. The big man had fallen. As the three women left the room, the others sat in silence.

The twins shared a look and Gabe gave a nod of approval as a grin spread across his face. The others sat back down, smiles on their faces as well. Lily beamed at Vinny, saying, “I knew it would hit you one day and I kept saying that I wanted to be around when it did. Who knew that you’d fall for such a quiet, talented sweetheart?”

Vinny, actually blushing, agreed saying, “Yeah, I guess my behavior before meeting Annalissa wasn’t so good.” Shaking his head, he continued, “When I was getting to know her as we were running through the woods and hiding out in trees—well, let’s just say that I was falling for her but didn’t think there was any way in the world I deserved someone like her.”

“Oh yes you do,” Lily effused. “You just needed to find the right one.” She looked around the table at the men she worked with and cared for, her eyes stopping on Jobe. “Now, we just need to find someone for you.”

Jobe smiled, but she noticed it did not reach his eyes. Shaking his head, he said, “Nah. Had it once but threw it away. Don’t think that’ll come again.”

“You don’t know that,” Lily said. “Look at BJ here. He found his love four years after they’d broken up. If it happened to him, it could happen to you.” She caught the looks between the former brothers-in-arms, recognizing a story. One that she did not know. And one that would only be shared when Jobe was ready.

The group went back to studying the files as Vinny filled them in on Annalissa’s father, remembering what all she had told him on their trip.

“This just doesn’t make any sense,” Gabe groused. “She doesn’t travel that much and so she can’t be someone’s main source of smuggling.”