Onyx (K19 Security Solutions Book 10)

by Heather Slade

  The drive north was breathtaking. It was surprising, the number of people who believed all of the state was just like Manhattan. Nothing could be further from the truth. The majority of it was rural, with rolling green hills, farms, and historic towns and villages.

  “It’s a bit of a side trip, but I’ve always wanted to see the Baseball Hall of Fame,” said Blanca when we were nearing the turnoff that would take us to Cooperstown.

  I looked over my shoulder at Ranger.

  “I’ve been a bunch, but I’m in,” he said, looking at something on his phone.

  “I’m in too. I’ve never been.”

  Blanca pulled up in front of the historic building. “I always wondered why they built it here. Especially since it isn’t near a major league ballpark.”

  “Right there is where the game of baseball started.” Ranger pointed at a well-maintained field across the street.

  “That makes sense.”

  “Took them quite a while to prove it, though.”

  We spent two hours taking our time, wandering through the various galleries. Watching Blanca study each of the exhibits made me wonder if she’d write this into her next book too.

  “Mind if we get something to eat before we get back on the road?” I asked, rubbing my stomach as we were leaving.

  “It’s Friday,” said Blanca. “And you know what that means!”

  I shrugged.

  “Fish fry!” she and Ranger shouted at the same time.

  Feeling like a third wheel, I held back as they raced down the block to the tavern on the corner. I took the opportunity to check my cell for messages.

  Hatchet is on the move but headed in the opposite direction, said a text from Wasp.

  Where to? I responded.

  Almost to Atlantic City.

  That a guy connected to the South End mob was headed there, wasn’t a big surprise. However, it meant we needed to be on the lookout for his replacement.

  I alerted Buster before going in and joining Blanca and Ranger, whom I found sitting at the bar.

  “Genny Cream Ale is the best,” I heard her say before clinking her bottle with his.

  I had never been an insecure guy, and thus, jealousy wasn’t in my nature, but since Blanca and Ranger had met on the tour boat, I was certainly feeling it.

  “I wasn’t sure if you’d want one,” said Blanca when I came to stand behind the two of them.

  “Hey, I’m all in. Fried fish, beer, bring it on.”

  “Fish fry.” When Ranger corrected me, I felt like knocking him off his damned bar stool. Instead, I shot him a glare.

  “When’s the last time you checked in with the office?”

  His face dropped, and he stood. “You’re right. Better do that. Excuse me.”

  “I’m a spoilsport.”

  “No, you’re not.” Blanca signaled the bartender and pointed at me. “What I’m having,” she told him.

  “So tell me, what’s so great about fish fry?”

  “It’s just a thing. I guess the real story is that a priest in a village with equal numbers of parishioners who raised cattle and who made money from commercial fishing declared it would be a sin to eat meat on Fridays, thus boosting the fishermen’s sales.”

  “No one caught on?”

  “I guess so, but not for many years.”

  “Are you religious?”

  “I believe in God, if that’s what you’re asking. I sometimes eat meat on Fridays, and I can’t remember the last time I was in a church other than for my father’s funeral.”

  I could say the same, although when that plane was going down, I’d prayed every second. Once I woke up from the coma too. However, then, there were just as many times I prayed God would end my misery.

  “I’m sorry.”

  I looked into Blanca’s eyes. “What for?”

  “Sometimes I say the wrong thing. A lot of times, I feel like I do with you.”

  “What makes you think that?”

  She reached out as if she was about to touch my face, but pulled back. “You have the kindest, sweetest face. And then I say the wrong thing, and it changes so drastically.”

  “That isn’t on you, sis.”

  “Can I get you another?” the bartender asked her.

  “Please.” When he walked away, she added, “If I weren’t driving, I’d have a shot too.”

  “What’s your go-to?”

  “Irish whiskey.”

  “Damn, girl.”

  “I know, it’s terrible, right?”

  “Hell, no. It’s my go-to too. Don’t forget you put Ranger and me on as drivers. We’ll make him drive.”

  “He won’t mind?”

  “Don’t care if he does. I’m his boss.”

  I ordered the shots, another beer for myself, and a glass of water for Ranger, who still hadn’t returned. I hoped it didn’t mean bad news.

  “Back to the fish. What’s so great?”

  “First, they bring you a piece of beer-battered fish that’s this long.”

  When she held her hands about a foot apart, I rolled my eyes.

  “I’m serious. And if it’s a real fish fry, it comes with German potato salad, coleslaw, and a roll.”

  “And if it isn’t real?”

  “They’ll try to substitute regular potato salad or even macaroni salad.” Blanca grimaced.

  “What about this place? Real or fake?”

  “Real all the way. Look.” She pointed to the description on the menu, and sure enough, the dinner came with German potato salad and coleslaw.

  Ranger came in from outside and eyed our empty shot glasses.

  “You’re our DD,” I told him.

  He laughed. “Of course I am.”

  “Hope you don’t mind,” said Blanca, taking a swig of her beer.

  “And if I did?”

  “Guess you’d be crap out of luck since Montano is your boss.”

  When they brought our plates to us at the bar, I was stunned to see Blanca wasn’t exaggerating about the size of the piece of fish. Even as big as it was, I wanted a second helping.

  When Ranger excused himself to the restroom, I leaned back on the stool and rubbed my belly. “You weren’t kidding about how good that was.”

  “Stick with me, and who knows what other secret delights you’ll discover.”

  There was no question, like last night, that she regretted the words as soon as she said them. Fueled by a second shot and a beer, I leaned forward, so tempted to have a taste of her lips. I didn’t, though. I also didn’t tell her the kind of secret delights I wished she’d show me.

  She sat back in her chair, putting more distance between us. “Sorry. That came out wrong.”

  “Did it?”

  She nodded.

  “You sure?”

  She got up from the bar and turned in the direction Ranger had gone, but I grabbed her wrist. “Tell me if you’re sure, Blanca?”

  “As sure as you are.”

  9

  Blanca

  I wasn’t just playing with fire; I’d ignited the equivalent of a stick of dynamite, and it was about to blow up in my face.

  Secret delights? God, what had I been thinking? I hadn’t been. That was the problem. Ever since Montano had answered so quickly and emphatically that he and my sister would not have ended up married, somewhere in the back of my mind, I saw him as fair game, convincing myself the two were nowhere near as close as my father had made them out to be.

  I shook my head hard, trying to get the image of him and my sister out of my head.

  Why him, dammit? Why was the first man I was really, truly, wildly attracted to, my sister’s ex? I looked up at the ceiling and raised my fist. “How could you do this to me?” I said out loud, not knowing if I was talking to God or Sofia or both.

  I looked in the mirror of the ladies’ room, my eyes filled with tears, and I splashed cold water on my face. Maybe what I needed was to sober up. I turned my head when I heard the door opening. I went to grab
a paper towel at the same moment someone grabbed my arm and spun me around to face him.

  “I’m not going to apologize for this, before or after,” Montano growled right before crashing his lips into mine. Without thinking, I wrapped my arms around his neck and opened my mouth to his.

  God, he could kiss. He must’ve had a third shot before following me into the ladies’ room; he tasted of Irish whiskey chased with my favorite beer.

  His hands eased down to my ass, and I ground myself against him. Was I wanton? Damn right, I was. If it weren’t the middle of the afternoon and we weren’t in the restroom of a tavern, I’d cup the hardness I could feel pressing against me and beg him to fuck me.

  When I weaved and he steadied me, I realized exactly how intoxicated I was. “Montano,” I groaned.

  He kissed me once more before abruptly pulling away. “I told you I wouldn’t apologize.” He stalked out of the ladies’ room, leaving me scratching my head.

  I rested my hands on the edge of the sink, trying to clear my muddled brain. It was foggy before, but after that kiss—oh my God.

  What was I supposed to do now? How would I face him? Not just him. How would I face Ranger? We still had at least an hour’s drive ahead of us. I mean, I could sit in the back seat, behind Montano, so he couldn’t see me.

  I stood up straight, squared my shoulders, and walked back out to the bar. Ranger was there, but there was no sign of the man who had just kissed the shit out of me. I grasped the back of the nearest stool when I felt myself weave a little.

  “Are you okay?” asked Ranger, walking over to where I still stood.

  “Fine. Just a little dizzy.”

  “Are you ready to go?”

  “Where’s your compatriot?”

  “At the car. Said he needed some air, so I volunteered to wait here for you.”

  “That was nice. Thank you.”

  When Ranger held out his arm, I took it, still feeling a little unsteady on my feet.

  As we walked down the block, I didn’t see Montano waiting by the car. Maybe he needed a lot of air after that kiss. Or maybe he was regretting it. But he said he wouldn’t apologize. That wasn’t exactly the same thing as regret, though, now was it?

  Ranger stepped forward to open the front passenger door for me.

  “I can sit in the back,” I offered.

  “Too late,” he said, pointing over the seat to where Montano was stretched out—as much as someone of his height and stature could be—evidently out cold, given the volume of his snoring.

  Ranger laughed. “Onyx isn’t very good at holding his liquor. In fact, he usually limits himself to one. I’ve never seen him do a shot.”

  “Onyx?”

  “Nickname,” he muttered, closing the door behind me after I climbed inside.

  “Can’t believe what a small world it is,” said Ranger, pulling into the driveway that sat between his family’s camp and mine. I got out as soon as he cut the engine and checked out the cabin I hadn’t seen in over a decade.

  It didn’t look much different than it had years ago. The porch hadn’t been swept, and the furniture that usually crowded the small space was probably stored in the basement. I wondered how long it had been since my dad was up here as I reached inside the secret door that looked like it was part of the siding but was the place we always put the key to the front door.

  “I can get those,” I said to Ranger, who brought my bags up the porch steps.

  “I got it.”

  The air was oppressive as I pushed open the door and stepped inside.

  “Needs a good airing out,” he said, still holding my bags. “Where would you like these?”

  I’d always slept in the loft upstairs instead of the bedroom on the main floor, but I wouldn’t feel comfortable doing so now. “In there,” I said, pointing at the door right off the kitchen.

  “I don’t remember ever being inside this place.”

  “No?” I responded absentmindedly as I walked around, opening what windows I could. Many of them were stuck.

  “Need some help?” asked Ranger.

  I stepped aside, and he pushed one open with what looked like one finger.

  “I loosened it for you,” I joked.

  “Don’t emasculate me, woman.”

  “Am I interrupting?” Montano said from just inside the doorway.

  “Not at all,” answered Ranger. “If you’re done catching up with your beauty sleep, we could use some help.”

  “Let me get that.” I stepped aside to let Montano open another window I was struggling with. “Sorry, I zonked out on you, sis.”

  “Lightweight,” Ranger said with a cough.

  Montano glared at him.

  “If you don’t need my help, I, uh, better go get my place opened up.”

  “Don’t you worry. I got this, son,” Montano answered.

  “If you want to finish down here, I’ll get started upstairs,” I said, rushing up the old wooden steps. Seconds later, I heard heavy footsteps behind me.

  “You runnin’ from me, Blanca?” he called after me.

  “I just want to get the camp aired out.”

  “I’m curious. Why do you and Ranger keep calling these places camps? Why not cabins?”

  “It started back in the early eighteen hundreds. No one really vacationed in the Adirondack mountains before then. It was only after the railroad built a route from Saratoga Springs, which is east of here, up to the north of Lake George, that there was a way for anyone to even get here.” This was a story I’d heard my father tell so many times that I recited it by rote. “Sorry, this is boring.”

  “Not at all. Keep going.”

  “Well, once the line was established, developers started building hotels. Pretty soon, there were more than two hundred, but what those developers learned was that tourists wanted a more authentic camping experience. So, the owners of the hotels cleared areas for simple tent camps. From there, they built lean-tos, which eventually became compounds of rustic cabins. What probably started out as a marketing ploy, stuck. You’ll rarely hear anyone refer to the cabins or cottages as anything but a camp. Unless they aren’t from here, of course.”

  “Like me.”

  “You get used to it,” I said, trying with all my might to get the last window open.

  “I got this,” Montano said to me like he’d said to Ranger.

  “I can’t forget to come back upstairs and close them later. It’s going to get chilly right around four in the afternoon.”

  He looked around the loft at the six beds that occupied the space. “Everybody just slept up here in one room?”

  “Mainly just the kids. We’d take turns going to the different camps. The parents probably arranged it so they’d get a break at least once during the week. It was a giant slumber party.”

  “Were these parties co-ed?” he asked with wide eyes.

  I shook my head. “The boys had to sleep on one side of the loft and the girls on the other.”

  “And no one ever sneaked over to the other side?”

  I knew my cheeks had turned bright red, remembering when Jimmy Messick did just that and how my father somehow knew and was upstairs in a flash. Jimmy got sent home that night and was never allowed at another slumber party at our camp.

  “What?” I asked, looking up at Montano, who was studying me.

  “You gonna tell me the story or keep it all to yourself?”

  “It isn’t that interesting, I promise.” I sat down on the floor with my back against one of the beds. “We sure had a lot of fun here, though.”

  He wiggled his eyebrows.

  “Innocent fun.”

  “What was your favorite thing to do when you were here?” he asked.

  “It would be hard to name just one, but if I had to, I would say it was the nights we all sat around the table and played cards. We’d play Crazy Eights for nickels and just laugh and laugh.”

  While the memory was one of my best, as soon as the words left my mouth, a
chill coursed through my body. It was almost as if I sensed danger present, and I knew I had to get out of the camp. “Excuse me,” I said, using my arms to push myself up. I raced down the stairs, but the feeling persisted, so I went outside and down to the dock. Even then, the feeling remained.

  10

  Onyx

  As I followed Blanca out of the cabin, I sent a message to Ranger. I’d watched as her expression changed. Something had spooked her, and her instincts told her to get out. It was the same thing everyone who’d gone through the kind of training I had, had drummed into them. If in doubt, get out.

  “What happened in there?” I asked.

  Her arms were wrapped tightly around her waist. “I don’t know. Maybe a panic attack.”

  “Do you feel better now that you’re outside?”

  “Not really.”

  I pulled one arm away from her body and grasped her hand. “Come with me.”

  “Where are we going?” she asked when I approached the SUV we’d arrived in.

  “Somewhere else.” I backed out of the driveway and went in the direction of the bridge I remembered from my last time here. “Is that amusement park this way?” I asked.

  “If it’s still there, yes.”

  A couple of miles down the road, we could see the place in the distance. “It doesn’t look as big as it used to be, or open,” said Blanca.

  “You’re right, and, damn, I wanted one of those soft-serve ice cream cones.”

  “That does sound good.”

  “What was your favorite, chocolate or vanilla?”

  “Vanilla dipped in chocolate.”

  I rubbed my belly. “Damn, girl, you sure are teasing me.”

  Blanca gave me a tight smile, but it didn’t shine through her eyes. Like her sister’s, they looked shallow and cold.

  I reached over and covered her hand with mine. “Come on back to me, Blanca.”

  She raised her brows. “What do you mean?”

  I squeezed her fingers. “Give me a real smile.”

  “That was—”

  “No, it wasn’t.” She cocked her head, looked into my eyes, and this time when she smiled, the warmth was back. “There it is.” Out of habit, I guess, I brought her hand to my lips and kissed it.