Chapter Forty-One
Collin
One month later
“Welcome back, boss.”
I looked at my men, taking my time meeting each pair of eyes. Their orders were to remain on the island and guard the house. The rest of my men were to remain in their assigned cities, checking in every twenty-four hours.
For the last two days, I'd remained in St. Louis with Karina while we tied up loose end so our life could officially start. Her uncle welcomed me into the family, and after I signed the FBI agreement, Karina’s little group ushered me back to Sullie’s bar.
We all shared a meal, and though things were still somewhat strained, it was…
nice, despite Karina’s brother avoiding us.
She assured me he would come around, but I wasn’t getting my hopes up.
If someone stabbed me, they would be dead.
“Your loyalty to me will not go without reward,” I said to my men, my voice firm. They nodded.
“Glad to see you’re alright,” Xander said. His face was still swollen and bruised from my fists, and I held his stare for a moment.
“You too, Xander.”
Was I sorry I beat the shit out of him? No.
Did I have to apologize? Also, no, but I did have to be nice. Karina wasn’t too fond of my actions towards him.
I looked at all of them once more, since they just witnessed me being nice. “I’ll gut you if you get mushy with me. I don’t do that shit.”
“Just with me, right?” My angel asked sweetly as she came up beside me.
We had just arrived on my island, and she wanted to speak to the captain of the boat. Alone. Probably to apologize for me threatening his life. She already apologized to Xander. She offered him a sample of her kindness, like the heavenly angel she was.
However, if anyone mistook her kindness for weakness, they would have my wrath to deal with.
“Ms. Jones, it’s good to see you again,” Cam said.
“Good afternoon, Ms. Jones,” Nick said with a smile.
“Hello, Ms. Jones. We are glad to have you back,” Xander finished.
I shot my angel a glare as she smiled brightly at them. They each treated her with nothing but respect, keeping their eyes on her heart-shaped face. Her hand landed on my back as she stepped into me, and her vanilla scent washed over me. She tried to make small talk, but I cut them off.
“I don’t pay you to talk to my woman,” I clipped, my jaw clenching. “Fuck off.”
They nodded and returned to their positions around the small island, though Karina shook her head and kept smiling at them.
“Are you going to keep them here? Romano is gone,” she said to me as I guided her up the path to the house. Pavers would be out next week to install a walkway for her and in the spring, I would have a new garden put in.
“I enjoyed my privacy before you re-entered my life, angel,” I said as the front door opened. Bella stood in the doorway, ready to greet us. Her face was calm, but I could see the excitement in her eyes.
“Sir. Ms. Jones. It’s so good to have you back,” she breathed, her hands folded at her waist.
“Bella,” Karina breathed and pulled her in for a hug.
My housekeeper was shocked for a moment but quickly recovered, embracing her back.
Her brown eyes looked at me. “I’m so glad you both are safe,” she said, her accent coming out heavier than usual.
I held her eyes, despite the ache in my chest that had nothing to do with the bullet inside of it.
“It’s over. Romano is dead,” I said.
The woman seemed to go through the five stages of grief within seven seconds. She sobbed and pulled away from Karina. “Are you certain, sir?”
I nodded, slipping my hands into my pockets. “If you wish to return home, I can have the travel arrangements ready within the hour.” She smiled and shook her head.
“If you would have me, my place is here, sir.”
Before I could answer, Karina cut me off. “Of course! We love you! You always have a place here.” She talked as if this house was not just mine, but hers too. I liked that. This was good; when I told her later that her name was on the deed, it wouldn’t come as a surprise.
A few hours later; after a shit ton of phone calls, I finally ventured out of my office.
For the first hour or so, my angel stayed in there with me, sitting on my lap.
She listened closely through the first few calls, one to Boston and California, one to James Garner, with Casey Gomez in the background, one to Washington with Director Wells, while Casey tapped into the phone lines.
Agent Garner and John Alex wanted to nail him down first, but they needed a recorded phone conversation.
After that, Karina said she was going to call Gwen, which gave me time to call Davenport’s fiancé.
“Have you thought about my offer?”
“I’m not putting on a uniform again, Stevens. I’m done with baseball.”
I sat back in my chair. “I’m not asking you to play, Connors. I’m asking you to protect.”
He sighed on the other end of the line. “I need to protect my family.”
“Good, glad we're on the same page. You can do that by working for me,” I noted, tapping my fingers on the desk.
“I’ll think about it.”
“You and I both know you and baseball will never be done, Connors. It’s in your blood.”
My offer was simple.
While I would be helping out the FBI, weeding out the sex traffickers, Dean would simply oversee the baseball side of things, ensure that all of Romano’s old ways are tarnished.
There were still rats in the stadiums, after all, curve balls waiting to be pitched.
Dean would be the one to knock them out of my fucking parks.
Speaking of rats…Ian Matthews was sentenced to two years in prison.
For what, I wasn't sure. Something about a warehouse near the Canadian border.
Kevin Matthews, on the other hand, would be sent to work for me.
Yesterday, after I left my angel in her bed at her apartment, I ventured to the field office for my meeting with Garner, his director, and Kevin.
There was a lot of toxicity between the both of us, but he came to an agreement and signed a contract to be an informant to the FBI.
He would use his status as Matthews’ son to get into the parts of the underground where I couldn’t.
With every coronation, there would always be push back, and Kevin was instructed to find anyone who would try and stand against me, anyone who disagreed with the rings being shut down.
Their mother would be sent to a treatment facility—a rehab of sorts, a place where she could rest and heal.
James’ team was moving in on high profile members of society on Casey Gomez’s list. Evil was being taken down, one by one. Slowly, so the government wouldn’t collapse. We didn’t need the general public going into hysteria.
As I came down the stairs, I was hit with an amazing smell. My stomach growled, and my mouth salivated.
What in the hell was Bella cooking? It smelled divine.
I expected to find my angel on the couch, catching up on some stupid girly show that Haley and Gwen mentioned the other night at dinner, but no, Karina was in the kitchen cooking as the sun set on the lake outside.
I leaned against the wall and watched her.
Her blonde hair was piled on top of her head, and she was in one of my black button ups.
She had her headphones in, and her head was bouncing to the beat as she chopped up vegetables.
The scene was very…domestic.
I never had a woman who wasn’t under my employment cook for me. Minutes passed, and I found myself in a state of awe, watching her move around my huge kitchen, oblivious to her demon lurking in the shadows.
Suddenly, the hair on the back of my neck stood, and my body went on high alert, but I remained still, my eyes on my angel.
“If you think blowing my head off in front of your sister is a good idea, then go for it. But you and I both know she shouldn’t see this,” I said calmly, knowing that she couldn’t hear me.
“We need to talk.”
“I agree, but are we going to conduct the entire conversation with your gun to the back of my head?” I asked.
In the hospital, he said he would let the strain between us go because I saved his sister. However, Jeremy Jones was a man of darkness, like me. Revenge was our favorite dish, and I knew he would make his appearance eventually.
A moment later, the pressure was gone, and I slowly turned around to face Jeremy. He was dressed in all black, and his brown eyes held a burning rage within them. I gestured to the stairs.
“We can talk in my office.”
Once we were inside, I rounded my desk and lit a cigarette. As I inhaled the smoke, some of the tension in my shoulders dissipated. I slammed the desk drawer shut and tipped my head to one of the chairs in front of it. “Please.”
The man eyed me, his gun still raised. “You're supposed to be the most dangerous man in the country. Why are you treating me like a guest in your home?”
“Because I am a monster with manners, Jeremy,” I deadpanned, the smoke drifting out from my lips. He took a seat, but his gun remained pointed at me.
“I see you got past my guards,” I said, looking at the computer screen and pulling up my security system. My brows came together as I saw that each were unharmed and at their stations.
“I told them who I was, and they let me by. Kay gave them a list,” he explained.
“I see.”
“You had my record cleared.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because you are important to Karina, and she is the most important thing to me. She gives my existence meaning,” I said as I took my seat.
“How’s your chest?” he asked, his eyes dropping to where I was shot.
I smiled wickedly. "I think I could handle another bullet or two.”
“Dean told me about the offer you made him.”
I nodded once, looking to the blank space on my office wall where my father’s portrait once hung. “I need someone who has a passion for the game. Dean has been on both sides of sports gambling. He's the right person for the job.”
“So, the mafia will still be in control of the MLB?” he asked, his gun lowering a bit.