I’d been worried when I discovered Kade had taken up with Eva again, so I’d planted some GPS trackers in his shoes. If I hadn’t done that, I wouldn’t have been able to locate their whereabouts and tip off the FBI. They arrived just in time. Gunfire was traded on both sides, and my brother was shot, but thankfully, it wasn’t serious, and he made a full recovery. So did Eva. But I know she’s still haunted by the events of that day and the abuse she suffered at her first husband’s hands. I doubt Kaden wants her to relive any of it, but like my boss said, they’ll just take her in for questioning whether she likes it or not. At least this way, Kade can prepare her for it.
“They are looking for more general information this time,” I explain. “Things are escalating on the streets, and we’ve seen a rise in gun violence and the supply of drugs and women to the city. The SSA wants to cover all angles, and he wants to see what Eva may know that could help.”
“I’m not sure she’ll be of much help. She deliberately stayed away from Garcia’s business.”
“I think he thinks she may know stuff unwittingly that could help.”
Kade drags a hand through his hair. “I hate that we can’t leave the past in the past.” He shakes his head. “We still have bodyguards because I’m terrified of retaliation. That bastard may be dead, but that doesn’t mean the threat is.”
“I’m still monitoring both of you and keeping an eye out for anything suspicious. I’m not about to allow anything to happen to either one of you again.”
Kade looks up at me, and I’m surprised to see tears in his eyes. “I didn’t know you were doing that.”
I shrug, downplaying it, tipping the last remnants of beer into my mouth. “I’m still watching out for everyone in the family. I’ve set up one of the bedrooms as a special surveillance room. Got a bunch of new equipment. Have it set up to automatically search the net and underground chat rooms for any mention of our family and extended family.”
“Can I see?” he asks, standing.
“Sure.” I put my empty bottle down and lead him out to the bedrooms, bypassing my master suite and the guest bedroom and stepping into the last room. It’s the smallest of the three bedrooms but still a sizable space and more than fit for its purpose. Fitted desk units rim the perimeter of the room on all sides, and wall-mounted cupboards and storage space lies overhead. The rest of the room houses all my new tech.
“Fucking hell, Kev.” Kade stares at the multitude of screens and computers, all displaying different feeds and images. “This looks like some hardcore shit. And not cheap either.”
“It is, and it wasn’t.” Not that money is any issue. I came into my trust fund when I turned twenty-one last year, and I’ve more money than I know what to do with, so even though this equipment cost a huge chunk of change, it’s only a drop in the ocean.
Kade presses his face up closer to one of the screens. “Is that Cheryl Keeland?”
Fuck. What was I thinking bringing him in here?
He leans in so close his nose is touching the screen. I slump into a chair, preparing myself for the impending interrogation. No point lying. “It is Cheryl.”
He turns to face me, folding his arms and propping his butt on the side of the desk. “What’s going on, Kev? And no bullshitting me.”
I rub a tense spot between my brows. “Cheryl is the reason I took the FBI job.”
“Go on,” my eldest brother prompts.
“She’s engaged to a guy who was working with Garcia although I’m guessing she’s no clue what her fiancé really does for a living.”
He plops down in the seat beside me. “Shit. That’s not good. I wonder if Eva knows him?”
I sit up straighter in my chair, cursing myself for not thinking to ask her before now. “His name’s Daniel Stanten, and he was apparently being groomed to take over from Garcia. I’m betting Eva’s at least heard of him.”
“Okay. I’ll ask her about him and Cheryl. And go ahead and set the meeting up with your boss.”
“Don’t you want to talk to Eva first?”
He shakes his head. “No need. I know my wife. She hates what that bastard was involved in, and if she has even a tiny piece of information that might help the FBI, she’ll want to share it.”
Kade turns his attention back to the screen, watching the images of Cheryl coming out of the photography studio where she works. I set up software recognition searches for her online, and I was also able to hack into a few local camera feeds, one near MassArt and one outside the studio, and it now automatically transmits and records any images featuring Cheryl.
Yep, I’ve got Stalker 101 down to a fine art form.
“I’m guessing your boss doesn’t know about this little side operation?” Kade pins me with a serious look.
Hell, no. SSA Clement would bust my balls if he knew about this setup. He has specifically told me to stay away from Cheryl, so he can’t find out I’m working my own game plan on the side. “Nope, and I’d prefer it stayed that way, so don’t mention this to anyone. Not even Eva.”
“I don’t keep secrets from my wife, Kev.” He sighs deeply. “But I’ll do it on this occasion. For Cheryl.” He eyeballs me with a grim expression. “I want in. Whatever you’re planning, I want to help.”
Kade always liked Cheryl, and he looked out for her back in high school when she was getting bullied over her dyslexia. Ultimately, it’s what led to us dating back in ninth grade, but that’s a story for another day.
“I don’t want to drag you into this shit. Getting mixed up with Garcia almost cost you your life. And it’s worse now because a notorious New York criminal mastermind is trying to encroach on Garcia’s old turf, and Garcia’s old rival is embroiled in a war with this New York crowd and remnants of Garcia’s organization still loyal to him who are fighting to hold onto their patch. It’s messy out there, and it’s only going to get uglier. I don’t want you or Eva anywhere near that.”
He slaps me on the shoulder, and I silently curse him. “Eva won’t be anywhere near it, I can promise you that.” He scrutinizes my face. “What are your intentions toward Cheryl?”
“I need to open her eyes to that asshole she’s engaged to.”
“And that’s it?” Kade quirks a brow, and I shrug. I’m not one for openly discussing my feelings. “Come on, Kev. Just fucking admit it. You never got over losing Cheryl, and now you’ve been given a second chance.”
“You’ve forgotten the part where she hates me.”
“That was then. She’s older now, and the past is in the past.”
“I can’t get my hopes up,” I quietly admit.
Kade nods. “I understand that more than you realize, but what you two had was too special to let an opportunity like this slip through your fingers. And you don’t have to say it, Kev. I see it written all over your face. If you love her as much as I think you do, then you need to fight like crazy to win her back. There’s no room for complacency or doubts or second-guessing.”
“I’m not you, Kade. I don’t know how to do that.”
“Sure, you do.” He grips my shoulders. “Out of all of us, you are the most loyal and the most selfless when it comes to those you love. True, you’re the least vocal, but that doesn’t mean you don’t know how to love or how to win back your girl. Just open your heart and tell her everything.”
“What if she doesn’t want to hear it?”
“Then you make her listen.”
My lips curve up at the corners. “I can’t believe we’re having this conversation.” His grin matches mine. “You’ve changed.”
“Not really,” he says, shrugging. “I’m just a different version of myself now that I’ve found my person. And you will be too if Cheryl is that for you.”
“She is, Kade. I’ve never been able to forget her.” I’m quiet for a minute before admitting the truth. “For a long while after she left, I ke
pt tabs on her.”
He rolls his eyes. “Why doesn’t that surprise me?”
“It’s always been easier to watch over someone remotely than show how I feel.”
“Don’t beat yourself up, man, because what you do counts just as much. You look out for those you love. You protect those you love. And everyone knows it.”
Chapter 4
Cheryl
“Maybe I’ll ask Hayley to come stay while you’re gone,” I muse as I lounge on the humongous bed in our new bedroom. We moved in a week ago, but I’m still trying to get used to the sheer size of the house, and I’m a little freaked out at the prospect of staying here for the next four days all by myself. I love how private the property is, but it stretches for miles in all directions, and while I enjoy walking in the woods that border our land, it’s a little spooky at night.
Dan groans. “Not Hayley, babe. You know how I feel about her.”
Dan isn’t Hayley’s biggest fan. He thinks she’s trailer trash and taking advantage of me. I usually defend her, but she’s really gotten on my nerves this past week. It’s clear she’s been sulking over the house. I had thought this weekend might be an opportunity to patch things up, but maybe Dan is right.
“Why don’t you ask that nice girl you work with at the studio? Belinda, right?” he suggests, closing his overnight bag and placing it on the floor.
“I could ask Lin.” I bob my head, smiling. “She just broke up with her girlfriend so she’s probably at a loose end.”
“Problem solved,” he says, pulling me up off the bed and into his arms. He glances briefly at the expensive TAG Heuer watch on his wrist. “I have a half hour before I need to leave.” He grabs my ass, pulling me flush against his hard-on. “Want to demonstrate how much you’ll miss me?” He leans in, nipping my earlobe. “Because I’m definitely going to miss you.”
I stroke his hard length through his pants. “Of course, I’ll miss you. You know I always do.”
“Then prove it, sexy.” He starts unbuckling his belt while pushing me to my knees with his free hand. “Work your magic, baby.”
“Holy shit, Cher, this house is amazing,” Lin says, later that night, as she glides around the living room with her eyes out on stalks. She pauses in front of the window, glancing out over the magnificent grounds. “We could take some incredible shots here.”
“I’ve already snapped a few,” I admit, pulling my Nikon D850 out of my bag. “Here, look.” I thrust the camera at her and she scrolls through some of the exterior shots I took earlier today. “We could explore a bit more tomorrow morning before work.”
My mind automatically wanders to tomorrow’s lunch date. I nearly fell off my chair when Eva Garcia reached out to me this week, asking if we could catch up over lunch. I’d only met her a few times, in the past, but I’d instantly warmed to her. She’s career-orientated, like me, and she was extremely welcoming when I was feeling completely out of my depth at some of Dan’s business events. I was shocked to discover her husband—the man my fiancé looked up to—was involved in tons of illegal activities in the Boston area. Dan was flabbergasted to learn that the man who invested in his legal practice was using legitimate business enterprises to hide such heinous crimes.
According to the news reports I saw, Jeremy Garcia was involved in bringing drugs and guns into Massachusetts, and he was also heavily involved in sex trafficking. I almost threw up at the revelation.
This was a man who had welcomed me graciously into his home.
Who spoke so highly of Dan.
Although, if I’m being honest, there was always something creepy about him that was off-putting. The media said Eva was unaware of her husband’s activities, and I believe it because Eva doesn’t strike me as the type of woman who would ever condone such deplorable things, but they also claimed she was forced into marrying him so maybe she was aware but had no way out.
Anyway, I’m curious as to why she wants to meet me, and I’m looking forward to seeing her.
Lin and I order takeout, and after eating, we move to the home cinema with a bucket of popcorn and a bottle of wine.
“Damn, girl, your man certainly knows how to woo his woman,” she says, shaking her head as she takes in the massive screen and twelve-seater home theater.
“He thought of everything,” I deadpan, settling into a seat as I pull up the menu on the screen.
“I agree with you though,” Lin adds, kicking off her shoes and curling up on the seat beside me. “He should have consulted with you. Allowed you to have a say in your own home. But you can’t really fault him for his reasoning. You lead a hectic life, and you would’ve been stressed trying to fit in a project of this magnitude.”
“True, but it still would’ve been nice to be asked. Anyway,” I say, scrolling through our options. “There’s no point dwelling on it. It’s done, and the house is beautiful, and we’re very fortunate.”
“I love that about you,” my friend says, tucking her slender jean-clad legs underneath her.
“What?” I toss some popcorn in my mouth.
“You always see the positive in everything. You don’t let negative shit drag you down. Unlike me.” She sighs, pulling her long dark hair back into a ponytail. “All I’ve done since Summer and I broke up is over analyze every little detail and berate myself for not handling the situation differently.”
“Hang on here a sec.” I put my glass down in the little cupholder attached to my chair. “Why are you beating yourself up over her betrayal? You didn’t do anything wrong.”
“We both know that’s not true, Cher.” Her brow furrows. “I’m married to my job, and I neglected my girlfriend. I drove her into another woman’s arms.”
“That’s the biggest load of bullshit I’ve ever heard.” I shake my head. “Summer should’ve talked to you, told you how she was feeling. My God, you’ve been together six years. You deserved at least that much. How could you fix something if you didn’t know it was a problem? And if she wasn’t into the relationship anymore, she could’ve ended it before sleeping with someone else. There is never any excuse acceptable for cheating. None.”
“Wow.” Lin sits up straighter. “Who cheated on you?”
“Who hasn’t cheated on me is an easier question to answer,” I joke, even though it’s not funny, but I don’t want to think about the disastrous decisions I’ve made with my love life. Old fears are never far from the surface, and I don’t like where my mind goes sometimes. The last thing I want to be thinking about, at a time when my fiancé is away, is that.
“Well, they’re all fucking idiots,” she loyally proclaims, instantly backing down. And that’s one of the things I love about Lin. She knows when to push it and when to leave it.
She joined the studio where I work seven months before me. She’s a few years older, and she graduated MassArt three years ago. Like me, she came to the attention of our boss when she won an award last year for one of her photos. Sara extended an offer of employment, and Lin jumped at the chance, exactly like me. When Sara Lewis, renowned award-winning celebrity photographer, offers you a job, you don’t refuse it.
“And Summer’s an idiot too. I’m betting she’ll come crawling back.”
“I hope she doesn’t,” Lin says, her tone more somber now. “Because I’m not sure I’m strong enough to say no, and I want to have more respect for myself than that.”
I empathize because I’ve been in her shoes, and it’s not easy, but I’m proud of myself for holding firm to my principles even though it ripped my heart to shreds and I’ve never truly recovered.
But I force those thoughts aside, settling in to watch the movie before my mind wanders to forbidden territory I dare not let myself think about.
“What’s that place?” Lin asks early the following morning when we’re exploring the woods that surround my house.
I crane my head in the direc
tion she’s pointing in, my eyes popping wide when I spot the focus of her attention. “I’ve no clue.” I sling my camera around my neck and walk purposely toward the large barn. “Let’s take a look.” We wade through muddy, leaf-strewn brush, pushing stray branches out of our path as we approach the large barn. It looks newly painted even if the area around it is densely overgrown.
I trudge up to the doors, curling my hands around the heavy padlock securing the structure. “That’s weird.” I frown as I trawl through my memory for any recollection of Dan mentioning this place, but I’m pretty sure he didn’t breathe a word.
Lin has wandered around the back of the barn, so I trail after her wondering if there’s another way in. When I round the corner, Lin has her ear pressed to the side of the barn. “C’mere.” She gestures with her hand. “Do you hear that?”
I press my ear to the wall and listen. A faint rattling sound tickles my eardrums, and a shudder works its way up my spine. “Yeah. I hear it.” I pull my cell out of my back pocket. “I’m going to message Dan.” I tap out a quick text, and then we listen for another few minutes, but the sound is gone. We walk the full way around the structure, wading through the long grass, but there’s no other visible entry or exit point.
I check my cell again, but Dan hasn’t replied. Not that I was expecting him to. He’s notoriously non-communicative when he’s away on business. At first, that fed my paranoia, and I spent countless nights tossing and turning, wondering what he was doing and with whom. But I spoke to him, and he allayed my fears, so I try not to dwell on it even if my brain is automatically wired to think the worst.
Forgiving Keven: A Stand-Alone Second Chance Romance Page 3