Blackness Takes Over & Blackness Awaits (64 page)

“I know he doesn’t love her. It still fuckin’ hurts,” I say sharply. Karl nods.

“Have Finn get in touch with me once he knows something. I’m gonna head to the courthouse,” I say in business mode letting everyone know I’m okay.

“You may wanna brush your teeth first. Hate for anyone to think you’ve become a lush,” Karl chides. I smile and head to the bathroom to freshen up. Thomas follows silently behind me waiting for me to finish my business. When I come out Thomas has that look on his face like he wants to say something but doesn’t want to all the same.

“You can always talk to me Thomas,” I encourage.

“What your man is doin’ is honorable. Not a lot of men would do that. Some of us are forgotten before we’re even here,” Thomas says softly as we move through the corridor to the elevators and a waiting Karl. Whoever forgot Thomas is a goddamn idiot. Thomas has become my friend. He’s a different kind of friend from the guys and Karl. He’s not involved in my every conversation or butting in constantly, he’s just there on the periphery for when I need him. He’s a welcome addition to my life.

“Whoever forgot about you is a damn fool,” I state pointedly. He laughs and his deep boom makes my chest reverberate. I smile. We reach Karl and step into the elevator.

“The Smith’s mediation got pushed back,” Karl informs me. He keeps updating me as we make our way out of the building and to an always waiting Rodger. I push thoughts of Kel to the back of my mind. I need to concentrate on work. No, I need to be distracted by work.

Kavanagh

Kid looked devastated when we showed her that damn wedding announcement. This Cassie bitch is one sick fuck. That text and link to the article is the first contact Kellerman has made in five weeks. I should be pissed at the dude, but I’m worried. I don’t know what his situation is or how he’s coping, my guess is shit is bad. Kellerman took a job with Cassie’s dad when he got back. He’s running operations for the Yates fleet. Cassie works for her father too in accounting so she’s able to keep close tabs on Kellerman at all times. She hasn’t drank or done anymore drugs since they returned to Seattle according to Kellerman. Cassie is nothing but a glowing first time mom now. It’s scary how easily this woman can turn the crazy off and on. It also means we don’t have shit on her to get the baby. Unless Kellerman’s text is true.

Ring, ring

“Kavanagh,” I answer my Nexus curtly.

“Hey man,” Finn responds.

“Please tell me you found somethin’,” I plead.

“This is beyond our reach is what I found. If the Yates’ are traffickin’ drugs they’re proficient at it. We’re gonna need some help. We get the authorities involved this will become a DEA show. That’s not a bad thing except there’s a baby and a wedding date looming,” Finn says with a huff.

I spin my chair around and gaze out at the Kansas City skyline. My office is the exact mirror image of Kid’s (without all the girly touches). As I stare, a crazy idea comes to mind that just might work.

“I’m gonna have Kid call Cooper,” I tell Finn. He’s silent for a long while. Kid talks to Cooper a lot from what I can tell. She hasn’t seen him since we left Chicago right after New Year. I can tell talking to him gives her something we can’t…I hate it.

“It’s a good idea,” Finn admits. “That guy still rubs me the wrong way though.”

“Me too but we’ll deal if it means gettin’ Kellerman away from that crazy bitch. Kid needs him back.” Finn growls something about okay and then we hang up. I can deal with Cooper if it means getting Kellerman home. Kid is fighting so hard to keep everything together. She goes to therapy and talks about what happened to her. She didn’t talk about the Liam attack like she does the kidnapping. She genuinely seems to be healing. I know it’ll take months if not years for her to be herself again, but she’s not shrouded in blackness.

No trial dates have been set for Mancini or Gov. Grady. There’s a mountain of evidence that the State’s Attorney has to get through first. Gov. Grady is out on bail but Mancini and some of his cohorts are behind bars being held for other charges (drugs). Mancini was the real threat to Kid’s safety; Gov. Grady was just the purse strings. I don’t really give a shit what rolls they each played. I’ll just be happy when it’s all done and over with.

We hired Thomas before we even got back to Kansas City. Cooper assured us that he was trying to run down the threat that was made against Kid at Thanksgiving, but we weren’t willing to take any chances. Thomas is a brick wall of “don’t fuck with me” so I feel pretty confident she’s safe for now. None of us has let down our guard though. This clusterfuck from hell with Kellerman has not helped in any way.

The Kellerman thing is what’s weighing Kid down. I don’t think she’s gained a pound back since coming home. Her hip bones stick out, you can count each vertebra down her back, and her shoulders and collarbone are pressing sharply against the skin. She doesn’t look good. Kid always looks good but she doesn’t now. She barely eats, works out twice a day and sleeps clinging tightly to my chest every night.

I’m banging chicks at warp speed to get them out of the house so I can get to Kid quickly. She can’t sleep unless I’m there. I don’t make her wait long. I’m only fucking the bare minimum of three a week at this point. It’s a sacrifice that’s necessary. I had an overnight trip in March that I couldn’t get out of. Kid slept with Cal and O’Sullivan that night. She’s never alone anymore. Not even at night. Sometimes I sit in the bathroom while she takes a shower. Until we contain the death threat she’s constantly watched. She doesn’t fight it either. Thomas follows her to the bathroom here in the office and if he went in and stood by the stall Kid wouldn’t complain. She’s not scared, she’s smart. She knows there’s still danger lurking and this time she won’t be caught unsuspecting. She carries two guns and a knife at all times. If someone is stupid enough to come at her…it won’t end pretty for them. Kid doesn’t panic.

Kellerman

I found it! I’ve been living here for almost four months and couldn’t find a goddamn thing. Finally, yesterday I was going through some purchasing orders and fuel invoices, there it was. Extra stops are being made to and from Canada and between Mexico and California. The only thing I can find is extra fuel being purchased and strange bait and supply purchases. I’m not in my element with this shit so I’m hoping Kavanagh and the boys can get to the bottom of this and quick.

When I texted Kav this morning from the bathroom with the water running it was the first communication I’d had with them in five weeks. Cassie has surgically attached herself to my ass. I’m never alone. Half the time when I’m taking a piss she stands at the door and talks to me. It’s exhausting. The reason I wasn’t in touch for so long was because I got the distinct feeling I was being watched. I could never actually see anyone or find cameras, but I felt it. Cassie is a live wire of crazy so I have to be careful. If she catches me I have no doubt she’ll follow through on her threats or worse.

Our “engagement” was just announced in the
Seattle Times
, making my week just wonderful. People keep congratulating me and asking where we’re registered. I have no clue because I didn’t know we were engaged. I never asked and sure as shit didn’t buy that gargantuan ring Cassie’s wearing. The picture they ran with the article was taken at a work party three weeks ago. I am officially living in hell.

“Honey,” Cassie calls, it’s like nails on a chalkboard amplified. She strolls into my office for the fifteenth time this morning. I don’t look up at her or respond. “Daddy says they’d like us over for dinner this weekend.”

“’Kay,” I say blankly still not looking at her. I hate her, actual pure unadulterated hate. I didn’t know I was capable of feeling this way about someone I once cared about, but I do. I hate her.

“And the decorator called about the nursery again. She doesn’t seem to understand the difference between cerulean and cobalt. Can you believe that?” she says truly offended by the idea. I have no clue what she’s talking about. “Well I think I may need to hire a new decorator. Maybe a team instead of just one person. What do you think?”

“I don’t care, Cassie. Do what you want,” I murmur to my desk.

“Well you should care. He’s your son. Don’t you want him to have a nice nursery? He’ll spend a lot of time in there with the nanny. I don’t want all his baby junk cluttering up the house,” she points out. Dear God she can’t wait to get my son out of her and pass him off to the nearest hired hand.

“Whatever is best, Cassie,” I placate her. I just want her voice to stop and her presence to be gone. If I could rip my son from her body now I’d do it. She told me the other day she felt like her body was rejecting the baby. Like the baby was a foreign object that should be removed from her before it causes her harm. Mother of the year! I just have to hold on for eleven more weeks. I can do eleven more weeks if I get my son and Kid back. I don’t know what I’ll do if that doesn’t happen.

Shannon

“Cooper,” Nicky answers my call swiftly.

“Hey Nicky,” I coo.

“Hey Shanny. What’s up?” his warm voice massages my ear. We talk all the time, but I haven’t gotten used to how warm his voice is. He’s not my guys or Karl or Kel…it’s just different. He’s helped me so much to heal and struggle through the things that happened in that house. I love him and am happy he’s my friend.

“I need you,” I say softly.

“What’s wrong? Are you safe?” His voice is alert.

“I’m fine. Don’t freak out on me,” I chide. “It’s about Kel.”

“Is he okay?” his voice is calmer but there is still a hint of government operative.

“He’s as good as he can be. He thinks he found something.”

“That’s good. What is it?”

“He thinks the Yates’ are traffickin’ drugs,” I say emphatically.

“No shit? Well I’d say that’s somethin’. Sorry I haven’t been able to help out more. I’ve been swamped lately.”

“It’s not your job to figure this shit out, it’s ours. That said, I could use some help. From what Finn found they’re good at what they do and it’s not gonna be easy to pin this on them. On her.”

“You need someone to dig around unnoticed?”

“I don’t know. The guys just asked me to call you and see if you could help out. Maybe come to Kansas City and see what we’ve got? I know you’re busy so if you can’t it’s fine. I’ll try to find another covert three letter acronym agent that’s known me my whole life,” I feign guilt giving.

“I’ll be on a plane soon. I can get to you by tomorrow evening. You know I’d do anything for you. If this gets you Kellerman back and his baby away from that crazy bitch, I’m in,” he spouts confidently.

“You don’t know how much that means to me. Thank you, Nicky,” I say softly.

“No need to thank me. Love you, Shanny,” he says tenderly.

“Love you, Nicky.”

Please let him be able to find something! I move out of my room and join the guys downstairs, Finn included. They’re all sitting in front of the TV on our massive sectional watching baseball. I flop down in my spot on the couch, Sully sweeping an arm around my shoulders tucking me tightly to his side.

“Nicky will be here tomorrow,” I announce. Sully stiffens and then relaxes before speaking.