Her voice came out in a squeak. “Me?” She managed to slip her hands from his grasp.
He surged ahead. Again, he felt like an ass for asking her. “When you pick up the boys from the youth center before going to work today, their idea was for you to say you are canceling your plans with them and me tonight because of this dinner party. They want you to drop the name of some made up socialite, say Mrs. Aubrey Johnson is in town and requested that you cook a formal meal for her and her guests in the private dining room. And you couldn’t say no, the dinner is at nine. That will give them time to set up the rooms upstairs and get everything in order to take them all down.”
She stared at him blankly. This was a shock to say the least. Not what she had been expecting at all. Did she want to do this? What if they got away? And they figured out she was part of the sting? She could be putting her and her brothers into even more danger. It didn’t make sense.
“But, I’m not working tonight. What if they check and don’t see me in the kitchen?”
“We could always have Louis put you in tonight. We will keep someone in the kitchen in plain clothes to keep you safe. They’ve promised to have security on you and your brothers until this is finished and the bad guys are all brought in.”
She thought about what he was asking her to do, and she could tell he hated doing it. Pain and worry was etched across his face. “What do you think?” she asked him wanting to hear his thoughts.
His hand swept through his closely cropped hair. It was shaking. “Honestly? I hate the idea. But we don’t have anyone else that Justin would believe. These thefts are getting out of hand. The effect on the casino if word gets out . . . You.” He ended lamely. “But, it’s your call. I can’t ask you to do it. Just know we will have you protected, watched from the moment you step into work until all the bad guys are brought in.”
She knew these thefts were causing havoc at the casino. And from what he said she would be fully protected. “What about the boys? They thought we were going to a movie tonight?”
“I’ll come with you to the center when you drop the hint to Justin. You won’t be alone. I’ll tell the boys I’ll still take them, and then I’ll pick them up and bring them to my mom’s house. I’ll explain on the way there. They deserve the truth. Eve and Dawn will be there, and they can keep them occupied. And there will be someone outside watching the house.”
Jewel was shaking her head no, but she had made up her mind. She needed to do this. This gang was a bigger threat if they remained on the loose. “No, don’t tell them on the way. Just make up an excuse. I don’t want them to worry about me tonight. They might try something stupid. We will tell them together. Afterwards.” The only way to prevent Justin and Eddie from coming after other teens, kids like her brothers, was to ensure they were locked up. She had to do it. “I’ll do it.”
With those words said, he pulled her into his arms and felt her heart beating rapidly in her chest. God, how he loved this woman. She was so brave, so courageous. So good. And he was glad she was his. He would do whatever it took to keep her safe. And he would never put her in harm’s way again.
*
The afternoon pick up of the twins went off without a hitch. Jewel had hid her fear well. He had then taken her to work himself after dropping the boys off at home with strict instructions to not leave the house. Outside, sat an unmarked car. They were private security hired by the Marinos to keep an eye on them until Joseph came to get them later. But they would be tailing them all evening.
As Joseph headed to his mother’s house with the boys in tow later that evening, he could tell by their lively banter that they had not suspected a thing. He was having them over for dinner to meet his moms and sisters and he would head out around eight o’clock to join the security team on the second floor operations room. The movie they were supposed to go see started at nine, so that would give him plenty of time to cancel the movie, and then head to the casino to be there for the sting op that night. His sisters were keeping them occupied for the duration. He was cutting it close, but Jewel had insisted on it. She didn’t like her brothers not being watched by someone she didn’t know or trust. He understood that. She had lost so much already. And spending this time with them, it was the least he could to do to assuage her fears even though he wanted to be closer to where she was.
But he still didn’t like leaving her either. She had an undercover police officer assigned to watch her and the kitchen staff, but he still wanted to be nearby. Dinner was going to be long and difficult. But he’d make the best of it. Lesley and Wesley were actually looking forward to it, and they had hinted that his sisters were quite beautiful. He knew they were teasing him. His response was a humorous growl. “My sisters are off limits to you two.”
“Hey, how do you think we feel seeing you with Jewel?” Lesley threw back at him.