Accused

by Sharon C. Cooper

  His pulse amped up, and he debated on whether to follow the agent or get out of there. Tapping his fingers on the table, his gaze swept the room again. The TV was on, but the bartender was no longer at the bar, and Caleb was still mumbling about Dora leaving him.

  Kenton sat forward, the tingling across the back of his neck alerting him to make a move. Franklin was up to something. Or had he seen something outside that made him go to the back of the building? For weeks they hadn’t seen or heard from the guy. Like he had fallen off the face of the earth. Now, out of nowhere, he makes an appearance, moving around like a damn ninja and looking like…

  Wait. Is he undercover?

  “Where’s the lady’s room?” Egypt asked, and Kenton could’ve kissed her. He knew her well enough that she would pee her pants before using the bathroom there. Had she seen Franklin too?

  “I’ll show you.” He stood and held out his hand to her.

  Caleb’s head popped up. “You can’t leave,” he said in a rush. “Not yet. I-I need to talk to you. I need to tell you.”

  Kenton scrutinized his friend, and his bull-shit meter kicked into high gear. Had they stepped into some alternate universe? What the hell was going on here? “We’re not leaving. Just let me show her to the bathroom, and I’ll be right back.”

  Without another word, Kenton guided Egypt toward the hallway that led to the restrooms, mindful of her long gown and strappy four-inch heels. He pulled the gun from the back of his waistband and kept it at his side. He didn’t know what was going on, but he planned to find out.

  The moment they turned the corner, Franklin was right there. Kenton swore under his breath. Egypt gasped, but quickly put her hand over her mouth.

  “What the fuck, man? What are you doing here?” Kenton said in a low growl and shoved Franklin against the wall.

  Franklin pushed him back. “Get her out of here. Now,” he said in a loud whisper, his gaze shifting back and forth from the front of the building to the back. “I’m undercover, and I know who you are—Paige.”

  Surprise gripped Kenton, and he reached for Egypt’s hand again when she started trembling and backing away. Kenton’s mind raced with this new information.

  “Your boy is setting her up. He owes Pisano. Go. Now.” Franklin moved toward his hiding spot.

  With his heart pounding loud enough for the world to hear, and Egypt shivering against him, Kenton turned to head for the back door, but his watch vibrated, signaling a text. It had dinged a minute ago indicating a call.

  He glanced at his wrist. Myles.

  Then read the text. Get out now! Bomb!

  Shit. “We gotta move.”

  POP! POP!

  Kenton flinched and Egypt screamed.

  The echo of two gunshots rang out, and Kenton shoved Egypt against the wall, covering her with his body. When he looked down the hall, Franklin lay on the floor, gagging, blood spilling from his chest, and Caleb stood over him.

  “Let me see your hands. Now!” Caleb said, walking toward them, his gun pointed at Kenton. “I said now! I don’t want to shoot you…but I will.”

  With Egypt shivering beneath him, Kenton slipped her his gun before turning slowly, his arms out to the side. With his wide body, she couldn’t see Franklin and Caleb didn’t have direct sight of her.

  “I’m sorry, Ken,” Caleb said, his gun hand shaking. “I can’t let you take her. She has to stay here.”

  “Why?” Kenton asked, trying to sound calm despite the adrenaline pumping through his veins.

  “When I saw her at the grocery store, I knew she looked familiar. Marco has a picture.”

  While he was talking, Kenton inched back but bumped into Egypt. Understanding what he was doing, she held onto his jacket, urging him to continue backing up.

  “Stop moving!” Caleb screamed, his gun-hand shaking even more.

  Kenton froze. He kept thinking about the text message. They needed to get out of there and were only a few feet from the door.

  “Marco is coming to get her. I just called him. She’s his.”

  “No…No!” Egypt cried, her voice trembling as it grew louder. “I’ll die before I go anywhere with him!”

  “Egypt!” Kenton snapped, forcing her to keep her attention on him. He needed her to stay calm and not freak out. “Stay with me, baby.”

  “You have to understand.” Caleb inched toward them, fidgeting and sweat gleaming on his face. “If I don’t deliver, Marco is going to kill me and my family. I can’t lose my family.”

  “And I can’t lose my woman,” Kenton spat, his anger building to a boiling point.

  While Caleb continued babbling, getting more flustered as seconds ticked away, Kenton lowered his arms and reached back. When Egypt set the gun in his hands, he could’ve kissed her. She was hanging in there, getting herself back under control, but he could still feel her trembling as they kept moving. He had to get them out of there before Pisano showed up.

  Keep moving. We have to keep moving.

  With each excruciatingly, slow step they took, Caleb moved with them. The only thing in Kenton’s favor was how the man was rambling and sweating, anxiousness bouncing off of him. But when Mrs. Hoakley, Pisano and one of his men appeared behind Caleb, Kenton’s stomach dropped, and panic roared through his body.

  “I said stop moving!” Caleb yelled, and his gun fired. A bullet pinged off a light fixture, and chards of glass sprinkled around them. Egypt’s ear-piercing screams filled the space, and all hell broke loose.

  Kenton fired off several shots, then pushed Egypt toward the door.

  “Run!” he yelled, still shooting and back-peddling, he glanced at the metal door. The moment Egypt was through it, he took off in a sprint behind her. Grabbing her around the waist, he held on tight as he practically carried her, running toward an open field.

  Boom!

  The earth shook.

  Immense heat and a mass of debris plowed into them like torrential rain during a hurricane, propelling them twenty-feet through the air. Kenton crashed to the ground and screamed out, but didn’t let go of Egypt who landed on top of him. Pain radiated up his back and down his leg, and he rolled, covering Egypt’s body as much as he could. Her blaring screams mixed with the pounding in his head and the ringing in his ear.

  Seconds ticked by before Kenton lifted his head. Through a blurry haze, he glanced back at the building. A cloud of dust, yellow-orange flames, and smoke touched the sky, while the stench of burning wood and wires filled the air.

  His skull pounded like a jackhammer was hard at work, and he kept his head steady as he glanced down at Egypt. She was curled against him, crying, her head buried against his chest. He pushed back her long locks and she met his gaze. Scratches and blood were near her hairline.

  “Are you okay?” he asked, his voice rough and his throat scratchy.

  Tears streamed down her face and she swiped at them. “I’m alive, but God…I’ve never been so scared in my life. Are you hurt?”

  Kenton started to lift up but gritted his teeth when pain radiated throughout his body. His back and his leg hurt like a son of a bitch. Instead of sitting all the way up, he lowered his head back to the hard ground.

  “I’ll live,” he mumbled.

  Sirens blared in the distance, and his mind raced with next steps, but as his adrenaline started to wane, so did his energy. But as long as Egypt was in his arms, nothing else mattered.

  *

  Kenton lounged on the sofa in his family room, a glass of Kentucky bourbon in his hand, and Egypt curled up next to him. The last few hours had been a damn nightmare, and all he wanted to do was take his woman and get as far away from Atlanta as possible. But running away never solved the problem. No matter how you try, you can’t outrun memories.

  “Maybe we should discuss this after you guys get some rest. It’s been a long night,” Nelson said. He sat in the recliner facing the sofa, and Myles leaned against a nearby wall.

  After the explosion, Kenton and Egypt had to deal wi
th a whirlwind of questions, and more pain than Kenton had experienced in years. Even now, his body throbbed like one huge muscle, but the physical aches were nothing compared to the mental anguish. To be betrayed by someone he considered a brother, rocked him to his core.

  Why hadn’t Caleb just come to him and let him know that he’d owed Pisano money? Kenton would’ve bailed him out of any situation. Instead, the man had chosen to betray him, try to take the one thing Kenton loved more than life. Egypt.

  He took another sip of his drink, tempted to slam it back as anger and loss battled within him. Pisano had used Caleb to lure them to the bar, a bar that had been set to explode. Only a damn monster did shit like that.

  “Did anyone ever find out why Franklin broke into Egypt’s home?” Kenton asked.

  “He thought she was somehow wrapped up with the Pisano family and thought she was keeping it from the feds,” Nelson said. “When he received the results back from your fingerprints, Egypt, he did more digging and found the connection between you and Marco.”

  Kenton and Nelson still wanted to keep her true identity quiet, but Kenton wouldn’t be surprised if the guys of Supreme already knew. He glanced at Myles, wondering if he knew the truth. If he did, he hadn’t said anything.

  “Before Franklin could let you guys know why he was digging deeper into Egypt, he was put on a different assignment. He was deep undercover and had infiltrated the LinKenzoy organization.”

  Egypt straightened and pinched the bridge of her nose as she released a noisy sigh. She hadn’t said much since they’d gotten home but assured Kenton that aside from some cuts, bruises and achiness, she was physically all right.

  “If Franklin knew about the bomb, why didn’t he just tell us?” Egypt finally spoke. Kenton didn’t miss the anguish in her voice. “And why didn’t he get out of there?”

  “We don’t think he knew about the bomb. From what we’ve learned, Franklin was told to keep tabs on Caleb.” Myles glanced at Kenton. “And we don’t know if he initially knew your friend was setting you two up.”

  Friend. Real friends don’t stab you in the back. Real friends don’t lure you to a hell hole to die. And real friends don’t try and hand your woman over to a damn monster.

  Rage boiled inside of Kenton and he bolted off the sofa, immediately regretting the quick move when a pain shot down his spine. His irritation cranked up into high gear, threatening to blow at any minute. Just thinking about Caleb’s plans sent Kenton’s heart rate through the ceiling.

  Myles toyed with the water bottle that was in his hands. “In the end, the agent became an unfortunate casualty in what went down.”

  Franklin might’ve been on Kenton’s shit list initially, but he hated the guy had to die because of trying to help them.

  Kenton paced the room, twisting and turning at the waist to stretch his back. “How did you guys even know the LinKenzoy family intended to blow up the bar?”

  “I put out feelers weeks ago for any information I could get on Pisano,” Myles said, rubbing the back of his neck. “I received a call during the fundraiser, saying something was happening at the bar tonight, and Pisano wasn’t going to make it out alive. They didn’t know for sure, but heard explosives would be involved.”

  “We’re still not sure when or how the FBI found out what was going down,” Nelson added. “And neither of us knew you were at the bar until Laz mentioned why you were going to be late.”

  Kenton’s chest tightened as the realization that they could’ve died tonight hit him again. “God, I’m glad I texted Laz,” he said more to himself than anyone else.

  “And I’m glad this is over,” Egypt murmured, hugging herself. “But I feel so bad for Caleb’s wife and kids. Their worlds will never be the same.”

  If Kenton felt betrayed by his friend, he couldn’t imagine what Dora was going through. “I’m going to reach out and do whatever I can to help her and the kids get through this.”

  “Let us know if there’s anything we can do to help her,” Myles said.

  Kenton nodded. “Thanks, guys for having our backs tonight. You really came through.”

  Nelson stood, and pulled Kenton into a man hug. “We’re a team, a family. That’s what we do, thanks for taking care of my girl tonight.”

  Kenton winked at Egypt. “Always. She’s my top priority.”

  Nelson moved to the sofa, reached for her hand, and pulled her up.

  “Ow,” she groaned as she stood, grimacing in pain and rubbing her left hip.

  “Oops, sorry. I forgot you’re all banged up.” Nelson gently wrapped his arms around her and whispered close to her ear, but Kenton couldn’t hear what was being said.

  “I’m glad you guys are alright.” Myles pushed away from the wall and pulled his keys from his pocket. “Now, we’re going to get out of here so you can get some sleep.”

  “All right, and thanks again for everything. I’ll walk you out.”

  When Kenton returned to the family room, he dimmed the lights and put on some music. Within seconds, Coltrane’s In a Sentimental Mood played through the speakers. The solemn melody fit Kenton’s current disposition as he slowly lowered himself back onto the sofa. That’s when he noticed Egypt wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked, then realized it was a stupid question. They’d been through hell. It was a wonder she’d been able to hold herself together as well as she had. He handed her a couple of sheets of Kleenex from the box on the table.

  “I guess I’m just a little overwhelmed by everything. We almost died tonight.” She sobbed, taking a moment to pull herself together. “Bits and pieces of the evening have been playing in my mind. I keep reliving those moments.”

  “I know what you mean.”

  Kenton laid his head against the sofa and stared up at the ceiling. There had even been a few times during the night that he had thought about Santana and Quaid. Trying to get him and Egypt out of that bar tonight triggered flashbacks of that day at the cemetery. A day he’d been trying to put behind him for years, but at least this time he hadn’t failed the person he was protecting.

  “You saved my life,” Egypt said as if reading his mind.

  “I can’t take all the credit. We had help, but most importantly, we had each other’s back.”

  “Yeah, you’re right. We had each other.”

  Kenton glanced down at her. “Now that Pisano’s out of the picture, you can stop running.”

  She gave Kenton a teary-eyed smile. “I had already stopped, but now I can start living.”

  Epilogue

  Three months later…

  “I thought Journey was going to wait a few months after the baby was born to have a housewarming party,” Egypt said as she and Kenton strolled up the walkway to the large, two-story colonial. Laz and Journey’s baby girl had been born seven weeks early, just days after the fundraiser.

  “Since it was so last minute, Laz thinks she just wanted an excuse to have everyone over. That’s why they told us not to bring a gift.” Kenton held up the large box, a cookware set that Egypt had insisted they buy.

  He also thought the gift was a waste of money since Journey didn’t cook and Laz kept their meals simple, only needing a pot or two at a time. But Egypt had already started giving Journey and Dakota cooking lessons and knew the cookware would come in handy.

  The door swung open seconds after they rang the doorbell. “Hey, y’all. Come on in,” Laz said, yawning as he opened the door wider.

  “What’s up, man? You look like shit. Is our goddaughter keeping you up?”

  “Man, don’t get me started. I don’t usually need much sleep, but that kid is not your normal infant. Seems she’s awake more than she sleeps. What’s with the box?”

  “Egypt wanted to get you guys a housewarming gift.”

  Laz accepted the box. “Cool, thanks.”

  “You just don’t listen, do you?” Journey strolled into the room carrying Arielle. “I told you no gifts.”

/>   “You know we couldn’t come empty-handed. Well, I couldn’t, but enough about us. Look at my little sweetie-pie.”

  The last few times Egypt had stopped by, Arielle slept through her visits. Today, her eyes were open, showing off the beautiful hazel-green color that was identical to Laz’s. Egypt shook out of her coat and handed it to Kenton, who hung both of their jackets in the closet near the front door.

  “Okay, hand her over so we can bond.”

  “All right, but you might want to wait until I change the little stinker. I was on my way upstairs when Laz mentioned you guys were outside. Actually, come and say hello to everyone and then you can go upstairs with me. I want you to see what I’ve done with the nursery.”

  “Sounds like a plan.” They strolled down the short hall but stopped when they saw Dakota coming down the stairs with Dylan in her arms.

  “Well, it’s about time you guys got here.”

  “God, look at all of this cuteness,” Egypt cooed, kissing Dylan’s scented neck while he kicked his chubby legs. Dakota handed him to her, and Egypt marveled how big he was getting. Like Arielle, he had a head full of black curls. “It sounds like a lot of people here already. Are we that late?”

  Journey waved the question off. “Nah, you’re right on time. Everyone is in the family room, and those who are pretending that it’s not chilly outside are sitting out back on the deck.”

  Egypt followed them past the home office and a powder room. “Mmm, something smells good. I guess those cooking lessons are paying—”

  “Surprise!”

  Egypt startled, her heart practically pounding out of her chest as she held the baby tighter. She glanced around at the crowded family room, and at those who had spilled into the adjourned dining area and the kitchen. Most of Supreme Security was there, and it took her a moment to realize what was going on. Happy birthday balloons and decorations were all over.

  “Happy Birthday,” everyone yelled.

  “Here, I’ll take Dylan,” Kenton said, lifting the baby out of her arms before kissing her lips. “Happy birthday, sweetheart.”