Mayhem’s King: Operation Mayhem

by Cross, Lindsay

  “She like kids?”

  “Kids?” Laura echoed.

  “Well, babies, technically speaking. We just welcomed a new addition to our team. She hasn’t started walking yet, mastered the crawl.” Diggs shot her a glance over his shoulder.

  Laura couldn’t help but look toward King, not surprised to see him watching her through his thick dark lashes, his one eye slit open.

  “Where exactly are you taking us?”

  * * *

  An hour later Laura had the answer to her question as they pulled up to a mansion. Faith had long since woken from her nap and now bounced on the edge of the seat, her tiny face plastered against the window. Laura leaned over herself, taking in the tall white column structure and its spectacular architecture. Sweeping lines and a landscaped-curve driveway with a fountain smack dab in the center, the place looked like it had been cut out of a Hollywood magazine. There was no way they would be staying here.

  Diggs parked the truck right in front of the double front doors and he and King exited the vehicle. King opened the back door for them. “We’re here.”

  “And where exactly is here?” she asked hesitantly as she slid out of the truck behind Faith and then snatched up her hand. Faith tugged, attempting to pull Laura in the direction of the doors, her blue eyes wide as saucers.

  “Our headquarters. This is where we live. There’s plenty of room for you and Faith. If you’ll follow me, I’ll help get you settled in,” King said, his face drawn. A drop of blood dripped from his shirt and splattered on the space down beneath her feet.

  Concern took over her fear. “You really need to go to the hospital.”

  Apparently, that was the wrong response. King frowned at her as if she’d suggested he go jump off a cliff or something insane rather than take care of his health. “Inside. Now.”

  Laura planted her free hand on her hip, fully intending to let him know exactly what he could do with his orders, only to stare mouth open as King spun on his heel and stalked up to the front door, leaving her to either follow or stand there like an idiot in the middle of the driveway. A quick glance around showed she had nowhere else to go. She couldn’t take off now with no supplies and no idea where they were, especially not with Faith in tow.

  Diggs stood on the other side of the truck, propping his arms on the side of the tailgate. “Better move. I’ll go park the truck and meet you inside.”

  King stood at the front door, holding it open and staring straight ahead at nothing. She thought long and hard about making him wait, but in the end, it was Faith that dragged her along, not the least bit frightened and every bit excited to see the inside of the house. Laura made sure to glare at him as she crossed the threshold. Hurt or not, she didn’t care. Let him pass out from blood loss for all she cared.

  Laura lifted her chin and strode past the stubborn man. But the moment she crossed the threshold her frustration fled. She sucked in a breath in awe. Faith began to bounce excitedly, waving Kitty around in a manner that was sure to dismember the poor creature.

  A massive grand staircase in the center of a foyer large enough to take up her entire townhouse—before it burned to the ground—caught and held her attention. Gleaming polished wood and wrought iron rails flanking plush velvet carpeting that had to have come out of a castle. She wouldn’t be surprised if at any moment a queen came striding down its regal steps. Polished, gleaming floors stretched out in front of her, and a gorgeous sparkling crystal chandelier dripped from the ceiling three stories above.

  Faith tugged her along. Laura followed wordlessly, breathing in her surroundings as her mind tried to process the grandeur. Faith shook her hand free and bolted for a very expensive looking, very delicate, very tall vase against the wall. Without thinking Laura shot after her and snaked an arm around the child’s waist, yanking her back before she touched the priceless treasure. Dear Lord, that thing probably cost more than she made in five years.

  Social workers weren’t known for their pay rate, and Laura had never done her job for that reason—her satisfaction came from helping the children in need. She put Faith down on her feet, placed her hands on her shoulders, and turned her to face her. She took a quick glance in King’s direction, saw that he and Diggs were preoccupied conversing near the front door, and carefully placed herself between the two. Laura signed, “Don’t touch anything.”

  Completely unfazed, Faith signed just as quickly, “Everything is so shiny! Is this a castle? Is there a princess here?”

  Laura chuckled. “No castle. This is where we are going to be staying for a little while until your daddy comes to get us.”

  Her wide blue eyes expanded even farther. “Really?”

  “Really.” Laura affirmed.

  The hairs on the back of Laura’s neck stood on end and she spun, trapping Faith firmly behind her. King stood less than three feet away, forcing her to crane her neck in an uncomfortable angle to look up at him. His shoulders completely blocked her view of the grand double French doors, but it was the intensity of his stare that left her paralyzed. Even now, after everything that had happened, she couldn’t deny the buzz of awareness between them.

  And why she was noticing anything good about the man who’d practically kidnapped her just pissed her off. She’d never stood silently by; she wasn’t going to start now. “What?” He continued to stare at her as if she hadn’t even spoken, and a lukewarm blush spread over her neck. “Change your mind?”

  King grunted, as if that was an appropriate response to either of her questions and strode toward the grand staircase. “Follow me.”

  It was bad enough she’d allowed him to bring them here, to this place—albeit a gorgeous place—without putting up more of a fight. The guilt threw her, but she pushed it back. She’d been in shock. After the death match between John and King, followed by the explosion… Her house. She’d lost everything. All her photos. Her clothes. Her…stop it. No time to freak out now.

  She let him get about four or five steps up before she responded, “I’m not going one step farther until we talk and you tell me exactly what is going on.”

  King paused mid stride, his shoulders rising as he took a deep, long breath. When he faced her, she faltered. He looked horrible.

  “Your rooms are up here.” He gestured over his shoulder and winced. King made to take a step down, and nearly missed the step, catching himself on the railing.

  Laura almost moved to help him, but stopped. “Do you need to sit down?” He looked like he was going to pass out.

  King managed to look both incredibly tan and pale at the same time. He bent at the waist and descended another step. “Just do what I say…” His last word faded and he pitched forward.

  Laura snatched Faith out of the way, trying to save them both from being crushed under King’s massive frame. A flash of color buzzed past her periphery and Diggs was there, catching King before he hit the ground.

  Laura’s mouth hung open. “How did you do that?”

  Diggs grunted, backpedaling as he attempted to get his footing. “I was right behind you.”

  She glanced to the door, pretty sure he’d been all the way across the room. “Uh-huh.”

  “You were distracted. It’s okay.”

  King’s arm drooped to the ground, his hand swaying as Diggs struggled with his weight. A fast stream of blood plopped on the floor, pooling out in a scarlet puddle over the polished granite.

  “Melissa!” Diggs yelled.

  Laura jumped.

  “I saw! I’m on my way.” A clipped, female voice came from the wall behind her. Laura spun, looking for the source. Faith tugged on her hand and gestured to King, “Is he dead like Daddy?”

  “What?” Laura frantically signed.

  “Did he blow up like Daddy?”

  “You think your daddy blew up?”

  Faith nodded, hugging Kitty to her chest. Laura took her face in her hands and mouthed, “Your Daddy’s fine. He didn’t blow up. I saw him run away from the house.”

/>   Faith continued to stare at her solemnly and the crushing realization that Laura had completely overlooked a huge part of her niece’s world crashed into her. She should have made sure Faith knew that John was fine—instead she’d been…in shock.

  Laura caught the little girl up in a hug and then sat her back. “He is alive and he’s going to come get us.”

  “You promise?”

  “I promise.” Laura wiggled her pinky up between them. “Pinky promise.”

  Faith hesitated a second and then hooked her tiny pinky through hers, her solemn lips tilting up at the corners. A rush of tears pricked the back of Laura’s eyes, but she blinked them back. Keep it together.

  “Is he okay?” Faith pointed to the very unconscious and bloody King.

  Should she try to explain how King was injured and unconscious but not dead—like they’d thought her father had been twice now—or just tell a little white lie? Faith’s seven-year-old baby blues watched her with all the hope of the world and Laura didn’t have to think twice. “He’s playing a game. He’s pretending to be hurt and we have to find the doctor.”

  ‘Operation’ here we come.

  “Laura, can you hit the intercom behind you and ask her to hurry, please? And ask for some backup?” Diggs’s knees bent, putting both him and King perilously closer to the floor.

  “Oh! Yes, of course.” She crossed the foyer to the wall and saw just wall. “Where?”

  “Behind the plant. Goes to the whole compound.”

  Laura pushed the fake greenery to the side and found the tiny speaker, painted the same shade as the wall. “The button on the top or bottom?”

  “Bottom,” Diggs grunted. “Hurry. He weighs a ton.”

  Her heart kicking up a notch, Laura hit the button. “Um, Diggs needs you to hurry.” She released the button. There. Done.

  “And backup!”

  “Oh! Sorry.” She hit the button again. “And he needs backup, pronto.” She glanced at him over her shoulder, relaxing at his nod of approval.

  Chapter 6

  Faith stood about ten feet from her, square in the middle of the room and halfway between the men and her. She did a slow look at King, studying him intently, before facing Laura once more. “Faith?” Laura signed. “Are you okay?”

  Was she having flashbacks? After all, Laura had told her, her daddy was in heaven when she’d found her with his ex. And then to see the explosion today. It was all she could do not to slap her hand over her face in worry. The girl would have PTSD for sure.

  Faith, her expression completely serious, stuck her arms out straight in front of her, Kitty dangling from one hand. She tottered right and left, inching forward like a zombie.

  What was she doing?

  Faith managed the awkward walk a few more seconds and then her eyes rolled back and her knees buckled.

  Laura’s heart stopped. “Faith!”

  She launched for her niece, catching her just before her knees hit the floor. Faith hung lifeless in her arms. Oh Lord.

  “What’s wrong?” Diggs called over his shoulder.

  “I don’t know!”

  “Faith, honey,” Laura began. Faith shook in her arms and then stilled again. “Faith?”

  She shook again, this time a little bit longer. Laughing. The rug rat was laughing, silently playing a trick. Man was she going to get her.

  Maybe telling her that King was playing a game hadn’t been such a good idea.

  The sound of heels clickety-clacking filled the room and a second later a tall, dark-haired woman dressed in impeccable slacks and blouse appeared from behind the staircase. “What happened?”

  Laura opened her mouth to answer but then, three very large, very armed men rushed into the room from the staircase and her mouth went dry. Can someone say Rambo?

  The men sported huge pistols and big rifles slung over their shoulders. Each and every one of them had to be as tall as King and wore black pants. Black shirts. Black boots. Oh Lord, what had her brother gotten them into?

  Two more women rushed in behind them; a curvy red head and a stunning brunette. The red head rushed to Diggs, stopping short of grabbing him while he supported King. “What happened, babe?”

  The brunette shoved her arm through one of the dark haired men’s bent arm. “What happened Hicks?”

  Completely unaware of the commotion, Faith continued to hang limp in her arms, her eyes closed and her hair hanging down around her face. Diggs staggered a couple of steps, straining under King’s weight. “Reaper, Juarez—a little help.”

  Two of the men, or giants, rushed forward, tucking their pistols into hidden side holsters as they ran. Once Diggs was freed, he stumbled back, blood covering his arms and shirt where he’d supported King.

  The dark-haired woman trotted across the room to Laura and she knelt beside them. “I’m Dr. Avery, tell me what happened. How was the child injured?”

  Laura managed to turn her attention from the massive gathering of males to a very serious, and concerned Dr. Avery. “He fell. I mean I think he passed out.”

  “Not King, the girl.”

  “Oh,” Laura lifted Faith. “Nothing, she’s fine.” She shook Faith, but the stubborn child refused to crack an eyelid.

  “She doesn’t look fine,” Dr. Avery began gently.

  Laura shook Faith again, this time just a little bit firmer. Faith’s arms flopped around her uselessly. “Doctor—”

  “Call me Melissa.”

  “Melissa, she’s fine. She’s not really—”

  “If she broke something, you could further injure her by shaking her.” She laid a hand on Laura’s arm.

  “Faith, time to quit playing.” I don’t know why I said that out loud. It wasn’t like Faith could hear anything she said without her cochlear implant. Laura could practically feel everyone’s gazes lasering in on them. “Really, she’s faking it.”

  Melissa’s grip tightened. “Why don’t you let me take her, just in case.”

  Great, now she looked like an abusive stepmother from Jerry Springer.

  “Ma’am, with all due respect, she thinks this is a game.” Laura returned in her own gentle, yet firm voice. She bent her elbow, forcing Melissa to let go and then lay Faith onto her back on the floor.

  Faith’s feet and arms flopped open in a wide, dramatic flair and her face tilted to the side, mouth open, eyes shut. The performance was obvious to Laura, but gauging from everyone else’s horrified looks, Faith could have won a Golden Globe for this act.

  The girl had skill, she had to give her that. Yelling wouldn’t help any, neither had the shaking. There was only one thing left to do before the other grownups in the room hauled Laura off. She curled her fingers and went straight for Faith’s most sensitive tickle spot. Her ribs.

  “What are you doing?” Melissa tried to dive over Faith and push Laura away.

  Faith’s eyes flew open, as did her mouth as she squirmed like a fish on the line trying to get away from the tickles.

  Faith scrambled to her feet, laughing loudly. Laura sat back on her heels and watched in relief. Melissa had been ready to pounce and she was outnumbered five to one. Even if the remote possibility of what King hinted at about her brother was to be believed, at least by everyone else in the mansion, she’d have to tread carefully.

  But she wouldn’t be able to do that if Faith got her thrown into a locked room. They were going to have a long discussion just as soon as Laura could get her alone.

  She’d have to settle for a quick reprimand for now, that however proved to be impossible as Faith acted out center stage. Everyone in the room stared at the young girl, completely ignoring the unconscious King on the floor and Faith absorbed all the attention like a dry Oreo cookie dropped in a cup full of milk.

  In much the same way as she had done moments earlier, Faith shoved her arms out straight, this time dropping Kitty to enhance her performance. She teetered and tottered right and left circling around Laura with a renewed energy. On her second round of circling
Laura, Faith began her slow front fall, not even trying to catch herself. Having fully rehearsed the same, Laura easily caught her this time. Before Faith could close her eyes and pretend to be dead, Laura cupped her chin gently and mouthed the words, “No more games.”

  Melissa’s intense gaze was boring into her and she glanced up in time to see the doctor studying them intently. She hadn’t decided yet whether to reveal that Faith was deaf, or to reveal anything at all personal about either of them. So for good measure, Laura added out loud, “Time to stop playing.”

  Faith wiggled out of her grip and went in search of Kitty. Laura shrugged, “I guess I shouldn’t have told her we were playing a game.”

  Melissa eased to her feet, her face blank and carefully said, “She’s got real talent.”

  That she did. “When she saw King pass out it scared her.”

  “So, you pretended like he was playing?” Melissa frowned.

  Bristling, Laura rushed to defend her actions. “Seeing as how she just witnessed him in a gunfight and then our house being blown to bits in an explosion, I’d say her fear was understandable.”

  “Explosion?” The words didn’t come out in a soft melodic voice like the female doctor. The gravelly grumble sent ice skating down her shoulder blades. She felt like she was in slow motion, trying to pinpoint the source of the voice that could only be described in her nightmares. It was one of the men who’d taken King from Diggs. He was tall, as tall and thin as King but not as broad. But his eyes were…dead.

  Laura fought the urge to retreat back a step and instead latched onto the distraction of Faith, racing after the child before she got more than a foot or two away.