Breaking Shadows (Darkness Falls Book 2)

by Melissa Sinclair

  “No kidding. Even if his brains hadn’t been blown all over, it wouldn’t have been long until the cops caught up with him.”

  “Which is why we need to be smarter, I think we might need to take a road trip to Chicago to fill the rest of the order. If we hurry, I think we can get it done in time. There just won’t be enough time to sample the product.”

  The two men walked away, and Black had to stop himself from charging them to put a bullet in their heads. Did they actually say they were going to sample the product? Like they were talking about freaking wine or vodka, when in reality, they were talking about children. The two men walking away were living monsters, and their days were numbered because Black had them in his crosshairs and had given them an expiration date.

  19

  After Taylor left, Quinn felt like she was another person. She wasn’t one who did crazy and impulsive things like roll around on the carpet with an insanely attractive man. Every inch of her was beyond embarrassed and didn’t know what to do about it, but every inch of her was still turned on and wanted to jump Ethan’s bones. While she should be aching from the tumble, she actually felt better than she had all day. Must have been the endorphins from the near sexual encounter. Quinn wasn’t used to the feeling. She was used to her life revolving around the center, and she wasn’t free to be with Ethan, not really, at least not the way she wanted to be. She was no longer able to deny it. She wanted Ethan, in every way possible. He had her hook, line, and sinker. The only thing she could think to do was go into the kitchen and put the food on some plates for them, but the insufferable man followed her, and when she went to get plates, he beat her to it, placing a hand on hers and turning her to look at him.

  Silently, she backed up a step and allowed him to fill their plates and carry them to the large table—a table that was far too large for a man who lived alone. A table that also had ample space that they didn’t need to be seated next to each other, but that is exactly what he did, placing the plates in front of two chairs. He pulled out one chair and waited for her to sit down. Quietly she did, feeling like a little girl on her first date. In theory, one could argue that is exactly what was happening.

  “What did Taylor have to say when she was here earlier? I didn’t know she was back in town.”

  Thankful for the bone he was throwing her, she felt herself relax ever so slightly. Taking a little bite of the pot roast on her plate, she chewed slowly, considering what to tell him and what not to tell him. She settled on not giving any real details from the conversation.

  “Apparently, your family called her, and she came back to check on Kara and me. We caught up after I convinced her that I’m fine, just a little banged up.”

  “I thought she was at a work thing. Are they okay with her coming back early?”

  Dangerous territory—was it betraying Taylor to tell Ethan? Taylor hadn’t told her not to tell him. It wasn’t like it was her parents she was spilling the beans to about the fact that Taylor had quit her job. After a little bit, she decided to not tell him. It was up to Taylor to tell him why she was home so soon.

  “I think she’ll have to tell you that story. It isn’t mine to tell.”

  “Fair enough. You know, you’re always the counselor who listens in confidence. It’s a good trait.”

  “It helps people trust me. Not to mention the whole professional therapist thing; you never know when someone is looking for free advice.”

  “Even the toughest case will trust you. It really is a remarkable talent.”

  “I don’t know about that. Anyway, she stopped to see me, and we talked for a while before she had to run off. But there is one thing I wanted to run by you.”

  “What’s that?” He took a bite of the food and closed his eyes. At her chuckle, he opened his eyes and smiled. “This is amazing. I guess you aren’t the only one that goes a little goofy over good food when you’re starving. You were saying?”

  “Just that I was wondering if the offer would still stand if I wanted a roommate for the apartment you offered me?”

  If she wasn’t mistaken, Ethan’s eyes got a little cold, as if he didn’t like what she had just asked. Surely, he didn’t care if she wanted a roommate? What would be the big deal? He kept talking about her being in a safer neighborhood, and a roommate is a logical move to make her safer. Then it occurred to her that perhaps he thought she meant a man, but they had already discussed how there wasn’t a man in her life, hadn’t they?

  “I don’t think you would want to share the apartment. It’s a one bedroom. Unless…” And there it was; he absolutely was worried about her inviting a male to live with her.

  “I guess a one bedroom would be tight quarters. Judging by her wardrobe, there would be no room for any of my clothes.” She took a bite of the potatoes to hide the sly smile that was fighting to reveal itself.

  “The closets are pretty big—wait, what? Her who?”

  “Taylor.”

  “Taylor?”

  “Yeah, Taylor. Who did you think I was talking about?”

  “Honestly, I don’t know.”

  “You kind of looked like you thought I was going to invite a man to live with me. No worries there; no man to invite.” She could have sworn he let out a breath that he had been holding.

  “If you had someone to move in, I would allow it, though. I mean, the offer would still stand.”

  “I told you, I don’t have anyone in my life like that.”

  “Well, just so you know.”

  “Duly noted.”

  “Why is Taylor interested in moving in? I thought she was happy living with her parents?”

  “She’s in her twenties, and believe me, she doesn’t want to live at home with her parents. That doesn’t mean she doesn’t love them. She just wants to spread her wings. We talked about it, and she doesn’t really have the funds yet.”

  “Well, in that case, she can absolutely move in. I would feel better having her here if she’s considering moving out. She can have the other apartment on the second floor.”

  “Are you sure? I mean, that’s great! Taylor really could use this fresh start.”

  “Fresh start?” Ethan said, narrowing in on those two badly chosen words she’d spoken. “What do you mean a fresh start?”

  “Oh, nothing, you know the whole living at home thing—"

  “Save it, you can’t bullshit a cop. What do you mean ‘a fresh start’?”

  “I can’t believe…I didn’t tell her I wouldn’t say anything, but I feel like it isn’t my news to share.”

  “Spill it.”

  “I just can’t. But can you just trust me when I say that she isn’t in any trouble, and she’s safe? She needs this move and will share with you when she’s willing.” He looked at her shrewdly for a long time and then slowly nodded his head.

  “Yes, I can trust you. There isn’t a doubt in my mind about that. I don’t like that I don’t know what’s going on. Taylor isn’t just like a sister to me, she is my sister. I know you understand that I would do anything to keep her safe, just like I would for Kara, Caleb, and Grayson.”

  “I do understand that. I just don’t know if she spoke to me in confidence, and I want to respect that. I will talk to her and feel her out. Maybe she’s fine with my telling you—”

  “No, I said I trust you, and I also trust Taylor to make her own decisions. She’ll tell me when she’s ready. As long as I know she isn’t in trouble or her life isn’t in danger, I can wait. I think you’ll find that I’m a very patient man,” he said and then looked down at his phone and stood. “I have to take this.”

  I think you’ll find I’m a very patient man… What the hell did that mean?

  “Vanderbilt,” Ethan said as he walked down the hallway, his phone pressed tightly to his ear.

  “Yeah. I got some information tonight that might be useful.”

  “I’m listening.”

  “Sounds like the buyer is a go-between. They buy from our guy and sell to another guy.
”

  “Why don’t they just do it themselves, so they don’t have to share the profit?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe because it’s easier to distance themselves? They’re doing more than middleman work. They have massage parlors in Green Bay, for sure.”

  “Great. Just what we need. Sounds like they’re trying to make a claim on some territory. I’ll contact the sergeant heading the division up there.”

  “That’s not all, though. They didn’t kill the people last night. They’re pissed that their two best transporters got made into red mist. They killed a guy trying to get information. I didn’t know it was going to go down that way, or I would have stopped it.”

  “And compromised the case?”

  “If it hadn’t happened so fast, I could have distracted them somehow.”

  Ethan believed him. Black was solid and would have done something, much like Ethan would have, to stop it from ending in bloodshed. Recently, they’d been a step ahead, but just barely. It was getting frustrating that they weren’t getting where they needed to be. Eventually, they weren’t going to be a step ahead but a step behind instead.

  “Do you know who they killed?”

  “Low man in the operation. They called him Digger. They seem to think that the head of this ring is the one that had my CI killed.”

  “Any chance of that?”

  “I don’t know; it’s possible, he’s pretty crazy. But he also relied heavily on him.”

  “They’re having trouble IDing him at the station. Remarkably, he’s squeaky clean and no prints on file. The bullet did a number on his head, and they’re trying to go with dental records. But if you could give us a name, that will help tremendously.”

  “Paulie Romano. I’ve gotta go, but listen, one more thing, there were orders issued to send someone to watch your place. I don’t know what that’s all about, but watch your back.” Then the line went dead.

  Why the hell would they be watching his place? Because they knew that Quinn was there and that she had helped get Becky out of her hellhole, or because they knew about Black being undercover and had tied him back to Ethan? Either one was not a good scenario. All he knew was that he had to double up on protecting Quinn.

  “If you were so trusted, what the hell did you do to get yourself killed, Paulie?”

  “Paulie? As in, Paulie Romano?” Quinn asked from behind him. He flinched and turned to face her.

  “You’re pretty quiet when you sneak up on someone.”

  “I wasn’t sneaking, I assumed you had gone into your bedroom, and I need to use your bathroom. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to get up in your space.”

  The look on her face was a cross between pissed off and devastated. Like she didn’t know if she should be mad or hurt that he would accuse her of sneaking up on him. The reality was, he knew she hadn’t snuck up on him, but not only had she busted him in the middle of a call with his undercover officer, but he’d also slipped and said information out loud that he’d gotten from the said officer. Shit and double shit.

  “It’s not that, it’s just…crap.” She started to turn to walk away, and he grabbed her wrist and stopped her. “You don’t understand. You’re here as a guest. You can go anywhere you want. It’s just that phone call was confidential in nature.”

  “I understand that. You said you trusted me before, right?”

  “I did.”

  “Then trust me enough to tell me what you know. I’m not going to run around and tell everyone what you tell me. I want to stop this madness as much as the next person, and I might have information you need.”

  “There are some things I can’t tell you.”

  “I know you were on the phone with the same person I was helping the other night.”

  He didn’t say anything, just stared at her. How could she have possibly figured that out? Ethan knew he couldn’t confirm it, but he didn’t have to. Judging by the look on her face, his hesitation was all the confirmation she needed.

  “Good enough. I’m not going to tell you how I know or what tipped me off. Just know I have known for a bit now that you’re his handler. I asked you to go with me that night because I trusted you, but also because I suspected you were his contact. But that’s neither here nor there. I might have useful information for you regarding Paulie Romano. That is, if you were talking about him. But I need to know why you were talking about him.”

  “What makes you think his last name is Romano?” he hedged.

  “I don’t.” She shrugged. “But he is the only Paulie I’ve heard of and a bit of a legend at the center, so it fits that it would be him.”

  “What do you mean a ‘legend at the center’?” He did not like the sound of that—not one bit.

  “I told you there’ve been weird things going on at and around the center. Kids whispering, et cetera.”

  “I recall that you mentioned something about that.”

  “Well, there is one thing that is a connecting point in all the strangeness. The name Paulie Romano.”

  “How so?”

  “He’s been chatting up some of the kids, especially the ones that come from more complicated home lives.”

  “You mean the ones that would be less likely to be missed.”

  “Exactly. But Paulie is smart; he’s never seen by an adult, only the kids, and he sticks to the under sixteen crowd. Especially if they are prepubescent and looking for a big brother or father type in their lives.”

  “How long has Paulie been in the picture? Do you remember when you started hearing his name?”

  “I want to say it’s been about six months. I didn’t really think much of it at first. Which is weird, because things like this usually get my hackles up, but he was clever and very helpful. I just thought that he was basically acting in the capacity of a big brother.”

  “What changed?”

  “Kids that he’d been talking to stopped coming in to the center, and when I called them at home, they were short with me. I tracked a few of them down, and they wouldn’t talk to me anymore. All the rapport I had built with them was gone. They looked at me like I was an alien and I couldn’t be trusted. What’s worse is I think a few of them had turned to the streets and prostitution, but I didn’t have anything more than a name to go with. No description. I didn’t even know what color he was—though, with a name like Paulie Romano, I would have guessed Italian ancestry.”

  “He was trolling the center for disadvantaged kids?”

  “That’s my guess. They were easy pickings for a charmer like him. I have to admit that I spent many nights thinking of ways to castrate the son of a bitch.”

  “Sorry to be the one to burst that little fantasy of yours,” he said wryly.

  “Why?”

  “Because he’s currently residing in the city morgue. He’s one of the three that had their heads sprayed all over last night.”

  “He was one of them trying to sell those kids?”

  “Afraid so.”

  “Was he the seller or buyer?”

  “Does it really matter?”

  “Nope, they’re both pond scum, but I want to know.”

  “He was the seller.”

  “Then I’m glad he’s going to be worm food soon.”

  Ethan swallowed and considered his options. He knew he could trust Quinn, and he also knew that what he was about to do was all kinds of wrong as far as protocol went. But he also believed in tit for tat and knew that Quinn had given him valuable information. Before he could change his mind, he decided to trust his gut.

  “Paulie had become a CI for Black,” he said quietly. “Last night was supposed to go down an entirely different way, but someone must have found out that Paulie was switching sides and beat us to the punch.”

  That useless piece of shit was dead. While there was a downside to that, there was also a glorious upside. The buyer had been brought back into the fold, and they weren’t holding him liable for the death of the two transporters, as well they shouldn’t. Not if they w
anted to live to see another day. He would have liked to have seen their expressions when they found out that not only did they lose two of their people, but the ten kids they were trying to buy. Vance had known for a while that they weren’t the real buyers; he wasn’t a dumb man by any means. As far as he was concerned, they got what they deserved for trying to pull one over on him, and if they didn’t stop sniffing around his territory, they were going to get an even bigger attitude adjustment. They told him they were starting to scope out other vendors. The threat was empty in Vance’s eyes. He wasn’t against taking them out. He had other people that would buy what he was selling. They just happened to be his most lucrative clients. The death of Paulie wasn’t great. After all, he was stupendous at the job, but it had stopped him from going too far astray.

  Of course, Vance calling that idiot Manuel himself to apologize and offer four of his private stock to them went a long way to smooth ruffled feathers, as well. They didn’t need to know how used up those four were. All they needed to know was he was giving them at no charge as an apology for the mishap. They jumped at the offer. Yes, Vance wasn’t a stupid man. He had them all eating out of his hand. Even though his new go-to guy had reported back that they had killed Digger, he didn’t care. That guy wasn’t going to work out anyway. He took too many chances, and in this business, you could only take calculated risks. Not to mention, he wasn’t as charismatic as Paulie had been. However, the guy who had updated him on Digger’s demise? That guy could be the second coming for this organization. Good-looking, built, and smart. Exactly what he needed.

  Vance had worked too long and hard to let some pencil dick screw him over. If he even caught wind that someone was getting soft, he made sure they disappeared. If someone didn’t keep control of the assets they got from him, they were taken care of swiftly. Which reminded Vance that he needed to make sure that asshole couple who’d lost custody of Becky was taking a long drink in the ocean, or his fixer was going to have some explaining to do. That one Vance would have a hard time letting go. He was extremely competent and had been in his employ for well over ten years. But even he was expendable.