by Apryl Baker
Kade handed over his weapon to Bradford. “I shot out tires, and I think I nicked one of them on the hand.”
“Officer, thank you, but I’ve got this.” Jeremy collected Kade’s weapon. “You can go now.”
“The hell I will. These people were the cause of a major accident! They need to be arrested.”
“These people were the ones you were sent to protect from the cartel following them.” Jeremy lowered his glasses and stared the man down. “Kincaid is a former FBI agent who’s been reinstated for this case. Do you really want to cause a pissing match between your division and the FBI?”
The officer looked like he wanted to argue, but his common sense was catching up to him. He closed his mouth and stomped back to his vehicle.
“That went well.” Conner leaned against the vehicle, watching Jeremy. Kade knew that look. It always made him uncomfortable knowing his brother liked both men and women, but he accepted it because he loved his brother. He’d support him as long as his choices made him happy.
Angel leaned in toward Conner, and Kade heard her whisper, “He’s single.”
“Is he, now?” Conner’s grin came out full of the promise of dark things. Jeremy cleared his throat. Kade had no idea if Jeremy was gay or bisexual or straight, but he knew his brother could make a straight man want to experiment. He had, in fact, done that to a few men Kade knew of. If he set his sights on Jeremy, this could turn out to be an interesting trip in more ways than one.
“Let’s get you lot inside before more Los Muertos decides it’s open season.” Jeremy turned and walked into the building a little faster than he’d emerged.
Kade saw his brother grin and his dark eyes glow with the intent of a predator.
This was definitely going to be interesting.
Chapter Fifteen
Allison Bentley waited for them in the conference room that had been set aside by the police chief. She already had whiteboards full of known Los Muertos hierarchy. Kade zeroed in the picture that stood by itself at the top. Tomás Rivera. He looked mean as sin. In the movies, the leaders of the cartel always looked handsome and dangerous. Not Tomás. He wasn’t even slightly handsome. His ugly mug promised pain to anyone who brought harm to him or those he cared for. Or his business.
“Hey, Ally.” Kade gave her a quick hug. She’d been his partner the last year he’d been with the bureau. Allison was more than pretty; she was beautiful, but she didn’t realize it. It was the same kind of beauty Angel had, and it made them both more attractive for their lack of knowing how stunning they were. “Let me introduce you to my wife, Angel, and my brother, Conner.”
“Charmed.” Conner took her hand and kissed the back. He was laying on the charm. Jeremy shook his head and settled into one of the chairs around the table. Maybe he was grateful Conner’s attention had shifted from him to Allison, but Kade knew his brother well. He would go after them both if he really wanted to.
Allison blushed and quickly pulled her hand away. She was a no-nonsense kind of girl who would put his brother in his place if he came on too hard. As far as Kade knew, she wasn’t in a relationship, but he hadn’t seen her in months.
“It’s good to meet you both. Now, if you’ll sit, I’ll show you what we’ve come up with.”
Conner’s lips quirked at her dismissive tone, but he ambled over and sat beside Jeremy, his big frame dwarfing the chair. He adjusted it, and in the process, inched it closer to Jeremy, who shot him a sideways glance.
Angel was trying her best to hide her smile. She’d gotten to know Jeremy a little in Boston. Kade doubted she knew his sexual orientation, though. He had to admit it was a little funny. Conner was making no secret about his interest in Jeremy, who seemed to be trying to run from him.
Before she could start, Dylan and Max came through the door, followed by their new hire, Cole Daniels. He wasn’t what Conner expected. He was lean, built, and had a carefree look about him. Very casual in jeans and a Bob Dylan t-shirt. His shaggy brown hair leaned more to someone who’d just rolled out of bed than either a police officer or a security consultant. Not a great first impression. He hoped Viktor knew what he was doing when he hired him.
“This is the rest of my team.” Kade motioned them to take their seats. “Max, Dylan, and Cole.”
Introductions were made, and Max tossed a file folder on the table. Inside were photos of Matthew playing in a garden behind a gated fence. “He’s at Rivera’s compound. Security is tight, armed guards every four feet no matter where you are on the property.”
“That’s why we’re here.” Allison picked up the photos and looked through them, her voice melodic and soothing. Kade suspected she had a lovely singing voice, though he’d never even heard her hum. “You need to be legally able to enter the compound.”
“But that’s the problem.” Jeremy took the opportunity to inch away from Conner by pretending to lean forward and adjust his chair. Conner only followed him, his arm brushing against Jeremy’s. “The DNA test you ran…” Jeremy cleared his throat, clearly rattled. “The DNA test isn’t valid. It was illegal. You didn’t have permission from the child’s legal guardian, who we’ve discovered is Tomás Rivera.”
“And there’s not a shot in hell he’ll give that to us.” Kade sat back, his mind going to plan B. Conner might be their only shot at getting the boy back, but then how did they manage to keep him when he wasn’t legally theirs?
“Afraid not.” Allison nodded. “But I have had a warrant drawn up for his DNA, providing all the information you gave me as well as the photos you texted. The kid looks like you, Kade. There’s no denying that, but I don’t know if that’s enough.”
“It hasn’t been signed yet, though?” Kade asked, watching Allison watch his brother and Jeremy. She had no idea what she was getting into. Conner would eat her alive and leave her heart bloody. He made a mental note to talk to her.
“No. I was waiting to see if your guys could provide more information.”
Dylan nodded and opened his laptop. “The hospital records indicate a baby boy was born premature at twenty weeks on the same day your son was pronounced dead. He was given the surname Ramirez, his parents’ names left blank on the birth certificate.”
“Medical records are confidential.” Allison was still flipping through Max’s photos, studying them. “How did you get them?”
“Birth records are not confidential. They’re a matter of public record. I didn’t ask anything medical. The woman I spoke to in medical records volunteered that information with no prompting from me.”
Allison pursed her lips but nodded. “I’ll make it work. Anything else?”
“Does the fact Tomás Rivera took custody of the boy help? Kade did kill his little brother in a drug raid.”
“It can’t hurt.” Allison put the photos down and scribbled on her notepad sitting at the head of the table. “We’ll be trying to get a judge to sign it and delivered with the stipulation the boy isn’t to be moved from Miami-Dade County.”
Angel sat and listened quietly as they discussed ways to get her son back. Her biggest fear going this route was that they’d whisk Matthew out of the country as soon as the warrant was served. They could fly him anywhere, and she’d be right back to where she’d been the last six years. Her arms empty and her heart bleeding.
Allison began her spiel about the cartel, but Angel tuned her out. There wasn’t anything she could say Angel didn’t already know. She grew up here, and Los Muertos was something everyone who lived in Miami knew about. She didn’t need to know the names or the faces. It didn’t make the cartel any less dangerous. It didn’t make what they would do to Matthew any more real to her. She kept expecting to see a package show up with a finger or a toe in it. That was how they dealt with their enemies. Mutilation of their loved ones.
No. She wouldn’t think like that. Instead, she focused on Conner and Jeremy. It distracted her watching Kade’s brother work his magic. He was big and scary, but right now, that wasn’t the vibe he was throwing out. She c
ould almost believe she was wrong about him. He looked sexy as hell as he lounged, his eyes moving between Jeremy and Allison. She knew he was bisexual, and now she wondered if he’d go after Jeremy or Allison.
But what if he wanted them both?
This could be the distraction she needed to stop thinking about her child being butchered. Allison kept sneaking glances at Conner as she worked and pointed out various people on her whiteboard. Allison definitely had a healthy dose of lust for Conner. Did she notice the way he was hitting on Jeremy? Did she care? Angel had no clue, but she was going to find out.
“We have a plan.” Jeremy stood and all but ran to the whiteboard to stand beside Allison, whose breath hitched. What was this? Did Allison like Jeremy? The tangled web that was being woven in this room was worthy of one of Dimitri’s or Lily’s novels. “We’ll execute the warrant as soon as it’s signed. The ME is on standby to go with the officers to Ramirez’s compound. There’s nothing else anyone can do today, so I suggest you go to the hotel and wait.”
“Will we be safe there?” Angel finally spoke up. “The cartel knows we’re here. What’s to stop them from following us to the hotel?”
“I have a police escort for you and round-the-clock protection.” Allison gave her a reassuring smile. “Everything that can be done has been done.”
“And I’m going back to make sure they don’t move the boy.” Dylan stood, getting ready to leave. “Max, you’ll come with me in case they move him. We’ll need to track him. Cole, you’ll be the liaison between us, the department, and the feds.”
“Sure thing.” Cole nodded. “I need to check in with my contacts here, so I’ll report in tonight on what I’ve been able to dig up.”
“And where will you two be staying?” Conner’s question seemed innocent enough, but Allison’s deep blush belied that. Jeremy ignored him.
“We’ll be staying in the same hotel, but we can’t leave just yet. We need to get this warrant signed and executed.”
“But you’ll be back later tonight?” Conner asked, his eyes lazily sweeping over them both.
“We’ll check in when we get back and let everyone know what happened.” Jeremy stressed the word everyone, Angel suspected for Conner’s benefit. She’d caught the way he’d been staring at Conner. There was interest there, but she suspected it bothered Jeremy he was having a reaction to Conner. She needed to suss out if Conner was wasting his time. She liked Jeremy and didn’t want him to be uncomfortable.
They all said their goodbyes and exited the building. True to Allison’s word, a police escort waited. Jasper should already be at the hotel with their own security team. He’d flown down ahead of them to make sure the hotel’s security was sufficient. It was the same one Nik used when he came down here to race. They were apparently very good at keeping their clients under wraps. Angel hoped the cartel didn’t have their claws into this place. Nik had been coming here for years. Surely the cartel would have recognized his last name if they owned a piece of the hotel.
“So, your friends…”
Angel laughed outright when Kade started shaking his head. “Hands off, Conner. They’re here to work, not entertain you.”
“They can do both.” He shrugged and pulled out behind the second patrol car. Two more followed them. “I know I want to do both.”
Kade’s face flamed up, and Angel cackled at her prude. “Conner, just…that is not right, man, not even a little bit.”
“What?” Conner leaned his head back against the headrest. “Is Allison single? Your wife already spilled the beans about sexy Agent Bradford.”
“Conner, my friends are not your toys.” Kade took a deep breath, and it was all Angel could do to not burst out in giggles. She’d known Conner’s sexuality made Kade uncomfortable, but now that she was seeing it, it was as bad as when he’d walked in on Nikoli’s kink closet. His little brother was into domination and submission, but not hardcore. He’d never harm a hair on Lily’s head. He just liked to be in control in the bedroom. Kade really had no idea of kink, something she planned on changing.
“Of course they’re not toys.” Conner shifted, checking the mirror. “I can get toys if they’re into that, though. It’s not an issue.”
He said it with such a straight face, Kade gaped at him.
“I think you’ve caused an aneurism.” Angel grinned when Kade’s face turned bright red and the vein at the side of his head started to throb. “Mr. Prude, here, has no sense of adventure.”
“He is a prude.” Conner hummed as he drove.
“I am not a prude,” Kade spluttered. “Just for that, there will be no finger fucking tonight.”
She stuck her tongue out at him and settled into his side. “Is Allison single?”
“I have no idea. It’s been months since I talked to her.”
“Was she single?” Conner asked, turning the radio on.
“She was.” Kade grimaced at the rap music that blared out of the radio. “Do we have to listen to this?”
“Yes.” Conner ignored Kade’s pleas to find something they all could agree on. “I’m driving. I pick the music.”
“So, what’s the plan?” Angel interrupted the argument about to ensue. Her head ached, and while the music caused it to hurt more, she’d deal with it. “Do you want to hook up with Jeremy or Allison?”
“Why not both?” Conner turned to look at her, his black eyes alight with devilment. It was the first real emotion she’d seen from him.
“Both?” Kade slapped a hand to his head. “You realize they work together?”
“And?” Conner turned his attention back to the road.
“And it could cause problems.”
“Nah. If I’m upfront with them both, they’ll have no reason to be jealous of each other. Hell, they might even decide to come play with me together. Allison definitely had a reaction when Jeremy stood next to her. She likes him.”
So, he’d picked up on that too, had he? Angel’s thoughts went straight to the gutter, and she shifted a little. She needed the finger fucking Kade was threatening to withhold from her. Sooner rather than later.
“Conner, I love you and I support you, but I don’t want to hear this!”
Conner finally let out a laugh, the first Angel had heard from him. It was open, honest, and reminded her of Dimitri. Kade froze, his expression awed. Did Conner not laugh a lot?
“Brat, I love you too. I swear I will keep my fuckery as far away from you as I can.”
Angel was amazed at the change in Kade’s brother. Conner might scare the shit out of her, but he was growing on her. He had a wicked sense of humor hidden behind that cold mask.
Jasper met them when they pulled into the hotel, or rather behind the hotel. The back lot was gated off and required a secure password to enter, which Conner punched in. Two very bulky looking men waited alongside Jasper. They wore dark sunglasses and stood at attention. Their Men In Black impersonation did nothing to inspire confidence.
“You’re all checked in,” Jasper said as soon as he opened Kade’s door. “I’ve got your keycards. We can use the back elevators. Nik reserved suites for everyone.”
Angel was hustled out of the SUV and into the building. The gleaming tile floors winked at her briefly as Kade made her all but run to the elevator. She understood his hurry, but the dizziness from the concussion was kicking in. The doctor warned her it could happen over the next few days. He counseled rest, but that wasn’t in the cards for her.
They parted ways with Conner and Jasper at their room. Inside, she let out a little gasp. They had a suite. It hadn’t registered until this moment. The bedroom was off by itself, and she walked into two cozy couches facing a large flat screen. Black and white photos of the beach decorated the pale tan walls. She got nosy and went exploring. Much to her delight, there was a balcony that looked out to the water, and she rushed outside.
“Hello, neighbor.”
She looked up to see Conner across the way. He stood, leaning against the railing
, gazing out at the water. There was a look of such sadness on his face, it made her want to reach out and hug him. It was gone so fast she might have imagined it, though.
“Can you smell the ocean?” She took a deep breath, enjoying the salty air. It reminded her of summer days spent building sandcastles and chasing Peter along the hot sand.
“It’s salty.” The sour tone gave way to a sigh. “I’ll be inside if you need anything.” He closed the balcony doors to his room, and she jumped when Kade wrapped his arms around her.
“What’s put a stick up his ass?”
“I have no idea.” Angel frowned, thinking. Something was bothering him, and she was pretty sure whatever bad memory it was had to do with the ocean.
“How are you feeling?” He nuzzled his nose in her hair. “I saw you wincing a little in the car. Did the music cause a headache?”
“I do have a headache, but I’m hoping I can take some Tylenol and knock it out.” She breathed in the briny air and let out a little sigh of pleasure. “I’ve missed Miami more than I realized.”
“It’ll always be home to you.” Kade turned her to face him. “You grew up here.”
“Home is wherever you are.” She leaned up on her toes so she could kiss him. “You’re my home, Kincaid. Now and always.”
“Someone sounds like they’ve been binging on Hallmark Channel movies.” He leaned down and captured her lips. The instant heat that spread from her belly to her fingertips never failed to amaze her.
“Don’t mock the Hallmark romances. Lily said her agent is pitching her book to them.” She licked his bottom lip, something that drove him crazy. “I was simply doing my due diligence so I can give her my opinion if it’s a good fit for her or not.”
“I would agree if I didn’t know you secretly loved those movies and use any excuse to watch them.” Kade pulled her with him to the large patio chair. He’d been watching her closely all day, looking for signs of stress. He was worried she wouldn’t tell him if the concussion symptoms got to be too much for her.