Up to Me Page 3

  He holds up his phone and I see the name on the Caller ID. My heart does a nervous little flip.

  It reads “Marissa.”

  “Hello,” he answers quietly.

  Without saying another word, Cash listens for a few seconds then lowers the phone and sticks it back in his pocket.

  “What? Why’d you hang up? What did she say?”

  “It wasn’t Marissa. Come on, we’ve gotta get out of here.”

  “Who was it then? Cash, what’s going on?”

  “I’ll tell you when I get you someplace safe.”

  With that, he practically drags me back to his bike and shoves the helmet at me. I bite my tongue and push the helmet onto my head before I climb on behind Cash.

  Just before we take off, though, I change my mind.

  He’s not going to keep me in the dark about this. We either share everything or this has to end now.

  “No,” I say as I start to climb right back off the bike. Cash straightens one arm in front of me to stop me. “Tell me right now what’s going on or I’m getting off this bike.”

  In profile, there’s enough light that I can see Cash’s lips thin in irritation, but I don’t let that intimidate me. My resolve has already hardened, like a thick icy shell.

  I lean back and cross my arms over my chest.

  “Fine,” he snaps. “They’ve taken Marissa as leverage.”

  I gasp. “Who’s they? And leverage for what?”

  “The books.”

  “The books? I thought no one knew you had the books.”

  “They didn’t.”

  “Then how did they find out?”

  “The only thing I can figure is that they have an inside man at the prison, maybe someone who can listen in on my conversations with Dad. We’ve been careful, but…if they’ve been listening long enough, they could put the pieces together. And this last time I went to visit Dad, I mentioned that I’d told someone.”

  “Oh my God! But, why on earth would they take Marissa then?”

  His pause makes me even more anxious. “I don’t think they meant to take Marissa.”

  When the meaning behind his words sinks in, the bottom drops out of my stomach. “What?” I breathe.

  “If they’ve been listening or watching very long at all, they likely know who I am. They called my phone, Cash’s phone, to tell me about Marissa. If they didn’t know I’m the same person, they’d have called Nash’s phone. Since we’re brothers, both numbers are programmed into her phone.”

  “So then, if they know who you are, why take Marissa?”

  “They probably knew Marissa was gone. And they thought you would be the only one coming back here. But by taking her, they’re also making a point.”

  “Which is?”

  “That they could get to you” he says quietly. “And that they know.”

  My guts swim with nausea. And fear. For both Marissa and for myself.

  I fight back tears. “But why would they want either of us? We don’t know anything.”

  “It’s not what you know. At least not entirely, I don’t think. It’s who you are.”

  “That would make sense with Marissa. She’s the successful, influential one. The one who comes from money. I’m a nobody, from nowhere.”

  Cash turns around until he’s looking into my eyes.

  “Not to me you’re not.”

  Above the fear that’s clogging my chest, I feel a little thrill at his words.

  “They—”

  “Baby,” Cash begins, interrupting me. “I know you have questions, but right now I don’t have all the answers. And we have to get out of here. Just hold that thought. Let me get us someplace safe and we’ll talk more.”

  He doesn’t wait around for my answer. He guns the engine and the motorcycle shoots forward, leaving me clinging to his back for dear life.

  CHAPTER FOUR- Cash

  It makes me feel both reassured and guilty when Olivia’s grip tightens around my waist. I’m so glad I waited around for her to get safely inside. If I’d been just a few minutes earlier dropping her off or if she’d driven home by herself…

  The air cools the cold sweat that pops out across my forehead.

  I release the handlebars long enough to reach down and brush my fingers across the back of her hand. I want her to know that I know and that I’m here. In fact, I’m the reason she’s even in any danger, which is where the guilt comes from.

  If I hadn’t taken such an interest in her, if I’d left it at just a fling, like all the others, no one would think to threaten her to get to me. By caring for her, I messed up. Now they’re onto me and, as a result, onto Olivia.

  I wouldn’t wish anything bad on Marissa. I mean, she’s a cold bitch, but she doesn’t deserve to die because of it. And I’m sure that’s what they have planned for her. What they had planned for Olivia.

  The thought makes my stomach clinch.

  I speed up. My only concern right now is getting her someplace safe. And then I can work out the rest. I don’t have a contingency plan for this; after all this time, I never thought they’d find out I have the books. Not until it’s too late for them to do anything about it.

  But, I’m a smart guy. And my dad’s got real experience with these kinds of people. We’ll figure out something. We have to. It’s that simple.

  I take the most convoluted path I can think of to get downtown to the hotel I’ve got in mind. Constantly, I check my mirrors for lights or any other sign that someone’s following us. I can’t take anything for granted now.

  When I pull up to the extravagant front entrance of the hotel, the valet appears. He’s young and looks anxious to drive my motorcycle.

  After we’re off, I tip him and watch as he drives the bike into the gated, underground parking area. I figure my ride won’t be easily discovered there. I’ll take as many precautions as I can think to take.

  I grab Olivia’s hand, leading her into the luxurious lobby of the hotel. Holing up here with her will cost me a pretty penny, but she’s worth every cent. Besides, she might never have had the opportunity to stay at a place like this before. If I can manage to make her feel safe enough, she might actually enjoy it. The fact that I get her all to myself, in surroundings like this, for an indefinite amount of time is a huge bonus for me.

  There’s a brunette behind the reception desk. “May I help you?”

  “We’re just passing through. No reservations. Do you have any suites available for the week?”

  “A suite? Of course, sir. Let me check availability for those dates.”

  As she types on her computer, I glance down at Olivia. She looks like she’s holding up pretty well, all things considered. She’s a little pale, but I’m sure she’s scared shitless, so that’s to be expected.

  She looks up at me and smiles. It’s a small, tight smile, but a smile nonetheless. I’ll take it.

  I squeeze her hand and bend to kiss her cheek. Before I straighten, I whisper in her ear, “I promise I won’t let anything happen to you.”

  When I lean back and look into her big, green eyes, they’re shimmering with unshed tears. Her chin trembles and my heart squeezes in my chest.

  I’ve done this to her.

  I don’t know if it’s fear for her or Marissa’s safety, or just the shock of what’s happened on top of everything else that’s happened in her life lately, but something is overwhelming her. I can see it and I feel responsible.

  She squeezes my hand back. I take that as a good sign that maybe she doesn’t completely blame me. Well, maybe that she doesn’t completely hate me. Because the blame, no doubt, falls to me.

  “Sir, we do have a suite available through next weekend. Do you have a Rewards card with us?”

  “No.”

  “Yes, sir. I’ll just need your driver’s license and the credit card you’d like to use for payment.”

  I notice she doesn’t mention a rate for the room. I suppose it’s understood that, when you ask for a suite at a hotel lik
e this, it’s going to be exorbitant. I hand her the card for Dual. It’s listed under the name of the corporation, so no one should be able to track its usage. Also, I specify that I want the reservation under that same name, for billing and tax purposes. She nods her head in understanding.

  For most people, that would seem completely reasonable. And she’s no exception. Several times, I see her eyes flicker to Olivia. No doubt she thinks I’m a business man having an illicit affair on the company dime. I don’t care what she thinks, though, as long as it’s nowhere near the truth.

  “Here are your keys, sir. Your suite is on the fifteenth floor. Suite elevators are just behind the water wall. Wave your key in front of the infrared eye once the elevator doors close. It will take your floor. Your room will be to your left as you exit the elevator. If you have need of anything, my name is Angela. It would be my pleasure to assist you.”

  “Thank you, Angela. One question: do you offer twenty-four hour room service?”

  Yes, sir. In-room dining is available at any time to our suite guests.”

  “Fine. I think we’re all set for the night then.”

  “Yes, sir. Enjoy your stay.”

  After taking the keys and the packet of information Angela hands me, I put my hand in the small of Olivia’s back and guide her to the elevators. Once inside, her silence continues. I don’t try to urge her into conversation because I know she has only questions, questions about things we shouldn’t be discussing in a public elevator.

  When the car comes to a smooth stop and the doors open with a muted whoosh¸ I usher Olivia out and to the left. I open the suite door and let her precede me into the room.

  I can tell by her expression she’s never seen accommodations like these before. Despite her shock and fear, she’s still clearly impressed. And the suite they gave us is pretty upscale. It makes me happy I’ve got the money to treat her to something like this, even though the circumstances are less than desirable.

  The first thing I notice when I walk through the door is the wall of floor-to-ceiling windows that look out over the impressive Atlanta skyline. They are the backdrop for the living room straight ahead, as well as the dining room to the left. Both rooms are done in a beige color and dark red. The lighting is soft, which has a soothing effect. As a guy, I totally approve. There’s a huge flat screen at one end of the living room and, beyond that, double doors that open to the bedroom.

  I walk straight to the leather-bound hotel guide on the coffee table. Opening it to the menu, I hand it to Olivia.

  “I’m sure you’re hungry. Why don’t you pick something to order from room service. I’ll wait until they deliver it to leave.”

  “Leave? Where are you going?”

  “Someone will be calling me back in another forty minutes. I want to be at the club when they do, just in case they can track my GPS. After the call, I’ll get us burner phones to use until I can get this taken care of.”

  “Taken care of? Cash, tell me what’s going on.”

  I sigh. And I think again, Damn, I hate that I dragged her into all this. If I could’ve just stayed away from her…

  “They’ve got Marissa. They want me to bring the books. They’re going to call back one hour from the first call.”

  “You can’t take them the books by yourself, Cash. They’ll kill you both! You need to call the police. My uncle is a very influential man. He’ll have people moving heaven and earth to get his daughter back.”

  “Which is why he can never know. Until it’s over, that is. It’ll be a greater risk to her if we draw attention to it. They’ll have more reason to clean up their mess. If I can get this done quietly, get Marissa back, I can figure out a new plan.”

  “You’re going in there alone? To give them what they want and then expect them to let you go? And take Marissa with you? Cash, I don’t even know these people and I know that’s not what they’ll do. Criminals don’t work like that.”

  I want to grin at her. Like she has a lot of experience with criminals. Ha! No doubt, this is all based on some classic mobster movies.

  “Olivia, my father knows these people. Better than anyone. I’m not doing anything until I can talk to him. The books are hidden. I’m gonna tell them that they’re in a safety deposit box and that I can’t get to them until Monday when the banks open. I would’ve already told them that, but they just told me they had Marissa, to go get the books and they’d call me in an hour with a place to meet.”

  “So, you’re gonna leave Marissa with them until Monday?”

  The look in her eye plainly says she thinks that’s something a monster would do.

  Flattening the binder up against her chest, I step closer to her and cup her cheek with my palm. “If I had any other choice, I wouldn’t do this. But I don’t. I need time. They won’t do anything to her until they get what they want. And I have to be damn sure I’ve got my ducks in a row before I give them the only leverage I have.”

  She searches my eyes. And I let her. I know she has trust issues anyway, thinking I’m the bad boy through and through. The reality of my situation only makes things that much worse. If she can just stick with me a little while longer…

  “Can you trust me? Please! I know I’ve not given you many reasons to, but this one time, just go with your heart. I promise you, promise you¸ I won’t let you down.”

  Even as I say the words, I know there’s no way I can make a promise like that. But what I can promise is that, if I do, it won’t be because I didn’t do everything in my power to live up to being the kind of guy she deserves. I want to be worth the risk. I want her to finally fall for the right guy.

  She says nothing, only nods. I know it’s hard for her, but the fact that she’s willing to try gives me hope. Maybe bringing some familiar things will help ease her mind. I know she dropped her bag just inside the door of her apartment and I didn’t pick it up as we were leaving. I’ll go by and get it on my way back. Maybe that will make her feel better. But, then again, I’m a guy. What the hell do I know?

  “Tell me what you want to eat. I’ll order it. When it gets here, you can eat while I’m out. I’ll go by your place and get your bag and some more clothes, and lock up. Is there anything specific you need?”

  She pauses to think and then shakes her head. I’m not sure why she’s so quiet, but I don’t want to push her.

  “Also, I’ll need your cell phone. I’ll take it to the club and leave it in the back, just in case. Until then, you can use one of the disposable phones I bring back for us. Okay?”

  She nods again.

  “You can call your dad and Ginger in the morning. Just tell them your phone’s out of commission for a few days and that you’ll be calling to check on them. We’ll throw that phone away after you talk to them and you can use another one to call later in the week.”

  Her smile is agreeable but very tight. “It’ll be okay. I’ll make it okay.”

  She nods again, but still she doesn’t speak. I refuse to acknowledge the possibility that I may already have screwed things up beyond repair. No, I’ll just have to find a way to make her trust me, to get us out of this. Maybe then…

  CHAPTER FIVE- Olivia

  I can’t even remember the name of my meal. Something fancy and exotic and foreign that I’ve never heard of. The only thing I care about is that it’s chicken. I like chicken. And this is great chicken. My taste buds are working well enough for me to be sure of that. But I don’t really taste it. Or maybe it’s that I don’t really enjoy it. My mind and my heart are too troubled and heavy to enjoy much of anything.

  What in the world have I done? Not only did I do exactly what I knew I shouldn’t—get involved with another bad boy—but I went and picked one that actually has a dangerous past. He’s not just dangerous to my heart; he’s dangerous period!

  Obviously running at this juncture is completely out of the question. It’s not safe. Well, not for my physical wellbeing. It might be safest for my heart. But, then again, maybe not. Even aft
er all this, I still don’t know what to make of Cash. Sometimes he’s so sweet and sincere and…

  He treats me like I’m something important. He talks to me like I’m something different. Not like I’m the throw-away kind he’s used to loving and leaving. He seems to value me—my safety, my happiness. Just…me.

  But I’ve talked myself into believing that before, into seeing what wasn’t really there. On the one hand, I know better than to take the chance. I know from long experience what the wild ones do to girls like me. But on the other hand, something tells me to take the risk. A voice I’ve never heard before, one that seems to speak from somewhere inside my soul, tells me Cash is different.

  The question is: what to do? What to do, what to do? That’s always the question. And it’s so much harder when everything’s left up to me, when I’m the one forced to make the tough call, the tough decisions.

  But right now, these circumstances are dictating my actions. I’m stuck. For the moment anyway. I need to stick with Cash until all this mob stuff is resolved, which hopefully will be very soon. And then I can decide. Then I can think.

  After I finish part of my meal, I get up and wander restlessly through the room. I don’t like not having a phone, not knowing what’s going on. I don’t like not knowing if I’ll ever see Cash again, if Marissa will be okay, if a raccoon has made its way into my apartment through my wide-open door and torn everything to shreds.

  Yes, my mind works in very strange and nonsensical ways. I think it’s so overwhelmed, it keeps coming back to whether the front door was left open. Like a broken record, it skips back to that over and over and over again.

  I’m sure it probably was. I mean, I was a little distracted. To say the least. Maybe Cash closed it and I just wasn’t paying attention. Maybe I closed it out of habit and just don’t remember it. Or maybe neither of us did and everything I’ve ever owned is in some homeless person’s shopping cart. Who knows? I guess time will tell.

  And if that happens to be the case, some stuff ought to be fairly easy to find. A homeless person who has recently redecorated their cardboard box with a two thousand-dollar clock might stand out a tad, as would one walking the streets in Jimmy Choo shoes and a Prada evening gown. Of course, who’d want any of it back at that point? Not me! I say happy trails and I hope you enjoy Marissa’s expensive thongs.