Chapter 14
Chapter Fourteen
Michael Ellis
The sound of waves crashing against the shore is a calming balm for my scattered thoughts.
The last day on the island never fails to assault me with a spectrum of emotions.
This time’s no different. Over the years I’ve learned that sticking to a routine helps me feel in control of my day.
So, I’m the first person awake in the house, up with the sun.
Starting my day with coffee and quietness, I ground myself in the purpose of why I do what I do.
When I was younger, making enough money to care for my mother was all that mattered.
After she passed, I was alone, so making enough money to care for myself and live my life how I wanted was the goal.
Then Francesca entered my life and with her came Kennedy.
My world firmly sat on the axis of their existence.
It’s been twenty years since Ashton took my daughter away from me.
Even with my baby girl being half a world away, every decision I’ve made has been to get her back and keep her mother safe.
Ashton had us at more of a disadvantage than we were prepared for.
If we would’ve gotten out with Kennedy and Nathan, we could’ve gone into hiding and lived our lives in peace.
Instead, I had to find a way to keep Francesca and her mother safe while I made moves, making my own name in the criminal underworld.
There was no way I would be able to get to Kennedy without that kind of power, money, and loyalty behind me.
The only problem was that Ashton already had those advantages with the empire ready and waiting for him to step into his role as leader.
I had to start from scratch and watch from the sideline as he manipulated Kennedy.
She believes that her mother died the night we left that house.
What’s worse, she is convinced that I was the cause of her death.
The most painful lie of all is that she believes Ashton Rose is her father.
That hurts worse than knowing she wants to kill me.
My desire to create a better life for both of my girls put us in this fucked up situation.
Francesca and I have watched her hate for me grow as she suppressed the grief she felt for her mother.
Francesca’s worst fear was Kennedy being forced into a loveless marriage, but the reality of Kennedy’s future has been much worse.
Watching Ashton manipulate her into a killing machine, cold hearted and ruthless like him, has been a nightmare.
My pencil moves across the paper quickly as I sketch the bird that landed on the railing in front of me.
Even after all these years, the act of guiding graphite across paper quiets my brain, if only for a short time.
The vibration from my phone on the table beside my lounger breaks my concentration.
My head of security back in Georgia appears on my screen and I answer immediately, considering the time.
“Ellis,” I snap out quickly.
“Boss, we have a movement on Kennedy and Nathan.” He doesn't hesitate to jump right into business. “We have a location where they will be living outside of the city. A two-year lease was signed.”
“And Ashton?” I ask, sitting up and setting my drawing aside.
The man has never lived permanently anywhere other than the Rose compound, and I doubt he would change that now.
Intel has informed us that the Rose estate in Georgia is up and thriving, but I use every chance I can to fuck with his business.
He knows I’m watching and waiting for my chance to strike.
He has lived up to his reputation in attacking me back over the years.
I’ve even gotten reports of how close Kennedy has come to confronting and possibly killing me but was always stopped at the last stage of her plans.
Ashton’s keeping her on a tight leash. To this day, I still don’t know his end game.
“We’ve only spotted Kennedy and Nathan here. Our undercover contact hasn’t reported that Ashton is on the move.”
“Keep one of ours on them. Especially Kennedy. Don’t be seen,” I demand.
“Boss, there’s more. We’ve been clued in that they’re running recon on Antonio Garcia.”
Shit. This has Ashton’s name all over it. Antonio Garcia is my arms dealer. If Kennedy is following him, he is as good as dead.
“Are you sure?” I ask.
“Positive. Should we give him a heads up that he’s being followed?”
“No. Start sourcing me a new arms dealer. We’ll discuss more tomorrow.”
“Yes, sir.”
I hang up the phone before tossing it back on the side table.
Antonio isn’t my favorite person in the world, but he doesn’t deserve to lose his life.
The need to protect Kennedy from unnecessary danger overrides any loyalty I would have towards him.
If I let him know that he’s being followed, he could potentially harm her.
Ashton kept Kennedy’s identity as much of a secret as possible.
The criminal underworld knows he has a daughter and that she’s an assassin.
Many don’t realize who she is until she makes herself known–right before completing her kill.
I can admit it’s impressive how she moves through the network of crime even if it’s not the life I would’ve envisioned for her.
The sound of the glass door sliding open has me looking over to find my Francesca.
Even after all this time her beauty still makes my breath catch.
It’s a miracle that we’ve been able to keep this connection between us.
We went through so much to get to our current state of healing.
I can never repay her for refusing to let me shoulder all the blame for how things went down.
We’ve both taken full accountability of the situation our decisions put Kennedy in.
I reach my hand out, beckoning her over to me. She moves without hesitation, forgoing the chair beside me, preferring to cuddle up in my lap instead. My arms move around her, holding her body tightly against me as I kiss the top of her head.
“Received an update on Kennedy this morning,” I say calmly, stroking my hand up and down her back.
“You gonna tell me or am I gonna have to drag it out of you?” Her response comes out as snarky as ever.
There was a time where the sassy fire that captured me the first time we met was dimmed, but with time it’s grown back to full force.
“Of course I planned to tell you, Princess.” I pinch the underside of her leg. “Kennedy and Nathan are in Georgia. Without him.”
She sits up in my lap, looking at me with wide eyes.
“They’re states away from him? Is this a trap?”
“I’m not one hundred percent sure, but I don’t think it is. That’s something I’m going to dig into more when I get back to the city.”
“When are you scheduled to leave?” she asks, leaning back into me. Her face is tilted upward, giving me her full attention.
“This evening.”
She nods. The sadness of me being away takes over her features. The separation never gets easier, but I keep her here to ensure her safety.
“There could be an opening to Kennedy if he isn’t around.”
“And I’ll take it without hesitation,” I say with determination.
She squeezes my hand. I see the fear written all over her face.
It would’ve been easier to shield her from the reality of who Kennedy has become, but I won’t do that.
The only reason we have worked this well for this long is I’ve never held back or sugarcoated the reality around our daughter.
She knows that I will do whatever it takes, and it seems like that moment is about to present itself.
Francesca leans over me, her forehead pressing to mine. We sit there in a comfortable silence before she leans in closer, kissing me deeply.
“Bring our baby home,” she says, her voice a low whisper.
“I fully intend to.”
The End