“You gotta wait, man,” said the orderly, shaking his head. He looked over at Monk. “Can you give me a hand?”
Monk got up and walked closer to the wheelchair.
“I can do it,” spat Onyx.
“You were in a plane wreck, remember?” Monk followed the lead of the orderly and put his arm under Onyx’s and then lifted him onto the bed. It was obvious that he had no control over his legs, and when their eyes met, Monk saw his friend’s fear.
Once Onyx was settled, Monk walked back over to the window.
“You can take off,” Onyx muttered.
“I’m not going anywhere.”
“Getting tired of seeing your mug around here.”
Monk shook his head and pulled the chair closer to the bed. “Tell me what the doctors are saying.”
It took his friend a long time to answer, but since Monk had nothing else to do, he’d sit here as long as it took.
“Just because my eyes are open doesn’t mean the rest of my brain has woken up yet.”
“Knew that before the plane crashed. What about your legs? When are they gonna wake up?”
Monk caught the grin on Onyx’s face that came and went too quickly.
“Don’t fuckin’ know.”
“What’s the rehab setup like?”
“First rate. Better than the damn food.”
“Hear ya there.” Monk stood. “What do you want?”
“Is this how it’s gonna go, Monk? You’re gonna be my nursemaid?”
“You see anybody else here?”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Now, what do you want to eat?”
30
Four Months Later
“Thank you so much for helping me set all this up,” said Ava, while Saylor tied ribbons to the last of the balloons for Aine and Striker’s baby shower. “I can’t believe my sister is having twins.”
“They run in the family, don’t they?”
Ava nodded. “I thought they skipped a generation.”
“Guess you were wrong. You aren’t, are you?” Saylor pointed to Ava’s quickly expanding belly.
“You sound like your brother. Although less panicked.”
Saylor laughed.
“How are you?” Ava asked, resting her hand on Saylor’s arm.
“Really good. Busy flying and then reminding Sierra and Savannah that Ya-Ya’s rules only work in her house and, in my house, they have to eat with their mouths closed. I swear if I’d pulled the shit my mother lets them get away with, I would’ve had bruises on the backs of my hands from getting hit with a fork.”
“Really?” Ava’s eyes were as big as saucers.
“I think the threat of the fork was enough for Razor and I to mind our manners.”
“Have you talked to Monk?”
“Nope,” she answered, a little too quickly and definitively.
“What happened between you two? If you don’t mind me asking.”
“Nothing. His base is on the East Coast, mine is on the West.”
“Simple as that,” Ava said, raising an eyebrow.
“Leave it alone, Avarie.”
Saylor turned and looked at her brother. It was unlike him to even frown at his wife, let alone be so abrupt with her.
“What’s going on?” she asked when Ava stormed out of the kitchen.
“News about Cliff.”
“He’s getting out, isn’t he?”
Razor nodded. “There was only so much I could do, Saylor.”
“It isn’t your responsibility to keep him in prison, Raze.”
“I would if I could.”
“Maybe he’s rehabilitated.”
“Men who strike women aren’t capable of rehabilitating.” Razor’s eyes met hers. “I’m sorry, maybe I shouldn’t have said that.”
“You’re worried.”
“Honestly, I am.”
“What should I do?”
“Live your life.”
“Who are you putting on our detail?”
Razor smiled. “Smarty pants.”
“Who, Raze?”
“Diesel.”
“And the girls?”
“Somebody new. Name’s Tally.” Razor looked at his phone, shook his head, and put it in his pocket. “She’ll be working at the school as an aide.”
“Thanks, Bro.”
He put his hands on her shoulders. “Keep your eyes open. Be aware of what’s going on around you. No leaving your doors unlocked or sitting out on your deck.”
“Stop. I won’t be a prisoner in my own home.”
“Just until we figure where Cliff is going to land.”
“Do you have someone on Ava and Sam?”
“Damn right, I do.”
“Who?”
“Tackle.”
Saylor smiled. The guy was a beast. Not that Diesel was a lightweight.
“Diesel won’t fly with you. When you’re gone, he’ll work with Tally.”
“When’s he getting out?”
“Tomorrow.”
—:—
“We’re going to miss you, Mr. Yáñez,” said the head nurse who was typically on days.
“No offense, Steph, but I’m not gonna miss this place.”
“No offense taken. We all wish you the absolute best.”
Hospital policy was that patients were to be taken to the front door in a wheelchair, but as hard as Onyx had worked in the last four months to walk again, no one mentioned policy. Monk arranged for a driver to transport them to his loft, where Onyx would be living for the time being. At least until he got cleared to fly again.
“NICE PLACE,” he said when Monk unlocked the door. “Surprised you didn’t spend more time here.”
Monk walked over to the refrigerator and got out two beers. He opened one and handed it to his friend. It wasn’t like he hadn’t sneaked plenty into the hospital, but Monk guessed it felt a hell of a lot different to be able to have one without anyone watching, anyone caring, or anyone looking the other way.
“This is you,” Monk said, showing Onyx to the master bedroom.
“I’m not taking your room, son.”
“I don’t sleep in here.”
“Why not?”
“Just don’t.”
Onyx threw his bag on the bed and kicked off his shoes. “Goddamn, it’s gonna feel good not to have someone waking me up all the fucking time to take my blood pressure.” He looked up at Monk. “You aren’t gonna do that, are you?”
Monk shook his head, walked back out to the kitchen, and pulled out a box of pre-packaged meal kits. He’d gotten so sick of eating out, but most days, he and Onyx worked so hard, he was too tired to cook anything the way he was used to—with fresh ingredients.
Between eating healthier and working out with Onyx every day, Monk had gotten bigger and leaner. He felt like his skin fit better. He wished it was as easy to work the shit out of his brain as it was his body. He still thought about Saylor all day and night. Everything, even things that had no logical reason for reminding him of her, did.
“All right, son, why the hell does that big ol’ bed in there sit empty every night?”
“It just does.”
“What happened between you and Saylor?”
“Didn’t work out.”
“Tell you what. I’ll make a deal with you.”
“Not interested.”
“You don’t know what I’m going to say.”
Monk shook his head. Whatever it was, he was certain it involved telling Onyx about Saylor, and that wasn’t something he was willing to do.
“I’m gonna tell you anyway, cuz we aren’t gonna do this tonight.”
Monk got a skillet out of the cupboard and unwrapped two pieces of salmon.
“I can hear your agreement from across the room.”
Monk laughed and shook his head. “As I said, not interested.”
“I’m gonna tell you what happened with Corazón, and you’re gonna tell me what happened with Sa
ylor, and if you don’t agree to this, there ain’t anybody ever gonna know what happened in that fuckin’ cockpit.”
Monk turned the fire off on the stove, got two more beers out of the fridge, and walked over to where Onyx stood on the patio he’d never gone out on.
“There’s nothing to tell. It just didn’t work out.”
“Not what Razor said.”
“Fuck,” Monk mumbled under his breath, which made Onyx laugh.
“That’s what I thought. We’ll start tomorrow.”
They didn’t. After polishing off another six-pack, they started that night. Somehow Monk ended up going first.
“WHY DIDN’T she tell you that she was flying?”
Monk shrugged. “Fuck if I know.”
“Next question. Why did it bother you so much that she didn’t?”
It was a question he’d asked himself a thousand times.
“I mean you don’t tell anyone jack shit, so I’d say that’s a little hypocritical.”
“I have good reasons for not telling people what I’m doing. It’s my job.”
Onyx got up and walked into the kitchen. “We’re outta beer, son. What else you got?”
“Bottle of Hennessy above the fridge.”
“That’s what I’m talkin’ about. Damn. Why didn’t we start with this shit?”
Onyx handed Monk a glass and sat back down.
“You know her ex is out of prison, right?”
Monk’s head shot up. “Who told you that?”
“Who do you think?”
“Who, Onyx?”
“Settle down. Razor did. He’s got Diesel on her detail.”
“He’s a good man.”
“Damn straight. Smart as shit too. Kinda like Saylor is.”
The last Monk heard, Diesel spoke twelve languages. It was probably more now. Onyx’s reference to Saylor’s intelligence didn’t go unnoticed. Monk got what he was up to. And it worked. In fact, it worked as soon as Onyx said the man’s name. Diesel wasn’t his main concern, though.
Saylor’s ex was out of prison, which meant she was at risk, no matter who was on her detail. So were the girls and even Sally—anyone closely associated with Saylor and Razor.
“If it were me, I wouldn’t be able to trust anyone else to protect my woman the way I would myself.”
“Point made.”
“What are you gonna do about it?”
“What the fuck do you think I’m going to do?”
31
She knew she came across as desperate, but Saylor didn’t care. She couldn’t just sit in her house and wait to see if Cliff showed up. She had to get out of here.
She hadn’t heard from Mantis, who she typically received her flight assignments from, but, God, she needed to get into the air. Not just her. She wanted her girls with her. And her mom. She wouldn’t mind if Razor, Ava, and Sam came with them too.
“Jesus,” she said out loud. Nothing like running away from her own life. Instead of hijacking K19’s plane, she called Poppy.
“Hey, girlfriend. How the hell are you?”
“I’m okay. That isn’t true. I’m ready to jump out of my skin. Did you hear Cliff’s out?”
“No!”
“Yep. Today, I guess. Razor called in the National Guard, but it doesn’t seem to be helping my nerves.”
“Wait. What? He called in the National Guard?”
“The K19 version of it.”
“Does that mean the elusive Monk is back in town?”
“No. Monk is still on the East Coast.”
“I’m sorry, Saylor.”
“I wish people would quit saying that to me. It’s not like Monk Perrin is the last man on earth. Besides, I don’t need a man to complete me, Poppy. I’m doing just fine on my own.”
“You keep telling yourself that.”
“You’re single. Do you feel like less of a person because you haven’t met the man who ‘completes’ you yet?”
“First of all, thank you for adding ‘yet.’ Second, this isn’t about being single or in a relationship. This is about you and Monk. He is the person who completes you. That’s the difference.”
“He doesn’t agree.”
“Same bullshit, Saylor. What you two need is a month on a deserted island where you’d be forced to communicate with each other to survive.”
“He’s moved on; so have I.”
“He has? He’s seeing someone else? I can’t believe it!”
“That isn’t what I meant. I just meant he’s…moved on.”
“Got it. Anyway, enough about the quiet one. My guess is you called to talk about something else.”
“I was wondering if you’d be interested in a road trip this weekend.”
“Get outta Dodge? You know I’m always up for that. Are the doodlebugs coming with us? What about Ya-Ya?”
“You read my mind.”
“Where are we going?”
“I was thinking Manzanita. If it would be okay. We could always stay in a hotel.”
“It’s perfect, actually. My parents are in Europe for a month, and if they weren’t, they wouldn’t be at the beach this early. Still too cold for them even though they’ve lived on the Oregon Coast all their lives. Are we taking two cars?”
“Caravan actually.”
“Right.”
“So, we’ll leave Friday after the girls are out of school?”
“Can’t wait. We need a getaway, even if we’re bringing an entourage with us.”
“Shit.” Saylor looked out the window as she closed the blinds.
“What?”
“It looks like someone is out on the trail in front of the house.”
“It’s probably just a member of your security team.”
Saylor half-laughed. Poppy was probably right. No way in hell Cliff would be so bold. He knew what her brother did for a living.
—:—
Monk dumped the rest of the cognac in his glass in the sink. If he was going to be traveling in the morning, he needed to stop drinking now.
Onyx, who had gone into the bedroom, came back out. “Yeah, he’s right here,” he said, handing his cell to Monk.
“Hello?”
“I hear you need transport to the West Coast tomorrow.”
“I thought you were grounded,” he said to Alegria.
She laughed. “Only by choice. My parents are in town. Between them and Mantis’ mother and father, Ian is well-cared for. I need to fly, Monk.”
“Just tell me when and where.”
A few minutes later, Alegria sent a text telling Monk to meet her and her father, who would fly with them, at Potomac Airfield at zero eight hundred hours. By mid-afternoon tomorrow, he’d be back in Oregon.
HE’D HEARD about the Cirrus jet, but had never been on one. Besides the pilot and co-pilot, the aircraft had room for five additional passengers. With a two-million-dollar price tag, it didn’t lack any luxury. He wasn’t sure if it was a rumor, but he’d heard the plane had a whole-aircraft parachute system.
“Yes, it does,” answered Alegria when Monk asked. “Let’s hope we never have to use it.”
Monk rested his head back against the leather seat and closed his eyes. He had no idea how Saylor would react when he arrived. Onyx had made it abundantly clear that he thought Monk handled the whole pilot issue like a jackass, and she likely agreed.
No matter what she thought about him at this point, he couldn’t leave her and her daughters’ safety in anyone else’s hands. Saylor might not want anything to do with him, and that would have to be okay. He’d still be part of her detail.
32
Instead of taking the Jeep to Manzanita, Razor insisted they caravan with two of K19’s SUVs. Part of her felt like it was overkill, but if her brother believed there was a potential risk, she had to respect that.
The girls’ bags were packed and in the garage, ready to go. She was wheeling her suitcase out of the bedroom when she heard a knock at the door.
She trie
d to shake off the pin-pricks of fear that coursed through her body, reminding herself that she wouldn’t allow Cliff to have this power over her.
Her resolve was instantly quashed when she rounded the corner to find the man himself standing on her deck. Saylor quickly turned around, praying he hadn’t seen her, and called her brother.
“Cliff is here,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
“Goddammit. What is he doing? The restraining order is still in place.”
“What am I supposed to do now?”
“Hang tight, kiddo. I’m already on my way. You stay put. Where’s your gun?”
“In the safe in the closet.”
“Get it out, Saylor, but do not leave that room until you hear from me.”
She heard the familiar tone of the call ending and went to the closet to open the safe like Razor told her to do. She sat on the edge of the bed, facing the door, gun in hand, watched the minutes tick by on her bedside clock, and listened to the deafening silence.
When her phone rang ten minutes later, she almost jumped out of her skin.
“Hi, Raze.”
“All clear, Sis. You can put the gun away and come on out.”
“Do I want to know what happened?”
She heard the three tones again indicating the call ended. That was rude, and she intended to tell her brother so.
Once her gun was safely back in the safe, Saylor wiped her sweaty palms on her jeans and rolled her shoulders.
When she walked outside, she could see Razor on the deck. It looked like he was talking to someone, but she couldn’t see who it was.
“Quit hanging up on me,” she said, as she opened the door and walked out.
She turned her head, expecting to see Diesel. Instead, it was Monk.
“Hi,” she said, looking between him and Razor.
Her brother walked down the steps that led to the trail and squeezed Monk’s shoulder as he passed by. “See ya later, Saylor,” he said, waving behind him.
“What’s going on?” she asked with one hand on her hip. It occurred to her at that moment that her stance was exactly the same as her daughter’s when she did the same thing.
“Can we go inside?” he asked.
She backed up to allow Monk to walk in first, but he stepped behind her and held the door.
“What are you doing here?”
Monk (K19 Security Solutions Book 7) Page 17
