Justice from the Shadows

by Nadirah Foxx

  Debbie’s voice sounded in my ear. “I heard the conversation. Beauty Queen, I’m pulling up a schematic for the Warehouse District.”

  As I ran, between breaths, I asked, “Anything on what companies are using the district?”

  “Hold on…” Seconds later, Debbie said, “Got it! The Martin Company has a warehouse. Beauty Queen, you’re closest. Hang a right at the next street. You want the building at the end of the block.”

  “On it.” I exhaled and slowed my pace.

  I took my time walking to the destination, the whole time surveying the area. The last thing Lidia and Josh needed was to stumble upon some armed employees.

  At the end of the block was an old brick, two-story structure. It was the last warehouse in the area. Carefully, I made my way along the side of the building, constantly checking over my shoulder. Thankfully, no one was outside.

  I stopped at a row of dingy windows. I kept peeking through the murkiness until I found a clear spot. Inside were three men—one man wore a dark beanie, another one had on a wife beater with a ton of tattoos on his arms, and the last one looked like he inhaled steroids daily. They stood around a desk piled high with papers.

  Another man with gray hair sat with his back to the window. He wore an expensive-looking sports coat. I’d bet any amount of money that was the mysterious Walter A. Puckett. Too bad I didn’t bring Mom’s old phone to confirm it.

  Not wanting to be overheard, I retraced my steps back to the intersection. As I waited for Josh and Lidia to catch up, I spoke to Debbie. “I found the warehouse. There’s a group of men inside, but I can’t make out faces.”

  “Code Breaker?” Debbie said.

  “I’m here.” His panting came over the comm. “What do you need?”

  My assistant said, “A camera.”

  Lidia chimed in, “Guardian here. I have one. We’re coming up on Beauty Queen’s location.”

  Heavy footsteps collided with the pavement and stopped right behind me. Before someone bumped into me, I stated, “I’m directly in front you.”

  “Good to know,” Josh said.

  “Where can we get some pictures?” Lidia asked.

  I started to point and then realized she couldn’t see me. “It’s the only building on the block. No one’s outside. I counted four men inside.”

  “We go as a team.” Lidia reached inside her jacket, pulled out a small camera, and handed it to Josh. “Use this. It can’t be hacked or traced to any of us. I’ll keep an eye out for any unwanted company. If needed, Beauty Queen, you’ll create a distraction.”

  Josh and Lidia moved toward the warehouse, and I followed a few steps behind them.

  Although we anticipated trouble, we didn’t encounter any. Josh was able to take pictures while Lidia checked out the exterior. We regrouped back at the SUV.

  “That went too easy,” I said as I zipped the flight jacket.

  “I agree,” Lidia said. “But there’s no way they knew we were on the premises.”

  Debbie’s voice cut in. “I can guarantee they didn’t. If they had known, you wouldn’t have made it out of there. Once we see the pictures, maybe we’ll have a better idea of what we’re up against.”

  ◆◆◆

  As soon as we returned to the bunker, Debbie took the camera from Josh. She disappeared with Lidia and Darius to access the photos while I slipped into my bedroom. I had to get out of that suit before…

  “You said you wanted to talk,” Josh said from just inside my door.

  Oh, fuck… I wanted to change without an audience.

  My top half was visible while my torso was still covered by the suit. A weird state to conduct a conversation. “I did… I do. Let me put on some sweats first.”

  “I can always close my eyes,” he offered.

  It wasn’t the first time Josh had seen me naked, but with the memory from earlier still fresh in my mind, I was uncomfortable with the idea. Still, we needed to have the conversation one way or another.

  “Hold on.” I grabbed my long, fluffy white robe off the bed and wrapped it around me. At least I looked less invisible.

  He grinned and sat down on the bed. “Do I make you nervous, Kerrie?”

  A dangerous spot for him to sit in.

  “Just a little.” I eyed the space beside him and decided to stand. “About what you said earlier…”

  “This is about my offer of sex, isn’t it?” Josh leaned back on the mattress. “If I recall correctly, there was a time when you wanted that from me.”

  Damn. We were thinking the same thing. “We were kids, Josh. I was hurting.”

  He pointed out the obvious. “You’re still hurting.”

  Running my hands through my hair, I stated, “We’re friends. Best friends.”

  “We were best friends back then too. That hasn’t changed.”

  Why was he insisting on the inane back-and-forth? “I can’t do this, Josh.”

  “Come here.” He tapped the bed. When I didn’t move, he said it again. “I’m not leaving until we hash this out.”

  “Fine.” I plopped down beside him. “Happy?”

  “No.” There was a hint of sadness in his tone.

  “Why not?”

  Josh grasped my hand and rubbed the back of it with his thumb. “Years ago, when you lost your father, I turned you down. Do you remember why?”

  I truly didn’t want to take a trip down memory lane. Reluctantly, I said, “You were concerned with me cheating on Ryan.” I was so frustrated and upset back then I hadn’t thought about my relationship with Ryan. “If you recollect, things weren’t perfect with Ryan.”

  “I remember, but I thought you owed it to each other to try to work it out and you did.”

  We did.

  A week after we’d buried my father, Ryan showed up on my doorstep with flowers and an apology. We were good for a long time afterward.

  “Why are you bringing up ancient history?” I tried to yank my hand away, but Josh held it tighter.

  “Do you remember what I told you that night?”

  “No,” I lied. It took a great deal of effort to block it from my memory.

  “Think, Kerrie.”

  Josh kissed my forehead. “Come tomorrow, you will.”

  “No, I won’t. Ryan should have been with me today.” He’d left shortly after the ceremony.

  “He was here for as long as you let him. I guess you don’t remember blowing up at him.”

  I shook my head. It was a lie. Ryan and I had a nasty argument at the limo. He wanted to be there for me, but I only wanted to be with my friend. Ryan accused me of being in love with Josh.

  He took my hands in his. “The two of you are going through some things. You’ll figure it out. If you don’t, then we’ll explore whatever this could be between us.”

  “What if I don’t want to wait?” I couldn’t count on a promise. My father said he’d always been there for us. And then he wasn’t.

  Josh sighed deeply and stared into my eyes. “I won’t come between the two of you. If Ryan’s ever out of your life, trust me, I won’t hesitate to show how much you mean to me.”

  Fuck!

  My best friend wanted to cash in on his promise to me.

  “Josh.”

  “Shh.” He leaned forward, bringing our mouths within the same space, and brushed his lips to mine.

  When our lips met, it was the kiss I had wanted as a teenager. It began sweet and gentle and then turned into a blistering moment, setting fire to my soul. Instantly, I was transported to my childhood home, Mom’s sofa, and teenage lust. Shamelessly, I gave into Josh and pressed my body to his. I needed more. So much more.

  I needed to forget. I needed to heal. More than anything, I needed to remember I was still a desirable woman and not just a label.

  With a quick tug, I was sitting on Josh’s lap. It wasn’t until I felt his stiff dick that I broke off the kiss.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked.

  “This is.” I pushed off him and b
egan pacing the floor in front of the bed. Kissing was one thing. Fucking Josh on my late husband’s bed was too damn much. “Ryan hasn’t even been gone a year!”

  “So?”

  “I’m not a slut!” Stopping in front of Josh, I continued ranting. “I’m not some whore that can just forget I was married!”

  “No one’s asking you to forget, but Kerrie, how long are you going to live like this? You’re hurting. Let me help.”

  Shame and desire mingled hot in my throat. I couldn’t lie. I wanted my best friend but was afraid to speak for fear of saying the wrong thing. Instead, I ran. Straight into the bathroom. It was a dumb, childish gesture. Grown-ass women didn’t run.

  “Kerrie,” Josh shouted from the other side of the door. When I didn’t respond, he said, “I won’t force you to do anything you don’t want. I’m going upstairs now. See you tomorrow.”

  “Good night,” I croaked.

  29

  What’s Next?

  For a change, it was my alarm that woke me up. As much as I wanted to lie there and mull over the events of the previous night, I couldn’t. Soon, Lidia would be here to put me through my paces.

  Before I could get my sweatpants pulled up, the computerized voice sounded, “You have a visitor entering the garage.”

  Grabbing my sneakers and an energy drink from the fridge, I headed toward my workout area. Lidia, dressed in black, stretched on the mat.

  “You took your dear sweet time,” she complained.

  “Whatever.” I dropped beside her and laced up my shoes. “I’m here.”

  She jumped to her feet and began bouncing on her toes. “Let’s get started.”

  I was truly going to hate Lidia Da Silva. We spent an hour going through some basics of Krav Maga—stances, punches, and kicks. Then, we moved onto some defense techniques. The entire time Lidia barked out reprimands like a drill sergeant.

  “Stay aware, Kerrie!”

  “You’re losing focus!”

  “Maintain your aggression!”

  By the second hour, sweat dripped down my nose and my limbs shook. I held up a gloved hand and stumbled over to the corner. Falling to the mat, I struggled to free my hands from the mitts.

  “Here.”

  I glanced up. Lidia leaned down and helped me. Once I was free of the torture devices, she handed me a bottle of water. Twisting off the cap, I said, “Are we done?”

  Her lips curled up. “For now. Make sure you lift weights later. You could use some strength training.”

  And she could use my foot up her ass.

  Rather than say how I felt, I simply stared at the woman.

  “Hate me if you want, but it’s for your own good. What would you have done last night if we had run into trouble?”

  I lowered the bottle. “I’m able to defend myself.”

  Lidia stood. “It remains to be seen.”

  “How’s it going?” It was Debbie.

  “She’s all yours, Miss Scott.” To me, Lidia said, “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “Before you go,” Debbie started. “We could use some help with those pictures Josh took.”

  I asked, “Where is he?”

  My assistant blinked rapidly and worried her lower lip. She scraped a hand through her hair before saying, “At the precinct. He said he had work to do.”

  Josh had said he was taking a leave of absence. If he returned to the LCPD, that meant he didn’t want to be around me. We needed to talk. Again.

  “Lidia, would you mind helping Debbie? We have to put names to the faces I saw last night.”

  The detective pressed her lips together.

  I drew in a deep breath when I realized the bitch was going to make me beg. Finding my family’s murderers, however, was more important than my pride. “Please, Lidia. We have facial-recognition software here.”

  Debbie added, “You can even access the LCPD database from my office.”

  Lidia’s eyes widened as she tilted her head. “Really? Well, since Beauty Queen asked so sweetly…”

  My cheeks heated.

  “Great,” Debbie exclaimed. “Why don’t we let Ms. King clean up? We can work upstairs.”

  I mouthed thank you behind Lidia’s back.

  Once the two of them were gone, I hurried to the apartment and found my phone. There was a message from Josh.

  JOSH REYNOLDS: PLEASE CHECK YOUR VOICEMAIL. WE’LL TALK LATER.

  Panic swelled inside me as I tapped on the icon for the recording.

  “Kerrie, it’s me. I hated the way we left things last night. By the time I got home, I hated myself. It was inappropriate of me to take advantage of you. Forget the shit I said years ago. You’re my friend, first and foremost. I need to remember that.” He cleared his throat. “So I made the decision to return to the precinct. If you need me, I’ll always be here. But I can’t be around you constantly and not be with you.”

  My heart stuttered.

  “I know you, Kerrie. You’ll want to talk. I can do that. Maybe in a neutral spot, like the Coffee Bar. I won’t be tempted to kiss you in public. Let me know.”

  The message ended, but my tears had just begun. It was never my intention to hurt Josh. Every word he spoke sounded as if he choked them out. What I did was inexplicable. Friends don’t distress one another, especially not with everything we’d been through.

  Friends don’t fuck each other either.

  Dragging my feet to the bathroom, I honestly thought Josh understood. But how could he when I didn’t grasp it? I wasn’t supposed to have those type of feelings for my best friend, not when I’d only recently buried my family.

  Standing beneath the scalding water, I tried to find absolution in the hot liquid. I wanted to be punished for my actions and lewd thoughts. But what I wanted most of all? Someone to hand me back my old life. At the end of the day, I wanted to return to my idyllic suburban lifestyle with my husband in our bed and our son sleeping soundly down the hall. And Josh? He would continue to be the best friend I wanted to see happy with somebody else.

  But that would never happen again.

  After my shower, I put the situation with Josh on the back burner. Eventually, we’d settle our differences. We always did. I’d give him some space and tend to my own issues for a while. The main one being unraveling the mystery behind Walter A. Puckett. What part did he play in the deaths of my husband and son? If he was involved, why did he want Ryan dead? Was it for Project Triton?

  Feeling remorseful for my earlier actions, I desperately wanted to appear the grieving widow and not the wanton slut. I donned a knee-length black sheath dress with a matching jacket. Then, I tucked my hair into an understated bun, grabbed my purse and coat, and headed for the garage.

  As I drove Ryan’s SUV toward downtown, I accessed the Bluetooth connection and dialed the number to the Martin Company.

  “Martin Company. How may I direct your call?”

  “Walter Puckett, please.”

  A few minutes of silence and then, “You’ve reached Mr. Puckett’s office. Who may I say is calling?”

  “Tell him it’s his niece from France.”

  “One minute.”

  More silence.

  “Who is this?” Walter’s voice was gruff.

  “Kerrie King. I had a feeling I wouldn’t get past your secretary.”

  “Probably not.” He chuckled. “My assistant can be a little protective of my time. What can I help you with?”

  Honestly, I couldn’t tell whether he was being genuine or not. “I’d like to speak with you about a project my late husband was working on. Your name was mentioned in his notes.”

  Walter’s voice rose a notch. “Mr. King and I were business associates, but we never actively engaged in any endeavor.”

  “Just the same, I’d still like to speak with you. I’m in the process of deciding what to do with the company…” I let the lie fade on my tongue.

  “Well, that’s a horse of a different color.” The man was practically drooling over the p
hone. “Why don’t you come to the office? Do you know where we’re located?”

  “I’m aware. I can be there within the hour.”

  “Good, good. I’ll let the security gate know to expect you.”

  “Thank you, Walter.” I disconnected and then dialed Josh.

  He picked up on the first ring. “Have you listened to my message?”

  Gee, no cordial greeting?

  It was the first time I’d ever heard him take a business tone with me.

  “Yeah, I did. Are you really at the precinct?”

  “Not yet. I’ll be leaving in about ten minutes. Why?”

  “Postpone it. I’m pulling into the Liberty Towers garage. I’ll be upstairs in a few minutes.”

  When I stepped off the elevator, Josh’s door was open. He stood on the other side with a cup of coffee in hand.

  “Do you have another one of those?”

  “This is yours.” He handed it to me. “I just finished mine.”

  Shutting the door behind me, I followed Josh into the living room. I took a sip of the perfectly doctored brew—just the right amount of cream and sugar—and sat on the sofa. “Care to explain some things?”

  Sitting across from me, he said, “You first.”

  Already I didn’t like the way the conversation started. What happened to the jovial friend who was always happy to see me?

  You rejected him.

  That was a good place to start. “About last night—”

  “You’re sorry,” he interrupted. My jaw dropped, and I almost spilled the coffee in my lap. “Shocked? Kerrie, we’ve been going through this for a while now. You say something hurtful. I forgive you. If I give you enough time, you’ll do or say something else to apologize for.”

  Grimacing, I asked, “What are you trying to say?”

  “That I’m tired, Kerrie. You know how I feel about you. For some reason, you won’t even entertain the idea of us being together.”

  I set the cup down so hard that the contents sloshed onto the table. Jumping to my feet, I shouted, “That’s fucking unfair, Josh! I just lost my husband and son!”

  “No, Kerrie. It’s been two months.”