Signed, SEALed, Delivered (Trident Brotherhood Book 1)

by Cayce Poponea

  I watched as his face went from pale and pained to content and resolved. Having a conversation with my father was always easy, always level and calm. My mother on the other hand, not so much.

  "Tell me, Kennedy, when did you get so smart?" His joking voice made the moment lighter.

  "I've always been smart, I just got some really great advice lately."

  Leaning back in his chair his smile returned, the one I have always loved. "Really? I heard your mother talking about a young man you’ve been seeing. Is he the one giving this good advice?"

  I thought about Zach. About kissing him on the sidewalk, straddling him in his chair, falling asleep holding his hand, but more importantly, being able to run to him when I needed a friend without having to separate the friend side from the sexual side.

  "He is an amazing man who was a friend when I needed one."

  "Just a friend?"

  I shake my head, not bothering to hide the smile thoughts of Zach created. "No, he is so much more than a friend."

  "So, how serious are we talking? Are you being careful?"

  I thought about laughing. My father was attempting to have the talk with me, the one my mother hired a nurse to have with me. "We’re getting to know one another better. He's open with his feelings for me, but to answer your question, no we haven't—" I motioned with my hand, avoiding the word.

  "Well, that's something, I guess. Do I get to meet this young man?" Knowing my father wasn't on my mother's side anymore, I felt as if I could tell him about Zach. I don't have to worry about him running back and telling her everything I was about to say.

  "Daddy, I'm dating Zach Michaels." I waited for him to show some form of emotion, but he never moved. "Dad?"

  "I'm sorry, I didn't expect to hear...well this. Wait a second, I just want to enjoy this for a moment, knowing something your mother doesn't, something that would cause her to have a heart attack."

  This was the side of my dad I had forgotten existed. Now that it has resurfaced, I wanted to hold on to it, keep it in a secret place I can visit as often as I needed. I missed being able to confide in him and have the relationship I always wanted. For the next hour we talked about Leeann and Zach. He shared how they had been spending time together for nearly two years, yet swore they hadn't had sex.

  "Listen, I need a favor from you. I need you to not say anything to your mother or to Leeann if you happen to see either of them."

  Not that I saw Leeann that much. However fate has a way of making life interesting, so I knew she would cross paths with me in the not so distant future because of this conversation alone. Although, his request gave me an idea.

  "Dad, I'll make you a deal." He leaned forward, ready and waiting. I knew this would intrigue him, especially with his skills of being a lawyer. "I'll keep my mouth shut to mom about Leeann if you’ll do something for me."

  I waited until I knew his curiosity was greater than his need for my silence, fully intending to get what was best for everyone.

  ***

  Getting ready for work was an exercise in patience when you have one tiny bath and an open floor plan. Jason would let me shower first as I had more hair to wash. In turn, I would let him dress in the closed bathroom. Today, we were both running behind, creating something resembling a three-ring circus. I was in the kitchen, making us each a piece of toast when the doorbell rang. Jason came out of the bathroom to see who was there.

  As I spread a healthy portion of peanut butter on the browned bread, I glanced up to see Jason enter the room holding what looked to be a large manila envelope, a shocked expression covering his face. I moved cautiously across the tiny room until I was standing directly beside him. I suspected what was inside the envelope, hoping it would be a fresh start for all parties involved. Jason slowly opened it up, pulled out a sheet of paper and started to read out loud.

  “Dear Jason, as an attorney, it is my job to counsel those who seek my advice. I've always prided myself on giving fair and accurate information. Recently, I found cause to receive advice from an unlikely source. I send this to you as an olive branch, if you will. You may choose not to accept, for which you will have just cause, or you can accept the apology of a foolish old man who let the unimportant things in life cloud his judgment. Enclosed you will find the bulk of your trust fund; it was promised to you before you could even understand what money really was. It has been yours and I had no right taking it from you. Son, if I can leave you with one pearl of advice, one quality of being a man that is important: always be a man of your word, the rest will follow easily.”

  Jason was speechless. I knew he would take that money and use it to build the business further. Dad was wrong for keeping it from him, just as he is wrong for stepping out on mom, no matter how wretched she may be. I was proud of my father, the way he showed me he was indeed the man I should judge other men by.

  My brother’s eyes brimmed with tears as he looked at me. Joy was masked by the lump in my throat, excited over what this meant for my brother. "Kennedy, can you tell Zach I’ll be late this morning? I'm going to the bank before dad changes his mind again." He wasn't looking at me as he scurried to put his shoes on, grabbed his jacket and was out the door. He didn't even take time to see if I was listening.

  As I resumed getting ready for work, a knock at the door once again pulled me away. “Did you forget your ID?” I called as I twisted the knob open. Standing on the landing, a bouquet of daisies in hand was Ethan. With his hair damp from the rain, and a smile on his face, he pushed past me into the apartment.

  “You’ve been avoiding me, Kennedy.”

  “Ethan? Why are you here? You need to leave.” I kept the door wide open, knowing there was a chance Zach was downstairs and would hear me if I had to scream.

  “I’ve sent you several gifts, but they have all been returned. And here I thought you southern women were full of sweetness, without a mean or rude bone in your body.” Setting the flowers on the kitchen counter, crossing his arms over his chest, staring at me.

  “Ethan, I told you before I have a boyfriend, one who would not like it if he found you here.” Ethan shook his head, with a forced smile on his face, glancing to his feet as he pushed away from the counter. “Your new boyfriend, the guy who owns the tattoo shop down stairs? The one who was kicked out of the military because he couldn't keep his nose clean? You think he works with half naked women and doesn't take a sample every once in awhile. Don't be naive, Kennedy, tattoo dude keeps you around as a back up.”

  ***

  Zach was pulling equipment out of a machine he told me was used to heat his instruments so hot it killed any germs left behind. His black long sleeve t-shirt with the company logo sprayed across his back fit him tightly, hugging his muscles. I couldn't help myself as I crossed the room, carefully wrapping my arms around his middle. I felt him jerk in surprise, but ended up wrapping his around mine.

  "Hey, everything ok?"

  "Everything is great." I am trying my best to tap down the doubt Ethan planted in my heart. Zach turned around, wrapping his arms around me, capturing my lips with his.

  "You know, that front door is gonna be locked for at least another half hour." His lips moved to my neck and collarbone, causing my eyes to close and my breath to hitch. Zach never pushed when it came to intimacy. "I also received a text message from a certain brother of yours about ten minutes ago, letting me know he wouldn't be in until his first client at eleven."

  "Umm, but I have to be at work in fifteen minutes." My voice was laden with nervousness. I prayed he wouldn't pick up on my hesitation.

  "I can be quick." He teased.

  "I do have a reason for coming here this morning." I kissed him quickly, pulling away so I could get my thoughts together.

  "I know and I like it." He pulled me back and continued to kiss me, causing laughter to rise from my chest.

  "No, really, I have something to ask you."

  "Yes, I'll make sure you finish first." His teeth nibbling at my neck. I pushe
d him away, giggling as I managed to free up some space between us. Knowing if he would just give me a second, I would cure the issue he had brewing inside his Levis.

  "Zach, I'm serious, I need to ask you a couple of things." I tried to sound annoyed, but I loved it when he teased me like this.

  "All right, all right,” he held his hands up in surrender. “What’s so important?"

  "Well, I need to ask you about when you got out of the military.” Zach gave me a strange look. “Did it involve drugs?” Suddenly my shoes looked interesting and I questioned why I thought this was a good idea. Why I had allowed Ethan to get to me. Zach stepped away, leaning against the edge of the counter.

  “It did, but not in the way your face is telling me you’re thinking.” His voice formed an edge to it, his body stiff. “I spent the last five years of my military career chasing after this smug son-of-a- bitch, Aarash Konar, a modern day heroin dealer. I got sick of capturing him, only for some government loophole let him go back to the caves he hid in. Now tell me who made you question me, cause I know this was never an issue before.” In embarrassment, I told him of Ethan's visit, how I knew this wasn't the last I would see of him. He stood statue still for a few minutes, “You said two questions, what’s the second?” His voice still held an angry prickle, but I knew better than to tell him to forget it "What would you say to meeting my parents?"

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Zach

  My nine thirty was late, which was pissing me the fuck off as I had squeezed him into my schedule. At this point, he would be lucky if I didn’t toss him out on his ass. When Kennedy came in earlier this morning, I thought for a second I would get a few minutes alone to satisfy some fantasies I had involving her and my chair. She doused any thoughts of us getting naked by telling me about Ethan.

  From the first mention of his name, I’ve had an ear to the ground where he is concerned. She doesn’t know I have cleaned up several crushed flowers outside of the shop out back. I have Ethan on surveillance, pacing back and forth mumbling before tossing the flowers to the ground. There is no point in calling the cops, pacing and throwing flowers isn’t a crime.

  I kick my feet up on the edge of the counter and cross at my ankles as the shop phone rings. Reaching over to grab the handset, I take just a moment to think this had better not be my nine thirty.

  “Second Skin?”

  “Viper?”

  “Hey, Diesel.” Some habits die-hard as the name gets my attention quicker than the one my parents put on my birth certificate.

  “I tried your cell, but it went to voicemail.” Checking my pockets, but coming up empty. I remember getting Jason’s text as I made coffee, but I must have left it on the counter.

  “It’s cool, must be important if you’ve gone to the trouble of tracking me down.”

  “Well, I think it is. You recall the files we found with your information on them?” How could I forget? It gave me the bright smile and soft skin of the girl driving me crazy at the moment.

  “Yeah, what about it?”

  “Well, the bitch who orchestrated it, got herself in deep with a man not to be messed with.”

  “Who?”

  “Andrey Korin, a Russian mobster.”

  “Can’t say as I’ve ever heard of him.” Scanning my memory, I came up empty, which bothered me for some reason. “But you did say Russian, so not much has surfaced in the last few years.”

  “You would know him as Drew Korin, he took over after his father was killed in an accident. Rumors flew around somehow Aarash was involved.”

  Like a snap of my finger, the name finally registered. “Wait, wasn’t this the family whose mother and daughter died in a car crash?”

  “One in the same. Victor Utkin was driving, killed the wife and daughter of Korin, and the wife and daughter of his right hand man, Petrov.”

  “Any mumbling in the trenches?”

  “Not really.”

  “What do you mean, not really? It’s either yes or no.” Diesel knew the first thing I would want to know is if there was anyone bragging about pulling some shit.

  “Wow, if I didn't know better, I’d say a pretty hand has you by the short hairs.”

  There was no point in denying it, given the uncertainty of this Ethan fuck; I may need some recon done. “She is gorgeous, and I plan to keep her away from the prying eyes of Aarash.”

  “Wait, what?”

  “Right after you called me about the file you found, I got a letter from a girl here in Atlanta. She had been scammed by this Virginia, posing as this douche bag with a name similar to mine. We traded emails back and forth, and now she owns my fucking ass. She’s cooperating with the feds on this case, just waiting for word on a court date.”

  “Which brings me to the reason for my call.” I sit up in my chair, placing my feet on the floor, as if what he is about to share would need me to be more alert.

  “There isn't going to be any trial.”

  “What the fuck?”

  “Calm down, Viper. It isn't what you think, no loopholes were involved.” Diesel knew my hatred for fast talking lawyers, and slick politicians. I’ve stared down the barrel of too many guns where the man on the other side laughed as those loopholes set him free.

  “Virginia Greyson is dead.”

  “No shit?”

  “Like I said, she got in bed with someone she shouldn't have. One of Korin’s men took her out during a prison transfer.”

  I had to see this for myself and have something to show Kennedy, to put a smile back on her face. Logging into Google, I find an article on a major news page.

  What started off as a security breach within the OPM, Office of Personnel Management, has turned into a Federal nightmare involving the armed forces. In a report released today, the Department of Justice admits a security breach, which occurred previously, is at the center of an Internet scam. MilitaryConnections.com, was an online dating website geared toward matching civilian men and women with active duty military personnel who were looking for a connection. The free service collected information, fed it into a database, and then matched you with the perfect person. Seemed simple enough, no money to participate and no face to face searching required. All moves along while you correspond with the guy, or gal, you've been assigned. Too bad the person isn't real. Two names were created, Harmony Wells and Zackery Michels, each given to the seventy thousand subscribers.

  Investigators say during the OPM breach, a little known hacker named Virginia Greyson, developed a software program where the information the user gave was given back to them in a series of emails. The victims were convinced the relationships were real and blossoming. In documents filed with the department, an email was sent detailing a mission the active duty was given, detailing he or she would hope they would wait for them to return. Days later another email was sent, depicting an emergency at home, with the soldier unable to help a sick relative. Once the money changed hands, the service member became lost in action. Records show, one million dollars was stolen from victims spanning the globe.

  “Viper, I can hear the keys clicking, you forget my brother is a computer geek. So tell me about this girl, the one who owns your balls.”

  I can't contain the smile as I think about her. “Her name is Kennedy. She’s beautiful and smart as fuck. She works with veterans and others with spinal cord injuries. Her brother co-owns the shop with me.”

  “I’m happy for you man, a good girl will do wonders for you. Wait until you have little ones running around.”

  I won’t lie, I’ve thought of what our children would look like, with Kennedy's bright smile and my hair and eyes. “Maybe someday. Until then, I need you to keep an ear open for any movement from this Russian fuck or Aarash. I have a bad feeling he’s planning something.”

  ***

  “Tell me you’re not fucking with my sister.” Jason walked into the shop just as I said goodbye to Diesel, slamming limp and damaged flower stems on the desk. “Cause I swear to God, I will beat yo
ur ass.”

  Anger radiated from Jason's body, his shaking hands evidence of the adrenalin running through his bloodstream. I’ve dealt with my fair share of pissed off big brothers, angry with what myself, or Zane, had allegedly done.

  “Where did you find those?” Keeping my tone level, as I had no real gauge for how quick Jason was with his fists. I kept a handgun in the drawer to my left and one in my station, but didn't feel we had reached that level.

  “Outside my front door. There’s glass on the step and a bunch of these things down the stairs.” Reaching inside the drawer, I pulled out my gun and slid it into the small of my back. “Where are you going?” Jason shouted from behind me, the anger he had moments ago changing to confusion.

  “Come on, I’ll show you.” Retrieving my phone from the counter, I pulled up the app that held my security footage. “I’m not fucking with your sister, but this motherfucker is. Some douche bag named Ethan. He followed her from Colorado, even after she told him she had a boyfriend. When she came down this morning, she asked me if I’d left the military because of drugs. That bastard planted a seed in her mind, making her question who I really am.”

  “So why is he hanging around, breaking flowers outside of my door?” Jason's hands were on his hips, his defense of Kennedy switching from me to Ethan.

  “Either he’s a desperate son-of-a-bitch, or he’s someone I need to call my team in to help deal with.” My phone began to vibrate in my pocket; silently hoping it was Kennedy calling to say she missed me. The name on the screen put my defenses on high, “Aunt Ella?”

  “Zach, I need you to get out here. Some man showed up demanding to talk with Kennedy. She asked him to leave, but he refuses. I’ve called the sheriff, but you know how long it will take them to get here.”

  Jason locked the front door as I ended the call with my aunt. Trying not to think of what Ethan could do to Kennedy before I got there. There were so many things I still wanted to do with her, places I wanted to share with her, tell her I love her.