Kace (Allen Securities #2)(3)
Author: Madison Stevens

“No, he’s actually been very good about all this,” she said. “I just hate to think someone I know would do something like this.”

“Do you know it’s someone working there?”

Jessica thought for a moment. It seemed like it would be, but it could really be anyone, especially with the recent trouble with the Russians.

“No,” she said, not bothering to elaborate about the Russian trouble.

“Well then, innocent until proven guilty.” Mrs. Masing smiled at her, and Jessica couldn’t help but return the smile. “Well, eat up. You’re going to need your strength for the task I have for you.”

Jessica laughed as she dug into her soup. No doubt she would need her strength.

* * *

“Damn pipe,” Jessica said. She huffed as she pulled with her little wrench.

Nothing.

She stood and dusted off her hands when the sound of a horn tooted from outside. After grabbing her little tool kit, Jessica slid it back under the sink, careful not to knock the pan catching the water from the pipe.

When Mrs. Masing said her pipe was leaking, she hadn’t been kidding. The damn thing was on so tight that Jessica would need something more than she had.

She went into the living room and grabbed her purse.

“I can’t get it with the tools I have,” she said to Mrs. Masing, who was waving to Victoria from the door. “I’ll have to pick up a bigger wrench and come back.”

The little woman wrapped her in a big hug. “Good. You need to come eat more tomorrow.”

Jessica laughed. “Luckily it’s Sunday, and we’re closed. I’ll come by as soon as I wake up.”

She hugged back and walked to the door.

At the bottom of the stairs, she stopped to wave when she got to the car. Mrs. Masing returned the wave.

“Did you get it fixed?” Victoria asked.

Jessica shook her head. “I need a bigger wrench. Think I’m going to have to call in a favor.”

She pulled out her phone and punched in Finn’s number.

“You think your cousin would be willing to loan you some pipe tools?”

Jessica grinned when he groaned into the phone.

“What do you need?” he grumbled.

Chapter Three

It was shaping up to be another long night at the club with her running the front as well as taking out drinks and even working behind the bar. It was only an hour until she could close shop, but it still felt like ages away. Jessica scanned the floor, looking for signs of Finn. She wasn’t concerned he’d show, but it would be good if it was sooner. She wanted to leave before two-thirty for a change.

Jessica peeked out the window at the unmarked car across the street. Her heart sped up just looking at Kace, and she cursed her traitorous hormones. He might be unbelievably hot, but his attitude wasn’t so hot.

Her eyes met with his, and she shivered a little at the intensity of his stare. Well, maybe he could win her over if he kept looking at her like that. She looked away and tried to control her thumping heart.

“Um, Jessica?” Alyssa’s sweet voice cam from behind her.

She turned to look at her.

“We’re running low on rum and vodka,” she said quietly.

Jessica patted her on the arm when she passed and felt her temper flare when the woman jumped at her sudden touch. She had been meaning to say something to her, but she hated to open any wounds if Alyssa was still healing. Ignoring the urge to wrap her in a hug, she nodded to the back room.

“I’ll go get some,” Jessica said. “Watch the front.”

Alyssa nodded and went back to where the last few customers were mingling.

Jessica moved to the back near the office and bar. She glanced back to see Alyssa was already hard at work on closing duties and smiled. There was no way that woman was up to anything other than getting over an abusive relationship.

She made her way to the storage room next to the office. When she flipped the switch and nothing happened, she frowned. Of all the times for the light to have blown. She pulled out her phone, but the light was barely enough to see a foot in front of her.

When she walked a bit farther in, she checked the rack to the right for a new light bulb. She froze when a scraping sound came from farther into the room.

“Hello?” she said nervously.

The sound stopped, and her palms started to sweat. Something or someone was in here with her.

Jessica spun around and moved farther into the room, casting bluish light across the room with her phone. She shook when her light cast a shadow near the very back. A person was stooped near the back corner.

“You need to leave, or I’m yelling for Dale and calling the cops,” she said. “One’s right outside.”

Pain lanced through her as something struck the back of her head. She saw a bright flash of light, and then darkness overcame her.

* * *

Jessica groaned as her eyes blinked open. Her stomach rolled, and she shut her eyes again.

“Just stay here,” a soft, deep voice said. “I got you.”

She could feel his strong warm arms around her and felt the unease pass. When she opened her eyes again, she was staring up into Kace’s concerned face.

“What happened?” she rasped out.

His arms tensed around her. “Someone clocked you on the back of the head.”

She lifted a hand to gingerly feel around. Kace let the icepack move away slightly as she felt the large knot. She winced when the ice was put back on.

“I know it hurts,” he whispered. “This is really the best thing for you right now.”

He looked over to her other side, and she shifted to see a very worried Alyssa.

“Can you find some aspirin for her?” Kace asked.

Alyssa nodded and hurried out.

“Did you catch him?” Jessica asked. She looked back to him.

He shook his head. “By the time I got to you, he was already gone.”

Jessica frowned. “How did you know to look?”

“I didn’t,” he said. “Alyssa came running out. Ash white and crying.” He swallowed, and the muscles in his neck moved. “When I came in, you were lifeless on the floor. Dale cleared out the customers, and Alyssa played nurse while I kept you still with ice.”

“Thank you,” she whispered. When she looked up to him, his brown eyes stared deeply into her own.

She closed her eyes to escape his dangerous stare. When she opened them again, he was looking toward the door, his body tense.

“Who called you?” He glared at the returning Alyssa who ignored him and handed Jessica the aspirin.

“Well seeing as it’s my place, seems like someone should have called,” Finn said, walking through the door. His cool voice sent a chill over her.

Jessica watched as Alyssa froze where she was at and looked up to Finn. Her hand shot over to Alyssa’s, and she gave a squeeze.

Kace looked down at her when she placed a hand on his well-formed chest.

“Can you help me to the couch?” she asked.

He lifted her with ease and moved her to the couch. She was surprised that he decided to sit with her. He placed her head on the couch with the bag of ice behind it. He sat down and moved her head onto his lap. She could only assume for elevation, but regardless, it felt good.

Jessica glanced up to see Finn staring at her. She closed her eyes and decided he could just wait until she was ready for him. She liked being where she was and with the way the room kept spinning, she figured it was okay to take her time.

Quiet wrapped the room for a bit while she relaxed. When she opened her eyes again, Kace was staring down at her.

“Think you can tell us what happened?” he asked gently.

She swallowed, her mouth dry from the waves of nausea she was feeling. Jessica turned to Alyssa, who was standing shyly to the side.

“Think you could get some water?”

The little waitress nodded and scurried out of the room.

“I was going to get some rum and vodka. The light was out, but I didn’t think anything of it since we were still open,” she said. Behind her head she could feel the muscles on Kace’s legs flex. “I was using my phone to find a light bulb when I heard a noise.”

“Why didn’t you call for help?” Kace asked.

She could see the anger brewing from Kace and looked away.

“I thought it might be a mouse or something. By the time I knew, I was already hit,” she said quietly.

“Did you see anyone?” Finn asked, his eyes also dark with rage.

“No. Just that it was a man, but there must have been two because I was looking at the one in the back of the room when I got hit,” she said.

Jessica watched as Kace and Finn exchanged looks.

“Your cop buddies and paramedics are here,” Dale said from the door to the office.

“Where were you when all this was going on?” Kace glared at Dale. The veins in his thick neck bulged as he stared at him.

“I was smoking out back,” he said.

“Maybe you should take a few less smoke breaks.”

Dale shrugged and headed back out.

She watched as Kace looked down at her. “I’ve got to make a phone call, and you need to get your head checked out.”

She frowned at his pushy ways. Being told what to do was never something she liked much.

“I’m fine,” she said and sat up. Her stomach lurched forward, and she broke out into a cold sweat.

“That doesn’t look like fine to me,” he said at her ear.

She breathed in slowly, trying to keep the contents of her stomach down.

His warm hands pulled on her shoulders as he leaned her against the back of the couch so the ice rested on under her head. He tossed his jacket over her.

“Just let them check you out,” he said. When she started to protest he cut in. “I’d just like to know that you’re going to be all right,” he said quietly.

Jessica nodded slowly and winced at the pain. Kace stared at her for a few moments and then left without another word.

“You know it’s her,” Finn said when Kace was out of the room.

She moved slightly, so she could look at him as she talked. “I don’t know it’s her.”

Finn paced the room furiously. “It makes sense.”

“Actually,” she said. “I was thinking that nothing is really making sense right now.”

“Whatever,” he said and stopped pacing. “But if it turns out to be her…”

He stopped as Alyssa came in the room and gave her a dark look. The women glanced nervously at him as she handed Jessica a glass of water.

“I think the paramedics would like to look at you now,” Alyssa said quietly.

Jessica took a drink and sighed. “It’s fine. Let’s get this over with.”

* * *

“What the hell is going on over there, Allen?” Lt. Jackson shouted into the phone.

Kace paced as he talked, scanning the dark street as he walked the path.

“I’m not sure, sir. I was outside when Jessica was attacked, but it seems like a case of wrong place, wrong time.” He watched a car drive slowly by.

“Jessica?” his boss said. “Is this getting too personal for you?”

“No,” Kace said quickly.

“Think it’s an inside job?” Lt. Jackson asked.

Kace walked around the side of the building where the storage room was located. Maybe the person had left being the curtain. “Could be. The waitress seems a little cagey. Every time I’m near her, she goes out of her way to be elsewhere.”

“Check into her,” Lt. Jackson said. “For now stick with the manager. If they hit her once, they are likely to do it again. If we can be there, that would be best. I want to stop this before Finn and his men take it to the next level.”

“Understood,” Kace replied and hit off.

The window was slightly ajar. It was clear someone had been in a hurry when they left. Broken bottles littered the area. The harsh smell of liquor still filled the air, and it was clear what they had been after. Seemed like such a petty thing for the Russians to go after, but then again, liquor smuggling had a pretty large profit potential. He might have even suspected Finn of stealing his own liquor if he wasn’t spending so much time trying to shut him out.

Puzzled with his findings, he walked back to the front and strolled in. Officers nodded to him as he made his way to the office. Several of the staff at the club were giving witness statements, but from the little he had garnered, no one seemed to know what had happened.

He was glad to find Jessica sitting while two paramedics looked her over. Someone had wiped the blood off of her face. He had been shocked at how much she bled and wondered if she might suffer, but the color seemed to be coming back to her face. He was glad to see her sitting up without swaying.

He turned to mention the bottles to Finn but was surprised to find his brother Reed there.

“What are you doing here?” he said to Reed. His brother was an imposing force, and even if he wasn’t keen on getting him involved, it was a relief to have someone on his side.

“I hired him.” Finn stared pointedly at the paramedics. “A security firm seems like a good idea. Not like we can always rely on the cops.”

Kace frowned. Maybe if Finn could stay on the side of good, he wouldn’t feel that way.

The paramedics finished wrapping Jessica’s head. The thick, white cloth wrapped around her head was a reminder that he had failed her. One of the paramedics looked around the room and paled. Kace could see why they might be intimidated. Each of them was scary in their own right. The paramedics glanced between the various large men and hurried out of the room.

Kace turned and saw Jessica struggle to stand up. He frowned and lowered her back down. When he sat with her on the couch, she stilled.

“I’m here because they are having a problem,” Reed said. He leaned against the desk and watched out the door. “Money and liquor have been disappearing. They hired me to find out where it’s going.”