6. Incoming
Chapter 6
Incoming
TOMER
L ate in the afternoon, we’re cuddled on the sofa watching Pitch Perfect . Not my favorite, but she wanted a comforting movie that she could sing along with. There was no fucking way I’d deny her that.
Unfortunately, her ribs hurt when she attempts to sing above a whisper, and she’s holding in her laughter for the same reason. But she seems to be enjoying the movie anyhow.
While it plays, I periodically add items to the task list on my phone. That way, once she’s feeling more independent and I’m able to get on my laptop, I’ll be closer to finding those fuckers.
Until then, I’ll keep her in my arms.
She flinches when my phone vibrates.
“That’s my work cell,” I tell her. “I should answer in case it has something to do with your . . .”
I don’t fucking know how to finish my sentence.
Fortunately, she doesn’t make me. “Okay.” She shifts off me, allowing my arms more freedom.
Quietly, I answer. “Hey, Klein. What’s up?”
“You’ve got incoming,” he blurts without preamble.
My spine goes ramrod straight, and my arm hairs stand on end. “What? Who?”
“It’s Boss and Lionheart. They just left for your place.”
“My place? Why? I’m taking personal leave. Doesn’t he understand that?”
Fuck, fuck, fuck.
Both Klein and Mia know about Big Al and Lettie’s connection. Did they tell him about her? This is not the fucking time for this shit.
“Hang on,” I snap at Klein, then cup my hand over the microphone and meet Lettie’s concerned gaze. “I’m gonna take this in the kitchen. I’ll be right over there, and I won’t let you out of my sight.”
She tentatively nods, rolling her lower lip between her teeth.
I kiss the top of her head and slip away. Although she’s feigning more bravery than she did last night, her fear of being left alone is palpable.
Lingering in the kitchen entryway so she can see me, I instruct Klein to continue.
He soothes my agitation by explaining that they’re only coming to offer Violet access to resources for trauma survivors, which includes a room in a residential facility with the other women we rescued.
That’s out of the fucking question.
But at least Big Al and Leo aren’t coming to stir up a hornet’s nest.
“Fuck. Fine,” I acquiesce to the forthcoming home invasion. “She’s not staying at some shelter, though. I’m moving her in with me permanently.”
“Say what now?” Lettie chimes in, obviously listening too closely for her own good.
Pressing the phone to my chest, I step back into the living room. “We can talk about it later, sugar bear.”
Crossing her arms over her chest, she mumbles to herself.
Fucking hell.
Since our incoming house guests are at least fifteen minutes out, I ask Klein for an update on the case.
Mia’s likely found a fuck ton of usable intel by now. All of which will expedite my plans to take down the traffickers.
Two of the three men responsible for drugging and abducting women for the ring are already in Redleg custody. The third guy—the bouncer at Yuri’s strip club—may have fled the area. He’ll be one of my first targets.
Unfortunately, Mia suspects there’s a mole on the FBI’s trafficking task force. And the large number of victims we dropped at the hospital last night raised red flags, which means the FBI is involved now.
It’s only a slight concern for me because I don’t intend to hand these fuckers over to law enforcement once I find them. If I give them to anyone, it’ll be the coroner.
“In potentially related news,” Klein drawls. “Mia’s place was broken into last night while we were on the op. They disabled her security system, stole her tablet, and bugged her room. She’s trying to figure out who it was but isn’t having much luck.”
This is a fucking shit storm.
I roll my head in alternating circles and shift from foot to foot to burn off the spiking adrenaline. “Did she report it to the cops?”
“Not yet. We can only do so much at once.”
A twinge of guilt makes my neck and shoulders tense. It all but dissolves when Lettie groans in pain from the simple act of rolling onto her side on the couch.
She’s all that matters.
I check my watch. It’s time for her pain relievers and a massage with the arnica lotion.
All the more reason for Leo and Boss to stay the fuck away.
“Sorry I’m not there to help.”
“That’s what family is for.” He pauses, letting loose a tense groan. “Speaking of which...” Klein’s words trail off, and his heavy exhale crackles the line.
Here it is. The pressure to come clean about how Lettie fits into the Redleg family. It sits heavy in my gut like a jagged stone.
“I know. Don’t remind me.”
“Well, Mia and I are the only other people who know. She and I are leaving it up to you to decide what to do. You know Violet best. So it’s your call.”
I turn my back to Lettie for the first time since I’ve been this far away from her and quietly say, “I’ll tell her later this week, once she’s feeling a little better, and let her decide.”
“After last night, we figured she doesn’t know, but we weren’t sure.”
“She has no clue.”
For now.
We say our goodbyes. When I turn around, my sugar bear stands about five feet from me.
I slide the phone into my pocket and act casually. “More pain relievers?”
“Yes. But what’s this about me moving in here?”
From the way she asks, I can’t tell whether she’s open to it or rioting at the idea. But with the clock ticking, this isn’t the time for a discussion of this magnitude.
“Let’s talk about that later. We’re gonna have company in a few minutes.”
Her posture stiffens with a sharp inhale, causing a wince. But almost instantly, her features morph from pain-filled to anxious. Hesitantly, she steps toward me while wringing her hands and whipping her head around.
My legs launch me forward, quickly closing the space between us. Gingerly, I envelop her in my arms.
There’s a quiver in her voice as she asks, “Who’s coming here?”
“Sorry. That sounded more ominous than I intended.”
She peeks at me from under her lashes. Despite the cuts and bruises, she’s easily the most breathtaking creature I’ve ever seen.
“It’s my boss and Leo, the big guy who was with him last night. They want to check on us.”
“I’m not exactly up for visitors.”
“I know you’re not. When they get here, I’ll try to send them away. As much as I’d love for them to respect my boundaries, I doubt they will. We have a very... unique relationship.”
She squeezes her arms around my waist, burrowing her face into my chest. Although I can only see the top of her head, I get the feeling she’s cringing.
“I need to say something, yet I don’t know how to admit this without upsetting you.”
Letting go of her upper back with one hand, I run my fingertips through her silky hair. “Don’t worry about me. You can tell me anything, Lettie. Anything .”
“Um,” she starts, but I cut her off.
“Look at me, sweetness.”
When her face finally meets mine, dread seeps from her eyes. “I don’t think I can handle being around strange men right now. Please don’t make me.”
Anger, sadness, and relief get tossed in a blender in my gut.
The first two emotions aren’t helpful. I already have enough ire at the fuckers who violated her, and she doesn’t need to know I’m drowning in sorrow over what happened.
So I’ll focus on the relief. She doesn’t know it, but she’s given me exactly what I need to prevent a clusterfuck when her father arrives. A viable and honest reason to deny them entrance.
She stays wrapped around me until I hear their vehicle pull into the driveway.
“They’re here, sugar. You can watch me through the window. I’ll see what they want and send them away. Just tap on the glass if you need me.”
Her grip on me pulses before she lets go. “All right.”
After I open the front door, I glance over my shoulder at her. Feigning bravery, she shoos me with a flick of her hand.
“Be right back.”
I meet Boss about ten steps from my front door, planting myself in front of him and crossing my arms at my chest. Lionheart ambles up behind him. On first look, they still appear to be pissed.
Only that’s not all they are. Especially Boss.
There’s something else clouding his blue eyes—so much like his daughter’s. Is it pity? Sadness? Acceptance?
He closes the space between us and lets his heavy stare convey his feelings.
Disappointment.
It’s something I recognize all too well.
Blinking away the guilt, I draw my line in the sand. “This isn’t a good time for visitors, guys. She’s been through a lot.”
Big Al waves off my objection with a slice of his hand. “We’re not here to create problems, especially for her. We came to check on you both and inform you of some developments on the case.” He flings his thumb toward Leo. “And we brought some resources for her.”
Lionheart wiggles a manila folder.
“Is that the shit about the women’s shelter?” I ask the big guy.
“Yep. The Langley Foundation has a state-of-the-art facility, twenty-four-hour security, social workers, therapy, psychiatry, and art therapy. The works. It’s the perfect place for her. And we’ve contacted about half the women so far, offering the same. A few have already started moving in.”
“Appreciate that, but it’s not necessary. She’s fine here.”
Boss and Leo trade knowing glances, and that just pisses me the fuck off.
I know Violet. They don’t.
I can give her what she needs. Not fucking strangers.
She’s mine. I’ll protect her.
Leo tips his chin toward my front door. “If she doesn’t want to stay there, she can access their services on an outpatient basis. If it’d help, we could go in for a minute and talk to her. She might have questions about what they offer.”
Before he can move toward the door, I leap in front of him and put my hand on his chest. “Lionheart, I’ll take the paperwork and give it to her. But she’s uh... she said she’s not ready to be around men she doesn’t know. After what she’s gone through, you can understand that, right?”
He instantly falls back, broad shoulders slumping. “Absolutely. No problem. We just want to help.” With his big palm, he pats my shoulder blade in a brotherly gesture.
I look behind me, unsurprised to see Violet’s face in the window. When I twist my head back around, Big Al is watching her too. There’s a comforting glimmer in his eyes. If he were close enough, would he notice how similar the blue is?
Would she?
He lifts his palm in her direction, offering a slight wave. When I peek back at Lettie, she responds in kind.
Fucking hell.
That’s their first interaction as father and daughter. And I’m the only one who knows it.
Remorse clogs my throat, and my neck goes taut.
Blowing out the discomfort, I return my focus to Boss.
His forehead is shriveled, making his wrinkles more pronounced. There’s a slight twitch in his jaw.
But it’s his eyes that threaten to gut me.
They slam into my stomach like a battering ram. A dozen or more questions conveyed in one look.
Attempting to cut off what could turn into an inquisition, I gesture over my shoulder toward Lettie. “I should get back to her. Give me the short version of the case update.”
Boss pins me with a questioning glare. “Do you think she’ll be willing to file a police report and identify the trafficker we have in custody as her abductor?”
“Possibly. I’ll ask her. What else?”
“As suspected, the trafficking ring is one of Lenkov’s. The other tango we have in custody and his girlfriend confirmed that for us today. They’re willing to come forward if they get protection. They’ve asked about WITSEC, but that’s not our call. More than likely, we’ll eventually turn them over to CPD or the feds, but Mia thinks there’s a mole there, so that’s a fucking nightmare. We’re waiting on that for now, buying Mia time to find the mole so we don’t send them off to be executed.”
None of that is much of a surprise, but I suspect there’s more, so I wait impatiently. When I glance over my shoulder at Lettie, she’s chewing her nails, which isn’t something she normally does. “All right. Is that it?”
“Look, I’ll make this quick so you can get back inside.” He claps his hands, preparing to launch into a rapid-fire update. “I’m sure you’re already aware of Mia’s enhancements to the comm app?”
“The hourly check-ins? Yeah, I saw the notice come through.”
She modified our standard Redleg communications app to signal an alert on the hour, which requires our personal ID code to dismiss it, thus signaling to HQ that we’re all right. If anyone fails to answer, we can sound the alarm.
My only objection is how my full legal name appears on the alert notification window. If Lettie catches a glance of it, I’m fucked.
“Considering how dangerous Lenkov’s organization is, I’m increasing the threat level for anyone involved in the op, and that includes you. So you know the drill. No unnecessary trips out and all that.”
“I get it.”
He checks his watch. “Within thirty minutes, your backup protection will arrive.”
My initial reaction is to reject the offer, but he’s not exactly offering . And besides, it’ll be safer for Lettie to have extra protection.
“No one inside the house, especially if you send a male. She’s jumpy.”
“Perimeter support only. Ten-four,” Boss responds, then looks at Leo. “Can you check the lineup and handle?”
He pulls out his phone. “Wilco.”
I start retreating toward the house. “Send me an email with anything else.”
Without taking his eyes off me, Boss calls out, “Lionheart, why don’t you start the car?”
Fuck me running. Here we go with the brain probe thing.
Leo immediately takes the hint and backs away. “Got it, Boss.” Before he ducks into the SUV, he yells, “Tomer, we’re here for you both, man. Don’t hesitate to ask for anything you need.”
As kind as his words are, my pulse skyrockets with alarm. I hope to fuck Lettie didn’t hear him call me that.
I’ll have to wait until I get inside to know since I’m too chicken shit to spare a glance in her direction.
Big Al sidles up closer, clamping his hand onto my shoulder and capturing my focus.
In a last-ditch attempt to prevent his brain probe, I speak first. “Thanks for stopping by, Boss.”
When I try to pull away, his grip on my shoulder intensifies to just shy of pain. He narrows his eyes to thin slits. “I know you need to get back in there to her, but I need to know you’re okay. Worried about you. Talk to me, T.”
“I thought that’s what we were doing,” I hedge.
He clicks his tongue. “Don’t bullshit me. Are you okay? You don’t seem it.”
“Not sure what you want me to say right now, Boss.”
“Don’t do that,” he chides.
“Do what?”
“Shut me out.” He bunches his lips in a frustrated wad. “Like you did last night.”
I jut my chin. “Is that what this is about? Don’t fucking lecture me about procedures.” Fiery rage spreads up my throat and lands on my tongue. In a rapidly increasing volume, I spit out, “You’d have done the same thing if it was Madeline at a fucking trafficking house getting beaten and fucking violated over and over a-fucking-gain.”
His nostrils flare with a sharp inhale. He releases my shoulder and takes a step back, giving me a small shove in the process.
That was a low blow, and we both know it.
Doesn’t make it untrue.
Even still, the validity of the statement doesn’t justify my callousness. No man wants to visualize his woman being hurt in that way.
As he takes two steps in one direction and doubles back, he pins me with an unyielding glare. His disappointment is stifling, reminding me so much of my childhood.
I can only stand there, simmering in my scalding regret, speechless and shame-filled.
So much fucking regret.
What I’ve said to Big Al piles onto the burning self-condemnation that’s eating away at me over what happened to Lettie. But the remorse I feel toward the man in front of me doesn’t start and end at the barbed words I’ve slung at him. It’s for everything I’ve done.
Today. Yesterday. Last week. Over the last fucking year and all the years before that when I first found out about his daughter but didn’t tell him.
And for the day he saw me strangling the life out of my father’s wretched body.
His disappointment coats my lungs in a pungent sludge, choking off my airway.
It’s almost as oppressive as the disappointment I have in myself.
“I’m gonna excuse that because I know you’ve been through hell. But make no mistake, I won’t tolerate you talking about Madeline like that again. Even in a hypothetical situation, that’s not something you fucking say to another man.”
Feeling rightfully chastised, I drop my gaze to the ground. “I’m sorry, Boss. You’re right.”
He heaves a weary sigh. “What’s her name?”
My eyes find his. He points his chin at the window.
“Violet. Goes by Lettie.”
“Wish I’d met her under different circumstances.”
My heart flops to the bottom of my gut like a dead weight.
Without missing a beat, he carries on, utterly oblivious to the tragedy of his words. “I’ve got to be honest; I’m fucking hurt that you didn’t come to me as soon as you found out she was missing. After everything we’ve been through, I don’t fucking get it.”
His words lance my chest, but I don’t block them out or try to stop him, because I deserve to bleed.
“You know damn well I would never turn my back on family. You clearly love Violet, since you were willing to put everything on the line to save her. That makes her Redleg family.”
If only he knew how true that statement was.
My only response is a slight nod.
He cups the side of my upper arm in a caring gesture. His next words come out in a warmer tone. “She’s a beautiful girl. I hope she makes you happy. Don’t forget, I’m here for you, day or night. Always have been. She’s gonna go through some shit for a while, and that’ll affect you too. When the people we love hurt, so do we.” His eyes widen, conveying his meaning. He pats the side of my cheek. “And I love you, son.”
Without another word, he joins Leo.
I wish I deserved his love.
As the SUV pulls out of my driveway, I take a few cleansing breaths to gather my composure.
When I turn around, Lettie is standing in the open doorway. One foot is on the porch, and the other is on the threshold.
“James, are you okay?” Compassion weaves itself through her heavenly voice and her gorgeous blue eyes. After everything she’s gone through, she’s still worried about me.
I wish I deserved her love too.