Adesh grumbled but complied. The footage, while in reverse, was a blur.
Kaleb Valentine. What the hell was he doing at The Castle? At no time had Kaleb mentioned he was there when they were attacked. Vikkas didn’t mention it either.
“Fast forward.”
Adesh shifted the speed.
“Stop.”
Vikkas was holding Khalil in his arms, but a heated conversation took place between Kaleb and Vikkas before Kaleb stormed out of The Castle.
Interesting, it seems people are keeping secrets.
“I also need a list of personnel who weren’t here on the day of the upgrade,” Daron requested. He noticed Scott and Terrell kept an eye on him as Daron procured the printout from Adesh. Scott marched to a terminal as Terrell quickly slid out the door.
Daron returned his attention to the screen, then cursed while reviewing the coding that rebooted the system. Cedric, his resident hacker, was the person who took down the system. Daron avoided having a conversation with Vikkas about his findings for a multitude of reasons. Most people wouldn’t be receptive to being lenient on Cedric, considering what resulted from his action.
He gathered the items he needed and headed to the parking lot to find a slim, short man with wide blue eyes, thin lips, and sunburnt skin— who had an intense glare—leaning on the Porsche. Marquise Sinclair.
“It seems your hearing isn’t too good.” Marquise stalked toward him with two goons nipping at his heels.
“You’re the one with the problem.” Daron stepped in his face, undeterred by being outnumbered. “The answer is still no.”
“If that’s your final answer,” Marquise growled, shoulder bumping Daron as he continued to a Bentley Flying Spur. He stood in the open door. “Enjoy that beautiful woman of yours while you can.”
CHAPTER 8
An hour later, Daron waited for Cedric to arrive as Brandi sent another one of his calls straight to voicemail. He left the voicemail Cameron suggested as the security tablet started beeping. He reached for the device, watching as Cedric slipped in through the side door and down to the basement.
“What’s up, Mr. Dee?” Cedric’s approach was slow, almost overly cautious. He paused at his normal workstation.
“You hacked into The Castle system, getting two men shot and one almost killed.” Daron leaned on the big wood desk at the back area hating that he was here having this conversation.
Cedric’s focus went to the ground. “I accepted the job before I met you.”
“The man who was shot had only been back in town for three weeks at the time.” Daron was curious about how far in advance this event was planned. He made a mental note to ask Nicco to follow up with Khalil about when he decided to end his world tour and return home, and who else was aware of his plans.
“Well, they knew because I was hired long before that.” Cedric pulled a laptop out of his messenger bag. “Mr. Dee, I swear it was one of the last jobs I had to complete before I got out of that life.” His fingers flew over the keys, then he flipped the screen toward Daron.
“How did you get past the firewall so quickly to reset the system?”
“One of the security guards gave me the IP address to the terminal and granted me remote access to the system.” Cedric then explained it would have made it difficult and time-consuming to get in otherwise. “I was instructed to manually reboot the system since attempting to shut it down would trigger alarms.”
Daron frowned as he asked, “Were you informed of the upgrade to the system that was done two days prior?” The answer to this question was key in narrowing down the suspect list.
Cedric shook his head, frowning as though he’d just been cursed out. “Are you going to turn me in?”
“Not if you tell me the name of the security personnel who was assisting you.” Daron retrieved the cell from his jacket pocket.
He put a hand over Daron’s cell. “I don’t know,” he confessed. “For my safety, I keep all communications digital, never in person.”
Daron peered at the young man, taking in eyes, stance, and demeanor. He had a feeling Cedric didn’t tell him everything. “I’m sorry to have to do this.”
“Wait. Wait.” He waved both hands frantically as Daron stood. “The only thing I know was he wasn’t working that day. I had to make sure I could access the system fifteen minutes before I reset it.”
Daron could work with that but he remained silent for a few moments to let Cedric sweat. “Look, we’re going to keep this between us. However, if I find out you’ve taken another assignment ...”
Cedric was the one participant who didn’t have to continue working jobs during the transition. He was his own boss, unlike Reese and Amarion who had fallen under Marquise’s radar at an age too young to comprehend the consequences.
“I won’t. Pedro’s set me up with a contact out of DC who’s looking for someone with my skills.” Cedric collected the laptop, typing again before closing and tucking it under his arm. “He pays well and is willing to work with my schedule if I choose to take classes.”
Daron’s cell pinged. “You’d better have your ass in school. Don’t make me regret this.”
Cedric slid past him then turned back when he reached the door and insisted, “You won’t.”
He checked his messages, buying a few moments for Cedric to clear the grounds, and found an email with the IP address that had been used to take the system down. Daron sent Nicco a text to track down the terminal and all the personnel with access. He’d cross-checked the list with people who were scheduled off on the upgrade day to further reduce the pool of potential culprits. Somehow that exchange between Kaleb and Vikkas didn’t sit well. Had Vikkas put out a hit on his own father? If he did, his argument with Kaleb couldn’t have been about that. Khalil was conscious when it happened.
Daron called Steve to get an update and find out about Brandi.
“Your Aunt Bee’s making her rounds but at least she isn’t making waves,” Steve replied.
“I’ll take that.” Daron slipped behind the wheel, starting the engine. “At least I don’t need bail money today.”
Several minutes later, Daron disconnected the line as his tires rolled to a stop on the driveway. The television blared the sounds of an action scene from the entertainment room when he entered the house. He was grateful Cameron wasn’t in the kitchen as he slipped into the office. He smiled, thinking about how animated she became when she was watching those kinds of films. Daron opened the safe, put in the external drive, and noticed the envelope from Marquise.
Marquise doesn’t understand hitting me directly is a thousand times safer than targeting my woman.
Daron would send his enemy to prison. Cameron would put him six feet under if Marquise fooled around and unleashed Kimura, the hit woman within Cameron.
And if he actually managed to hurt her, then Daron would make him wish he was dead. It didn’t help the two of the young men in his program, who were employed by Marquise.
As he closed the safe, Cameron’s question about Bishop’s letter popped into his mind. He retrieved the thick white envelope and tore it open.
Daron sank into the leather chair as he absorbed the words. He couldn’t believe the contents but at the same time, he couldn’t deny the truth. Pulling out his cell, he snapped a picture of the last two pages, then folded the papers and stuffed them back into the locked space. It wouldn’t be wise to have them in hand if Cameron were to make an appearance.
He stared at the colorful abstract painting that hid the safe, trying to process that people had been hunting for one of Cameron’s aliases ever since she’d gotten shot and almost died several years ago. Prior to Bishop’s death, he had partnered up with an individual who was determined to find the culprit. They’d found a possible connection to The Castle. He was all for Bishop’s request to watch over Cameron but the secrecy could put an end to their relationship. But learning this reinforced that he’d made the right decision to participate and be a part of Khalil�
��s alliance to change the direction of the Castle.
Daron reviewed the list of people the two men had taken down in an attempt to get closer to the real person pulling the strings behind the curtain.
“Daron,” Cameron called out. “Are you going to make me come get you? If I wanted to watch a movie alone, I’d be at my house.”
“Here I come.” Daron glanced around the office. He did something that he hadn’t done while in the house. He set the alarm on the painting covering the safe. If Cameron entered, he would know.
She couldn’t know what was in that letter. Ever.
CHAPTER 9
Cameron wrapped up a private session with a female attorney, whose schedule wouldn’t allow her to make the self-defense class at its regular time. Since Calvin and Daron were working at the house, Mia had kindly offered to be the person that actually executed the demonstration with a client. It allowed Cameron to give her client more precise corrections.
Mia had gone into the women’s locker area to change while Cameron walked the client to the door. She observed the lawyer as she climbed into her Lexus and drove off. Cameron returned to the room to gather her things. She paused and her instincts kicked in. Multiple feet sliding across the linoleum tiles. Strange because it was multiple. Normally only one person would check in at the end of the class. It immediately put her on high alert. Was Levi finally making a move?
“Your man isn’t here to protect you this time.” The same three men from the garage incident stepped into the room, looking like the muscle-bound version of the music group, Bell Biv DeVoe, as the one she dubbed Ricky closed the door.
This must be about whatever Daron was into before Levi targeted him.
“You were given the wrong impression.” Cameron calmly zipped up her jacket. “He was trying to save your behinds, not mine.”
“We saw your little self-defense moves.” The tallest of the three, who was now Ronnie in her mind, stepped forward. “You need more than that to take us down.”
The other two laughed.
“Clearly you’re not planners.” Cameron placed her gym bag down on the mat, wondering what happened to Mia. “How are you going to get me out of the front door?”
The shortest of the bunch she called Mike laughed. “We want to be seen. Someone needs to inform Daron you’re gone.”
Ricky leaned on the metal door as if to block her exit.
“You want to fight me?” Cameron smiled sweetly as she eyed the folding chair near the door. “Let’s do this.”
She hit Mike, who was closest to her, with three quick jabs then kicked him in the chest sending him sailing backward. Ronnie fired several punches, catching her in the abdomen, then sent a fist flying toward her face. She ducked under Ronnie’s hand, punched him in the chest, then dropped to her knees spinning toward the chair. She popped up, snatched and closed the metal chair then swung it, hitting Ronnie in the head. His body hit the floor with a reassuring thud. Cameron opened the chair, using it to trap Ricky’s slender muscular frame against the door before he could deliver a punch.
“I don’t think so.” She released the chair, closed it flat and slammed it against Ricky’s abs. Ronnie captured her by her waist as she took another swing. The chair slipped out her hands clanking as it made contact with the floor.
“Ain’t so tough now,” Ronnie growled.
She jammed her elbow into the side of his head in three quick successions. Cameron shifted to the side to get a direct hit to the center of his throat. She grabbed the knife strapped to her ankle, slicing into Ronnie’s thigh then his arm as Mike approached. Ronnie immediately released her. She landed a solid kick to Mike’s face then issued a sidekick to Ronnie’s gut, sending them both to the floor.
“Do you want to bleed today, gentlemen?” She pointed the knife at Ricky who was inching toward her. “Because this is your last opportunity to leave in one piece.”
“We may have underestimated you,” Ronnie confessed as he and Mike struggled to their feet. “Now we won’t go easy on you.”
“Good, because that was just me playing around.” Cameron reached her left hand into her pocket. “This is me being serious.” She whipped out the gold rod, extended it to full staff, then triggered the blades as she twirled it. Cameron was hoping not to leave the place a bloody mess but she’d do what she needed to do.
She slammed the wand down on Mike’s arm causing him to let loose several obscenities then kicked Ricky in the face. Ronnie tackled her, trying to knock the wand out her hand. Cameron brought the blade down on Ronnie’s shoulder as his body pressed her to the floor. Ronnie grunted and he held his mouth tight as though to keep from screaming.
Mia slipped across the threshold, snatching up the chair from the floor and slamming it down on Ronnie’s back. “Couldn’t let you have all the fun.”
Ronnie rolled off Cameron. Ricky lunged at Mia, getting clipped in the chin as she went to take another swing.
The door banged against the wall, drawing their attention. “I’m sorry Miss Cameron, I thought you were finished in here.” Larry, the facility manager, entered the room.
Ronnie stood, nodding toward the door. “We’ll finish this conversation another time. Sweet cheeks.”
Cameron retracted her wand, glancing at the few splatters of blood on the floor. “Larry, I’m finished with them.”
Mia smiled, sweetly leaning the chair against the wall. Larry’s eyes went to the bloodstain on Ronnie’s arm, then his leg. The three men crossed the threshold with Cameron steps behind them as they enter the hallway, making sure they didn’t try anything stupid.
They better be glad I’m retired, otherwise I’d track them down and make them wish they’d never come at me.
As they neared the exit, a little boy no more than twelve ran up to them. Ronnie rubbed his head then slipped him money before sliding out the door. Cameron checked the announcement board wondering if some of the activities were how they found the people to traffick.
“Is this fall out from Daron working with Calvin?” Mia asked, as Cameron returned to grab her bag.
“I don’t think so.” Cameron waved to Larry as they left the building. “Daron’s latest tracker helped locate a missing girl so fast, police and the media were all over it. It’s probably more about that.” Or whatever else has caused Daron’s Warden persona to return.
Calvin drove up less than a second after Mia opened the passenger door. “It looks like I don’t need that ride after all. Be safe.”
“You too.” Cameron waved at Calvin as he drove off with a familiar black sedan trailing him.
Since Linc was in a separate car, there was no immediate threat. The security detail was a precaution. If Linc had been in the same vehicle, then it would’ve increased the possibility of Mia’s concerns being correct. At first, Cameron had thought the incident at the garage had been about the Katara-Tracy situation. Daron was usually honest about the Calvin project. If he couldn’t tell her specifics, he’d mention just that. Daron had recognized at least one of the guys who followed them. She hoped he wasn’t caught in his old life.
Ten minutes later, she parked a couple of blocks away and walked up Longwood to Daron’s house. Daron insisted on escorting her to the car if she left late, which grated on her nerves at first. She wasn’t accustomed to anyone beside her small cluster of friends and crew being concerned for her well-being. But for safety reasons, she parked somewhere different every time she visited. Only when she knew she wasn’t staying the night did she park at the back of the house so that he’d have only a short distance to walk. She pulled her baseball cap low over her forehead and sported a plain jogging suit. Cameron hustled up the hill to the front door, not even trying to avoid the sensor this time.
Daron opened the door wearing a pair of dark-gray slacks and a black shirt. He leaned down, planting a kiss on her lips before sliding the bag from her shoulder and letting her through the door.
“It smells good up in here.” Cameron slipped her shoes off.
“How did things go with Calvin?”
“Productive.” Daron wrapped his arm around her waist, nuzzling her neck. “Since we’re not hanging with your friends tonight, I thought maybe we could eat in.”
Tonight was her evening to pick the activity. Most times she chose to hang with the family of her crew, Greg and Rob. Now that they didn’t work together, she rarely saw them. She tried to catch up with them for basketball, bowling, or a game night. They had taken her exit from the business better than she expected.
“Sounds great. Let me shower and change.” She slid out of his arms then smiled, giving him an appreciative once over. “Maybe you should slip into something sexy for me.”
“Exactly what would that be?” he teased.
“Get creative.” Cameron winked as she headed to the shower.
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