by L. A. Fiore
“You’re in shock, Baby,” he said, soft but firm.
“Someone shot my friend,” I said, softly at first, and then I screamed it. “They shot him!”
He pulled me close, held me as I cried. He looked over at the nurse. “How long will he be in surgery?”
“Hours.”
He took my face again. “I’m going to take you home, get you cleaned up and then we’ll come back. Yeah?”
“I have to talk to Zac.”
“That can wait.” He didn’t leave room for argument.
I didn’t remember the drive home. I walked right into the bathroom to the sink. My hands wouldn’t come clean. Scrubbing the blood off, it just smeared. Tears pooled, but my anger was stronger, rage burned through me. My hands were raw, but still, I saw the blood.
“Molly.”
“It won’t come off.”
His hand covered mine, as he turned off the water. “I have to get it off.”
“Molly.”
I turned to him, pushed him away from me. The screaming in my head spilled from my mouth and echoed around the bathroom. He made no move to stop me when I used him to let the frustration and pain out. I stumbled back, hit the wall. Before I slid down it, he was there…holding me up. His hand curled around my chin. “Tell me what you need, Molly.”
I held his intense stare, my breathing coming in hard pants, the anger giving way to the pain. I fisted his hair, pulled his mouth to mine. He didn’t respond, at first, until I begged against his lips, “Please.”
Twisting my hair around his hand, he yanked my head back, those eyes I loved stared back with concern, before his mouth slammed down on mine. I clawed at his clothes, but his arm banded around my waist, holding me to him, as he consumed me with just his kiss. My muscles loosened, my body giving in to him. He pulled at my jeans, dragging them and my panties down my legs, my tee and bra followed. He turned the shower on, stripped, then pulled me under the spray before pressing me against the wall. His hand moved down my body, his fingers played with me. His mouth replaced his fingers.
“Oh god.” I fisted his hair, spread my legs wider, and moved my hips to take him deeper. His fingers dug into my ass, as he brought me swiftly to orgasm, before he stood, turned me to the wall and ran his hand up my back and between my shoulder blades. He pressed down, bending me at the waist. He placed my hands on the wall and pushed my legs apart. In the next breath, he was slamming into me.
“Yes!” I scream.
He wasn’t gentle. I didn’t want gentle. “Harder,” I begged.
He fucked me almost brutally; his hand fisted my hair, pulling my head back again for his ruthless kiss. I came so hard it brought new tears to my eyes. He broke the kiss, our gazes locked. It hit me on the way home. Where Ethan and I had been, the shit that was going down and the realization that someone had mistaken Ethan for Kade. New tears fell. “If it was you,” I said brokenly.
His voice was a harsh whisper because he knew, too. “It wasn’t me.”
He pulled out of me, drew me against him and held me, as I broke down. Three months ago, I didn’t know him, and now, I wouldn’t survive the loss of him.
He washed me and then dressed me. An hour later, we were walking back into the emergency room. Zac was there. “Shit, Molly,” he said, crossing the room and pulling me close. “I’m sorry.”
Kade moved to the nurse’s station.
“He’s going to pull through. He’s young and strong,” Zac said.
I looked up at Zac. “We were at Polar. Kade owns that.”
Zac caught on instantly. “They thought he was Kade.”
New tears fell. “Yeah.”
“I’ll call Vin. We’ll fucking find out who’s behind it.”
Kade returned, took my hand. “He’s still in surgery.” He touched my hair. “Do you want coffee?”
“No,” I said, moving closer to him. I had to think, I had to focus on something other than Ethan on the ground. “They thought it was you. Enzi senior is making his move.” My eyes jerked to Kade. “Carmine.”
But Kade already had his phone out.
Zac had left. I wanted to be out there looking for the one who shot Ethan, but I wouldn’t leave him. It was hours later, when the doctor joined us.
“He’s made it through surgery. He lost a lot of blood, and the next twenty-four hours are critical, but he’s young.”
If Kade didn’t have his arm around me, I wasn’t sure I’d still be standing. He wasn’t out of the woods, but he was fighting. “Can I see him?”
“He’s very sedated. I’d rather you wait for the morning.”
I wanted to argue, but Kade’s lips were at my ear. “You need sleep. I’ll bring you back after you’ve gotten a few hours.”
I nodded.
“We’ll be here at eight. She will see him then.” He wasn’t asking. The doctor nodded.
By the time we got home, I was emotionally and physically drained. I walked into our bedroom, began working on my clothes, then dropped onto the edge of the bed and started to cry. Ethan was going to be okay. I kept telling myself that, over and over. He was going to get through this. But, if I was being honest, what had me on the verge of a breakdown was Kade had been the target, and the reality it could have been him bleeding out on the sidewalk. That he could have flatlined…that I could have lost him.
I couldn’t breathe. I tried to draw air into my lungs, but I couldn’t. Kade appeared, on his knees in front of me, his hand on my chest. “Breathe in, Molly. Come on.” He put my hand on his chest. “Follow me, Baby. Breathe in and out, that’s it.”
My lungs burned, as I drew ragged breaths in and out, the panic attack narrowly avoided.
“I can’t lose you,” I said, on a broken whisper.
“I’m not going anywhere.”
“I won’t survive it.”
He pulled his hands through my hair. “You would. You’re stronger than you believe.”
“Would you survive the loss of—”
“No.” He reached for my tee and yanked it over my head. My bra followed. He stood, brought me to my feet and dragged my jeans and panties down my legs. He pulled the covers down. And when I was settled, he stripped, climbed in, and held me close. I wrapped my arm around his stomach, pressed my face to his chest and fell asleep.
When I woke in the morning, he was still holding me close. I lifted my head; he was already awake. “You need to eat, but we can get something on the road,” he offered.
I pressed a kiss to his chest, ran my hand over his stomach, up to his neck. I shifted and kissed him, my lips lingering. “I love you so fucking much.” He fisted my hair and pulled my mouth back to his. His hand moved to my ass, but I was already moving to straddle him. My hand disappeared between our bodies, grabbing his cock, lifting up, his fingers dug into my thighs, as I sank down on him. We both moaned. His hand traveled up my body to my breast, pulled on my nipple, twisted.
“God, you feel so good.” I sighed; my hips found a rhythm, Kade finding it with me, his cock going so deep. I fisted the headboard, rode him hard, his finger finding my clit, tweaking it.
“Yes,” I moaned, his hips pushing up into me. I felt the chills right before the orgasm, my head falling back, as I rode the pleasure.
Dark eyes watched, as he continued jerking his hips, until I rode it to the end, and then he flipped me, grabbed the headboard with one hand, my hip with the other and fucked me hard and fast until he sank in deep and came on a groan.
His hand curled around my hair, his kiss hard and rough and so fucking perfect.
We stopped at Duke’s for breakfast sandwiches, not that I was hungry, but Kade made me eat, pointed out that I hadn’t eaten since breakfast the previous day. We arrived at the hospital and were taken right to Ethan’s room.
He had tubes coming out of him, the machine beeping his hea
rt rate, and he looked so pale, but he was awake.
“Hey,” I said, hurrying over to his side.
“Hey.”
“Do you need some water?”
He shook his head.
“You’re going to be okay,” I said, reaching for his hand.
“I was shot,” he said it almost like a question.
“Yeah, outside of Polar.”
“Gonna have a scar,” he said.
“I’m sorry…”
He squeezed my hand. “Street cred, Molly.”
It took me a second before I laughed then cried, dropping my head on his bed. He really was going to be okay.
I wanted to go to the station, but after we left the hospital, Kade had other plans. He took me home. I hadn’t realized how much I had needed to see my parents, until they came hurrying out of the front door, as we pulled up. I was immediately enveloped by both of them.
Kade was helping my mom with the coffee. Dad and I were at the table.
“How’s Ethan?” Dad asked.
“He’s okay. He’s going to be okay,” I said, repeating that to myself, often, because he really was going to be okay.
“Good.” Dad leaned back in his chair and pulled a hand through his hair. “Scary shit.”
Mom and Kade joined us, Kade taking the seat at my side. “This is Kade,” I said. “Not the way I planned on you meeting, but…”
“Kade has been keeping us informed about Ethan,” Mom shared.
My focus shifted to Kade, my heart swelled. I hadn’t known he was doing that but wasn’t surprised. I took his hand, kissed his palm. I didn’t say anything, I didn’t need to, and for a few seconds, it was just the two of us, so much said without words.
The soft sound from my mom turned my focus back on her. “That was beautiful,” she whispered.
I knew we’d moved fast, but after what happened with Ethan, I also knew that it was right and that I’d always be crazy out of my head for this man. I didn’t want to wait, didn’t want to give it time. Life was too short, last night was a reminder of that. “We’re engaged, and I know this is the first time you’re meeting…” I looked up at Kade. “But when it’s right.”
Mom was up, moving around the table hugging me. “Oh, Molly. I’m so happy for you.” She then turned to Kade, who stood when she did, and hugged him. “Welcome to the family.”
“I’d like a few minutes with Kade,” Dad said, walking from the room. Kade touched my chin to lift my mouth for his kiss. “I’ll be right back.” I watched him follow my dad.
“You’re in love,” Mom said, her voice a little dreamy.
I pulled my gaze from Kade. “I am, Mom. It happened so fast, but I do love him."
“Anyone with eyes can see it’s mutual.” Her hand covered mine. “I’m so happy for you both.”
“I’m thinking about giving up the job.”
She didn’t hide her reaction. She loved the idea. “You need to do what’s best for you. You know that.”
“I love the job, but my priorities are shifting.”
“That’s normal.”
It hurt to draw a deep breath, thinking about last night and how it could have been Kade. “Once this case is solved.”
She looked confused before she asked, “Last night wasn’t related to your case, was it?”
“I think, in a sense, it was.” And I suspected the blood bath Vin warned about was coming. What I wasn’t sure of was who’d be behind it.
“Oh dear.”
“Yeah.” We both heard the door before the booming voice. “Where’s my niece?”
I stood, just as Uncle Gavin entered the kitchen. He pulled me into a bear hug. “You good, Sweetheart?”
“Yeah.” Then I saw Kade watching me from the doorway. “I’m good.” And with Kade, I was.
It was late. Kade hadn’t left my side since Ethan was shot, but Carmine had called earlier. Carmine was his family, and they had shit to discuss, and not just our engagement. He wanted to push it off, I told him to invite him over. He’d still be here, and I wasn’t going anywhere. They were now in the study talking, but I was going through Frank’s papers. We were missing something. My cell rang; seeing it was Zac, I answered it.
“Just talked to Jamison from Chadds Ford PD. The party line, an internal miscommunication that had the car on Milton pulled.”
“Sounds suspicious.”
“Yeah, Jamison thought so, too. Likely, Milton paid someone to lose the tail. Jamison is looking into it. Not that it matters.”
“Why?”
“Milton Teller became Milton Teller in the seventies. Before that, he was Randy Drew, who had a juvie record that was sealed. Manslaughter, but he was found not guilty and his record expunged. We’re going through known associates of Randy Drew to see if anything pops.”
“How much do you want to bet Jason knew that? Knew that Milton had changed his name and used that fact for his benefit, the reason he was selected as Katrina’s representative,” I said.
“I think so, too.” Zac said. “How’s Ethan?”
“Falling in love with his nurse.”
He chuckled. “Good. Alright, get some sleep. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Night, Zac.”
I dropped my phone on the bed. So Milton wasn’t Jason, but still, he disappeared. Paid someone off and ran, which meant he knew who Jason was and was afraid. Considering Jason seemed to be cleaning house, he was right to be afraid.
I climbed from bed. Milton had cooperated in the beginning, genuinely upset about Samantha, sincerely interested in helping. So him fleeing was a total one eighty. My blood started to race because I would bet money he hadn’t known what happened to Jason after Katrina died, and probably, hadn’t seen him since her death, but something changed. He saw him. Holy shit, Milton saw Jason, recognized him and took off.
I’d seen Milton at both the NYPD fundraiser and Kade’s masquerade ball. The fundraiser had been before we visited him that first time, but the masquerade ball…I started from the bedroom. When we’d seen Milton at St Regis, he’d been less inclined to help us. Nervous…scared. If we compared the list of people at Kade’s party, to the names we’d collected during this case, ones linked to not just Katrina Dent but also CyberTech, because I was still convinced there was a link, I’d bet money we’d find the new identity of Jason Benjamin.
Reaching Kade’s office, I knocked.
His deep voice responded immediately, “Come in, Molly.”
Carmine was standing at the window looking royally pissed.
“Is everything okay?” I asked.
Kade crossed the room to me. “It will be.”
Carmine wasn’t far behind Kade, and despite being livid, he pulled me to him for a hard hug. “Congratulations.”
I hugged him back. “Thanks, Carmine.”
“I’m sorry about your friend, but glad he’s going to be okay.”
He really was a good man. “Thank you.”
He released me; I didn’t let him get far. “If I can help, just say the word.”
He almost grinned, looked at Kade. “If you hadn’t put a ring on her finger, I would have.”
Kade ignored him, his focus on me. “Did you need something?”
“Milton isn’t Jason. Milton was a kid by the name of Randy Drew, who changed his name because he had a juvenile record.”
I didn’t miss the look Kade and Carmine shared, but I moved past it.
“When we visited Milton, the first time, he was eager to help, surprised and sincerely upset about Samantha. The next time we saw him, he was less helpful, even scared, and then he ran. I think he saw Jason. I think he recognized whoever Jason is now, and he fled.” I paced to the window. “I saw Milton at the cop fundraiser, but that was before our first visit to him.” I looked back at them both. “Bu
t there was another event that had the who’s who in attendance.”
“Fucking hell,” Carmine said.”
Kade’s focus never left me. “Jason Benjamin was at my fucking masquerade party.”
Zac and Cap shared a look, when I shared with them my theory. “Fucking nice detective work, Molly,” Cap said.
“So we go through the lists and find the names that pop,” Zac said.
“Kade is sending over the list to his party,” I said.
“If you’re right, Jason Benjamin has been hiding, in plain sight, this whole time,” Cap said.
“And why not. Who’s going to look for him,” Zac said. “If the Enzi family hadn’t stirred the shit up, his identity would have stayed hidden.”
“Yep.”
“We need Vin because our cases are intersecting,” Cap said, reaching for his phone, then stopped. “Something about the other night bothers me. If senior is targeting his son, looking to hurt him, why go after Kade and not Carmine? From what I understand, Carmine is like a son to junior.”
My heart and stomach dropped at the mentioning of that night, but I pushed through it. “I don’t know.”
“Unless…” Zac said.
Silence followed. “Unless what?” I asked.
Cap finished Zac’s thought. “Unless Kade wasn’t the target.”
Took me a minute, the night coming back. I had stopped to take off my jacket. I went numb. “They wanted me.”
“Not Enzi behind it, but Jason. Knows we’re getting close. Targets you because of your connection to Kade and Carmine, which would trigger, well, all hell breaking loose in the Enzi organization, not to mention Kade’s reaction,” Captain theorized.
“Giving Jason time to disappear again,” Zac finished.
I wasn’t stupid. I didn’t want a target on my back, but I’d rather it be on me instead of Kade.
Vin appeared at Cap’s door. “Enzi senior is dead.” His eyes speared me. “And we got an eyewitness.”
Zac asked before I could. “Who killed him?”
