64. Cordelia
It’s been two weeks since Esmarie was shot, and she’s been trying to figure out how to get out of the hospital and not die. She even tried to get me to sneak her out, but Kai caught her trying and told her no, she needed to stay for a bit longer. Then Emerson gave her those eyes, and she finally relented. Our wedding was featured in magazines, exactly like Esmarie wanted, and the news because of the shooting. Fred Coldwell is using the tragedy as a political tactic. I watched a bit on the news, but we had to turn it off. We got so mad.
Emerson was able to get the bullet they pulled out of Esmarie. With their contacts, they got some information off of it, even a partial thumbprint. Liam and Emerson are on their way here because Kai told them we couldn’t come to them since Theo was napping.
I nervously put together a charcuterie board because I didn’t know what else to do with myself. Kai comes up behind me and grabs my hips, yanking me to his front. “What’s wrong, baby?” he asks.
“I don’t know why I’m so nervous for them to tell us what they found. It’s obviously something important if they want to come here. But what if it’s bad?” I whisper the last words.
“Then we will handle it,” he says like it’s already a foregone conclusion.
I groan and set pieces of prosciutto on the board.
The kitchen door opens, and Emerson and Liam walk in with blank expressions. They are very good at hiding what they think, so I don’t know if that’s good or bad. They all grunt hellos, and I stand there, wringing my hands and waiting for them to drop the bomb.
“Liam made contact with someone on the dark web to see if there was a hit out on our father. There are actually quite a few, but that’s not surprising to anyone. What was surprising was the fact there was no hit called for him in California on the day of your wedding,” Emerson says, looking at Kai.
The blood drains out of Kai’s face, and my stomach lurches.
“What does that mean?” Kai asks. His hand reaches out almost like a reflex. I take it, and he yanks me into his arms like he needs strength from me.
“It means he got what he wanted,” Liam says, his voice full of gravel and pain. Esmarie was the target. They blame themselves for what happened.
“So we’re just supposed to take it?” Kai yells.
“For now, yes. The only way to get rid of our father and stop his reign of terror is to get ahead of him. We have to find every connection and deal he’s made, then blow it up until there’s nothing left,” Emerson says sternly.
“But that could take years,” I say.
“Yeah, or it could take a few months. We don’t know,” Liam says.
Kai rubs the back of his neck and looks down at me. “We go on the road in three weeks.”
“Good, go on the road. The more normal we act, the more relaxed Fred will be. The best time to strike is when the enemy is relaxed because he thinks he’s too powerful to attack. Only we can’t just use brute force. We’re going to have to hit his wallet, too.”
Kai kisses the top of my head. “Cordi was right. We have to take his pride; it’s the thing he holds closest. To him, it would be worse than dying.”
“We’ll make sure both happen,” Emerson says darkly.
***
After the boys left, Kai pulled me onto the sofa, and we haven’t moved since. The TV isn’t on, it’s quiet. Typically, it would be peaceful, but I can sense the turmoil tightening Kai’s muscles.
“He manufactured all of this. He shot my mom,” Kai mutters.
I kiss his cheek. “I have a feeling she already knows that. But for now, Kai, as hard as it is, we need to take the peace for what it is. For however thin it may be, we need to enjoy it because I have a feeling this is just the beginning. Your father poked the bears, but you’re not teenage boys anymore. You’re men with a mission, and that’s a lot harder to bring down than a fist to the face.”
He gathers me into his arms and nuzzles his nose into my neck. “You’re right. I don’t know what I would do if I didn’t have you.”
“Probably go off half-cocked and get yourself killed and still break my heart.”
He grunts and takes a deep breath of me.
I open my mouth to say something, then we hear a shrill cry. I groan, knowing he should have slept for another hour. Now, it’s going to be chaos for the rest of the night.
“I’ll get him,” Kai says. I get off of him, and he shuffles down the hallway. I sit there for a little while, letting all the emotions of the past few weeks settle inside me. I finished the last of my graphic design jobs and stopped taking work. I’ll stick to photography for the team and taking care of Theo. I can sense things are going to get harder. Call it intuition or a gut feeling. A lot more blood will be shed before this is all said and done.
The crying stops, and I assume Kai is working on changing Theo, so I start on dinner, needing to do something with my hands.
I put the casserole in the oven to bake, realizing they still haven’t come downstairs. I climb the stairs to check on them, first in Theo’s room, then ours.
Kai is holding Theo, and Theo’s on his belly, his head resting in his large palm, while my son’s arms and legs dangle off Kai’s forearm. He’s babbling, looking around, and happy as a clam while Kai’s folding laundry with his other hand.
“That’s one way to get him to calm down.”
He shrugs and folds a little onesie.
“I was shifting him around, and then it kind of just happened. Then he stopped crying.”
My shoulders shake with silent laughter, and I whip my phone out to snap a picture because it’s one of the cutest things I’ve ever seen. Kai and baby Theo are tear-inducingly cute.
By the time we eat dinner, get Theo to eat, and then play with him for a little while, I’m dragging my feet to bed. Kai is sitting up in bed with a book open on his lap.
“I didn’t know you could read,” I say, walking past him to the bathroom.
“You’re hilarious,” he mutters.
I get changed into my PJs, brush my teeth, and then walk back into the bedroom. Kai’s book is closed and on his nightstand, and he’s sitting with his hands folded in his lap.
“Why are you sitting there like that, you weirdo?” I ask, walking around to my side of the bed. I get under the covers and flip off the light. Kai’s light is still on, and I look at him from my pillow.
Then he flips himself onto me.
I squeak in surprise. “What are you—“
Kai smashes his lips on mine, and my confusion disappears as love and white-hot desire course through my veins. His kiss is utterly devastating and unrestrained.
He leans back, looking me in the eye, and says, “I love you, Cordi, and I want more kids.”
I grin and nuzzle my nose against his. “Okay,” I rasp.
“Now?” he asks excitedly.
I giggle and kiss him again.
“I’m pretty sure you’re the one who said practice makes perfect,” I say, smiling. My heart pounds in my chest with excitement.
“Then we better get to work.” Kai kisses me and loves me the way I have always dreamed of, only it’s better. Threats surround our family, and I know it won’t end tomorrow. But it doesn’t matter what we have to do to protect our love because we are worth fighting for.
THE END