Kace (Allen Securities #2)(2)
Author: Madison Stevens

“Just some number crunching that’s driving me crazy. Nothing to worry about.”

Jessica watched Victoria from the corner of her eye, and let out a silent sigh when she let it go. Her sister, despite her innocence, had shrewd sense when it came to reading people. She was nearly never wrong and didn’t have trouble speaking her mind. It was something Jessica worried over. In their neck of the woods, saying the wrong thing to the wrong guy could spell real trouble.

“Did you see Mrs. Masing today?”

The older woman in the townhome next to them had been on her mind quite a bit lately. Since their grandmother had passed on, she had pretty much been the only family they bothered to talk to, and technically, she wasn’t even family. But that didn’t matter to them. She was the nice lady who kept an eye on things and made sure they were safe, which was more than a lot of other people did.

“She was out watering her plants earlier. Said she’s having some trouble with her bathroom sink again.” They exchanged a grin.

Projects were code for being lonely and wanting company.

“I’ll get over to see her Sunday.” Jessica smiled.

Not that it was a hardship seeing her. Usually, she had dinner made by the time Jessica showed, and they would chat for a bit. She’d go tinker with whatever needing fixing, and they’d call it a day. It was sweet and, as Victoria would say, good for the soul. Sometimes you needed someone to care for no reason.

The pulled in, parking in front of the worn-down row houses. The aged brick on each attached home, slightly worn to small degree, told of the struggles their neighborhood had faced. It also showed the care they put into them. The residents might not have much, but what they did have, they took care of.

She smiled up at the building. It wasn’t ideal for them, but it was mostly home.

There were still times she wished she could provide more for her sister, but with the cost of college, it was hard to even think of moving. Besides, the neighborhood was safe, and she loved the people around them. When their mother had run off and their father ended up in prison, the people around them became the extended family they needed.

Jessica climbed out and went to the other side to wrap an arm around her sister’s shoulders.

“Let’s go see if we can find some ice-cream in the freezer before bed.” She grinned.

Victoria laughed. “All right, but this time no eating all the fudge out of it.”

Jessica laughed and followed her sister inside.

Chapter Two

Kace cursed as he drove to Jessica’s house. He really didn’t intend for things to go as they had in the car. There was just something about her that set him on edge and made him want to respond to her outbursts.

It seemed so strange to him that he would have this reaction when, in most cases, he was normally calm. He stopped across the street from her place and turned the headlights off as the two women went in and began flipping on lights. Kace tensed a little when he easily saw the flickering light from the television through the windows.

His muscles twitched at how careless they were being with their own personal safety. It would be so easy for someone to slip right in and commit all sorts of crimes. He just hoped they had at least thought to lock the door. Maybe even a bar, just in case, but that might be hoping a little too much.

Years working cases had taught him that the best crimes for criminals were crimes of opportunity. If you made it easy for a criminal, they would likely take the easy way. They were lazy in a sense. It was the number one thing he had learned in his years on the force.

His phone rang, forcing him to look away. The screen read “Lt. Jackson.”

“Allen here,” he said into the receiver.

“Anything happening?” Lt. Jackson said over the phone.

They had all been waiting. They needed to be ready for whatever might happen.

“Nothing so far,” he said. “I think something is going on with the manager, but I’m not really sure. She is there later every day.”

“Any signs of Finn?” his boss asked.

“Only a few times during the day.”

“You think she’s in on all this?” The lieutenant’s rough voice cut across the line.

He stared up at the window again. The TV was now off, and two rooms had their lights on. Kace could see Jessica’s slender form looking up at the night sky from her room, her black hair framing her pretty face. His mouth went dry when he noticed the pink panties peaking over the top of the windowsill.

Kace wet his lips before continuing.

“I don’t think so, but there’s something going on, and she seems to have an idea,” he said and pulled his eyes from the window. Last thing he needed was to be hard while talking to his boss.

“Well keep me posted,” Lt. Jackson said. “We need to be on top of this when the shit hits the fan. Last thing I want is a war hitting the streets between the Russian and Irish mafias.”

“That won’t be happening, sir,” Kace said firmly.

“You just see it doesn’t.”

The click of the receiver echoed in his ear. He glanced back at the window to find the lights were all out now. Stretching, he moved around trying to work out the kinks all over his aching body. The muscles in his arms pulled at the fabric on his sleeves.

Despite the very long night, he thought it might be good to get in a little workout just to stretch. Already excited for the burn that was to come, he moved into gear and rolled down the road. Sometimes the best way for him to clear his head was a good run and some weightlifting. Maybe after that he’d be able to figure out what to do with Jessica Tamm.

He groaned at the thought. Talking about her father had been a mistake, but it came out before he could even stop himself. It was obvious she was from a troubled family, but that hadn’t really seemed to play a role in her upbringing.

Kace just couldn’t help himself. It pissed him off every time he thought about how she worked for a slime ball like Finn. She had to know what trouble he was. He’d declared all-out war on the Russians and left Jessica to run it. It wasn’t just dangerous. It was suicidal, and it wasn’t his life on the line.

Kace gripped the steering wheel so hard the plastic creaked under his hands.

There had to be some way to convince her to leave. If conventional ways didn’t work, he could always use her sister. The Russians were ruthless. Taking out a person’s family was child’s play to them.

He nodded to himself and smiled. It was the best chance he had.

The unmarked car stopped outside the newly painted Victorian home. He looked up to the intricate woodwork and smiled. Nearly two weeks hunched on the ladder, but it looked great. The various shades of blue and white stood out nicely on the street. He had stuck with more traditional colors that didn’t seem so girly.

Somewhat farther back from the road, he had the benefit of being on the end of the cul-de-sac and the privacy that entailed. It also meant that he didn’t get every busybody in the area poking into his business. Kace liked his privacy. He didn’t want to be set up with every grandniece or daughter from the area. So what if it had been a while since he had a date. Things had been busy at work, and right now he needed to worry about where he was going with his job. Otherwise he wouldn’t have taken the assignment he was on now.

He didn’t mind helping out his brother Reed on occasion, but Finn was a totally different story. Didn’t matter though. Lt. Jackson insisted he be the one to take the lead on this. It was a good opportunity, and if it helped with his next promotion, he would do it.

He opened the front door and charged into the kitchen to grab a bottle of water. Kace leaned against the granite counter top as he took a drink.

It was good knowing he had built most of the place with his own two hands. It made him feel like he had created something.

He set the bottle down and grabbed some running clothes from the closet. After a quick change, he was ready to burn off some energy. If he was going to get any sleep, he’d have to turn the normal eight-mile run into four. Just enough to take the edge off and still wear him out a bit.

Kace shook his head, clearing thoughts about other ways he could burn energy. Right now, he needed to stay focused and that did not include letting Jessica into his world.

* * *

Jessica woke up feeling far less rested than she should. Thoughts of her father floated in her head all night, and she swore that if she saw that smug cop again, she’d punch him in the nose. She had spent that last fifteen years living in the shadow of her father’s guilt, and she was done. He had committed those crimes, not her and certainly not Victoria.

She flipped the covers off her and groaned at the bright sun.

After glancing at the clock, she groaned again. Nearly eleven. If she was going to see Mrs. Masing today, she really needed to get around. Besides, a home-cooked meal sounded like heaven.

She grabbed a few clothes from the closet and padded down the hall to the bathroom. The air misted when she turned the shower on, and she jumped in. The building was so old that she felt lucky to get hot water most days. Typically, it was tepid to lukewarm, so on the rare hot-water day, you had to grab it as fast as you could.

She scrubbed under the warm spray, letting her muscles relax after such a tough night. This whole embezzlement thing was eating her up. She was glad Finn seemed to believe that it wasn’t her, but still the responsibility of the whole thing fell on her, and she hated there wasn’t much she could really do.

“Shit,” she shouted when the water turned ice cold.

Yet another wonderful feature of the hot-water system. Just further proof that nothing came without a price.

Jessica snapped off the water and toweled off. She slipped on a off-shoulder gray sweater dress and pair of pumps. After lunch with Mrs. Masing, she’d need to get to work. Several big shipments were scheduled, and as the manager, it was her duty. She sent a text to Victoria about what time to come pick her up and sighed. They were really going to have to figure out something else.

The whole ride thing had been building for some time, and she really didn’t know what to do. With the cost of school, there was no way she’d be able to afford a second car. They had fought several times over Victoria just taking the car, but she refused if that meant Jessica would have to ride the bus. There they were, spending tons on gas and shuttling each other around with only the one car between the two of them.

Maybe after this whole mess with the thief was cleared, she would talk with Finn about a raise. She was certainly worth the money and could only hope he felt the same way.

Jessica gathered her keys. As long as her hunch about Alyssa was right, she would be fine. If not, well, she might find herself needing more than a new car. She pushed those thoughts out of the way.

She hurried out the door and clicked the lock behind her.

The metal railing jiggled as she trotted down the steps, just another piece of the building coming down. Next door, the rail was more secure. She’d made sure to tighten the bolts before winter and was glad they were still holding. Mrs. Masing wasn’t as steady as she used to be, and one good fall could really take her out. Without any family around, it was hard for her to get the things done that she needed.

There was a great niece that would come out once in a while, but from what Jessica understood, she had married an unsavory man a few years back and getting away was very difficult for her. Her distance was hard for Mrs. Masing, and she worried about Amy often.

As Jessica reached the top step, the door opened. Mrs. Masing stood just inside.

“Your sister said you would come today,” the elderly woman said with a big smile.

Jessica smiled back.

“You know I can’t stay away long from your cooking,” Jessica said and took off her shoes.

Rule number one, no shoes in the house.

Same as it had been since they moved in with their grandmother next door, Mrs. Masing had kept her furniture in perfect condition since the 70s. Not really the best decade for taste, but it always felt like home when Jessica came over. Avocado green furniture and macramé plant hangings littered the room. The brown and green made her almost glad to see the burnt orange table and chairs peeking out of the kitchen.

She glanced sideways at the woman as they made their way through the living room to the kitchen. Mrs. Masing seemed to be shrinking as the years went on, but that seemed to be common with age. Recently, she had lost a little weight, and it concerned Jessica. The pension from Mr. Masing was likely getting hard to live off of, especially with inflation.

Jessica made a mental note to talk to Victoria about how they could help. Mrs. Masing was a proud woman, so just offering money wouldn’t work. Her sister was really the one who would have the best luck. Her sweet nature made it hard for others to turn her down.

“So,” she said, smiling widely at the older woman, “what’s for lunch?”

“You always were one to get to eating first.” Mrs. Masing laughed.

Jessica shrugged. “That’s what happens when you can’t cook.”

The older woman waved her hand. “You just need to come over and eat more.”

Jessica patted her on the shoulder and sat down. The tiny little kitchen always seemed much smaller when she was standing in it. Being a two bedroom, they had the benefit of a slightly larger kitchen.

“I really want to. Things have just been…” She furrowed her brow. “Hectic at work.”

She was pierced with a knowing look. “You come home later and later. This have anything to do with that no-good boss of yours?”

Jessica dipped her spoon into the creamy sausage broth and filled her mouth with vegetables. The spicy rich flavors hit her tongue, and she sighed. When she looked up, Mrs. Masing was waiting. She groaned.

“It’s not him,” Jessica said, setting her spoon down. “Someone is stealing and not just a little. Whoever is doing this has connections.”

“What? He doesn’t think you did this right?” The little woman puffed up, ready to charge in and take down the head of the Irish mob.