Running Scared

by Velvet Vaughn

  “There you are.”

  Busted. She spun around guiltily to see Jamal’s smiling face and her sour mood quickly vanished. He had that effect on her. She held out the package. “Want one?” It came out garbled with a few black specks flying from her mouth, but he understood and nodded eagerly and soon he was munching contentedly on a cookie. A twinge of guilt nagged at her. She should be feeding him a healthy snack like an apple or carrot sticks, not round sugar bombs. And before dinner, too. Bad Kenzie.

  Since her hiding place had been discovered, she found a clip for the package and guided him back to the expansive kitchen island where Declan and the others had set up shop with their laptops.

  Noah disconnected from a call and said, “The cyber crew came up empty on a records request.”

  Ethan glanced up from his computer. “He most likely used an alias and probably paid cash.”

  Kayla spotted them approach. “Ethan and I have some photos for you to look at, Jamal.”

  “Okay.”

  He climbed up on the stool next to Declan, who glanced over at him and narrowed his eyes. “What’s this?” Using his thumb, he wiped crumbs from his mouth.

  “Kenzie gave me cookies.”

  Great. He ratted her out.

  Ethan made a show of looking at her empty hands. “And you didn’t share?”

  “Oh, sorry.”

  “I was kidding,” Ethan called after her retreating form as she reclaimed the package from the shelf, found a paper plate and spread the cookies on it before returning and depositing it in the center of the island. Everyone reached for one, including Jamal.

  “No more before dinner,” Declan chided.

  With a long-suffering sigh, he withdrew his hand.

  “Jamal, there’s no pressure,” Kayla assured him as she placed the photos on the table in front of him. “Just let us know if something looks familiar.”

  “Okay.” He stared at the top picture. “Nope.” She removed it, uncovering the next one. He shook his head. “Wrong color doors.” The doors were too big in the third one. They hit paydirt on the fourth picture. “That’s it!” He pointed to the snapshot, his gaze darting around to each of them. “That looks exactly like the building.”

  “Great job.” Kayla turned the photo over. “It’s only twenty miles away.”

  “We’ll come up with a plan and then head there first thing in the morning,” Noah decided.

  “Can I go?” Jamal looked hopeful.

  Ethan reached across the bar and ruffled his hair. “Sorry, J-man, you’ll have to sit this one out.”

  “But I can tell you for sure if it’s the right place,” he pleaded.

  “Still a no.”

  “But—”

  “No buts,” Declan said in a voice that brooked no argument.

  An alarm beeped and Kenzie almost fell off her chair in panic. Had the Daggers found them? What about the Eighty-Sixers? The alarm stopped after two dings and no one else seemed concerned.

  “They’re here,” Ethan announced.

  She looked around in confusion. They all knew something she didn’t. “Who’s here?”

  “A few of our coworkers drove up to assist. Two are originally from Chicago. One was a detective and still has strong ties with the police department.”

  The door opened and three tall, fit, attractive men entered, greeting the others. The noise level raised several octaves, but Kenzie was rooted in her seat. She surreptitiously wiped her mouth to make sure she wasn’t drooling at the sight of so many hotties in one place.

  “Is it a requirement to be gorgeous to work for COBRA Securities?” she murmured to herself, not realizing Kayla was listening.

  “Oh, yeah.” The other woman nodded. “Wait till you meet the rest of them. It’s almost criminal to have so many studs in one place. They make your eyes hurt—in a good way.”

  Kenzie’s heart skipped a beat at Kayla’s words. She made it sound like Kenzie would have the opportunity to meet the rest of Declan’s coworkers. Too bad Declan didn’t share Kayla’s view.

  The group made their way to the kitchen and Noah introduced her to Alex Mylonas (wow) Dorian Demarchis (swoon) and Gage Monahan (yowza). Standing beside the newcomers, Noah and Ethan looked like a set of hunky twins, but Declan outshined them all, in her opinion.

  The group got down to business, making plans on how they would visit the storage facility in the morning. She and Jamal weren’t part of it, so they retreated to the living room to play a video game while the others planned. It was Jamal’s favorite racing competition and he beat her soundly every time, but then, her heart wasn’t really into it.

  She looked up when Declan approached. The horrified look was gone, she was happy to note. “We’re going to order pizza. You guys hungry after all those cookies?” There was a twinkle in his eye.

  “Yeah, I want pizza,” Jamal chimed in enthusiastically. “Pepperoni.”

  “Kenz?”

  “Pepperoni sounds good to me, too.”

  Once the food arrived, they sat around eating and laughing, with stories being told of how some of Declan’s soon-to-be coworkers met their significant others. She already knew one of Declan’s bosses was married to Oscar winner Juliet LaRue, but she was shocked to discover that his other boss married Layla Brooks, the music superstar. Noah was dating Peyton Durant, Olympic goddess, while another coworker was married to the granddaughter of the president of the United States. Wow. She was just an unemployed editor. Maybe it was a good thing Declan didn’t want her moving in with them. She wasn’t anywhere near their leagues.

  She glanced at the clock, surprised to discover hours had passed. Declan and the others planned on heading to the storage facility early, so they called it a night. Jamal was still wired. Oops. Her bad.

  “There are only seven bedrooms and nine people. Ethan and I will share a room,” Noah offered.

  “Declan and I can share,” Jamal piped up. “And Kenzie, too.”

  #

  Declan almost groaned at Jamal’s words. There went any plans for a repeat of last night, though Kenzie had been giving him funny looks ever since Jamal mentioned her moving in with them. Good funny looks or bad funny looks, he couldn’t decipher.

  Ethan chuckled and Noah looked amused. “Then that frees up enough rooms. Alex can take Kenzie’s room, Dorian you use Jamal’s and Gage, you get the one at the end of the hall.

  As the group started to disband, Noah pulled Declan aside. “Are you okay with the three of you sharing a room? Jamal offered but there’s plenty of room if we double up.”

  “It’s not a problem. Jamal feels safer that way and after all he’s been through the last few days, it’s the least I can do to ease his worries.”

  “He’ll probably be that way for a while after all of this.”

  “Yeah.” He wondered if he should look into counseling once they were settled. Therapy wasn’t for him, but it might help Jamal in the long run.

  He was thankful Dorian, Alex and Gage arrived to assist. He’d met the two senior agents during training, and they were as knowledgeable, skilled and proficient as everyone he’d met. Each person had gone out of their way to make him feel welcome and to provide bits of wisdom when needed. He and Gage sweated through grueling training sessions together and had become good friends.

  While everyone enjoyed the pizza, he snuck away to call his new bosses. He informed them that he intended to pay the fees, but they wouldn’t even let him finish the spiel he’d worked out in his head. He wondered again at the twist of fate that put him in the position to work for the most amazing company with such incredible people. When he left the service, he had no idea what he’d end up doing for a career. Most likely he’d be wearing a police uniform and patrolling the mean streets of the city. Now, he wanted to say he’d be working his dream job, only he’d never envisioned a job like this was possible. He thought he’d miss the camaraderie of his teammates when he left the military, but he’d found something better. A family.

&nbs
p; After goodnights all around, they retired to the bedroom, and it was as if they were back in the motel, sharing a single room. They took turns using the attached bathroom—the same one he and Kenzie steamed up earlier. He’d have trouble using the shower without picturing her luscious body all sudsy and wet. He stifled a groan. He wanted her again. He had a feeling he’d want her always. She was a drug and he was addicted.

  Jamal had been excited to meet the other agents. He’d been the center of attention and loved it. He barely managed to shower and brush his teeth before he crashed. He was out like a light on one side of the bed. Declan would have to try to move him without waking him. If he had to attempt to sleep beside Kenzie, he wasn’t sure he had the willpower to resist her.

  With their pint-sized chaperone dead to the world, he stepped into the bathroom, scaring Kenzie into spitting toothpaste against the mirror.

  “Good grief, you move so quietly,” she grumped as she mopped her face.

  Sliding his arms around her, he crowded against her, letting her feel what she did to him. With a moan, she dropped the washcloth into the sink and leaned into him. With one hand, he moved the silky curtain of hair out of the way and nuzzled her neck. She shuddered in his arms.

  “Are you mad at me?” He continued his assault, licking and kissing her. “You were sending off some strange, cryptic vibes earlier tonight.”

  “What are you, some kind of new age, aura-reading guru?” All of this was said with her eyes closed as she ground against him.

  Trailing his fingers beneath her t-shirt, he cupped her breasts in his palms. They were a perfect fit. The moan this time was loud enough to wake Jamal, though he remained thankfully asleep.

  A ding sounded from the other room. They’d set up a laptop so she could monitor her email in case the Daggers tried to contact her again. “We should check that.”

  She rotated in his arms and grabbed his face. “Later.” She fused her lips to his and all thoughts of emails, gangs and the rest of the world faded. He had just enough sense to close and lock the door before he lifted her to sit on the counter and then stripped off her clothes. His quickly followed and then he was sinking into her heat again, reveling in the snug fit. She was made for him. He didn’t ever want to separate their bodies.

  They tried to be quiet and he wanted to take it slow, but as with the other times, she drove him mad. They flew over the edge together, the force of his release weakening his legs until they wouldn’t support him any longer. He collapsed to the plush white rug, taking her with him to lay on top.

  He wasn’t sure he’d be able to move again. Each time with Kenzie was better than the last. He was content to lie here all night, but another ding sounded, reminding them of the situation they were facing. With a sigh, she climbed off him and after quick showers—separate so there would be no temptation—they headed back to the bedroom and checked her email.

  “There’s one from an email address I don’t recognize,” she whispered. She clicked on it and gasped, her hands flying to cover her mouth before she darted back inside the bathroom. It was a picture of…he counted quickly…eighteen men lying on the ground, their hands bound in front of them, feet tied together, neat round holes in the center of their foreheads. It looked like a shot you’d see in a horror movie, only it was shockingly real. The next few pictures were close-ups of faces with the Eighty-Six tattoos visible. Dear Lord, it looked like the Daggers had murdered every last one of them.

  A chill skated down his spine at the simple message beneath the last photo: You’re next.

  Chapter Twenty

  After checking on Kenzie to make sure she was okay, Declan knocked on doors and rounded up his coworkers to show them the pictures. While Noah forwarded them to the tech crew back at the COBRA Securities offices, Alex called it in to the Chicago PD. They were currently trying to verify the pictures were legitimate and if so, trace where they’d been taken.

  “Hey, look at this.” Ethan enlarged a portion of the photo to reveal the view from one of the windows.

  Declan pointed at the screen. “It’s the apartment complex where Jamal lived.”

  “I recognize the graffiti,” Noah agreed. “The room’s a large open space. It must be a clubhouse or meeting room of some sort.”

  Declan scribbled down the address and handed it to Alex. He read the note, nodded and relayed the information to the person on the other line before disconnecting and joining them around the table. “The police are heading there now. And before you ask, no I didn’t mention the storage facility we’re visiting in the morning.”

  Good. They didn’t know what they’d find inside or if it was even the right place. No sense in possibly tipping off one of the gangs in case they had a mole planted inside the department. Maybe the building had nothing to do with whatever the gangs were after. It was best for them to check it out first and then involve the authorities if necessary. Jamarcus could’ve stashed anything from drugs to dead bodies inside.

  “How many Daggers are we dealing with?” Dorian asked.

  “Their ranks were decimated by a clash with the Eighty-Sixers a few weeks ago. They lost another one yesterday,” Kayla said, referencing their shootout at Jamal’s old apartment.

  “Two,” Noah corrected, meaning the other man didn’t make it.

  “That puts their numbers at a whopping fourteen,” Ethan concluded. “Give or take.”

  With a disbelieving frown, Gage indicated the screen. “How did fourteen men get the jump on eighteen on their own turf?”

  “Maybe they added to their ranks overnight,” Ethan drawled.

  “They could’ve joined with another crew, like how the Eighty-Sixers hooked up with the Dogs in Detroit,” Declan pointed out.

  Alex shook his head. “The Chicago gangs are territorial. I can’t see them doing that, especially since they’re after something of significance. If it’s drugs, or money, or human trafficking, they won’t want to share.” His phone buzzed and he stepped away to answer.

  Declan hadn’t considered the possibility of human trafficking. He wouldn’t be surprised to discover one or both gangs were involved in the illegal trade of individuals for sexual slavery or forced labor. The practice was amoral and from what he’d learned of the Eighty-Sixers and the Daggers, both were notoriously unscrupulous.

  “I hate to point this out, but one of us needs to stay here tomorrow morning to guard Kenzie and Jamal,” Noah warned. “Usually it would be the rookie, but we’ve got two of them.”

  Declan opened his mouth to argue. He wanted to be the one to find out what Jamarcus stole from the Daggers. Before he could speak, Noah continued. “Since this is Declan’s op, he needs to be there. That leaves you, Gage.”

  Declan glanced at his friend to gauge his reaction. He knew he’d be upset about being left out of the action on his first assignment as an agent, but Gage surprised him.

  “No problem.”

  When Gage met his gaze, Declan gave a nod and Gage mirrored it.

  Alex returned. “The police found the room and confirmed the inside looks exactly like the photo. It was apparently the Eighty-Sixer’s clubhouse.”

  Noah shook his head. “The Daggers wiped out the entire Eighty-Sixers crew in their own territory. That’s brave.”

  “Whatever they’re looking for must be super-important,” Kayla reiterated.

  And one small boy stood in their way.

  #

  Early the next morning, Declan secured a bulletproof vest across his chest and then covered it with his shirt. He and Noah were about the same size, so Noah lent him a COBRA Securities polo and a pair of tactical pants to wear. It felt good to strap a gun to his hip. Another went into an ankle holster, along with a knife in a special pocket on the side of his leg. After he secured the comm unit in his ear, they did a mic check. They were good to go.

  He’d barely slept last night. He didn’t expect anything to go wrong with the trip to the storage facility. It might turn out to be a dead end. That’s what had h
is gut churning. They were running out of time to find whatever Jamarcus stole from the gang and it felt like a noose was tightening around his neck. Though the Daggers’ numbers were depleted, they made up for it in deadly force. He wanted Jamal and Kenzie safe. Then he’d be able to relax.

  “Dorian and I will leave now to scope the place out and then give you the all clear,” Alex said. “Then we’ll stay out of sight to provide backup, just in case.”

  As Alex and Dorian drove away, Declan climbed into the passenger seat to help navigate while Noah drove. Ethan and Kayla settled into the back. Something made him look at the house as they started down the driveway. Kenzie watched from the doorway, her hand lifted in a wave. Even knowing she wouldn’t be able to see through the darkened windows, he waved back.

  Typical Chicago traffic made the twenty-mile drive last fifty-five minutes, despite speeding along on the Interstate for most of the trip.

  “We’re here,” Dorian announced through the comm. “Not much security to speak of. A couple of cameras that might or might not work. No guards or locked gates. We’re driving by the unit now. Lock’s in place. Alex and I will park at the closed car wash next door and circle back to provide backup.”

  “Copy that.” Declan consulted the GPS. “We’re about ten minutes out.”

  Noah checked the mirrors. “No sign of a tail.”

  They crossed into Indiana and took the exit that would lead them to the location. Declan spotted the line of buildings with blue doors and directed Noah to the entry. Jamarcus must’ve picked this facility for its resemblance to his apartment: most of the units were tagged with colorful graffiti. They drove slowly down the aisles until they spotted unit one twenty-three.

  “We’re in place,” Alex informed them.

  Declan glanced around but didn’t see anyone. The area looked deserted. Several of the doors were either open or unsecured. The lock on Jamarcus’ unit looked new. Declan crouched down and inserted the key they found inside Yogi, his heart kicking when it clicked open. “Bingo.” This was what they’d been searching for all along.