Game of Fear (Montgomery Justice #3)(21)

The problem was, if Patrick Montgomery was right, Ashley Lansing’s chances did not look good.




Ernie clutched the latest package in his hands. His jaw throbbed and his eye had swollen shut. Gasmerati’s thugs had given him another beating. Just for fun. He was tired of this life.

He limped down the narrow hallway as quickly as he could. He didn’t want to give anyone else a chance to pummel him.

Wishing he could just get the hell out of Denver, but without so much as a twenty to his name, Ernie sighed. No one would give him a job, except doing this crap for Gasmerati. He hitched up his pants. He was so hungry they hung loose. The food Gabe had given him had been the only decent meal he’d had in days. He’d never collected on his tip, but he might have to. Going near the bar terrified him, though. He still didn’t know who had been lurking in the shadows outside Sammy’s.

“I knew we had a leak!” Gasmerati’s bellow boomed in the hallway. “Why did it take this long to find out the traitor’s name?”

Ernie froze, his swallow so loud the gulp echoed around him. God, did they know about him? He sent a furtive glance right, then left, and plastered himself against the wall. If Jeff meant Ernie, he was dead. He couldn’t run far enough to escape the mobster’s thugs.

“I want Grace O’Sullivan silenced,” Gasmerati said. “I don’t care if I’ve known her all my life. Luke Montgomery has run too many newspaper articles using inside information. I can’t believe she’s the one who betrayed us. Her husband is our damned hit man. Call him. We’ll see if he’s really loyal. Hell, I might throw in Montgomery, too.”

Ernie tensed. Gasmerati was putting out a hit on Grace O’Sullivan—and possibly Luke, too? Gabe would pay big bucks for this.

“We should have known it was her,” another voice chimed in. “She had the hots for Steve Paretti before she—”

“Don’t speak that traitor’s name in my presence, Sly,” Gasmerati said.

Ernie shuddered. Sly made Gasmerati look like a choir boy. As Gasmerati’s enforcer, Sly enjoyed his job too much. Ernie did all he could to avoid the muscle man. Everyone did.

Gasmerati’s voice turned harsh. “Family doesn’t betray family. Find out who she called at WITSEC,” he ordered. “First the FBI looking into my business and now this. I want anyone involved silenced. I refuse to be brought down by a damn woman.”

Footsteps thundered toward the door where Ernie listened. Panicking, he hurried out the side door. He quietly shut it, then limped away, praying no one had seen him.

The Montgomerys would want to know about this. If Grace was Luke’s snitch, and the Montgomerys wanted to save her, they’d pay. Maybe enough to get him out of Denver.

For the first time in years, Ernie had hope that there was a way out of this mess after all.




Gabe stirred, his back, his leg, his whole body, sore and stiff. He opened his eyes, surprised to find he was still on the couch, the soft, warm body of Deborah Lansing tucked snugly against his side.

Outside, dawn was just breaking and the gray morning light filtered in through the blinds. Ice frosted the kitchen windows, so today would be another cold one. Gabe resettled the afghan his mother had knitted him for Christmas over his legs and Deb’s, then leaned back in the softness of the couch.

She’d fallen asleep in his arms, worn out by anxiety, fatigue, and unshed tears. Even now, she wrestled inner demons that disturbed her slumber. She wouldn’t like being this vulnerable to anyone. She prided herself in her strength. He’d learned that much about her.

And he found that spine of steel sexy as hell.

Gabe stroked her forehead gently and whispered soft words of comfort, like his mother had when he’d had a nightmare. Deb settled in and nestled closer, draping one arm around his waist.

Talk about sweet torture, and she didn’t even know what she was doing to him. How many times had he fantasized about having her in his arms?

He had several choices. He could kiss her awake or move away from her so she wouldn’t be embarrassed that she’d turned to him while she slept. He couldn’t bring himself to do either. He just wanted to hold her a little longer.

Unmoving, he ran several investigative scenarios through his head and by the time he’d settled on a plan for the day, Deb’s eyelids fluttered open.

First, her eyes widened, then she stared at him, then looked down at their entangled bodies.

“Oh, tell me I didn’t do this . . .” She flushed crimson and pulled out of his embrace. “Gabe, I’m so sorry. I never meant to fall asleep.” She brushed her hand across the front of his sweater.

He smiled gently, already missing the warm weight of her on top of him. “Actually I was thinking that the last hours were the best sleep I’ve had in a while.”

She stilled, her eyes wary. “You can’t be serious.”

“When a beautiful woman falls asleep in my arms, I call myself damn lucky.” The discomfort on her face told him he’d pushed his case enough.

“What time is it?” Urgency shoved her to her feet, her eyes searching for a clock.

“Too early to drive to Colorado Springs, but not too early for breakfast.” He rose and went to the kitchen, yanking out a few microwavable entrées from the freezer. “What can I interest you in? Breakfast burritos or quesadillas? Oh, there’s an ancient box of Pop-Tarts if you’re the daring type.”