Chapter 23
Chapter Twenty-Three
JASON
Bacon and eggs?
The scent hit me as I sat up on the couch, rubbing my eyes. Sunlight streamed through the windows, and I could hear the sizzle of bacon in the kitchen. I’d slept the deepest and longest I’d slept in months—a kissing marathon didn’t hurt.
I stood and walked to the kitchen, stopping at the entrance. “What are you doing?”
Cora grinned as she moved between pans and held Elias on her shoulder. “I felt like making breakfast.”
“It’s after one in the afternoon.”
“You can have breakfast any time of the day.”
I crossed the room and motioned for her to hand over Elias. “My turn.”
“You don’t have—”
“You’re right, I don’t. I want him because I want him.”
Her gaze caught mine. “Okay,” she said, handing him to me.
As I took him, I leaned down and kissed her. “Thank you.”
She twisted her fingers in my shirt and brought my lips back down to hers. “You can’t kiss me like you did last night and expect a peck on the lips to be all I get this morning.”
The night before, I’d had zero intention of kissing her when I walked into the kitchen. I couldn’t even explain what happened. One minute I was stealing cookies from her, and the next, she was on the counter, and I couldn’t get close enough to her. Couldn’t kiss her enough.
It’d been the hottest kiss I’d ever shared with a woman. I’d certainly never eat another cookie without thinking about her sweet mouth.
We’d moved to the couch and continued kissing until we’d eventually fallen asleep, wrapped up in each other.
I wasn’t supposed to have this. Not after what happened with my father, but here I was, holding… my son and kissing a woman I wanted forever with. The thought should have terrified me. Instead, it felt right.
“Well, in that case…” I wrapped my free arm around her waist, pulled her to me, and kissed her until Elias fussed.
I took his hand in mine. “Okay, okay. I get it. Stop kissing your mom.”
He wiggled in my arms and giggled.
“Breakfast is finished if you want some.” She lifted on her toes and brushed her lips against mine.
“I absolutely do.”
“Okay.” She reluctantly pulled away and walked to the cabinet.
Just as she pulled a plate out, Thomas strolled into the kitchen. “Hey…”
His gaze went from mine to Cora and back. A smirk stretched on his lips. “Could I borrow Jason a minute?”
“Uh, sure. I could make you some eggs really quick.”
“That’d be great.”
I followed Thomas to the living room; far enough out of earshot that we could talk.
“What’s going on?”
“I got word that Kane wants us to meet him at the justice of the peace’s office. Word is the guy is back in town.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Sounds like a set up.”
Thomas shook his head. “No. I trust him. I did a little digging on him. If there’s one person in this town we can trust, it’s him.”
“All right. Tell him we’ll do it. At least with the appeal hearing set for next week, Colter won’t try anything stupid.
This house is on lockdown while we’re gone.
” My men would keep her safe while I got answers from the JP.
Maybe her wedding gift would be Colter in handcuffs. At least I’d let her think that.
“Will do. What are you going to tell Cora?”
I shrugged. I glanced back toward the kitchen where I could hear her humming. The last thing I wanted was to leave this. “I’ll think of something.”
Something that wouldn’t involve the truth. The lie sat heavy in my chest, but until I had hard answers and solid proof, Cora would stay in the dark. I wasn’t going to get her hopes up and break her heart. Once I had evidence against Colter, I’d hand it over to Rex.
Once she had custody of Elias… things would be different.
Maybe things would be different with us as well.
I swept my gaze over the Valle Perdido County Courthouse Annex, the wing that housed the justice of the peace’s office. Despite the late hour, a dim light glowed from what appeared to be a basement window.
“You sure about this?” Thomas asked, his hand instinctively staying near his weapon as we approached the building.
“No, but Cora needs answers,” I said, though something in my gut was sending up warning flags. After weeks of being gone, the JP returns? Why?
“Yeah, well, hopefully what I’ve heard about Kane is right and he isn’t walking us into a trap.” Thomas scanned the empty parking lot. “Where is he?”
The courthouse grounds were eerily quiet for a border town. No late-night traffic, no sounds from the nearby buildings. Even the crickets seemed muted.
I checked my phone. No new messages.
“Maybe he’s already inside,” I said.
Something felt off, but I needed answers. If I could get the JP to talk, maybe his testimony along with the evidence on Maya’s phone would be enough to make sure everyone involved went to prison.
When I’d left the house, Cora was expecting Daisy from the dress shop.
Thomas had done a background check on her and she’d come back clean.
The only reason I’d felt comfortable allowing a stranger in the house while I wasn’t home.
I’d insisted the seamstress come to the house rather than let Cora leave—not when I couldn’t go with her.
She thought my sudden outing was about wedding surprise preparations, and I was happy to let her believe that.
The side door creaked open before we reached it. Kane’s massive frame filled the doorway, his scarred face tense as he gestured us inside.
“About time,” he said, his voice low and gruff. “Been waiting twenty minutes.”
“Where’s the JP?” Thomas asked, scanning the dimly lit hallway as we entered.
“Police scanner said he was called out for a family emergency.” Kane shut the door behind us and turned the deadbolt.
The courthouse felt different at night—older, more oppressive.
The dimly lit hallway stretched ahead of us, lined with outdated portraits of local officials.
“Figured we could wait in his office. Gives us time to talk without interruption.”
I paused at the door and asked, “And what happens when Colter realizes his best friend is working against him?”
Kane’s expression darkened. “That’s my business.”
“Not when it involves me, it isn’t.”
A heavy groan. “Something was going down on the border. He took half the club with him. We had some issues with one of the cartels and he didn’t want to leave our territory completely unprotected.”
“And he didn’t take his vice president?” Thomas asked.
He gave a shrug and a menacing glare. “He knew I’d make problems and didn’t want me going.”
That explained Kane’s willingness to meet tonight, but it also meant we were on borrowed time. Our footsteps echoed off the tile floors as Kane led us down the narrow corridor.
“Any idea why he returned to Valle Perdido?” I said as we walked. Kane’s jaw tightened.
“I figured that’d be the first question.” He pushed open a door marked with a brass nameplate and flicked on the lights. The office was cramped, filled with filing cabinets and stacks of paperwork.
“Question is, what made him come back now?” Kane settled his bulk into a chair that creaked under his weight. “And what’s he been told to say if anyone asks questions?”
“Maybe someone called him back,” Thomas suggested, taking a position near the window. “Told him the heat was dying down.”
“Or maybe he wanted more money,” I added.
“He hasn’t been here long enough to understand asking Colter for more isn’t going to end the way he thought.” Kane nodded slowly. “A little interesting that he showed up before your wedding to Cora.”
“You think it’s connected?” I asked.
Kane shrugged. “Likely.”
Thomas crossed his arms over his chest. “What’s your deal with Colter? It’s obvious that you disagree with the things he’s doing. Why not—”
Something in Kane’s eyes made me stop Thomas. I held up my hand. “That’s not our business.”
The man looked at me. “Smart call.”
Thomas exhaled. “Fine.”
Kane pulled his phone from his pocket. “Where is he?”
“Maybe you can answer this question. Do you know anything about the adoption agency Beau’s wife runs?” Thomas asked.
His eyebrows knitted together. “All I know is that she runs it. About a year ago, Colter and Beau began having a little business together. We’d escort couples to and from Mexico. We’ve got heavy cartel activity here and ransom is a good way to earn a quick buck. Why?”
Thomas looked at me.
I nodded.
“I think they’re stealing babies. The infant adoption rate is too high. No way does one adoption agency find that many single moms who want to give up their babies.” He paused and then added, “Colter did offer to sell Elias.”
Kane came out of the chair, his massive bulk towering over Thomas. “Colter is a lot of things, but he doesn’t buy and sell kids.”
“I was there. He did,” I said.
His brow furrowed deeper. “What?”
“He told Cora that for a price he’d sign over custody and relinquish his parental rights.”
His hand raked through his hair as he stepped back, stunned. “I don’t—”
“Do you smell that?” Thomas dashed to the door. When he put his hand on the knob, he jerked it back. “It’s hot.”
“Fire,” Kane growled, moving toward the window. “We need to get out. Now.”
The acrid smell of smoke was getting stronger by the second.
Thomas tried the door again, using his jacket to protect his hand. “Jammed from the outside.” He covered his nose with the crook of his elbow. “And there’s definitely fire on the other side.”
“Windows are barred.”
Kane shook his head and pulled his shirt up over his nose and mouth. “Yeah, this whole building was retrofitted for security.” He looked around the cramped office. “There’s got to be another way out.”
Smoke was beginning to seep under the door, thin wisps that made my eyes water and my lungs burn. The temperature in the room was rising fast.
How was the place filling with fire so quickly? Why weren’t there fire alarms going off? And where was the fire department? They were literally a few doors down.
“Back hall,” Kane said, pointing to a door I hadn’t noticed behind a filing cabinet. “Emergency exit should be that way.”
We shoved the cabinet aside. The door opened to reveal a narrow service corridor, already hazy with smoke that stung my eyes and made my chest tight.
“Stay low,” Kane ordered, his voice rough.
Not that he needed to. I was well aware that smoke would rise.
We crouched down, following Kane through the maze of back hallways. The smoke was getting denser by the second, and I could hear the hungry crackle of flames somewhere behind us. The heat was becoming unbearable.
Kane found the exit. A heavy metal door with an emergency bar. He slammed into it, bounced off, cursed, and then hit it with even more force before it burst open.
But as we stepped toward freedom, muzzle flashes erupted from the darkness.
“It’s a trap!” Kane shouted, shoving us back inside.
The door slammed shut behind us. The distinct sound of metal scraping against metal as if there were something heavy being dragged against the door from the outside.
Kane took a few steps back and then bulldozed forward, bouncing off the door. He rubbed his bicep. “That’s not budging.”
We were trapped between the fire and armed men waiting outside. Behind us, flames had reached the main hallway. The smoke was so thick I could barely see Thomas three feet away.
The temperature was rising fast. Way too fast.
“There has to be another way out,” Thomas gasped and sputtered.
Kane checked his phone. Even in the orange glow of the approaching fire, I could see the color drain from it. “No signal.”
My chest tightened. I fished my phone from my pocket, checking the screen. I looked at Thomas.
He’d done the same thing I had. His gaze found mine. “Jammed.”
The realization settled like a rock in my stomach. If they were jamming our phones, they’d been planning this.
Which meant they knew exactly where we’d be tonight. I’d left strict orders that she wasn’t to leave the house, and that my men were to keep a tight circle. If Colter thought he was going to ride in and easily take her, he’d find out quickly that he was wrong…
A section of ceiling collapsed twenty feet behind us, sending sparks and burning debris across our escape route. We had maybe two minutes before this place became our tomb.
That’s when I heard it. The shrill ring of an old landline phone just above the roar of the fire.
Kane looked at me. “I think it’s coming from the JP’s office.”
The landlines.
We rushed back towards the JP’s office.
I lunged for the receiver. “There’s a fire in the JP’s office. We’re—”
“Well, well, Jason.” Colter’s voice was smooth, amused. “Having a hot time tonight?”
My blood turned to ice. “You son of a—”
“You’re right I am, which means I always get what I want.” I’d heard this laugh many times from people I ultimately killed.
“What do you want, Colter?”
“Nothing you haven’t already given me. See, while you boys were playing detective, I’ve been collecting what’s mine. Beautiful little family you almost had there.”
The phone nearly slipped from my hands. “If you touch them—”
“Touch them? Jason, I’m about to sell them.” The line went dead.
I told the men no one went in or out of that house. There was no way he could get to her.
Behind me, another section of ceiling crashed down, and the flames roared closer. But all I could think about was Cora and Elias, and how I’d failed her again.