Golden Girl (COBRA Security Book 16)

by Velvet Vaughn

  A tall man with dark hair was striding towards them. He detoured to shake Blake Caldwell’s hand. He’d instructed Peyton to call the detective while he and Ethan retrieved Declan and Jamal.

  “Are you going to arrest my mom and brother for trying to kill Declan?” Jamal asked in a small voice.

  Blake smiled at the boy. “Right now, I’m just gathering information.”

  “They did it,” he stated matter-of-factly. “My brother tried to kill me, but Declan tackled me and saved me. Then my mom bashed him on the head.” He cringed and turned watery eyes to Peyton. “Is he going to die?”

  “No, honey,” Peyton told him, brushing a hand over his head. “He’ll be just fine.” She met Noah’s gaze and he tried to give an encouraging smile, but judging by the tightening of her mouth, Peyton didn’t buy it.

  #

  For the second time in two days, Peyton found herself in the emergency room. They’d brought Aurora to the same hospital the night before.

  Surreptitiously, she removed a slip of paper from Jamal’s backpack and excused herself to make a call.

  “Hello?”

  “Ms. Stanton?”

  “Yes.”

  “I’m calling about your nephew Jamal.”

  There was an inhale of breath and then, “What happened to Jamal. Is he okay?”

  “He is, but there’s been an incident.” She explained about Jamal running away because of his brother’s threats and then the events when he returned to his apartment.

  A heavy sigh. “My sister’s a mess. She got caught up in drugs and nobody could help her, though God knows I’ve tried. I’ve wanted to take Jamal for years. He’s too sweet to grow up in that environment. I don’t want him to lose his gentleness. Are you sure Jamarcus is dead?”

  “Yes. He was involved in a gang-related shootout.”

  “I know he was my nephew, too, but I can’t say I’m sorry. Has my sister been arrested?”

  “I’m not sure. The police are investigating.”

  “Please don’t let child services take Jamal. I’m on my way. My company has a corporate jet I can use. The flight from Detroit to Chicago is approximately forty-five minutes. I’ll be there as soon as possible.”

  Peyton gave her the name of the hospital and disconnected.

  A tall African American man entered the waiting room, his eyes scanning the interior. He was handsome with close-cropped black hair, impressive muscles and intense eyes. He reminded Peyton of Shemar Moore, the actor who played Hondo on the television show SWAT. His gaze locked on Noah and he strode forward. Peyton hurried back to the group in case there was any trouble. She’d never heard Jamal talk about his father.

  “Noah Addison?” The man asked in a deep voice.

  Noah stood. “Mr. Bishop.” They shook hands.

  “It’s Eric. How is he?”

  “We haven’t heard.”

  “I’ll see what I can find out.” The man headed straight for the check-in window.

  “Who is that?” Jamal asked.

  Noah sat back down. “That’s Declan’s brother.”

  “How is that possible?” Jamal asked. She wondered the same thing since they were different races.

  “They’re foster brothers.”

  Jamal’s brows crinkled. “What does that mean?”

  “It means that they aren’t related by blood, but they consider each other family.”

  “Oh. Okay. Like me and Declan.”

  Peyton swallowed a lump in her throat. Jamal had formed an instant bond with Declan. It would be hard for him to leave his new friend and even harder if something happened to him.

  Declan’s foster brother returned. “He’s in surgery.” His lips tightened. “His brain is swelling, and they might have to induce a coma.”

  Jamal sat up in a panic. “Is he going to die?”

  Eric’s lips tightened more. “They can’t give me a prognosis right now.”

  Jamal’s face crumpled and he started to sob. “It’s my fault! Declan’s going to die and it’s all my fault!”

  Peyton gathered him into her arms. “No, honey, it’s not.” But he didn’t listen as he continued to weep until his little body shuddered. When he was quiet, she looked down to see he’d fallen asleep. Noah gently took him from her arms and placed him on a sofa. Ethan draped a blanket he’d charmed from a very responsive nurse over him.

  Peyton woke with a start, blinking to take in the surroundings. They were in the hospital and she’d dozed on Noah’s shoulder. Something had pulled her from a light slumber, and she realized it was Noah rubbing her arm. “Is it Declan?”

  “No, there’s a woman over there asking for you.”

  She glanced to where Noah indicated to see a woman with long hair secured into a chignon searching the waiting room. She wore an expensive navy jacket and skirt over a cream top. She spotted Peyton at the same time and hurried over, her three-inch heels tapping purposefully along the linoleum floor. “Ms. Durant?”

  Peyton stood to greet her. “You must be Jamal’s aunt. Please, call met Peyton.”

  “I’m LaTonya Stanton.” The woman hugged her with a fierce grip. “Thank you so much for calling me. I’ve been worried about Jamal for years. I love him like my own son. I try to visit him as often as I can but seeing his living conditions makes me ill. I tried getting child services involved, but somehow my sister roused herself into semi-presentable. After my last attempt to take Jamal, she sicced Jamarcus on me. He threatened me with physical harm unless I left and never came back. I believed him.”

  Peyton would believe him capable of harming his own family, too.

  “He’s told me about you,” LaTonya said.

  “He has?”

  “He adores you. We email regularly and all his messages are about how much he loves to swim now and how he wants to follow in your footsteps.”

  That made Peyton smile.

  “I looked up classes on the plane ride here. I’ve found some I can get him into right away so he can continue to swim.”

  Latonya Stanton would be a good guardian for Jamal. Her love for him was obvious.

  “Ms. Stanton, I don’t mean to interrupt,” Noah said. “But I think you might be interested in these.” He handed her Declan’s phone.

  Peyton gasped and covered her mouth as LaTonya scrolled through the pictures Declan snapped of Jamal’s apartment. She’d never been inside and now she was glad. The filthy conditions were deplorable.

  LaTonya looked up with tears running down her cheeks as she handed the phone back to Noah. “Can you send these to me?” Her voice was husky as she recited her phone number.

  Noah tapped it in and forwarded the photos. “I believe our agent took the pictures so you’d have ammunition in case Jamal’s mother tried to fight you for custody.”

  “No court in the country would send him back there,” Ethan added softly.

  “Thank you all for what you’ve done.” She dabbed at her eyes with a tissue she’d fished from her purse. “I can never repay you.”

  “Giving Jamal a home is all the repayment we need,” Peyton said.

  She smiled. “Done. I wish I could stay longer, but I’ve got a cab waiting outside and the pilot is holding the plane.” She reached down and gently shook Jamal’s shoulder.

  He stirred and blinked sleepily up at them. Then his eyes widened. “Aunt Lala!” He launched himself into her arms.

  “He’s called me that since he first learned to talk,” she said over his shoulder.

  He bobbed with excitement when she placed his feet on the ground. “What are you doing here?”

  “I came to take you back with me.”

  “You did? Really? My mom’s okay with that?”

  “We’ll ask her later,” she hedged. “Say your goodbyes. I’ve got a plane waiting.”

  He jerked away. “No! I can’t leave yet. I want to see Declan before I go.”

  Peyton rubbed his shoulder. “It might be a while before we can see him.”

  De
clan’s foster brother walked up to them. “He’s out of surgery but they’ve induced a coma.” He placed a hand on Jamal’s shoulder. “If you want to say goodbye, that would be okay.”

  “Really?” Jamal’s eyes were hopeful.

  “I’ll take you back,” Peyton offered. Eric gave them the room number and then led them to the wing of the hospital. Peyton pushed open the door and Jamal tentatively walked through. The room was dim and cool. Machines beeped next to the bed Declan was lying in with bandages wrapped around his head and torso, tubes in his arms and nose.

  Jamal whimpered. “Is he going to die,” he asked in a small voice.

  She prayed he didn’t. “No. He’s strong. He’ll be okay.”

  Jamal creeped closer to the bed and picked up Declan’s hand. “I’m sorry my mom and brother did this to you,” he whispered. “I’ll never forgive them.” He slid the backpack off his shoulders and reached inside to withdraw a fuzzy brown bear. He kissed it and then tucked it against Declan’s side. “This is Yogi. He’s been my best friend and now he’ll be yours...oh, wait.” He reached back inside and withdrew something and slid it over Yogi’s neck. “There.”

  Lights from the machines next to Declan’s bed reflected off whatever Jamal added to the bear. Peyton leaned closer for a better look and her breath caught in her throat. It took a few seconds before her voice worked. “Where did you get that medal, Jamal?”

  “I saw it hanging on the doorknob when we were leaving this morning. I thought you left it for me. I was going to ask but I stuck it in my backpack and then forgot. It looks good on Yogi, doesn’t it?”

  She nodded absently and held out a hand. “Can I see it?”

  Jamal shrugged his shoulders. “Sure.” He handed her the bear.

  She took it from his hands and turned the medal over. Taped to the back was the word won.

  #

  Noah noticed the pale cast to Peyton’s skin as soon as she returned with Jamal. She tried to paste on a smile, but he could tell it was forced. He kept an eye on her as they said their goodbyes to the boy who’d charmed them all during their short time together.

  Declan taught Jamal a fist bump where they both opened their fingers wide like an explosion at the end. It was the same thing Kai Costa, the son of one of his coworkers, liked to do all the time. Noah had no doubt Kai and Jamal would get along like two peas in a pod if they ever met.

  Jamal had to fist bump everyone before he’d leave, even Declan’s foster brother, who looked amused. It was the first time he’d witnessed any expression from Eric other than stoic worry.

  As soon as Jamal and his aunt departed, Peyton collapsed into a chair beside him.

  “Peyton? What is it?”

  She held out a hand. His jaw tightened at the sight of the medal in her palm. He lifted it from her hand and turned it over. Won. Now the messages read in order: For every medal you won.

  “Where did you get it?”

  “Jamal found it hanging on the doorknob outside the house this morning. He thought I’d left it for him.”

  Ice flowed through Noah’s veins. Someone had breached the security system and waltzed right inside the gates without setting off an alarm. If they were sophisticated enough to bypass the external defenses, they’d have no trouble gaining access to the house.

  “If Jamal found the medal on the door, the property’s been compromised,” Ethan said, echoing his thoughts.

  Noah’s jaw firmed. “We need a new place to stay.” He called BeBe on speaker and told her what happened. She was distraught to know the safe house failed. She hung up with a promise to call right back, which she did less than fifteen minutes later.

  “I’ve arranged accommodations directly across the street from the Benton’s. Security is upgraded, though still not COBRA Security-level standards. Sorry.”

  “Nothing you can do about that,” Noah assured her.

  She harrumphed like she thought she should’ve been able to find a place close by that offered impenetrable defenses. “I need you to drive to this location, punch in a code and park in the garage.” She recited numbers and an address. “I’ll have another vehicle waiting for you in a different color. Use that to drive to the house. If someone is watching, they’ll be expecting your black Escalade.”

  “Marry me, BeBe,” Ethan blurted.

  A snort sounded over the phone. “You wish, blondie. You couldn’t handle me.”

  “Hum, a challenge,” Ethan teased, rubbing his hands together like an evil scientist.

  “I’d eat you for breakfast.”

  Ethan and Noah both chuckled. “Probably,” Ethan capitulated.

  “No probably about it. You’re a genius, BeBe,” Noah raved. She’d figured out what they needed before they’d had time to process the events. He’d make Ethan and Peyton hide in the floorboards before they approached the house so it would look like only one person was riding inside.

  “Is there room in the garage to store Peyton and Declan’s vehicles until this is over?”

  “Plenty,” BeBe confirmed.

  After showering her with more praise, they disconnected. Noah slipped his phone in his pocket as Declan’s foster brother walked over and handed all three of them cups of coffee. They offered thanks before sipping the lukewarm liquid.

  “Look, it doesn’t make sense for all of us to be here,” Eric said, his hands in his pockets. “I know you’re working on a case and I’m sure you have things to do. As soon as I have any news, I’ll let you know.”

  Noah hated to leave with Declan still in danger, but they needed to gather their belongings and move to the new location. Now that they knew the pool house had been bugged, it explained how someone managed to get the jump on them. Peyton posted the times and dates of both the community center banquet and her friend Lotus’ wedding on her refrigerator, plus they’d talked about both out loud. He’d no doubt told her about the house down the street, too. Whoever was watching had all the information they needed.

  Noah prayed they’d plugged the only leak.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Noah made sure Peyton stuck close to his side as they left the hospital. He didn’t want her out of his sight for a minute until the perp was caught. Ethan had jogged ahead to retrieve the SUV.

  “I feel bad leaving Declan,” she murmured.

  “I do, too, but Eric will call us with updates. We’ll come back tomorrow and check on him.”

  That seemed to appease her. Noah waited until Ethan stopped in front of the entrance before he led Peyton outside and opened the back door. As soon as she was settled, he closed it and climbed into the passenger seat. His stomach growled, reminding him that they hadn’t eaten in hours. He instructed Ethan to turn when a restaurant came into view.

  “All this fast food isn’t great for my diet,” Peyton grumbled.

  Ethan glanced in the rear-view mirror. “You don’t need to watch what you eat. You’re perfect the way you are.”

  Noah narrowed his eyes at his smirking brother, who studiously avoided his glare.

  “That’s sweet of you to say, but I have a strict regimen that I follow when I’m training.”

  “Are you? Training?” Noah asked. She was the reigning Olympic champion. He hadn’t thought of asking if she planned to keep competing.

  She lifted a shoulder. “I don’t know. I haven’t decided yet, but habits are hard to break.”

  Ethan placed their orders at the drive thru speaker and then paid at the first window before rolling to the next one to pick up their bags of food. He found a parking spot and backed in so they could keep guard while they ate.

  Noah didn’t usually indulge like this, either. He and Ethan took turns cooking healthy meals loaded with vegetables and protein. He’d never developed a serious sweet tooth, either. He enjoyed the occasional piece of pie or vanilla malt, but for the most part, fruit was his dessert of choice. Still, there was no substitute for hot, salty French fries fresh out of the fryer.

  Noah gathered the wrappers—pl
eased to note Peyton had eaten most of her grilled chicken sandwich—and deposited the trash in the bin. As soon as he buckled back up, they were on the road again.

  “I’d feel better if you moved to the floor,” Noah told her as they neared the turn for their street.

  “Why? Do you think someone’s waiting for us to return?”

  “I’m not taking chances,” he said.

  “I don’t want you two exposed either,” she argued, even as she unbuckled and slid to the spot between the seats.

  Ethan entered the code and the gate swung open. Noah’s head worked on a swivel, looking for any signs of potential danger.

  “You stay here with Peyton,” Ethan said. He’d parked away from the house so Noah could see as much of the surroundings as possible, with outdoor lights illuminating most of the entry. “I’ll pack everything up while you keep guard.”

  Noah didn’t like the thought of his brother going in the house by himself. They were a team. But he didn’t want Peyton inside and he didn’t want to leave her alone, either. Damn. It was his own personal Sophie’s Choice. “Okay but keep in contact with the comms. At the first sign of trouble, I’ll be right there.”

  As soon as Ethan left, Noah climbed over the console to the driver’s seat in case he needed to rush Peyton to safety. His eyes scanned the shadows, looking for anything out of the ordinary. The owners had placed life-sized statues of Greek gods and goddesses in strategic places around the house, causing him to do more than one double-take. He jerked his head around when he noticed movement, only to find willowy green stalks of ornamental grasses billowing softly in the wind. He was on edge, but someone had breached the security once. He wanted to be long gone before they tried again.

  “Noah?”

  “Hum?”

  “Why is there a blinking red light beneath Declan’s Jeep?”

  Noah’s eyes shot to the vehicle. His heartbeat roared like thunder in his ears. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion. With a yell to Peyton to stay inside and lock the doors, he lurched outside and took off in a dead sprint. “Run, Ethan!”

  His brother turned around right in front of the vehicle. Noah launched in the air, plowing his shoulder into Ethan’s gut until they flew backwards and crashed to the pavement with bone-jarring force just as an explosion rippled and Declan’s Jeep detonated into a booming ball of fire.