Life of a Fool (London Brothers Book 2) Read online

  “Yes, Jason. Always.” Her voice sounded stronger. “Thank you.”

  “Lori Ann, you’re my girl, always have been. You don’t need to thank me. Ever. I’ll text you with the flight info as soon as I know. Please, just…” I didn’t know what to tell her to do. My chest felt like it had a boulder pressing against it and my legs were made of rubber bands. It was excruciating.

  “I’ll do all I can, Jace. I’ll wait for you to come for me.”

  I sighed. “Already out the door, Legs.”

  “Okay.” I hung up with Lori Ann and immediately started calling Craig as I was climbing into my truck. I needed him to come with me. I sure as hell hoped he would, at least.

  “Jace, what the hell is it now?” He was always so pleasant in the morning.

  “I’m going to get her, Craig. She practically begged…told me to come get her and to hurry. If you’re in, get your ass on a plane, man.”

  I heard him suck in a deep breath. “Shit, really?”

  “Yes.”

  “I’m up and moving. Fuck, Jace! For Legs to ask for help, it must be bad.”

  “Don’t call her that. You know better.” “Legs” was my nickname for Lori Ann. Craig damn well knew that and did it just to piss me off…usually. I’m sure it was a slip of the tongue this time, but still.

  “Right. Whatever.” He paused. “What time is your flight?”

  “It’s at 8:10 am and will take me like fifteen hours to get there. I have a two-hour layover at JFK in New York…flying into MXP, Malpensa International and with the time change, I won’t be there until tomorrow morning. Sucks, man. But it’s all I can do.”

  “Okay. I’m booking now. I’ll try to catch up with you somewhere.” I could already hear Craig’s fingers typing in the background.

  “I appreciate you going with me. You know you don’t have to. I can handle it just fine.”

  “Yep, I know. But I want to help. Besides, I’m the only one that can keep you out of trouble.”

  I let out a tight laugh. “You know it, man.” I paused. “Hey, I’m checking a bag. Have to since I’m packing my gun. Be sure you declare yours, or we’ll be in deep shit.”

  “Okay. Got it. See you there. Keep me in the loop for where you are.”

  “Done.” I hung up and waited until I was at a red light to text Lori Ann.

  Jason: On the first flight I could get. Leaving here about 8am. Will be in Milan by 8 in the morning. You okay?

  Several minutes passed before I got her reply. It made me nervous as hell.

  Lori Ann: Yes. I’m fine. Just do what you can. I’ll be here waiting for you.

  I couldn’t get over the heavy feeling deep in my chest that my Lori Ann was actually asking me for help. That just wasn’t her. She was too strong, so this had to be really bad.

  Jason: I’m coming, babe.

  I pulled into the airport, quickly found the Long-Term parking, and jumped on a shuttle to get to the terminal. I was flying American Airlines from San Diego to New York’s JFK then on to Milan. Security was fairly light, and I was seated at my gate by 7:30 am. I tried like hell not to think of every awful scenario I could be facing when I stepped off the plane in Italy. My mind kept picturing Lori Ann bruised and beaten. So help me God, if she’s hurt…I won’t be able to keep my temper under control. That was one of the reasons I didn’t fight Craig coming along. He was calm and level headed, but also emotionally involved enough with Lori Ann and her situation that he would actually care and not just see this as a job.

  I boarded and flew the five hours to New York. I busied myself with learning the layout of Milan using some maps I’d downloaded that morning. I didn’t want to be going into anything blind. I’d never been to Italy, so I knew having some basic knowledge would come in handy, just in case we needed to make a hasty departure. I didn’t see Craig anywhere during my two and a half hour layover at JFK and I hadn’t heard from him, so I was assuming he was in transit somewhere.

  Just minutes before I boarded the eight-hour flight to Milan, I took two of the sleeping pills my doctor prescribed for my occasional insomnia. It was part of the job. Being a homicide detective, I saw too much crazy shit to not have a nightmare or two here and there. The department shrink was a former detective and was pretty great at handling all of us that were required to see him. Our chief was adamant about keeping our heads clear of any residual shit. Made opening up to Dr. Vaughan a lot easier.

  I made my way to my First Class seat—yes, First Class because I bought my ticket last minute—and waited for the flight attendant to come by with a blanket. I knew I had about twenty-three minutes before the pills kicked in and I’d be out for several hours. I made sure to always tell someone when I took them, whether it was my mom, dad, my sister Melissa—whomever. This time, it would be the nice-looking woman handling First Class.

  “Excuse me, ma’am?” I needed her attention.

  “Yes, how can I help you?” She was tall and thin with long blonde hair, manicured nails, and perfect makeup. Hmm, Barbie came to mind when I looked at her, and it made me smile. She was a little too perfect looking.

  “Well, this may sound strange, but I wanted to inform you that I took two sleeping pills about ten minutes ago. I’m a detective and have to take them on occasion to sleep. I’ve formed the habit of telling someone when I take them…paranoia, I suppose. So, I guess that someone would be you this time since I’m traveling alone.” My lips curved into a slight smile.

  She smiled, and all her perfect teeth gleamed at me as she gently patted my arm. “I appreciate you telling me. And, not to worry…you aren’t the first passenger to let me know those kinds of things on these long international flights.”

  “Thank you.”

  “A detective, huh?”

  “Yes, a homicide detective with SPD.”

  “Wow. Must be tough sometimes.” The concern on her face was genuine. I’d gotten really good at reading people’s expressions, and hers was the real deal.

  “It certainly can be.”

  “So, what takes you to Italy?” She was attempting to lighten the conversation, but little did she know, her question made my chest tighten.

  “Actually, I’m headed there to help a friend. I think she’s in trouble.” I heard a slight gasp before “Barbie” put her hand to her chest.

  “Oh, I’m so sorry to hear that.” She reached down and grabbed my hand, holding it to her as a way to comfort me. It was odd, but nice. She was nice.

  I gently removed my hand and ran it through my hair. “Thanks. I just hope it’s not anything like the crap running through my head.” I didn’t really intend to tell her that, but she was easy to talk to.

  “I’m sure she is just fine. She’s one lucky girl to have you running there to help her. Now, let me get you a pillow and blanket so you can drift off to sleep. I’ll keep a close eye on you as we fly and make sure you’re awake before we land. Okay?”

  “That would be really nice. I’m Jason, by the way.” I stuck my hand out to shake hers.

  “Nice to meet you, Jason. I’m Kim.” Huh…not the name I would have picked for her, but still fitting. She smiled, then leaned down and whispered, “Let me go find a few things to make you comfortable. I’ll be right back. Don’t go drifting off on me just yet.”

  I laughed. “I’ll do my best.”

  Kim was very nice, and although she wasn’t exactly my type with the perfectly coiffed package, her genuine kindness and caring attitude made her into a truly beautiful person.

  I laid my head back and felt the deep relaxing feeling of the sleeping pills kicking in. By the time the airplane doors were shutting and we began to taxi down the runway, Kim had set me up with two brand new pillows and a nice thick blanket. I shut my eyes and could’ve sworn I heard a sweet voice whisper “sweet dreams” in my ear as I drifted off into a deep sleep.

  Chapter 3

  Jason

  “Hey there, Sleeping Beauty. We are making our final descent into Milan.” I heard a
woman’s voice talking to me, but couldn’t place it. I forced my eyes open and was jolted back to reality.

  “Oh, God. Sorry. Man, I slept the whole flight? I’ve never slept that long, even with the sleeping pills.” I rubbed my hands down my face and looked over at Kim’s smiling face.

  “Well, apparently you needed the rest. Now, you’ll be fresh for whatever you are facing here.” I saw a slight twitch of her eyebrows like she was concerned about this stranger in front of her.

  “Thank you, Kim. You have been incredibly kind to me.”

  “You’re welcome. All part of the job.” She patted my shoulder and started to turn and walk back toward the cockpit, but I placed my hand on top of hers. Shock or maybe fear registered on Kim’s face before she looked at my smiling face and realized I was about to say something else.

  “I know that’s not exactly true. And I want you to know that I really appreciate it.” What she didn’t know was that just by being nice to me, she calmed my nerves and settled my body enough to help me sleep restfully so that I was 100 percent for Lori Ann. It had been ages since I’d slept eight solid hours, even with the sleeping pills.

  Kim’s cheeks flushed, and I could see she was slightly embarrassed. An odd reaction, I thought. “Anytime, Jason. I hope your trip to Milan goes smoothly.” She smiled and walked to the front of the plane and began her speech.

  I sat up taller in my seat and tried to organize my thoughts. I needed to prepare myself for possibly having to force Lori Ann to leave and come back to the States with me. I sure as hell hoped Craig wasn’t far behind me. I might need him to run interference with the Italian douche bag or even the police. Getting our girl out was my priority.

  “We are making our final descent into Milan. Please make sure your seats and tray tables are in their full, upright position. The captain has put on the ‘fasten seatbelt’ sign, and all passengers need to be in their seats. We thank you for flying British Airways. We know you have many choices when it comes to flying, and we appreciate you choosing us.” Kim smiled directly at me, making me grin. “If you are making a connecting flight, be sure to check the kiosk located right outside the gate area for information. Thank you, and enjoy your time here in Italy.”

  I waited patiently as we landed and taxied to our gate. As soon as I was able, I turn on my phone and saw that Craig had texted me.

  Craig: Hey, Jace. Just landed. You here yet?

  What the hell? I looked at the time of his text, and it was sent just fifteen minutes earlier. Damn, dude.

  Jason: Just landed too. You didn’t waste any time, huh?

  Craig: Right. I lucked out. I was supposed to be 30 mins behind you, but for some reason we arrived early. Who knows. I’ll be waiting by the gate.

  Jason: Sounds good.

  I made my way off the plane, legs stiff, my whole body sore from sitting so long. As I walked, I tried calling Lori Ann, but her phone just kept ringing. As I looked down to try the number again, I nearly ran right into Craig.

  “Watch it, dude,” he joked.

  I smiled and went in for a man hug. “Man, am I glad to see you. Thanks for coming, brother. I have a feeling I’m going to need you.” Craig was about my same height, but we wore our six feet, two inches differently. Where I was a little more broad shouldered and thicker from years of weight training and boxing, Craig was lean like a runner, moved quickly too, which had its advantages when he was in combat with me years earlier. I was a lucky bastard to know him.

  “Yeah, me too.” Craig punched me in the shoulder and laughed. “No doubt you’ll need me to get your ass out of trouble.”

  “You know it.” We turned and started walking toward Baggage Claim. Like me, Craig had packed his weapon, requiring us to check our backpacks and gather all the necessary paperwork for an American to carry a gun in a foreign country.

  “You talk to her yet?” he asked as we stood waiting at the carousels.

  “No. I was trying to call her again when I walked right into you.”

  “Well, it’s early. Let’s just find out how to get to her place, and we’ll go from there. Unless you have a plan?”

  “Not really. Like you said, I don’t even know what we’re up against.”

  “Right. Well, let’s just hope the Italian is at work so we can really assess what the hell is going on.”

  “Yeah.” I spotted my backpack, snatched it up, and unzipped it to make sure my Glock was still in its locked case.

  Craig motioned for me to follow him two carousels away to grab his backpack. He went through the routine of checking for his gun as well before we walked toward an airport exit.

  We decided to take a private taxi to Lori Ann’s house. She’d given me the address once a few years back after she and The Italian bought a place on the eastern side of Lake Maggiore. So, I dug around in my desk at home before I left and typed it into the notes on my phone just in case I needed it. Good thing I did, too, because she wasn’t answering her damn phone.

  I gave the driver the Lake Maggiore address and he conveyed that it was about thirty minutes away. “Well, here we go, man. Let’s hope this goes smoothly.”

  “I think it will, as long as her husband isn’t home.” Craig raised his eyebrows in concern.

  “Agreed.”

  We rode in silence, both of us lost in our own thoughts, scheming and planning what we were going to do—what we were up against. I tried to enjoy the sights as we drove through a beautiful countryside, but it was hard to concentrate.

  Our car slowed down near a magnificent garden wall, fully covered in a flowering type of ivy or climbing plant of some sort. We turned into an opening onto a patterned cobblestone driveway that wound around more beautifully manicured gardens and up to a circular drive that stopped right in front of a three-story, off-white villa…shit, it was more than a villa. It was a freakin’ mansion. If you were to look at it from a distance, you would think it was a brand new home. But up close, it was several decades old and in great shape.

  I could see a placard near the door that listed the year it was built and the architect. “Giuseppe Petrolo, 1906.” Wow…

  There was no movement anywhere around the house or on the grounds. That was a good sign. We paid our driver, but asked him to stay in the drive until we decided if we needed him, and carefully made out way to the large, double iron and wood front door.

  “Geez, man, I feel like I’m in the middle of some sappy damn girly movie.”

  I let out a small laugh at Craig’s statement, then followed it with, “Yeah, or some James Bond ‘gonna get fucked up’ kind of movie.”

  Craig chuckled. “Yeah. Exactly.”

  “Here goes.” I rang the bell next to the door and waited.

  I heard the click-clack of high-heel shoes coming toward the door and sucked in a breath just moments before the front door swung open.

  “What the fu…?” Craig growled behind me as I took in the scene and instinctively rushed forward and started to—more or less—grope Lori Ann.

  “What the hell happened? Where else are you hurt?” She was sobbing, standing in her doorway, her left arm in a cast up to her bicep and in a sling. Her face was swollen on the right side like she had been hit across her cheekbone. Without a single thought other than checking her injuries, I felt all over her body from head to toe, continuing to ask “where else?” When I touched her ribcage on the left side, she winced and let out a small cry. Shit.

  I cupped her face and kissed the end of her nose as she leaned her forehead against mine and softly cried as her knees buckled, causing her to fall into me. “Jason, you’re here.”

  “Yes, Legs. I told you I’d come. Now where else are you hurt, babe?”

  “I don’t know. I can’t…can we just go? We need to go.” Lori Ann pulled her face away from mine, and I could see the fear in her eyes. I turned to see Craig on alert, pacing back and forth behind me.

  “Jason, we need to get out of here. If he did this to her, what do you think he’ll do if h
e finds us here?”

  Lori Ann gasped. “Craig. You came too.” She hadn’t noticed him standing there.

  He walked up to her and gently held her face just as I had and said, “Of course. My man here needed someone to keep him on the leash, especially when we…well, when he suspected you were in trouble. Now, let’s get the hell out of here.” I fought like hell not to punch him for touching her, but I heard a small laugh seep out of her mouth so I decided I’d let it go.

  I gently pushed Craig aside…well, it might not have been that gentle. “Legs, do you have what you need? Tell me you’re packed and ready to get the hell out of here.”

  “Yes. I just need my purse. Craig, I have a small suitcase in that closet over under the stairs. Would you grab it for me?” I followed Lori Ann through the foyer, down a long hall, and into the kitchen. I could hear Craig wrestling with getting the bag out of the closet. Just as we reached the counter where the purse was sitting, we heard the rumble of a sports car coming up the drive. “Oh God. He’s here. What is he doing home?”

  Shit. I was yanking her good arm through the house as I asked, “What door does he use?”

  “What?”

  “LEGS!” I yelled, causing her to jump. “What door, babe? We have a car out front.”

  “He…oh, God. He uses the side door, near the garage. He comes in the back way. We have another drive…a private entrance.”

  “Okay, come on. We’re leaving. Now.” I found Craig standing, gun drawn near the front door.

  “Is that him?” he asked.

  “Yep. Let’s go.” I kept pulling Lori Ann’s arm, possibly too harshly, but we had to get out the front door before the Italian douche bag found us and realized what we were doing. It took everything in me not to rush in the other direction and beat the holy living hell out of him. I wanted to show him what it was like to be on the other end of a beating. He deserved it. He deserved a lot more than just a beating. But my priority was protecting my girl… and she was my girl. I’m the one steady part of her life. I’m the one she trusted. I’m the one she called to come and take her away from here, from that Italian asshole.