Broken Rules: Book 3 in The Broken Road Series

by Huie,Melissa

  “You said “they.” Where were you?” she questioned.

  “I didn’t know Jennie had the baby until I got the call from Sketch that her house was raided, and that there was an infant involved. The last time I’d seen her was last July. She came down, already pregnant. I asked whose baby she was carrying, and she said that it wasn’t mine. She wanted help, wanted to get clean. I got her into rehab, but then I had to take off for another trip. She never told me who the father was. But when the baby was taken into custody by the Department of Social Services, they swabbed her for DNA, and voilà! I had a kid. I finished up my mission and made tracks for home. In fact, this was right after you left. Bought out half my cousin’s shares of the Double J, and a little home for the two of us down over in Edgewater.”

  Kate took a deep breath, then nodded. “I met her once, at Sketch’s house. It was comical to see him with a newborn. Scary man with tattoos, singing John Mayer songs to a squawking baby.”

  I snickered at the thought. “Yeah, she can’t sleep without that CD playing. And without Sketch, his mom, and my folks, I wouldn’t have had my baby girl. They were the ones to fight for me, when I was stuck in the jungles of Columbia. Without them, she would have wound up in the foster care system.”

  “Where’s Jennie now?” she asked, circling the back of my hand with her thumb.

  “Who knows. After she got out of jail, she vanished. I haven’t seen her in forever. She used to call, to get me to meet her somewhere with Bree, but she’d never show. And those calls stopped after a while. It’s like she’s a ghost.”

  Her eyes filled with sadness. “That sucks so much for Bree. But thankfully, she has your mom and Sketch’s family. That’s who she needs right now. Family isn’t always about blood, it’s about who you decide to share your love, your memories, and your life with.”

  If my heart could’ve been any fuller, it would’ve burst. I brought her hand to my lips again. “You don’t know how happy that makes me to hear that,” I said gratefully.

  Kate gave me her winning smile, a smile that not too many people saw. A smile I fell for last year.

  “To totally change the subject, let’s talk about work. Since this is above my paygrade, obviously, is your team still involved with the Cruz Cartel case? Or did the Bureau cut the funding from that too?”

  I snorted. “Alpha team got pulled and rerouted to the Syndicate case.”

  Her blue eyes widened. “Those are some scary dudes. I haven’t worked specifically on that case, but there is a lot of similarities between the Cartel and the Syndicate. They’re the suppliers, right?”

  “Princess, they’re the suppliers in everything the underworld has to offer.”

  “Were they the reason you ran off yesterday?”

  I nodded grimly. “I received word that a member from my team was taken out by a sniper.”

  She nodded. “And the Syndicate is responsible for that?”

  “That’s the going assumption. Mac was shot on the mission in Mexico, a mission I had been planning right before I left. But Torin is keeping me in the loop.” I checked the time, and we had about another hour to go before we got home. I pulled her hand into mine, and we rode in comfortable silence for the rest of the trip, and before I knew it, we were pulling into her driveway. I looked over at her, and her head was against the window, sound asleep. I leaned over the console, and just took in her face. The stress and the pain weren’t as prominently featured anymore, but I knew the toll this case was taking on her.

  “Time to wake up, Sleeping Beauty,” I said softly, as I ran my thumb down her jawline. Her eyes blinked open, showcasing those beautiful blues. I cupped the back of her head. “How are you feeling?”

  “Good,” she rasped, then cleared her throat. “I must have been more tired than I thought.” I frowned at that. For someone who was injured and supposed to take it easy, I sure as hell didn’t give her a chance to rest.

  “Yeah, that’s my fault. Look, we’ll get you changed, and then I’ll take you to the office.” I knew she wasn’t an invalid, and with the cane, she was able to get around. But I wasn’t ready to let her go.

  “I’ll be fine, Noah,” she replied, “I’m a big girl. I’ve taken care of myself for a while now. I think I can handle it.”

  I raised my eyebrows, and said, “Just work with me. I can’t have you in my bed, so I’ll take any time I can with you.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Before we do anything, why don’t we put down some rules. Such as, I will drive my happy little self to work. This isn’t the first time I’ve busted an ankle, or an arm, or a shoulder, or any other body part, okay? So let’s dial down the caveman just a notch.” She brushed her dark hair out of her eyes, revealing the dark bruise near her hairline. My eyes narrowed at the reminder of her injury, and I turned my focus to the house in front of me.

  “Next?” I replied, placating her little rules.

  She scoffed. “I may not have a lot of experience in relationships, Noah, but I’m not a fool. I’m not some submissive pushover who will let you walk all over her.”

  I chuckled. “No, Princess. You’re not a fool. You are mine, though. And we’re going to be spending quite a lot of time together. So you’re gonna have to get used to me wanting to do things for you, with you, and to you.” I brought her hand up to my lips, and kissed the underside of her wrist. “A relationship is all about the give and take. I promise, you won’t be the only one giving. I plan to give you so much more.” The thought of everything I wanted to do with her had my cock hardening. But then again, it didn’t take much when it came to Kate. I could tell she felt the same by the faint flush across her tanned cheeks. Before I did something stupid, like haul her onto my lap and give her neighbors a show, I got out of the truck and went around to her side. After helping her inside, and hauling her luggage in, there wasn’t much more for me to do, other than stand around and try not to be a horndog.

  She threw some clothes into a polka dot suitcase, then changed her own outfit while I was in the bathroom. The little sneak purposely waited until I was distracted, because she knew full well that I wouldn’t be able to help myself. And from the look of things, I didn’t think she would have been able to, either.

  “Seriously, I’m good, Noah. You need to leave. Don’t you have to pick up Aubrey?” She urged me out the door, while adjusting her holster. The sight of her with the Glock tucked into her back holster had blood shooting to my cock. I adjusted the painful bulge and pulled her into my arms.

  “All right, I’m leaving. Be safe down there, and watch your back.” I crushed my lips to hers, taking in her sigh. My tongue swept against hers, memorizing the feel of her lips. We broke apart, panting. “Call me when you get home.”

  Kate snorted, then placed another quick kiss on my lips. “If that’s your good-bye, I can’t wait to see your welcome back.”

  I wiggled my eyebrows. “Oh, Princess, you won’t be able to handle it.” I palmed her tight ass in my hands and gave it a big squeeze. “Seriously, Kate. Call me if you need me. I can be down there in four hours.”

  Kate pushed me back. “Oh, for the love of God. Noah, just go. I’ll be fine.” I took the hint. Giving her one last look, I walked out to my truck. Before the key was in the ignition, I made the call.

  “What’s going on, Trey?” I asked, as I pulled out of Kate’s driveway. I pictured the big thug looking jarhead, who was instrumental on my team. Trey Walker was the biggest enforcer on our crew. At six-five, and three hundred pounds of pure, homegrown muscle, Trey was my right-hand man. He was the muscle (no pun in intended), and my second in command. I only trusted a few people with my life, and Trey was one of them.

  “Not much, brother.” I heard the familiar sounds of his Dodge Charger in the background. The garage and the gun range were the only two places you’d find Trey when he was taking a rare break. “How’s life?”

  “Good, man. Hey, I know you’re probably going to Boston for Mac’s funeral, but I need eyes on my girl whil
e she’s down there.”

  “Ah, you finally cracked, huh? Kate’s a good woman, bro. I’m glad you finally got your head out of your ass,” Trey said with a laugh. Trey was the only one who had met Kate, when he came to our rescue when a romp in my Challenger turned into a dead battery. He gave me hell, and Kate joined in. That was when it really started to sink in. When a girl can hold her own with your juvenile delinquent of a friend, then she may be the one for you.

  “Yeah. Whatever, dude. Look, she’s flying tonight, working with the Cruz case. Do we have anyone down there that can help us out?”

  “Yeah, we have Zeke working IT. He’s been our eyes and ears on that front. I’ll put a bug in his ear and have him join up.” There was a slight pause, and then he continued. “The word on the street is that the Syndicate has some deeper pockets than originally thought. Their ties with the Cruz Cartel have only grown, and they’re venturing into new territory.”

  My stomach tightened. “What are those sick motherfuckers up to now?” I growled, my hands gripping the steering wheel.

  “They’ve expanded their trade market. Young kids, barely out of diapers, are being sold for God knows what.”

  I spat out a curse. I knew it was only a matter of time before they cast their sights on the more innocent.

  “How many?” I barked.

  “We rescued thirteen between the ages of six and thirteen. Five boys, eight girls. Ethnicities vary, but it looks like they’re Americans. All thirteen spoke American English.”

  “Location?”

  “Out of the port in New Orleans. Information is being sent back as we speak. The Coast Guard boarded the ship on a whim this morning.”

  I grunted, knowing the full truth. “A whim, being our one and only source?”

  “Yeah, we got the info last night and put a bug in the captain’s ear.”

  “Do we know the buyer’s location?” My mind was running a million miles a minute. Just because the ships were manifested to a singular location, didn’t mean that the Syndicate didn’t have someone waiting for them on the ship, to move them onto another ship.

  “Buyer is unknown. The manifest had it going to Europe, but who knows where they could have stopped along the way.”

  I slapped the steering wheel with my hand, and pressed my foot on the gas. The urge to get up and fly down to Miami to be a part of it was strong, but I had Aubrey to think about now. My days of getting dirty at a moment’s notice were gone.

  “Just keep me posted. If I need to, I can make the trip.”

  “Sit tight, Noah. We’ll update you at Mac’s wake.” And with that, we disconnected. No formal good-byes, no small talk. My boys and I were one unit. We didn’t need that fluffy shit.

  I pulled into the parking lot of the Double J, the restaurant I owned. Well, partially owned. When my cousin Jason was called up to the major leagues to play for the Tampa Bay Ray’s, I had just taken custody of Aubrey, and I needed something to do. Yeah, my retirement from the military was decent, but it would only pay so much, and damn, babies are expensive little things. The timing was right, so I bought out half of Jason’s ownership shares in the place. His brother Josh owned the other fifty percent, which was fine with us. He was the chef in the family, and ran the place like clockwork. Jason and I were the investors, and I occasionally played bartender. I quickly checked in with Josh, grabbed a to-go container of our famous crab cakes for lunch, and rolled out. The five-mile drive to my house was too long, and before I even got to the main drag, I had already stuffed half of one in my mouth. Of course, that would be the time when the phone would ring.

  “Mmmphf,” I said in greeting, clicking on my Bluetooth.

  “You better have some crab cakes for me. The only reason why we have that restaurant in the family is because your uncle only gave that recipe to Josh. How else would we get them?”

  “Hi, Mom,” I greeted her with a grin, swallowing the rest of the morsel. I looked hungrily at the other half as it sat there, taunting me.

  “Hi, Noah. Are you on your way home?”

  “Yeah, I’m about five minutes away,” I said.

  “Good, we’re on our way.”

  I smiled, and thought of my baby girl. I hated not being around her now, missing her, even after a few days. Hell, the second I held her in my arms, she had me hooked. I pulled into the driveway and sat for a minute. My two lives were at odds with each other, each one wanting to take precedency over the other. But once my mom pulled in behind me, and I held that baby girl in my arms, I knew what I had to do.

  Because I knew that if I didn’t, no one else would. And I would destroy anyone who even dare to think about harming them.

  Chapter 15

  Kate

  “WELCOME TO MIAMI. Enjoy your stay!” The sunny greeting was lost on me as I ignored the bubbly blonde flight attendant. We touched down at a private airfield outside of Miami for the third time in four weeks, and made our way to the Suburban waiting for us. Well, they made their way. I limped along with as much dignity as I could muster. I knew those bastards were making judgmental remarks, and it took everything in me not to snap a retort. But Special Agent in Charge Rapoles made it very clear on the plane that I was here by invitation, and he was determined to send me back to Maryland as soon as possible.

  “Parker, you good for this? Do we need to get someone to fill in for you?” The steely eyes of my commanding officer snapped me to attention.

  “No, sir. I’m fine,” I muttered through gritted teeth. They tossed our luggage into the trunk, and then we were on our way to whatever crime scene that was waiting for us.

  “So, bring us up to speed, Sims. What do we have?”

  Sims handed out manila folders, filled with crime scene photos. The girls in the pictures didn’t look familiar, but then again, I’d ran across those types of ladies all the time. I grimaced at the mutilated corpses. I saw them earlier, and seeing them again didn’t make it any easier.

  “Four females, found with deep throat lacerations, with markings of rape and assault. Victims’ names are Lacey Blackstone, Stacey Menroe, Stefanie McGongel, and Natacha Hemsington. Medical examiner said they were still alive when they were set on fire.” My stomach rolled at the thought of the horror those women went through, but I swallowed my discomfort and answered the questions.

  “A homeless woman found them in the alley outside a strip club, near the Port of Everglades. Sir, their bodies were filled with heroin, but they didn’t die from an overdose. Their injuries include deep throat lacerations, cut from ear to ear. The medical examiner said that the women were still alive when they were set ablaze,” I advised, keeping my emotions in check.

  Rapoles looked over the report. His sharp, angular jawline hardened. I couldn’t read his expression in the worst of situations, the man had a poker face that could win the World Series of Poker. After flipping through the pictures again, he handed the file back to us.

  “Suspects?”

  Sims took over. “We have every reason to believe that the Cartel is still in the game, for the simple fact that all these women had cell phones in their possession that contained the number for a Reggie Cruz. And similar to the Melody case, their phones were brand new—as in, purchased the day before. No other service was ever listed.”

  “And where are we on the wiretap warrant?” Rapoles looked as if he was bored.

  “Warrant has been obtained and executed. There’s only been one outgoing phone call on one cell phone, and that was from Stacey Menroe to George “Mac” Cleary. Because that name is under the DOD directory, an order has been issued. We should hear about that shortly.”

  Rapoles nodded, and turned his head toward the window. “I knew Cleary. He was with Triton’s Edge, the joint DEA and Special Forces Task Force out of MacDill Airforce Base. We’ll be bringing them up to speed first thing tomorrow morning.”

  My ears instantly piqued at the mention of Triton’s Edge, but I didn’t react. “We’ve worked with that group before, when Megan Tu
rner was captured.”

  Rapoles’s body tightened, and I swore his hands clenched a little at the not-so-subtle jab I sent him. He was the main person that never believed me when I brought up Tommy’s involvement. Because of him, we almost lost Megan. My respect for him had sorely diminished, and there was no love lost between us.

  “You’re correct. They had our eye in the sky, while you and the rest of your band of misfits let the biggest mole in the FBI escape.”

  Fire shot through my veins, and I wanted more than anything to throat punch the old ass prick. But my job and this case depended on me keeping my cool, so I bit my tongue.

  “Unfortunately, Agent Rapoles, as you might remember, resources were scarce during that period,” I interjected, the ice in my voice clearly evident.

  Sims coughed to clear the air, and brought the attention back to him. “With the phone number, that’s our only tie to the Cartel case. However, we did DNA samples of the matter and material under the victims’ fingernails, and they came up with a positive hit for a Stas Alexeyev, a name not commonly found in conjunction with the Cartel. However, he’s widely known.”

  “Stas Alexeyev is a Russian dealer from the Ukraine, known for weapons and narcotics.” I leveled my gaze at Rapoles. “Who is he working for?”

  “We have every reason to believe that Alexeyev is a runner for the Syndicate. A highly motivated, organized group of the world’s worst…” Rapoles droned on, but my patience got the better of me.

  “Sir, may I ask, is our focus going to be on both organizations? Is the Cruz Cartel working in conjunction with the Syndicate?” After hearing from Noah about the group and his case with the Syndicate, I had a pretty good idea of what Rapoles was going to say.

  And the fucker didn’t let me down.