Fisher laughed. “Yeah, that’s why his team fired off all those sniffers looking for info about you, sweetheart. Because there’s no interest.”
Nicki paled as her heart studded against her chest, but she’d be damned if she’d show weakness in front of these guys. Her partners, like her, however, were trained to simply know. Their lives so often depended on it.
“Relax, babe. We’ve got you covered. But Jesus, couldn’t you have just scratched your itch with a regular guy? You know, one that doesn’t kill people for a living? Christ, woman, you just attract trouble, don’t you?”
Despite the roiling of her stomach, Nicki’s lips quirked. “Yeah, so everyone keeps telling me.”
“Seriously, Nix, you’re playing with some intense shit here.”
“Don’t sweat it, sweetie. Game’s over, I won. I always win.”
“It’s not, and you haven’t. Not yet, anyway.” Brookes breathed. “We know about Marscone, Nix. We know all about the recon you’ve been doing.”
“Fuck,” she hissed. They were supposed to be using their resources on everyone else, not on her. Another thing she should have known. With any luck, they knew only of Benny’s business dealings and not of her personal history with him.
“No worries. We’re here to help you.”
Her eyes lit up. “Yeah?”
“Yeah. I don’t know how you find them, Nix, but the boss says this one’s got to go down. Taser’s got a real woody about this one.” Nicki laughed at that. Taser was their leader, and the closest thing to a legitimate psychic she’d ever seen. It was he who examined potential Chameleons, got inside their heads and decided which way they’d go. He had yet to be wrong about a single candidate.
A vision of Sean filled her mind’s eye, but she pushed it into a neat little box in the back of her brain and locked it away. That was over, effective immediately. Later, when she had nothing but time and space and solitude, she’d take out the key and page through the memories and try to make sense of it all, but she couldn’t afford the distraction right now.
“Great. Now help me nail this bastard and get me the fuck out of this town before I start getting all sentimental.”
Brooke’s grinned in obvious relief. “Get in the car, be-yatch.” Somehow he made it sound like a long-suffering term of endearment.
“Ah, now you’ve gone and hurt my feelings,” she said, faking a pout. “Sticks and stones, baby. And there’s no way I’m letting one of you guys straddle my ride.” She strutted over to her bike and climbed on. “Just try and keep up, will ya?”
Chapter Fifteen
Sean was already coming out of it by the time Shane arrived with Nick. It took both of them to get Sean into a sitting position on the couch. Shane called Michael immediately. After relaying what Sean was able to tell him, Michael confirmed that the best thing they could do was pump Sean full of water and other liquids to dilute the effect of the paralytic and suggested they bring him up to the farm immediately to make sure there were no other ill effects.
Nick was so quiet they nearly forgot he was there. He hovered in the background, watching and listening in disbelief.
“Nicki did this to you?” he finally asked, his expression unreadable. “Why would she do that?’
“Because,” Sean said, the words coming out a bit slurred as he regained control of his jaw, “she knew I wouldn’t let her go.”
Nick’s eyes widened a little. “She’s gone?”
Sean nodded. Nick felt as though something heavy slammed into his chest. Part of him wasn’t surprised, but another part - the one that he thought had been crushed into non-existence a long time ago, screamed in protest. She had promised him she wouldn’t leave without saying good-bye. Nicki had promised.
“But why?”
“I was hoping you could tell us.”
Nick shook his head as the hurt that came from learning of Nicki’s sudden and unexpected departure began to sink in, the disbelief and feeling of betrayal fading – or at least being buried, back under that massive load of shit where it had resided for so long, at least until Nicki came back and it slithered to the surface.
He shouldn’t be surprised, not really. Their mother was dead. He’d left Nicki to deal with that shit all alone, choosing instead to go out and get himself wasted. He’d failed her in so many ways. How could she not want to bolt?
Despite the family issues, though, Nick thought that she and Sean had something going on. Sure, finding Nicki in Sean’s apartment earlier had made him all kinds of crazy, but that was probably more the drugs talking than anything. It hadn’t really been a shock. It would have been impossible to miss the way they’d looked at each other over the past couple of weeks. And, when his brain engaged enough to think things through, he realized that Sean Callaghan was probably the best thing that could have happened to Nicki.
Because of Sean, Nicki was no longer working at Angels. He’d given her a job doing what she loved, even though it had to be a pain in the ass for him with the special hours and all. He’d taken her over to Birch Falls and introduced her to Kyle McCullough; Nicki’s eyes had glowed for a week after that. Sean was strong, solid, and protective of her. And he’d been there for her when Nick hadn’t.
Looking at it now, seeing the tormented look in Sean’s face, Nick could not help but think that maybe there was even a lot more to it than he realized. “It was more than a one night thing for you.”
Sean met his eyes. “Yeah.”
Holy shit. The guy’s eyes were like lasers. And they said a lot more than the single word response did. “You’re in love with her.”
“Yeah.” There was no hesitation, no thinking. Sean never even blinked.
“But she laid you out, man.” Icy flames flared to life in Sean’s eyes, but Shane actually laughed. “That’s like foreplay to him. The only thing she’s done is made herself irresistible.”
They made it out to Michael’s farmhouse in record time. Shane suggested they drop Nick off at his apartment, but Sean didn’t think it was a good idea. On the off chance that Nicki tried to contact him, Sean argued, he wanted Nick to be there.
Introductions were made, and Sean was ushered directly into a room at the back of the house. Shane left Nick in the kitchen with Maggie while he joined his brothers.
Nick was hesitant to accept anything, but it was hard to say no when Maggie placed a plate piled high with roast beef, mashed potatoes, sweetened carrots, homemade rolls and whipped butter in front of him. He looked at it as if he had never seen such a thing before.
“Go on,” Maggie coaxed, smiling. “They’ll be a while, most likely, and it looks like you could use it.”
He thought to have only a little so as not to insult her, but after the first bite he couldn’t help himself. It was easily one of the best meals he’d ever had. He tried to remember his manners, at least, forcing himself not to eat too hurriedly, or to shove too much into his mouth at once. He wouldn’t have believed it possible, but he finished every last bite.
“Would you like seconds?” Maggie asked in amusement.
Nick thought about it, then shook his head. As fine as it had been, he did not want to be rude.
“Then you’ll have room for this,” Maggie said, bringing him a plate oozing with caramel apple pie and vanilla ice cream.
“Ah, Mags,” Shane said as he entered the kitchen and gave her a kiss on the cheek. He paused and closed his eyes, inhaling deep. “Your special roast beef?”
“Sit down and let me make you a plate.”
Shane winked at Nick, then turned his attention back to Maggie, placing his hand over his heart. “I swear, Mags, if Mick didn’t call dibs first I’d ask you to marry me.” Maggie laughed and swatted at him with a dishtowel.
“Need me to kick his ass for you, love?” Michael said, joining them. He pulled Maggie into his arms and kissed her passionately, leaving no doubt as to exactly which brother Maggie had chosen.
Nick looked up at the man he’d met briefly upon arriv
al. He was just as big, just as formidable as the others. He sported the same blue-black hair and blue eyes, but Nick guessed him to be a few years older. He’d heard that there were seven of them, and wondered if they all resembled each other so closely.
Shane began tucking into a plate of food at least as big as Nick’s had been as Sean came through the door.
“Smells awesome, Mags,” Sean said, rubbing his stomach in anticipation.
“Sorry, Sean, none for you.” Michael didn’t seem very sorry at all, snagging the plate Maggie had already prepared for himself. “It’ll slow the purge of toxins from your system. Maggie has some great herbal tea for you, though.”
Shane could barely hold his snickers as Sean sat down, shooting daggers at Michael and mumbling something in Irish under his breath.
“Ah, don’t listen to them,” Maggie said, laying her hands on Sean’s shoulders and shooting the others a fierce look. “Dandelion tea with a little fennel will have you right as rain, and I’ll save you the last of the chocolate cake.”
Michael’s smug smile faded as he looked up from his meal, his expression horrified. “That’s my cake!”
“Not anymore,” she said firmly, squeezing Sean’s shoulders affectionately. “Dark chocolate’s as good as charcoal for filtering out the bad stuff. He needs it more than you do.”
“That’s not true,” Michael grumbled. Sean grinned as Shane tried to cover his laughter with a cough.
After they had eaten their fill and the plates had been cleared away, Michael leaned back and glanced at Nick before turning his gaze to Sean. Sean had already briefed his brothers on what had happened; Shane had shared everything that Nick had told him.
“So. How do you want to play this?”
Sean looked at Nick, clearly wondering just how much to say in front of him. “She’s mine. I’m going after her.”
Nick’s eyes widened slightly, but to his credit, he displayed no other reaction. Michael studied him for a while, then nodded. “Alright. You want some help?”
“Yeah, I think I’m going to need it.”
Nick looked up, clearing his throat. Thus far he’d remained silent except for occasional murmurs of thanks to Maggie. “I’m in.”
Three pairs of similar blue eyes regarded him. “Might be more than you bargained for,” Sean told him.
Nick heard the warning clearly, but chose not to heed it. “I’m not stupid,” he said, summoning the courage to look at each one in turn before settling on Sean. “I’ve heard the rumors.”
“What rumors?” Michael asked softly.
“About you, all of you,” Nick said carefully. “About how you... do stuff.” He flicked his eyes away as Shane arched a perfect brow.
“Stuff?” Shane asked.
Nick was no stranger to fear; he’d learned to deal with it at a very early age. Most of his life he’d been surrounded by some powerful men who used terror and intimidation to maintain control: drug dealers, pimps, politicians, dirty cops. But none of them chilled his blood as much as these three men did. They didn’t need to say anything to be scary as hell.
At that moment, Nick was profoundly grateful to be on the right side of things for a change.
“Look, like I said, I’m not stupid. If you guys are capable of even half of what I think you are, then the smartest thing I can do right now is keep my trap shut. But Nicki is my sister, and I’ll be damned if I’m going to fail her again.”
A heavy silence permeated the kitchen. Seconds ticked by in the quiet, each movement of the old fashioned clock sounding as if it had been multiplied a hundred fold. The three Callaghan brothers sat unnaturally still while Nick shifted in his chair.
It was Michael who spoke first. “No one questions your heart, Nick, but there’s more at stake here.”
“I know, I know,” Nick said running his hands through his hair. “The whole ‘ignorance is bliss thing’? Hey, I’m totally down with that. I don’t know the details and I don’t want to. All I’m saying is... I just want to be involved. There has to be some way that I can help.”
“Perhaps there is,” Shane said thoughtfully. “Nicki’s always found a way to get in touch with you before, right?”
“Right.”
Shane looked at Sean. “Let’s have Ian vamp up his mobile. If she texts or phones, he can get a lock.”
Sean nodded. “It’s a good idea. Come on. Let’s hit the Pub and get you geared up.”
* * *
Benny “the Bull” Marscone, now Richard Constantino, ran a portion of his business from a moderately-sized two-story at the far end of a cul-de-sac in a middle-class neighborhood. Nicki shook her head as they checked the place out. It was all so normal. Husbands were out shoveling the latest round of frozen precipitation from the sidewalks and driveways while kids laughed and played. Some made snow angels or snowmen. Some rode sleds and snowboards over the fair sized hill just off the park. Others had built forts and were engaged in snowball battles while moms chatted in puffy coats at the end of driveways with watchful eyes. Christmas lights decorated nearly every home in anticipation of the upcoming holiday. It looked more like something out of a Norman Rockwell painting than the home base of a vice lord.
“Tell me how a drug dealer operates in a place like this,” she said, shaking her head. She held Fisher’s hand loosely. She’d padded the feminine-looking parka to give the impression of pregnancy. Her hair was pulled back into a casual knot, and just a hint of makeup left her fresh-faced and young-looking.
Fisher, in his Dockers and stylish Northland jacket, was the epitome of the young professional with his stylishly boyish haircut and clean-shaven jaw. For all intents and purposes, they were a young, expecting couple checking out a few of the homes that sported For Sale signs along the street.
“Hiding in plain sight,” Fisher said under his breath. “And how much do you want to bet he’s got more than a few customers right here on Happy Street.”
It was true enough. Oh, probably not the heavy stuff, but maybe some weed, some mild pick-me-ups for the stressed-out moms, some perfectly acceptable pain meds and relaxants to make life just a little more bearable when things got tough for the upper middle class.
“He’s smart,” Nicki said, nodding pleasantly as she pretended to point out features on the nearest home. “He handles the white-collar crowd now, no doubt leaving his minions to deal with the riff-raff.”
Fisher put his arm around her and pulled her close, placing a chaste kiss on her temple. Brookes, he knew, was stewing in the car two blocks over. They always battled for who would play Nicki’s significant other, and Brookes lost the toss this time.
Nicki couldn’t help but smile. “Gloating doesn’t become you,” she said, knowing immediately what he was up to. Fisher laughed. “It suits me perfectly, and you know it. Now what’s the best angle of entry, do you think?”
They took their time, pausing to stop and chat with a couple of curious residents about the local schools, nearest playgrounds, all the while registering every detail. By the time the street lamps began to glow and parents started ushering kids inside for hot chocolate, baths and bedtime, Nicki and Fisher walked back to their car – a nondescript gray Malibu – and drove away.
They convened with Brookes a few minutes later, trading the Malibu for the full-sized van equipped with the latest technology.
“He’s got security cameras here, here, and here,” Fisher said, making points on the digital pics of the house they’d discreetly snapped, as well as the satellite images they’d pulled with a quick call to Taser, “though I would bet his security is a damn sight better than that piece of shit system he’s advertising on his lawn.”
Nicki nodded, pointing at the barely noticeable smudges along the window and door frames. “I’ll say. These look like laser points to me. Break the stream when they’re engaged and all hell breaks loose.”
Brookes agreed. “Close-ups don’t show anything like that on the attic level though. He’s probably just got the stand
ard wiring. Fidiot probably doesn’t think he needs the extra protection up that high.”
“That’s because he’s never met us,” Nicki said with a grin.
Chapter Sixteen
They waited until most of the houses had gone relatively dark, then slipped in like shadows, surrounding the house at various strategic points. Not surprisingly, Nicki was the first one in. She traded her suburban outfit for form-fitting body armor, a protection against the cold that would allow her the greatest range of motion. As the lightest and most nimble, she’d been able to easily shimmy up the porch supports to the first story roof, then proceeded to use gutter brackets to noiselessly work her way toward the slotted, angular vent. It took a few moments to loosen some of the slots, but she didn’t have to do many. With her small frame and excellent muscle control she was able to slither in like a snake.
The first thing she did was disable the alarms along pre-selected windows for Fisher and Brookes. She worked quickly and efficiently, her hands steady and her mind calm and collected, though she couldn’t completely stop the anxious wriggling in her gut. Finally, Nicki would have her vengeance.
She found Benny in the master bedroom, lounging in a black silk robe that hung open. Nicki flinched at the pain that shot through her at the very sight of him. She had to remind herself that she was no longer a child, but a grown woman with the knowledge of at least a hundred ways to kill a man in less than ten seconds. Her mother was beyond his reach. And he would never, ever, think to threaten her brother again.
In his hand was a remote, the unmistakable moans and groans of a child pornography feature film filling the room. Nicki knew instantly that Benny hadn’t changed at all. It only strengthened her resolve, her belief that he had to be stopped.
Despite all of her training, Nicki felt her cool self-control slipping away as the awful sounds triggered terrible memories. How many times had she been forced to watch those horrible films? How many times had he schooled her in the ways of pleasuring men?
And she’d been one of the fortunate ones. Benny didn’t sell her like he did the others. He had developed a particular fondness for her, and generally kept her all to himself. The rage built up inside of her, but she tended it carefully, stoking it but not letting it get out of control.
Seeking Vengeance: Callaghan Brothers, Book 4 Page 15
