Blackness Takes Over & Blackness Awaits (77 page)

“Shanny is loyal to you guys and Mancini knows it. He could take one of you to force her to testify how they want. I don’t think that’s the play he’d use though. My bigger concern is Johnny.” Kel’s arm tightens around my shoulders and the guys let out a unified growl. I feel calm wash over me. I don’t panic (just the first two and a half weeks of Johnny’s life).

“I don’t leave the baby and I’m never unarmed. They can’t get him Nicky so don’t worry about that,” I say confidently. I’m not worried about that happening. They’d have to kill me to get him and that would fuck their plans up. Mancini going after one of my family or Kel…that worries me.

“They have ways, Shanny,” Nicky says softly letting me know that I’m not as safe as I think I am.

“What if I go to Chicago and meet with Mancini? Maybe I could negotiate or something?” I ask quickly. The attorney in me says try and figure this out, the Uncle Mick in me says prepare for war.

“No fuckin’ way! Kid you can’t be thinkin’ this,” Kel admonishes from behind me. I pull away from his arms and turn to face him. His teal eyes are raging in protectiveness.

“Kel, what else am I gonna do? If I stay here and something happens to you or someone in my family I’ll still have to go to Chicago to testify and one of you will die. If I stay here and something happens to Johnny…I can’t take that risk. If I’m on the offensive I can keep us all safe. I can’t do that hidin’ here not knowin’ what’s comin’ for me,” I say in a soft yet firm tone.

“None of our lives is worth riskin’ yours. We’ll keep Johnny safe. We’ll keep you both safe.” Kel is pleading with his entire being for me not to do this. “Please.” He pulls at the nape of my neck and lays his forehead against mine with his eyes closed.

“Okay,” I relent. As the words leave my lips the tension drops from his shoulders and he presses his plump pillows against my mouth in a tender kiss.

“Thank you,” he whispers against my lips and I nod. I pull from Kel’s embrace to face Nicky again.

“So what’s the next move,” I ask Nicky just as Johnny starts to fuss on the baby monitor. “Hold that thought.” I bound up the stairs to the nursery and over to the walnut sleigh crib.

“Is my big boy hungry again?” I coo as I peer down at his chubby cheeks. His dark blue eyes are getting lighter and flecks of green are showing up more and more. He’s the spitting image of Kel. Look out ladies.

I carry him over to the cream plush fabric rocker and let him nurse. I’m sure leaving the guys alone with Nicky will be fine now that I agreed not to go to Chicago to meet with Mancini. I have the feeling that no matter what was decided…this won’t be the last of it.

“If they come for you I’ll leave a bloodbath in my wake that will leave Mancini wishing he’d stayed to his mafia comfort zone,” I whisper to my son in a loving voice knowing the threat I speak is more real than anything I’ve ever uttered. Never again will my life be changed at the hands of others. Never again.

Kellerman

Instant relief floods me as Kid agrees not to go to Chicago to
negotiate
with Mancini. I press my lips to hers and thank her. She turns back to face Cooper to ask him what we do next when Johnny wakes up. Perfect timing. As she runs up the stairs I watch her perfect ass bounce with each step. Yes even during serious moments I’m a pervert.

“Is my big boy hungry again?” Kid coos to Johnny in the sweet sugar coated way she always talks to him when he wakes up. Cooper grins as he listens to her. I can hear her moving around in the nursery, she’ll stay up there to feed him. She likes her bonding time.

“If they come for you I’ll leave a bloodbath in my wake that will leave Mancini wishing he’d stayed to his mafia comfort zone,” she coos in the same voice. The smile leaves my face and everyone else’s in the room. I wait for her to say something else, nothing comes. She didn’t sound scared or panicked, just confident.

“I’m afraid that’s a promise she may end up keepin’,” Cooper breaks the silence.

“What the fuck does that mean?” Kav barks.

“It means if they want her, they’ll come for her no matter what. The only reason they haven’t come back after Shanny is because she was all over the media when she was rescued and all over the media again after Johnny was born. Her bein’ visible is not good for them. Now they have a reason to try something else. As much as I’d like to believe this is just a threat, I’m not fuckin’ stupid. I’ve got days at the most, more likely hours. They will come. For one of you most likely but my bet is still on the baby. It’s the way to play it,” Cooper explains professionally making my damn skin crawl.

“You would know wouldn’t you?” O’Sullivan sneers.

“Yeah I fuckin’ do. I know what they wanted done to her in December. I know what I did undercover for over a decade. I’ve seen shit that would turn you into to a goddamn puddle and I don’t want that for her. I love that woman and would do anything to keep her safe. Don’t question that!” Cooper leans back against the couch his barely hiding the fury simmering beneath the surface.

“How would you do it?” I ask pointedly.

“What?” Cooper huffs.

“You know how this shit works and we don’t. If Mancini gave you the job how would you do it?”

Cooper studies my face for a long moment before answering. I see the mask of Scarso slip over him that I’m sure he needs to think through my question. It’s an unnerving thing to witness.

“She’s alone durin’ the day with Johnny and Thomas. It’s an easy grab. Wait until nap time. Take Thomas out right at the door with a silencer. Immobilize Shanny. Grab the baby. Two minutes in and out tops,” Cooper explains with no emotion in his voice.

“Then what?” Kav growls.

“She’ll go wherever they tell her to go. She’ll say whatever they want her to at the trial. They’ll kill her and sell Johnny.”

“Fuck,” Cal coughs out leaning forward to catch his breath.

“We’ll get more security here at the house. Keep her completely locked down,” O’Sullivan says tightly.

“Might work. If I had time on my side I could keep her safe here with my team. I don’t have time to set that in motion before they start comin’. I can try again to get her outta the subpoena, but with Grady and Mancini’s connections to judges and politicians I doubt it’ll happen.”

“My pop could help,” Kav cuts in quickly.

“Yeah we could try to use him,” Cooper agrees with a small amount of hope in his voice. “With the holiday our hands are tied until Tuesday. I’d stay and help out with security, but I need to be in Chicago workin’ this. You guys all right on your own until we can move on this?”

The garage door opens and the alarm chirps. I look over my shoulder to see Finn and Thomas striding in with purpose. I offer chin lifts to each before returning my gaze to Cooper.

“Texted them when he showed up,” Cal informs the group nodding toward Cooper. I figured as much.

As Finn and Thomas take seats on the couch and get filled in I try to think this through. The picture that Cooper just painted was mild I’m guessing. This could end up much worse. I don’t know what the right thing to do is, but I know she’s safer here than in Chicago. I can keep her safe.

“I’ll call in a few guys I know to help out,” Thomas booms in his deep voice. “She’ll be fine here in the house with the baby.” He’s confident which only helps me to feel more confident. My woman is surrounded by aggressive alpha men. I’m not sure how this works for all of us. You’d think we’d butt heads trying to be at the top of the heap but we don’t. We’re all content with our spots in this pack as Cooper often refers to it. I guess the reason it works is because Kid is really the alpha. She runs this pack and allows us to think we have some say in it. I know her game and I play it willingly. Here she comes now, looking pale again.

“Kiddo?” I say standing up to meet her at the bottom of the stairs.

“Not feelin’ great again,” she mumbles passing me the baby. I push my hand against her forehead as I scoop Johnny up to my shoulder. No fever but she looks like shit. She shuffles past me and flops on the couch next to O’Sullivan who scoops her into his side.

“Got any ginger snaps?” Cooper asks the group.

“Maybe in the bottom of the pantry,” Cal replies for the group before going to search.

“Ginger snaps,” Kid repeats through a weak smile with her eyes closed. I sit on the end of the sectional away from her with the baby. I know she was just holding him but he can’t get sick. “Nicky I can’t believe you remember that.”

“I remember everything, Shanny,” Cooper says sweetly scooping her hand into his. Here’s the thing…I’m used to sharing Kid. The guys are all over her all the time. I’m cool with that because that was the package she arrived with. They don’t want in her pants they’re part of her heart. Cooper on the other hand…I don’t like him touching Kid. I don’t like him around her calling her
Shanny
. He doesn’t want her. He’s not looking at her hungry or making a play for her, but she’s mine (yes, I’m a caveman) and I don’t like to share anymore than I already have to. And I share a lot!

Kavanagh

Kid’s really sick. I swear her skin is a pale shade of green. She’s been puking her guts out all damn day. We finally got her into bed about ten minutes ago, but I doubt she’s going to stay here long. She can’t even keep water down. It’s all hands on deck, including Cooper. I’m lying in bed with Kid. Kellerman’s trying to get Johnny to eat a bottle which the baby has decided he’s not having. So Johnny’s giving us the performance of a lifetime screaming his head off.

Cooper went to help with the baby because O’Sullivan is occupied cleaning up the vomit covered bathroom where Kid didn’t quite make it last time and Cal is on the phone with Doc trying to figure out what we should do. Finn ran to the pharmacy to try to buy some supplies for us and Thomas is in the shower cleaning off the puke he was sprayed with when Kid missed the toilet earlier.

Can I just say when one of us is sick Kid takes care of us all on her own like it’s the easiest thing in the world. There are seven of us and we all look like a bunch of idiots running around here trying to make sure she’s okay. We’re an embarrassment to the caretaking community. Johnny’s screams are becoming hysterical and Kid is stirring. I have a puke bowl at the ready because I don’t want her to not make it again.

“Get me the baby,” she croaks.

“We don’t want him to get sick. Kellerman’ll get it under control,” I whisper smoothing my giant paw over her sweaty brow.

“Get. Me. My. Son,” she growls. And I’m off the bed and running down the stairs.

Cooper is holding Johnny while Kellerman is fucking with the bottle in the kitchen. There is a mess of monstrous proportions considering they are trying to make a bottle. The counters are covered in different bottles, nipples, empty milk storage bags, a bottle warmer and two pots…what the fuck are they doing?

“What the fuck are you doin’?” I yell over Johnny’s screams to the men. They’re both sweating and look terrified. I get it. They’ve been down here almost a half hour at this point and obviously they can’t get it under control. I walk to Cooper and scoop Johnny out of his arms. Cooper sags in relief. The baby is covered in sweat and shaking from crying so hard.

“Kid wants him,” I yell to Kellerman who drops his head in defeat. We’re all second best to Kid. I cradle Johnny’s fiercely protesting body as best I can and fly back up the stairs.

When I burst in the room Kid is on the floor in a heap. She was trying to get to the baby since she’s headed toward the door and not the bathroom.

“CALLAGHAN!” I bellow at the top of my lungs. He’s the closest to help and not covered in vomit. He’s in the room before I can call him again. Cal scoops Kid off the ground with ease cradling her like I’m cradling Johnny.

Cal sits against the headboard and keeps Kid in his lap. Weakly she starts to pull her shirt up and I lay Johnny across her lap and support his head in my hand. That baby knows what to do and gets to it. Kid’s eyes shut and I can tell she’s no longer conscious.

“We need to get her to the hospital. I couldn’t get a hold of my dad but I finally got Aidan. He said to get her to the ER,” Cal explains quietly struggling to support Kid’s now limp body. Kellerman runs in the room and takes in the odd situation in front of him. Cal holding Kid while Johnny nurses and I support his head. Surely a Kodak moment.