Someone Like Her(71)

 “Naw if I ills you irst,” Fortunada lisped through a split lip and broken front tooth.

 Would Jake really go so far as to kill him? Although she prayed he wasn’t, the man might be her father. The wrestling match began again and Maria leaned her head back, closing her eyes.

 Why had she started on this quest? She didn’t need a father in her life. It was that stupid stud book that had started her longing to have a parent who loved her. Before then, the chance of narrowing down the possibilities was so slim that she hadn’t even thought to try. And she’d been fine with that.

 She had her brother, Dani and the kids, Mrs. Jankowski. They all loved her, so why hadn’t that been enough? Because there’d once been a little girl so lacking in something that even her mother couldn’t stand the sight of her. No matter how good she’d tried to be, no matter that she’d brushed Lovey Dovey’s hair every night, careful not to pull on it too hard, no matter that she’d catered to her mother’s every whim, it had never been enough.

 There’d been no kind words for her, no hugs or smiles. When she’d found three names that fit—right year, right nationality—the old longing she’d thought was banished forever returned and she’d wondered: what if?

 Tears leaked out of the corners of her eyes, and she buried her head against her knees. Blocking out the sounds of grunts and bodies banging against the wall, she let go of the dream once and for all. She didn’t want a father, didn’t need one.

 If Fortunada was him, she didn’t care and didn’t want to know. She would appreciate the family she had and if that included Jake, she would rejoice and love him forever. If not, she would still have a full and productive life. She’d survived without her mother’s love and she could survive without Jake’s. Well, that would hurt. A lot. But it wouldn’t kill her, not like it appeared finding a father might.

 Suddenly, a helicopter sounded as if it was going to land right in the middle of the living room. Had the cops finally found them? She lifted her head and peered at the ceiling. The two men still going at it didn’t seem to notice. Why hadn’t Jake put Fortunada’s lights out already? He could do it if he wanted, but it appeared he was enjoying beating the crap out of the man too much. Fortunada was still trying to fight back, but just barely. A few more minutes and Jake would be trying to knock the brains out of an unconscious man. It was time to put a stop to this.

 She pushed up against the wall, the revolver in her hand hanging down at her side. “Jake, enough.” He didn’t seem to hear her. Maybe she should tell Mrs. Watkins to bang him over the head with the frying pan.

 Before she could figure out how to get through to him, four men dressed in all black slithered up behind Mrs. Watkins. Maria looked into the eyes of her brother, visible through the eyeholes of his black face mask. His gaze raked over her, and she knew he was determining for himself that she wasn’t hurt. No, she wasn’t, she messaged him back.

 Logan nodded, then turned his attention to Jake and Fortunada. Both seemed to be unaware of the scary men watching them with envy in their eyes, every one of them obviously wishing they were in Jake’s place.

 What was it with men and their loving to punch the daylights out of someone? Maria’s only concern now was the heart attack Mrs. Watkins was going to have if she looked behind her.

 “Mrs. Watkins, my brother’s here with his men. He won’t hurt you, I promise.”

 Mrs. Watkins glanced to the left, then to the right, before turning her body around to see behind her. “I didn’t hear you boys knock.” She lowered the frying pan. “Are you here to save us?”

 “Yes ma’am,” Logan said and pulled off his face mask. He gave the woman a killer smile, then stepped past her and rapped the back of Jake’s head with his knuckles. “Enough, Tiger. I know you want to send him to hell. So do I, but that would require too many explanations of who we are.”

 Maria watched as Jake came back to himself and glanced around. Then his gaze settled on her, and the look in his eyes, God, the look in his eyes took the ability to stand right out of her. She sank to the floor in front of him.

 “You came for me,” she said.

 “Did you think I wouldn’t?”

 He seemed so disappointed and she didn’t know how to tell him she’d believed he was on his way to Egypt, putting his job first. She didn’t know how to tell him she loved him.





CHAPTER TWENTY




Jake half listened to the older woman tell Kincaid how Mr. Buchanan had done some kind of “chop, chop” on Fortunada’s neck and sent the gun flying. He half heard her tell the boss how she’d put three of her sleeping pills in the iced tea she’d planned to give the bastard. All he cared about was the woman kneeling in front of him, surprised that he’d come for her.