Monk (K19 Security Solutions Book 7)

by Heather Slade

  “I heard your ex was out of prison.”

  “He was here. What happened?”

  “We missed him.”

  Saylor felt sick to her stomach. “There should be security footage.”

  “Yes. That alone should show he violated the terms of his parole.” Monk stood in front of her and cupped her cheek with his palm.

  She shook her head and took a step back. “You didn’t answer my question. What are you doing here?”

  “I’m part of your detail.”

  “Why didn’t anyone tell me?”

  “No one knew.”

  Saylor pulled a chair out from the dining room table and sat down. “I get that you don’t like to talk, Monk, but my ex-husband, who may or may not be a loose cannon, was just standing on the deck of the house where my two daughters and I live. My brother told me to hide out in the bedroom and get my gun out. Adrenaline is coursing through my veins, and the last thing I want to do is play twenty questions with you. If you could just lay it all out for me, I’d really appreciate it. If you can’t—or won’t—you should just leave.”

  Monk pulled out a chair like she had and sat next to her. “Onyx got out of the hospital the same day your ex-husband was paroled.”

  Saylor folded her arms and sat back in her chair.

  “He’s the one who told me. I got on a plane the next morning, and once I landed, I’ve been keeping an eye on things.”

  “An eye on things?” She shook her head. “When did you get here?”

  “Three days ago.”

  “You said no one knew.”

  “That’s right.”

  “Diesel didn’t know?”

  “Negative.”

  “That doesn’t thrill me. If he didn’t know you were here, I guess that explains how Cliff was able to get so close.”

  Given Monk’s scowl, he agreed.

  She studied him. “If that’s all you have to tell me, you should leave.” Saylor pushed the chair back and stood.

  Monk grasped her wrist and pulled her back down. “Please.”

  “Please, what, Monk?” She weaved her fingers in her hair and rested her elbows on the table. “I can’t do this.”

  He put his hand on her arm. “Look at me.”

  She turned her head. “If you have something else to say, say it. I’m finished talking.”

  Monk looked into her eyes long enough that she was certain he was going to remain silent. Just as she went to stand a second time, he cleared his throat.

  “There isn’t anyone I trust with your safety.” He leaned forward. “Not Diesel, not anyone.”

  “Not my brother?”

  “Not your brother. And before you say anything, I can guarantee you that he’d say the same thing about Ava.”

  Saylor knew Monk was right; Razor wouldn’t be able to let go of control when it came to the safety of his pregnant wife and child.

  “What will happen to Cliff?”

  “He violated the terms of his parole, which means he should go back to prison.”

  “Should?”

  “I believe Razor is working with the sheriff’s department to get him picked up.”

  “I don’t like living this way.”

  Monk nodded. “We have things between us that need to be worked out.”

  Saylor stood, and this time, Monk didn’t try to stop her. She walked over and looked out the kitchen window. “My friend Poppy said we should be forced to live on a deserted island for a month where we’d have to communicate in order to stay alive.”

  Monk stood too, reached out, and touched her cheek. “I like the deserted island part.”

  She turned around to look at him. “To be honest, so do I.”

  “I have a question for you.”

  “If you’re going to ask why I didn’t tell you that I was getting my pilot’s license, I don’t have an answer.”

  “Try, Saylor.”

  “Sorry to bring up Poppy again, but she asked if the reason I didn’t tell you about flying was because I was afraid you’d try to talk me out of it.”

  “Why would you think I would do that?”

  “I didn’t say I did. I said Poppy suggested that as a possible reason.”

  “Is there any truth to it?”

  Saylor turned again and looked out the window. “I don’t like to think of myself as a trite person, Monk, but why didn’t you tell me you were back in the States and staying in Washington DC with Onyx? You’ve been here three days. Why didn’t you tell me you were here?” She held up her hand when he took a deep breath. “Rhetorical questions, Monk. I’m not looking for an answer. In fact, I don’t want one.”

  “As you said with Poppy, I’m sorry to bring up Onyx again, but like you, he accused me of hypocrisy.”

  “He was right.”

  She looked over her shoulder; Monk was smiling.

  “The girls and I are going to Manzanita with my mom and Poppy. We’re leaving this afternoon.”

  “Razor mentioned the trip.”

  “What will you do?”

  “I’m not certain yet.”

  “I have things to do to get ready.”

  Monk reached out and put his hand on the small of Saylor’s back. She didn’t shrug it away, but she didn’t turn to him either. Her emotions were all over the place, in part because of the overwhelming fear she felt when she’d seen Cliff right outside her door, but also because Monk was there.

  It would be too easy to turn to him, let him comfort her, only to have him walk out of her life over and over again. It wasn’t just his job. That was something else Poppy was right about. Razor had worked it out so he wasn’t gone all the time. He wasn’t the only one. Doc and Merrigan were married with a family; it was the same with Gunner and Raketa. Hell, most of the K19 team was married and either had children or they were on the way.

  If they could figure it out, so could Monk. The difference was, he didn’t want to. He was perfectly comfortable living a life separate from hers, only dropping in when it suited him.

  It was better not to be in any relationship versus one that left her feeling as though she wasn’t important enough to make an effort for.

  She turned and put her hand on his cheek. “I care about you, Monk, and I wish you every happiness, but I can’t let you waltz in and out of my life. It isn’t about the girls at this point. I know that I’ve used them as an excuse in the past, wanting to protect them from hurt. This, though, is all about me.” She leaned forward, touched her lips to his, walked past him to the door, and opened it. “Goodbye, Monk.”

  —:—

  He hesitated only momentarily. What he heard in Saylor’s voice was different than any other time she’d said goodbye to him. This time, there was no ambivalence, no room for talking it out. He didn’t touch her on his way out, didn’t try to kiss her, didn’t even look into her eyes. “Goodbye, Saylor.”

  He was off the deck before the door closed, and he didn’t look back.

  “How’d it go?” Razor asked when Monk walked into the office.

  “With?”

  Razor spun around in his chair. “My sister, asshole.”

  “Fine.”

  “Right,” he said, returning to whatever he was working on.

  “We need to talk about her detail.”

  “You freelancing on this one, Monk, or are you part of the team?”

  His first inclination was to walk out, but Razor was right to call him out. He was part of a team; he was a partner. Going off on his own, not letting anyone know he was here, was a jackass move on his part.

  “I shouldn’t have handled it the way I did.”

  “That’s a start.”

  “Meaning?”

  “You’ve written your own game plan since the plane crash, and no one has said a word to you about it. We’ve operated this firm with a missing piece, without any idea when you might get yourself back to work. Not to mention, you’ve been drawing a salary the entire time.”

  “Are you asking me to
resign?”

  Razor’s jaw tightened. “Did you hear me ask you to resign?”

  “Negative.”

  “Look, I’m the last person you should be talking to about this, because for me, it’s personal. I’m mad as hell at you for the way you’ve treated my sister. She’s the most giving, caring, loving person I know other than Avarie and my mom. Before you ask, she hasn’t talked to me about you, and she never will, but I have eyes. I can see her hurt.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  Razor stood and faced him. “Yeah? For what? Not pulling your head out of your ass and either stepping up to the plate or walking away? Either would’ve worked. Hanging out somewhere in the middle with no regard for anyone but yourself doesn’t work.”

  When Razor walked out and went upstairs, Monk sat in the vacated chair. He’d gotten several dressing downs over the course of his career, but none had as big of an impact as the one he’d just gotten. And yet, here he sat with no idea what to do next. Finally, he pulled out his phone and called Doc.

  “Been waiting to hear from you,” the man said when he answered. Was his voice as clipped as Razor’s had been, or was it Monk’s imagination?

  “I’d like to meet.”

  “When?”

  “As soon as possible.”

  “Coincidentally, Merrigan and I aren’t far from you. We should arrive at the Overleaf in a couple of hours.”

  33

  “There’s a delay. You can’t leave until tomorrow,” said her brother when he walked into her kitchen.

  “The girls only have two days off, Raze. There’s no point in going if we can’t leave this afternoon.”

  “I don’t want them going to school anyway, at least until Cliff is back in custody.”

  Saylor looked over her shoulder. The girls’ bedroom door was closed, but she didn’t want to risk them overhearing the conversation she and Razor were having. She led him out to the deck.

  “I told you I won’t live my life like a prisoner. I won’t do that to them either.”

  “Have a seat.”

  Saylor put her hand on her hip and then took it off. She really needed to stop doing that. “No.”

  “Jesus, Saylor. Please sit down.”

  She did, but she wasn’t happy about it. Razor pulled a chair out and spun it around. Why did guys do that? Couldn’t he just sit on the chair the right way?

  “I want you to close your eyes for a minute.”

  “No. I’m not a child, Razor. Say whatever is on your mind.”

  “I will not be able to live with myself if anything happens to you or my nieces because I didn’t listen to my gut. Right now, it’s telling me that Cliff is a threat. A serious threat. Maybe I’m wrong, but I don’t ever second guess myself. I need to make some changes in your detail, and I can’t do that in the next hour.”

  “What happened to Diesel?”

  Razor scrubbed his face with his hand, and Saylor stood up.

  “Tell me what happened.”

  “Tally called for backup, and that’s where he was. He and Cliff likely crossed paths.”

  Saylor sat back down when she felt her legs give out. “He was at the school.”

  Razor nodded. “I’m sorry, Sis.”

  “We’re leaving. Not just to Manzanita.”

  “I understand that reaction, but I still need time to put a bigger team together.”

  “You know that thing I said about not being a prisoner? I won’t be a sitting duck either.”

  “Give me until tomorrow morning.”

  “What about Monk?”

  “He’s meeting with Doc and Merrigan now at the Overleaf.”

  She didn’t know they were in town, not that she needed to. “Is he leaving K19?”

  “I don’t know.”

  —:—

  Monk didn’t have to be to the Overleaf for another hour, but he got on the bike anyway. He needed to settle his thoughts. His mind had raced since he’d talked to Doc, and he still hadn’t come up with anything definitive to discuss, except to own up to everything Razor said earlier, take responsibility for his actions, and suffer the consequences.

  He had had his head up his ass, and no one had called him out on it until today. He hadn’t bothered to discuss his plan to stay in DC; he made the decision to do it and never looked back. What more could he do than offer his mea culpa and see what happened from there?

  He rode south along the ocean for thirty miles and then turned around and rode back.

  As he parked the bike, he saw a familiar-looking black SUV pull up to the inn’s entrance. Merrigan got out of the vehicle first and went inside; Doc walked over to where Monk was.

  “It’s good to see you,” Doc said, putting his hand on Monk’s shoulder. “It’s been a rough few months. Let’s go inside.”

  “What brings you to Oregon?” Monk asked as he followed Doc into the lobby.

  “There’s a firm in Portland interested in hiring K19 for private security. We wanted to see their outfit in person before we came to any agreement.” Doc motioned to the sofa and two chairs inside an alcove where they could talk privately.

  “Have a seat. I’ll see if I can round up something to drink. What would you like?”

  “Water would be good, thanks.”

  “Hello, Monk,” said Merrigan. He stood, she embraced him. “How are you?”

  “Hanging in there. How are you?”

  She motioned for him to take a seat. “We’re also hanging in there. I sometimes think my work with MI6 was far easier than knowing how to properly parent two wee ones, both with minds of their own. However, please know I’m not complaining.”

  She smiled up at Doc when he came in with a pitcher of water and three glasses.

  “Thanks,” Monk said when Doc handed him a glass and then sat down next to his wife.

  “Kade tells me you wanted to meet. What would you like to discuss?” Merrigan asked, folding her hands on her lap.

  “It’s been brought to my attention that I haven’t been living up to the obligations I agreed to when I became a K19 partner. I want you to know I take full responsibility.”

  “The circumstances have been extenuating,” she responded, looking at Doc.

  “It doesn’t excuse the fact that I made decisions without consulting you and have continued to do so.”

  “We all understood,” she murmured. “If we hadn’t, we would’ve asked.”

  “If you still want me on the team, I’m ready to get back to work.”

  Merrigan leaned forward. “You are part of the team, Monk. There isn’t any question of that. We’re more than a team, though. We’re family. Onyx is part of our family, and you did what you thought best for him.”

  “There’s more.”

  Merrigan raised a brow and then smiled and looked over at Doc again. “Saylor?”

  “I’ve been back in Oregon since Tuesday, but no one knew that.”

  Merrigan laughed, and so did Doc. “Everyone knew that, Monk. You flew with Alegria.”

  “I’m going to jump in here if no one objects,” said Doc, not waiting for either of them to respond. “Razor has a bug up his ass, but it isn’t because of you. In his mind, he failed his sister, first by not making sure her ex-husband didn’t get paroled, and then when Cliff got so close to both Saylor and her daughters.”

  “But I—”

  “I’m not finished. I spoke to Razor on our way here. Let me fill you in on what is presently taking place. Later this afternoon, we’ll be leaving for Montecito. Saylor, her daughters, and Sally are going with us and will stay with us until Cliff is apprehended. You, Diesel, and Tally will remain on their detail until further notice, and you are the lead. Understood?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Doc got up. “Good. Now if you’ll excuse me.”

  “Monk, I’m going to speak to you now as a woman and a friend rather than as managing partner of K19,” Merrigan said as Doc walked over to the bank of elevators. “You don’t have to respond. All I
ask is that you hear me out.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  Merrigan smiled. “You’re at the same crossroads many of us have found ourselves at in the last few years. Perhaps, like me, you never thought being in a long-term relationship was possible given your line of work. Maybe it had nothing to do with your choice of career, but it still wasn’t something you believed was possible.”

  Monk’s gaze never wavered; she’d asked him to hear her out, and he intended to do so.

  “I will say only this. It’s possible, Monk. What’s more is, it’s worth it.”

  He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. Did Merrigan know how hard her words were hitting?

  “When I say the K19 team is a family, those aren’t just words,” she added. “We care about each other just as much as if we were related by blood. It isn’t solely about the mission, it’s about the lives we lead. You did nothing wrong when you made a commitment to stay with your brother, Onyx, as he recovered. You did nothing wrong when you left DC because you were concerned about Saylor’s safety. Do you have any questions, Monk?”

  “Doc said I’m the lead on Saylor’s detail?”

  “That’s right.”

  “I should be with her.”

  34

  After her brother left, Saylor stayed out on the deck a few more minutes. The idea that Cliff had been at the girls’ school bothered her far more than him showing up at the house, and she needed to do a better job of masking her fear before she went inside to talk to Sierra and Savannah about their change of plans.

  Razor’s response when she asked if Monk was leaving K19, added to her overall anxiety. Whether they were in a relationship or not, there was never anyone else who made her feel as safe as Monk did, not even her brother. If he did leave, she prayed he’d at least come and say a final goodbye.

  She stood and stretched, rolling her shoulders to ease the tension in them, and went inside.

  “Hello, Saylor.”

  She looked up at the sound of her ex-husband’s voice. The man was standing in her kitchen.

  “How did you get in here?”

  He took a step in her direction. “That’s not important.”

  “There’s a restraining order—”

  “Fuck the restraining order. I want to see my daughters.”