by Kris Calvert
I clicked the side button to put it to sleep and slid the phone back in my pocket with three words circling the drain of my tired mind. Trust no one.
Win’s phone rang and he answered on the first ring. “Yes. Yes sir. Really? Yes. Thank you.”
Win looked to me and back to Lilah. “Reagan I need to speak with you outside please. And Lilah I need you to stay here on the premises.”
She nodded and sat down at King’s desk. Seeing her at the controls of his kingdom behind the walls made me wonder how much Lilah actually knew about King. I stared at her, my mind wandering off on its own.
“Reagan?” There was a touch of frustration to Win’s voice and I could tell he thought I needed to pull it together.
Following him out the door and down the stairs, I turned to say something only to be cut off. “Outside,” Win said pointing to the front door.
I held my hand up in protest and continued to walk through the double front door, the late sunset shining through the stained glass roses that adorned the massive doors. I thought of King coming home through those doors, excited to see me.
Once on the front porch of the home I turned on a dime to look Win in the face. “What?”
“Oh my God, could you be anymore distracted?” he asked.
“I’m on point. Right here with you, Champ.”
Win pursed his lips, not buying my explanation and I walked away from him, tired of his attitude. “I don’t have time for this shit. We don’t have time for this shit. Daniels called. There’s been some action on the Tina Joseph killing.”
“What kind of action?”
“Word on the street is Joe Joe is looking for someone’s head over the killing and he thinks he’s got a bead on who it is.”
“Anyone we know? Surely they don’t think it’s King.”
“You know, Reagan, I’m a little surprised that you think he’s squeaky clean. Your instincts would tell you something different if you hadn’t fallen into bed with the man.”
“First off, just because my instincts are different than yours doesn’t mean it has anything to do with the fact I know him in a different way than you do. And for the record, once again, I did not have sex with him. So knock it off.”
“Well someone is going to get knocked off and it very well may be him. We need to put him in protective custody as soon as his wheels are down from Washington, D.C.”
“There’s a hit out on him?”
Win stared at me. “I think you need to consider the possibility that King Giles isn’t everything you think he is.”
I stared right back. Everything and everyone was so entangled at this point I didn’t know what to believe or who to trust. Just as King had said, trust no one. And I wasn’t. Not even him.
“I’m logging onto the satellite from here. I want to do some digging on King Giles.”
Win walked away and I stood on the front stoop of Rose Hill as the sun began to sink in the sky. King would be back in a few hours—but what would he be coming back to?
I let myself back in the house looking for Lilah. It was time for her to answer some questions for me. “Lilah?”
“Yes?” she said coming from the far end of the first floor. “I’m in the kitchen with Georgia. Why don’t you join us?”
I walked the familiar path back to the kitchen where I found them both sitting at an fancy marble top table.
“Would you like some coffee, Sugar?” Georgia’s sweet voice had a hint of age to it making it a little shaky, but comforting. Her thick accent made me feel like a warm blanket was being tossed over my shaking shoulders.
“That’s kind of you,” I replied. “But I don’t drink coffee.”
“Diet Coke?” Lilah asked as she stood from the table and opened the refrigerator.
“Actually,” I admitted, “That sounds great.”
“You look like you’re havin’ a little bit of a sinkin’ spell darlin’,” said Georgia. “Ain’t nothin’ in the world that can fix that but a little beauty nap—but in a pinch some get up and go juice will do the trick.”
“Yes, ma’am,” I agreed.
“So, how long have you known my King?” Georgia asked.
“Oh,” I said shaking my head in surprise as I popped the top on the soda. “I really don’t know him all that well.”
Georgia raised her chin and smirked letting me know she knew more about me than I thought she did. “Hmmph.”
“Well…”
“He’s an incredible man,” Lilah added as she opened her own Diet Coke and sat at the table. “I mean, he gets upset with me sometimes because I ask a lot of questions, but he doesn’t realize that he takes on too much and he needs someone like me to sort it all out for him. That takes skill and patience.”
“Especially with my King,” Georgia interjected. “Just when I start to think he’s up to no good, I come to find out he’s done something…well,” she paused. “He makes me proud.”
I let the smile I was holding in escape onto my lips and they both looked to me as if it was my turn to add to the list of wonderful things about King.
“Like I said, I don’t know him well enough.”
“Child please, I picked out your sweater,” Georgia said cocking her head to one side and turning up her nose.
“I had to call Keith three times to confirm the balloon,” Lilah added.
“Wait. What?”
They both looked at me and nodded.
“I think my boy is smitten, kitten.” Georgia’s rhyme was funny, but she wasn’t smiling—at all.
“Well,” I said dragging the word out searching for something to say.
“And then y’all came all up in my kitchen and made a mess and didn’t cook a daggone thing. Now how you gonna explain that?”
“Well…” It was the only word I could get in.
“I told him to let me plan a picnic basket for the balloon ride, but he had his own agenda,” Lilah added.
I took a deep breath. “So you guys do this for all of his dates—all the women he takes up in the balloon and drinks champagne with—brings back to Rose Hill to wine and dine,” I said alternating my attention between the two of them. “And by the way, Georgia, he was going to cook pasta, but something happened and…” I hesitated. “He didn’t.”
“Honey, I don’t know who you think you’re talkin’ about, but King Giles doesn’t date women. He doesn’t wine, he doesn’t dine.”
“But the panties.” I’d let the white lace panties out of the bag without checking my emotions at the door. I was a highly trained FBI agent working a case and I sounded like a jealous teenage girl.
“MmmHmm,” Georgia said looking to Lilah and then back to me. “I don’t get all up in his business about that nonsense. But I’ll tell you this—that boy’s got a hole in him and he needs a good woman to fill it.”
“A hole?” I asked.
“I think what Georgia is saying is that he takes care of a lot of people and he barely allows us to do anything for him and we’re paid to take care of him.”
I found myself defending him. “He’s private.”
“He has his reasons,” Georgia stated. “Just don’t give up on him if you care about him at all. I’d like to see him settled and happy.”
“What makes you think I’m the one that can make him happy?” I asked.
Again Georgia and Lilah shared a knowing look and I was starting to feel uncomfortable.
“You’re beautiful, honey,” said Georgia.
“And you’re armed,” Lilah added.
I bit my lip and stared back at each of them. I already had a laundry list of questions I needed King to answer for me tonight and the list just kept growing.
“Reagan,” Win said pulling my attention from the ladies at the table to the doorway. “I need to speak with you.”
“Excuse me.” I removed myself from the girl talk and followed Win outside.
“What?”
“I’ve been trying to get some backstory on our man King
Giles.” Win paced the front of the house, his frustrated hands hanging from the navy pants that held his weapon and badge.
“And?”
He turned to face me. “He’s a ghost, Reagan. I mean, there’s a little bit of information on him, but it’s all about his medical practice.”
“Well, he is a doctor, Win,” I nearly shouted. “What in the hell did you expect to find?”
“I don’t know. Something’s not right. Something’s fishy.”
I agreed with him. But I sure as hell wasn’t going to verbalize it—especially not to Win. He seemed to be on a witch-hunt. With the New York mafia now on the lookout for King, what I didn’t need was for my partner to get itchy over him too, and make a call in to Daniels. I’d be knee deep in an explanation for why King couldn’t have killed Joy Henderson. I thought it was all a set up to frame King but that would be a tough theory to sell if the boys in the office knew how I felt about the fine doctor. By Win’s words and actions I worried that he was looking to do just that.
“I’ll make a deal with you.” My voice was calm and quiet. I needed to take the wind out of Win’s sails. “Give me twenty-four hours—twenty-four, and if I don’t have the King situation figured out enough for us to go to Daniels and explain everything away, you can take him in for questioning and put him under protective custody. But I need twenty-four hours. Deal?”
Judging by the grimace on his face, Win wasn’t happy with my proposal, but what more did he have to go on? Only I knew King was going to be at Rose Hill at eight tonight and I knew I was the only one who could break down the situation for him in order for us to formulate the right plan where I wasn’t in breach of FBI protocol with a suspect and he was no longer a suspect.
“What do you need from me?” he asked.
“A ride to the hotel.”
21
KING
A heavy rap at the door caused me to startle from my nap as I grabbed the loaded gun secured on the table next to the bed. For the moment I was unaware of where I was or what I was doing.
“Sir, we’ve been cleared for landing.”
“Yeah,” I said rubbing the sleep from my swollen and jet-lagged eyes. “Thank you.”
I gathered my things together. Nothing from the past twenty-four hours could be left behind. The plane would be cleaned and refueled tonight for my plans with Reagan and in two days I’d be on my way to Russia.
Making my way into a seat, I buckled up for landing and gulped from a bottled water left for me in the drink holder. My head buzzed with the thought of all that had transpired in the past forty-eight hours. Still running on adrenaline and the unsettling truth that Red had been a part of the terror plan, I needed to close ranks—not that I’d ever let Red into my life—but he was too close. I couldn’t get Reagan off my mind, but at the same time how could I drag someone into this life of mine—even if she was a trained operative herself.
Five minutes later we were on the ground and I was walking to the hanger where my car was stored. I needed to get to Rose Hill, shower, file a report with Nyx and decide what to have for dinner.
I called the house as soon as I began to drive. I had two and a half hours to pull it all together and get my head on straight. Moving between my two lives wasn’t always seamless, and I needed time to decompress. The only place I knew I could relax with Reagan and be a ghost was my home on Lake Pontchartrain.
I’d opened it up to my friends Mac Callahan and his wife, Samantha when they were in need and even Polly, their good friend. Tonight it was just me seeking quiet refuge. I needed to make some plans.
“Georgia?” I said her name before she could say hello.
“Are you on your way home?”
“Yes and I need you to do some things for me. Is that possible?”
“That all depends.”
“Will you call Aurelia at the lake house for me? I just need her to fix something for dinner. And I want a lot of fresh fruit and chocolate for dessert. Can you do that for me Georgia?”
“Now, you know I can. The question is, will I?”
“Will you?” I asked. “Please.”
“Now that you’ve said the magic word I’ll be happy to take care of all of it. Is that pretty girl, Reagan going with you to the house? Because I like her.”
“You like her? You’ve never met her.”
“Honey, she and tow headed, green eyed, hunk of a man partner were here all day after they found Miss Joy dead in her condo. Now you know I don’t get all up in your business, but you better be ready for the storm that’s comin’.”
“Yes, ma’am. Thank you for the heads up.”
“Now get yourself home. You need a shower and a nap before this girl comes a callin’.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
I hung up and thought of the millions of things Win Holloway had dreamed up in his head after Joy’s death. Was I upset my longtime friend was dead? Yes. Was there anything I could do about it now? No. I could only carry out the second half of my mission and know that Red was dead—now part of a smoldering heap in Bangalore, India.
There would be phone calls from BioGen, press and a multitude of other aspects of the debacle that had just unfolded in my backyard. I’d have to deal with all of it, but not tonight, and not in the next two days. I was about to go off grid.
I pulled into the garage. The half hour trip breezing past me as I contemplated my night with Reagan. At the rate I was going, this mission could be the end of me. I needed to make tonight count.
Georgia met me at the door. No doubt she wanted to fill me in on her day and let me know my evening was planned. “King, honey, it’s all taken care of. Did you need anything else before I go, darlin’?”
I kissed her on the cheek and gave her a tight hug. “It’s good to see you too Georgia.”
“Boy, you better get yourself cleaned up and trim up that beard you got growin’. That little Reagan isn’t gonna like the scruff.”
“Yeah?” I asked walking into the house. “So tell me what you know about Reagan.”
“We had a nice little chat while she was here today.”
I stopped and turned on my heels. “What’s that?”
“I’m just sayin’ that I like the young lady. She’s your type. And by that I mean your real type—not these floozies that romp through here at all hours of the night.”
“Did you just say floozies?” I was tired, stressed and had more on my mind than I’d had in years but I couldn’t contain my smile.
She dropped her chin and looked up at me with her big brown eyes, giving me her signature smirk. “Now go on with yourself—you know exactly what I’m talkin’ about. I’m callin’ a floozy a floozy. You know it, and I know it. And maybe there was a time for that, but now it’s time for you to grow up. Don’t be a fool and lose a good woman because you can’t grow up. Understand?”
I walked back to Georgia and kissed her on the forehead. “I love you, Georgia.”
“Umm Hmm.”
That small acknowledgement was all I was going to get out of her tonight and I knew it. “Thank you for arranging everything on such short notice.”
“Lilah was here too, but she’s gone for the day. She said to call her if you needed anything.”
I nodded.
“What are you standing around here for?”
I waved her off and readjusted my backpack before turning on the lights in the front hall and climbing the stairs to my study. My desk lamp illuminated the room giving me just enough light to make my way to the wall safe where I could deposit my gun, the ammo and the two extra charges I had from the Bangalore job.
Opening the drawer to the desk, I punched in the code that opened my bedroom door and made my way inside.
The room had been cleaned and the sheets were changed. There was a staff that cleaned Rose Hill, but only Georgia knew of this room and took it upon herself to keep my secret safe, while providing the gift of keeping me tidy.
I looked at the clock on the wall and saw t
hat I had a mere forty-five minutes to shower, shave, and dress.
Turning on the water, I placed my phone on the vanity as the steam rolled out. Losing my shirt and pants, I allowed everything to fall to the floor.
The water ran across my back and I relaxed into the warmth and soaped my body, starting with my head, moving my way down. Pulling the mirror from the shower wall I trimmed my face and shaved my neck, leaving the two days of beard to grow.
I had limited time to dress before Reagan made it to Rose Hill and cut my relaxing shower short, knowing in the back of my mind I wanted her in my arms and in the shower later tonight.
I dried off and stood naked in front of the mirror running my hands across my chest and stomach. There were two small scars on my torso from a mission that went awry three years ago. I’d taken some shrapnel in the chest after a bit of a gunfight, but the scars were minimal and Reagan hadn’t even noticed when I stood naked in front of her.
I relived her hands on my body and closed my eyes, fantasizing about what I could do with her—how I could pleasure her to a point she’d never want to leave me and felt myself harden at the very thought.
I had a lot of pent up tension in my body and wanted Reagan to ease my plight with all my heart. I wanted the night to be special for her and at the same time, I wanted the sex to be enlightening.
I walked the short hallway to my closet and found a pair of dark jeans and a blue shirt. I dressed, slipping my sockless feet into a pair of black loafers and slung a black sport coat over my shoulders.
Running my fingers through my hair I could feel the damp waves beneath my fingers as a tiny curl hit my forehead. I put my watch on and noticed Reagan was due at Rose Hill at any moment. I’d told Georgia to arrange for a car to pick her up and I knew that she’d arrive on time. I was a stickler for promptness and the Rose Hill staff always obliged me.
I looked out the front window as the black Mercedes sedan roared up the driveway like a dark horse delivering the vestal virgin to my door. I hustled down the stairs to meet her on the front steps where I tried not to look like an idiot. I couldn’t wipe the smile from my face and I couldn’t decide if it was because of what I had planned or because I was just excited to see her.
