Chapter Six
“What on earth was he cooking?” Frank asked.
“Beats me.” She leaned against the doorway into the kitchen and watched as Frank lifted several of the frying pans Cain used the previous night. They did not look great. She’d been surprised when she came down to breakfast this morning, to find the dishes neatly stacked, and the kitchen in some order. She had a horrible feeling Frank would have quit if he saw the state of the kitchen prior to Cain cleaning it up.
Speaking of Cain, that man was such a giant pain in the ass. She didn’t know why she put up with him. He demanded she always be with him. This was his request when they first met. Now, he’d ordered her to stay home. He was able to leave, but she wasn’t allowed to go, which clearly meant he was having to deal with business he didn’t want her to know about. There was only one person he tried to keep from her radar and that was his son.
“I have no idea if I can even clean this. Was he trying to make caramel or something? Was he even cooking food?”
The groceries were lined up on the kitchen counter. She stepped into the room, immediately went to them, and began to help.
“I have no idea,” she said.
“Did you two have a fight?” Frank asked.
“What makes you ask that?”
“Mr. Knox never comes into the kitchen. His only demand is the food he gets is of the highest quality, and that he doesn’t have to cook. He never questions what I cook him. I’ve never known him to step foot in front of that stove, and yet the first time he does, it is for you.”
Leah shrugged. “We had an argument. I left to go and do some window-shopping. When I came home, the kitchen looked worse than this.”
“I will have to order some new pans. I cannot risk it. Mr. Knox has already given me the order to do so.”
“Do you know what Cain is doing?” she asked.
Frank shot her a glare.
“Stop, he tells me to call him Cain, and I do recall, he tells you to, as well.”
“Yes, well, I believe in our employee and employer relationship. He will forever be Mr. Knox.”
“And he trusts you,” Leah said. “And he doesn’t trust easy.”
Frank laughed. “That’s because I took a shiv for him in prison.”
This made her turn toward the chef. “Prison?”
“I have surprised you?” Frank asked.
“Well, I knew Cain had been inside, but I didn’t know you had.”
Frank nodded. “Yes, I served five years.”
“For what?”
“Being in the wrong place at the wrong time.” Frank shrugged.
“Seriously?”
“Long story short, a woman liked me, a cop liked the woman. He wanted me out of the equation, so he framed me. I got five years, and during that time, I met Mr. Knox, made friends, and when he got out, he eventually arranged everything for my release. I’ve been working for him ever since. I owe him my life. Before he got me released, the cop paid me a visit and let me know I was going to get lost to the system. I’d never see the light of day. He never got his wish.”
“What an asshole,” Leah said.
“If it wasn’t for Mr. Knox I’d be rotting in some kind of prison.”
Leah put her hand on her hip and looked at him. “Has Cain put you up to this?”
“No, just filling the silence, and besides, you opened the conversation.”
She nodded. “So, Cain helped you.”
“Yes, he did. It wasn’t always easy—his quest to be on top—but he eventually got his way. He always does. There is no point in fighting him.” Frank let out a sigh as he pouted at tossing out his precious pans.
“Is that one of the reasons you stay loyal to him?” she asked.
“Yes. He had my back when no one else had. The system had turned on me, and all I did was attract the attention of a woman I didn’t even want.”
Leah felt so bad for him.
“What happened to the cop?” Leah asked. “Is he still doing bad things? Making enemies?”
“No. The man died many years ago. Not long after I was released. A bad decision that went wrong,” Frank said. “Cops came knocking on my door, but Cain already knew they would. I had a concrete alibi at the time.”
“You did?”
“I wasn’t even in the state when it happened. Mr. Knox sent me to culinary school, as I told him that prior to being locked away, that is what I wanted to do.”
“I had no idea,” she said.
“Yep, but there was no way they could pin that murder on me. I did find out that the woman he was chasing turned him down and left the country after I was arrested.”
“She did?”
“Yeah. Mr. Knox found out she tried to testify on my behalf, but they kept losing her statement, or it was misdirected, or some other bullshit.”
Leah looked at Frank. “And that doesn’t make you curious?”
Frank turned his attention back to her. “About what?”
“Finding her out?”
“Why would I find her out?”
“To let her know you’re okay. That you survived and got out alive. She was willing to stand up for you.” She looked at Frank, and he just shrugged.
“That was a long time ago. Besides, I doubt she even remembers me. She left the country.”
Leah sighed. “Have you ever thought that maybe she left the country to … I don’t know, help you?”
Frank frowned. “How would that help me?”
“She’s no longer around, so he could leave you alone and she wouldn’t have to worry about what he was doing to you, or threatening you?” she asked. “I don’t know if that would be the case, but it could be a solid argument, don’t you think?”
He sighed. “I don’t know. It doesn’t matter.”
He left the kitchen with several frying pans in his hands.
“What was her name?” Leah asked.
“Why does her name matter?” Frank asked.
“I’m curious, that is all.” She held her hands up, trying to show it was just innocent curiosity.”
“I don’t believe you, but trust me, it doesn’t matter. Her name is Cameron Pierce. That is all I know.”
Leah nodded.
She let the silence fill the kitchen as she finished restocking the fridge with all the goodies. Once it was full, she stepped back and looked toward Frank.
“Do you know why Cain had to leave today?” she asked.
“He didn’t say, but seeing as he didn’t take you with him, there is only one person he would have to deal with.”
Leah didn’t need him to fill in the blanks.
Danny boy had been naughty again.
She couldn’t help but wonder what the little shit had been up to.
****
“House arrest? What kind of bullshit is this?” Danny asked.
Cain looked down at his son, and this time he truly looked at him. What he saw disappointed him. This was his son, and yet there was no way he would allow any son of his to behave in this manner.
Danny was currently cuffed to a bed. It could be called house arrest, but the truth was, he was bound to a room that had a toilet in the corner, a bed, and a single window. The window also had bars around it. At best, he was in a prison, just one with a little more luxury.
He dragged the chair over to the bed and looked at his son, seeing all the signs of an addict desperate for his next fix. This is why he went to the Bratva. Someone had started selling his son drugs, and he was doing everything he could to get his next fix.
Staring at him, a hatred began to fester.
“What are you staring at?” Danny asked.
Cain stayed silent.
“Are you wondering where you went wrong? Thinking about the boy you once knew? You were a shitty father, and a fuckup,” Danny said, and laughed. “I guess that makes me exactly like you.”
“You’re right. I was a shitty father, but you as a son were just as big a fuckup and a disappointment.”
Danny glared at him, his nostrils flaring, but something must have triggered in his mind to keep him quiet.
“Did you know the world is full of kids that are unwanted, unloved?”
Danny rolled his eyes. “Is this where you tell me I had it better because I was loved and wanted?”
Cain chuckled. “You were not fucking wanted, not by a long shot, and if I did have any love for you, you’ve destroyed that by raping women. There are a few kinds of people in this world that I can’t stand. Child molesters, abusers, and rapists. They’re pieces of shit and don’t deserve to breathe air.”
His son went pale.
“You’re a child I didn’t want, but rather than toss you in the trash, I took care of you. I paid many people to give you the love and comfort you needed. You had a great education. Whatever you wanted, you got. There are children starving who haven’t done a thing wrong to deserve the life they’ve been given. So, you had everything you wanted—money, power, food, anything, and it’s not made you better. You’re a piece of shit who simply doesn’t like the word no. The other problem I have with you is, you’re starting to make a ton of enemies.”
Danny snorted. “You think I’m the one making enemies?”
“I don’t just think it, son, I know it. I know there are a lot of men and women who would love to have ten minutes alone with you, and what’s more, I’d let them.”
He stared at his son and knew there was no love between them. He didn’t love his son and probably never had. Sure, there were odd moments where he had no choice but to be a father. He’d not wanted to, and those moments were few and far between. Danny had always been spoiled. He’d always wanted more, and over the years, even as a child, there had been so many complaints about his personality.
“That figures, you’d let them hurt your own son,” Danny said.
“You mistake me, Danny. I wouldn’t just let them hurt you. I’d let them kill you.”
His son looked at him, and it seemed for the first time in all of Danny’s twenty years, he’d finally gotten his attention.
Danny was just a little younger than Leah, and yet, this piece of shit had done so much damage to a lot of people. If Leah hadn’t been able to protect herself, he just knew she would be like a lot of other women.
“Keep on this path, Danny, and I promise it will end very badly for you.”
Danny didn’t say a word, and Cain had told him all that needed to be said. Getting to his feet, he walked to the door and opened it.
“You know, I’ve always hated you,” Danny said.
Cain looked toward his son and smiled. “Strange, I’ve not always hated you, but I do now.”
With that, he left the room and made his way out of the house, back to his car.
Danny was a problem, and he doubted his son was ever going to stop being one. Running fingers through his hair, he took several deep breaths of air. It was fresh as the house was quite deep in the country.
He only ever used it to help with problems, like kidnapping his son and forcing him to be chained to a bed against his will. It was for his own good, even if he didn’t see it that way.
Cain was just about to reach for the car door handle when his cell phone went off. Reaching into his jacket pocket, he saw it was a call coming from Lewis, the same guy he used to get all the information he needed about Leah.
“What?” Cain asked.
“Sorry, Boss, I just needed to make sure it was okay for me to gather the details of a Cameron Pierce. It has been requested by Leah,” Lewis said.
Cain couldn’t recall the name, and he had no idea why she would be requesting that kind of information. He had told her on previous occasions if she ever needed information on anyone or anything, then Lewis was her guy. He had no issue with paying the bill for whatever she needed.
“Get the details, but don’t send them to her. Forward me all the information.” Climbing into his car, he nodded toward his men, before turning over his ignition and pulling out of the small home estate.
Danny was a problem. One he needed to fix, but right at that moment, he didn’t know how to unless he put a bullet in his son’s head. Death would solve everything. He’d already grown tired of cleaning up his messes. Leah wanted him to send his son to prison and he’d be more than happy to do that, only prison would make him far worse. So, death or trying to keep him trapped were his only options for now.
Driving back home to where he left Leah took a little longer than he would have liked. Traffic had built up, as people were trying to make it home after a long day, and it had been a long day. Too fucking long.
He didn’t want to break up his time with Leah by dealing with his son, but sacrifices needed to be made. Leaving her had been the only solution. He’d promised her she’d never have to deal with Danny again, and he wouldn’t force her to. Although he was tempted to ask what she thought he should do with his son, with this fresh information. He doubted she’d offer to kill him. Leah still believed in prison, or at least she thought it was the best place for him.
By the time he arrived back at his home, it was already dark, and he was starving. He parked the car, nodded at his men, and then took the stairs leading to the front door, two at a time. Entering his home, he went straight to his office, as he knew that was where he would find Leah.
If she was trying to get in touch with Lewis, she’d do so on his office cell phone. She rarely used the cell phone he’d gifted her. Her only explanation was, there had once been a time when people didn’t survive on their cell phones, and she would like to keep it that way. He imagined he had more memory of a life without cell phones and the Internet than she did, but it was rather cute to hear her say so.
Leah was sitting at his desk, twirling a pen between her fingers, lips pursed, and she appeared to be locked into his email.
“Do you want to tell me who Cameron Pierce is and why you’re looking for him?” he asked.