Kimberly let out a deep breath and nodded. “Yes. He was needed somewhere, but I honestly don’t know what it’s related to. I really don’t.”
My stomach knotted in fear. I knew Luke would stop at nothing to keep me safe. The anger and frustration he’d felt at the bureau for not putting me under protective custody was well known. But I understood their reasoning. I wasn’t a key witness. I witnessed a murder, but it was a complicated murder where one of their informants was involved, and they didn’t want the larger case to have any holes blown through it because of something I may or may not say. I doubted I’d ever see the light of a courtroom and for that I was grateful. I was also grateful that I wasn’t in hiding.
I wanted to begin my life once more—my real life, not a pre-determined one that was built on fear and control. The NHL community had left its scars on me, but those were nothing compared to what the cult had done to hundreds. I couldn’t rebuild my life if I was constantly living in the past or living in fear and apprehension. Privately, I might feel those emotions, but I didn’t need to set up my life to support them.
“Do you have any idea how long he might be delayed?” I asked, pushing around another bite of pancake in the syrup. I had no intentions of eating now, but playing with my food at least kept me occupied
“I don’t. He thought maybe four or five hours, but he said he had no idea.”
I dropped my fork and Mia turned in the booth to look at Kimberly. The only time Luke was gone that long was if he was on an operation and that rarely happened. He’d built his security firm so that he no longer went on most operations.
Based on the scenario, he had created specialized teams that executed his orders. Simple as that. This new information really worried me. Terrified me, actually, and it told me that whatever had gotten him into the field was personal. It signaled the same to Mia. I saw it in her expression.
“Can I use your phone to call Mitch?” Mia asked.
Kimberly’s face lost all natural coloring as she shook her head. “He’s with Luke.”
“That doesn’t make any sense. If anything, I’m surprised that Mitch didn’t pick us up from the airport. Before we left for our trip, Mitch was on us most of the time,” I said, gauging Kimberly’s expression.
I might have won the fight about not going into hiding, but I’d lost the one about keeping Mitch within an arm’s reach of me. Luke fiercely protected the ones he loved. He did it with his own sister for years and now he’d moved onto me.
“Things aren’t adding up,” I mumbled, glancing at Mia who was verging on frantic.
The relationship between Mia and her brother was complex. They’d experienced more pain and sorrow in their lives than most, and Luke’s entire future had been constructed because of his parents’ murders. He built Fletcher Security to protect his sister more than anything and then the firm grew because he was so good at what he did.
Mia understood her brother better than anyone. She understood his motives, his inability to completely trust, and his fear of wholly connecting with someone for fear that he’d lose that person. Mia shared the same fear, which explained her spotty relationship history. Luke’s wasn’t spotty. It was just nonexistent. Although, there was one woman he saw off and on, I’d been told many times that she was looking for the same thing as he was, which was nothing more than brief companionship. Either way, I tended not to think about it, and got aggravated at myself when I did speculate, like now.
Moments like these made me wonder if Luke and I were just begging for a slow and merciless end to our relationship. Could two people who were so screwed up by our pasts actually create a new beginning that was healthy? I wanted it to be so, but I honestly had no idea.
“So what about Alex?” I asked, bringing myself back to the matter at hand. “Is he with Mitch and Luke too?”
“I don’t know,” she said. Her eyes briefly caught mine before looking out the window. Kimberly’s expression turned somber and her hands unexpectedly flew up to her mouth. My breath caught as I followed her gaze out the window.
Everything in view no longer registered. It was as if my world was fracturing from the outside in. My hands gripped the table as I watched Luke’s men stride swiftly through the parking lot, led by Alex. All the men had ominous expressions, but Alex’s was as if he’d seen something the others hadn’t. I recognized being ghosted by memories. I understood what witnessing horror looked like, and Alex couldn’t hide it. He saw something his mind wouldn’t let him accept.
It felt as if my body was only hovering over what was about to take place. I wasn’t engaged in this reality, and if I wasn’t here, it couldn’t be happening. Everything was registered in slow motion while my mind raced in many different directions. The server slowly poured coffee in the cups of the elderly couple. The cook slowly drew his attention to the group of men who wandered into the cafe. But my mind… My mind wouldn’t accept what they had to tell me.
I had no reaction to give. I refused to believe that something was wrong. I refused to participate in this reality. My world began spinning as I heard their footsteps coming from behind. I caught Mia’s expression as she watched the men walk toward us. Her hands trembled slightly as she picked up a glass of water. She didn’t even take a swallow when she held it to her lips. Instead she just placed the untouched glass back on the table and turned her attention to me.
Neither of us would let the other crumble.
Luke
“And to think I didn’t know I needed to dress in reinforced armor today,” I said, which only produced a small smile from Sam as someone handed him a notebook. He quickly opened and looked through it while we both stood in the parking lot. His men had taken over the crime scene to comb every detail and hopefully give us some answers.
I’d sent Alex and a few of my men to meet up with Kimberly, Hannah, and my sister to fill them in on Mitch. I didn’t feel what needed to be told to them could be done on the phone or by text. I wasn’t there yet…wasn’t ready to face them.
I also wanted my men to keep an eye on them since I still had no idea who was behind this. Not to mention my nerves were shot from standing rigid next to Mitch for the last hour. Basically my day was a shit sandwich and the only person who could make it better was nowhere near me.
Even though it killed me not to have Hannah near, I needed answers before I went to meet her. If it was me they were after, I certainly didn’t want to put her in harm’s way.
“That was too close,” Mitch groaned. He could barely crack open his swollen lids. “How did you know?”
Sam looked over at me and pressed his lips together as the EMTs pushed Mitch into the ambulance.
An agent hurried toward us as I began to answer Mitch, “We—”
“Sir. We’ve found these postcards taped to the bomb. Do they mean something to you?” He was staring at Sam, and the EMTs shut the ambulance doors before I even had a chance to finish my sentence.
“What hospital are they taking him to?” I asked Sam.
“We’ll find out,” he muttered, as the agent handed him a clear plastic evidence bag containing the postcards.
Sam’s expression turned grim before he handed the bag to me. It felt as if I’d been stabbed in the gut as I looked down at the postcard on the top of the pile, a copy of The Storm on the Sea of Galilee by Rembrandt.
“They’re all postcards of paintings,” the agent said.
I almost laughed at the rookie agent’s statement, but I held back. It wasn’t his fault. I took in a deep breath and shook my head as panic quickly spread through my body.
“I assume they’re all from the heist?” I questioned, handing the bag back to Sam.
The agent handed Sam his camera. “All the images in the bag are on here.”
Sam quickly flipped through the photographs on the agent’s camera and nodded. “All postcards are images from the heists your parents worked on.”
“I had a hunch. Damn it. What if this was just a distraction?” I pulled
my phone from my pocket and dialed my assistant’s number.
My blood pumped violently as I realized I’d played right into their plans. It was no longer only my family who was in jeopardy, and they intended to send that message loud and clear. They’d broken through my fortress. Once again, they made it personal. But why? What do they think I have? What do they want?
My blood boiled. I was certain the same people who had pulled off these heists were somehow responsible for my parents’ murders. Maybe not directly, but whoever the thieves were tied to had enough money to turn my family members into killing machines. My aunt and uncle were rotting in jail for murdering my parents—their own flesh and blood—and yet, they never told us who ordered the killings.
The phone rang and rang as I nervously glanced at Sam who was already on the phone to his people. It was clear as day to me now. Very rarely did I go on these operations, but if one of my men was used as bait, damn right I’d be on the raid. I ended the call and tried Hannah’s cell. It went straight to voicemail and so did the call to my sister. At least I could count on Alex. I quickly brought up his number and dialed.
No answer.
You’ve got to be kidding me. How hard was it to answer the phone?
“If they could get to Mitch, they could’ve gotten to Hannah or Mia at any time.”
“They’re playing with you again,” Sam replied. He ended his cell call and slipped his cell in his pocket. “Taunting you.”
“Why now?” I asked.
“Something must have made them nervous. I notified the agency, and we’re on it. We’ll get these bastards,” Sam said, his voice low. “Once and for all.”
“I’ve heard that before,” I snapped.
Sam nodded. He knew it and I knew it. The bureau had its limits, which was why I built Fletcher Security.
“Keep me posted. I’ve gotta get to Hannah and my sister since no one believes in answering cellphones any longer. Tell the rest of my men to hitch a ride. I’m taking one of our vans.”
“Drive safe,” Sam said, before turning around to speak with one of the detectives.
“Always.”
It wasn’t that I didn’t have faith in the bureau overall, but they’d failed me many times. They failed my family. After my parents’ murders, I knew I wanted nothing more than to bring down the people who’d killed them. The last case they were actively working on was one of the largest art thefts in the world back in 1999. They were closing in on something. I knew that. I could tell it in the way they acted at home. Whenever they were close to something, their demeanor changed to an almost giddy, euphoric state. They were riding high right before they were murdered in cold blood. They knew something that the agency didn’t even know, and they paid for that knowledge with their lives.
I studied criminology in school, graduated with honors, and worked for the bureau before realizing there was too much red tape to get anything done. And I wasn’t completely certain the agency could be trusted after some of the things I learned while working there. Sam understood my motives for working there, and he understood my motives for leaving.
I jumped into the van and fastened my seatbelt while I peeled out of the lot and onto the highway. What if this was a distraction so they could get Mia? Or Hannah? I commanded my phone to dial Alex’s number again and came up empty-handed. If these people could bring down my top man there was absolutely nothing stopping them from capturing Mia or Hannah. They knew it and they knew I knew it. It had always been a game to them.
My fingers tingled with fury as I thought about how I’d been fooled. I’d let my guard down and one of my employees had paid the price. Someone penetrated the walls I’d so carefully built. Things had to change.
I switched lanes and tried the call again.
Still no answer.
My mind raced with possibilities I didn’t want to face. Was I too late? Was this the distraction they needed? That I allowed them to get? I shook my head in frustration and pounded the steering wheel as I turned off the highway. The restaurant they were at was only a few intersections away, but it felt like an eternity stood between them and me.
I pulled in the parking lot, not even noticing where I parked, and flew out of the van. I saw my team’s SUV parked near the entrance and Kimberly’s right next to it. I scanned the café and spotted Kimberly sitting next to the window and Hannah across from her, her back toward me. I jogged to the front door and opened it. Swinging harder than I expected, it slammed into the wall and all eyes fell on me, including Hannah’s.
“We just arrived and haven’t told them yet,” Alex advised.
Hannah let out a whimper and stood up, bumping her way out of the booth as she pushed through Alex and his team and ran toward me. My heart quickened at the sight of her. I wrapped my arms around Hannah as she dove into my arms, and I heard the first of many sobs. My heart ripped into shreds knowing I did this to her.
“I thought something happened to you,” she cried, hitting my chest. “You scared me to death.”
She sniffed in and swallowed back more tears as I kept her in my arms. My eyes connected with Mia’s, and I saw anger and frustration quickly replaced with relief. The amount of guilt flooding through me made me realize how little control I had in relationships and in life. That was why I’d done such a fine job of avoiding them both.
“I’ve missed you so much,” I whispered, running my fingers through her hair as I tried to comfort Hannah. “I’m so sorry.”
She slowly lessened her hold on me and drew in a shaky breath. “I can’t go through that again. I can’t be left in the dark like this. I just can’t.”
Kimberly was paying for breakfast as Mia slowly walked over to me. She narrowed her eyes as she kept my gaze. There would be hell to pay. She wouldn’t do it in public, but I knew it was coming.
“I’ve got a lot of explaining to do.” I glanced at Mia. “Mitch is in the hospital.”
“What?”
I nodded.
“Does it have to do with me?” Hannah asked, her voice tentative.
“God no. Why would you think that?” I asked.
“Why wouldn’t I?”
Mia smiled. “She’s got a point.”
“We’ll go to my house, and I’ll fill you both in there, and then I need to go see Mitch… once Sam lets me know which hospital they took him to.”
Mia twisted her lips and shook her head. “You can fill me in on the way, but I’m not going to your house. Just drop me off on the way to yours. I’ve been traveling for way too long and just want to see my own house. This morning has been anything but a wonderful homecoming, and I need rest before I snap and I guarantee you, I’m about to snap.” The muscle in her jaw tensed, and I knew I had to relent.
“Fine, but there’ll be a security detail on you. Alex?” I motioned for him to ride with us as we walked into the parking lot.
Kimberly said her goodbyes and left while the rest of us piled into Alex’s SUV. James, one of the other team members, was going to take the van.
“You look like hell, by the way,” Mia said, as she buckled into the seat.
Alex had already climbed into the driver’s seat, and I was in the front passenger seat. It took all the willpower I had not to climb in next to Hannah and hold her but now wasn’t the time. Instead, I took a deep breath in and began relaying the events that happened in the last few hours. I wasn’t ready to tell my sister or Hannah about the connection to my parents, at least not in front of Alex. I trusted him implicitly. I trusted every single person who worked with me, but somehow someone got to Mitch, and until I learned who that was and how that happened, everyone was now considered a suspect. My sister and Hannah were the only two people I could totally trust, and it would have to stay that way until I understood what these people were truly after.
I glanced at Hannah in the rearview mirror, and my stomach clenched at the thought of her ever being in danger because of me. I’d fought so hard to protect her from her own demons, I didn’t need
mine chasing after her too.
Hannah
I didn’t know what to say. I knew there was a lot that Luke hadn’t told us. When we dropped Mia off at her house, they’d gotten into a heated argument about the amount of information Luke was obviously keeping from us. Luke also asked Alex to stay at Mia’s house, which didn’t sit well. While they were arguing, I carted my luggage up to my room and walked back to the SUV and climbed inside and waited for Luke to take me to his house. I needed to be near him. I wanted answers. I wanted to know if I had something to do with this morning’s events. My body and mind froze at the thought of almost losing Luke, and I doubted anything he’d tell me would make it better, but I wanted to know as much as he did.
My emotions were still raw and my heart literally ached. Thinking something awful had happened to Luke nearly ripped me apart, and I hadn’t bounced back. It didn’t matter that he’d held me in his arms and comforted me. My mind was still stuck in that moment of loss.
As if I knew it would greet me again.
I looked up at my reflection in the mirror and splashed cold water against my face. Luke was downstairs trying to reach Sam. He still hadn’t heard where Mitch had been taken and since he wasn’t family, Sam was his only way to find out.
I grabbed an ivory towel and dabbed my face. There had been a moment of brief tears as I walked up the stairs to the bathroom earlier. I needed to regroup. Somehow I needed to focus on being in the present and being here with Luke. Luke was here. Luke was fine.
The thought of someone being able to subdue Mitch frightened me. Who was behind it and why wouldn’t Luke tell us? My gut told me that it had to do with the community I’d left behind. I knew it hadn’t completely disbanded. I could feel its existence. Part of me wanted to believe it was paranoia and the other part knew better. The members just buried themselves deeper underground. I let out a sigh and threw the towel into the laundry basket nestled in the linen closet.
Buried Sins Page 3
