Chapter 24
CHAPTER 24
K ing fired off a quick text to Jake, then slipped his phone into his pocket, his gaze automatically seeking out Amara. She was staring at her phone, but the telltale blush on her face caught his attention. Before he could think more about that, the door swung open.
“You got a minute?” Kane asked, giving Joey a casual wave.
King nodded and walked toward Amara, his focus shifting. “Do you want me to handle this, or do you want to talk to her?”
Amara’s head snapped up, her eyes flicking between Kane and King. “She’s here?”
“Yeah,” King confirmed, watching her reaction closely. He’d rather keep her out of this until they knew exactly who this woman was, but he wouldn’t keep her in the dark. This was her call.
Slipping her phone into her pocket, Amara glanced at Joey. “I’ll be back,” she told him.
“Cool. Bring me a Mountain Dew when you do,” Joey called after her.
“I got you,” Adam said, pushing off the wall and following them out.
As they walked down the hall, King glanced at Amara. “Adam will be able to tell if this woman is lying.”
“You can do that?” Amara looked up at Adam, her eyes wide with curiosity.
“I can,” Adam confirmed with a slight nod.
“Good,” Amara exhaled, taking a deep breath as if steeling herself for whatever was coming.
King felt the weight of her apprehension, but damn if she didn’t square her shoulders and lift her chin in quiet determination.
They stepped into the waiting room, where a woman sat nervously. The second they entered, she rose to her feet.
“This is King, Adam, and Amara,” Kane introduced. “And this is Monica, the one who brought Joey to the ER.” Adam was the only one who reached out to shake her hand.
Amara didn’t hesitate. She strode straight up to Monica, her eyes sharp and unwavering. “Did you have anything to do with my brother being killed?”
King watched closely, ready to step in if necessary, but he had to give the woman credit—she didn’t flinch or shift uncomfortably. Instead, she met Amara’s gaze head-on.
“No, I did not,” Monica answered, her voice calm and steady. “And I was too late to stop what happened to Joey, but I did my best to help him.”
Amara immediately turned to Adam, who was studying Monica with sharp focus.
“Truth,” Adam confirmed, answering Amara’s silent question.
Monica’s expression softened slightly. “I’m so sorry about Lee and Joey,” she said, sincerity clear in her tone.
Amara held her gaze for a beat before giving a slight nod. “Thank you,” she replied. “And thank you for bringing Joey to the ER. He might not have made it if it weren’t for you.”
Monica exhaled as if she had been expecting more resistance. “I did what I could, but it wasn’t enough.”
King, observing the exchange, stepped forward. "You can do more now,” he said, his tone firm yet gentle. “Start talking.”
“It’s a little complicated, but I’ll do my best,” Monica finally said, her voice laced with something that sounded a lot like regret. She cast a quick glance at Kane, who stared at her with an unreadable expression before shifting her focus back to Amara. “I work with a Victims Advocate group for abused, addicted, and trafficked women. It’s my job to listen, help, and get them to safety when possible. But that wasn’t the only reason I went into this occupation.”
Her voice caught for a second, but she pushed forward.
“My older sister disappeared ten years ago,” Monica said, her voice trembling slightly. She swallowed hard, cleared her throat, and tried again. “The local police believed she was one of the women caught up in a trafficking ring they had busted. Only two women were rescued during that raid. My sister wasn’t among them.”
She paused, her eyes glistening with memories that had clearly haunted her for a decade.
“But one of the survivors remembered her.” Her fingers clenched into fists at her sides. “She told me my sister was there. But after the raid, she was just gone.”
King had a bad feeling he knew exactly what this woman was about to say. His eyes shifted to Kane, who looked at him with the same look.
“Working with these women, I get a lot of insider information.” Monica’s voice grew more intense. “My sister’s case is still open. I’ve fought to keep it that way. If I discover any clues, I send them to the detective assigned to her case.”
“So, you’re using these women,” Kane said, his eyes narrowing as he stared at her.
“Kane!” Amara gasped, looking at him with wide eyes.
“Screw you,” Monica hissed, then turned to Amara. “I truly am sorry about what happened to Lee.”
King watched as Monica headed for the door and started to go after her, but Amara beat him to it. She stopped in front of Monica.
“Please,” Amara’s voice cracked, raw with desperation. “I have to find out who did this to my brother and why.” Her entire body was tense with grief and determination. “I lost my brother, but Joey… Joey lost his father.” Her breath hitched, and she forced herself to meet Monica’s gaze. “You know how that feels, Monica. The not knowing.”
Monica flinched as if Amara’s words had physically struck her. For a long moment, she said nothing, just stared at Amara with something unreadable in her expression. Then, with a slow, heavy sigh, she finally spoke.
“A man named John Griffen killed Lee.”
The air in the room seemed to shift, thickening with the weight of those words. Amara inhaled sharply, but Monica continued before she could even process the name.
“A group of people found your name on a list,” Monica said, her voice quieter now but no less intense. “John was blackmailing your brother. They wanted you, Amara, but Lee refused. He told them he didn’t know where you were.” She shook her head. “John didn’t believe him. But instead of killing him outright, he kept Lee around, forcing him to do his dirty work, holding Joey’s life over his head like a loaded gun.”
“He did it to protect Joey,” Amara whispered, her voice barely audible, as if saying it out loud would shatter what little control she had left.
“And you.” Monica’s gaze softened, but her voice remained steady. “Listen, I don’t know why John wanted you so badly, but he did. He worked for someone higher up, and I think the pressure was on. Lee showed up that night, and John was relentless, threatening Joey, pushing every button he could.” She hesitated, her lips pressing into a thin line before continuing. “Lee lost it. They fought, but... well, you know how it ended.”
Amara felt her throat tighten as the image of her brother flashed in her mind. The warmth of his laughter. The protective way he always looked at her.
“Is he the one who did that to Joey?” King’s voice was low, controlled but Amara could hear the barely restrained fury beneath it.
Monica shook her head. “No. But I don’t know who did.” Her gaze flicked to King’s. “I overheard a phone call and realized something had happened to Joey on John’s order. I left and searched for him. The rest... you already know.”
“Where can I find this son of a bitch?” King asked, his voice like a storm rolling in, dark and dangerous.
Monica checked her watch, then looked back up. “Not around here. He’ll stay away until the investigation dies down.”
Kane, who had been silent until now, pushed off the wall, his eyes locked on Monica. “What part in all of this did you play?” His voice was sharp, cutting straight through the tension in the room.
Monica didn’t even look at him. She exhaled through her nose, then turned to Amara instead. “Can I ask how Joey is doing?”
Amara hesitated. A part of her wanted to shut down, to close herself off from this woman who had been tied to her brother’s final moments. But something in Monica’s expression—something haunted, something tangible—made her answer.
“He’s going to be fine.”
Monica nodded. “Good.” A small, sad smile flickered across her lips before disappearing. “Lee really loved him. And you.”
Amara swallowed past the lump in her throat. “Did you know my brother well?”
“Not really,” Monica admitted. “But I wish someone like Lee had been looking out for my sister.”
She turned to leave, but Kane’s voice stopped her cold.
“You haven’t answered my question.” His tone was like steel, unyielding.
Monica turned back slowly, her eyes locking onto his with a glare sharp enough to cut. “And I won’t.” Her voice was quiet but packed with meaning. “I gave you a name. I risked my safety and possibly any chance I had of finding my sister for Joey. Not for you. Stay the fuck away from me, Warrior .” She turned on her heel and walked out, disappearing down the hallway.
Silence filled the room until Adam let out a low whistle. “Did she just call you Warrior?”
Kane smirked but didn’t offer anything more.
King’s focus, however, was on Adam. “Did she lie about anything?”
Adam rubbed a hand over his forehead, frowning. “No. But she left a hell of a lot out.” He exhaled sharply, his jaw tightening. “She’s in deep with these people. She quit her job after finding out John Griffen was part of the trafficking ring that might have her sister. And then she started working for him.”
“Shit,” King cursed glaring at the empty doorway.
“She’s more or less working undercover to find her sister,” Adam explained, confirming what King had already suspected.
“I’ll get Jinx and Lacey on tracking down this John asshole,” Kane said, pushing off the wall and headed toward the hallway, his expression dark with purpose.
“Wait.” Amara’s voice was tight, and she wrapped her arms around her stomach as if bracing herself. “If you do that, she’ll never know what happened to her sister.”
King clenched his jaw. “Amara,” he warned, shaking his head. “This man isn’t going to stop looking for you.”
“Obviously, he’s not the only one.” Her eyes flashed as she shot back. “And Monica said he’s not even around. He won’t be for a while.”
“No.” King’s voice was firm, his stance unyielding. He refused to let this bastard walk free.
“She saved Joey’s life.” Amara’s frown deepened as she glared up at him. “She didn’t have to help us. She didn’t have to give us the name of the man who killed Lee. But she did.”
Adam exhaled through his nose, nodding slightly. “She also said someone else was pulling the strings.” He shrugged. “Taking out John might feel good, but it won’t stop whoever’s coming for Amara. If anything, maybe we can work with Monica. Help her find her sister. In turn, she can help us figure out who’s really wanting Amara.”
King clenched his fists, the need for violence thrumming through his veins. He wanted to wrap his hands around John Griffen’s throat and squeeze until there was nothing left. But Adam wasn’t wrong. If John was just a puppet, cutting his strings wouldn’t stop the real threat.
“Lee is dead.” Amara’s voice wavered slightly, but she lifted her chin. “Her sister may not be.”
King’s gaze softened, but his anger didn’t fade. “What about you, Amara?” he asked, his voice low, challenging. “What happens if this all backfires? If working with her puts you in even more danger?”
Amara tilted her head, unwavering. “I want to help find her sister. It’s the least I can do after what she did for Joey.”
King turned to Kane, who had been silently taking it all in, unreadable as always. “What do you think?”
Kane finally smirked, the kind of grin that usually meant trouble. “You know I’m up for anything. Undercover work is my specialty . ”
King rolled his eyes, muttering a curse under his breath. This wasn’t what he wanted. He wanted to end this threat before it had a chance to circle back. But as much as he hated to admit it, Amara was right. Adam was right. Killing John Griffen wouldn’t solve the bigger problem.
His gaze slid back to Amara. She looked at him with wide, determined eyes, standing firm even though he could feel the tension radiating from her. His respect for this woman who had already been through so much, who still had the heart to fight for someone else grew tenfold.
“Fine.” The word came out harsher than he intended. “But if he comes anywhere near you, he’s a dead man.”
He really hoped he wouldn’t regret this. But deep down, he already knew if anything happened to Amara, there wouldn’t be a force on earth that could stop him from burning the whole damn world down to find the son of a bitch.