Framed (5 page)

“He didn’t want anything to do with it at first. You’re right; he’s focusing on the hate. He also thinks his team has abandoned him.”

“They’ll come through for him, you can bet on that. If they believe he’s innocent, and they will, they won’t stop until they’ve cleared his name or die trying. He’s just lost sight of that and focused on the hate.”

“Hinkle seemed to indicate he was. Thankfully, he changed his mind about IDTP.”

“If he refused at first, what changed his mind?”

“I’m not really sure why he changed his mind. We had an issue with the inmate we’d picked out as his replacement. He was too rough with Buck, yanking on his collar to get him to walk. Buck felt threatened like any abused dog would and bit the inmate. When I tried to wrangle Buck away from him, he tripped and knocked me down. That’s when Kade came over and said he would join.”

Dad had frowned when I told him I was accidentally pushed down, but when I told him Kade had walked over right after he began smiling like the cat who ate the canary.

“What? Why are you smiling like that?”

“Protective,” was his answer.

“Who? Wait, do you mean Kade?”

“Yeah. I knew that boy was interested in you when he asked if you were around a few years back. It was right around the time you and Mike were getting married.”

“What? And you’re just now telling me this?” I somewhat shouted.

“Yeah,” he laughed.

“For goodness sake, Dad. If I’d known that . . .”

“You’d what?”

“ . . . I don’t know,” I finally answered.

I used to think being alone was the worst thing in life so I jumped into marriage with Mike to keep from feeling that way. I found out quickly that being alone wasn’t the worst thing, it was still
feeling
alone, even when you were with someone. That’s why my marriage failed. I felt lonely, even before the wedding, but I ignored it. That, and I wasn’t in love with Mike. He was my best friend, but I didn’t burn for him the way you should when you get married. Marriage should be with someone you can’t live without, not an escape from a lonely life that was on autopilot. With someone who makes your heart beat faster every time they walk into the room. With someone who makes you feel safe and protected, loved and cherished. I’d been lost, restless, searching for something and I’d grabbed hold of Mike looking for an anchor instead of waiting for a man who would own my soul. Someone like, like . . .
Kade

Jesus.

I was so screwed; there was no way I could keep my distance, I knew this now. I wanted him; I wanted him more than the air I breathed and I knew with certainty I would have bowed out of the wedding if Kade had made his intentions known.

God, what does that say about me as a person?

Consolidated Poly Film was founded by Doug Williams’ grandfather over fifty years ago. Like his grandfather before him, Williams was a ruthless man who did whatever it took to stay at the top of the stretch film game. CPF sets the standard for industrial plastics: used as vapor barriers for concrete, between drywall and insulation, or plastic construction film as well as agriculture film. They also set the standard on what they were willing to do to keep costs down while staying off the EPA’s hit list.

Illegal dumping of chemical waste had been around for decades, even before his grandfather’s time, and Williams carried on the time-honored tradition. He was smart though, he disposed of half his chemicals properly so the watchful eye of the EPA stayed away. As for the rest, he changed his dumpsites often to avoid detection hiring men outside the company to oversee the disposal. His precise handling ensured he was overlooked by interfering government agencies, avoiding millions of dollars in fines so his bottom-line always stayed in the black.

His office portrayed that bottom line: supple black leather couches sat on the thick pile carpet in beige and black; the walls were painted in neutral tones to show off his collection of prized art, and all of it was a backdrop for the stately antique desk his wife of twenty-five years had purchased on a trip to France. The oak wood had darkened over the centuries, giving the cool room warmth. It was a desk made for a king of some small country over two hundred years ago. Since Doug Williams was the King of Poly Film, his wife decided he’d earned the regal desk. He didn’t disagree with her, he felt like a monarch when he sat behind it.

Rising from his stately desk, Williams buttoned his gray suit jacket and walked around the front. Coming to a stop at the front of the desk, he listened intently to a report on Kade Kingston, the man who’d fortuitously been in the wrong place at the right time.

“Drum says Kingston doesn’t say much, but he’s convinced he thinks his team has washed their hands of him. He doesn’t know their deployment was extended and they’re due home anytime now,” Jared White, Williams’ hired “problem solver” and resident sociopath informed him.

“How adapted are these SEALs at uncovering the truth in the civilian world?” Williams asked White, a vicious looking man with a jagged scar that ran the length of his face. He reminded him of a pirate with his long blond hair and eyepatch. He’d lost the eye in a fight with an alligator, of all things, which had resulted in the hideous scar. White’s responding scoff and raised brow told him all he needed to know.

“If we eliminate Kingston will his team give up?”

“Doubtful. SEALs are Hoorah through and through. They won’t leave a man behind, dead or alive.”

Drawing a deep breath, he mulled over his options.

“Do it anyway. My source tells me his team will be arriving stateside any minute, if they haven’t already. When they find out he’s dead, they may let it go. If not, I’ll let you do what you do best. I’ll keep our friend informed of our decision; you make sure Kingston doesn’t live long enough for his team to find out the truth.”

“Pity I can’t get into Renault. I’d enjoy ramming my knife into his gut.”

“You’re a sick man, you know that, don’t you?”

“That’s what my dad said right before I fed him to the gators.”

“Jesus,” Williams muttered, his already low opinion of the man plummeting further. He reminded himself to never turn his back on the man.

“What kind of incentive do you want me to offer?” White asked, unconcerned with Williams’ reaction to his father’s death. It was better for his employers to know exactly how fucked up he was, so they didn’t get any bright ideas about double-crossing him. He’d cut his own mother’s neck if she got in his way and sleep that night without any guilt. She hadn’t protected him from his father’s wrath, so there was no love lost where she was concerned.

“Pay off all of Fat Bastard’s mother’s debts. That should ensure his loyalty. Contact Drum; tell him there’s an extra bonus in it if we’re reading about Kingston’s death in the morning paper.”

“What about the SA? You’ve lost control of that office since we silenced Greystone.”

“If we take care of the SEAL, we won’t need to worry about who is elected to the State’s Attorney’s office, will we?”

“And if his team keeps searching for the truth dead or alive? Don’t be stupid now, Williams, you need a man in that office you can play like a puppet ‘cause I’m not going to jail for you or anyone else.”

“True,” Williams surprisingly conceded. “All right, I’ll call the Mayor and see who he has in mind for the interim before the next election.”

“You do that,” White replied as he rose from the chair. “I’ll contact Drum and give him the good news. Kingston’s a dead man walking.

***

Blue eyes stared back at Kade’s own brown as he and Buck sized each other up. IDTP allowed the dogs to bunk with the inmates in charge of their care, so Harley decided to leave Buck with him so they had the chance to bond.

Kade could tell Buck was inquisitive about his new surroundings since he kept sniffing the air. Prior abuse had conditioned the dog not to explore so he was afraid to investigate. He sat in a corner of the tiny cell staring back at Kade as if he was waiting for something to happen.

Reaching into his pocket slowly to avoid scaring the dog, Kade pulled out some chicken he’d confiscated from the cafeteria and tossed a piece to Buck. The dog looked at the peace offering for a moment, his nose flaring as he sniffed. One cautious step at a time, he moved forward until he was close to the morsel.

“It’s okay, boy. No one’s gonna hurt you on my watch.”

Buck looked up at Kade for a moment, like he was assessing his words, then he leaned his head down and snatched up the chicken, swallowing it in one bite.

Kade tossed more pieces to Buck, each time throwing it a little closer to himself until he had the dog standing right in front of him. With slow movements, he reached out and ran his fingers through his coat, showing Buck that a human’s touch wasn’t always cruel.

“That dog better not give me fleas,” Cooter shouted from next door.

“It would be an improvement over the lice,” Kade replied with a smile.

Lying back on the bed, not taking his eyes off Buck, Kade scooted over and made room for him on the cot, then patted the mattress, whistling to encourage him to climb up. Surprisingly, he didn’t hesitate. Buck jumped up and then lay down next to Kade’s stomach. Once he was relaxed, Kade started petting him until his eyes closed, exhausted from the day's excitement.

“You’re not exactly the warm body I’d like to have lying next to me,” he whispered to the dog while he envisioned long legs, soft breasts, and big brown eyes that reminded him of milk chocolate.

Buck stretched out further, getting comfortable, so Kade stuck his hands behind his head and drifted off to sleep, the comfort of a dog making his long night more bearable.

Sometime later, the scent of vanilla stirred his dreams and he would have sworn he felt the gentle touch of slender fingers upon his skin.

“You need to wake up, Kade. You’re in danger,” Harley whispered in his ear.

“The only danger I see is you,” he responded, reaching out towards her voice but only finding thin air.

“Please wake up, Kade,” she urged again. “Who will keep me safe if you’re gone?”

A low growl broke through his unconscious state and with reflexes born out of necessity and training Kade was instantly on his feet, staring out his steel bars into the shadowed common area. He scanned the dark recess looking for movement. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he turned his eyes off and focused on his ears. He could hear the snoring of other inmates, but there was controlled breathing mixed in, as if someone was holding their breath, then letting it out slowly to keep from being heard. He cocked his head to the right, zeroing in on the sound, and then moved swiftly but silently to the corner of his cell. Reaching through the bars like a snake striking at prey, he grabbed hold of prison coveralls. When he tried to pull the inmate into view, he was gifted for his trouble with a shank in his arm. Hissing, but not letting go, he seethed low into the darkness. “Who sent you?”

“Just doin’ what I was told, man,” a voice answered before yanking free of Kade’s hold and disappearing into the darkness.

Buck had jumped off the bed and started barking as the unknown assailant took off and inmates began to complain about the noise. Pulling his arm through the cell bars, Kade moved to his sink and rinsed his forearm, wrapping a towel around it tightly to staunch the flow of blood.

“You okay, King?” Cooter called out, his voice thick from sleep.

“I’m fine.”

“Sounds like you got trouble. Did you get a look at him?”

“Nope, but it’s nothin’ I can’t handle.”

“You know if they’re gunnin’ for you in the middle of the night that only means one thing.”

“Yeah, Cooter, I know. Somebody let him out.”

“Were they just gonna buzz him in and hope the cameras saw nothing?”

“I’m thinkin’ the cameras were disabled and he had a key.”

“I’m thinkin’ that dog saved your life growlin’ the way he did. Bet they won’t try again while he’s around.”

Kade looked down at the large dog and ran a hand over Buck’s head.

“Good boy, Buck. You watch my back and I’ll watch yours.”

“And I’ll watch them both,” Cooter called out. “But don’t get any ideas; just ‘cause I’ll watch your back, don’t mean I want to
wash
your back . . . or any other body part for that matter.”

“Duly noted, old man,” Kade chuckled.

Climbing back onto his cot, Buck followed and lay down next to Kade, his head resting on his stomach.

“You did good boy,” Kade praised while running his fingers through his coat. “You and Harley kept me safe.”

***

“Is that a rat or a dog?”

Turning from the inmate standing next him, Kade observed Harley as she walked into the training room holding what looked like a Yorkie with a shiny coat of butterscotch and black and a pink bow in its hair.

“Ankle biter for sure,” Inmate 902145 mumbled.

He’d no more gotten that out when the alleged ankle biter started barking in Harley’s arms at the big dogs in the room.

“Enough. Be quiet, Buttercup,” Harley commanded. Surprisingly, the tiny dog stopped its barking as she attached a rhinestone covered lead to her collar.

Kade reached down and pet Buck to keep him calm, smiling all the while at the sight of Harley and her dog. Once she’d deposited her backpack on a table and put the tiny dog on the ground, Harley walked to the center of the room and looked around.

“Before we start, does anyone have any questions or concerns?”

Twelve men stood stock-still in silence, no doubt as shocked as Kade at the sight of the princess dog. When no one raised a hand or commented, she placed the over-pampered pooch on the ground to her left and started walking. The tiny dog clearly knew the routine because she kept pace with Harley as she ran her through sit, down, stay, and walking at her side. When Harley was finished demonstrating, she walked back to the opposite side of the room and smiled.

“She has her moments. Today she felt like showing off.” Kade chuckled along with the other men because he had no doubt the little diva had an attitude.