Chapter 23
Amy tugged the gift certificate from its envelope as Jace pulled out of the quiet neighborhood. The invite was printed on cream, textured paper with a band of metallic gold lining the edge. Hints of a large, transparent diamond glowed beneath a print:
Come and be pampered for a Couples’Day at The Rough Diamond Spa. Good for you and a guest.
Today’s datewas sprawled elegantly in the space below, along with the appointment time, 11:00 a.m. She glanced at the clock on the dash—10:35— and a million sparks of adrenaline scattered throughout her body.
“How are you doing over there?” Jace asked, reaching his hand out to her.
Amy rested the certificate on her lap and sandwiched his hand, hoping to tune into the warmth and strength of him.
“I’m just trying to deal with the fact that … well, that we have no idea what to expect.”
He gave her hand a squeeze. “That’s not exactly true. I just got a text from Logan. He says the crew just drove into the parking garage. He put a wiretap on Creed, but not the other men. That way, if Mr. P has them all searched upon arrival, Maddox can claim ignorance to the supposed snitch among them as well.”
It didn’t feel like Jace was describing anything that could be herlife. It sounded a lot more like some of the movies she’d watched. Mobs and cops and snitches.
“This Mr. P, whoever he is, knows the importance of wearing a congenial mask. That’s how he’s remained hidden in broad daylight.” Jace shook his head absently as he veered toward the freeway exit. “Let him think he’s running the show for a minute. He’ll see how wrong he is soon enough.”
“Remind me why we don’t just call the cops on this guy now that we know where he is.” Amy knew he’d explained this to her before but she couldn’t exactly remember.
“The legal system is tricky,” Jace said. “We’d have to go around a ton of red tape. Mr. P would catch sight of that tape and flee before we could get our hands on him. But if we can get him to sign this contract, it’s like catching him red-handed. They can arrest him on the spot. Logan’s been in contact with the proper authorities; they’re aware of what’s going down today, and should be prepared to send in an entire squad when we say go.”
Sure, as long as it wasn’t too late.An image of men in blue marching over Jace’s bloodied body to get to Mr. P assaulted her mind. Sometimes there were casualties. Those who lost their lives for the cause. Amy fought another onset of panic as she shoved the image from her mind.This was necessary if they wanted to stop these men and their terrible deeds. She had to focus on the bigger picture.
She eyed Main Street as Jace pulled the SUV up to the light. There it was,The Rough Diamond Spa. Nestled on the corner of Red Cliff and Main, beside the painting studio. Amy had filmed anAverage Amysegment there with Kassy once. Can the average Joe create a decent piece of art during one simple lesson?
Amy’s painting, a vase of daisies against a night blue sky, hung in her parents’ front room. The thought caused a sudden homesickness to fall over her. She’d distanced herself from Kassy and her parents since finding out about the website; she’d had to in order to keep it to herself. But if something happened…
“Okay,” Jace said. “I was hoping to get another update from Logan before heading in, but that doesn’t look like it’s going to happen.” Jace passed by the front of the spa— a deceivingly charming-looking storefront accented by rustic, red brick and potted chrysanthemums— and turned at the intersection leading to the back of the place. The attached building was massive. Looked more like an office building, minus the windows on the bottom floor.
Jace pulled up to a garage door tall enough for diesels to enter, and rolled down the window. A quick press to the buzzer, and a voice came over the attached speaker.
“Rough Diamond Spa,” a cheery voice came.
“Amy Nelson here for her complimentary appointment,” Jace said.
“Oh, yes. And her guest, correct?”
“Right.”
The massive garage door rumbled and creaked. Amy stared inside. Often times, when she pulled into her own garage on late nights, the light from within spilled into the night. Likewise, the darkness from within the ominous space seeped out onto the surrounding area.
“Pull on in,” the woman coaxed.
Jace eased the SUV into the dim garage seconds before the door screeched to a close once more. Amy glanced around at the tall shelving and wide aisles to one side of the lot. An area where inventory was wrapped onto pallets and placed on high shelves with forklifts. But right now the place was graveyard quiet.
“This is a gun-free zone, did I tell you that?” Jace kept his gaze fixed on the lot as he said it.
“No,” Amy said. “That’s what he told Maddox?”
Jace nodded. “Yep. He said that even his own guys have been trained to be very effective without them. He made some lame joke about each of them being skilled with their hands like any good masseuse.”
“So did you leave your guns at home?” Amy asked.
“No,” Jace said in a whisper. “It would look suspicious if I didn’t bring them. They know who I am and that if I’m guarding you—whether I anticipate an attack or not—I’d carry. They’ll probably make up a reason to search me as we enter.”
Amy let that sink in as she eyed the interior further. Massive industrial light fixtures, for all their size and imposing, cage-like structure, lent minimal light, the hue stuck between green and gray. A few cars were scattered over the parking area. Everything ranging from sports cars to luxury cars to full-on limos. Jace put the SUV in park and pulled out his phone.
