“I’m sorry about your member, but it was a misunderstanding. I went to Marco’s house. I went to talk to my people and he raised his gun. He shouldn’t have drawn on me. We had good reason to think he killed Gianna, and then that. Wrong place, wrong time, this shit happens in the streets.”
“Maybe, but that doesn’t bring him back.”
Anna’s ears burned. She couldn’t deny his proposal made a brutal kind of sense, but how could she give him the okay to kill one of her friends? Maybe if he’d just done it she could muster a pardon, but giving the go-ahead was too much. Had she not just killed Marco over consenting to a similar agreement?
“We can all go to battle,” Kitchen said. “Both of us will lose people, come out weaker and poorer. Or you can make this right and no one else gets hurt. I’ll even let you pick the member. You can protect those important to you, like my favorite back there with the shotgun. Rumor tells me you have dozens of members. Do you even know them all?”
“That’s not the point. You join the Wild AKs, you’re protected, we’ll die for you. This is about family. And you want me to give a life away.”
“Maybe it will help you see what it means to take a life.”
“Fuck you, you think I don’t know what it means to kill someone? I don’t take life lightly.”
“An innocent dead man begs to differ.”
She did take his member’s life lightly. She’d been torn up over Gianna, bordering on rage, and he’d given her the opportunity she wanted. Anna didn’t want Kitchen to see her stress, but she knew she wasn’t hiding it well.
“You know this is the right thing,” he said. “I asked you alone so you wouldn’t have to agree in front of your people. You don’t have to tell them. You just have to see they understand they are not to retaliate. And I’ll even sweeten the deal.”
“How?”
“I’ll tell you what I know about how Gianna really died.”
“You know how she died and you haven’t said anything?” Anna’s blood ran hot. Now she wanted to kill this son of a bitch. “I ought to blast all your people away and torture it out of you.”
He clicked his tongue. “That’s not very diplomatic. I know you’re new to leadership so let me help you out. I don’t owe you anything other than swift and violent vengeance, yet I offer you a peaceful way out. I offer you information you can’t find any other way. You should be kissing my feet, not throwing a tantrum.”
“You’re about to see more than a tantrum if you keep talking to me like a child.”
“All right, you’re testing my patience now. Do you want the deal or not?”
Anna wanted the information on Gianna more than anything. She would burn the city down if she had to to avenge Gianna.
“I pick the member?” She wished she could just give Adrienne’s name, but she wasn’t a member and Kitchen had been around long enough to know that.
Kitchen smiled. “That’s right.”
“Take Kendra. She lives on Lincoln. Orange pickup outside.”
Kitchen held out his hand. Anna reluctantly shook it. “Gianna?”
“One of my guys knows the employee that worked at the gas station that night. She’ll never talk to cops or you, just Eduardo.”
“And?”
“Said she never saw Gianna, but she gave me a list of everyone she remembers coming through. I don’t know who all Gianna had problems with so the list means nothing to me, but you do and I’d be willing to guess your guy is on her list.”
“How the fuck does that help me? I have to look at some list, hope her memory was good enough to describe this person in enough detail I know who she means? And that’s if she even saw them, which she probably didn’t just like she didn’t see Gianna.”
“I didn’t say I know who killed her. I said I’ll tell you what I know. And seeing how you currently don’t know anything at all I’d say that isn’t so bad.”
“Fine. Let’s see this list.”
Kitchen took a slip of paper from his pocket and handed it over. Anna glanced at it, immediately concluding the vague descriptions would be of no use.
“I’m going to need to talk to her to do anything with this. I need to ask specifics.”
“There’s an idea. Tell you what, you take a look at that list for now, narrow it down. We’re going to handle the rest of our business and when I see you’re holding up your side, we’ll talk about a sit-down with her.”
When they went back, everyone was watching anxiously. Anna nodded at Christina and saw her relax. Kitchen got in the driver’s seat of the Escape and they took off. Only Anna knew they were on their way to kill the newest and least experienced Wild AK.
Chapter Twenty-six
“A guy is in a coma for a couple weeks and everything changes,” Reid said.
Kaia looked over to him in the passenger seat and smiled. “What do you mean?”
“You get in a shootout, you’re Davis’s favorite, you have a girlfriend. Was I holding you back, Sorano?”
Kaia laughed. “I prefer not to be in shootouts, you’re the one who got me in with Davis, and Adrienne,” she thought it over, “Adrienne is a force I can’t fight.”
Reid beamed. “Oh Lord, pigs must be flying. You didn’t try to tell me she’s not your girlfriend.”
Kaia blushed. “Since you mentioned it, I guess we haven’t talked about it. And it is pretty fast.”
“No!” Reid said. “That was not an invitation for you to start your usual shit. Don’t you dare tell me you’re just having fun.”
“No, it’s definitely not just fun. I think I might be the one on the other side for once.”
“You don’t think she’s serious about you?”
“That’s not how I’d put it. I just mean she might not love the girlfriend word. She’s been through a lot. I’m not sure what she really wants for herself now. I’m not sure she knows either. You don’t just forget five years with someone. Gianna was nothing like me. Her life has been nothing like mine. I hope she wants to be with me, but I wouldn’t be surprised if she just wants to start fresh and cut ties with this whole life.”
“I think you’re making it harder than it is. I saw the way she looked at you.”
Kaia pulled into her parking lot. They were having a get-together to celebrate Reid getting out of the hospital in the evening, but Reid wanted to come get situated first. Moving around wasn’t easy and left him grumpy and hurting. He needed time to recover from that before he would be ready to entertain.
“I hope you’re right,” she said, aching inside just at the thought Adrienne might take off when things settled. She knew she wouldn’t be able to ask Adrienne to stay if it came to that. She deserved a fresh start, and if it made her safer, how could Kaia argue?
She went around the car and set up Reid’s wheelchair, then helped him into it. His upper body was still strong, but his legs and hips were injured badly, and while he could walk, it was going to take time for him to get back to normal. For now he could only manage a few steps at a time.
“Is Adrienne sad she can’t go to the funeral?” he asked.
“She doesn’t talk about it.” Kaia felt guilty she hadn’t tried harder to encourage it. She wouldn’t blame Adrienne for mourning, but she didn’t trust herself to hide her contempt for Gianna, and she knew that wasn’t what Adrienne needed.
She hated Gianna for more reasons than she could count, including the way she’d put Adrienne in the position that led to her killing Gianna. She couldn’t imagine how it must feel to kill someone she’d been with for five years. She hated how deeply that must have scarred Adrienne, and she had a hard time not blaming both Gianna and herself for not finding a way to take that decision out of Adrienne’s hands.
When they got upstairs, Adrienne had cleaned everything; it was immaculate. She had set up banners and snacks and had upbeat music playing lightly. The weather was cool and overcast, and Adrienne had the windows open to let the crisp breeze through.
“Wow,” Kaia sai
d.
Adrienne smiled and came over. She wrapped her arms around Reid. “Welcome back to the real world. I’m so glad you’re doing better.”
Reid hugged her back. There was a sensitivity to Reid; his emotions were always on his sleeve, and the deeply touched look in his eyes made Kaia feel a rush of love for both him and Adrienne.
Adrienne walked over and kissed Kaia. Her smile was so warm and genuine Kaia realized she had to stop seeing Adrienne as a victim. She was strong and staggeringly resilient. Kaia smiled and had to kiss her again.
She turned her attention to Reid. “Do you want to stay in the wheelchair or do you want help onto the couch?”
“Will you…” he paused, looking embarrassed. “I’d like to try to walk to the couch. Will you help me?”
“Of course,” they said in unison, smiling at each other.
“I have physical therapy and all that, but I never feel like it’s enough. They said I can start trying to walk short distances as long as I have help.”
Kaia and Adrienne each took one of his arms and lifted him. He stood, shaky but supporting himself almost entirely. He took a timid step forward, leaning heavily onto Kaia. She knew more than anything he wanted his independence back, and while she wouldn’t let him fall, she refused to let herself baby him when he didn’t want it.
It took several minutes for him to make it across the room. Adrienne said nothing about his grunts and pain, seeming to pick up on his needs the same way Kaia had. He finally sat on the couch and slumped back. He was sweating and out of breath, whether from pain or exertion Kaia couldn’t tell.
“Shit,” he said. “Who knew walking ten feet could be such a bitch.” He tried to laugh but was transparently discouraged.
Adrienne pulled up a chair next to him and held his hand. “That was amazing, Reid. How many breaks do you have?”
“It wasn’t that—”
“How many?”
“Six.”
“Six fucking breaks. Six places your bones were not attached to themselves and you are walking on those motherfuckers.”
Reid’s infectious smile crept back onto his face. “Well, shucks.”
“That’s right. And that was more like twenty feet. After two weeks? I’d say you’re a badass. You think your physical therapy isn’t enough because you’re a beast.”
“I love her,” Reid said to Kaia with a bright smile.
“Yeah, she rocks,” Kaia said. “And she’s right. You’re killing it. Don’t beat yourself up, and do not injure yourself trying to get back to normal in a day.”
The doorbell rang. When Kaia answered, a whole slew of people filed in, shouting hellos and congratulations at Reid. Kaia laughed and ushered them inside. Davis and his wife were among them, along with Cruz.
They gathered around the table in the living room, hitting the apartment like a hurricane of loud fun. Kaia tended to the drinks, contentedly watching Cruz tell the group, but most directly Adrienne, a story about Reid.
“I’m in my office trying to do some paperwork, right?” he said. “I have my radio turned up, but pretty much all I’m asking for is an hour or two where nothing ridiculous happens. Not with this kid on the streets.”
Reid laughed and covered his face. “It’s not my fault! Crazy shit loves me.”
“I’m sitting in my office and I hear this lunatic start screaming for emergent cover. I mean screaming, thought the kid was dying. I’m grabbing my keys and running through the parking lot. I get to him and he and the guys have three naked dudes in handcuffs. Reid tells me they were trying to dance with him and hug him. That’s his emergency.”
“Hey, three naked dicks is a lot to deal with!”
Adrienne laughed. “Try being a woman. Your whole life is about guys trying to force naked dicks on you.”
Cruz laughed. “See, Castillo? She could have handled it.”
“I don’t doubt it,” Reid said. “Women are just better at some stuff.”
“That why we partnered you with Sorano?”
“Shit, probably.” He laughed.
“I did not sign up for naked dicks,” Kaia said, moving into the dining room with them.
“But you’re one of the best at dealing with it.” Cruz tipped his beer at her.
“Thanks?”
Davis stood up. “On that note, I’d like to say a few words. Sorano, you really are one of the best. I’ve been talking to your friends, sergeants, coworkers, and all I’ve heard over and over is that they feel safe with you, that they know you have their backs, and that you are always the first there when they need help, that you’ll chase an armed suspect without hesitation, that you’ll fight when you have to, but that it’s rare because you make people feel heard and handle yourself professionally and with empathy. Recently, we’ve seen you take on a sensitive and personal investigation without a single issue of conflict of interest coming up. I know you will keep yourself and your fellow detectives safe and on point.”
Kaia’s heart jumped. “My fellow detectives?”
“Welcome to the Gang Enforcement Unit.”
Reid whooped and slapped the table. Cruz smiled and held out his hand. “It was hard to let you go, but I still gave you a pretty good reference.” He winked. Kaia ignored his hand and hugged him.
Reid leaned over and hugged her next. “Congratulations, love. Kick ass.”
Adrienne waited sheepishly for the cops to finish and let her go, then made her way over. She kissed Kaia on the cheek and smiled. “Congratulations.”
Kaia felt her reservations. She waited until everyone had fallen back into conversation and snuck off to her room, pretending she was going to the bathroom. The hum of them laughing in the other room was comforting, but she had a pit in her stomach about how Adrienne was really taking it.
She was still afraid this was simply not the life Adrienne wanted. She knew it was absurd to let that make her doubt something she’d worked so hard for, but she couldn’t help it. This meant that to be part of her life, Adrienne would always have to worry about her, that gangs would always be dancing by the outer fringes of her life, and that cops would become part of her inner circle. She didn’t know if Adrienne was up for it, and while she didn’t believe in letting a significant other alter the pursuit of her dreams, she couldn’t help but ask herself if she wanted to be a detective bad enough to let Adrienne walk out of her life.
She wasn’t sure what to do, but she knew she didn’t want her ecstatic friends to witness her being anything but happy. She’d only been in her room a couple of minutes when the door opened and Adrienne stepped in.
“You okay?”
“Yeah,” she said. She wasn’t prepared to put a mask back on yet. She tried, but Adrienne saw right through her. She came and sat next to her on the foot of the bed.
“Why don’t you look happy?” Adrienne asked. “They said amazing things about you. You got the job.”
Kaia forced herself to look Adrienne in the eye. “I feel like I’m really good at something you think only assholes are good at.”
Adrienne’s eyes softened. “Oh, Kaia, that’s not true. I was in a very different place when I said those things. I had limited experience with cops and it wasn’t a great collection, but it wasn’t a full representation either. I know that now. I love you and I love your friends.”
“I don’t want to lose you because you hate my job.”
Adrienne kissed her softly. “I know you’ve wanted this for a long time. Don’t you dare throw that away for me. You shouldn’t, even if it did mean losing me. You deserve to be loved for who you are and to live your dreams. Don’t feel guilty about that.”
“It’s still just a job. It’s not worth…” Kaia couldn’t finish. She was crazy giving Adrienne this much power over her. What she’d told Reid was true; she couldn’t even confidently say they were together. Their history was making her fall fast and hard. She already loved Adrienne when she first saw her with Gianna. Adrienne kissed her again, seeking more, dragging her ou
t of her sadness.
“You don’t have to give up anything to be with me,” she said. “I want you to have everything you ever wanted.” She kissed down Kaia’s neck. “Detective.”
Kaia couldn’t help but laugh. She gave in and finally returned Adrienne’s kisses. Adrienne’s tongue teased hers.
“We should get back out there,” Kaia said. Adrienne put her arms on either side of Kaia on the edge of the bed, caging her.
“They seem fine to me.”
Cruz was in the middle of another story that had the group in a loud roar of laughter. Adrienne reached for Kaia’s pants and undid them.
“You’re bad,” Kaia whispered.
“Yes. You can punish me later.” She slipped her fingers inside Kaia, making her gasp. “Shh,” Adrienne whispered in her ear, then bit and tugged her earlobe. Kaia wrapped her arms around Adrienne’s warm, tan shoulders and let her deeper, smothering a small moan in her neck.
Kaia met the thrusts of Adrienne’s hand with her hips. She weaved her fingers into Adrienne’s dark, silky hair and pulled until she’d exposed her neck. She breathed along her neck and gently bit, determined to make silence just as challenging for Adrienne.
Adrienne’s thrusts were deep and maddening. Kaia was lost in her commanding touch. She ran her hands up Adrienne’s perfect stomach and over her tight breasts, finding her nipples and squeezing. Adrienne let out the softest moan, only for Kaia’s ears.
Adrienne’s free hand made its way to Kaia’s neck and pulled her into a deep kiss as she fucked faster and harder. Kaia’s body tensed and she held Adrienne tight as she silently felt her orgasm flow through her body. Adrienne’s fingers slowed as Kaia came, then stopped. She kissed Kaia’s neck as she slowly removed them.
“You’re so sexy,” Adrienne whispered.
Kaia smiled and made a half-hearted effort to return Adrienne’s tousled sex hair to order, but it was too gorgeous to mess with much.
“You are.” Kaia kissed her again.
Adrienne smiled. “You’re not getting rid of me, especially not over a promotion, silly.”
“I like your style of reassurance.”
Hers to Protect Page 19
