by Bry Ann
“What?”
“You fuck!”
“Is that all? I’m low on time.”
He growls, fighting with the urge to fight me. Or try to. He wouldn’t get far. Even verbally.
“I need your help.”
The words come out reluctantly, like he hates saying them. I can’t even believe he is. He must be desperate.
“I’m willing to hear you out,” is all I give him, my training kicking in in spite of everything.
“Marley has to know where I am.”
I laugh. “From what I’ve seen, she’ll be glad to be rid of you.”
He glares at me, flat faced. “I’m helping her with something.”
“Care to share?”
“You’re the last person I would share it with.”
“That may be true, but I’m the only person who can help you.”
Frances’s jaw tightens. “I just need you to tell her that I can’t help her and why.”
“Is she okay? Is there something I can do? We may be on opposite sides of the law, but in this instance, we could be capable of yielding the same result.”Frances rolls his eyes and scoffs. “This is a street issue. Nothing you could help with.”
“I—”
“The FBI doesn’t give a shit about what happens to kids on the street, Derek.”
The guilt inside my gut right now feels like it’s going to consume me. Because he’s right. He’s so right. I can’t list the amount of innocent children who get brushed aside because of their circumstances. Because it’s not a big enough case to take on. It’s the absolute worst part of my job.
“How should I get the message to her?” I whisper.
He scowls at me with so much hate in his eyes, it’s overwhelming. There’s no mistaking Frances grew up on the street at this point. That he was one of those kids we brushed aside.
“You know the graveyard? 10pm tonight. Go there. She’ll be waiting.”
“Fine. You have my word.”
I walk off, letting my eyes drift back over to Lacey, who has now made her way to Adam. He’s rubbing his thumb over her wrist. She’s shaking like a leaf, seizure-level shaking.
“I c-can’t. You can’t leave me.”
She looks to her feet, letting a tear fall from her eyelash to the floor.
“I need you to be strong for me, little dove,” he tells her gently.
Lacey shakes her head, dejected. “I have no strong left.”
“You have to find it. For our daughter. Our little angel. For me.”Some life comes back to Lacey’s body.
“Rose,” she whispers.
“Yes, baby. Look at me.”
She does. He smiles softly, leaning into her.
“I’ll never leave you. You know that.”
“Don’t get in more trouble.”
“All I am is trouble, babe.”
I’ll pretend to ignore that. Lacey’s smile is wobbly.
“But I need my daughter and wife healthy when I get back. I can’t have our baby Rose’s innocence shattered over this.”
“It won’t be,” Lacey states, firmly. Determination starts to flow through her veins like the woman I know.
“There’s my girl. Listen to me. You’re gonna feel alone, but you are never alone. Lean on Rose, Maria, and Cut ‘til I find my way back to you.”
Lacey jumps forward and wraps her little arms around his torso. I see the agony in his eyes that he can’t hold her back.“Come back as my husband. Don’t let prison make you harder. I need my soft husband too.”
His jaw tightens.
She runs her fingers over his chest lightly, getting ready to pull away.
“I’ll have my first aid kit ready,” she whispers.
That’s some inside joke of theirs. They reference it once in a while at random times. With that, the men start to pull the three of them away. Lacey screams and leans on her toes, wanting to run after him. Rose crumbles, sobbing onto Maria’s shoulder. Cut comes over and pulls Lacey back by her waist.
“Come with me. We’re gonna train.”
“Train,” Lacey cries, frantic and lost, searing through my heart.
“Yes, girl. It’s all I know to do for you,” he confesses with raw honesty.
She turns to him then. There’s a moment she looks like she’s gonna break, but she doesn’t, opting for jumping into him. He hesitates slightly, feeling uncomfortable. Maria catches his eye from across the room and glares at him, telling him without words to hold the damn girl. He does. Slowly, his arms wrap around her body. She cries and cries and cries, before pulling away and hiding her face.
“Let’s train. Soon I have to find a way to explain this to my daughter.”
Cut nods, and walks out. Lacey follows. Rose’s cries still fill the room, but I can’t take it anymore. I’m spinning on my heel, eyes watering, when I crash straight into Iris.
“Oh no!” She grabs my arm and, without any hesitation, pulls me from the room. “I’m gettin’ you outta here.”
“I’m working,” I tell her, trying to act professional.
“Oh bullshit. You’re cryin’. I doubt you want your buddies to see you this upset. You’re not supposed to care.”
She imitates a deep, mocking, manly voice.
“But I think you’re allowed to cry. I was there. I can’t imagine what you’re feelin’.”
Before I know it, we’re outside. The sun is shining, birds chirping. It feels like I’m being mocked. Teased. Goaded.
“Are you okay?”
“This is probably inappropriate now, Iris.”
“Why? I don’t get it. If we can help each other, why would that be bad?” My lips curl up a little. “How small is your town, Texas?”
“Well, small, but so what?”
“I think you’re missing some of the social lessons we learn here in the city.”
“Social b.s., you mean, I hope.”
“You’re so different than I thought.”
“Yeah, I get a little subdued when kidnapped.”
I shake my head. “I’m an agent; you’re a victim.”She looks me dead in the eye and whispers, “Survivor.”
I wince. “Yes, I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay. Just remindin’ you. Back to my original question. Are you okay?”
“Fine. It’s just a tough case.”
“Then talk to me.” “Iris…”
“Yes?”
I laugh. “You are so lacking in your knowledge of social rules.”
“Thank you.”
I smirk at her. “You’re complimented?”
“Of course. Jay always says what crap rules society shoves on us. I mean, why would I subject myself to it? If I wanna say or do something, I’m gonna. Why not?”
She beams at me. Despite the heaviness in my heart and tears staining my cheeks, I find myself smiling back.“Speaking of, I was thinkin’…” “Uh-oh.”
“No, it’s good.”
“Sure.”
“I was thinkin’, you have time off, right?” “I’m gonna take some, yeah.”
That makes the lump swell back in my throat.
“You should come back to my farm with me for a bit. It’s real quiet. Middle of nowhere, really. We have a house in the back of ours you could stay in. It’s pretty much all boys so you’d fit right in. We all really appreciate what you do for our country. It’d be good for you.”
“You want me to come back to your house with you?” Her cheeks turn flaming red, starting at the base of her neck, all the way up.
“That makes it sound like I’m a hussy. I mean our family farm. It’s relaxin’. You seem troubled.”
“Hussy?” I smirk. “Wow. Can’t say I’ve ever heard a woman use that word in our century.”
Iris smacks me across the arm. “I’m tryin’ to be nice, and you’re bein’ kind of a jerk to me. You’re supposed to be beyond frat boy nonsense.”
I look her up and down. She’s drowning in an FBI t-shirt, legs bare and stuffed in cowbo
y boots. She’s beautiful.
“You’re right. I’m sorry. I’m off.”
She shrugs. “I thought so, but I’m on your team. You shouldn’t be mean to me.”
“You’re right.”
She gives me a tender little smile.
“I like people like you.”
“What do you mean?”
“You’re not afraid to say when you’re wrong. My ex, Wes, always had to be right.”
She rolls her eyes.
“We were childhood friends first so he should have been…”
She scrunches her face.
“Ugh, you don’t want to hear this. I’m being a dufus.”
“Hussy? Dufus? You’re officially my favorite person to hear talk.”
“That’s gotta count for somethin’, right?” she grins, punching the side of my arm.
Carson, our tech guy, comes outside then. It’s like a splash of cold water. Shit. Carson. Same name as her younger brother.
“Uh, hey,” I say, awkwardly trying to avoid saying his name in front of Iris.
“Collin wanted to know where you went after what happened in there. I saw you on the camera, but wanted to be sure you were good.” His eyes find Iris’s.
“Hello, I’m Carson Taylor. Nice to you meet you. I’m the tech guy for this unit. You must be Iris Shelby?” Iris goes stiff as tears pool in her eyes.
“C-C-Carson? Hi.”
The distress on her face becomes increasingly obvious before she squeaks and runs off. The wind makes her shirt blow up a bit. He looks at me, confused.
“Her dead brother’s name is Carson.”
I run off after her.
“Iris! Iris! Slow down.”
Damn, she’s fast. I kick up speed to catch her. She doesn’t even know where the hell she’s going.
“Iris, stop!”
I use my firmest voice. That forces her feet to finally stop moving. Her shoulders are slumped, but she doesn’t turn around. “Please, go, D-Derek.”
“Don’t stutter around me, Iris. I know you only stutter when you’re feeling too much or nervous. None of that shit around me.”
“But you don’t even l-l-like me. I’m annoying y-you.”
She’s still turned away from me, so I slowly walk forward and circle her body, using my thumb to lift her chin. Her watery hazel eyes meet mine. They are sad and all messed up.
“I never said that, Texas.”
“B-b-but y-you k-keep…”
“Shhh, try again. It’s just me here.”
She squeezes her eyes shut and takes a deep breath. The effort to hide it is there, but I see the frustration she’s trying to hide. I can’t imagine my own voice betraying me like that.
“But you keep pushing me away,” she blurts out as fast as she can.
Aww, shit. “Iris, I’m just trying to do right by you. I’m not in good place, hun.”
“But I’m tryin’ to help,” she’s giving me puppy dog eyes and they’re killing me. “I was there. I can help.”
“Iris, it’s hard to understand what it’s like to immerse yourself in a life like that so fully unless you’ve done it.”
Her lips purse as she takes in an angry, deep breath.
“That’s why I’m tryin’ to help!”
“Okay, okay, I know.”
I give her shoulder a gentle squeeze.
“My farm is really relaxin’. I’m tellin’ you. I’m serious.”
The sincerity on her face makes this idea of me going to her family’s farm actually sound realistic. Unfortunately, it’s not.
“We’ll see. Let’s get back inside before someone thinks we’re doing something inappropriate out here.”
Her cheeks turn pink again. “You wouldn’t do that,” she whispers, unable to make eye contact.
“Oh no,” I tease. “Never. Why would I want to make out with a beautiful woman? That’s insanity.”
She’s not looking at me, but her cheeks turn an even brighter red.
“Stop. I’m— I’m, y-yo-you kn-know…”
“Breathe, Iris.”
“I’m not that kind of pr-pretty!”
Then she sprints off back down the hill, toward the bureau. What? Why would she think that?
I frown the entire way back to the building. I walk slowly, using the time to process everything. When I get back inside, I already know I took too long.
“Derek!” Collin shouts, clearly pissed.
My head snaps up. Oh shit. Collin has Iris by the arm. She’s trying to wiggle out, but she very clearly has tears streaming down her cheeks.
“What happened?”
“I honestly don’t know why she’s upset.”
“Derek…”
“It wasn’t him,” Iris whispers, always coming to my defense. “He-he’s nice. Carson…” She points at our friend, Carson. “Seein’ him…”
She drops her head. “It hurts. I think I’m just e-emotional.”
Collin looks to me.
“Later,” I mumble.
I go over and take Iris’s arm and pull her into an empty interrogation room.
“He was so y-young. He was a perfect person.”
“I have no doubt, hun.”
“He got my st-stutter. Knew h-how to handle it.” I look to the floor, sadness flooding my heart.“How do I go back home to my mama, Pap, and brothers, knowing I lied to them? They don’t even kn-know who murdered Car. How do I n-not t-tell them?”
“Breathe, hun. I don’t have an answer to that. I wish I did. I so wish I did.”
She nods, understanding.
“But would it help if I came? If you had someone there who knew your secret and could help you through it?”
“You’d do that?”
She looks so hopeful. God, anything to get the grief wiped from her face, I’ll do.“Sure. Like you said, it’s peaceful.”
“I knew my pap loved people of the law for a reason! And I think you’re the best of ‘em, no name.”
She smiles and for a moment I believe her. For one small moment, I’m not the awful person who betrayed one of his best friends.
“Where is Rose?” demands a sandy blond-haired man wearing casual attire, leather bracelets, and combat boots, storming through the lobby.
“I got this,” I tell Landon.
“You sure, man?”
“Yeah, I got it.”
“Nix!”
When Nix’s eyes find mine, his shoulders straighten and he makes his way over to me. Nix is Rose’s older brother. I use the term loosely. Rose only found out about him a couple years ago. They’re not extremely close from what I gathered during my time at the mansion. Nix keeps his distance. This is for a couple of reasons, the first of which being that up until Rose was seventeen and she discovered the man raising her, her father, was a notorious serial killer, her life was perfect. Nix never got those years of preserved innocence. His was shattered the moment he was born, immersed in the criminal underbelly. I think he’s jealous of her for that reason. He’d never wish anything bad on her, but I still think he finds it hard to be around her for this reason.
The most prominent person in his life is his girlfriend, Sage Briar-Rose. He’s busy with her most of the time, fighting tirelessly to keep her safe and happy. Her case is one the FBI has had their eyes on for a while. Not my unit, but I know Brad’s has been working tirelessly to get their teeth into the crime ring that stole her. It’s too powerful right now to infiltrate. Unfortunately, with things like that, it’s all about the long haul. Not to mention, Sage was not freed one hundred percent legally, which I don’t give one single fuck about. However she got out of there is the right way. Bottom line. I don’t care if that technically goes against the badge. It’s not my story to tell, but any normal girl stolen from her life and forced into something awful like she was has the right to do what they need to do to survive.
“What is going on? Where’s my sister?”
“With Maria.”
He looks me up an
d down. “Is she okay?”
“No, probably not.” “Damn it.” Nix runs his hand through his hair.
As he does, something occurs to me.
“Wait, how did you get here so fast? They’ve just gone into booking.”“I have connections.”
“Nixon, don’t play with me.”
“Yeah, I think you’ve amply demonstrated that. How is Lacey?”
I ignore the guilt snaking its way through my system.
“Not good.”
I grit my teeth and look to the floor. Not before I see Nix grind his teeth together. I know he’s protective of Lacey, because of her similarities to Sage.
“You’re lucky your true identity was never revealed.”
“Nix, my identity was secure.”
“Depending on who you ask.” He cocks an eyebrow and leans back casually. Wait, what did he say?
“Who knew?”
The left side of his mouth curls up.
“The person you’d least expect.”
“And that is…”
“An unassuming Latin woman.”
He smirks at me and winks.
“Got the call a few days ago from her that she sensed something was off. Said she wasn’t sure, but I should be nearby. Guess she was right.”
My jaw falls open. “Maria?!” “She didn’t give you away. Literally all she said was Rose may be needing me. I can only assume she suspected you.”Damn, I really wouldn’t have suspected Maria would be the one to figure me out.
“You’re lucky the boss acts like an ass to her or maybe she would have felt compelled to tell him.”
“Probably. You’re rather calm for someone whose brother-in-law just got arrested.”
“What good would it do me to come in here ranting and raving?”
This time he raises both of his eyebrows, letting his scraggly, dirty blond hair slide into his face.
“None, but—”
“There’s no but; I’m smarter than that.”
He smirks lazily at me to lessen the blow, but I’m guessing his charm is how he gets away with half the shit I know he does.
“Don’t screw with this case, Nixon.”
“Nix, and we’ll see, agent. I am dealing with much bigger fish than you right now, so color me unimpressed by all of this.”
“Bigger fish than the FBI?” I laugh. Nix’s eyes darken, and the muscles in his arm flex. The humor and light-hearted energy radiating off him a minute ago dissipate into thin air.
