MemoriesErasedTreachery

by Charlie Richards

  Christopher grinned. "Uh-uh, not me." He glanced at Kristen and Marissa. "Niqui's mom and ganmom have the skills."

  Wide-eyed, Ewyn turned to Kristen. "Hey. I live in a male-dominated environment. A girl has to keep up," she teased. "As for my mom, someday you should ask about her childhood."

  "Only if you can stomach the blood and gore of horror stories," Marissa commented. "Listen. With Jered out on assignment, Kris, my husband and I have discussed how we should handle this situation. We've agreed Niqui should spend a few days with Kiera, until we can get decent security set up here, and at Kristen's place."

  "Just in case my dogs aren't enough," Kristen interjected.

  Marissa looked at Ewyn. "If it's okay with you."

  "Not a problem." He glanced at Devin. "I'm going to work from home for the next few days to help Kieki settle down. She's not afraid now, but her bravado could change. She's only a baby."

  "Good idea." Devin turned to Christopher. "The condo is more confined, so security and surveillance are more effective than the wide-open spaces of the estate." He stood and headed for the door. "If you have time, I'll take you over there and give you the tour."

  "Right behind you." Christopher followed Devin from the room.

  "So, Mick. You think it was Calabria, huh," Ewyn said.

  "Pretty sure. Right height and build…didn't get a clear look at his face." He stood and refilled his coffee cup. "I think the girls would recognize him." He returned to the table. "But I don't want to confront them with it today."

  "I agree. Enough drama for one day. The son of a bitch," Ewyn snarled. "Why didn't we see it?"

  "Because you were looking for someone more sinister like your sister-in-law," Marissa pointed out. "You and your niece only thought of Calabria as annoying, and a bigoted ass-wipe, I believe you called him. You never considered him a threat." Marissa stared at him while she sipped her tea. "You have good instincts, Ewyn, you never trusted him, but you allowed your suspicions to become misdirected. He played the role. The nuttier they are, the better they are at fitting in. Trust me, I'm speaking from experience."

  Ewyn thought about Anthony's derisive attitude, the animosity behind his flash of temper, and nodded. "You're right. I guess I didn't learn anything from my encounter with CeCe."

  "Ewyn." Kristen reached across the table and put her hand on his. "We've been there, dealing with nutcases, and you can't blame yourself."

  "That's what Dev says." He looked around. "All of you are so calm about this."

  "On the surface, yeah. We've been down this block enough times, we've learned to cope," Marissa remarked. "But my inner rage wants to kill something."

  Stunned, hearing the deadly intent in the quiet tone, Ewyn glanced at Kristen and her aunt, who nodded their heads. The men's expressions were menacing, too.

  "Hey. It will be all right. Promise." Kristen patted his hand and sat back. "Change of subject." She grinned. "Will Myce stay at the condo while the girls are there, or should I come by to check on you? I mean…wait. Don't take that the wrong way, because you're a great parent, but two three-year-olds could be a handful, if you're not used to it."

  "I hear you, but Myce will be there during the day. Mick and Tag are across the hall," he reminded her. "I want everything to remain as normal as possible for them, and that's why I'm going to leave Kieki here with you today, so you can carry on with your outing as if what happened was no big deal."

  Marissa smiled and nodded.

  "What?" Ewyn queried.

  "Nothing. I'm agreeing with you."

  "Oh." Heat strafed his cheeks and he looked away. "Mick will stay, too." He stood. "Right now, I need to go to the estate and reassure Gemma. I'll see you later, Kris." Headed for the door, he paused on the threshold. "Marissa, will you come, too? I'll fix dinner."

  "How could I refuse an invitation to a night of no cooking?" She laughed. "Tristan and I will be there. What time? Should we bring anything?"

  "Uh-uh. Will eight o'clock work for you?"

  Marissa looked at her husband and Tristan checked his watch. "Since I have to get back to work, that's perfect," he said.

  "Okay. See you then." Ewyn hurried from the room.

  * * * *

  He heard her before he saw her.

  "C'mon, Niqui. See my room." Kiera bounced into the living room, spotted Ewyn in the kitchen, and screamed, "Ew! I'm home."

  "Me, too," Niqui added.

  "So I see," Ewyn replied.

  Kiera skipped into the kitchen with Niqui close on her heels. She climbed onto the counter stool and puckered her lips. "Kisses, Ew." Niqui clambered onto the other stool and said, "Me, too."

  He leaned across the counter and gave each girl a loud noisy kiss. Both giggled. "Did you have a good time?"

  "How come I don't have a dog, huh? Niqui has two." Kiera's little brow furrowed. "Well, ackully…"

  "Whoa. There's a new word," he teased.

  She rolled her eyes. "Dogs, Ew." She sighed. "Talkin' bout dogs. Niqui have three dogs 'cause Ganmom have one for her too. Can I have a dog, huh? Can I?"

  "Slow down, baby-girl. I'll think about it."

  Kristen walked into the kitchen. "Hey, little people, I'm not unpacking for you." She grinned and winked at Ewyn. "Kieki, where do the backpacks go?"

  "Momma…" Niqui sighed and did the Kiera eye-roll thing. "Kieki wants a dog."

  "C'mon, Niqui," Kiera said. "Let's see my room. I'll ask Dev about the dog." She jumped off the stool and flounced out of the room with Niqui right behind her.

  "Well, put me in my place," Ewyn called after her.

  Kristen hurried to catch up with the two munchkins, calling back over her shoulder, "Myce said she'll see you first thing in the morning."

  Devin strolled out of his office, came up behind Ewyn, and wrapped his arms around the slim shoulders. He kissed the slender neck, and whispered, "Didn't I hear our baby-girl?" Ewyn turned his face to him and mouths merged for several breathtaking moments, then Devin pulled back.

  "Oh yeah. The twins have arrived, and Kieki wants a dog or three. I'm not sure how many."

  A bark of laughter exploded out of Devin. "Guess that calms your fears about her contact with dogs. Did she happen to mention what kind of dog?"

  "No. I didn't give her the answer she wanted to hear, so she terminated further discussion with me. She told Niqui, she would ask Dev."

  "Uh-oh." He turned Ewyn to face him. "What do you think? You're the one who will have most of the responsibility for the dog."

  "I never had a dog, Dev. Did you?"

  "Yeah. As a kid, until I left Sweden. Since then, with college and what I do for a living, no. I was never at home. But I can see the sense in getting one for Kieki." He moved to the counter and sat down. "Christopher said Kristen and Marissa have trained their dogs to be protective of the children in their family."

  Kristen came into the kitchen. "Did I hear my name being bandied about?"

  "Oh yeah. Thanks to you, we have a dog problem," Ewyn teased.

  Laughing, she sat on the stool next to Devin. "Hey. Korey and I grew up with the best-trained Dobies you'd ever want protecting you--CJ and JC. When we were babies, they slept in our room under our cribs."

  Eyes wide, Ewyn said, "Marissa left them alone with you."

  "Oh yeah. They even went on vacations with us. Mine --Siege and Jazzmine--are Niqui's best friends. Well, they were until Kieki came along. You should have seen your baby-girl with them. It was love at first sight all around."

  "Probably because she looks like Niqui," Ewyn stated.

  "No, Ewyn," Devin responded. "They go by scent, instinct."

  "That's true. Mmm, speaking of scent, what smells so good--which reminds me, I have to get home and start dinner." Kristen stood and headed toward the front door. "The girls are settled in. I left them watching television. Niqui gets a snack before bedtime. Usually fruit, sometimes ice cream."

  "Not a problem. We have those individual ice cream cups for Kieki." Ewyn wiped
his hands, then he and Devin walked with Kristen to the door. "We always have fresh fruit. Anything she can't eat."

  "No. She'll eat whatever you give her." She paused in the living room and looked around. "I like the set up you have here. Is Kieki's bedroom a recent addition?"

  "We added it when she was four months old," Devin explained. "Next visit, we'll give you the grand tour."

  "Sounds good." Kristen glanced at her watch as she stepped out the door. "Oh, shit. Look at the time. Jered is back in town and should be home soon. I'll stop by tomorrow evening to spend some time with Niqui. This is her first sleepover."

  "Not a problem," Ewyn replied. "See you tomorrow."

  She started toward the elevator, then stopped and turned back. "Oh, wait. Mick brought me up. Do I need a key for the elevator to get out?"

  "No, but hold on." Ewyn dashed inside, returned with a key, and handed it to her. "To get back in, since you'll be a regular visitor."

  "Thanks." She hugged Ewyn and rushed away.

  Ewyn closed the door just as Devin's cell phone rang. Devin flipped it open and headed for the office, while Ewyn returned to the kitchen to finish preparing dinner. He was setting the table when Devin reappeared.

  "Chicken fingers, corn on the cob…" Devin laughed. "I thought we were having rib eye, mashed potatoes, and green beans."

  "Dev." Ewyn rolled his eyes. "The chicken is for the munchkins. I'm feeding them first, then baths, and bed by eight o'clock."

  "Teasing." Devin kissed the tip of his nose. "I'll help with the baths and bedtime routine."

  "Thanks." He wrapped his arms around Devin's waist. "I guess sex is out until they leave, huh."

  "Not. That was Tag on the phone. After hearing about today's scare, he's taking a vacation day to spend time with the munchkins. He and Mick are going to take the babies out for the day."

  "Until Calabria is caught, are you sure it's safe?"

  "Taking every precaution." He winked. "Pencil me in for an afternoon of loving?"

  "It's a date." Ewyn leaned up for a kiss.

  * * * *

  "Ewyn, dinner was delicious." Marissa stood and removed hers and her husband's plates from the table. "Tris and I will deal with the cleaning detail."

  "No way. You're the guest."

  "Way." She smirked. "House rules. You cooked."

  Ewyn stared wide-eyed. "You do that, too?"

  "Doesn't everybody." She took the washcloth from Ewyn's hand, passed it to her husband, and moved to the sink. "Sit."

  "Yes, ma'am." He looked at Devin, who grinned and winked.

  "Do you want to save these green beans?" Tristan asked. Ewyn retrieved a plastic storage container and handed it to him.

  "Kris said she talked to Mick about taking the girls out tomorrow," Marissa said.

  "Yeah." Ewyn sighed. "But I'm not sure it's such a good idea, so soon after today's attack."

  "Baby-boy, as you said, we have to carry on as usual. Mick and Tag will have it covered," she assured him. "Tag is taking Kristen's dogs with them. Trust me. Your nutcase won't get within a yard of the girls."

  "Oh…okay." Ewyn relaxed against Devin's side. "They're so well trained."

  "It's what Kris trained them to do, to protect Niqui." Marissa put the last of the dishes in the dishwasher and turned it on.

  "Let's get comfortable," Devin said. He headed for the bar in the living room. "Do either of you want something to drink?"

  Marissa made herself comfortable on the sofa. "I'll have a Perrier, VO and seven for Tris," she said as her husband settled next to her. "I'm the designated driver."

  Ewyn grabbed a bottle of water, crossed the room, and sat on the floor next to the chair facing the sofa. Once Devin handed the drinks to the Corbetts and settled down in the chair, Ewyn scooted between his legs, resting his arms on the muscular thighs. "Marissa. I know we've just met," he said. "But I feel, uh…I don't know. It's like we're connected."

  "Strange as it may seem, I know what you mean. Feels like family and it doesn't have anything to do with Kiera being my grandchild."

  Ewyn nodded. "My mom would have liked you."

  "I'm sorry I didn't get the chance to know her."

  "Kris mentioned your childhood. What did she mean?" Ewyn shivered when Devin's fingertips brushed the nape of his neck.

  They talked for a couple of hours. Around midnight, Tristan stood and said, "I hate to break this up, but one of us has to work tomorrow." He held out his hand to his wife.

  "I'll just peek in on the girls before I leave," Marissa said.

  Ewyn and Devin walked them to the elevator. While Devin locked up, Ewyn headed straight for the shower. Devin soon joined him, stepping into the enclosure and dropping down on the seat. Ewyn turned and straddled his lap. "Dev…"

  "Hmm." Devin leaned in for a kiss.

  Ewyn threaded his fingers through the soft blonde waves and wrapped his arms around Devin's neck. "We're not going too fast are we?"

  "No, Ewyn, we're letting Kieki move forward at her own pace. She has bonded with the Corbetts without really understanding they're her family." His arms snaked around Ewyn's body, hands settling on the curves of his ass. "By mimicking Niqui, she's already calling Tristan and Marissa, ganpa and ganmom. When she's ready, or more likely, she'll ask questions, then we'll explain. We tell her what she wants to know until she's old enough to understand all of the details."

  "Yeah, makes sense." Ewyn rested his head on Devin's forehead. "Korey wants to come over and talk about Niki, see pictures. Should I include Kieki?"

  "I'd like to see you stop her." Devin chuckled. "When is he coming?"

  "This weekend."

  "Good." He stood, kissed Ewyn long and hard then released his hold. Letting Ewyn's body slide down his, he turned baby-boy toward the cascade of hot water. "Let's shower, get some sleep. You know the munchkins will be up at the crack of dawn."

  "Can we rule out CeCe, now?"

  "To ease your mind, she'll remain a suspect until we capture Calabria and verify his guilt."

  Ewyn leaned back and smiled up at Devin. "Thanks," he whispered before Devin reclaimed his mouth in another breathtaking kiss.

  Chapter 19

  "Kieki's daad-dy…Ewww!"

  Devin heard the screams before he was fully awake and hit the floor running. He reached the door just as Niqui barged into the room, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Baby, what is it? Where's Kieki?" He scooped her into his arms and rushed down the hall toward Kiera's room.

  "Kieki cryin'…scared." She took several hiccupping breaths. "She broked it."

  Ewyn came up beside them, eyes wide with fright, he clutched Devin's arm. "Dev. What happened, where's Kieki?"

  Devin handed Niqui to Ewyn and stepped into the room not knowing what to expect, dreading the discovery. He looked around --toys strewn everywhere--no Kiera. Then he heard sounds emanating from the toy chest and opened the lid. Kiera sat crouched inside, head resting on her knees, crying as if her heart would break. He lifted her out and hugged her tight. "Baby-girl, what's wrong? Are you hurt?"

  "Playin' hide 'n seek." She pointed to the chest. "Momma left to me, Dev…I broked it." She laid her head on his shoulder, her sobs heart wrenching.

  "Kieki. Baby, it's okay." Devin massaged her back.

  Ewyn came across the room, set Niqui down, and looked into the chest. The bottom, broken in several places, wasn't anything they couldn't repair. "Baby-girl, it's all right. I'll get it fixed."

  Kiera looked up, her big grey eyes shimmering, awash in tears. "Really, Ew?"

  "Sure, baby, come here." He took her from Devin's arms just as the doorbell pealed. "I bet that's Myce coming to get you ready to go out with Tag. You're going to look at puppies today, aren't you?"

  She leaned away, hiccupped and nodded, then gave him a weak smile. Her little hands petted his face, she kissed his mouth, and he set her down. He watched her walk out of the room with Niqui beside her patting her arm, trying to comfort her, and he heard Kiera whisper, "Ew
gonna fix, Niqui."

  "'Kay." Niqui whispered back. "Don't want your momma to be sad."

  "Hey, you two." Mycelia met them in the hallway. "What's this…tears? Why so sad? What happened?"

  "Ew gonna fix it, Myce."

  "Well then, everything will be all right, huh. Have you had breakfast yet?"

  Ewyn heard a unanimous no, before the voices faded. Turning back, he saw Devin squatting and bent over the chest, removing the broken slats. He moved closer when Devin brought his hand out of the chest holding a manila envelope and a folded document.

  "Fuck!" Devin growled.

  Ewyn knelt down beside him, took the document from Devin's hand, and read the print across the top. What he held was a marriage license. The name of the bride and groom typed on the document--Nicole Alana Calderone and Anthony Francesco Calabria. "Son of a bitch!" He came to his feet. "We've had the proof all the time."

  * * * *

  "Tell me."

  "Man down. It's a done deal."

  "Never doubted your abilities, but I'm talking about the two girls. What did you find out?"

  "According to my source, it turns out the babies are cousins. The mother of the one and the father of the other are siblings--twins. And get this. Not only are two members of the family attorneys, they're also spooks."

  "Same group as Nilsson and Ryan?

  "Yep."

  "Good. Aianna and I are heading back to the States. Flying out in the morning. I think it's time to come home. Nothing to find over here."

  "Want me to pick you up?"

  "No. Scheduled a limo. Have Aianna's belongings been packed and taken to storage?"

  "Yes. Sale signs posted on both homes."

  "Good deal. See you back at the house."

  * * * *

  "Patterson." Steppling greeted the detective as he strolled toward him across the sand.

  "Steppling." Patterson extended his hand.

  "This is Officer Roberts, first on scene, responding to the 9-1-1 call, and this is Detective Owens, Huntington Beach Police Department, and he'll be in charge of the case. He saw the APB and called me."

  Patterson nodded at the officer and detective. "That was quick, Steppling. Are you sure it's our guy?" He pulled out his notebook.