Running Scared

by Velvet Vaughn

  “Everyone okay?” she asked.

  “We’re fine.” Noah shoved the guns away before crouching down to check for a pulse. He shook his head.

  “I’ve got a faint one,” Declan announced.

  “We’ll put in an anonymous call for an ambulance on the way out of here.” Kayla jerked a thumb towards the door. “A crowd is gathering. We need to make like bananas and split.”

  “You’ve been hanging around Kai too much,” Noah chuckled. “But you’re right. Let’s roll.”

  Declan had met Kai Costa during his training and had heard all about his heroics. The kid was awe-inspiring, and it was hard not to adore him, as everyone did. He thought Kai and Jamal would get along famously and couldn’t wait for them to meet. Even though Jamal was a few years younger, Kai would be a good influence and Declan hoped he’d take Jamal under his wing. Having friends would make the transition to a new home and school much easier on him.

  Kayla surveyed the exit, making sure there were no other Daggers waiting to ambush them. “All clear.”

  After tucking their weapons out of sight, they jogged to the Escalade. Several people had filed out of their apartments when the shooting started, but no one tried to stop them. They’d worn gloves to eliminate fingerprints and with the masks still in place, they wouldn’t be recognized…not that there were any working security cameras around or that any of the people here would even talk to the cops. Sirens sounded and already doors slammed as they headed back inside. They’d swear they saw nothing and heard less.

  With emergency personnel on the way, they didn’t need to call an ambulance. The bodies would soon be found. Noah was out of the parking lot before the first cop car arrived. He pulled over in a gas station and parked behind the building before hopping out and popping the back hatch on his way around the vehicle. Declan turned to watch him open a compartment and withdraw a license plate. He glanced up, noticing Declan’s interest. “In case someone decided to give the cops our plate number,” he explained.

  “I know. I’m just impressed how prepared you are.”

  In less than a minute, he’d switched the plate, closed the hatch and slid back behind the wheel. He checked traffic before resuming their trip home.

  “How did the Daggers know we were at the apartment?” Kayla wondered.

  “Maybe they had the building under surveillance,” Noah guessed. “They might’ve assumed we’d go back to look for whatever it is they want.”

  “Or maybe they paid someone to call them if anyone came snooping around,” Declan surmised.

  “Like the woman they used as a decoy.” Kayla nodded. “Both explanations make sense.”

  They did, but it didn’t stop Declan from checking the traffic behind them as a precaution. Noah noticed his scrutiny.

  “I’ve been keeping an eye out for tails. We’re clear so far, but I’m taking the long way just in case.”

  Having grown up in the city, Declan gave directions and when they all agreed it was safe, they headed for the house.

  Ethan met them at the door. “Any luck?”

  “Just a box of drugs and cash.” The bag with the money was strapped over his shoulder. “We ran into a couple of our friends.” They told him about the Daggers who’d come after them.

  Kenzie and Jamal were playing a board game and whooping it up when he entered the living room. They jumped up in tandem when they spotted him, the competition forgotten. Their excitement at seeing him warmed his heart. Before he got any closer, he held up his hands to ward them off. “I need a shower.” He felt dirty and disgusting being inside the apartment and for the millionth time, he was thankful Jamal was out of that cesspool.

  Kayla brushed by him on the way to her bedroom. “I need a shower,” she groused, echoing his statement.

  “Me, too.” Noah took the stairs three at a time.

  “What’s all the white stuff?” Jamal pointed at him. “Is it snowing or something?”

  He glanced down at his t-shirt. “It’s just plaster dust.” From a massive number of bullets ripping into the walls, he didn’t add. “I’ll be back.” Bounding up the steps, he entered his room with the bed that hadn’t been slept in and found a change of clothes. He was running dangerously low. The clothes he kept at Eric’s condo had probably been destroyed, so he’d need to either do some shopping or laundry if he stayed much longer. He hated both chores, so it didn’t matter which one he chose. They both sucked.

  He cranked the taps to hot, wanting to sanitize his body from the grime and filth of being inside the apartment. It felt like the scent molecules embedded in his skin and hair. After stepping inside and letting the water cascade over his body, he squirted shampoo in his hand and worked it into his hair. He would never be able to erase the images of small, helpless Jamal living in squalor, his mother too stoned to care for him, his older brother too immersed in thug life to mentor him.

  He yelped when two hands grabbed him from behind. He’d been so caught up in his thoughts, he didn’t hear the intruder enter. Fatal mistake, one that could get him killed. Not this time, however.

  “Why don’t you let me do that?”

  Kenzie’s fingers walked up his arms and then glided into his hair, massaging the suds into his scalp. It felt so good, he moaned, long and low. He let her continue for about twenty seconds before he spun around and captured her startled gasp in his mouth as he pinned her against the marble tiles.

  He wanted to go slow and luxuriate in her sensual body, but the stress and anxiety from the gunfight needed a release and there was no other way he’d rather do it than inside her. There were no poetic words or soft caresses. It was raw, unabashed passion. Nails scored his back and her heels dug into his thighs as he thrust deep inside and lost himself in her. Minutes or hours later—he had no concept of time—he rested his forehead against hers after the most intense release he’d ever experienced. He had just enough conscious thought to wait for her to peak before letting go. Framing her face, he kissed her, gently this time. The humming sound she made deep in her throat had his body stirring to life again.

  She noticed because her eyes blinked open. “As much as I want to take you up on your offer,” she squeezed her internal muscles, causing his eyes to roll back in his head, “We’d better get back downstairs before Jamal comes looking for us in here. I locked the door, but I swear, he’s part magician.”

  Declan chuckled. The kid was stealthy like a ninja. “How did you manage to slip away?”

  “He and Ethan were playing a video game. He was engrossed in the match and didn’t even notice when I snuck out of the room.”

  Easing her to the ground, he mourned the loss of her body around him and suddenly realized why the encounter blew his mind. He tensed. “I forgot a condom.” He’d never gone bareback in his life. Even with women he had steady relationships with. To do so now was reckless and unforgivable.

  “It’s okay,” she assured him. “I have an implant. Living in New York, you can never be too careful.”

  “I’m clean. I had regular check-ups in the military and just passed the physical for my new gig.”

  “I trust you. I’m clean, too and I don’t do this often.”

  “Shower sex or sex in general?”

  “Both,” she admitted. “It’s been a while for me. Work was my life.”

  “The men in New York are either blind or idiots.” She was so damn fantastic, she took his breath away. Standing naked with her, he felt like the luckiest man on the planet.

  They showered and despite their resolve to head back downstairs, there was touching. Lots and lots of touching. After finally managing to dry off and dress, Kenzie wanted to check her email since BeBe assured them the connection was secure, so he left first. Jamal and Ethan were engaged in a fierce battle in front of the television with lots of g-rated trash talk and laughter. Noah was on the phone, but his raised eyebrow told Declan his coworker knew exactly what he and Kenzie had been doing in the shower.

  #

  K
enzie left Declan’s bedroom and headed for the study down the hall with a computer to check her messages. She couldn’t seem to wipe the smile from her face. It’d been so unlike her to boldly undress and step into the shower with Declan. Total Storm move.

  She’d cornered Ethan in the kitchen and asked him about what went down, knowing something happened at the apartment. He reluctantly told her about the Daggers who showed up and started shooting. She knew after intense battles, men needed to release the adrenaline flowing through their systems and she wanted to help Declan. After encouraging Ethan to play the video game with Jamal, she’d snuck upstairs and joined him in the shower. She’d made the right call because, oh my gosh, it was mind blowing. Not even the fact they forgot a condom could erase the euphoria. She was protected from getting pregnant, but the thought of having Declan’s baby made her womb clinch. Would Jamal like a little brother or sister?

  Shaking her head to clear the crazy thoughts, she powered up the computer and opened a browser to log into her email account. Her mouth dropped open at over two hundred messages. No way could she go through them all. Several had the Pickens Publishing address, and she was shocked to see another one from Jared’s account. In his first email, he apologized. Not this one. Her blood started to boil as she read his note ordering her back to work or she would be in breach of the agreement she signed, and he would sue her.

  She hated to tell the misogynistic dolt, but she signed no document that included a provision stating she had to report to work when ordered. It was the opposite, actually, insisting that she wouldn’t return. If he tried to say so, it was a lie. She had a copy of the agreement in her apartment and a backup in her cloud storage.

  It would bring great satisfaction to click the delete button, but before she did, she thought better of it and saved it in a folder. There were too many messages from Bernadette to read, but apparently the woman didn’t listen when she told her to quit contacting her. She opened the latest one, which was an announcement that Pickens Publishing was filing for Chapter Eleven bankruptcy and closing their doors. It was probably her way of trying to make Kenzie feel guilty, but all she felt was sadness at the many people who would now be out of jobs. The company brought on their problems by not taking a stand and doing something about Jared instead of firing anyone who accused him.

  Several emails were from news outlets, wanting a quote from her and the #MeToo hashtag had been used. Word had gotten out. It was a small victory for harassment victims, she supposed.

  An email from a name she didn’t recognize caught her attention and she clicked to open it. The blood that had been boiling moments ago now turning to ice.

  You got away once, but you won’t again if you don’t give us what we want. We’ll be in touch. The Daggers.

  It wouldn’t have been difficult to find her email address since it’d been listed on the Pickens Publishing website, but the fact that they’d gone to so much trouble meant they wouldn’t give up until they got what they wanted.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Declan was running out of ideas on where to look for whatever the Eighty-Sixers and Daggers were after. Kenzie showed them the email she received, and it renewed his determination to end this as soon as possible.

  The box of cash and coke he found inside the ceiling in Jamarcus’ room wasn’t enough to rally both gangs to the level of violence they’d committed. Killing LaTonya, burning down the condo, those were moves of desperation. The Daggers would now be on the warpath after one, possibly two of their members had been taken out by Declan and Noah. While he felt remorse for the man who lost his life, he didn’t feel guilty. It was kill or be killed.

  Noah had received a call and was standing across the room looking grim. He hoped it wasn’t the bosses ordering his three coworkers back to the office. He hadn’t had a chance to offer to cover the fee yet. The others assured him that Luke and Logan wouldn’t accept payment, but maybe they didn’t consider him one of the staff yet.

  Noah disconnected and slid his phone in his pocket, pausing in thought before he returned to where Declan was sitting in a chair in front of the muted television. Kenzie, Jamal, Ethan and Kayla were playing a board game at the table, laughing and having fun. He was glad they were able to put aside the worry for a short time. He was too wired to relax. Noah plopped in the recliner next to him.

  “The Eighty-Sixers have been released from custody.”

  “What?” He shot forward in the chair. “How? They almost killed Eric.”

  “Bail for the two on the surveillance cameras. The police are building cases against the other fourteen and couldn’t continue to hold them without charges. They’ll eventually be locked up, but until then, they’re back on the streets.”

  He collapsed back against the cushion. “So, we’ve got two gangs after Jamal again.” Great.

  “Declan.” Jamal raced over and grabbed his arm, his eyes wide. “I just remembered something. I maybe know where Jamarcus hid something. It might be what the Eighty-Sixers want.”

  He called for the others and they hurried into the room. Once everyone was seated, he prompted Jamal to tell the story.

  “I’d completely forgotten about this until something made me remember while we were playing the game. A couple of days before Jamarcus was shot, my mom and her friend were making a bunch of noise.” He wrinkled his nose and Declan shared a grim look with Kenzie. His mom had obviously been having loud sex with one of the many men who frequented her bed. They would need to be especially careful with their trysts around him. “I couldn’t sleep so I went outside to the car and climbed in the back. There was a bunch of stuff back there, so I huddled beneath the clothes and bags and junk and slept. I woke up when Jamarcus put something in the trunk and then he got inside and slammed the door. Then he started driving. He didn’t know I was there, and I was afraid to tell him. He would’ve made me get out and walk and it was late.” This time, Declan glanced at Noah to see the same rage burning in his eyes that Declan felt. Jamal had lived in fear of his brother. “I could see highway signs and he drove into Indiana. I started to panic, thinking he was running away or something, but then he parked in front of a building with a bunch of doors, you know, the kind that you have to lift from the ground.”

  “I know the ones you mean. They look like garage doors.”

  “Yes. That’s them.”

  “Did Jamarcus get out?” Noah asked.

  Jamal bobbed his head. “He opened the trunk and carried something inside. I looked over the back seat and there was already a bunch of stuff in there, but I couldn’t see what it was, and I was afraid he’d catch me and lock me in there.”

  Excitement coursed through his veins. This was the break they’d been waiting for. “Did you see the name of the buildings?”

  Jamal’s brows creased in thought. “No, but I saw the number above the door. It was easy to remember because it was one, two, three.”

  “Did Jamarcus talk to anyone? Maybe someone at a security gate before you arrived at the building?”

  “Un-uh.”

  “Good job, Jamal. You’re doing great. Anything else you can tell us? How far into Indiana did he drive? How far off the interstate?”

  “What’s an interstate?”

  “It’s the big road with three or four lanes of cars.”

  “He drove on one like that until we crossed into Indiana, and then it was a smaller one with just two lanes.”

  “Do you remember him paying tolls?” Ethan asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Interstate ninety is a toll road around Chicago and into Indiana,” Kayla informed them.

  “How far did you travel on the smaller road once you crossed into Indiana?”

  “Not long at all.” Jamal bit his lip. “The entire trip wasn’t super long. I don’t know how to judge the time,” he fretted. “It was late and there weren’t many cars. The ride home was quick.”

  Declan squeezed his shoulder. “That’s okay, bud. Do you think you would recognize the bui
ldings?”

  He nodded slowly. “I think so.”

  “Ethan and I will search for all the storage buildings around the Whiting and East Chicago area first,” Kayla said. “It doesn’t sound like they drove all the way into Gary.”

  Noah stood and palmed his phone. “I’ll see if Peter Dennis and the cyber crew can find a record of any unit Jamarcus rented.”

  Once the others left the room to gather intel, Jamal climbed on his lap. “Is what I remembered helpful?”

  Declan hugged him. “Tremendously.”

  “I’m so proud of you,” Kenzie said, reaching over to pat his arm. “Maybe this will all be over soon.”

  Jamal looked at Declan over his shoulder. “And then me and Kenzie can move in with you?”

  Alarm shot through him at the mention of Kenzie moving in with them. Not that he didn’t want her to—he did. Maybe too much. He chanced a look to see the same shocked expression on her face. Did that mean she was open to the idea? Or appalled? He decided to sidestep the question. “I told you, wherever I go, you go. We’re a team.”

  “A threesome,” Jamal corrected. “You, me and Kenzie.”

  So much for the sidestep. “Yeah, bud. You, me and Kenzie.”

  #

  Kenzie was still reeling from Jamal’s sneak attack as she looked for something to snack on inside the large pantry. She was a notorious stress eater. She found an unopened package of Oreos and swiped them off the shelf.

  As she stuffed two in her mouth, she couldn’t help but remember the flash of excited hope she felt when Jamal asked Declan if she was moving in with them. It was quickly extinguished by the look of horror on Declan’s face. Clearly, he wasn’t on the same page. Was the thought of living with her so horrible? Another cookie found its way into her mouth.