by Apryl Baker
He started to turn the ignition but paused, another old fear coming back to haunt him. The cartel—or any major drug syndicate, for that matter—was a fan of car bombs. What if they’d found him and had hidden a bomb under the vehicle tied to the ignition, or worse, under the seat? Those were dangerous. They armed when you sat down and exploded when you moved your weight off the trigger.
Fuck.
He’d put all this shit behind him, and now he had to go back to those days of constant worry and vigilance. Worse, he’d involved his family and put Angel at risk. Fuck, fuck, fuck.
He called Dylan to come out and sweep the vehicle for bombs. They both agreed it would be a good idea to increase security at the office, including a thorough walkthrough of anyone’s vehicle before they left. Los Muertos was too dangerous to leave any detail to chance.
Once he was clear, he drove the short distance home and found Watkins drinking a cup of coffee in the kitchen.
“The boys got here a few minutes ago. I set one up in the lobby and one at the end of the hall. The third is outside, watching.”
Kade nodded his thanks and went in search of Angel. She wasn’t in the bedroom, but the bathroom door was closed. He found her in the bath, soaking. She still looked pale, but at least her eyes weren’t so wild.
“Hi.”
She looked up, startled, but gave him a small smile. “Hi.”
“Feeling better?” He tossed off his jacket and got down on his knees beside the tub, his hand tracing the outline of her face.
“Yes.” Her voice came out husky, and he tamped down every lustful thought he had. She needed be taken care of now, not fucked. “I don’t know why I reacted like that…”
“It’s okay, moye serdste.” He cupped her cheek. “I’m just sorry you’re in pain.”
She rubbed her cheek against his palm, almost purring like a kitten. Her and those cat eyes. Right now, she reminded him of a small kitten, hurt, lost, and confused.
Angel let Kade’s calming presence soothe her battered nerves. Her body still ached the same way it had when she’d woken up with the news her son died and was told he’d been disposed of. It was a pain that never lessened, only retreated to the darkest depths of her soul. The little boy brought that pain roaring back to the forefront of her thoughts, and she couldn’t make it go away.
She hurt.
“Why is Jasper here?” Distraction had always been the key to managing her grief.
The guarded look that flashed in Kade’s eyes caused her to sit up straight. What was going on?
“I had hoped to be back before you woke up.” He reached for the washcloth and soap. “There’s a situation.”
“Situation?” She let him push her back into the water as he soaped up the cloth. Kade picked up one hand out of the water and began to gently wash it, sweeping up her arm and ending at her shoulder. The simple motion was erotic as hell, and she had a suspicion that was his goal.
“Los Muertos.” He swiped the cloth over her collarbone and up the side of her neck, eliciting a moan and a gasp.
The fear that came a second later overpowered everything else. The same cartel that had killed her brother. All the desire she’d been feeling fled, replaced by a cold numbness.
“I had Dylan look into the situation in Miami to see if it was safe for us to go.”
“And we can’t go.” She slumped, her pain driving deep. Her one bright spot was being able to go say goodbye to her brother, and now she couldn’t even do that.
“No, but there’s more.”
“More?” He sounded harsh, and it brought her gaze up to study his expression. Anger vibrated in his black eyes, but she knew it wasn’t directed at her. “How can there be more? What do they want?”
“Me.” That one word sent chills ghosting along her skin.
“Over my dead body.” They’d taken her son and her brother. She’d be damned if they took her husband too.
“Easy, kitonya.”
“Don’t easy me, Kincaid. Tell me what’s going on.” She pushed his hands away and stood, grabbing the towel as she did. He tried to take it from her, but she knew if he did, they’d just end up in bed. “No. We are going to talk about this.”
He rolled his eyes but stood and wandered into the bedroom. The fear came rushing back, pushing the anger aside for a moment. These people were dangerous. Everyone in Miami knew you didn’t fuck with them, but still, they’d been raided before. Most arrests never stuck. What made Kade different from any other undercover cop? The thought of them getting their hands on Kade terrified her. She’d only just found him again. They couldn’t take him from her, not after everything she’d lost.
They just couldn’t.
Sighing, Angel dried off. Ten minutes later, dressed in her flannel pajamas, she marched into the bedroom, determined to be strong. She wasn’t that same nineteen-year-old kid with stars in her eyes. She was a strong woman who survived the death of her brother, her child, and suffered at the hands of a criminally insane psychopath. She’d handle this too.
Kade watched her storm into the room, those cat eyes glowing with fire. It tilted his lips in a smile. That was his Angel, prepared to fight to the death for the person she loved. He just hoped she’d never be put into a position to do that again.
He was sprawled out, and she sat cross-legged on the foot of the bed. He snorted. She knew better than to get closer. He’d distract her with sex.
Arching her eyebrow, she simply waited for him to start talking. It was very reminiscent of his mother’s inquisition techniques.
“I thought they would have forgotten about me by now, or at least moved on. What happened was the cost of business. Tomás Rivera should understand that.”
“What happened, Kade? It’s got to be more than the raid.”
“Miguel Rivera died in the raid. I shot him. He pulled a gun and started shooting. I had no choice. I had to protect myself and the men with me. I’d never killed anyone before, and I didn’t even really think about it until days later. By then, I’d lied to you and gone to Atlanta. He couldn’t have been more than sixteen. His face still haunts my dreams sometimes.”
“Oh, Kade…”
He held up his hand to stop her sympathy. “I took a boy’s life. I need to remember and accept the guilt that comes with that. Anyone who takes a life needs to understand exactly what that death means. Was it necessary? Yes. He would have killed me or my men. I had a responsibility to protect them, but at the same time, I have a responsibility to Miguel. I will always remember that day and what I cost his family. It’s made me a better cop. I haven’t killed another person since that night because I find ways to honor his death by not killing.”
“Was he…was he related to this Tomás?”
Kade nodded, folding his hands behind his head and staring up at the ceiling. Odd how he’d never noticed the swirl pattern in the texture around the ceiling fan. It was only in that one spot.
“Tomás Rivera used to be the second in command of the cartel. Miguel was his little brother.”
“Shit.”
“In a nutshell, Angel girl, we’re fucked if he knows we’re in New York.”
“How could he know?”
“Dylan said the cartel moved into the city spring of last year. Even if they don’t know it yet, they will. The company deals with a lot of different jobs. Chances are we’re going to run into the drug dealers, and since the hit is still out on me, Los Muertos will find out.”
“What if we leave? Go to Europe or something.”
His laugh was hollow. “It won’t help. My brothers are here, Angel. The cartel will pick them off one by one to get to me. Tomás knows I won’t sacrifice my family to hide from his wrath. He may have been focused on gaining control and expanding the cartel, but he never forgot what I did.”
Her head dropped into her hands. “What are we going to do?”
“Fuck if I know.” He sat up and hauled her into his lap, needing to touch her. Images of what Tomás would do
to her tormented her. Feeling her safe and sound in his arms calmed him enough to think rationally. “But no one is going to touch you, Lily, or Becca. I swear it.”
“Lily…” Her eyes widened as realization dawned. “They’d hurt her or even Becca?”
“Lily belongs to Nik and Becca to Dimitri, so to Tomás, they’re fair game.”
Angel tucked herself into Kade’s side, laying her head on his chest. He looked like a lost little boy. “I’m so sorry.”
“Nothing to be sorry for, moye serdste.” He wrapped an arm around her and hugged her tight. “None of this is your fault. It’s mine. I’ve gone and dragged you right back into the lair of the monster I walked away to protect you from. I’m the one who’s sorry.”
She leaned up so she could look him in the eyes. “First, that was just plain stupid. You made me think you didn’t love me or the nugget. I thought we were only a means to an end. A way to get into Peter’s good graces. I spent six years with that, Kade. You should have told me the truth from the start, and we could have grieved our son’s death together.”
His dark eyes turned pitch black, his own grief pooling in the obsidian depths. Angel knew he still blamed himself for Matthew’s death, but she didn’t. Maybe one day he’d realize it wasn’t his fault. He had no way to know the police bursting through the door would startle her badly enough to fall down the stairs.
“Second, you didn’t drag me into that world. Peter did, whether he meant to or not. He had drug dealers and God only knows who else in and out of the house while I was growing up. Don’t blame yourself for something my brother started.”
He cupped her face and ran his thumb over her lips to shut her up. “I love you, moye serdste.”
That stopped her tirade like nothing else could. “I love you too.”
He pulled her head down and kissed her so gently, it stole her breath. “You’re fucking perfect, Angel, you know that?”
Instead of answering, she kissed him again. She was terrified about tomorrow, but she couldn’t control what tomorrow would bring. This? Tonight? She could show him how much she loved him. Angel had a feeling her husband needed this as much as she did.
He deepened the kiss, and that fire caught in her belly, flaming outward, the heat consuming every cell in her body. She let herself get lost in the fire, not caring that Jasper could probably hear them. Kade rolled her, and she groaned when he sat up, straddling her.
“Fucking flannel, Angel?” He quirked an eyebrow as he leaned down and started to pop one button at a time on the top. Each flick revealed more and more, the cool air of the ceiling fan stroking her heated flesh.
She laughed at his expression. “You know you like my flannel. Admit it, Kincaid.”
“Mmm hmmm…” He leaned down and licked the exposed skin between her breasts, sending shivers racing through her. The sensation of his wet tongue against her skin pulled a moan from deep within her. He pushed her shirt to the side, revealing her nipples, which were already begging for attention. He blew across the exposed tip, and she arched up, enticing his lips to taste it. He only chuckled and sat up, popping more buttons.
“Kade.” God, did she really sound that whiny?
“Shush.” He shimmied down her legs and gripped the edges of her pajama bottoms. “I’m busy.” Then he jerked the material, pulling her panties down with them. She let out a hiss, not expecting the harsh movement when he’d teased her just a few seconds before. It didn’t frighten her but made the fires flash hotter under her skin.
He flipped her, pulling her up, so her knees were positioned on the bed, baring her ass to his gaze. “Don’t move.”
Angel twisted her head and watched him walk into the bathroom. What the hell was he up to? When he came back a few minutes later, he was whistling. Whistling. Her eyes narrowed. He looked far too pleased with himself.
He set the towel he carried on the bed behind her. He had to go and put it out of her field of vision, didn’t he? The sound of his pants dropping distracted her enough to bring her gaze back to his now very naked body. Kade stripped bare had always done her in. Tonight was no different. His muscles rippled as he moved, and her mouth watered, visions of running her tongue along those very tight abs…
He slapped her ass, and she yelped. Glaring, she opened her mouth to yell, but he put a finger to her lips. “You were zoning out, Angel girl. None of that.”
Holy hell, the expression on his face as he gazed down at her. If she could bottle it, women would never leave the comfort of their bedrooms and their toys. The man was pure sin.
He grinned wolfishly and slid onto the bed behind her, his hands gripping her cheeks and massaging them. He worked each muscle until she sighed with satisfaction. His hands were liquid sex.
“You’re leaking, Angel.”
She already knew that. She’d been leaking since he stripped.
He slid two fingers inside her, and she clenched them tight, her walls refusing to give them up. Fuck, she needed…
He pulled them out and slammed them high and hard inside her.
That. That was what she needed. She sagged against the bed, her thighs vibrating with tension. When he did it again, she couldn’t stop the cry it forced out of her.
“Jasper…he’s in…”
“Fuck Jasper.” Kade leaned down and swiped at the liquid seeping around his fingers with his tongue. “Let him listen.”
He didn’t give her time to respond because he set up a hard, steady rhythm with his fingers, pulling sounds out of her she didn’t know she could make.
Kade took pleasure in watching her come apart around his fingers, listening to her cries. He was so hard it was a physical pain, but he refused to rush this. He had plans that were going to blow both their minds.
His phone rang, the sound muffled. He glanced at his pants then at his woman. The phone could wait. She was close. He could feel it in the tightening of her muscles. He didn’t want her coming on his fingers though. He just needed his fingers soaking wet.
He pulled his fingers out and slid inside her in the next second, slamming into her. Her back arched off the mattress, and he pushed her back down with one hand, riding her. She pushed against him, pleading incoherently for release, but he refused. He kept up a slow, hard rhythm. Sweat rolled off his skin, mixing with hers. Using his free hand, he parted her ass cheeks and ran his middle finger over her anus. Angel bucked harder beneath him.
“Easy, moye serdste.” He slid his middle finger in knuckle deep, and the guttural scream that ripped out of her as she came all over him gave him a sense of pride like nothing else. He kept up the steady pumping while mirroring the motion with his finger in her ass until she collapsed beneath him, spent. He chuckled at the boneless feel of her as he draped his body over hers, still buried deep inside.
“You’re going to kill me.” The strangled whisper barely reached his ears.
They both stilled at the loud knock on the door. Watkins was going to fucking die. “What?”
“Dylan’s here and wants to speak with you.”
“Tell the fucker I’ll see him in the morning at the office.” His cock twitched in agreement. They had a very long night ahead of them.
“Kincaid, get your ass out here. I don’t care what shit is going on in there. This is important.”
He let his head drop in the hollow of Angel’s shoulder. Fuck, fuck, fuck. “I’m sorry.”
“Tell Dylan I am going to twist his balls until they go blue and fall off.” Angel winced a little when he pulled out of her.
Kade stood and covered her with the same throw he had earlier and then pulled on his pants. “I’ll be back as quick as I can.” Kade shot his wife one last longing look then stalked out into the living room, ready to beat the shit out of Dylan.
The look on the man’s face shriveled up every ounce of anger in his body.
“Office.” Dylan didn’t wait for a reply, but instead made a beeline for Kade’s home office.
Kade followed him, his fear rol
ling back full force, as he braced himself for whatever had Dylan looking like death who came a-knocking and didn’t leave emptyhanded.
Dylan paced the room like a caged cat, ready to strike as soon as he was offered freedom. Kade had never seen him like this. Granted, Viktor knew him better, but still, it was odd behavior for the man.
“What happened?”
Dylan stopped pacing long enough to scowl at him. “Give me a minute. This is serious shit. I need to calm down long enough to explain it.”
That didn’t sound at all good. Had something happened to one of their clients? Was any of their team injured? These and a dozen other questions waited on the tip of his tongue, but he kept quiet. Dylan would speak when he was ready. Kade had gotten no panicked texts or voicemails, so he hoped it wasn’t as serious as he feared.
Several minutes later, Dylan finally sank into one of the office chairs, giving Kade a sense of déjà vu from earlier this afternoon. The folder in his hands was bunched and looked the worse for wear.
“I went to see my contact over at the hotel.”
Kade’s spine stiffened. He thought this was about one of their open cases, not the child. He hadn’t expected results on that for at least a few days.
“I have pictures.” He thrust the file folder at Kade, who took it grudgingly.
Carefully, Kade opened the file and stared at photos of the child, taken from several angles. Dylan must have taken them on his phone and printed them off. The tilt of the child’s head in one photo caught his attention. It reminded him so much of Nik when he was this age it felt like someone had just sucker punched him. All the breath went out of him as he studied the child.
Angel was right. This is exactly what Matthew would have looked like, right down to his mother’s eyes.
“I…I don’t…how…”
“It’s a lot, I know.” Dylan let out a slow breath. “It could be coincidence.”
“It has to be.” Kade gripped the picture of the boy staring straight at the camera, Angel’s cat eyes jumping off the page. He didn’t know what to say, to think, to feel. His gut twisted, everything inside of him urging him to get up and go look at the boy for himself. Just to assure his heart what his mind knew. This was not Matthew.
