Dealing Double by Tamra Baumann

Table of Content

• 1. Unnamed
• 2. OTHER TITLES BY TAMRA BAUMANN It Had to Be Novels It Had to Be Him It Had to Be Her It Had to Be Fate It Had to Be Them Heartbreaker Novels Seeing Double Dealing Double Kindle Direct Publishing Matching Mr. Right Perfectly Ms. Matched Matched for Love
• 3. Unnamed
• 4. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places, events, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Text copyright © 2018 by Tamra Baumann All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher. Published by Montlake Romance, Seattle www.apub.com Amazon, the Amazon logo, and Montlake Romance are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc., or its affiliates. ISBN-13: 9781503954199 ISBN-10: 1503954196 Cover design by Tammy Seidick
• 5. This book is dedicated to my brother, Gary, so he’ll stop asking me why I never dedicate books to him. This one’s for you, big bro.
• 6. Contents Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Chapter Twelve Chapter Thirteen Chapter Fourteen Chapter Fifteen Chapter Sixteen Chapter Seventeen Chapter Eighteen Chapter Nineteen Chapter Twenty Chapter Twenty-One A year or so later . . . Acknowledgments About the Author
• 7. Chapter One Sophia Moretti was pretty darned impressed with her usually reserved self. While on the run, and in just under thirty hours, she’d evaded trained assassins, driven without a bodyguard for the first time, and had managed to make it from DC to New Mexico without stopping, except for the essentials. A new record according to her burner cell phone. Her main cell, the one tracked by her mobster father, was probably still riding around under the back seat of the cab, where she’d purposely left it, in DC. To buy herself some time. Her journey, which was thankfully almost over, was especially impressive for a dead person. Sophia Moretti had “died” in a car accident when she was just sixteen, as far as the rest of the world knew. Faking her death had been the only way to keep herself safe from the people who had killed her mother and brother twelve years earlier. Her father had a lot of enemies. Before her faked death, getting shipped off to Europe at ten years old with a new name h
• 8. Chapter Two Jake tried to open his eyes, to defend himself against the next blow, but couldn’t find the strength. Flowery perfume filled his senses as something cold and lumpy landed on the aching side of his head. Like frozen veggies? What the hell had just hit him and why? A voice whispered, “Please don’t die. Please don’t die. I’m so sorry I hit you. Please don’t die.” She lifted his head and then laid it back down on something soft. He opened his mouth, to ask who she was. “Whaaaa?” But it came out garbled. “Oh, good. You’re waking up. But you can’t tell my father you found me. I can’t let you do that. So I’m sorry I have to use this duct tape on your hands. And for smashing your phone.” Your father? Duct tape? What the hell? Is it Shelly from the store? No, she’d never have been able to get to the cabin first. And what about my phone? God, my head hurts. His hands were lifted and then wrapped together in duct tape at his wrists. He really needed to snap out of it and put an end to
• 9. Chapter Three Jake didn’t need to be rescued by his ex-wife. He’d just flustered Gabby enough by flirting with her incessantly and pressing her buttons to make her confess some useful information. Another hour and he’d have solved the mystery that was Gabby on his own. He held out his hands toward his bumbling captor. “Now that you’re busted, will you please get rid of this tape? I really have to go to the little boys’ room. Oh, and Dani Botelli, meet Gabby with no last name.” Gabby said, “It’s Knight. Gabby Knight.” Dani nodded. “Nice to meet you, Gabby Knight.” Jake glanced at Dani, who was trying not to laugh. By the amused expression on her face, Dani must’ve known Gabby wasn’t a criminal, either. She’d had a dream or a hunch, or she wouldn’t have shown up. His ex had random prophetic dreams and hunches that were right 98 percent of the time, and he’d used them to help solve crimes in the past. Her famous movie-star mother, Annalisa Botelli, had them, too, but they both kept their
• 10. Chapter Four Jake studied Gabby as she drained her Moscow mule. Apparently, she’d found her new favorite drink. Strangely, it made him happy that he’d been the one to introduce her to it. He’d bet she had a lot of things in life yet undiscovered. Gabby had a sweet wonder about her he’d never seen before in a grown woman. Especially for the daughter of a mobster. It didn’t add up. Now that she’d agreed to let him help her, her story should be an interesting one to untangle. “Still waiting for that explanation about the statue and how your father is involved, Gabs.” Dani laid her cup down and slid to the edge of her seat. “Yeah, I’m curious about these statues now, too.” Gabby took a deep breath and then said, “Okay. So a few months ago, a historian found some old letter and a map in a run-down estate in Europe that told the history of the statue I’m looking for. He’s a good friend of the man I work for at the museum in DC. He told my boss the Son statue had been buried on sacred tribal
• 11. Chapter Five A thump sounded, and Jake sat up straight in bed. He glanced beside him in the dimly moonlit room. Gabby was missing. He leaped out of bed and headed for the door, until a movement to his right made him change direction. Had Gabby’s guards found her? He flung himself toward the person. A feminine yelp sounded. Then something wet flew into his face. Gabby. They hit the plush carpeted floor with a muffled thud. Her tempting, hot body was plastered underneath him, while his face had landed between her full breasts. “You okay?” He wiped the water from his face. “Yes.” She blinked down at him in the stingy moonlight. “You scared me. What are you doing?” “The better question is, what are you doing?” She was still braless. Not surprising since she was still in her pajamas. Not trying to escape. “You were moaning in your sleep. I was getting you more pain pills. And for the record, I tried to wake you, but you just mumbled something and fell back to sleep.” What? He’d never slept
• 12. Chapter Six As he peered through high-powered field glasses, Jake asked, “Why do you want to go out there, Red? Judging by all the footprints, surely the statue is gone.” After spotting disturbed snow at the dig site, he checked the perimeter again to see if they were alone. He’d asked Gabby about her escape from home and her sex life to see how closely her father guarded her. Looked like she’d been locked down tight. Her guards could be lurking nearby, so they’d have to stay on their toes. He couldn’t let the thugs get her back before she got her statue. Gabby picked up her phone from the rock where he’d laid it. “I need to see if whoever was snooping around here dug in the right place.” It was a risk, but she was right. They didn’t know who the footprints belonged to. It could’ve even been someone from the tribal police patrolling the area now that they’d seen the request to dig. “Okay. Follow me and stay close.” He scanned the trees that surrounded the clearing one more time and the
• 13. Chapter Seven Jake paced back and forth in the cabin as time seemed to crawl by. He was going nuts, wanting to jump in and help Gabby figure out her clue, but she’d used that slightly snooty British accent to politely decline his offer. Maybe he should come clean with her and explain that he could help because solving clues was what he did for a living. She was bound to figure out he was a cop sooner or later. Especially if she googled Dani or Annalisa. But then what if she bolted? Nope, better to maintain cover as long as he could. So, rather than sitting around, he’d help her with her disguise. Gabby’s bodyguards should be arriving soon according to her calculations, and they’d be bound to stop at the grocery store to ask about her. There weren’t that many businesses in town. He called out to Gabby, who was at the kitchen table, frowning at her computer screen. “I’m going to run to the store for that hair dye. What color did you decide on?” While there, he’d ask if anyone had seen an
• 14. Chapter Eight Gabby suddenly paled and then swayed. Jake feared she’d pass out, so he grasped her by the arms to keep her from falling. “Listen to me, Gabby. I just want to help you. I don’t have a badge. I can’t use police resources. So I’m as much a private citizen as you are right now.” “You lied to me, Jake.” She shook her head and struggled to slip from his hold on her. “Does my Jeep work?” “No. But I can fix it.” Her color had come back, along with the anger filling her eyes, so he let her go. Sick to his stomach she might pack up and leave. “I never lied to you.” She spat out, “Holding back the truth is the same as lying!” Not when he had a duty to be sure what her role was in the theft of the statue, but she wouldn’t want to hear that. He stepped back and let her slip around him as she gathered up her things. “Where will you go?” “As far away from you as I can.” “Your father’s men are here. Dani said Dean is involved, but she wasn’t sure to what level. How are you going to do t
• 15. Chapter Nine Jake focused on pictures of Native pots on Gabby’s computer screen as he and Gabby sat at the kitchen table in the cabin, relieved she’d seemed to have softened toward him a fraction. She held up the shard. “The pattern on this piece and the type of clay tell all. New Mexico’s dirt has a different texture and hue. Even if I mistook the pattern, because it’s broken, the composition proves it’d never be found here. Dean had to have left it for me to find. Or, it could have fallen out of his bag when he grabbed for a tool, I suppose.” He said, “Let’s go over the possibilities. Dean left the piece there to let you know he’d been there. But what good would that do? Could it be a clue for where they went? Possibly to reunite the statues if they have them both? Your father said he and Dean had a deal. What kind would they make?” She shook her head. “I don’t know. I’ve tried to think of all the angles, but nothing is making sense.” Gabby turned and finally looked into his eyes. Sh
• 16. Chapter Ten Curiosity filled Gabby as they pulled up to Jake’s one-story pueblo-style home in Albuquerque to get his passport. She was eager to see how Jake lived. At home, would he be a slob, a neat freak, or something in between? He’d been almost obsessive about keeping the cabin tidy, but maybe that was because it didn’t belong to him. She gathered her things in the front seat as the garage door rumbled and closed behind them. Just as she reached for the handle, Jake opened the passenger door for her. “Thank you.” She hopped down from his 4x4. He nodded and closed the door behind her. “Excuse any mess. Maid’s year off.” Uh-oh. She braced for what was to come. Probably a typical bachelor pad with dirty dishes in the sink and stray clothes scattered about. “How long have you lived here?” He held a door open that led into a tidy little laundry room. “About five years, I guess.” Then they crossed into the kitchen. It had shiny stainless-steel appliances and granite countertops. Not a di
• 17. Chapter Eleven Gabby slipped down Annalisa’s plane’s steps into the night and walked toward her father’s aircraft. She didn’t have much time, but she didn’t want to draw any unwanted attention to herself by running, which was her first instinct. She needed to do enough damage so the sensors wouldn’t let them go anywhere. She didn’t want to cause anyone harm, just delay them a bit. If her father would’ve listened to her request to call off her guards, she wouldn’t have to do what she was about to do. Or so she kept telling herself. She needed to stay focused on the greater goal. Saving international treasures. Watching her feet the whole time, she slipped under the wing of her father’s plane. The side farthest from the cameras that were perched on the nearby hangar. She pulled the knife from her pocket, debating how many tires she’d damage. She didn’t want to make her dad furious, just mildly annoyed. Holding the knife in her fist, she jabbed the point through the tough rubber. Luckily,
• 18. Chapter Twelve Gabby blinked her eyes open, orienting herself. She was on Annalisa’s plane, still in bed, naked. With Jake. She smiled and rolled over. She’d finally spent the whole night with a man she’d had sex with, and she looked forward to the morning-after routine she’d only read about in books or seen in movies. But the bed was empty. Jake was nowhere to be found. Figured. Her one and only opportunity to experience morning sex was not to be had. But the night before made up for that. The first time had been great, all about her, but then Jake let her make love to him. When she’d touched him at first, he’d fisted his hands in the sheets. But after a few minutes, he’d smiled and relaxed a little, so that had been progress. And a whole lot of fun to see how much pleasure she’d given him. Her new goal would be to get him to agree to both of them touching at the same time, not just one or the other. That is, if they ever got the chance to make love again. Who knew what the days ahead
• 19. Chapter Thirteen After Gabby and Jake’s intimate dinner, Will and Charlie had joined them in the dining room. Gabby loved hearing Charlie’s stories about their classmates. Even more, she loved feeling like a normal person with friends, like how it’d been in school. Being in the elaborate dining room, surrounded by fine art and antiques as lovely as she’d ever seen, gave her comfort. It was nice to be back in England, with its unique style and culture cultivated by the passing of time. Not new and American, like home. She looked around the huge table, and it dawned on her that the only friends she had now were all in front of her. Will, worried sick for his brother, and Jake and Charlie, who were getting along slightly better, but each was still wary of the other. She’d once wondered if her and Will’s friendship could ever grow into a relationship one day, but after meeting Jake, there was no comparison between the two. Will was quiet, kind, and sweet like vanilla ice cream. Jake, on th
• 20. Chapter Fourteen Jake ended their kiss but still held Gabby tight, reluctant to put her down, at least until his system settled. That split second when he thought Gabby was being threatened with a gun made it clear how much he’d grown to care for her. She said, “As much as I’m enjoying this, I need to tell you something. First, Will just told me that Dean has the Father statue. And we think we know where the Son statue is. Now might be a good time to get it while everyone is chasing after Charlie. It’s in a cemetery in Paddington. Not too far. We could take the Tube.” “Now?” He leaned away so he could see her face. “We still don’t know who’s out there following us. Why not just tell the police what you’ve learned and let them dig it up?” She shook her head. “Then Dean becomes useless, and they might kill him. I don’t like the guy, but I promised Will I’d try to keep him alive. I have Will’s phone, so maybe we could use that somehow.” He wanted to keep her safe. To hand over the damn ar
• 21. Chapter Fifteen Jake paced the lavish master bedroom, with its deep carpet and antique four-poster, where matronly, heavyset Detective Inspector Edwards, the head of the operation, prepped Gabby for the meeting with Dean. She’d run Gabby’s wires under her first layer of clothes and tested her equipment while giving her basic instructions. Luckily it was cold outside, so all the layers would hide the electronics. Charlie had texted earlier that he had turned the Son statue over to the police. It’d be returned to its rightful owners. So half the problem had been solved. Hopefully, Dean would show up with the Father statue as planned. Then the police would arrest him and Garza’s men, and the Father statue could go back to DC where it belonged. He’d promised Gabby he wouldn’t mention her father’s presence to the detective, as much as it went against his grain. But Moretti hadn’t done anything except look out for his daughter so far, so he’d concede there. If Gabby’s father killed Garza’s s
• 22. Chapter Sixteen Jake stared out the window from the back seat of the police car as it sped through the rain toward Paddington Cemetery. That was all they needed. Rain to complicate things even more. Make a clean shot from a distance slightly harder, but not impossible. He leaned over DI Edwards’s shoulder in the front seat. She quietly commanded the placement of her sharpshooters for when they arrived based on an Internet map of the cemetery. Their driver, Steven, expertly weaved in and out of traffic as she worked beside him. She slowly turned her head and met Jake’s gaze. A silent “back off” gleamed in her eyes. She was like a kindly mother, and he’d had his doubts about her at first, but she’d handled the situation well so far. She’d been smart to have him calm Gabby when she’d needed it most, and then to prod her to hit Dean. The detective read people well. She’d sensed Gabby would have a hard time hitting Dean. Even after what he’d done to her. Gabby most likely took after her mot
• 23. Chapter Seventeen Jake had never been on the civilian side of the slow inner workings of a police station. He had a newfound respect for those whom he’d made wait while he completed paperwork. If the t’s weren’t crossed and the i’s not dotted just right, criminals got away with their crimes in court. But it’d been hours. He needed to talk to Gabby. They’d told him she was okay, but he needed to see for himself. Steven, the bobby who’d driven him to the cemetery, finally returned with a cup of coffee. “Here you go, mate. Just got word you’re free to leave. We’ll be in touch via e-mail later, no doubt.” Jake took the coffee and drank deeply. He’d been at the station for hours, leaving him tired and hungry. “Have they cleared Gabby, yet?” Steven shook his head. “Not quite. She had a few minor injuries we need to photograph, and then she’ll be set free.” Jake nodded and then paced to a nearby window to sip his coffee while he waited for Gabby. Rain poured from the dark clouds above as peop
• 24. Chapter Eighteen After sending Gabby another text that would probably go unanswered just like all the rest he’d sent in the last three days, Jake dropped onto his living room couch and stared at the empty bookcase. What was it Gabby had called him? A minimalist? Or was he just uninterested in his own life? Everyone had told him he worked too much. Needed hobbies, to take vacations, rekindle friendships. Or, maybe he was better off alone? He closed his eyes and leaned his head back on the couch. The tortured look on Gabby’s face outside the police station was tattooed on his eyelids every time he closed them. He hadn’t been thinking when he’d run after her father, shouting out his name to make him stop before a bullet could stop him. He’d just reacted. His job was to save lives and protect the public. That’s what he’d done. DI Edwards had thanked him profusely afterward for his quick actions. He hadn’t thought of anything but putting a stop to the string of people dying in the cemetery.
• 25. Chapter Nineteen Jake yanked open the doors of Dani’s real estate office and stepped inside. Dani’s boss, a former Miss Texas who’d had so much work done she looked like a perpetually smiling scary clown, lifted her bloodred-tipped nails and gave them a waggle. “Jake. Nice to see you, sugar. Dani’s in the back.” “Thanks.” He hurried to Dani’s cubicle and leaned over her divider. She was on the phone, so she lifted a finger and then quickly wrapped up the call. After she disconnected, she fist-bumped the air. “That makes closing number ten! I’m going to be the top producer this month, Jake. Mark my words.” He smiled. Dani’s powerful mother had gotten her the job, so Dani had been hell-bent on proving she could be a success on her own. Everyone had their doubts, including him. Seemed she’d figured out how to control her unwanted dreams enough to make a real go at it. He couldn’t be happier for her. “Knew you’d get there. How about I—” “Yes, you can buy me lunch. I’m starving.” She grabbe
• 26. Chapter Twenty Jake showed up at Farber’s office fifteen minutes before his appointment. The men tailing him waited in the parking garage below. The receptionist looked up from her desk. “Hello, Mr. Morris. Come with me, please. We need to get you an employee badge.” He followed the woman down a long hall that held offices on either side. She stopped outside one that had the name “Ashton Reynolds” on the nameplate. She pointed to the man seated at his desk, deep into work. “What do you think? Does he look enough like you?” Jake leaned his head inside the door. The guy had similar coloring, was about the same age, but skinnier. “Yep. Close enough.” The receptionist walked in and held out a hand toward Ashton. “You drew the short stick. Credentials, please.” He glanced up, gave Jake the once over from head to toe, and then tugged his wallet from his suit pants. He slipped out his driver’s license and then unclipped his employee badge from the suit coat hanging on the back of his chair. H
• 27. Chapter Twenty-One Jake rolled down his car window and pressed the call button on the gated entrance to Suzy and Gabby’s estate. A male voice answered. “Yeah?” “Jake Morris. Here to see Suzy.” Gabby had told him Suzy had changed her name, too, so he wasn’t sure what her last name was. The gates slowly parted. “It’s the one on the left.” “Thanks.” Jake put his car into gear and started up the paved drive. There were large trees on both sides of the road and perfectly landscaped hedges. Foliage so thick the homes weren’t visible from the main road. At the top of the hill, he encountered a fork in the driveway, so he went left, but he’d have rather gone right to see Gabby. It was just after six, so she might be home from work. But Moretti said he had to get past Suzy first, so that’s what he’d do. Both houses were large two-story brick with white columns in front like much of the architecture in the area. So different from the Pueblo-style stucco home he owned. Sometimes he forgot how wea
• 28. A year or so later . . . Gabby sat on the edge of her seat, waiting to hear the verdict in her father’s trial for shooting Pablo Garza. The outstanding charges for her father’s other alleged crime had been dropped. The plaintiff in that case had died the previous year, and the grand jury didn’t have enough evidence anymore to bring the case to trial. She didn’t want to know how the evidence against her father had disappeared. She chose to believe her father really had cleaned up his act and wasn’t guilty. “Don’t ask, don’t tell” still applied. Her dad’s freedom had hung mostly on Jake’s earlier testimony. Jake took her hand and held it as the judge read the verdict the bailiff had just handed him. The judge’s brows arched before he said, “The jury has found the defendant not guilty.” The breath Gabby had been holding whooshed from her lungs as Jake gave her hand a squeeze. The crowd watching buzzed with opinions, mostly in disbelief that Moretti had slipped through the hands of the law
• 29. Acknowledgments As always, I’d like to thank everyone at my wonderful publisher, Montlake Romance. Each and every person on the team, from those who acquire, edit, and market to those who give superb author gifts. You all make it such a joy to work with you. And of course, thanks to my critique partners, Sherri, Louise, and Robin, for reading my pages each and every week. A special shout-out for this book goes to Louise, who knows just about everything when it comes to history. And she’ll be the first to tell you she’s always right! :0) I also want to thank my agent, Jill Marsal, and my family, who is always there to support me. But, mostly, I want to thank my loyal readers, for you are what makes writing books fun!
• 30. About the Author Photo © 2012 Robyn Adams Tamra Baumann became hooked on writing the day she picked up her first Nora Roberts novel from her favorite bookstore. Since then, she’s dazzled readers with her own lighthearted love stories: Dealing Double is the second installment in her Heartbreaker series, which started with the novel Seeing Double. She’s a Golden Heart winner for Contemporary Series Romance and has also received the Golden Pen Award for Single Title Romance. Born in Monterey, California, Tamra led the nomadic life of a navy brat before putting down permanent roots during college. When she’s not attending annual Romance Writers of America meetings, this voracious reader can be found playing tennis, traveling, or scouting reality shows for potential character material. Tamra resides with her real-life characters—her husband, two kids, and their allergy-ridden dog—in the sunny Southwest. Visit her online at www.tamrabaumann.com and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/author.tamr