Page 107 of Lawbreaker

“It wasn’t a bluff,” Tony told him. His dark eyes narrowed in a face like stone. “I never bluff.” He noticed the curious faces. “Look, in my business, you never make a threat you can’t back up. You never promise something you don’t deliver. James knows my reputation. It’s the only thing that got Odalie out of there alive tonight. He knew I’d do exactly what I told him I’d do. He only has one weakness, and I knew what it was.” He smiled ruefully. “You don’t promise to plant rosebushes over somebody if you don’t have any rosebushes,” he added with sparkling dark eyes.

John chuckled. “Now I’m really not ever playing poker with you,” he said, and everybody grinned.

Hours went by before Odalie heard voices outside the door. One was angry and very loud.

Phillip James was fuming. “I’ll get him if it’s the last thing I do in this life! He’s already messed up too many of my plans. Listen, you make sure she’s not harmed, not a scratch, you hear me?” he growled at Peters. “I won’t risk my son even for revenge.”

There was a pause and some murmuring. “Just don’t mess up the wire. I might get something out of this, even if it isn’t much. Hurry and get to the airport. I’ve got a plane waiting. Damn Garza! He’s always one step ahead! Well, don’t just stand there. Get going!”

There was another brief bit of conversation. Footsteps died away. Then the door opened, and the familiar man came in. He unfastened the handcuffs and led her down the hall to a bathroom. “Be quick,” he said gently, and looked ashamed and unsettled.

She thanked him. It had been a long time between bathroom breaks. It was a minor kindness, but one that had been unexpected. She was quick. She didn’t know where she was going, but it sounded like they were giving her back to Tony. Her heart lifted like a bird in flight. She was alive and Phillip James had lost this evil game he was playing. She didn’t know how Tony had done it, but he’d saved her life. And his child’s.

Tony turned and looked at his watch. “We’d better get to the airport. We could grab a burger or something while we wait,” he murmured absently. His mind was still on the baby. He wasn’t going to tell the others just yet, but it was a delicious secret. And he couldn’t wait to share it.

He’d been uncertain before about the future, but now it was as clear as polished glass. He knew exactly where he was going.

He and Odalie were never going to be apart again. The baby was a bonus, but he’d have married her if there could never be a baby. Despite his drawbacks, she loved him. And he loved her. Love would be enough to overcome all the obstacles. He’d never been more sure of anything.

Now all he had to do was save her...

Ben had vanished when they got to the airport, but he soon joined them at the burger stand. He nodded and smiled at Tony, who also nodded.

The others figured that something was going on, but they had no idea what. Anyway, the burgers were delicious.

The plane from DC was announced. They all moved to the international concourse to wait for Odalie.

She came into view slowly, her arm held by a familiar man. It was the agent who’d delivered the bloody backpack with photos of the family in it. Everyone assumed that it was Tanner’s and that he was dead. This man had secretly advised them to look deeper, and they had. They’d found Tanner alive.

The agent, Brock Peters, let go of Odalie as they reached the family. She ran straight into Tony’s arms, and was wrapped up tight, and held and rocked while he whispered to her as the others looked on.

“You’re okay? You’re sure?” Tony asked softly as he kissed her eyelids closed.

“I’m fine. I’m just tired and sleepy and hungry.” Her eyes opened and she looked up into his. “Can I have a hamburger?”

He bent and kissed her nose. “You can have anything you want. And I mean anything,” he whispered huskily.

She smiled at him and pressed close. “I’m so happy to see you. All of you,” she added quickly as she turned to hug everyone else before she nestled back into Tony’s arms.

“I have to make a call,” Tony said, noting the agent’s plaintive look.

He pulled out the burner phone and spoke in riddles to his men. They waited some more. The burner phone rang. Tony answered it, nodding and smiling. He told his men to leave the package where they’d found it, and they did.

Next, Tony had the agent, Peters, call Phillip James and tell him to check on his own package. He did, and reported to Tony that his package was fine, only a little inebriated.

“So now we’re square, right?” James asked in a sullen but subdued tone.

There was a long pause. “For right now, yes. But if you’re ever tempted to hassle the Everetts, remember this. I have people everywhere. If I don’t, I know people who do. You have no idea at all how connected I really am. And if you’re very lucky, you won’t have to find out.”

“I’ve still got enough on your senator friend to send his daughter up for twenty years,” James said suddenly.

“So you said.” There was a pause. “But we have some interesting news for you. There was an extra eyewitness in Iraq. And he was a professional photographer.”

“You’re lying!!” James burst out.

“You’ll find out in a couple of weeks.”

“The senator wouldn’t dare...”