Next to Forever: Shattered Innocence Trilogy Book Three

by Long, A. L.

  Rade sat in the far corner of the room as he watched Dylan feed his father. He wasn’t enjoying the sight, but he wanted to stick close by so that he could question his father once he was finished eating. Rade was ready to get to the bottom of what happened at the BlackStone building and what part his father played in it.

  Dylan finished with taking care of Garrett’s needs, taking the tray with the empty bowl with her as she left the room. This was as good time as any to begin his interrogation with his father. Standing at the edge of the bed, Rade looked down at his father, wanting more than anything to see him gone from his home.

  “So, are you going to tell me what the fuck happened to you?” Rade barked.

  “You don’t waste any time,” Garrett replied.

  “I’m done playing your games. You’re the one who came to me.” Rade was losing his patience with his father.

  “I’m not sure what I can tell you, son, that you don’t already know.”

  “Well, for starters, you can tell me who stabbed you and why your identification was on another man’s body.”

  Garrett rubbed his forehead as he began to explain. “A man walked into the BlackStone office. I was waiting in the conference room to have a meeting with Keeve and Mason about the terms of our partnership. Just as he was heading towards Keeve’s office, another gentleman about my height and built got off the elevator. The other guy didn’t have a chance. The gunman shot him in the face. That’s when Keeve stepped out of his office to see what was going on. He should have stayed put. The guy shot Keeve twice. He kept asking Keeve if he knew me and where I was. I thought it best to stay out of sight. I think he would have shot Keeve again, but Mason appeared. Mason must have seen what was going on, because he ran back to his office. The gunman saw Mason. It was too late. This was my chance. I took the dead guy’s wallet and replaced it with mine and quickly scribbled “Forgiveness” on his chest. Since the shooter didn’t take the time to check his identity, I thought that if the he saw my identification, he would have no reason to keep looking for me. I had to make everyone believe it was me lying on the floor. Just before I got to the stairwell, another shot was fired.”

  “This is all fucked up. Why would anybody be looking for you?” Rade asked.

  “I don’t know and I wasn’t going to stick around and find out,” Garrett responded.

  “Did you get a good look at the shooter?”

  “I couldn’t see his face. He wore a ski mask, but he was short and heavy. The stupid fuck was dumb enough to wear glasses over his mask.”

  “How about the wallet from the dead guy? Do you still have it?” Rade asked, hoping his father held on to it.

  “I tossed it in a dumpster. His name was Paul New… something or another, Newhouse. His name was Paul Newhouse. Did you know him?” Garrett asked.

  “No,” Rade spat, forking his hands through his hair. Turning towards his dad, he asked, “It still doesn’t explain how you got stabbed.”

  “A homeless person was digging through the dumpster when I opened the lid to throw the wallet inside. I must have scared him, because the next thing I knew, he stabbed me with a knife,” Garrett confessed.

  “Fucking hell, are you kidding me? You got stabbed by a fucking homeless person,” Rade laughed irately.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  The events from the last couple of days left Rade on edge. Not only because of what happened to his father, but also because the paternity results were in. The blood test came back positive, confirming that Rade was the father of Chloe’s child. He couldn’t bring himself to share this information with Dylan. He didn’t know how he was going to let her know. All he knew was that he needed to let her know gently. Maybe he would take her away for the weekend, someplace where they wouldn’t be bothered. A place where there wouldn’t be any way to get in touch with them. It was still warm enough, so maybe he would charter a boat. A weekend out on the open sea would be perfect.

  Making the final arrangements for his surprise getaway, Rade headed down the steps to where Dylan awaited him in the bedroom. He knew that she was exhausted with everything that happened at the BlackStone office. The investigation was still underway. Rade’s father finally went to the police to let them know what he saw and to let them know the true identity of the man whose face was blown off. The police continued to mislead the press into thinking it was Garrett Matheson that was shot. Garrett was taken to a safe house until the authorities could find out who the shooter was. Even the FBI were called in since the man killed was a Federal employee, an IRS investigator.

  Needless to say, Dylan’s first day back to work was filled with questions relating to the incident. A new IRS investigator was assigned to finish the investigation into Keeve and Mason’s financial records, which also put added pressure on Dylan. Dylan provided what she could to the investigator, not really sure what he was looking for. She couldn’t imagine any tax evasion taking place.

  After dinner, Rade left Dylan soaking in the tub, hoping all the stress of the day would be washed away. He wanted to go to the BlackStone building with her to help deal with the shit left behind, but his focus needed to be on another issue before it got out of hand. Thankfully, between Richard and Peter, Dylan was safe.

  Opening the door to the bathroom, Rade walked in just as Dylan was getting out of the water. God, she looked beautiful. He wanted nothing more than to lean her body over the smooth surface of the counter and fuck her until she screamed his name. He could tell by her stance that she was still worried about the day and what it brought. Feeling her anxiety, Rade lifted her from the floor and took her to the bed. He was going to get her to relax, no matter what it took.

  “What are you doing?” Dylan asked, letting him continue his strides to the bedroom.

  “I’m going to get you to relax, Sweetness,” Rade said with a grin.

  When Dylan was settled on the bed, Rade went back to the bathroom to grab the lavender oil from the cabinet. Walking back to the room, he commanded, “Roll over on your stomach, Sweetness.”

  Without hesitation, Dylan turned over. She had a pretty good idea what he was going to do. Placing a generous dollop of the oil in his palm, he rubbed his hands together and began smoothing it over her soft skin. Rade loved the feel of Dylan’s soft skin under his hands. This was the difference between her and him. Where he was hard, she was soft. Rade gently pressed his hands into her flesh, causing her to moan with satisfaction.

  “God, that feels so good,” Dylan breathed with gratification.

  “Not as good as it would feel with my body pressed against yours, rubbing every inch of you,” Rade whispered as he continued to knead his hands gently into her soft skin.

  The thought of covering her oiled body with his sent an electric surge to the tip of his shaft. Rade could feel his excitement build the longer he caressed her body. This was supposed to help her relax, but instead it made him harder and harder for her. If he didn’t stop he would soon have his cock deep inside her. Rolling her over onto her back, he couldn’t deny himself any longer. He needed to take what was his. Lowering his body over hers, he placed his lips over hers and began devouring her sweetness. The heat between them ignited as Dylan took what he was offering. Slipping her tongue into his mouth, Dylan explored the confines of his warmth. He tasted of scotch and something sweet. Sucking and nibbling his bottom lip, she drew him in further. With a heated rush, Rade pulled his mouth from hers, only to settle it on her right breast. This was where he found more of heaven. Her heaven. Lapping his tongue around her areola, Dylan’s body began to respond to his assault. Her body arched as she gave more of herself to him. Gliding his hand down her firm stomach, he felt her body relax beneath him. “Maybe this, what we have now, should have come first,” Rade whispered, hearing her quiet moans of pleasure.

  Dylan didn’t care what he did. As long as he didn’t stop, she would be satisfied. Wrapping her legs around his waist, Dylan wanted – no, needed - to feel more of him. This, right now, was her tranquil
ity, and only Rade could give it to her. Thinking of nothing more than his touch, she felt Rade gently slip his middle finger inside her wet pussy. The friction was all it took to free the stress within. Her body surrendered, letting the weight of the day stream from her body. Dylan screamed his name when another finger entered her soaked channel, causing another blast of ecstasy to pour from her body.

  With the weight of the world released from her body, Dylan had no problem falling asleep. Rade had left her fully satisfied and utterly exhausted. Rade laid with her until her eyes closed. He loved the feeling of her body pressed to his. As much as he hated to leave the comfort of her warmth, he needed to check the progress of determining Michael Stewart’s whereabouts. Rade had spoken to Peter earlier that day; there was a hit on a credit card that he and Dylan once shared, in Connecticut. Dylan probably didn’t know it was still active since it was under his name. Since Michael’s body hadn’t officially been found and he hadn’t been pronounced legally dead, all of his accounts were still active. This meant that the police also had access to track the use of any credit cards.

  One thing that Rade couldn’t understand was why Michael would be in Connecticut. He had no known ties to the state, let alone Waterbury. Peter assured him that he would be sending Josh that way to see what he could find. Rade knew that Michael was up to something. With the threats he received and the recent note to Dylan, he needed more than ever to keep her close. Nothing would please him more than to have all these loose ends tied up before the weekend. He knew that was only wishful thinking since the weekend was only three days away.

  Rade poured a much needed scotch as he watched the sun set over the Manhattan skies. It was nights like these that made him appreciate how much he loved New York. Rade was about to pour another drink when his cell rang. Looking at the screen, Chris from IT appeared as the caller.

  “Hey, Chris,” Rade answered

  “Hey, Rade,” Chris greeted him on a first name basis. “Ms. Dupree finally logged onto her computer and I was able to get some information for you. With her keystrokes, I was able to get the passwords to her bank accounts and credit card information. After logging into her account at the World National Bank, I was able to get a copy of her most recent statement. There were some pretty hefty withdrawals. Five in all, in the amount of twenty thousand dollars each. She also has a pretty nice balance in her account, two hundred thousand and change. Other than a safe deposit box, there are a couple of brokerage accounts and a savings account. I’m still working on her email account, which should be pretty easy to get into. I thought I would give you an update before I did anything else.”

  “Good work, Chris. When you access her email account, let me know right away if anything looks out of the ordinary, especially if it has anything to do with Dr. O’Brien,” Rade advised.

  “Will do. Have a good evening,” Chris said as he ended the call.

  Rade knew something wasn’t right with Chloe. Thinking about what Chris had found, he wondered where Chloe’s sizable bank balance came from. He also wanted to get inside her safe deposit box. Maybe there would be something there that would give him the evidence he needed to prove she had a part in his kidnapping.

  *****

  Rising out of bed the next morning, Dylan felt energized. She was ready to tackle whatever the day would bring. She knew there was still a lot to do with the financial situation. After her relaxing night, she had a better grasp on what needed to be done.

  Rade wasn’t next to her when she woke up, so she assumed he was already dressed and in his study or living area. Pushing herself from the bed, she decided to seek him out.

  Stopping short of the kitchen, she laid her eyes on him as she stared at his perfect form reading what she assumed was the Wall Street Journal. She was in such a good mood that the mischievous side of her decided to sneak up on him. Tiptoeing to where he sat, Dylan was about to place her hands over his eyes when he turned around and said, “Boo!” Dylan was so surprised by his unexpected scare tactic that she stumbled backwards, causing the chair she was holding onto to tip over, spilling the contents of her purse on the hard marble floor.

  Rade reached out just in time to grab her by the waist before she also tumbled to the floor. He didn’t realize that his playful behavior would cause her to jump.

  “Oh God, Sweetness. I didn’t mean to scare you,” Rade said.

  “I guess I shouldn’t have snuck up on you like I did,” Dylan replied.

  Rade pulled Dylan in closer. Lowering his head, he gently kissed her on the lips, taking in her scent. Biting her bottom lip, Rade felt her body melt into his, letting him know he was forgiven for his naughtiness. Breaking their embrace, Dylan lowered her body so she could gather the contents that spilled from her purse. Rade stooped beside her, helping her with her things. Grabbing a single key, Rade looked at Dylan with a questioning look on his face. “Sweetness, I didn’t know you had a deposit box.”

  “I totally forgot about that key. I found it in Alex’s desk at BlackStone when you went missing,” Dylan explained. “I was going to try and find where he had his accounts, but with everything going on, I completely forgot.”

  “Let me figure it out,” Rade said, kissing Dylan on the lips.

  This was the kiss of all kisses that ended up returning much more. Rade’s little gratitude caused Dylan to be an hour and a half late for work. When she did arrive, she was greeted by the irritated look of the IRS investigator. If he could have spit fire, it would have been directed at her.

  “Mr. Metcalf, sorry to keep you waiting. An emergency came up,” Dylan said, knowing he could see right through her little lie.

  “I hope you don’t make a habit of being late. My time is very valuable, Ms. Adams,” he stated in a heavy tone.

  Dylan walked back to her office to settle in while Mr. Metcalf walked into the conference room to continue with his review. Dylan joined him a few minutes later with an office box filled with financial documents. Even though the review was a tedious process, the investigator didn’t come up with anything substantial, nothing that rendered tax evasion. This was good news for Dylan because it meant that Keeve and Mason were on the up and up.

  Breaking for lunch, Dylan asked that Richard take her to the hospital so that she could check in on Keeve and Mason. Keeve was moved to a regular room, while Mason remained in ICU. It would be some time before Keeve would be able to return to work, but that didn’t mean that Dylan couldn’t communicate with him on everything taking place in the office including the IRS audit.

  Richard pulled up to the front doors of Mount Sinai, allowing Dylan to exit while he searched for a parking spot. When Dylan went through the automatic doors, she was surprised to see Rade standing in the waiting area.

  “Rade, I wasn’t expecting to see you here,” Dylan said, giving him a small kiss on the lips.

  “Richard contacted me to let me know he was heading here. I hope you don’t mind the company,” Rade asked.

  “Of course not,” Dylan said, reassuring Rade by taking hold of his hand.

  Keeve’s new room was on the fifth floor, so when an available elevator opened, Rade and Dylan quickly stepped inside. Dylan could already feel the electricity radiating between them. Even though it had only been a couple of hours since they laid hands on each other, she could feel the warmth between her legs rising, filling her with desire for the man next to her. Rade must have felt the same way.

  “If we weren’t in a hospital elevator at the moment, I would have you pushed up against the wall thrusting my needy cock inside your sweet tight cunt,” Rade confessed.

  “Patience. Isn’t that what you always say?” Dylan knowingly whispered, taming down her own desire for him.

  Before Rade could comment the elevator dinged, letting them know they had arrived on the fifth floor. Rade gently placed his hand on Dylan’s lower back, guiding her down the hallway to Keeve’s room. Once they arrived, they surveyed the appearance of Keeve’s body as his long frame extended the lengt
h of the hospital bed. His eyes were closed, which meant he was either sedated or resting. He must have been resting, because as Dylan stepped closer to the bed, Keeve’s eyes opened.

  “Hey, you. How are you feeling?” Dylan asked.

  “Good, tired,” Keeve said in a raspy tone.

  Rade moved closer to the bed, making sure that Keeve would be able to see him. “I know this is insensitive of me to ask, but I really need to know. Do you have any idea who the man was that shot you?” Rade said, getting to the point.

  “Rade,” Dylan said, looking over to Rade, none too happy. “Can’t he answer your questions when he gets stronger?”

  “I’m sure Keeve wants to know as much as we do who shot him,” Rade countered.

  “It’s okay, Dylan,” Keeve began as he adjusted his body to a sitting position. “I wasn’t able to see him with the ski mask he wore. But there was something about him, his voice, like I had met him before.”

  “Is there anything else you remembered about him?” Rade quizzed.

  “Not really. Hopefully it will come to me once I remember that voice.” Keeve paused. “Rade, he was looking for your father. I remember that Garrett was waiting for us in the conference room. I heard a shot before I blacked out. God, tell me he didn’t get to him.”

  “My father is fine. The man who shot you also shot Mason. That’s the gun shot you heard. Mason is still in ICU.” Rade wasn’t sure how much Keeve knew or how much he was told. He did know that Keeve needed to know what happened to his partner.

  “Bastard, If I ever get my hands on the son of a bitch, I’ll make sure he doesn’t see the light of day,” Keeve hissed, the pain from his gun shots spreading like fire across his body.

  “You need to calm down, Keeve. We’re doing everything we can to find the shooter. You need to focus on getting better,” Rade advised.

  Dylan sat back as Rade and Keeve argued about who was going to take out the gunman. It wasn’t much of a match seeing as how Keeve could barely move. Dylan left the two men arguing to find out how Mason was doing. Even though he was still in ICU, his condition was improving. This was a good sign. They changed his status from critical to stable. Even though he still wasn’t out of the woods, at least he was on his way to recovery.