Page 65 of Above ’N’ Beyond

“Jimmy?” Her seeking hand found nothing but cold sheets.

The little antique clock on her bedside table said it was midnight. She’d slept for at least an hour. Her heart squeezed at the obvious. He’d snuck out while she’d been asleep.

Bella propped herself up on her elbows and let out a sigh of relief. Jimmy’s boots and shirt still lay on the floor where he’d dropped them after peeling off his clothes in the most erotic striptease she’d ever watched. Not that she’d seen many. Only one other, in fact, at Sierra’s bachelorette party in Rome. Jimmy’s was better.

A low voice drifted down the hall into the room.

She slipped from the bed to grab a robe from the overstuffed armchair in the corner and drape it over her shoulders. Who would he be talking to at midnight? Tony or Paola? Or someone else?

Another woman.

She hadn’t even considered the possibility. You should have, idiot. No man who looked like he did could possibly be serious about her.

As she padded down the hallway, another thought occurred to her, this one even worse. Was Jimmy only using her, trying to get close to her so he could rise faster in the ranks of her aunt’s operation?

If that were the case, he’d be sadly mistaken. Associating with her wouldn’t help him. If anything, it would only hurt his chances.

He sat on the sofa with his broad back to her. Gnocchi lay next to him, curled into a tight little ball. Jax sat in front of the sofa, his head on Jimmy’s jean-clad thigh.

“Please, don’t cry,” he said softly into the phone pressed to his ear.

Her heart felt as if it were shrinking three sizes. She’d been right. He was talking to another woman. Not that men weren’t capable of crying, too, but the tone Jimmy had used was definitely meant for a woman.

Tension knotted his thick shoulders. “Ma, I’m working on it.”

He was talking to his mother?

Relief nearly had her sinking to the floor. Jax’s ears twitched as he caught sight of her but didn’t move.

Jimmy leaned forward, resting his hand on Jax’s head. “I promise. Somehow, I’ll get him out of Otisville. I’m working on it as fast as I can.”

Otisville? There was only one thing of note in Otisville. A federal prison.

A long time ago, before they’d been killed, her uncle and Tony’s brother, Angelo, had been sentenced to a year in that awful place. She’d been very young at the time, and Paola had dragged her along for a weekend visitation. The only things she remembered were the terrible stenches of sweat and urine, and her aunt crying.

“I have to go. I’ll call you in a couple of days.” Jimmy ended the call on a deep sigh, then set the phone on the coffee table. For a long moment, he sat there, unmoving and as rigid as a board. Then his shoulders bowed, and he let his head drop into his hands.

Someone Jimmy cared about was in prison. His brother? Father? Emotion clogged Bella’s throat, and her heart went out to him. Hearing her approach, Jimmy stiffened. Jax lifted his head. His tail swished softly on the hardwood floor. Gnocchi’s eyes opened, then closed again on a cute little puppy groan.

Bella knelt beside Jax in front of the sofa and rested her hands on Jimmy’s thighs. His chest heaved as he tilted his head back to stare at the ceiling. If she wasn’t mistaken, his eyes glistened. “Are you okay?” Without looking at her, he nodded. “Liar.” Her statement had the desired effect, and she was rewarded with a tight grin. Not a happy one, but a grin nonetheless. “Want to talk about it?” Lord knew she’d unloaded to him about her own family issues.

He cleared his throat. “My father is sick. Cancer.”

Bella raised her brows. “And he’s in Otisville? Not the best place for cancer treatment.”

“No,” he agreed, fisting his hands on his knees. “Otisville doesn’t have experienced oncologists. Butner—a prison in North Carolina—has cancer treatment programs, but there are no beds available. His application to get transferred there was denied. I have to get him out of Otisville. Fast.”

“How can you do that?” She rested her hands atop his. “I mean, is he due for parole soon?”

“No.” Jimmy shoved a hand through his hair. “He’s got two more years. He won’t make it another two years, and even if by some miracle he does, he’ll walk out of there a dying man. His only chance is to get out. Now.”

“How? Can you make an appeal to the prison board?”

Jimmy grunted. “Already tried. We’ve exhausted all the usual channels.”

“What did he do?”

“Something stupid.” Jimmy shook his head. “He’d been laid off from his job for months and couldn’t find work anywhere. Money was tight. We were about to lose our house.”