Chapter 8
Chapter Eight
Kyra was surprised to find the gate open when she pulled into the small paved parking lot behind the nondescript warehouse. The oversized building had no windows, no signs, nothing to indicate what kind of business it housed.
The only proof it was in use at all were the Harleys and vehicles taking up a few of the parking spaces. She slipped her Kia Sportage into one of the empty spots.
“Mommy?”
She glanced in the rearview mirror. “Yeah, buddy?”
“Where are we?”
“Visiting an old friend of mine. We won’t be long.” Hopefully.
Once she parked and helped Ledger out of his car seat, she took his hand. “Be on your best behavior, okay?”
“Mmm hmm.”
She pulled on the handle of the plain steel door at the rear of the building, not surprised to find this barrier locked, unlike the gate.
They didn’t want just anyone walking in and seeing the kind of operation it held. Or the kind of equipment stored inside, including the variety of weapons.
Kyra had been here once while in high school when Vi and Indie had needed to stop in to speak to their father, Diesel Dougherty. Of course, that was when the big, grumpy biker was running In the Shadows Security. It was now managed by his oldest daughter, Violet.
The doorbell had a small sign above it that said “by appointment only.” She pressed it anyway, expecting to hear a voice through the little speaker. Kyra had no idea if Vi was inside because she no longer knew what kind of vehicle her former best friend and Zeke’s cousin drove.
She glanced up to see several security cameras along the roofline, including one pointed toward the lot and one at the door where she stood.
She blinked when—instead of a faceless voice asking who she was—a dark-haired man wearing tan tactical pants and a black T-shirt that stretched across his broad shoulders and hugged every damn bulging muscle opened the door, making her take a step backwards since it swung outward.
Holy shit. Kyra picked her jaw up from the ground. That couldn’t be… “Leo?”
He looked…absolutely drool-worthy.
Apparently, joining the Army after graduation did a body good. Especially his.
If she remembered correctly, Leo Delgado was two years younger than both her and Vi.
“Yeah,” he grunted. His dark eyebrows pinned together and he quickly masked the surprise in his brown eyes. “Kyra?”
“The one and only,” she said on a stilted laugh. “Do you work here now?”
Instead of answering, he asked, “You here to see Vi?”
“Yes.”
“She know you’re comin’?”
“No.” And that little detail wasn’t going to stop her. “Is she here?”
Leo stared at her for a few moments with his expression locked down and his jaw tight.
“Yeah.” With a single nod, he stepped back and gave her just enough space to squeeze past him.
“She’s in her office.” As she began to head inside, he took one more step back so he wasn’t crowding her and jerked his chin toward Ledger. “Who’s the kid?”
“My son.”
“He looks”—his head twitched—“familiar.”
She could see him struggling to keep his shock under wraps.
Family or not, maybe she shouldn’t have moved back to western Pennsylvania. Too many people knew her here. Too many knew that she and Zeke had been together.
Too many people would be all up in her business.
Going back to living away from her family and friends was looking more and more like a better decision. Only at this point, it might be too late.
Zeke would never let her disappear again.
Most likely Vi wouldn’t, either. Only, the Shadows’ manager had the power to make sure it didn’t happen. If her current team was anything like her father’s, they could track anyone anywhere.
Keeping a tight grip on Ledger’s hand, she headed in the direction Leo indicated. They continued down the hallway until he said, “Office on your right.”
While her memory was a little dusty on the location, it made sense that Vi used her father’s former office.
Leo, in a deliciously deep voice, announced behind her, “Boss, your friend’s here to see you.”
Kyra thought it was weird that Leo would call Vi by that title. The offspring of both the DAMC and the Shadows all grew up together. They considered each other family and all were tight.
When Violet’s gaze lifted from her oversized, curved computer monitor, she did a double-take when she saw Kyra. Then the second her gaze dropped to Ledger, she whispered, “Holy shit balls.”
“Surprise!” Kyra said awkwardly.
“So, it’s true.”
“Yes, I’m back in town.”
“I knew that part. That’s not what I’m talking about.” She lifted her head and called out, “Hey, Grim!”
Grim?
Kyra glanced over her shoulder to see Leo now standing in the open doorway.
“Yeah.” Had he stationed himself right outside Vi’s office?
Did he think Kyra was a threat to his boss? She was simply a single mother trying to survive. She wasn’t capable of doing any military-like takedowns and she had no reason to take out Vi. Even if Kyra wasn’t happy with her right now.
“Do you mind taking her son for a few minutes while we talk? Show him some of the cool vehicles we have.”
It was a little annoying that Vi would make that decision about her son without asking Kyra first, but she also understood it. Ledger probably shouldn’t hear what they were about to discuss, anyway.
“Would you like to see that, buddy?” Kyra asked him.
He turned his wide gray-blue eyes up to her and bounced on his toes. “Yeah! They have twains?”
“Um, no trains. But I bet they have other cool stuff!”
Leo moved farther into the room. “What’s his name?”
“Ledger,” Kyra answered.
Leo held out his hand and cracked a smile. “What a cool name you have, Ledger. C’mon, you can check out our Terradyne.”
Whatever that was. As long as they weren’t going to play catch with a grenade, she was sure Ledger would be in good hands.
“Close the door behind you.” Vi watched Leo and Ledger leave before turning her troubled, deep brown eyes back to her. “I’ve missed you, Ky.”
She rubbed at the ache deep within her chest. She and the woman sitting behind the desk had been close for a majority of their lives. They had done almost everything together. For years.
While Kyra had missed her family after she left, she missed her partner in crime even more.
“I’ve missed you, too, Vi. I hope you now understand why I left without a word.”
Vi sank back into her office chair and shook her head. “Why come back at all?”
“You’re not the only one I missed. My brother’s family is here.
My parents are here. Everyone I know is here.
I was also tired of keeping Ledger isolated.
It wasn’t fair to him. I had hoped your cousin had moved on.
Even so, it was stupid of me to go to that fundraiser.
I wasn’t thinking.” But, realistically, she couldn’t hide here and not isolate her son, either.
Now, she needed to put on her big girl panties and deal with the fallout.
“I’m glad you did.” Vi flipped a hand toward one of the empty chairs.
Kyra reluctantly perched on the edge of the closest one and waited, since it was obvious Violet was gathering her thoughts.
“You left Zeke because of what he did. But you left Shadow Valley because of him.” She jerked her chin toward the closed office door.
Violet had always been hyper vigilant and intelligent. She had been the perfect candidate to step into her father’s boots.
She ignored that comment and instead asked, “Can you call Zeke off? Convince him that what he’s about to do by getting a court-ordered DNA test isn’t a good idea?”
Vi stared at her longer than Kyra liked before shaking her head.
“No. Anyway, he doesn’t need a DNA test if you tell him the truth.
A truth that’s pretty damn clear to anyone who has functioning eyeballs and a handful of brain cells in their head.
I thought he was simply using Ledger as an excuse for me to find you. It turns out his instincts were right.”
“I never said Zeke is Ledger’s father.”
Vi pursed her lips as she leaned forward.
“You didn’t have to, Ky.” She blew out a breath.
“I know you’re worried about Ledger, but being around all of us for so long, you also have to know that boy will be extremely loved.
Not to mention, as a Jamison, protected.
Zak and Sophie alone will be over the freaking moon when they find out they have a grandson.
Their first grandchild.” She smiled as if she was witnessing their reaction.
Of course Vi was siding with her blood over Kyra. Her heart jumped into her throat, making her force out, “Vi. You know how Zeke is. You have to agree that he’s not good father material. He wasn’t even good boyfriend material.”
“But you were with him anyway.”
Shots fired. “Despite his faults, it was difficult to be immune to his charm. I wish I had been stronger and resisted.”
“Believe it or not, you weren’t just anyone to him, Ky. You were his ol’ lady. The truth is, there’s been no one like you before or since. Obviously, your relationship was far from perfect, but it meant something to him.”
“You could’ve fooled me. And Bunny. And everyone else who witnessed that display that night.”
“I get it. His fuck-up can’t be undone. But you didn’t see him after you left, Ky.
I did. We all did. He put on a good front, but I’ve known him my whole life.
We’re closer than siblings, so despite him hiding it well, I can read him better than anyone.
His behavior also got worse after you left.
More fights. Being reckless. He was lashing out at anyone and everyone. ”
“You’re blaming me for his bad behavior?”
“No, I’m blaming him. He did it to himself.
He fucked up, he knew it, and didn’t know how to fix it.
What I’m trying to say is, he wouldn’t have acted like that if you truly didn’t mean something to him.
Yes, he deserved you breaking up with him.
He certainly deserved your ire. What he didn’t deserve was you hiding the fact you were pregnant with his son. ”
Debatable.