Brother's Keeper V: Wylie (the complete series BOX SET): NEW RELEASE + Series Box SET included!

by Stephanie St. Klaire

  “Ma’s making all your favorites for Sunday dinner, Eli,” Dace chided. “How does she even know what your favorites are?”

  “She asked me. So I told her. Said any family of Carter’s is a family of hers.”

  “We really need to address how Carter being your brother came out of left field, bro. And it’s fucking crazy.” Dace laughed. “You better be hungry. If this meal is in your honor, she’ll be watching you. You skip anything, and she’ll call you out.”

  “Ah, she’s a great cook, mate. Eating her food shouldn’t be a problem,” Eli said honestly. “Love your ma, she’s great – and a little scary. Said if I missed a Sunday without good reason…”

  Before Eli could finish, a car came flying at them, hitting the passenger side. Hard. The SUV spun in the intersection before it came to a stop facing the wrong direction, and…they were under enemy fire.

  “Ivy!” Dace yelled, unable to see her in the dangling mirror, ducking every time he heard ammunition against the metal. When he turned around, he found her slumped over and unconscious. “Ivy. Answer me, honey.”

  He flew out of the vehicle after ripping off his seat belt and went to her. The rigs ahead of them in the convoy circled back while those behind pulled up next to them and fired back on the men who were coming at them from either side.

  “Get her out of here!” Eli hollered as he painfully climbed out behind Dace. His door was too damaged to open. “I’ll hang back and cover.”

  Ivy’s seat belt was stuck. It wouldn’t disengage, so Dace cut it with his knife and carefully pulled her out as Wylie pulled up between them and SUV that was shielding them.

  “Ivy,” Dace continued to yell as he cradled her in his arms and ran to Wylie’s vehicle.

  Eli watched their back only a step behind, firing on men coming their way on foot.

  “Get out of here, O’Reilly,” Eli yelled into the vehicle as Dace and Ivy climbed in. “Get the fuck out of here.”

  Dace didn’t take the time to look around. His only focus was getting Ivy to safety. When Eli slammed the door behind them, Wylie sped off. It was only then Dace looked up and saw what had come for them. Their SUV was smoking, the damage left it nearly unrecognizable, and there were guns firing everywhere. Eli was right in the middle, left arm hanging against his body with new blood on his hands. It was a war zone.

  One of the Keeper’s SUVs pulled out behind them a few blocks from the scene, and Dace heard the screeching tires of one who came from the opposite direction to take the lead and get them home.

  “Is she okay?” Wylie asked with panic in his voice.

  “I-I don’t know? She’s breathing. But she…she won’t wake up, man.” Emotion coated Dace’s tone as he rubbed Ivy’s chest, arms, and anywhere else he could to try to wake her. “I don’t know what’s wrong. Her head is bleeding, but I don’t see anything else.”

  “I’m calling ahead,” Wylie said. “You okay? Do you need a doc?”

  Dace didn’t answer. His brother was rambling details to someone on the other end of the phone, and Dace couldn’t make out a word of it. He was laser-focused on Ivy. The fear he felt was much like that night he’d seen her in the hospital. The night they found her clinging to life in the alley.

  He said the same prayer he did while at her bedside then. “Please God. Don’t take her. Not now, not when I just got her back.”

  Pulling her to his chest, Dace held her tight, kissing the top of her head over and over as he continued to repeat his simple prayer as a single tear ran down his cheek. “Don’t take her, not now.”

  They pulled into the underground garage when they arrived at Watermark Tower and secured the gate and steel door behind them. The place was a fortress, and nobody was getting in. They were safe now. Waiting by the elevator was Carly with a wheelchair – the help Wylie had called ahead for.

  “A team is headed here with Mendoza – two minutes out,” Wylie shouted as he moved toward the steel door entrance.

  “Let’s get her upstairs to her apartment,” Carly said, pushing the wheelchair forward.

  Dace shook his head. “Get rid of that. I got her. We’re going to my apartment. She’ll be more comfortable.”

  “Okay, hon,” Carly said, offering a weak smile while her fingers pinched Ivy’s wrist. “Her vitals are strong. That’s a good sign. It’s going to be okay.”

  As they stepped into the elevator, Wylie hollered over his shoulder, weapon ready. “I’ll cover when they get here in case they have a tail. I’ll get him right up to your place. Go now, get her out of here just in case. We’re right behind you. They’re a minute out.”

  Dace nodded, and Carly hit the button to his floor. When the elevator began to ascend, he felt an ounce of relief, but nothing brought him more comfort than Ivy’s subtle movement and faint groan.

  “It’s okay. You’re safe,” Dace whispered to her. “I have you. They can’t hurt you. Nobody can. I won’t let them.”

  He continued his prayer silently to himself.

  Let her be okay. Please…let me keep her.

  29

  “How’s Ivy?” Eli questioned when Dace entered the lair.

  “Resting. Going to be fine,” Dace replied. “Doc says whiplash from impact and concussion.”

  “Good,” Wylie said. “Seeing her like that…”

  Silence spread through the group as they took a moment to say a silent prayer that they all walked away.

  “Your arm?” Dace asked, nodding to Eli.

  “Ah, just a dislocated shoulder. Carly, sweet girl, fixed me right up,” Eli said, lifting his arm and cringing. “Guess she was right about the ice pack. It’s a bit tender still.”

  “Good. Thanks for that back there.” Dace patted Eli’s good shoulder as he walked by to take a seat at the table.

  “That was insane,” Wylie said. “I pull up, and Eli here jumps out behind Dace and starts dropping guys.”

  “I said you could trust me. My word is good,” Eli said. “It’s pretty much second nature, right? Jump in where you’re needed and all that.”

  “I owe you one,” Dace said, before turning his attention to Wylie “What do you got?”

  “As far as the media goes, gang violence is escalating in the area, and Portland PD is doing everything they can, blah, blah, blah,” Wylie said. “That’s how they’ve been covering the murders too. What we really had is some fucked-up shit I can’t explain. You were clearly the target. I’m guessing cartel for hire like all the rest. C.T. texted and said he had something. He was parking in the garage and should be up in a minute.”

  “No IDs? Nothing at all?”

  Liam turned to Dace and pointed at the screen on the wall as five faces appeared, one at a time. “These are the guys collected at the scene, and none of them come up in facial rec. I don’t have footage from the scene to scour because the cameras in the area – city and private – were all conveniently down. I’ve broadened my search to see what we can pick up in a larger perimeter, but it may take a while to back into any kind of lead.”

  “Of course they were,” Dace said. “Who has good news?”

  “We have someone,” C.T. said as he walked in, tossing a file on the table. “I’d like to present guy number four.”

  “Four?” Dace asked, opening the folder to a mug shot. “One of the shooters today?”

  “How about from the alley the night Ivy was attacked.” C.T. smiled. “He was a getaway car today, but nobody showed up but us.”

  “He told you that?”

  “Eventually. He had a black mask, guns, and a few other things in his car.”

  Dace shook his head as he read the guy's rap sheet. “How does that link him to either crime?”

  “Oh, he told me he was there when he couldn’t explain the picture of Ivy – same as our three murder houses had – or being in possession of the cell phone that belongs to the mysterious number on all the phone logs from the other victims' phones…and Ivy’s.”

  “He had all that on him?”
Dace sat back, wearing a scowl. “Doesn’t that seem awfully convenient?”

  “What, being two blocks from a major crime, with weapons that will likely math ballistics from other crimes, the picture, the phone…yeah. He was set up. He’s willing to talk but wants a deal. The DA is working on it now. Carter, I’d love it if you could sit in on that since this will probably come your way anyway.”

  “You got it.” Carter tipped a lazy salute. “Where am I needed?”

  “He’s being transported to central booking right now. I’ll make sure you’re in the loop so you can meet them.”

  “Whoa. Should we escort?” Wylie asked. “He’s the key to the top. And set up to take the fall. Am I the only one concerned here?”

  “Nope. Get a team over there,” Dace ordered. “He’s under our protection.”

  “I’ll back that up if you get any shit,” Carter said. “Sometimes, it helps to flash the credentials.”

  “They’re the only reason we keep you around,” Wylie teased.

  “How quickly can we sit in with him?” Dace asked, eager to get answers. “We need names.”

  “Shouldn’t be long. We can probably get a round in with him this evening.”

  Dace leaned back in his chair and locked his fingers behind his head. “Well. Maybe this shit day still has a chance to turn around after all.”

  “Yeah, and it only took a fucking shoot-out in the middle of our city to get a break,” Declan added. “Let’s stay on top of this guy. There’s something way too convenient here to let our guard down.”

  Wylie pecked at his phone screen. “Team’s deployed. They should be downtown shortly to escort him in.”

  “He won’t go to the general population – he’s in protective custody now,” Carter said. “Just got the okay and set it in motion. He’ll be moved to federal custody and held in isolation, so no one will have access to him. Looks like we may get the win we’ve been waiting for.”

  An alarm on Liam’s system caught everyone’s attention.

  “What the fuck?” he said. “We have company, guys.”

  The men all stood and waited for the details.

  Their attention was turned to the wall where surveillance feeds populated the screens.

  “Front fucking door,” Liam said, selecting that feed to populate the screens for a closer look. “Who the hell is this guy?”

  The man they were all watching live, outside their building slowly turned, looking over each shoulder.

  “Is he hurt? You guys seeing what I’m seeing. He’s holding his left arm, and I think he’s bleeding,” Wylie pointed out.

  Dace stepped closer and squinted his eyes as if it would help him see through the man’s makeshift disguise. “Look up, motherfucker. Let us see your face under that hat.”

  “I don’t have a hot vehicle in the area,” Liam said, scanning data used to scan for potential car bombs and the like. “I think he got out of…an Uber?”

  The man pulled off his hat and looked directly into the camera above him.

  “He knows where the cameras are. How the hell does he know where the cameras are? You can’t see them with the naked eye. They’re too small.” Liam seemed offended by the man’s outing of the cameras almost more than the fact he was on their steps for no good reason.

  “He’s been beaten. His face…”

  “Son of a bitch,” Dace said. “It’s David Kimble. Ivy’s dad.”

  Dace remained in the lair with Eli and Carter while the rest of the brothers and C.T. sat in the conference room next door, waiting for their cousins, Ronan and Ryker, to escort David Kimble to be interviewed.

  “We’ll be able to see and hear everything. Let the guys take this one and see what he has to say.” Dace clicked at a few buttons. “Lobby should remain on the left, and the screen on the right will follow Kimble.”

  “This is some wild shit,” Eli said. “I understand why they frisked him, but what’s the vest they’re putting on him? Worried someone in here might shoot him?”

  Dace snickered. “Would you like second shot? I get first. It’s actually designed to interfere with any wire transmission and even smart dust.”

  “Smart dust?” Eli asked. “What the hell is that, or do I want to know?”

  “It’s nanotechnology used for a number of things but in most cases, tracking. It’s literally the size of dust but packed with the technology of something like a satellite.”

  “And that’s…real?”

  “Very much so. Used all the time. It’s quite convenient when you’re on the right side of things. Just bumping into someone, shaking their hand, or patting them on their back can transfer it. Then you can watch, listen, and track their every move.”

  “That’s…wow,” Eli said.

  “Wow is right. Last thing we need is him walking in here with it and someone hacking everything around him.”

  “They can do that? From a speck of…dust?”

  “Sure can. We’ve done it many times. Liam can give you the nerd version of it, but that’s basically it. The vest will block any in place and de-arm or deactivate as well. Kind of like a magnet on a computer type thing. Wipes it clean.”

  Eli shook his head as he watched the two cousins go through all the motions of frisking, vesting, and zip tying the man’s hands before they moved to the elevator. The screen that played the lobby feed, then showed the elevator, then hallway to the conference room where everyone was waiting for Kimble. Liam stepped up and waved a wand-like device in front of the man from head to toe, front and back, looking for any other potential devices that could be used against the team.

  “He’s clean,” Liam said to the group, then looked at Kimble. “The ties on your wrists are for everyone’s safety. Go ahead and take a seat.”

  “I-I understand,” David said.

  “Your arm – do you need medical attention?” Wylie asked.

  “I-I’m not certain. Hurts like a son of a bitch, but it’s days’ old now.”

  “How about your face?” What happened there?” Luke stepped up to get a closer look. “Nose broken?”

  “I don’t know. I suppose it could be. I haven’t really taken the time to assess my injuries. I just ran. I needed to get here,” the older man said.

  Luke pulled up a chair right in front of the man and looked him dead in the eye, an interrogation technique he’d mastered to intimidate others into telling him what he wanted. “Get here for what, Kimble?”

  “I had nowhere else to go. Nowhere to turn,” he said, emotion getting the better of him. The man dropped his head.

  “Let’s see if we can get Mendoza to come down and take a look at him,” Luke said over his shoulder.

  Luke leaned in, resting his elbows to his knees. “If you’re looking for room and board, this isn’t The Ritz. What are you doing back in town? And in our building, no less?”

  “I got away. I got away from them,” Kimble said. “I’d been visiting family in Mississippi, and I was ambushed. My security detail – I don’t know if any of them made it. I was…I was taken.”

  “Family? Can you be more specific? Who do you have in Mississippi?”

  The man began to cry. “I don’t know. I don’t know if she got away or…”

  “Who, Agent Kimble?” Luke teased the man by throwing out his title, ensuring him they knew exactly who he was.

  “My daughter,” he whimpered. “Ivy. She’s been under our protection for years for threats made on my life and my family.”

  “Son of a bitch didn’t even acknowledge the Agent bait. Just cruised right through it. He expected us to know that,” Dace said, watching the man through video. “He’s not going to make this easy.”

  “No, I imagine not,” Eli agreed. “What the hell is this sniveling? That man is a monster and doesn’t even crack a smile, much less shed a tear. This is insane. Does he expect us to buy this?”

  “Maybe he’s interrogating us as much as we are him. He’s a master at this. He has to be in his job. He can play any r
ole he needs to in order to get what he wants. Right now, he’s the victim,” Dace said. “I can’t wait to get in there.”

  “Not yet, Dacey,” Carter said. “Let’s see if he gives me anything I can use.”

  “Let’s cut to the chase and not waste each other’s time here,” Luke said. “How about you start from the top and get us up to the part where you show up on our front step shot and beaten.”

  The man shook his head nervously. “Yes. Yes. Sorry. It’s been a long several days. I’m just…exhausted.”

  “Ronan, can you get the man some water and maybe some…nuts?”

  Ronan grinned at the insult. “Sure thing.”

  “Thank you,” Kimble said when Ronan handed the man a water and bag of nuts from the nearby counter. “I was in Moss Bridge. I had a safe house there for my daughter. She was under twenty-four-hour protection with her own guard. I’ve been working with a team for at least a decade, designed to take down the cartel, piece by piece, and it was working. We were effective for years until the cartel always seemed a step ahead. When my wife died… When my wife died, that was no accident. They found me. Found my family. I did what I could here for as long as I could, but I had to hide her. My daughter was all I had left.

  “I actually have the highest clearance there is. Yes, higher than the president, which is funny if you really think about it. Who’s really running the country, right?”

  “Right?” Luke was slow to answer.

  “I ran the Moss Bridge house, and it’s not a safe house,” Liam added. “Not even at your level. In fact, it was owned by an offshore shell company. You know, a dummy corporation used to hide shit.”

  “Oh. Like the cartel uses?” Luke asked sarcastically.

  “Exactly, Brother.”

  “Look, I know how this may sound. I’m the fucking CIA, after all, but I’m telling you the truth. My work was off the books. I had safe houses everywhere, much as you do. And I would use them and move my daughter often.”