An Unfinished Life Read online

  “All I know is that when it came time to choose our best agents for this case, your name was at the top of the list. You have an inside knowledge of the mob. Taking down Bornarelli was no easy task, but you did it, and now it’s time to do it again with Vanelle.”

  “Director Wade…”

  “Please call me Tim. I think it will lighten some of the tension here in the room.”

  “I prefer to go by protocol, but if you insist, then Tim it is. As I was beginning to say, Tim, I had help on taking down Bornarelli. It was a team effort, a very successful one at that. Yes, it all turned out good in the end, but what this office is asking me now is just wrong. You say you run a clean office? Well, how can that be when you spy on me and my hotel guests? Then you expect me to just blindside my family, using deception to bring down an ‘alleged’ suspect? You’re all convinced that Jack is the one, but there’s no real proof here. You have Jack Vanelle in California during the same timeframe surrounding St. Clair’s murder, but that’s all you have. He has family here, and I can guarantee he has a solid alibi to back him up. If anything, you have circumstantial evidence, but nothing that can connect him to the murder. You must know this already, or you wouldn’t have called me at all. Any number of agents could have worked on this case, but you have nothing on Vanelle. Now, Tim, am I wrong?”

  “You’re not wrong. You’ve never been more right. But the truth remains, we have a murder to solve, and the trail begins with Vanelle. So what will it be? Are you in? Or are you out? But know this, Jacob: if you walk away from this case, then the family you are trying to safeguard will truly be unprotected. Any other agent will not be so delicate when it comes to their feelings. As for Marino, he has years of experience with cases such as this one, and he only works with the best. His request for you went through all the proper channels. And him knowing intimate details about you…well, he probably read it in a file. He comes off crass, but he has a solid service record.”

  “Jacob, I’ve read your file as well, and I am truly sorry for your loss. She was a great cop and came from a long line of police officers that were and still are much respected in the Boston community. I only hope one day that her killer will be brought to justice. Your backstory is very unique, Paulson. You go from the NFL to law enforcement and excel in both. I’m confident you will stay within the bounds of the law here and do your very best to prove this case. Not every case guarantees a win, but I’m hoping all will work out with this one.”

  I sat there for a moment and processed all we discussed. He was right. If I choose to walk, then I can’t protect my family. Another agent or agents will not show the same compassion and concern that I would. It’s a risk, but I have no choice in the matter. I have to see this through to the end.

  He waited for my answer. I gave it to him with a handshake and a warning.

  “Director Wade, I will take the lead on this assignment, but I will do it alone. I don’t trust Marino, and I don’t think my opinion will change. He can consult when needed, but I will be the lead. Do you agree?”

  “Agreed. I expect weekly reports, and although he won’t like it, you will be the lead.”

  “Very good, sir. Thank you. One more thing?”

  “Yes?”

  “I do not wish to be monitored. Please remove the surveillance you have on me. My personal life is my own, and I will not share it with the FBI.”

  “Understood, as long as you understand where your priorities lie.”

  “Always.”

  Wade left me on my own to peruse all the intel our office had on Vanelle. I wasn’t 100% sure that I could trust Wade completely, but he was as fair as he could be with me today, so I gave him a very guarded benefit of the doubt.

  My stomach began to rumble, giving me a clear sign that I was hungry. I had chosen sex with Zoey over having breakfast. I’d been in this office for hours combing through a mountain of paperwork. Vanelle’s arrest record was minor at best, a few misdemeanors that never resulted in anything substantial. If he did commit any hard crimes, he certainly covered his tracks because there was nothing here to tie him to anything we had on the books.

  There had to be something more, something not in this file. Only one person could answer my questions, and that was Jack Vanelle himself. I guess I was going to Chicago. But there was Zoey to think about. I hadn’t heard from her all day, not even a text. What if she left again? I was about to phone her when Marino entered the conference room carrying a bag of food.

  “Even tough guys have to eat. Join me for a sandwich? LA is filled with fluff type restaurants, food you can’t even pronounce, but I found a deli outside of town that has some pretty good sandwiches. I have roast beef and Swiss or pastrami on rye? What will it be?”

  “Neither. I’m a vegetarian.”

  “Bullshit! Don’t worry, Paulson. I didn’t poison them.”

  He laughed as he threw me the roast beef. I accepted it against my better judgment. We ate in silence for a few minutes, with me constantly eyeing the door for my escape. I didn’t have the energy to go another round with him, but he didn’t look like he was going anywhere. I downed the sandwich in four bites, and then tossed the wrapper into the wastebasket.

  “We need to talk, Paulson. Are you ready to?” he asked as he wiped his mouth with his napkin.

  “I can’t imagine what about? I’m the lead on this case. What else is there to discuss?”

  “Boy, you are one arrogant sonofabitch. How about we begin with how you will get to Jack Vanelle? I assume your flight is already booked for Chicago?”

  “You don’t need to be concerned with my itinerary. I’ll get to Chicago on my own time. I’m still going through the files.”

  “All work and no play, that’s what I’ve heard about you. It will serve to your advantage as you delve deeper into the investigation. Just don’t lead with your dick. Can’t have any distractions now, can we?”

  “What the fuck are you talking about?”

  “Oh, you know, no need for discretion. She’s quite lovely, but I’m not really into blondes. I prefer lovely brunettes…like your dead fiancée…now, she was breathtaking.”

  Fuck! Not again. I nearly jumped from where I was sitting, but he saw me coming this time. He put his hands up, stopping me before I beat the living shit out of him. I was so done playing this game.

  “Don’t even think about it, Paulson, because you will surely lose your shield if you do. Boy, you have quite the temper. I would have thought with all of your years of training and discipline, you would be more reserved.”

  “I have all those things, and so much more, but you seem to know exactly what button to press. Now, I don’t know what your plan here is, but I do not play games and certainly not with the likes of you. I really don’t care about your service record, and according to Wade, your outstanding reputation. You play dirty, Marino, and it’s probably under the guise that you actually play by the book, but I know better. Now you’ve mentioned my fiancée more than once. If you’ve read my file like you say you have, then you know that she was murdered and died in my arms. A bullet meant for me. You also are trying to make me believe that you know something about her murder, so if you do, then be the honorable man they say you are and just tell me. If you’re just trying to bait me, I would suggest you not do it again.”

  “I’m shaking in my boots. Your size doesn’t intimidate me, Paulson, so pull back the threat. I come from the streets, boy, and the bigger they are, the harder they fall. You want to test that theory, be my guest. Let me ask you a question: how you can be so sure that bullet was meant for you? Are you sure you know everything about the family you were going to marry into?”

  “What are you saying? Again with the sly innuendo. You don’t give up, do you?”

  “No, I don’t, and you don’t either. Now, if you want to know what I know, then sit the hell down, shut the hell up, and just listen.”

  “And if I don’t?”

  “You can’t be that stupid. You’re challen
ging me? Here I thought you were smarter than that.”

  “Fuck you, Marino. I’m far from stupid. I’m dangerous. And if you were smart, I would think twice before trying to bait me again. On the day I watched her coffin get lowered down into the ground, I made a vow to her father that I would bring her killer to justice. I keep my promises, Marino, and I don’t want nor need any help from you.”

  “Have it your way, Paulson, but this conversation is far from over. We have much to discuss, and I have a feeling you will want to know what I know. And maybe next time the info will not be freely offered. We’ll talk again. I’m sure of it. Have a safe flight to Chicago. Watch your back with Vanelle, especially around sharp objects,” he said as he walked out.

  “Damn it!”

  I was so enraged that I trashed the desk I was working on, papers flying everywhere. My breathing was heavy, my chest felt like it was on fire, and my head felt like it would split in two. What does this man know? I’m going crazy here. Once again he’s planted more questions for me to obsess over.

  I was knee deep in hell back then. I worked those streets like the back of my hand, and I knew I made some enemies along the way. For endless months, I combed through every case file I ever worked on, and I turned up nothing. The trail for her killer went cold. I had nothing to go on. I sunk deeper down into my despair and lost myself to the job. Now this fucker just appeared out of nowhere and was playing me at every turn.

  I had to get the hell out of here. I gathered all the strewn papers from the floor and stuffed them into my bag. I phoned my father next.

  “Dad!”

  “Jacob, are you alright?”

  “No, I’m not alright, dad. I’m so fucked right now, and I don’t know what to do. Please tell me you have something for me? Anything on Marino? This guy needs to be shut down, and I mean like yesterday. He’s playing with my mind dad, like no one has ever done before. He knows something about Minela’s death. He’s connected somehow, but I just don’t have any proof of it. All I have is my gut, and it’s telling me to watch my back. And not from Jack Vanelle, but from Dante Marino.”

  My phone call with my father didn’t put me in a better mood. If anything, I felt worse. He did his best to calm my nerves, but I was heated and needed to find a way to let off some steam. Zoey Steele would be exactly what I need to accomplish that. Please let her be waiting for me.

  My suite was dimly lit when I entered. Hopefully this was a good sign that Zoey was still here. I called out for her, but there was no reply. My heart sunk deeper down into my chest. She left again, probably leaving just a note with a few lines of her sassy attitude. Fuck!

  I stomped into the bedroom, throwing my suit jacket onto the bed.

  “Hey, what gives?”

  What? I turned the light on and there she was half asleep on my bed.

  “Zoey! You’re here!?!” I exclaimed.

  “You seem so surprised! Why is that? Isn’t my word good enough, Agent Paulson, or do you need more assurance?”

  Fuck me, she was sexy, and mine for the taking. I didn’t answer her question…I showed her. She gave me the naughtiest striptease ever last night, so why not return the favor? I removed the rest of my clothing, but she sprang up when I went for my tie.

  “Leave the tie. Take off the rest.”

  “Do you want to play?”

  “Hasn’t it been a great game so far?”

  She was now on her knees with one hand on my tie, pulling me closer to her.

  “Is that what this is, a game to you?” I asked, but I was beginning to get angry.

  I wasn’t some guy that just bedded women, took what I needed, and discarded them without a second thought. And Zoey was different, not like anyone I’d known before, and I hoped to get to know her better.

  There was no answer in return, just her lips on mine. I let our bodies speak for us, and for now, the conversation was over.

  I ended up taking off my tie and using it on Zoey’s wrists. She didn’t complain and just played the naughty submissive. Everything in me was screaming to take her, own her, and possess every inch of her. She screamed out rather loudly when I took her nipple into my mouth, biting down just enough without causing her pain, but pure pleasure. I repeated the attention on the other, and it was the same reaction, which only excited me more.

  “I want you so much,” I said.

  “You have me, Jake. I’m right here.”

  I left her wrists tethered together but wrapped her arms around my neck as I entered her wet folds. I never had sex bare with anyone other than Minela, but I was clean, and Zoey told me she was too. Another strong emotion I easily felt when I was with her: trust. I had given it to her so easily, never once questioning it. After we were both sated, I finally untied her and just held her in my arms.

  “Where did you come from, Zoey Steele?” I asked.

  Her naked back was facing me. As I ran my fingers down her spine, I could see faint goosebumps rising on her soft skin. She turned to face me and smiled.

  “I could ask you the same question. Maybe when the stars aligned for Tenley and Jagger, the universe had a few to spare for us. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a silly, starry-eyed blonde that wishes for her prince before she goes to sleep at night. I’m a realist and pretty much take things at face value, but you, Agent Paulson, proved that theory wrong for me. From the moment I met you, I felt this intense attraction towards you, and I was drawn to get to know you better. At first I didn’t think you even liked me, but then Tenley explained your tough exterior.”

  “Oh yeah? How so?”

  “Keep your testosterone down, Paulson. She only meant tough because of your profession and how you have to be because of it.”

  “I guess so when you summarize it like that, but Zoey, it’s so much more than just coming off like a tough guy. This job requires one hundred percent focus, discipline, and no margin of error, not ever. It can be very rewarding, but it can also destroy all that’s good in your life and replace it with feelings no person should ever have to experience.”

  The expressive look in Zoey’s eyes just about made my heart split in two. This was the same look that everyone in my life had shown me since Minela died. What is it with me? Do I just naturally put out this vibe: feel sorry for me? Well, fuck that, not anymore. I can’t do this with Zoey after she’s the one that has finally made me come back to life.

  “Don’t pull away, not now,” she said.

  Her hands cupped my face. I leaned up to kiss her.

  “I wasn’t going to, even though I should. This life that I lead is just too ugly for you, beautiful girl, and I can’t have it taint you.”

  “What if I don’t care? You are worth taking the risk.”

  “Oh, Zoey, you don’t know how much I want to, but I just can’t right now. Please understand that these last few days spent with you have meant the world to me. I will always cherish them.”

  “Sounds like you’re saying goodbye. Is that what you’re doing?”

  Fuck my life! Now tears were forming in her eyes. I had hurt her. I wiped them away with my thumbs and kissed each one of her cheeks.

  “Please don’t cry. I’m sorry.”

  I repeated it over and over again until she was down to a quiet sniffle. I held her in my arms until she fell asleep. She felt so good next to me, I didn’t want to let her go, but I knew I had to. I finally managed to dislodge myself from her enveloped arms. I already felt the loss of her warmth.

  My heart was so conflicted with my two lives: professional and personal. I was here for work. I had to get my head back into the game and not let any distractions affect my ability to do my job.

  I left her sleeping while I closed the door behind me to do some work. I hadn’t heard anything from my father yet on Marino. I then phoned Duffy. He was not only my boss but my trusted friend. I had to get some answers. I phoned his private line and allowed it to ring several times before it went to voicemail. I simply just told him to call me back.

 
I leaned back in my chair to close my eyes for a few minutes, and once again Minela came back to life in my dreams. I dreamt about the first time I met the very feisty Detective Minela LaRocha, back when we were NYPD.

  “Are you serious, Duff? I’m getting a partner? I don’t want a partner, especially a female. Just what I need: a damsel in distress that I have to look out for. I work alone, and I do it very well.”

  “Don’t let the equal opportunity crazies hear you say that. You will be deemed a sexist pig and will probably be tied up by your balls.”

  Duff was now laughing at me. I guess I did sound like a dick, but in some way I meant what I said. My last partner turned out to be a waste of space, and I wasn’t in the mood to break another one in, male or female.

  “I know what you’re thinking, Jake, and I will tell you right now that you are wrong about this one. She comes from a law enforcement family. Her father is currently the chief of police for the Boston PD, and she has four brothers who are also police officers. Imagine her father’s surprise when his little girl told him that she wanted to follow in her family’s footsteps. I’ve met her, Jake, and I’ve had some very enlightening conversations with her. She’s smart, tough, and can do the job as well as any man I’ve ever met, maybe even you.”

  “Gee, thanks, Duff. You’re all heart.”

  “I’m just trying to make the introductions a little easier for you. Her record is flawless. She has a high arrest record and has solved and closed seventeen out of twenty cases. Not bad for a young detective just transferred in. I think she will be a good match for you, but…”

  “But what? What were you going to say?”

  “Just don’t fall in love with her. This job has no room for it.”

  “Thanks for the advice, Duff, but I have no intentions of falling in love with Detective LaRocha.”

  “Duly noted, Detective Paulson. How about we introduce ourselves first before we plan our nuptials?”

  Heat was rising in my cheeks and my manhood was making its presence known when the exotic Minela LaRocha walked through my captain’s office. No freaking way was this woman a cop. She’s too gorgeous not to be a model. God! I hated sounding like this chauvinistic guy, but how could I not notice her face too? She was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen.