Tears welled in her eyes, blurring her vision as she rushed to him. His strong arms enveloped her in a bear hug, holding and rocking her like he always did when returning from a long trip. Hamilton and Mason had a few guys on the team who accepted extended assignments that sometimes took them across the country. Nelson was one of those guys.
“What’s with the tears? It hasn’t been that long,” he said. His raspy voice sounded like a two-pack a day smoker when actually, he’d never smoked a day in his life.
Nelson kissed her cheek, the familiar scent of his woodsy aftershave surrounding her like a soft blanket. He was ten years her senior and considered her his little sister, but to Egypt, he was a father figure who had helped her navigate adulthood.
Egypt sighed, horrified that she had gotten emotional. Working with mostly men, she tried to maintain a tough exterior, but seeing Nelson always reminded her of a past shrouded in secrecy. Everyone had people in their lives who they couldn’t imagine living without, and for her that was Nelson.
With the back of her hand, Egypt dab at her damp face, taking in the man who had been her only family for years. At six feet tall, Nelson was only a few inches taller than her, with mahogany skin, dark, soulful eyes, and a smile that rarely revealed his teeth.
“It’s been almost six months,” Egypt said. “I hate when you’re gone that long.”
“I know, but I can’t stand to be in one place too long.”
Egypt nodded. She learned that early in their relationship. At first, he didn’t disappear for long periods of time, but once she had started at Supreme, Nelson agreed to handle some of their longer contracts. Over the past week, Egypt understood better why he felt comfortable leaving her behind. All this time, she never knew that he had Hamilton and Mason watching her back.
“What are you doing here? You weren’t expected to return for at least two months.”
“I had to come and check on you.” He glanced over her shoulder and grinned.
When Egypt looked back, Kenton was leaning against the desk watching them, his huge arms folded across his chest. She rolled her eyes and shook her head.
“So, you and Kenton, huh?”
Instead of responding, Egypt couldn’t fight the smile that broke free. Nelson had suspected a year ago, asking if they were seeing each other. Like usual when anyone asked about her feelings for Kenton, Egypt had played it down, claiming they were just coworkers. When in truth she had been secretly in love with him.
“Check him out. Looking all big and bad. Acting like he gon’ do something to me for making you cry.”
Egypt laughed. “Stop. He’s been amazing.”
Nelson draped his arm around her shoulders. “Honestly, if I had to choose a man for you, it would be Kenton. You guys are good for each other.”
Egypt agreed. The more time she spent with him, the more he felt like her missing piece, filling a void that had been empty most of her life. “I take it Kenton had something to do with this surprise visit.”
“Maybe,” Nelson said, his eyes twinkling before turning serious. “I heard what happened, and I’m glad you didn’t bolt. Why didn’t you call me?”
“You were on assignment. I figured when you had a chance, you’d call me then I’d fill you in.” When he was out of town, depending on the assignment, he would call at least once a week. It had been a couple of weeks since Egypt had heard from him.
Kenton strolled over. “I guess your surprise was a success.”
“How long have you known he was coming?” Egypt asked.
“A few days, and I’ll admit that it was hard keeping this from you.” Egypt felt so blessed being around people who truly cared about her.
“That reminds me, Kenton. I ran into your FBI buddy a couple of weeks ago in North Carolina.”
“Who?”
Nelson snapped his fingers a few times trying to remember. “What’s his na…Caleb. I think that’s his name. You know, the therapist.”
“North Carolina? Where?”
“At a casino. Our client was performing in their nightclub, and I ran into your boy when he was trying to get into a restricted area. We talked for a second. He mentioned losing a shit-load of money on the tables, and even asked to borrow a few bucks.”
“What did you tell him?” Kenton asked.
“I gave him a twenty, and told him to take his ass home.”
Egypt studied Kenton, concern on his face. Days after they ran into Caleb at the grocery store, his wife had called Kenton, saying that her husband needed help. He’d been staying out late, drinking more than usual and had been emotionally distant. She thought he was in some type of trouble, but he wouldn’t confide in her, and she wanted Kenton to talk to him.
“Each time I call the guy, I get his voicemail. I need to pay him a visit.”
A buzzing sound caught all of their attention.
“That’s me.” Kenton dug into his front pant pocket and retrieved his phone. “I hate to break up this reunion, but Ham wants to see Nelson and me in his office.”
“Well, since there’s no real client, I guess I should be getting back to work. I’ll walk up with you guys.” Egypt wanted to talk to them about something that had been on her mind for the last couple of days. “Can I talk to you two before you go to your meeting?”
Kenton’s hand went to the small of her back. “What’s wrong?”
“Let’s go in here.” She stepped into an empty meeting room, and they followed. “I’m thinking about telling Laz, Angelo, Myles, and the girls about my past.”
“Why?”
“That’s not a good idea.”
Kenton and Nelson spoke at once. Egypt valued both of their opinions, but ultimately it would be her decision.
Kenton shoved his hands into the front pockets of his dress pants. “Why do you want to tell everyone?”
“Mainly because they’re my friends, and they’re watching my back. Seems only fair that they know the real reason about my connection to Pisano.”
Nelson squeezed her shoulder. “I know these years haven’t been easy, but my opinion about your past is the same. Forget it. You are Egypt Durand, not Paige McCurry. She no longer exists so there’s nothing to tell.”
“Okay, well, I just want it all to be over. No more running. No more hiding. No more withholding the truth from those I love.” Egypt wrapped her arms around herself. If only she could blink and make her past disappear. She regretted being a witness, and if she could do it all over again, she would’ve run the other way that night sixteen years ago. “I’m tired of having a secret past.”
“I know,” Nelson said. “But the people who know about your past, are the only ones who need to know. I told Ham and Mase because I wanted more than just myself watching your back. And I’m glad you told Kenton.”
Egypt glanced at Kenton who hadn’t said much, but he looked at her with an intensity that reached into her soul. Her heart swelled with love. Some days it was still hard to believe they were together, and he made her believe that she could have a normal life with a happily ever after.
“I trust our friends with my life…and your life, but it’s still risky to tell anyone about your past, Egypt,” Kenton finally said, and reached for her hand, pulling her closer to him. “It’s a small world. You don’t know who knows who, and someone could accidentally tell the wrong person about your past identity. Marco’s father is not the only person you testified against. You might not ever have a problem with the Fed you help put away or anyone he knows, but that’s not to say that you won’t.”
Egypt shivered at the thought. With numerous charges brought against him, the federal agent had received a life’s sentence. But what if someone he knew, accused her of ruining their family like Marco had?
“Also, keep in mind. We don’t even know for sure if you’re on Pisano’s radar. If you aren’t, which I’m hoping, telling the guys your history doesn’t serve a purpose. And whether or not they know your life’s story, they will always have your back.” Ne
lson put his arm around her shoulder. “I’m glad you’re finally living your life, kid, but you still have to be careful. At least for now.”
Egypt nodded, knowing they were probably right, but still thinking that if she shared her story with their friends, it wouldn’t feel like such a dark secret. Then maybe she could move on and never look back.
“Nelson, can you give us a minute?” Kenton asked.
“Sure.” He placed a chaste kiss on Egypt’s forehead and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him.
Kenton’s arms encircled Egypt, and she sighed, sinking into his loving embrace. How had she gone this far in life without him? Without his hugs, kisses, and the calm that surrounded him?
Pent-up energy flowed from her body as they stood there in silence, and Egypt basked in the strength of his hold. Her heart was so heavy with love for this man. He comforted her in a way that only he could do.
“What brought all of this on?” Kenton asked.
After a slight hesitation, Egypt said, “You.”
He leaned back and looked at her. “Me?”
She nodded. “My life has been cloaked in secrecy, and I’ve never had the pleasure of living freely. When you came to my house and stopped me from leaving town, you gave me hope. Hope that I could actually have all that I’ve dreamed of having. Marriage, kids…a family. My own family. You have no idea how lonely my life has been, or how unsure my future seemed before you came along.”
I love you. The words teetered on the tip of her tongue, but fear or maybe it was insecurity kept her from saying them aloud. Instead, she said, “I’m tired of looking over my shoulders all the time. I’m tired of being afraid that someone will find out who I am and tell Pisano. And I’m tired of being alone.”
“Sweetheart,” Kenton framed her face within the palms of his hands and stared into her eyes, “as long as you have me, you’ll never be alone again. You mean everything to me. I thought you knew that. This isn’t some fling. I’m here for the long haul. Okay?”
Tears pricked the back of Egypt’s eyes, but she batted them away and nodded.
Kenton lowered his head and warmth radiated through Egypt’s body when their mouths touched. He’d kissed her a hundred times, but this kiss, this one she felt to the center of her core. Unhurried. Tender. Calming.
More importantly, she felt loved.
Chapter Thirty
I love you.
Three simple words.
Kenton wanted to kick himself. Why hadn’t he been able to tell her? He wasn’t some punk kid who wasn’t in touch with his feelings. Yet, he let the perfect opportunity pass without saying those three simple words.
I. Love. You.
Sure, he had expressed how important she was to him, and that he was in their relationship for the duration. None of that compared to actually telling her how much he loved her. He wasn’t only in love with her. She owned his heart.
Soon. I’ll tell her soon.
After a quick knock, he pushed open the door to Hamilton’s office.
“Good of you to join us. Must’ve been hard pulling yourself away from all the excitement at the front desk,” Laz cracked.
Kenton sat on the sofa next to him. “Man, shut up. Your day of desk duty is coming, and I can’t wait to see how excited you’ll be.”
Angelo and Nelson, who were sitting in the chairs in front of the desk, laughed then went back to talking about the Atlanta Falcons game they had watched the day before. Hamilton was on the phone at his desk and nodded a greeting. The only other person scheduled to be in the meeting but hadn’t arrived, was Myles.
“Before I forget,” Laz reached into the interior pocket of his suit jacket, “everyone else has their tickets for the fundraiser gala next weekend. Here are yours and Egypt’s.”
“All right, thanks.”
Kenton glanced at the tickets, noting the date and time before sticking them into his jacket pocket. Laz and Journey volunteered with Save Our Boys. The non-profit organization focused on young men between the ages of fourteen and twenty-five. Many of whom had endured some type of violence and abuse or had family members dealing with drugs and addictions. Kenton supported any organization that got kids off the streets and into programs offering apprenticeships and career training.
“Oh, and I found out that Franklin wasn’t in your area last night,” Laz said. “He’s like…disappeared, but we’ll find him. Right now, I’m not sure the car Chelsey spotted had anything to do with you, and without the plate number, there’s not much I can do. And Wiz’s team tried to tap into the street cameras in your area, but there aren’t any on your block.”
“What about your security cameras?” Angelo asked.
Kenton shook his head. “They didn’t pick up anything. The car was outside of the scope. That’ll be corrected before the end of the day though.”
“Whatever Franklin is up to you guys are not to put your hands on him. Once we find out what he’s looking for, or who he’s really working for, we’ll deal with him then,” Hamilton said. Kenton hadn’t realized he was off the phone.
“Ham, so what’s the new development?” Angelo asked.
“Agent Griffith contacted me and told me that Gerald “Moot” Contrell confessed to the murder of Ross Hoakley. He used to be a foot soldier for the Pisano family up until about a year ago, at least that’s what he’s claiming.”
“Yeah, right. Pisano probably felt the heat from the feds and went out and found some poor sap to take the fall for him,” Kenton spat, irritation crawling through his body. “Did the guy say why he took out Ross?”
“According to Moot’s confession, Hoakley sexually assaulted his girlfriend. He only planned to rough the guy up a little, but the situation got out of hand and…” Hamilton shrugged.
“Well, damn.” Ross might’ve gotten what was coming to him, but unease crawled through Kenton knowing he could’ve easily been the one sitting in jail for killing Ross.
“And before you ask, this doesn’t mean that the FBI is taking their eyes off of Pisano. They still want him, and claim that they’re getting closer,” Hamilton explained but didn’t sound too convinced.
There was a quick knock on the office door before it swung open.
“We have a situation.” Myles strolled into the room with a tan fedora pulled low over his dark face. Unlike the rest of them, who were dressed in black suits, Myles sported a black long-sleeved Henley and khakis. “Last night, Mrs. Hoakley ended her contract with us, saying that our services were no longer needed.”
“Yeah, I was getting to that,” Hamilton said, rocking back in his desk chair. “But did something else happen?”
Myles handed Hamilton a manila envelope. “Guess who Mrs. Hoakley is dating?”
“Franklin?” Kenton tossed out.
“Nope.”
“Then who?” Nelson asked.
“Marco Pisano.”
“What?” Kenton hadn’t known who he was going to say, but he hadn’t expected Pisano. “You saw them together?”
Myles gave a slight shrug. “When she told me our services were no longer needed, I might’ve hung around her building for a while last night and this morning.”
“Yeah, I bet you did.” Kenton had always been impressed with how the former CIA agent was able to blend into his environment. Laz always teased him about being a ghost.
Myles leaned against the desk. “Pisano showed up at her place late and didn’t leave until early this morning.”
He passed pictures around the room, and Kenton studied each photo, one being of the couple kissing at the entrance of Hoakley’s condo. The shot was taken at sunrise and considering the angle, Myles had to have been on a nearby rooftop.
“The FBI is supposed to be sitting on her place. Did you see them?” Hamilton asked.
“Yeah, one of their cars was parked up the street, but their asses are sleeping on the job.”
Hamilton huffed out a breath and folded his arms across his chest. “So if she’s with Pisa
no, and assuming the guy is responsible for Ross Hoakley’s death, that means she hired us already knowing her husband was going to be killed.”
“And she wanted to use Supreme as a front,” Kenton added. He stood and moved around the room, unable to sit still any longer. “In a murder case, law enforcement always looks at the spouse as a possible suspect first. She played us.”
“She has to be one bad bitch to be able to hang with a crime boss. Hope she’s prepared to suffer the same fate as her husband,” Laz said.
“If she used us, and was involved in her husband’s death, the feds should have something on her by now,” Angelo said.
Hamilton grunted. “They want a bigger catch. My guess is they think she can lead them to Pisano. What I don’t get, though, is why Pisano wasn’t more careful with being seen with her. He has to know the feds are still watching even if they supposedly have Ross’s killer.”
“And what I don’t get is why they haven’t been able to do a shakedown of his organization by now.” Nelson tapped his fingers on the desk. “They should be able to get him on extortion, overseeing gambling operations, racketeering and probably a host of other crimes.”
“Wait, do you know something we don’t know?” Kenton asked. Nelson was in town partly to see Egypt, but Hamilton also wanted him to discretely look into the Pisano family and the numerous businesses they owned. He was confident they were a front for illegal activity.
“Not exactly, but Myles and I are following up on a few leads. We also heard rumblings about a turf war brewing. The LinKenzoy family don’t take kindly to Pisano moving in on their territory.”
The last thing the city needed was a turf war, Kenton thought.
“What if the Fed assigned to sit on Mrs. Hoakley’s house has a connection with Pisano,” Laz said. “We already know the man’s reach is long. Chances are, he’s like his father was and have agents in his pockets.”
Kenton’s stomach rolled. That thought made him sick. All of law enforcement took oaths, vowing to protect the country from enemies and not disgrace the badge. He hated knowing that some weren’t honoring the pledge.
Accused Page 21
