12. Uncle
12 UNCLE
Lanie
“Cozumel or Curacao?”
“Huh?”
“Close my door and go with your gut, Lanie. Cozumel or Curacao?”
This was the weirdest way to start a conversation with my boss, but if choosing a vacation destination was what she wanted to discuss, I was fully on board.
“Curacao.”
“Why?”
I shrugged, settling onto the wingback chair across from her large wooden desk. “I’ve been to Cozumel, but I heard there’s nothing better than snorkeling around the islands.”
“You’ve snorkeled?” She raised a brow.
“And scuba dived.”
“Damn. That settles it. I’m taking time off.”
“Great. So can we get to the real reason I’m here?”
Waverly steepled her hands in front of her, staring at a place on the wall over my right shoulder. It wasn’t often she was at a loss for words, which didn’t bode well for me .
“Officially, I need to remind you that a romantic relationship between agents working in the same office––while not forbidden––is frowned upon.”
Breathing became impossible. Surely she wasn’t considering transferring one of us. It wasn’t long ago when she was telling me to wait for him. What the hell had happened to change her tune? My mind whirled with every possible argument I could think of as to why it would be a bad idea to break up our team. We weren’t actually partners anyway. Dammit. Where was Noah when I needed him? His big brain would know how to get us out of this.
“Unofficially, it’s about damn time the two of you got your shit together.” Thank God. Slumping in the chair, I deflated like a week-old balloon. Unfortunately, she wasn’t done. “However, if at any time this relationship interferes with your ability to perform your job, I won’t hesitate to step in. Understood?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Good. Now tell me how you’re really doing.” I opened my mouth, but she held up her hands mid-air, stopping me before any words came out. “If you say you’re fine, your ass will be on desk duty for the next month. Give me the truth, not the bullshit you’d feed your mother.”
Waverly was one of the finest agents I’d ever met. She climbed the ladder quickly, not because she knew how to kiss ass, but because she knew how to kick it. I admired the hell out of her and considered her a close friend, which was why I felt comfortable telling her what I hadn’t even told Noah. He had enough on his plate to deal with.
“I’ve been on emotion overload since Dave’s confession. What I’m feeling changes by the minute, sometimes the second.”
“Do you need to talk to someone? ”
“Isn’t that what I’m doing?”
“I mean a professional. The FBI has a team of counselors at the ready.”
“I’d rather not.”
“You might change your mind in a minute.”
Her words were ominous, a warning of sorts. When she got up and moved to the window behind her desk, alarm bells started blaring in my head. Propping her hands on the wooden frame, she dropped her chin to her chest and exhaled loudly. Something was off, I just wasn’t sure how hard I’d have to brace. Turns out I should’ve strapped myself in.
“I called a friend about Beth’s case.” Breathe, Lanie. “After you told me you were headed to Denver, several pieces clicked into place for me. You see, my friend was part of a joint task force in Colorado about twelve years ago, working to bring down a sexual slavery ring.”
Beth disappeared eleven years ago, so unless my math wasn’t mathing, Waverly was talking about the same group who took her.
“Who is this ‘friend’?”
She turned and sat on the window ledge. “McEntire Jones. Former Homeland Security operative, current chief of police in Shadow’s Edge, a little town in Western Maryland.”
“Wait.” A light bulb went off. “Mac? You called your ex?”
“Ex implies we had an actual relationship.” Placing her hands on her knees, she leaned forward. “No, what Mac and I had were delusions of grandeur. Luckily, we realized very quickly we were better friends than lovers.”
“Does he remember the case? ”
“I’ll let him tell you.”
“He’s coming here?”
Eyeing her watch, she said, “He’ll be here any minute.”
Five minutes to be exact.
Chief Jones was exactly how I pictured him to be, only hotter and older. Waverly was pushing forty, but this guy had at least ten years on her, if not a few more. His dirty-blond hair was trimmed close to his head on the sides, spiked on top, with silvery streaks intertwined throughout. I could absolutely see the appeal.
When it came time for introductions, Noah curled one arm around my waist, pulling me back into his hard chest, while reaching out with his other to shake hands. It was a territorial move, which didn't go unnoticed by the rest of our team or our guest.
“It’s all good, Agent Anderson,” Mac smirked, “I don’t share either.”
Waverly coughed into her fist, while everyone else busted out laughing, myself included.
The atmosphere sobered quickly when Mac pulled out a thick file folder from his briefcase as we gathered around the conference table. It had to be about three inches thick with loose pieces of paper. These were his personal notes, not the official ones. It was a well-known fact in law enforcement circles that an investigator’s gut feelings about a case and the players involved were usually accurate, even if there wasn’t enough evidence to prove them. Basically, shit was about to get way more real than I was prepared for when I woke up this morning.
“As you all know by now, Beth Benson’s body was discovered in a mass grave two years after she was reported missing.” Noah threaded his fingers through mine under the table, lending me his strength. “What you don’t know is how the task force was able to find that particular grave site.”
Mac glanced at Waverly, who gave him a subtle nod.
“We had an informant. Someone in the organization who came forward with the location in order to escape prosecution, should the entire ring be brought down.”
“Who?” I learned forward, wanting confirmation but knowing the name before it ever left his mouth.
“Brandon Little.”
“Motherfucker,” Noah growled beside me.
No lie. I was going to be sick. My chair bounced off the floor as I raced from the room, ignoring my name being shouted behind me. I had one goal; make it to the bathroom down the hallway before I hurled spectacularly. Fumbling with the doorknob cost me precious seconds, but I was able to get it open and slide to my knees in front of the toilet before the first cramp hit my stomach. Everything I ate for breakfast reappeared.
That fucking bastard. I’d actually felt a little guilty when the DEA told me he’d been killed in his cell. Now I wish I could bring him back to life so I could choke the life out of him. All that time I’d been working with the man responsible for Beth’s kidnapping and ultimately her death. He’d been right in front of me for weeks, and I missed every sign. Goddammit!
“Easy, Darlin’. Take deep breaths.” Something cool pressed against my neck as Noah gathered my hair away from my face. I hadn’t even realized I was crying until his thumb swiped away the wetness under my eye. “I’m right here.”
“Go. Please. ”
Laying my head on the porcelain throne, I fought the urge to purge again.
“In sickness and in health.”
“We’re not married, Cowboy,” I whispered in between bouts of nausea.
“I’m practicing.”
Blindly reaching up, I flushed. “I need to get back in there.”
“I’ve got a better idea.” He stood, wrapping a hand around my elbow to help me to my feet. “Do you trust me?”
“With my life.”
“We don’t have time for this,” Koen bitched.
“You’re just mad you drew the short straw.” Keaton teased.
“Yeah, well, you would be too. Lanie doesn’t hit like a girl.”
“That’s because I’m a woman, jackass.”
Noah was an honest to God genius. His idea was precisely what I needed. There was no better way to blow off excess steam like a sparring match in the ring. Since he came up with it, the other two guys played rock, paper, scissors to see who would be my boxing buddy. Duncan was our self-appointed referee, which worked because no one wanted to face-off against him. He could beat all of us blindfolded with his hands tied behind his back.
“Let’s go over the rules,” he announced, climbing between the ropes. “No direct head or groin shots, I don’t need to spend the afternoon in the emergency room because one of you got overzealous. ”
“He means you, Lanes.”
“Cut the chatter, Koen,” Duncan admonished.
“Yes, sir.”
“Two points for every direct hit. First one to twenty wins. Are you ready?”
Noah finished taping my hands, then kissed me hard on the lips. “Kick his ass, Darlin’.”
Koen and I bumped fists, then waited for the signal.
“Begin.”
Boxing was an art. It required focus and stamina to make it from one round to the next. One of those I had in abundance, but the other—my focus—had been lost as of late. I’d allowed outside noise to take up too much headspace. It was time for me to take back control.
Find your center and breathe .
We were light on our feet, dancing around the ring, watching and waiting for the other to make the first move. I’d studied my opponent before, so I knew to dodge left and swing right when Koen finally made his move.
“Shit,” he groaned when I connected with his ribs. “Well played.”
“Let’s do this.” I grinned wide.
Sweat soaked my shirt and every muscle in my body burned, but I felt alive. I’d also have a couple new bruises, courtesy of Koen. We didn’t play around when it came to training. It would be a disservice if any of them took it easy on me. The criminals sure as hell wouldn’t.
“Uncle.” Koen bent at the waist with his hands on his knees. I was two points from a win.
“Seriously?” Keaton took out his wallet, slapping cash into Noah’s outstretched hand. “You cost me twenty bucks.”
“You bet against me? ”
“Hell no. We bet on whether he’d give up. You’re vicious in the ring.”
“No more vicious than the rest of you.”
“I hate to interrupt playtime, but Mac has to be going soon.”
Waverly’s reminder was like having a bucket of ice water dumped over my head. Brutal, yet effective. Spending the rest of the day sitting in the dentist chair sounded better than listening to whatever else the man had to say. It wasn’t his fault he’d hit the mother of all nerves. He was simply the bearer of the news.
Noah hooked me around the neck. “Come on, slugger. Let’s get this over with.”
No one realized the extent of the Los Tredos involvement until every slip of paper in Mac’s file was laid out in front of us. Their operation may have started in California, however it spread rapidly to Nevada, Colorado, then finally West Virginia. We’d also underestimated the length of time Brandon had been involved with the ruthless gang. If our timelines were correct, Brandon was recruited at twelve years old as a drug mule, then worked his way up to more serious crimes. Beth’s rejection of him is what Mac believes led to his ultimate betrayal. I wholeheartedly agreed.
Mac departed a little before noon, leaving his file behind. There would be no arrest, no trial, no conviction. Justice, in a manner of speaking, had already been served. I didn’t know how I was supposed to feel about any of it. Part of me was relieved to finally have the answers, while another part, somewhere deep down in my soul, wished Brandon had suffered longer. It was about so much more than Beth. Thirty-five women had been found in that mass grave; thirty-five daughters, sisters…best friends .
To Los Tredos, those women were nothing more than skin to be traded for the almighty dollar. It was why I was adamant about joining the FBI. Someone had to stand up for the victims who’d been discovered and fight for the countless others who were desperately waiting to be found. They needed a voice and mine was just as good as any.
After making myself another cup of coffee, I went back to my desk and checked my cell. Five unread text messages. It was strange. I hadn’t really thought about being disconnected from the rest of the world when we were away, but now that we were back, I couldn’t go longer than thirty minutes without checking it.
Henley: Girls’ night tonight?
Jade: I’m game.
Henley: Lanie?
Henley: Hello?
Jade: Give her more than two minutes. She’s working.
Me: Yes to girls’ night, but we’ll have to stay in.
Henley: These Russians are really putting a damper on my social life.
Jade: What social life? It’s not like you’re going out clubbing. You’re baking a baby, for Pete’s sake.
Henley: Who is Pete anyway?
Henley: Forget that. My pregnancy brain is going haywire.
I laughed to myself. These two were the reason for my new cell phone addiction. They played a vital role in my life and when I wasn’t able to talk to them multiple times a day, it felt like I was missing a limb.
Me: What’s your excuse going to be in a couple of weeks when the baby is here?
Henley: Sleep deprivation.
Me: Good point.
Me: You know girls’ night is going to be invaded by the guys, right?
Henley: Ugh…
Jade: We could do a barbecue at my house. The guys can man the grill while we relax inside.
Me: Perfect. See you both later. XO
Ending my messages with hugs and kisses was something new. I wasn’t overly sentimental, in fact, some would call me a little rough around the edges. However, if recent events had taught me anything, it was this.
Tomorrow wasn’t a guarantee.
Noah
All I really wanted after the shit day we’d had was to go home and spend a few hours getting lost in Lanie. The universe had other plans, despite my protest. Instead of being buried balls deep, I was up to my eyeballs in barbecue chicken thighs. I didn’t mind though. Not when I heard shrieks of laughter coming from the house every once in a while. Lanie needed this time with her girls just as much as they needed her.
“You’re gonna burn those,” Koen pointed out.
“You do it then.” I tossed the set of tongs at him and grabbed a beer from the small cooler we’d brought outside.
“Just call me the grill master.” He spun the silver utensil around in his hand.
“Yo. Grill master.” Keaton pointed to the brick built-in barbecue. “One of your thighs is on fire.”
“Shit.” Koen picked up a nearby water bottle, dousing the small flames. “That one doesn’t count. I literally just took over.”
“Did you find out whether you're having a boy or girl yet?” I asked Keaton, sitting opposite him in front of the metal firepit.
Mountain living came with perks; the views and the isolation from the rest of the world were two of them. Like everything else, there was also a downside. The weather was something I had yet to become accustomed to. Regardless of the time of year, evenings could get chilly. It was as if the heat of the day was magically sucked out of the air as soon as the sun set behind the majestic peaks. Needless to say, having the extra warmth from the fire was helpful, especially since the girls relegated us to grill duty the second we walked in the door.
“Henley wanted to be surprised. I guess we’ll find out in the next few weeks.”
“Are you ready to be a dad? ”
“Am I ready to finally meet him or her and hold them in my arms? Absolutely. In terms of preparedness, I’m not even close.” He took a long pull from his beer. “I still haven’t figured out how to put the crib together. You’d think the instructions would be pretty clear, right? Wrong. There aren’t any words on the paper, only a bunch of diagrams. Who the hell knows how to read a diagram?”
“Me. Do you want help?”
“Fuck yes,” he answered quickly. “I’m not too proud to admit when I’m out of my league.”
“We can do it this weekend.” He nodded in agreement.
We were the only family Henley had beside a pseudo-grandmother and the people she worked with at the diner. As such, Lanie and Jade had been planning a baby shower pretty much from the moment they found out she was pregnant. At first, she didn’t want anything special, but the girls were able to use their powers of persuasion to convince her otherwise. Originally, the shower was supposed to take place the weekend after the wedding. For obvious reasons, it was postponed.
“I’m bringing her horses here,” I announced.
“Does she know that?” Keaton raised his brow.
“Not yet.”
“Your last surprise didn’t go over very well. You sure you wanna try for round two?”
“She’ll love this one.”
“It’s your funeral.” He took a swig of his beer.
“Chow time.” Koen slid open the glass door, waving us inside while holding tight to a platter overflowing with delicious smelling chicken.
In the kitchen, the girls had put together a feast. Bowls filled with pasta salad, coleslaw, baked beans, and several different vegetables lined the countertop. My gaze immediately zeroed in on my girl. She had me worried earlier. Lanie was one of the strongest people I knew, but everyone had their breaking point, and I thought she’d reached hers. It’s why I’d taken her to the training gym at the office; to remind her she had a lot of fight left in her. Or maybe I was the one who needed the reminder. Either way, watching her stalk around the ring like a panther on the prowl was a spectacular sight, but it didn’t hold a candle to the ear-to-ear grin she was wearing on her face as she sat at the table, cracking up with her two best friends. She looked invincible…untouchable. I just hoped we didn’t have to find out whether she was.
“Keaton and I wanted to ask you guys something.” Henley wrung her hands together nervously. “Will you all be the baby’s godparents?”
Deathly silence was followed by ear-bursting shrieks as all three girls pushed back from the table simultaneously, colliding mid-kitchen into a blubbering mass of tears and hugs. To be fair, I may have felt a bit emotional myself. It wasn’t every day I was asked to be responsible for someone’s child.
Children were a bit of a sore subject for me. At least they had been until I’d found someone I could imagine having a family with one day. After my sister found out she couldn’t have kids, not only did my parents blame me, they also made it abundantly clear the responsibility of providing them with grandchildren rested solely on my shoulders. They beat me down with their words one minute, then demanded an heir the next. It was part of the reason I shut them out of my life years ago and why I’d never allow a child of mine anywhere near them.
“I’ll take that as a yes?” Keaton chuckled.
“Pretty good assumption,” I returned .
The evening dwindled to a halt when Jett returned home from studying with his friend, Phoebe. Henley would be staying the night in their guest room since Keaton was on watchguard duty for the night, so after we all said our goodbyes, the three of us headed out.
“I’ll follow you,” Keaton called out, rounding his car parked at the end of the driveway.
It was a beautiful night. The full moon shone down, helping to light our way as Lanie and I veered left, walking hand in hand down the cracked sidewalk. Parking had been limited when we’d arrived, but thankfully we found a spot in front of the house three doors down. When we were in range, I reached into my pocket, pushing the button on the key fob to unlock the doors and illuminating our path farther as the headlights flashed on.
Lanie pressed her palm to my cheek after I pulled her seat belt across her lap. “Tonight was nice.”
“It was.” I kissed her lightly on the lips. “I’m glad you had a good time with your girls.”
Jogging around to the driver’s side, I slid into my seat and pushed the start button. Nothing happened. Not even the lights on the dashboard came on. My SUV was practically brand new, with less than ten thousand miles on it. There was no reason for it not to start.
“The lights came on, so it’s not the battery.”
Lanie’s statement didn’t resonate until I pushed the starter again. Only this time, I heard a distinct click. One I remembered hearing about years ago in Quantico.
“Fuck. Get out of the car, Lanie.” I unclipped her seat belt. “Now!”
She didn’t hesitate. Neither did I. I was halfway around the car when I heard Keaton holler my name. There was no way of knowing how much time we had. The only thing I did know was I had to try to get us out of range before it was too late.
“Bomb!” I yelled, grabbing Lanie’s hand. “Run.”
We took off toward Keaton, who had his cell phone to his ear, hopefully calling in backup. Fifty feet separated us from the SUV. Sixty feet. Wrapping my arms around Lanie, I took us both to the ground, covering her body with mine at the same time as the ground shook violently below us, and a deafening rumble penetrated the night air.
BOOM.
Intense heat licked at my back, singeing my spine, even through a layer of clothes. I curled myself tighter around Lanie, determined none of this would touch her. It only lasted a few seconds, then I couldn’t hear anything over the ringing in my ears and the thundering of my own heartbeat.
The only thing left of my SUV were pieces of charred metal littering the streets and spread across the once manicured lawns of Koen’s neighborhood. Two other vehicles were tragically lost when mine was blown sky-high, but there were no human casualties. The rancid smell of smoke lingered in the air, even though the fire department was able to extinguish the blaze quickly.
“It’ll feel like a nasty sunburn for the next day or two.” The young male EMT slathered my back with a numbing cream. “Otherwise, you should be good to go.”
Good to go. The phrase was laughable, given the fact I was the farthest from “good to go” a person could get. I was pissed; more like fucking livid. There hadn’t been any incidents with the Russians since Lanie’s townhouse, most likely because we’d disappeared. We––I––should have been more vigilant. The Bratva wasn’t a bunch of low-level thugs with more bluster than brains. They were a highly organized crime syndicate who didn’t give a fuck who they hurt. One way or another, we had to find a way to bring them down.
“Thanks.”
Lanie sat between my legs on the gurney, having refused to leave my side. It worked out well for me, since I didn’t want her out of my sight.
“This ends now.” Her voice wavered a little, but not from fear. No, my girl was seething.
“You’re right. It does.” I pulled my shirt over my head, grimacing when the action pulled at my inflamed skin.
“I know how you feel now.”
“What do you mean, Darlin’?”
She turned her head, glaring at me over her shoulder. “I want to spank your ass for pulling that shit.”
Only Lanie could make me laugh after almost being blown up. Duncan, who’d posted himself outside of the ambulance doors as soon as he arrived, arched his brow in question. I shook him off with a subtle shake of my head, then kissed the tip of her nose.
“You could try, Little Lamb.”
After shuttling Henley, Jade, and Jett off to the nearest motel for safe keeping, the two K’s began canvassing the neighborhood, knocking on every door to see if any of the homes had cameras pointed toward the street. All we needed was for one of them to have an image of our perp. It didn’t even have to be a clear picture for our facial recognition software to be able to identify them, so long as they were in the system. The odds were stacked against us, though at this point we’d take whatever we could get.
After thanking the EMT, Lanie and I jumped down from the back of the ambulance, both of us antsy to check in with Waverly. She’d taken over the scene like the boss she was, flashing her badge and spouting orders the second her booted feet smacked the concrete. One of the local detectives tried to throw around his weight––literally and figuratively. The man was obviously one donut shy of a dozen and didn’t understand the consequences of his actions. He learned very quickly though, what happens when you challenge a mother bear protecting her cubs. Needless to say, his tune changed drastically after our RAC made one, very brief phone call to his boss’s boss.
“Where do you want us?” Lanie asked when we approached.
Waverly held up her finger, indicating for us to wait while she typed something out on her phone. Her nails pecked so hard at the screen I was shocked they didn’t break. “Nelson will be meeting us at the office in an hour. I’m done fucking around with these bastards. I need my team back to full capacity and that can’t happen if we’re busy looking over our goddamn shoulders.”
Over the years, I’d witnessed her take command of harrowing situations like they were nothing; an everyday occurrence. One thing you could count on was Resident Agent in Charge Waverly Mitchell remaining calm, cool, and collected. All that to say, I’d never seen her amped up like this before. Someone’s head was gonna roll. I was just glad we weren’t on the receiving end of her fury.
“We’re gonna need a lift. My ride’s a little incapacitated at the moment.”
“Too soon, Noah.” Duncan began walking away. “You’re both with me. Let’s hit the road.”
“Ten years from now would be too soon,” Lanie muttered as we moved to follow him .
“Sometimes you need to laugh to keep from crying, Darlin’.”
“What happened to the stoic, reserved agent I hired?” Waverly called out once we were a few feet away.
I draped my arm over Lanie’s shoulders and shouted back.
“I fell in love.”