Page 61 of Romancing the Rumrunner
Tony’s gaze shot to hers, shock thrumming through him. “You know about that?”
She nodded. “Mario gave me a newspaper clipping, warned me not to trust you.”
Tony closed his eyes and rubbed a hand over his face. “That’s what was in the envelope he gave you.”
Jessie’s eyes widened, but only slightly. Tony supposed with everything else she’d found out, knowing he’d seen that exchange wasn’t particularly shocking.
“What did you give him?”
Jessie closed her eyes and leaned back against her pillow. “My father owed Willie money and when he died, Willie expected me to pay off the debt. I was late with a payment, so Mario came to collect.”
Tony let out a long breath. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
Jessie didn’t answer that, but then she didn’t need to. Tony knew exactly why she hadn’t confided in him.
“He also warned me that they’d be watching in case I decided to switch sides and join you,” she said, her voice small, quiet.
“Which is why they bombed your shop.”
Jessie shrugged, grimacing when the movement pulled on her arm. “Who knows? Maybe they thought I was too close to you. Maybe they wanted to send a message to the Phoenix. Maybe they just thought I was overcharging for steaks. It doesn’t really matter. My shop is gone.”
Tony leaned over and took her hand, relief flooding him when she allowed it. “I’m sorry, Jessie. For all of it.”
She looked at him, those big blue eyes he loved finally meeting his. He could drown in those eyes. They would haunt his dreams for the rest of his life. He could only pray that someday the happy spark he loved so much would return. All he knew for sure was that he would never, ever again be responsible for an ounce of pain marring their lovely depths. He’d die first.
“Well, isn’t this cozy?”
Jameson pushed through the door and came around to the other side of Jessie’s bed. Jessie removed her hand from Tony’s, pulling her blankets up like they’d be added protection against the agent staring her down.
“Really, Miss Harlan, you must be an incredibly forgiving person. I’m impressed.”
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“Well, I know if I were in your shoes, I wouldn’t be speaking to the man who brought me down, let alone lying there holding his hand.”
“Jameson, enough. Let her be.”
Jameson cocked an eyebrow. “Didn’t you come to gloat?” he asked Tony. “You should be proud. A whole team of my agents couldn’t make a crack in that façade she had up. Yet you brought down the whole operation in just under three months. It’s impressive, truly. I might even recommend you get your job back on the force. They were too hasty letting you go after that little mess with your partner.”
Tony stood and took a step in Jameson’s direction, not caring what the consequences would be if he decked the man. Jessie’s voice stopped him.
“What was impressive?”
Jameson turned a sneering smile on Jessie. “Miss Harlan, it is my very great pleasure to inform you that you’ll be brought up on charges of racketeering, obstruction of justice, the illegal ownership and sale of alcohol, and any other charges we can make stick in conjunction with your running of the speakeasy called The Red Phoenix.”
Jessie breathed slowly in and out, but her face was as white as the sheets she laid on. “You don’t have any proof of any of that.”
“What? Didn’t he tell you?”
“Tell me what?” Jessie bit out, her eyes darting back and forth between Jameson and Tony.
“Jameson,” Tony warned.
Jameson ignored him. “We’ve got all the evidence we need to put you away for a very long time. Photographs of your private stores, not to mention all the confiscated hooch we found at the club, the location of the speakeasy, all the contents of your office, and photographs of you accepting payoffs from Mario Russo, a well-known associate of Willie the Weasel. All courtesy of Mr. Solomon here.”
Jessie looked at Tony, her eyes wide, her tears making them liquid pools of sapphire.
“Now,” Jameson continued, though Jessie kept her eyes on Tony, “if you’d like to be cooperative, we might be able to make a deal.”
