Was there anyone on this planet who hadn’t thought about the day their life would end or had been forced to deal with the death of a loved one? My life was no exception. For a few seconds, I’d thought I was going to die in the fire. I’d had two regrets. One from years ago that I no longer had control over and the other being that I wouldn’t be able to protect the woman I cared deeply for.
Not that I’d done a very good job. I hadn’t anticipated that the fucker would use a bomb. Hell, no. That had never been in his bag of tricks, which was the reason so far that the acting DA, with whom I’d spent an hour on the phone, had declined to associate the act of arson directly with Jacob Jones.
He was right of course. Unfortunately. Hell, I’d toss it out of my courtroom if presented. That didn’t mean I wasn’t furious that it appeared no one was taking the bomb seriously enough. Maybethat’s because another juror had died, only this time in a car accident.
All too convenient.
The hit list was never far from my mind. Maybe more than one assassin was being used to carry out the heinous acts if for no other reason than to expedite the timing.
I stood with a drink in my hand, keeping a constant eye on Valentina. She hadn’t bothered asking me if she could go outside on the deck. Denying her wouldn’t have worked. She was far too lost in thought, wrapped in thick blankets and fear and anger.
She’d barely said two words other than to thank Camille for taking care of her daughter in such a perfunctory way I hadn’t recognized her voice.
Camille had already heard about what had happened, even offering her help if needed. At some point, I might take her up on that.
Now, Valentina sat with a drink in her hand staring out at the ocean through the steel rope rails. From what I could tell from before I’d taken a shower, she hadn’t moved. Sitting in the dark staring at nothing.
At least I’d felt she was safe given I’d tasked one of the officers to canvass the beach.
Tomorrow I was taking her to that goddamn safehouse whether she agreed or not.
At least tonight there were two black and whites assigned to my house.
“I thought you’d be calling,” Chase said as soon as he answered the phone. His tone reflected my mood. “I guess someone had a rough night.”
“More than you know, buddy.”
“Jones?”
“He was there at the scene watching the building go up in flames. Fucking bastard. But the DA declined to bring him in for questioning until the forensics report on the fire is finished.”
“All those rules and regulations as required by the letter of the law. Is Valentina alright?” He wasn’t chiding me as much as he was the system.
“As you might imagine, she’s traumatized. She believed I’d died in the flames. She lost everything in the blast, but she’s unhurt other than a few scrapes.”
“Thank God for that, but I can tell by your voice you’re out for blood.”
“You’re right and I’ve changed my mind. That’s why I’m calling.”
My voice was strong, deep, and full of rage. I held the phone with a white-knuckled death grip. It was the only call I’d made tonight and it was the only one that mattered.
“On?” he asked. The man knew me too well. He’d heard me jabber on more than once that certain laws should change. He’d been amused at my creative methods of handling the worst of the worst. All five of us had laughed about it.
“The Undertaker. Fuck the law. He’s going to face my brand of justice and in the end, I plan on sending him on a one-way ticket to hell. If possible I’ll take down Worthington with him.”
He hesitated, his sigh an indication he’d already heard the news. Who the fuck hadn’t? Half the goddamn fire department had shown up, shutting down the street, refusing to allow anyone in or out. “Lofty goals, Hudson. I’ll make note.”
Make note. Chase certainly had it all figured out. Good for him. Meanwhile, I was now just formulating how I wanted to handle the fucking bastard. The entire scene had been a madhouse, but I’d felt Jacob’s presence. I’d caught sight of him just before he’d disappeared, using the melee to escape.
You bet I’d wanted to run after him, ending the hunt right now, but I’d refused to leave Valentina.
Seeing her face when I’d emerged from the burning building had stilled me. I’d felt more emotions than I had in a very long time. She’d run to me, collapsing in my arms, her racking sobs something I would not soon forget. That’s the very moment I’d caught sight of Jacob. He’d wanted me to see him. The bastard had been smiling.
“What are your next steps?” Chase asked, which was the same question I’d asked myself since returning to the house. A black and white had been assigned for a twenty-four/seven duty. Whether or not the intended victim had been Valentina or me, or both didn’t matter any longer. Based on my police report alone, it was apparent someone had tried to exterminate a life.
Did their presence mean the attempts would stop? Of course not. The man was just revving his engine.
“I’m going to ensure that the Undertaker isn’t allowed to hurt anyone else. Period. Whatever that takes I’m going to do.” I could accomplish two goals in doing so. One was to allow him to realize he’d crossed a line that couldn’t be undone. The otherwas to provide assistance with the investigation into Delgado. What was the term? Tit for tat? Or perhaps bad for good.
