“I’ll pick up Amarion,” Pedro announced, keys clanging together in the background. “You find Reese.”
Another familiar face appeared on the screen. “Hold on.” Daron grabbed the remote and turned up the volume on the television.
The reporter announced in a solemn voice, “We have breaking news. Ralph Pullman has been arrested in connection with eight missing girls. The last place the girls were seen was at one of his enrichment programs. The community is in shock.”
Daron pressed the mute button. “Shit.”
“What?” Pedro asked, his engine turning over in the background.
“Ralph was arrested for trafficking,” Daron rushed to his office, found a copy of the volunteer list and snapped a picture sending it to Steve with a note. “I need you to look over the file on him.”
“You don’t think he did it.”
“No, but I do believe his program could have been utilized to select targets. The volunteers consist mainly of people who work in similar programs.” Daron grabbed a few devices, sliding them into various pockets.
“I’ll handle that after I pick up Amarion.”
“Thanks.” Daron’s cell was ringing before he could place it in his pocket. He swiped to answer.
“Are you serious?” Steve asked with frustration in his voice.
“Absolutely. My top two candidates were in that room.” Daron raced out to the Maserati. “I need to make sure they’re not involved.”
“Red’s still in town. I’ll see if he can look into it.” Steve’s farewell was barely heard before the click.
Daron rushed through side streets. He dialed Reese’s number, but the call went to voicemail. Cedric’s name popped up on the display.
“What’s up?”
“They got Reese.” Cedric’s voice was barely above a whisper. “Dragged him out of his girlfriend’s house and threw him in a van.”
“You get back to the safehouse,” Daron ordered then ended the call.
Daron’s tracker alert for Amarion appeared on the screen but nothing for Reese. He pulled over to log into the system then linked the GPS app so that it would call whenever they changed directions.
“Currently on I-94 W,” the automatic feminine voice with a slight British accent announced.
He headed to the expressway, noting they were ten minutes’ worth of distance ahead of him. Depending on the traffic and the police presence on the expressway, he could catch up to them. Steve’s name popped up on the screen seconds after the cell rang.
“A team has been dispersed. Mia is the lead.”
“Tell them to stay a block out.” Daron maneuvered in and out of cars, glad the traffic wasn’t as heavy as expected and was steadily moving.
The instructions led him to a high rise north of downtown. The van pulled into the parking lot, and Daron drove past, turned onto the next block then put on his hazards. He launched the drone, guiding it around the corner and making it back to the van in time to see Reese walking with a black poster tube and silver box. Amarion was a few inches from him with hands tied behind his back being pushed toward the door by one of Marquise’s goons.
Daron wasn’t able to maneuver the drone to the elevator in time to slip in. Damn.
He dialed Mia.
“Hey, see if the team can access the thirty-second floor to get Amarion out safely.” Daron pulled out his tablet. “I’m trying to find out what’s housed there.”
“We’ll do the recon and let you know.” Mia disconnected the line.
Daron flipped through, researching the building. A text came through from Reese. I MESSED UP. AT MARQUISE’S STRIP CLUB. PLEASE HELP. TYDL.
He stared at the TYDL for a while before he realized it was tell you details later.
A second text came through from Red this time. Midas wants to pass along some information to you tonight.
* * *
Daron left the Reese-Amarion situation in Mia’s capable hands. By the time he made it home, changed, and headed back out, he’d been running late for the meeting. A ghost drone was launched as he made it along the brick wall to the chain-link fence near the alley. He attached a sensor on the wall so no one could sneak up behind him.
One of Marquise’s enforcers, along with Midas and Bobby, the red-haired man from the shooting the night of Ralph’s event, were arguing at the end of the block.
Daron was too far off to hear their conversation and the drone wasn’t within range to pick up sound. Had he known it was Midas who had gotten shot that night, Daron would have made it a point to visit him in the hospital.
A gunshot rang out.
Daron stepped behind the cover of the wall as the two remaining men scanned the area for potential witnesses. The goon bent over and felt Midas’ neck for a pulse, then looked at the Bentley, and shook his head. This wasn’t exactly what Daron expected to record when he came. The warning sensor went off, Daron turned to see Cameron quietly approaching.
What in the hell is she doing here?
“We need to go,” she whispered, hooking her arm under his and guiding him toward the Legacy he’d driven.
Daron retrieved the drone, trying to keep up with her pace. “Meet me at my house and don’t make me come find you.”
He was fuming as he drove home. If she doesn’t show up …
Trailing him was unacceptable. Daron was equally upset that he hadn’t noticed her before she’d been a few feet away. Cameron drove into the driveway minutes after he’d parked the Legacy.
“I don’t believe you,” Daron growled as she stepped out of the Charger. “You’re following me. Why?”
Cameron walked up and leaned beside the door, waiting to enter. “What were you doing there?”
“I’ll respond after you answer me.” Daron unlocked the door and followed her into the house.
She crossed her arms, giving him a steely stare. “Why do you think?”
“Just answer the damn question.” He stalked to the refrigerator and yanked out a Heineken.
“You’re the one with the questionable actions.” She snatched the bottle out of Daron’s hand and sat it on the counter behind her.
He reached around her and reclaimed his beer. “What is it that you think I was doing?
“Recruiting.” Cameron’s eyes narrowed on him. “Which I assume is a contributing factor to me being attacked every time I turned around.”
“I’d never dishonor my mother’s memory like that.” Daron was disgusted because he thought Cameron knew him well enough to know that.
“Interesting you mentioned dishonoring your mom’s memory and not your dad’s.”
Was she making that statement because his father and Bishop were best friends? Words have power. Use them wisely.
Daron closed his eyes briefly as he inhaled and exhaled before speaking. “What’s your issue?”
“I’ve been threatened more as a regular citizen than I’ve ever been working for Bishop.” She tugged at the black t-shirt he was wearing. “You’re the one having clandestine meetings where people get shot. Hell, you got shot. You can’t fault me for wondering if you had reverted to old ways.”
He downed the amber liquid, then took another breath, trying to reign in the anger before he allowed words to tumble out of his mouth that he couldn’t retract. “Maybe you need my program just as much as these young men.”
She flinched. “What do you mean by that?” She followed him around the kitchen island as he headed into the entertainment room.
Daron spun around to face her. “I’m going to ask you a couple of the questions I asked your cousin.” He lifted two fingers then pointed his index finger at her. “What part of your past are you enslaved to? What small things have you done to free yourself?”
“I’m not enslaved to the past,” she snapped.
“So, you’ve talked to your father about the day he left you and JD in jail and took your brothers and their friends’ home?” Daron lowered himself onto the couch, picking up the remote.
> “No, I’ve moved beyond that.”
“You haven’t. Otherwise, you would’ve learned how to come to me and talk about things instead of cutting me off, avoiding me, and drawing your own conclusions.” He turned on the television. “You can go.”
Cameron snatched the remote, muting the sound, before dropping it on the ottoman directly in front of him as she sat. “My situation with Jake is not the same.”
“Oh, but it is.” He leaned forward in her face, staring into those dark-brown eyes that held so much disbelief. “You’ve never spoken to your father about what happened. You avoid him every time someone attempts to put the two of you in the same room.”
She frowned, the action marring her beautiful features. “What difference will it make?”
“You won’t know because you won’t try.” He picked up the remote again, leaned back on the couch and unmuted the television. “Just like my situation isn’t all it appears to be.”
Cameron huffed. “Maybe I’ll try once I stop being attacked on the streets on a regular basis.”
“Misdirection, eh? I need my queen to be able to communicate with me.” Daron shifted his position in order to see the flat screen. “I would have explained everything to you.”
“Stop lying.” Cameron bounced to her feet. “I’m not your queen because you issued an ultimatum, as if I was the one in the bar putting a man in a headlock and throwing out threats like I was no longer retired.”
Daron received an icy glare. Damn. That statement double-tapped him in the heart, forcing him to accept the truth. He had not been forthcoming since he found out about The Castle. While he’d give her that, she was going to have to take responsibility for her contribution to their problems. “I’m not sure you’ll ever be able to have a healthy relationship with anyone until you stop running from whatever it is that scares you.”
“Don’t make this about me and my father.” She crossed both arms, issuing an evil glare. “I came to check on you and talk. Maybe see if you were up for a late dinner. When I arrived, you were trotting out in a black jogging suit tipping down the street. You weren’t going for a jog or going to the Jaguar, Porsche, or the Maserati, you climbed into a Subaru Legacy, the stealth car.”
“Are you sure it’s not about you?” Daron shifted his entire body toward her. “Your armor of choice is avoiding your dad and hiding behind your training facility. And redirecting conversation to everything but the real issue.”
“Don’t turn things on me.” Cameron headed toward the door, then stopped, glaring at him as if she was sick to her stomach. “Because of you, I almost feel the need to wear my Kevlar suit every day.”
“How is helping people get in shape and occasionally teaching self-defense class supposed to help good people not get caught in the life you left?” Daron challenged, leaping to his feet and trailing her through the hall.
She paused near the kitchen island. “It doesn’t look like it’s going too well for you.”
“It’s going just fine. These are just growing pains of building something that has an impact and people who don’t want to see it happen.” Daron reached for her arm, preventing her from walking away. “Funny enough this wasn’t my original plan, until I met a woman named Tandria, who claimed she was going to use her skills to help people.”
“Oh no, you don’t get to do that.” Cameron huffed, snatching her arm away. “I have a plan and it requires me getting my gym facility up and running. Not going off half-assed to prove a point to any damn body.”
“I’m saying you inspire me to continue making a difference in people’s lives.” Daron glanced at the colorful canvas on the dining room wall. “Every day I see JD’s painting hanging on the wall it motivates me to keep going.”
“JD’s purpose doesn’t require him to risk his life and freedom as well as those who work for him. Mine does,” she fired back, stalked toward the door then turned toward him. “You’re trying to make it about me when this is really about the fact that you were less than honest and it made me question your actions.” Cameron threw up her hands and went to the door.
Daron activated the security so she couldn’t leave. “You want me to be honest with you then you have to be open to hearing the truth.”
She released the knob and spun around glaring at him. “I am.”
“If I told you what’s going on, could you have listened without immediately passing judgment?”
“I’m not one to take people at their word with certain things, especially when their actions don’t match said words.” The accusatory tone of Cameron’s voice grated on his nerves. “I’m going to verify until we reach a certain level of trust. Remember, our former lives have taught us to be excellent hiders of the truth.”
Daron couldn’t argue that point with her. “I don’t live in the past.”
She pulled on the knob. “Open the damn door.”
She was right. Their relationship was too new and hadn’t reached that level of trust yet. Especially considering how they met. “Yes, the things that happened have made me more cautious, but I had to learn the hard way that dwelling in the past will cost you too much of your present and future happiness.”
“Full disclosure.” She leaned on the door with a hand still resting on the doorknob. “In order for me to stay retired, I can’t be with a man who’s about that life. And I expressed that to you.”
Cameron had voiced her concerns at the beginning of the Katara-Tracy situation and The Castle business only brought those issues to the forefront again.
“But you still hang with your friends who are in and have no desire to come out,” Daron countered.
“Yes, but they have a network to rely on. I would be their hail mary. And let’s just call a spade a spade.” She reached into the pocket of her jacket. retrieving her car keys. “It’s not the same emotions at play with them.”
“Look I’m not trying to bring Kimura out of retirement, which is why I’m trying to make my program public and have someone else help Pedro run it.”
“Not Alisha.”
“Maybe Alisha.” Daron wasn’t going to argue with her about his candidate choice. Especially since he was trying to reserve judgment until he knew what exactly was going on with Alisha. “We are still in the process of selecting candidates to approach.”
Daron’s alarm sounded, and he pulled the tablet out to see three men approaching the house.
Cameron rushed to look at the screen. “What’s going on?’
“Someone’s attempting to break in.”
Cameron reached under her jacket and pulled out a Ruger.
“Not this place.” Daron retrieved his cell from the jogging pants’ pocket and called the police. He kept his focus on three men, who ran from the house as he disconnected the line. “They couldn’t have searched the house in that short amount of time.”
“Is that why you aren’t driving the Jag?”
“Yeah, I parked over at that property. Now the Porsche and Maserati are here since they’re registered to one of my corporations.” Daron slid on his jacket and left the house with Cameron on his tail.
The police had arrived by the time they drove up. Seconds later, an explosion and flames erupted from the house.
Daron immediately suspected the officers were on someone’s payroll. They were rarely that quick, despite being several yards up the street.
“Did they really just blow up my house?” Daron stared out of the window at the grey smoke cloud billowing into the air. He pulled out the tablet, accessing the drone across the street. Then he rewound the video feed to see how the men had entered the property.
After they couldn’t get in through the door or break the window, they dropped the incendiary device in the chimney. One of the men barely made the jump to the roof next door and out of range before the house exploded.
“They’re done warning you.”
CHAPTER 21
Cameron’s cell rang. She checked the display. Daron. She felt bad for not answering b
ut he almost had her convinced that he wasn’t involved in criminal activities and then his house was blown up. If Jake was actually sick, she didn’t need to get involved with anything that terminated her own retirement. So far, Trenton hadn’t found a connection to anything in the media. Jake could just be paranoid.
As law enforcement, her father had put people away from all walks of life. Her mother may not have been so off the mark to be concerned about Jake. The entire situation was frustrating. She had been enjoying a semi-normal life now. Cameron missed Daron being a part of her daily routine but whatever he had going on was dangerous. These men were a little too determined to use her as leverage against him. They clearly didn’t get the memo that they were no longer together. Or they had and didn’t believe it.
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