“Even if you don’t want my family secrets, who says someone close to you won’t?”
“That’s a fair and valid question. I trust my men, but I still keep a tight team in situations of this caliber and I have had situations of this caliber. The reason I asked to speak to you alone is that I didn’t know if Kace knows.”
“He knows.”
“That certainly makes things less complicated. Do you want me to bring him back in here now to join us?”
I think of the danger to Kace. I think of the ways he’ll protect me, without giving me the chance to protect him. “No,” I say. “No, not yet. Do you know where my brother is?”
“No.”
“Do you know who Sofia is?”
“I hacked some communications between her and Gio, none of which were traceable.”
“That’s not good, right?”
“It represents skill and intent, but we don’t know what the intent is. We also don’t know if Sofia is an enemy or friend. That’s unclear in the communications.”
“Do you think Gio is in danger?”
“I think, to some degree, you’re both always in danger, though I think some of that can be alleviated. The how of that, we can talk about. Right now, we’re living in the moment. We need to find your brother.”
“And protect Kace. I’m worried about Kace.”
“Which means you care about him. I get that. First things first, we need to establish trust. He reaches for his phone and hits a button. “References in your messages now.” My phone buzzes in my pocket and he adds, “That’s me. I linked you to a private server with extensive data, and references, on me and my team, for your review.”
I grab my phone and confirm before I glance at him. “Did Kace give you my number?”
“He didn’t have to. I can find anything I need on my own. If anyone can find your brother, I can.” He motions in the direction Kace and Savage disappeared. “I’m going to go grab some coffee and let you think. If you want to continue this conversation, I’ll be with Kace and Savage, waiting.” He does just that. He rounds the couch and walks away.
I stare after him and then turn back to the window, but I don’t see the Hudson River. Instead, I’m thrown back in time, thrust into a memory I’d shared with my mother. I’d been thirteen, only two years in the States when my school invited us all to join the orchestra. Mom had been home when Gio, then eighteen and in college, but living at home, had brought me home. I burst into the door in excitement. “I want to play the violin, Mom! They invited me to play the violin at school.”
Mom turns from the stove to gape at me, her dark hair pulled back, the horror in her face exposed. She eyes Gio. “Did you know about this?”
“She’s a kid, Mom,” he argues for me as he’d promised he would on the way home. “Let her play.”
Fire lights her eyes and her voice quakes with anger. “Are you serious, Gio? You know how dangerous any connection to our past is.” She kneels in front of me and grabs my arm. “No violin. Ever.”
“But I—”
“You will die, Aria. We will all die. People are hunting us. Don’t you understand?”
“Jesus, Mom,” Gio snaps. “Are you really telling her she’s going to die? She’s a kid.”
“Who I love and want to live. This isn’t just about you, me, or her. Which brings me to that girl I saw you with last night at the ice cream shop. This isn’t just about you, me, or your sister. It’s about the people we let close to us that could get caught in the crossfire. Don’t be selfish, Gio. Don’t get someone hurt because you were selfish.”
I slip back into the present, but the memory of them fighting and me crying remains with me.
Kace is in the crossfire, and it’s too late to change that. Perhaps the moment I fell into his arms, I created a reckless note, but it’s done. I could leave, but to what end? I could insist I stay away from Kace, while Walker helps until I know he’s safe. Or I could do what Kace would want, and just assume he’s safe. Or even assume that it’s too late to save Kace if I don’t save myself and Gio, so I might as well stay by his side.
It’s a critical decision, perhaps the biggest of my life. I know what my mother would do. I know what my brother would do, which is what he believes my father would do.
But this time, this is on me, all on me. I have to step forward in my own shoes.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
I’ve been conditioned to run.
I recognize this about myself. And I took enough psychology to be quite clear on how much humans are creatures of habit, even if that habit is self-destructive. There is a point, though, where we dare to walk in another direction, to face our fear of walking in another direction. And it’s that time for me.
I walk up the stairs to the kitchen to face the unknown, but I’ll do so with Kace by my side. That’s the thing about two damaged souls who connect. Sometimes they destroy each other. But when the stars align, when the souls align with them, you heal each other. You make each other stronger. In my heart of hearts, I believe he makes me stronger. I dare to believe that I just might do the same for him.
Once I’ve completed the short climb, I find Kace standing behind the island, with Savage and Blake standing on the opposite side with their backs to me. As if he senses my presence, Kace’s gaze lifts and finds mine, that connection between us punching me in the chest, and I know, I know in that moment, that I really am where I belong: with him.
Blake and Savage glance over their shoulders at me, and I quickly round the island to join Kace. He pulls me to him and rotates his body, placing himself between me and the island, me and the other two men.
“I wanted to come down after you, but I was trying to respect your space to make a decision.”
I fall in love with him in that moment. Or maybe I fall more in love with him, is the better assessment. Because that’s the thing about Kace. He can be alpha, protective, and even dominant, but chooses the times wisely. He gets me. He reads when not to push. He knows when to give me room to breathe.
My hand goes to his face. “I’m here. Where I belong, right?”
His eyes flash with surprise and approval, a lick of heat between us. “Yes, baby. Yes, you are.”
“And so are they. We need them.” I step around him to face the other two men. “I’m grateful for the help, Blake,” I say, feeling remarkably solid in my decision, but then, I’ve felt myself shifting from flight to fight. “I choose to trust you.”
“I’m glad to hear it,” he says. “We won’t let you down.” In that moment, I understand Kace’s trust in this man. There is something about Blake Walker, that screams of loyalty and honor that makes you believe any vow he speaks. “Let’s dig in and find your brother. Let’s start with facts.”
“But first,” Savage says, downing the contents of his cup, “coffee. Who needs more? I need more.” He stands up, and walks to the counter, where the pot sits.
The interruption is oddly timed. I’m not sure if Savage is seeking a lighter mood he feels Blake failed to deliver, or what. Or he’s just Savage, who wants more coffee and could give a damn about timing.
“Obviously,” Kace murmurs in my direction, “he’s been here a few times.”
“Before a few of his concerts,” Savage explains, appearing at the endcap with the pot in hand. “I keep telling him to stock up on some damn Doritos, but he never listens.”
“Could it be that he doesn’t want you to hang around?” Blake asks, his mood all jest. He’s not upset at all. Maybe he, too, thinks we need to soften the mood. I am, admittedly, a bit intense. Or maybe he just really wants coffee, because he slides his cup in Savage’s direction.
“Why the hell wouldn’t he want me to hang around?” Savage demands. “I’m protecting his violin-playing ass.”
Lighter mood achieved. I laugh and Kace also slides his cup in Savage’s direction.
Once cups are filled Savage returns to his spot next to Blake
and swigs his coffee. “The next best thing to tequila. After my wife, of course.” He frowns. “And bacon.” He goes to sip again. “And tacos. I do like my tacos.”
“You left out pasta,” I say. “I’m Italian. It’s not respectable to ignore pasta.”
“You cooking?” Savage asks.
“I’m eating,” I say, and everyone laughs, but there is this group shift of mood, a seriousness taking over. “What I need from you, Aria,” Blake says, setting down his mug, “is anything you think will help me find your brother and time to pick your brain, time I know you don’t have today.”
That leads to a back and forth conversation, in which he has me tell him a bit about Gio. I tell him about the way Gio bed hops, the cash deal that happened a few months before Gio disappeared, and Sofia, including showing him and Savage the letter I’ve stuffed into my pocket. Through all of it, Blake and even Savage, are unreadable. They listen. They ask questions. They are completely focused on what I have to offer.
I end my summary with the story of the perfume. “I told them about that and the calls.”
“We pulled the security feed around your building,” Blake says. “We didn’t find anything worth seeing which tells me whoever was there, knew we’d be looking for them on those feeds.”
“And the bastard knew how to hide,” Savage adds.
“I need the time and date stamp on the calls,” Blake says, and when I hand him my phone, he snaps a screenshot of the calls. “You already have my number in that earlier text but I’m adding Savage’s.” He slides my phone back in front of me.
“There was also a big giant man watching me at the pharmacy,” I say. “It was probably the press chasing Kace, but I thought I’d mention it.”
“As you should,” Blake says. “Which pharmacy and when? We’ll pull the security feed.”
I give him the details and when I’m done, Kace jumps in. “Back to Sofia. We know she called the store several times.”
“We’ve already pulled all the records from the store,” Blake says. “We pinpointed a few scrambled calls. Same goes for Gio’s cell which is no longer pinging.”
“Which means what?” I ask.
“He could have dumped it,” Blake replies. “I damn sure have mine on occasion.”
“Or?” I prod.
“Don’t go down that rabbit hole,” Blake warns. “Let us do our jobs.”
“What about that file from Nancy?” Kace asks.
“Oh right,” I say. “I need to check my email. She was researching violins for Gio in an effort to find Sofia a violin. I think. I’m not really sure what Gio was up to, obviously.” The email pulls up and I eye Blake. “I have it.”
He slides a card in front of me. “Send it there.”
I quickly do as he asks while Blake moves on to another topic. “Let’s talk big picture. Aria, you and I touched on this in the living room. I want to brush over it just a bit more now. As long as you’re running from your identity, you’re in some degree of danger.”
“Are you saying that claiming my identity is better?”
“I get why your mother hid, Aria,” Blake replies, “but I wouldn’t have let you do that had I been involved. Hiding says you have something to hide for.”
I glance at Kace and we share a look of understanding. This is exactly what we just talked about. “We agree,” Kace confirms, “but she had no resources. And right now, Aria’s half in the shadow and half out. Where does that leave her?”
“In the future, I might suggest you come forward as yourself and do so safely,” Blake replies, “and there are ways to do that safely, but not now. For now, stay the path you’re on. Live life with caution and let us do our job. Until we can better assess the situation, use an abundance of caution. If you’re going out, text Savage a head’s up, but don’t wait for a reply. Our team will be close and you’ll be safe.”
“And will your men know who Aria is?” Kace asks before I can.
“A few trusted men, yes,” Blake confirms. “But we will keep it tight. I’ll update you in the next few days.” He looks at me. “If you think of anything else, call me or text me.” He picks up the letter now sitting on the island. “Can I keep this?”
“Yes. There’s a bag downstairs in the living room I want to give you as well.”
We all stand up and head downstairs. I hand Blake the bag. “We’ll go through everything inside and return it to you.” He glances between us. “I know you two have a lunch with Mark and Crystal. Savage will escort you, but I’ll drag the beast downstairs with me to give you time to talk trash about him. Not me, of course.”
“Here’s some trash,” Savage says. “He likes the word fuck and his wife is all over him to stop saying it in front of clients. His wifey will be so proud of him today.”
“Jesus fuck, Savage,” Blake grunts.
Savage grins. “I made a hundred dollar bet with his wife that I could blow his perfect record.”
“We’re leaving,” Blake says. “More soon.”
They’re in a half-turn when I say. “Wait,” with a sudden realization.
They rotate back to us, and I shake my head. “I don’t know why this didn’t hit me until now. Denial, I think. Gio knows I didn’t approve of him chasing the past. And he knows that if he disappears, I’d check his desk. I’d look for him. The letter blatantly told me that he’s looking for a violin, he’s chasing the past. He wouldn’t leave that letter out for me to find.”
“And this leads you to what conclusion?” Blake asks.
“He didn’t intend to leave. Whatever happened was sudden and unexpected. He’s in trouble. I know he’s in trouble.”
“Or opportunity knocked, and he seized it like a cowboy at a rodeo, he grabbed that bull by the horns,” Savage quips.
“In other words,” Blake adds, “sometimes one thing looks like another.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
When you need to take your mind off a problem, just hitch a ride with Savage and his fellow Walker Security buddy, Adrian.
Kace and I are in the back of an SUV with Savage and Adrian, who are sniping at each other in the front seat. Currently, they’re jibing over who’s more Texan. “You know, you might be a Texan, Adrian,” Savage concedes after an Aggie and Longhorn football joke contest that Adrian won, “but you’re a redneck Texan. One of those guys that stands on his roof with his water hose to get a better angle on his yard and falls off.”
“Better spot to take my shot,” Adrian says. “And you know, everyone hates a redneck until the zombie apocalypse.”
Some might not think their arguing is professional, but to me, I approve. They feel human. They feel real. They feel like people who see people.
Their banter continues right up until we arrive at our destination, which is the same restaurant where I’d charged up to Mark’s table, and first met Kace. “I’ll follow you in and sit at the bar,” Savage tells us just before we enter the restaurant, which only serves to set me on edge.
The minute Kace and I are past the door, I pull him to the side in front of an empty bench. “What don’t I know?”
“What are you talking about, baby?”
“Why do we need Savage so close that he’s in the restaurant during our lunch?”
“Until we get Gio back home safely, Walker is operating on high alert.”
Until we get Gio home safely.
Never has anyone appreciated optimism the way I do in this man. “You’re sure?”
“Positive.”
“Okay.”
“You sure?”
I smile. “Yes. I’m sure.”
“Okay then. Then let’s go lunch with the master himself.”
I blink. “The master? Please tell me he doesn’t make people call him that. Please tell me he doesn’t make Crystal call him that.”
“That’s a story for later, but let’s just say, he lives to be master of all. You get used to it.”
He
steps to the hostess stand, and I’m hanging back a few steps, but not so far that I miss the way the pretty blonde hostess does a double-take over Kace and then gives him bedroom eyes. Unbidden, there’s a sharp pinch in my chest. Kace seems to sense my reaction, and he immediately reaches for me, wraps his arm around me, and scoops me nice and close. Somehow the woman manages to speak without biting her tongue. “Mr. and Mrs. Compton are already at their table.”
“Where?” Kace asks.
“Rear booth, by the bar. I can take you.”
“We'll find our own way,” Kace says, turning us toward the dining room and leaning in close to whisper. “Brunettes have more fun. As in us.”
My smile is instant and it’s lingering as we approach Mark and Crystal. Giving me yet another reason to hold onto that smile, the minute Crystal spies us, she pops to her feet. The next thing I know, she’s hugging me. “So glad we’re doing this,” she says. “I’m excited to talk to you about some ideas.”
She’s in a pink dress and smells like amber and vanilla and new friendship. My life is filled with new and good, but I don’t want any of this without my brother.
I shove aside the pinch in my chest and focus on the here and now. We all claim our seats and Kace immediately settles his hand on my leg, a dart of heat sliding up my thigh. Mark, of course, chooses that moment, to greet me with, “Ms. Alard,” in his precise, judgmental way.
“Aria, Mark,” Crystal scolds. “She’s Aria.”
Kace laughs and leans in my direction to say, “They really are the beauty and the beast, don’t you think?”
I laugh now, too, and do so despite Mark’s cutting gray stare. “I do actually,” I dare.
Crystal grins and tilts her chin up to look at Mark. “You’re the beast.”
“I would agree,” he replies, and his tone is dry but as he glances down at her for just a moment, I spy the tenderness in his eyes. He loves her. The beast has a heart, I decide right then. And of course, he must. He supports the charity work Kace and Chris do.
A Wicked Song Page 13
