Risk. Part 23

I tried to fall back to sleep while Mason called his contacts as I was working on very little sleep already but sleep was not happening. I was too keyed up about everything going on and I had no idea how I was going to get out of the house with Mason, without Jonah knowing something was up.

Even after Jonah got up and got in the shower I laid there staring at the celling, when I normally would have joined him but as I'd already displayed keeping things for Jonah was not my strong point, I decided to stay put.

Five minutes after going into the bathroom Jonah came out fully dressed in jeans and a t-s.h.i.+rt, his hair still dripping from the shower. Leaning into me Jonah kissed my forehead. "Got to go, got stuff to do." Jonah whispered, his face a perfectly blank mask.

"What stuff?" I whispered.

"Don't worry about it." Jonah said without emotion, kissing my lips quickly he moved around the bed, grabbed his gun then walked out the door without looking back.

Hearing the front door slam I flung out of bed almost colliding with Mason at my door. "Anything?" I asked.

"Yeah, get dressed, we need to do this now."

"You saw him?"

"Yeah he's one step away from cracking. We need to wrap this up now."

Without a word I ran into the bath dressing without even looking at what I was putting on. Not bothering with make up I pulled my hair on top of my head in a messy bun and grabbed my boots on my run down the stairs.

Miss Daisy was waiting by the door thinking she was going too. Rubbing her head and pus.h.i.+ng her into the kitchen I silently promised to take her out soon.

Mason started the car while I locked up, Mason was even more worried now after seeing Jonah, as Mason knew Jonah better than me I knew the situation was a lot worse than I realized.

Mason drove into town pulling up outside a cozy looking diner.

Inside the diner we walked to a back booth where an older looking man whose looks were worn but you could tell that he was once very beautiful, the resemblance to his daughter Rachel was unmistakable.

"Owen." Mason said his voice low and strained.

Officer Owen jerked his chin up in greeting as Mason shoved me into the booth.

As soon as my b.u.t.t hit the seat Officer Owen spoke harshly, "You have ten minutes before I get up and leave."

Looking at Mason he gave me a nod, guess I was doing the talking.

Well ok then.

"I need to know what you and Jonah's father found that made Vinnie kill him, his wife and daughter."

Officer Owen's eye went wide as his face paled and his teeth clenched together. Eyes searching the diner he asked through locked teeth, "What the f.u.c.k?"

Um ok? Maybe he didn't understand. "Before Jonah's dad died you and him were working togethera'"

"Stop talking." Officer Owen barked at me causing my whole body to jerk back. "This is not what I came to discuss."

"What did you think we wanted to talk to you about?" I asked looking at Mason who was now looking as guilty as all h.e.l.l.

"You did tell him?" I screeched in a high-pitched voice that had several people looking our way.

"It doesn't matter I don't know what you're talking about." Officer Owen snapped, his arms pus.h.i.+ng him away from his seat.

"Bulls.h.i.+t." Mason snapped at Officer Owen.

At the same time I snapped at Mason. "Why didn't you tell him?"

G.o.d I wanted nothing more then to smack the s.h.i.+t out of Mason.

"He wouldn't have come." Mason declared.

"How do you know about this?" Officer Owen asked not caring that I was trying to stare Mason down.

Breaking eye contact with Mason I looked at Officer Owen thinking I could play this two ways, I could be nice and ask hoping he answered or I could play it like my man was in serious s.h.i.+t with time running out. That way was the b.i.t.c.h way and unfortunately it had to be that way. "I know you were the cop working with Jonah's father. I know whatever you found got him killed. I know you still have the evidence. I also know about Rachel so I know you can imagine what it would be like for her if Vinnie had gotten to you and not Jonah's family. Wouldn't you want her to know the truth? Lastly, I can keep your name out of it or I can give it to some people you really don't want me to."

"You don't get to drag my daughter into this and you don't get to threaten me. Let me remind you, I am a cop."

"Sir, Vinnie is about five seconds away from destroying my whole world, dragging people down and the fact you are a cop is not my care right now."

Something in Officer Owen's eyes changed causing his face to soften.

Latching on to it like a lifeline I went for it, "My life sucked until about three months ago when I met Jonah, from the first time I saw him he became my whole world. I know what he does Officer Owen, I don't like it, Jonah doesn't like it. Jonah's father was working with you for the same reason I'm here, this is the only way to get Jonah away from Vinnie."

"Jonah's dad would have been proud of him for finding a woman like you."

"You were close." I said making it a statement rather than question because the look on Officer Owen's face told me.

"We got close working together. The day Vinnie killed him and his family a lot more than just a case was lost. And to see Jonah end up with Vinnie was almost as bad. I tired to keep him away from Vinnie but Vinnie found away to get him."

"Who would Jonah have gone to?" Mason asked leaning into the table.

"His mother's parents. But Vinnie made sure that her parents never got near Jonah."

"Did they want him? Jonah told me his mother's family kicked her out when she became pregnant." I said hoping to G.o.d they did.

"They did kick her out but losing their only daughter made them see how much they had messed up the least they could do was make sure her son was raised right."

"But Vinnie made sure that didn't happen." I finished for him. My eyes were stinging with tears. "I need to know what you found, it's the only way to stop Vinnie."

Officer Owen searched my face then turned his eyes to Mason, then he look around the diner, finally he leaned in close to us and whispered "Vinnie was and probably still is working with the Russian mob."

I was seeing red, of course freaking Vinnie was working with the freaking mob. G.o.d I'd had enough of Vinnie.

"Do you have proof?" Mason was asking Officer Owen while I tried to get a handle on my anger.

It wasn't working seeing as I was picturing myself stabbing Vinnie over and over again with the b.u.t.ter knife sitting on the table.

I snapped back to the conversation as Mason made plans to meet up with Officer Owen later today to get the pictures of Vinnie meeting with someone from the Russian mob.

"Thank you." I said to Officer Owen giving his hand a squeeze as Mason pulled me away. "I promise no one will know you had any part in this."

Mason didn't say a word to me until we were both sitting in his SUV. "I don't envy you having to tell this to Jonah." He spoke softly, the strain clear in his voice.

Whipping my head towards him I screeched once again this morning "Why do I have to tell him?"

"You're the only one he will listen to."

s.h.i.+t.

"What are we going to do about his grandparents?" I asked.

"I'm going to find them, hopefully its enough to soft the blow to keep him from going off the deep end that his uncle killed his mother, father and sister."

"Is this enough to get him out?"

Starting the car Mason shook his head, "I don't know."

I didn't know either but I was praying it was.

Pulling out Mason slowed down t.i.tling his head to the other side of the road, "You know that guy?"

Following Mason's head I looked at the guy in a blue suit standing by a black SUV, "That's one of Vinnie's drivers. Was he following us?"

"He didn't come into the diner but his car pulled up when we went in."

s.h.i.+t I couldn't afford for Vinnie to find out what we were doing which meant we had to move faster.

"You find his grandparents on that fancy a.s.s computer of yours I am going to see Shark."

Mason eyebrows raised so high I'm surprise they didn't touch his hair, "You're not going to see Shark."

"Mason we don't have time for you to do all the work, that" I said flicking my head toward Vinnie's drivers car, "Proves my point."

"Sharks a dangerous person."

"Shark's been nothing but nice to me."

"He's still dangerous Olivia."

I couldn't disagree with this so I kept my mouth shut and buckled my seat belt.

Letting a huge angry sigh out Mason put the car in gear, "You call me when you get to Shark and you call when you leave. I'll give you fifteen minutes after you call me, you don't call within those fifteen minutes I'm coming after you and I'll be making a phone call to Jonah while I'm doing it."

"Deal."

Mason dropped me off at the house so I could get my car as I was going to go meet Shark and he was going into his work to use some database thing that would hopefully allow him to find Jonah's grandparents. Finding them was a must because Jonah was going to need all the proof he could get and Mason was right maybe it could soften the blow for him knowing that there was family out there that loved and wanted him.

I'd texted Shark before we got to the house telling him I need to talk to him, he text me back telling me I was going to have to wait, which got him a frantic phone call from me where I did what I do best and started to cry until he told me where to meet him. Which was annoying, outside of Denver over a freaking hour away.

Not following the speed limit I surprisingly made it to Shark without getting a ticket.

I pulled up to a coffee shop where Shark was sitting in a light grey suit with a group of men that looked like they'd all just come from a photo-shoot they were that good looking.

I was really regretting not putting on make up.

Shark noticed me and started to stand as I got out of the car. Meeting me by my car I couldn't help my comment even with everything that was going on. "Please tell me all those men are gay."

"What?" Shark asked looking at me like I'd lost my mind.

"I imagine Jonah won't be as p.i.s.sed if I'm ogling gay men."

Shaking his head at me my eyes caught on to one of the men who was looking at me with more interest than the others.

"What's going on Olivia?"

Before I could answer the man that was staring at me yelled to Shark, "Who's your friend?"

"My sister." Shark yelled back without taking his eyes off me.

The man obviously didn't like Sharks answer as his face went hard and his muscular arms pushed his body out of his chair to an angry stance.

"Got s.h.i.+t to do Olivia." Shark clipped his tone impatient.

"Officer Owen and Jonah's dad found out Vinnie was working with the Russian mob."

Sharks whole body stiffened, his face turned deadly hard and the angry vibe coming off him had me taking a step back. "He's doing it off radar and G.o.d knows how long he has been doing it." Shark clipped, his jaw clenching so tight I feared he was going to break his teeth.

"What does that mean?"

"It means no one f.u.c.king knew, he's doing it behind everyone's back."

"How do you know?"

"Because I know everything that goes on in Denver and I didn't know. I also know because the guy trying to take his turf is part of the Russian mob, which mean's Vinnie is working with a trader of the Russian mob."

A fear so thick I felt it physically hit into me at what Shark said next, "Whoever that trader is, is about to be found out because the man the Russian's sent to take over Vinnie's turf is coming to town tomorrow and I have no doubt that Vinnie will use that to keep his turf but it wont work the Russian mob will clean house, theirs and Vinnie's."

"What does clean house mean?"

"They will kill everyone who knows."

I was going to die, Jonah was going to die, Mason, Denny, Officer Owen, Shark no, no, no.

Sharks warm hands cupped my face pulling me closer to him as his head came down so he was eye level with me. "Sweetheart I need you to go home and pack a bag. Stay at Jonah's and do not open the door or talk to anyone until I come to get you." Shark said in a gentle voice I'd never heard him use before.

"You're scaring me." I whispered trying to pull away from his hands.