Chapter 9
9
T he next two weeks went by in a blur. Kent spent most of his time tending to his daughter. Actually, it was more like trying to tie her down so she got the proper rest she needed. The doctor said she’d heal quickly, and at the last visit, he told them she could continue to increase her activity, depending on her pain level.
And then there was Dixie, who had started her new job. They had been able to occasionally sneak some alone time. A stolen moment for a bike ride at sunset or a quick kiss while no one was looking, but they hadn’t been able to be intimate with each other again, and it was driving Kent absolutely mad. He craved to hold her in his arms until she fell asleep. To watch the sun peek through the window, kissing her blond hair and watching her eyes flutter open so he was the first thing she’d see in the morning.
She’d been the only woman he’d ever met whom he couldn’t stop thinking about. She’d seep into his thoughts at random moments, making him smile. His crew chief, Arthur, twice the other day tossed a paperclip at him during a meeting, telling him to wipe the stupid grin off his face.
“Daddy, you’re burning the French toast,” Elle said, poking his biceps.
“Sorry.” Quickly, he flipped the fluffy, but slightly crispy bread on the griddle. He’d been dealing with a lack of sexual activity since Elle had been born, but now that he’d had the kind of mind-numbing sex others bragged about, he couldn’t look at Dixie and not want to rip her clothes off and do unspeakable things to her body. No amount of cold showers would cure him of his ailment. Only Dixie could take care of that.
And that was another issue. There would never be another woman for him, ever. She was it. The cream of the crop. His soulmate.
“Dad!” Elle grabbed the spatula from his hand. “What is the matter with you?” she asked in a tone indicative of a mother scolding a small child.
“Sorry, my mind is in other places.”
“Obviously,” she said, shoving him aside. “You can set the table, and I’ll finish up here. When is Dixie and Nicky coming over?”
“They said nine thirty, so about twenty minutes,” he said. He’d been looking forward to fishing with Nicky for weeks, and he knew his daughter was over the moon about a mani-pedi, whatever that meant, followed by a hair appointment.
But when the day was done, Jackie had promised to take the kids for the night, giving him and Dixie a chance to spend some quality alone time together. Dixie had balked at the idea, but he suspected she was more concerned about what her aunt thought of her spending the night with him. Jackie appeared to be more than thrilled with the concept, telling him she herself couldn’t have picked a better boyfriend for her niece. However, the jury was still out on his relationship status.
And with good reason.
They needed to take a step back and then move slowly going forward, making sure their children were protected. It wasn’t that they didn’t want to be together, but they had things in their lives that came first.
And then there was the question about Nicky’s father, who could come waltzing into their lives at any moment wreaking havoc, turning their worlds upside down. That thought reminded him of the recent email he’d sent Darius.
Sitting at the table, he pulled out his cell phone. His heart hammered with twinges of guilt. He knew, without a doubt, Dixie would not appreciate him poking around in her background, much less Daniel’s.
His phone icon indicated someone had left him a text message. He tapped on it and then on Darius’ number.
Hey, Kent. I’ve got some good news, bad news, and worse news. The good news is I found Daniel. The bad news is he’s running drugs for Pepe Fernandez out of Miami. The worse news is he was in Rivera Beach last night, and I got word he’s headed north this morning on 95. The Feds have been trying to bring down Pepe for months now. His pipeline runs from Miami to Fort Bragg. Daniel is a new runner for them, so I tipped off the Feds, but I’d watch your back.
Fucking wonderful. The only way Daniel was ever getting to Nicky again was through Kent, and that wasn’t ever going to happen.
“Don’t roll your eyes, Daddy.”
To try and lighten his now soured mood, he rolled them again.
“If you can do it, then so can I.”
He waggled his finger toward his daughter. “This is not a case of monkey see, monkey do.”
“Of course not. It’s a double standard for grown-ups just like it is between men and women.”
He opened and closed his mouth a few times before his brain could process the adult conversation he was having with a ten-year-old. “What double standards between boys and girls?”
She set the two nearly burnt pieces on his plate with some sausages and settled into the chair next to him with the perfectly good pieces. Well, she had cooked them, and he’d cooked the not-so-great ones.
“If girls are assertive and speak their minds, they are seen as bossy, or that B word. But if men are that way, they are considered the future leaders. Women aren’t given the same opportunities as men just because we’re girls.”
He waved his fork. “The world is changing, and you’re making a blanket statement. Women can do and be anything.”
“Oh, come on, Daddy. How many female generals are there? How many women do you work with at the fire station or at the Aegis Network?” She smiled triumphantly, popping a sausage link in her mouth.
“There are some women and it’s constantly changing.”
She raised her hand in the air. “But there’s still a double standard. We live in such a patri… patriart…” She looked up at the ceiling as if the word would drop down from the sky.
“Patriarchal?” he asked.
“That’s what I was trying to say. Our society is based on the idea that women are less than men.”
“That was a long time ago and not true. Women are equal to men, just our bodies are different.”
She lowered her chin and glared at him. “Let me finish, Dad.”
He nodded, still trying to figure out when his daughter had turned into a debate queen.
“No matter how far we’ve come, it’s still a patriarchal society, and men are just given more opportunities than women.”
“You’re right,” he admitted, though this wasn’t a conversation he ever imagined having with his kid, but he certainly enjoyed it. “Where are you learning all this?”
“A book I’m reading that I checked out of the digital library. It’s all about feminism and the struggles women face in today’s world.”
He opened his mouth, but she held her hand out.
“It’s intended for girls my age, so don’t worry.”
“Ha!” He reached over, stealing a hunk of her breakfast. “That’s not what I was going to say.”
“Oh, right.” She rolled her eyes.
“Really, sweetheart, this is a good topic to be passionate about. Look at your aunt Tilly and all the good she does with her programs and helping women. We need more people in this world like her.”
Elle nodded, chewing her food vigorously. “Dixie loves her new job. When I grow up, I want to do what they are doing.”
“Sounds like a good plan, but until then, mind going to back to being Daddy’s little girl?”
“I’m going to grow up.”
Ding-dong.
“Hello, you guys in here?” Dixie called out.
“In the kitchen.”
Nicky’s feet hitting the floorboards as he raced through the house sounded like sweet music.
Kent pushed his chair back, waiting for the little boy to see him and jump on his lap. “Hey, little man.”
He stopped, raising his arms, making fists and flexing his nonexistent muscles. “I’m a big man,” he said in a deep voice.
“That you are.” He helped the boy up, who glanced between him and the plate of food. “Have at it, kid.” He pulled back the chair next to him for Dixie.
She shook her head. “I need to speak with you for a minute. Alone.”
“All right. Elle, watch Nicky, okay?”
Elle nodded as he set Nicky in the booster seat he’d picked up. Poor kid didn’t need to eat on his knees every time he came over, even if he didn’t seem to mind.
“What’s wrong?” Resting his hand on the small of her back, he guided her into the family room, his concern growing as her gaze darted from the door back to his face.
“There was a car outside Jackie’s house this morning.”
He balled his fists. “Whose car? What kind of car?”
“It’s your basic small SUV, dark blue, older model, but well taken care of with tinted windows. I didn’t think anything of it at first until it pulled out behind me. Now it’s parked down at the corner.”
“Stay here and keep the kids inside,” he said with a stern tone, one that he normally reserved when training new firefighters.
“What are you going to do?”
“Have a little chat with whoever is in the car.”
She grabbed his biceps, squeezing hard. “What if it’s—” She gasped, covering her mouth. “It’s Daniel,” she whispered, pointing to the picture window behind the dark-brown sofa.
He closed his eyes for a brief moment. “Stay in the house,” he said behind gritted teeth. “I’ll take care of him.” Reaching out, he fanned his thumb over her cheekbone and cupped her face. “Don’t worry. I’m not going to let him near you or Nicky.”
“Is that the right thing to do? He’s never laid a hand on me or him. He’s not violent.”
“Maybe not, but he’s doing just as much damage to that little boy as if he were. It would be one thing if he was late on child support but tried to maintain a relationship. However, he hasn’t even tried to contact you or his kid. He’s no good.”
“You’re right. You’re right.” She nodded. “I should have listened to my aunt when Nicky was born. But I wanted so desperately for my son to have two parents.”
“Trust me, I can understand that thought. Now let me handle this.” He opened and closed his fists, pumped out his chest, and stepped through the front door. “May I help you?”
Daniel stood at the edge of the driveway. His long hair was pulled back into a ponytail. He wore faded jeans, a black T-shirt, and his face was clean-shaven. He looked to be about six foot and muscular.
“Yeah. I want to talk to Dixie.”
“She doesn’t want to talk to you.”
“I want to see my boy,” Daniel said, folding his arms and spreading his stance.
“You can take that up with the court system. Oh, wait. You won’t do that because you’ll get arrested for being a deadbeat dad. Now get the fuck off my property.”
Daniel laughed. “Tsk. Tsk. You didn’t do your homework. I don’t owe any child support because she dropped the ball on that one, setting me free and clear.”
“Perhaps, but you have no visitation rights, and you’re a drifter with barely two pennies to rub together.” Kent took three steps forward, keeping his eyes locked on Daniel.
“You think you know shit about me because you’ve been poking around my business?”
Kent’s breath hitched. Darius was the best at finding people and covering his tracks. He’d found Daniel. Now, how did that little weasel know anyone was snooping into his background? “I’m not sure I understand.”
“You’ve messed with the wrong man. My boss doesn’t like it when his employees have people asking around about them.”
Shit. Pepe Hernandez was not the kind of man you fucked with.
“Stay away from Dixie and her son, and no one will ever be asking about you again.”
Daniel shook his head. “Call off your goons, and I will.”
“Done,” Kent said, holding his phone. “Just need to make one call.”
“Do it, and I’ll be gone. If not, I’ll be back, and I’ll be coming for my boy.” With that, Daniel turned on his heel and strolled down the street toward his car without a care in the world.
Anyone who thought they were untouchable was sorely mistaken, and Daniel would rue the day he came anywhere near the people Kent loved.
His heart pounded at the last thought, but he pushed it out of his mind as he took out his phone and texted Darius the license plate number along with a buddy of his from the local police department. Hopefully, they’d be able to get a handle on what this asshole was up to. Until then, he wasn’t sure it was safe to go anywhere.
Raking his fingers through his hair, he headed back inside.
“Did you spy on me?” Dixie asked with a hushed tone but an angry one nonetheless.
“I wouldn’t call it spying. I did a background check. Any parent would?—”
She poked him in the chest. “When someone does a background check on a potential employee, that person generally knows it’s happening, and it doesn’t include nosing around their loser ex-boyfriend whom they’d prefer not to ever see again.”
“Look. Maybe I should have told you I’d be doing that, but?—”
“No buts. Your prying brought him here, and you’ve put me in a horrible situation with my son,” she said, still in a menacing whisper. “I’ll forgive you for doing a check on me, because I’d do the same thing if I had the resources, but you took it a step too far and you brought Daniel right to my doorstep.”
“Kent!” Nicky came barreling into the room, arms flapping.
Kent picked up the little boy and kissed him on the cheek. He’d never let any harm come to him. Ever. That was a promise he intended to keep if it was the last thing he ever did.
“I’m ready to go,” Elle said, looping her arm through Dixie’s, who stared at him with a sadness that stabbed him right through his heart.
“There has been a change in plans,” he said quietly, holding Dixie’s gaze.
“What!” Elle’s smile quickly turned to a pout.
“A situation has come up that I can’t discuss in certain company.” He nodded his head toward Nicky who’d become amused by the tattoo on Kent’s neck. “Until I hear back from a friend, we’re going to have to stay put.”
Elle stomped her foot. “You’ve got to be kidding me. You promised, Dad, and you rarely break your word unless it’s work-related or someone died. Is it one of those two things?”
“No.” He held up a hand. “I intend to keep that promise, just not this minute,” Kent said.
“When then, Dad?” Elle pushed out her hip. “It’s not just me you’re letting down.” She wiggled her finger at Nicky. “He wanted to go…” She mouthed the word fishing.
“I understand, and hopefully, in an hour or two. I need you to be patient. Can you do that for me?”
“Why don’t we go to your room, and I’ll curl your hair like the girl on the show you like so much while we wait for your father to find out what he needs. And if not today, we will have our girls’ day another time.” Dixie smoothed down Elle’s hair with the tender care only a mother could. “I’m pretty good with makeup too.”
“None of that,” Kent said. “She’s too young.”
“Not today, she’s not.” Dixie glared. “And I’m not arguing with you about it.”
“Okay,” Elle said less than enthusiastically, tugging Dixie across the room.
“Looks like it’s just you and me, pal, for the next hour or so. What shall we do?”
Nicky shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“I’ve got it.” Kent set Nicky down, holding his hand. “Let’s clean out the fishing box so that when it’s time to go, we’ll be all ready.” He glanced at his phone. All he needed to know was that Daniel was miles away, hopefully never to return.
He brought the fishing kit out to the garage, setting it up on the ground. He’d bought a few new lures, different-size weights, and a couple of bobbers. “All right, Nicky, you take these round weights and put the tiny ones in this spot, the middle-sized ones here, and these big ones in this spot. Got it?”
Nicky nodded, his pudgy fingers plucking the silver beads from the floor and plopping them in their spots, just like Kent had instructed.
Anger and frustration swirled in Kent’s gut. He’d never understand men like Daniel. It was one thing not to be in love with Nicky’s mother. Kent hadn’t loved Elle’s. He tried like hell to after he’d found out she was pregnant, but it just wasn’t there.
But no way could he ever not want Elle in his life.
A door slammed, followed by a crash sound from inside the house. Quickly, he scooped up Nicky. “Elle? Dixie? Everything okay in here?” He sucked in a harsh breath, staring at two men with guns, holding the wide-eyed girls, tears streaking their cheeks. He shielded Nicky’s face. “Who are you, and what do you want?”
“Who we are is immaterial,” the man holding his daughter said. He wore a blue T-shirt and had a scar on his face.
Kent made mental notes of the tattoos he could see, trying to engrave the man’s face in his brain.
“But we want Daniel and the money he stole from our boss,” the man with the scar said.
“He left about an hour ago. No idea where he went.” Kent wanted to add that he couldn’t care less about Daniel but didn’t know if Nicky knew his father’s first name or not.
Nicky squirmed, trying to turn his body. “Is that a real gun?” he asked.
“I need you to be still and keep your eyes closed, can you do that?” he whispered into the little boy’s ear.
Nicky buried his face in Kent’s neck, fingering the tattoo.
“Can we let my girlfriend take the kids into the other room, and we can discuss this outside?”
“No can do,” the man with the scar said. “When we get our shit back, then we let them go.”
“Take me instead.” Kent knew these men wouldn’t go for that, but he had to try.
“Stop negotiating or we’ll take the little boy too. He’s more valuable anyway.”
Dixie cried out, her shoulders bumping up and down.
The man with the red T-shirt yanked her hair. “Be quiet.”
Kent tried to shield Nicky, holding him tight against his chest. “I’m going to pull out my phone and call one of my buddies who’s tracking him.”
The man with the scar cocked his head. “Why?”
“We want him out of our lives, so I’m making sure that happens.” He glanced between his daughter and the woman he knew without a doubt he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. His gaze pleaded with them both to trust him.
Holding Nicky with one hand, he reached into his back pocket and pulled out his phone. “I’ll put it on speaker,” he said.
“If you signal them about us, she bites the bullet.” The man holding Dixie shoved his gun against her temple. “Then we’ll hurt the girl.”
Kent exhaled through his nose like a bull as he tapped on his phone. Darius picked up on the first ring.
“I was just about to call you,” Darius said.
“Just watch what you say, I’m in the car on speaker with little ears.”
“Hey, Elle, how are you doing?”
Kent nodded to his daughter.
“I’m good,” she said with a shaky voice and a sniffle.
“I don’t have much time and wondered if you had any news to report on our friend.”
“As a matter of fact, I just heard he got off 95 about twenty minutes from you. He’s loading stuff in a four-door sedan. Timothy has eyes on him,” Darius said.
“Did he have help?”
“Not that Timothy saw. What’s going on?” Darius asked.
“Nothing. Just a few more friends looking for him. Can you send me what you have and our friend’s location so I can give it to them?” Kent honestly didn’t care he was tossing Daniel under the bus. Only Daniel had better hope that the cops would get him before these thugs did, or he might not see the sun rise tomorrow.
“I’ll do it right now.”
“Great. I’ve got to go.” Kent tapped the phone at the same time it buzzed. He tossed the cell on the table. “There’s all the information for you to find him. Now let my girls go and leave my house.”
Nicky’s fingers clasped behind Kent’s neck, and his body shivered. He had no idea what he understood, but he got the sense more than he should.
“Nope.” The man with the scar snagged his phone. “What’s the passcode?”
“9845,” Kent said.
The two men inched toward the back door, pulling his precious Elle and sweet Dixie with them. “Once we have our man and our product, we’ll let them go, unharmed.” He raised his brow. “But if we don’t, well, you know how that goes.”
“We’ll be in touch,” the other man said.
Kent lunged forward but halted the second a gun pointed in his direction.
“I’m not afraid to shoot you and if I do, the bullet goes through the boy. I don’t think you want that.”
Kent watched in horror as the two men walked through the side gate and got into a van that had been parked on the side street, stuffing Dixie and Elle into the back seat.
“Echo, Charlie, Delta, seven, seven, Oscar,” he mumbled the license plate number. Clinging to a sobbing Nicky, he ran back into the kitchen, looking for either Elle’s phone or Dixie’s. He found Dixie’s on the kitchen counter, locked.
“Damn,” he muttered. He rubbed Nicky’s back. “Do you know how to get into Mommy’s phone?”
“I do.” Nicky took her phone in his little hands, and he swiped his fingers across the number pad.
“Thank you.”
“That didn’t look like a girl’s day.”
“It’s going to be okay, little man.”
Time to call in the cavalry.