I smile because I can’t help but feel joy when I think of my little family.
Trev’s Lady: Love to infinity because I know you’re not done.
Maxie: That’s his plan. Lol. See you soon. Pics expected.
Trev’s Lady: You too. Be safe.
Maxie: Always <3
My smile instantly vanishes when I look up and the expression on Demi’s face. She looks absolutely crushed. My hope is that she isn’t feeling this way because of what I said to her. In my heart of hearts, I know it’s all me. I feel bad for behaving the way I did.
I don’t know what came over me. I’m lying to myself. Yes, I do. I know exactly what came over me. After everything Trevor and I have been through, I have laid claim to him. We haven’t made anything official, but I feel like I have the right to feel like he’s mine since I just gave birth to his firstborn. He did tell me I was at the center of his joy. The regular professions of love and his animal-esque actions if a guy even smiles at me tells me he feels crazy protective of me. That whole possessive thing is strong with that one as well.
Anyway, I saw red. I thought that was just an expression. I never believed anyone would visually see the color when they had their moment of anger, but I did. I actually saw a visual haze of red when I saw her pressing up on my Trevor. That knight is mine. My black knight is the best thing to ever happen to me. He stepped back into a life he vowed he’d never venture into again. His willingness to face a demon he thought he’d buried in the name of avenging his woman and keeping his family safe tells me he’s a keeper.
Trevor is a sweetheart and tries to be nice to the women in the shop who openly express an interest. He doesn’t want to offend a customer. He was chewed out once by Max for tearing the one female a new asshole.
“Uh oh! Nicole is out,” I hear Neal say.
Cherry quickly corrects him, “It’s not Nicole, Bean. It’s Nikita. Nikki is technically short for Nikita femme fatale. She’s about to fatally wound that poor girl for being stupid enough to try to snag Trevor.”
Their conversation is background noise because I’m locked onto my target. My sights are set on the blonde who won’t stop shamelessly flirting with my man. As soon as I am within arm’s length, I lightly tap her shoulder. She holds up her hand, asking me to wait. I physically react like she’s just slapped me or something. Trevor’s eyes move to my face and I can tell he’s enjoying whatever expression is on it.
I tap her shoulder a second time while clearing my throat. She tries to throw the finger up again while giving me an exasperated over-the-shoulder look. When she turns back to face Trevor, I lean forward and calmly whisper in her ear.
“Listen, I’m trying not to cause a scene, Bitch, but you don’t seem to want to take a hint. You’re new here, so you don’t understand how things work. I’m number two in this shop and one of the best friends of the owner. I’m also the woman who just gave birth to the firstborn child of the man you’re trying desperately to push up on right now. Understand something here and now, I’m not normally the easily aggravated or possessive type. Unfortunately for you, today I am. If you don’t get your fucking fake ass tits out of my man’s face and get back to fucking work, I will deflate those pom poms and send your ass packing. Look at my face and tell me I’m lying.” Her head slowly turns, and I school my features, so she clearly sees I’m not one to be messed with. I also see the tears that begin to form in her eyes. “Now, go take a moment to pull yourself together. Afterwards, you can work at showing me what a good listener you are.”
I watch as she quickly scurries away without another backward glance. Trevor moves behind me, takes a deep breath that tells me his smelling my neck, then places a kiss to my shoulder.
“Tress, that was one of the hottest fucking things I’ve ever witness. Lay claim to me any time you want. My dick is pressing hard against my fly and I ready for action.”
I smile before I suddenly get a crazy idea. Turning, I look up at him and wrap my arms around his neck.
“Good. Glad to hear it. You’re marrying me in one month’s time. As soon as Max and Deck get back, you’re becoming my husband. Tonight, Cherry or Neal will be tattooing this finger ...” I tap the finger I’m referring to as I speak. “Tonight. I’m thinking our initials with the infinity symbol between the first and last letters with a heart above or below it.”
“Who am I to question the woman I love? I will say this. The tattoos should go on the opposite hand. Shockingly enough, I want a traditional wedding ring on your finger and a band on mine.”
“Really? I wouldn’t have pegged you as a traditionalist.”
“Usually, I’m not, but being with you makes me want those things. I want to see you wearing the matching band to this ring.” From his pocket, he produces a jewelry box then opens
Chapter
Atlanta, Georgia – Corp Workout Facility
Trev
6 weeks old
A
nswers. That’s what I’m hoping for. I need them. Even more than I need them, my girl needs them. She has been stuck in this perpetual limbo as a result of all of this. Zo has more questions than answers and doesn’t know how to handle all of this because of it. I’ve seen her lost in thought, trying to figure things out. I’ve seen the pain in her eyes when she thinks about the people she is supposed to call family. These are the people who are the reason behind her most recent pain and the fear that was brought along with it.
I see it. I don’t mention it to her, but I see it. I know for a fact that she is being mentally and emotionally tortured. There is nothing I can do about it. I’m hoping today I can bring her a bit of piece, give her some answers. We shall see.
We’re at Deck’s gym that he owns and operates with his team. I contacted Deck to see if he could find out anything on Sheridan. Zo was really beginning to worry despite reassurances that he was probably fine. In spite of everything we’d been told by the police, some part of her didn’t want to accept the facts as truth.
want everything in between. Her blood was spilled. I will have a pint of his spewed by the end of the night. You don’t get a one-off. Not tonight. She and that baby of yours have been in hell for a week. Seven fucking days.”
“Seven fucking ways ... to fuck with a person’s head,” Deck finishes for his father.
“Make sure my Zoie is secure. We’ll see about the rest. He and his son will know the pain I’ve felt.”
“Senator Watson?”
“That assfuck will be tasting the skin of my fist for a long time to come.”
Ballistic chuckles as I stretch my fingers. Ellis smiles because he was there with me the day I tried to break my knuckles on Zoie’s father’s face. Having the knowledge that the dumbass had stolen hundreds of thousands of dollars in drugs and cash had me ready to kill.
“You stupid, fucking bastard. You stole from one of the most notorious criminals ever! Did you not expect ramifications or retribution for that asinine act? Would you have simply let the person go who was able to pull that shit off? How long?”
“When the man said four or five years, I had to be held back by Ziaire.”
A bellow that sounds like a wounded animal has me quickly moving from the big man’s office and making my way to the command center. When I enter the room, I find Zo being forcefully led to a chair. She’s fighting Ellis and Jared as they try to move her away from the youngest member of the team, Davis. His eyes are wide. The fear is clearly written all over his face. It has me wondering what in the hell happened in the three minutes the two of us have been out of each other’s sight.
“Fuck you, Davis! That’s not true! It just isn’t true! It can’t be true!” she yells as tears freely fall down her face.
Looking back at Deck, I can clearly see that I’m not the only one trying to figure our what in the hell just happened.
Zoie
I’m still fight the two massive who have carted me away from my target. Tears are falling as I continue to fight. I want someone to be on the receiving end
of the anger I’m feeling. I’m hurt and confused. There is a weight on my chest and it’s full of guilt, confusion, and heaping helping of pain. My mind is at war with itself.
One part is moving to accept this while the other doesn’t want to believe what I’m seeing. I’ve been trying my best to figure out what in the hell my brother had to do with Damien Foster. It all seemed wrong. Straight-laced, right-side-of-everything Sheridan didn’t run in the crowd that broke the law. He definitely wasn’t the type to put me in harm’s way. It didn’t matter how much he didn’t agree with my life choices. My brother just wasn’t the type. He knew exactly where I was. If he was really working with Damien, then why not hand me over? He knew when no one would be in our parents’ home. The opportunity was there. I didn’t buy the police’s theory that he was doing dirt with Ghost.
“I can’t help it if it’s the truth.”
I double my efforts to get to the asshole kid who won’t clue in.
“That’s my brother, you little prick!”
I see the moment he gets a clue, but it’s too late. The damage is done. I hate him for saying those things about my brother. My brother isn’t some common criminal.
“No, his name is Nico ... Nico Watts!”
Davis’ fingers are flying across the keys, but I know the reality I’m faced with well before he can garner proof. It’s not like I need it. I know my damned brother when I see him. His face is on the screen. A face that looks like one of those bodies from the morgue on any of the crime shows.
A fresh round of tears fall as I shake my head while looking at Deck, trying to silently convey the truth of my words. Swallowing the pain and clearing my throat, I share what most don’t know about my brother.
“His name is Sheridan Nicholas Watson. He used Nico Watts when he was in the ‘neighborhood’ because he claimed it made him sound more like one of the community. He always said Sheridan ... Sheridan Watson mad him sound like some upper crest bureaucrat that was definitely linked to ... my father.”
I have to sit down. As much as my brother pissed me off with his judgmental statements and opinions about my life, I would never have wanted this for him. I hate the fact that our last conversation was heated because he didn’t want to accept my child. We did tell each other that we loved one another, but ... now we won’t have the opportunity to make amends and fix our broken relationship. I sob again as I look at my brother’s lifeless form.
One of the guys waves his hand and the screen goes black. I’m grateful to that individual for the action. Trevor is now squatting in front of me. I wouldn’t allow him to do as he wanted which was lift me into his lap and surround me with his love. I don’t think I could handle that right now. It’s not a possibility for me until I get a different response. I know there is more to this than what everyone wants me to believe. Even my Trevor is pissed because he believes my brother to be a dickless, soulless asshole who would sell his sister out just to get ahead. As much as that was my initial reaction, some part of me knew better.
Sheridan was working with Damien. Gives him just enough information to get close to his sister but not enough to actually find her. He’s at the factory when Trevor confronts Damien. He’s caught in the crossfire. Turns out he was a CSI informant. Deck is pissed because he didn’t know an undercover was on sight.
- Initial reaction is everyone is pissed. Zoie is arguably hurt the most by the information. She’s the one who identifies Sheridan’s face when it is pulled up on one of the screens at the gym/office.
- Deck chews out Zander Collins, head of CIA.
He also lets information slip about why Sam really left town. Davis accidentally tells her Sam was shady.
I hear Deck take a call. When his words are growled and it’s obvious he is pissed, I turn my attention to him.
“What the fuck do you mean, Collins?” Deck asks whoever is on the phone.
I look up at Tracker or Jared Black—one of Deck’s best friends and second in command with the team—for clarification. When I looked at Ellis, he looked just as confused as I am.
“Zander Collins. He’s the equivalent of Cobra with the CIA.”
“Why would Zander be calling?”
Ellis sums it up.
“We’re into something we’re not supposed to be in as far as the CIA is concerned.”
Davis’ head pops up and he fist pumps the air a second before he makes his way to where we’re standing. He keeps himself a safe distance away before sharing whatever he’s excited about.
“The file was locked, but I got into it,” Davis proudly states.
It makes me smile slightly, which causes me to feel guilty in light of the news I just received. Trevor and Ellis catch me expression and I wave a hand dismissively. I’ll be fine. The tears are still flowing and I’m feeling kind of wobbly on my feet, but I need to know what the hell the file says.
“Aaannnnd that’s why boss man is on the phone with the CIA. Boy Wonder Jr. just hacked their system,” Ellis tells the group.
We all look at Davis. From the looks of things, I can see that he doesn’t enjoy being the center of attention. The other look I recognize is the unremorseful, rebellious nature of this twenty-year-old. For all of the maturity this kid practically floats on, there is a slight bit of immaturity still present.
“All right, Shadow. Gives us what you’ve learned before Collins and his team descend to blow smoke up our asses,” Deck tells the kid.
“Yes, Sir. Um ... Cobra, Will ...”
“Don’t sweat it, Kid. Give us the specs,” Tracker reassures him before Deck can speak.
Deck nods his head in agreement. Davis takes a deep breath before pulling up the necessary information and displaying it on all of the screens. The screens are suddenly flooded with files and files of information.
“Fucking hell!” Deck growls and I want to turn to face him but can’t because my eyes are glued to the screen. “I knew he was dancing around the truth. He was being ... yeah, Lucy, you got some fucking splainin’ to do! A worm in the fucking hidey hole?”
“Worm in the hidey hole?” I ask in a lowered voice.
Tracker whispers, “Informant.”
Inside I’m doing a little cheer because I knew I was right. Outside, I’m still devastated because my brother’s life was lost, and I have a feeling no one beyond the people in this room will ever know that he was doing something good.
“He’s been working with them for years. There’s numerous files here where Nico ... or Sheridan was the key to bringing in some heavy hitters. It says here he was providing intel to bring down this guy, Damien Foster. He’s the only person to ever get as close as he did with Damien. Apparently, Nico had just been given the details of all the locations to the inner workings of the ‘kingdom.’ He was given information no other person evidently knew, not even that Devon guy.”
“His son wasn’t trusted with the information to run the business, but my brother was?”
“For sure,” Deck stated as he picked up a tablet from one of the desks and began to sift through a few pages of one of the documents. After a few seconds, he shakes his head and chuckles as if he just heard his own words. “Your brother has been kicking ass and taking names for the CIA for a ... damn!”
At his exclamation, we all look to find out the reason behind it.
“What? What’s going on?” I ask as I study the screen to see what he could’ve possibly been looking at that would cause him to respond the way he did.
“I figured out why Sheridan didn’t want to accept you being with Trevor.”
“Why? What did you find? Honestly, there is a ton of shit that could be the reason behind it, but what are you looking at?”
“A file Nico kept on you. Trev man, if I didn’t know you, I’d be trying to figure out ways to bring you in for questioning. I’d want to pick your brain. The shit you’ve seen or been affiliated with would make me interested to know what you could tell me about some of the crime syndicates we’ve been trying to bring to a
fucking end.”
“That’s a past life, Big Man. I jumped back in to get my girl and my daughter out. Still can’t believe her father was in the center of all of that shit and no one was the wiser.”
The entire time they’ve been talking, I’ve been reading. Trevor told me about his life and the stuff he used to do in order to keep food on the table for him, his mother, and his little brother. I know a lot about his history. It doesn’t stop my eyes from eating up everything I can on the screen. Learning about the family ties and the things his mother used to do gives me a better understanding of his relationship with his brother.
His mother, Ingrid McGee, is better now, but she was just as bad as some of the other people in that biker crew. She worked her way up in the food chain in order to get a taste of Damien’s balls. When she told me before she did a lot of things she wasn’t all that proud of, I didn’t think it could’ve been that bad. Seeing some of the ruthless things she had her hand in has me wondering how the sweet little lady who has my daughter could be the same person.
For that matter, the laundry list of crimes and misdemeanors listed in Trevor’s file has me swallowing hard. I can’t believe this loving, nurturing man is the same person know to the streets as Tag and his army buddies as
Epilogue
Gatlinburg, Tennessee – Mountaintop Chateau
Trev
9 weeks old
S
he walks into the room and I can’t help but stare at her. The beauty and grace that she epitomizes has my tuxedo pants becoming painfully uncomfortable. I can’t help but take in all that Zoie Watson is standing in the lighting she is standing in. She looks other worldly, mesmerizing; like a living, breathing work of art. Her hair isn’t in a bun or in those braids she likes to wear. It’s been straightened ... no, flat-ironed then curled. I believe she said, “bumped then curled.” All of the curls are pulled to one side of her head.
I asked her once why she always has her hair falling to one side of her head when she wears it outside of a ponytail. Her response had me grinning like an idiot for days.
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