Seeing Double (A Heartbreaker Novel Book 1) Read online

When the knob on the bathroom door wiggled, she tried to convince herself that she could shoot to kill. If not for herself, then for Emma.

  Dani unlocked the door and raised her gun, ready to defend them. A hand curled around the wood as the door opened wider.

  Sweat beaded on her forehead.

  “Dani? You okay?” It was just Michael with a big grin on his face.

  “You scared the crap out of me! What the hell is so funny?” Dani lower the gun and tried to steady her shaking hands. But Michael’s smile had to mean her grandmother was okay.

  Relief washed through her and calmed her just enough to notice Michael was wearing a beer T-shirt and silk boxers.

  He owned beer T-shirts?

  He said, “Seems your grandmother has been having some trouble with a rat. She shot at it and missed. But Jerry got it.”

  Oh. My. God.

  Jerry walked by holding a bag she assumed had the corpse in it. He said, “Are all you Botelli women crazy? Jeez.”

  Evidently.

  Safe from marauding rats once more, they all went back to bed.

  Dani had just fallen asleep again when Michael’s voice whispered in her ear, “Scoot over.”

  “Why?”

  “It’s not safe for you guys out here alone.” When he lifted the covers, cold air raised goose bumps on her back.

  As Michael snuggled close, he whispered, “And Jerry snores.”

  “Behave.” She slid closer to Emma, who was laid out all akimbo.

  “I’ll try, but you’re one hot woman, Ms. Botelli,” he whispered as he cozied up beside her again.

  Michael’s body was the subject of every woman’s sweaty dreams, but with a kid in the bed, it might not be the best time to share that thought with him. “Good night, Mr. Reilly,” she replied with her best stern-schoolteacher tone.

  He laid a chaste kiss on her cheek. “’Night, Dani.”

  A while later she awoke with Michael spooned against her back, his big arm around her waist and Emma curled up against her chest. It was like being the warm, gooey center of a grilled cheese sandwich.

  So Michael liked to cuddle? That was kind of nice. If Jake’s hands were on her, it was to convince her to have sex with him. He’d never been one for snuggling.

  Content, she fell back asleep.

  When her eyes opened next, the morning light shone through the living room windows as the aromas of coffee, overcooked bacon, and burned toast filled the air. Michael’s hand, under her T-shirt, was kneading her breast while his thumb did things that made her girls stand at full attention. She glanced around, relieved to hear Emma’s voice in the kitchen, and whispered, “What are you doing?”

  He wriggled closer. “Feeling you up.”

  She flipped over and faced him. “Yeah, that part I figured out on my own. We’re in the middle of my grandmother’s living room, Michael.”

  “To my undying regret.” His face lit with an incredibly charming grin. “Morning, Dani.” And then he kissed her.

  She slid her hands under his T-shirt. His hard muscles bunched under her caress as he continued doing wonderful things under the covers to her breasts.

  They really needed to quit before things got out of control, and she was doing her best to stop kissing him. But it felt so good, so right.

  She’d break the kiss any minute now.

  When one of Michael’s hands strayed south toward her panties, it drew her out of her happy little haze. She’d never be able to stop if he was as good at that part as he was at kissing. Then she remembered their one time together and knew just how good he was.

  Dani captured his hand to stop him, then lifted her mouth from his. He was awfully cute, all mussed up and scruffy, in the morning. It made her smile. “Good morning to you, too, Michael.”

  Jerry appeared in the doorway. “Hey, horndogs. Grandma says breakfast is almost ready, so get your hands off each other and get in here.” He laughed as he went back to the kitchen.

  Dani moaned and rolled onto her back. “I’m convinced he’s the devil.”

  Michael wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her beside him again, then laid his head on her chest. “And he snores like a freight train.”

  “You probably just made up the snoring so you could cop a free feel.” She tugged, none too gently, on a lock of his thick black hair. “Yesterday you were questioning the wisdom of our fling, remember?”

  He tightened his hold on her. “I blame it on those secret powers you have.”

  Secret powers? Her stomach clenched. “What do you mean?”

  “Irresistible charm and beauty. No mere mortal can defend against it. So if you can find us some alone time, I’ll make it worth your while.”

  She let out the breath she was holding. Of course he couldn’t have known her secret.

  “I’ll have to see what I can arrange.”

  Alone time? Oh yeah, she was definitely going to work on that. She just had to figure out how to get Emma back to her mother for that to happen. Hopefully, Emma’s grandmother knew something to speed up the process.

  She really needed to get up and get busy on that but was feeling lazy and content, happy to be Michael’s pillow.

  Because his head was right there, she ran her fingers through his dense hair. While she lightly scraped her nails against his scalp, he made happy little sounds until they were interrupted by the ringing of her cell phone.

  It was probably Jake checking up on her. If she didn’t answer, he’d worry. If she did, Michael would be angry with her.

  He murmured against her chest, “Aren’t you going to get that?”

  “Um, maybe I’ll let the voice mail get it rather than ruin this nice little moment?”

  Michael rolled off her and headed for the shower. “Say hello to Jake for me.”

  “Dammit,” she muttered as she reached for her phone. “Hello?”

  “Hi, babe. Everything all right?”

  She needed to ask Jake to stop calling her babe, at least when other people, like Michael, might hear and get the wrong impression. “Everything’s fine here. Anything new there?”

  “Uhhh,” he hesitated in a familiar way. Jake always made that sound before he gave her bad news.

  “What? Is it about Carlos Watts?”

  “No, we still don’t know where he is, and a different guy relieved the last one on stakeout duty outside your mom’s place. Maybe Carlos is taking the restraining order seriously and letting his friends tail you.”

  “Did I file a restraining order? I don’t remember doing that.”

  “I filed it for you, along with the battery report, and forged your signature. Carlos is not allowed to be within a hundred feet of you, or we can toss him back into a cage.”

  “Good. What else is up?”

  He cleared his throat. “I asked Darlene for a date tonight. She said yes, and now I’m wondering if it was the right thing to do.”

  “I think that’s a great idea. Just don’t sleep with her on the first date. She’ll think you’re cheap.”

  “I am cheap. But what if she asks me first?”

  “Then all bets are off. But she might not respect you in the morning—you slut.” She blinked at the unexpected tears blurring her vision and struggled with the big lump forming in her throat. Clearing it away she barely croaked out, “I have to go. I’ll call you after we see Emma’s grandmother and let you know what’s going on, okay?”

  “Okay . . . thanks.” He was quiet for a long moment. “Be careful, babe.” Then he quickly hung up.

  She rolled onto her back, squeezing her teary eyes shut. It was just weird to encourage the man she used to be in love with to see, and sleep with, someone else. But she’d done the right thing, and now Jake was going to start dating again. He’d be happier in the long run, and so would she.

  She threw the covers back to get ready for the big day.

  After what only her grandmother could term breakfast, Dani and Michael waved good-bye to Em and Grandma on the front porch.


  Emma wailed, straining to free herself from Eva’s tight grasp as Dani and Michael walked toward the car on their way to visit Martha Anderson. It was better for Em if she didn’t go. What if her drunkard grandmother pulled rank and demanded to keep her?

  Dani looked over her shoulder again. The betrayal in Emma’s eyes sent a dagger to Dani’s heart.

  “Okay, you can come, Em.” She walked back to the porch and took Emma from her grandmother’s arms. “Would you mind coming along so you can sit with her in the car while we talk to Martha?”

  Her grandmother shook her head, murmuring as she walked toward the car, “She’s got your number, you softie. She would’ve been fine ten minutes after you left.”

  Emma grinned, and her tears instantly dried up. The little stink bomb had been playing her, but Dani couldn’t help but let her. She’d begun to care for Emma, and what was so wrong with that? Anyone with a heart couldn’t resist that cute little smile.

  “Go, Daaani. Wan Bur.”

  Dani snapped Emma’s car seat straps into place. “Bur?” She glanced at her grandmother for help with the translation.

  “The blue bunny she’s been carrying around with her everywhere she goes. His name is Wilbur, right?”

  Michael piped up. “I’ll get it.” He grabbed her arm and stopped her from opening her car door before he whispered in her ear, “So does this mean we can’t stop for breakfast? I dumped mine out when Eva’s back was turned.”

  She’d done the same.

  “I guess not, but I have snack cakes in my coat pocket.” She added with an evil grin, “And for the right price, one could be yours.”

  He laid a smacking kiss on her lips. “Slip me one now so I can eat it before I get back with the bunny.”

  She snuck one into his outstretched hand. “But you know they’re full of crap, and we are what we eat, right?”

  “Shut up, Dani.”

  Still smiling, she strapped in, waiting for him to return.

  The drive to Martha’s house was stunning. Her home was located in a pass, east of town. The narrow road curved beside a little stream that was visible occasionally through breaks in the pine trees. At a bend in the road, a wide valley spread out before them. Deer and cattle quietly grazed on the dry winter grass, and small cabins with puffing chimneys dotted the countryside. Dani turned to point the animals out to Emma, but she was sound asleep in her car seat. Driving more than twenty minutes always seemed to give Emma instant narcolepsy, but that was probably a good thing. Or maybe she wasn’t giving Em enough naps.

  Turning back to the view out her window, Dani drew a deep breath and then sighed at the beauty. She’d always felt a connection with the area but wasn’t sure she could deal with the slower pace. The quiet was what her grandmother craved, and she understood that. Especially after the week she’d had.

  She wasn’t doing so well with her vow to stay out of harm’s way for more than a day or two at a time, or at making money at her new job. That was hard to do on the run from a crazy guy, but at least Jake had signed the papers. That was a little progress. It’d just have to be enough for now.

  Eva’s voice broke through her musings. “It’s the next road on your right, Michael.”

  Martha’s little cabin stood a few feet off a dirt road. The weathered wood cried out for a coat of varnish, and the front porch sagged badly. The metal roof was rusted and bent, and a few of the windows were boarded up. No, Emma would never have to live here, not as long as Dani had something to say about it.

  They got out, and Jerry slipped beside them. Dani grabbed Michael’s hand as they approached, unsure of what they were going to find. She was pretty certain it wouldn’t be good. Michael gave her hand a quick, reassuring squeeze before he knocked.

  After a few moments, a woman with mousy brown hair streaked with gray opened the door. She was tiny and dressed in a tattered robe. Her face was gaunt and pale, and she looked seriously ill, or maybe hungover. Blinking a few times, as if the light hurt her eyes after emerging from her darkened home, she said, “Hello?”

  Michael introduced them as Julia’s friends and asked if they could come in. Martha hesitated for a moment, then opened the door wider. Jerry waited outside.

  “I’m sorry everything’s such a mess, but after my chemo sessions I don’t have the strength to clean up after myself.”

  While the outside of the home was in dire need of repair, the inside was dated but tidy and neat. The only things out of place were the blankets she must’ve been huddled under to stay warm while she watched television on the couch. It couldn’t have been more than fifty degrees inside.

  Dani was prepared to dislike the woman, but instead her heart bled for her. She lived alone in a little cabin in the woods, freezing and barely able to care for herself. Dani would tell her grandmother. Eva would rally the locals and be sure Martha got help.

  Dani didn’t want to waste any time, so she took a chance that her hunch about the postcard they’d found in Julia’s kitchen had been right. “We’re here to help Julia. We know she’s in Vegas, but she didn’t have time to fill us in on the rest of the story. She said to ask you.”

  Martha rung her hands together. “Julia told me I was the only one who knew where to find her. And that I shouldn’t discuss her whereabouts with anyone.”

  “I know.” Dani nodded and pasted on her best reassuring smile. “But think about it. How else would we know where to find you if Julia hadn’t told us?”

  “I suppose that’s true. She must trust you if she told you where I live. Come in and sit down.” Martha moved the blankets out of the way.

  Michael shot Dani a confused glance but, luckily, didn’t comment.

  After they were all seated, Martha said, “Julia is just desperate. She’s in Vegas with the last ten thousand that was left after her business partner stole hundreds of thousands from their clients.”

  Michael asked, “If her partner stole the money, why didn’t she go to the police?”

  “Because he went to the police first and made it look like she stole the money, that bastard. Julia went to Vegas to hide until she could figure out what her partner had done. She couldn’t do that from a jail cell. And she hoped she might get lucky enough to at least earn back enough to get the IRS off their backs.” Tears welled in Martha’s eyes.

  Dani laid a hand on her frail leg. “Do you need anything, Martha? Can I get you something to drink?”

  “Oh, well, if you don’t mind, I’d like another glass of water.” She waved a hand in the direction of the kitchen. “My mouth gets dry from the chemicals they pump into me.”

  Michael volunteered and disappeared into the small kitchen, as was Dani’s hope. He was always polite, and she was sure he’d offer, but she had to act quickly before he returned. “We want to help Julia get the money back so she can clear her name. Which casino is she staying at?” Dani needed to double-check because she still wasn’t sure if the reaction she’d had to the ad at Julia’s house was because of Mr. Giovanni, Julia, or both.

  “I can’t remember the name.” Martha blinked like a confused owl as she appeared to search her memory. Michael returned with a glass of water and held it out to her.

  “Thank you, Michael.” Martha took a long drink, then said, “It’s a new casino, and they had a special. And the best odds on the strip, evidently. I wrote down the name of the casino and the room number over there, on the pad by the phone. So, do you think you can help her?”

  Michael retrieved the pad and scanned the information, sending her a nod, silently confirming it was Mario’s casino from the ad.

  While Michael typed the information into his phone, Dani reached out for Martha’s hand. “Yes, I think we can help her. And we have Emma with us. Would you like to see her?”

  “Oh yes, please. She’s just a little angel, isn’t she?” Tears welled up in Martha’s eyes all over again.

  It took every ounce of will not to cry right along with her. “I’m sure Emma will be excited to
see you, too.”

  “I’ll go get her, Dani.” While Michael left to retrieve Emma, Dani wandered over to a side table that held groupings of family photos. They needed to recognize Julia if they were going to find her in a busy casino. It looked like Julia might have sisters or cousins, because there were three blonde women who might qualify. They must’ve lived out of state, or surely Julia would have let Emma stay with one of them.

  She’d told Martha she was a friend of Julia’s so how was she supposed to ask which one she was? “Uh, Martha, is there a recent picture of Julia we could take along? I’ll get it back to you. I thought Emma might find some comfort in having a picture of her mom until we reunite them.” Wow, where had that idea materialized from? It might just work.

  Martha frowned and pointed toward the table. “Oh, you can have any of them, just take your pick.”

  Crap.

  Okay, so she’d have to give back her self-appointed genius title. She leaned closer and sorted through the photos. She was just about to give up when Martha said, “Oh, wait a minute. I have a new one that isn’t framed. I think it’s just over there.” She struggled to get up, then crossed to a little, battered corner desk. Opening a drawer, she pulled out a picture, then turned and hobbled back to the couch. Dani helped Martha settle back in and accepted the photo.

  It was of Julia and Emma and must’ve been taken only months before. Perfect. “I’m sure Emma will enjoy having this, thank you.”

  Martha squeezed Dani’s hand. “Thank you for being such a good friend to Julia and for taking care of Emma.”

  Guilt swamped Dani as she patted the woman’s frail hand, hoping Martha would still say that after Julia told her the whole story later.

  Eva, Dani, Michael, Jerry, and Emma all huddled around her grandmother’s kitchen table, devising a plan of attack. Well, Emma, who was seated on Dani’s lap, was more interested in her frosted animal crackers but seemed happy to be included in the group.

  “We have to go to Vegas. There’s no other option,” Dani said. “It’s about a ten-and-a-half-hour drive from here. I googled it. If we leave soon, that’ll put us in Vegas around eleven o’clock tonight, just when the action starts.”