The UN Series Complete Box Set

by Shantel Tessier

  “No, I didn’t go out,” he says roughly.

  “Then why do you look like shit?” Tate asks.

  “I just came from the station,” he replies flatly.

  “Really?” I ask sitting up straight in my chair. “Are you going back?” I wonder. It wouldn’t surprise me, honestly. Parker was meant to be a cop. He really is one of the good guys who just wants to help others. But what happened to Kat changed him, and I totally understand that. I quit my career as a defense attorney for the woman I love.

  He sighs as he runs his hands through his hair. “Captain called me this morning saying that they had brought in a man who could help me catch my father.”

  “That’s great, Parker,” Tate says, and I nod in agreement.

  “It was my brother.”

  “Come again,” I ask.

  He tilts his head from side to side, stretching his neck. “It was Braxton.”

  “What the hell was he arrested for? That guy is so clean he squeaks.” Tate snorts.

  “Well, from what he told me, he was meeting with a client. The police pulled over the client for a broken taillight on his way to meet Braxton, and Braxton just happened to pull up when they were searching his car. They found a baggie of yellow pills in his car. Braxton tried to intervene, being his lawyer and all. As soon as they ran his name, Captain ordered them to bring him in.”

  “I don’t understand. Why are you so down? This is great news. I don’t know how much help your brother can be.” I shrug. “I know he’s close with Richard. But his client may give you information on him in order to get a reduced sentence.”

  “I punched him,” he says ignoring what I just said. He looks down at his fisted hand, and I notice the redness and scratch across his knuckles.

  “What? Why?” I ask him.

  “He had said some things about Kat …”

  I raise my hand to stop him. “He’s never met Kat.” As far as I know, they’ve never met. Did I miss something?

  “Exactly!” he says through grinded teeth. “Dick has been telling him things about her.”

  “What the fuck?” Tate demands. “Like what kinds of things?”

  Parker shrugs. “I really wasn’t in the mood to find out. I just hit him. Then when he kept on saying things about her, I sat him down and showed him the pictures in her file.”

  I run a hand over my face as I let out a long breath. That’s why he looks the way he does. Those pictures are brutal. What Mason did to her was brutal. Having to relive that over and over doesn’t get any easier. Even if you know the love of your life recovers in the end.

  He swallows. “It just … brought up things I’ve tried to forget.” I nod my head in understanding. “And you know, I’ve never told her that my dad was involved. I didn’t want to scare her. But after I walked out of that room with Braxton, I think I need to tell her.”

  “That’s not a good idea,” Tate says.

  He looks over at him. “And why the fuck not?” he demands. “You once kept shit from Missy and how did that work out for you?”

  To my surprise, Tate doesn’t get mad like he would have in the past; he just simply asks his own question. “You held it from her for a reason. Why tell her now when you’re getting closer to finding him?”

  Parker hangs his head letting out a frustrated sigh. “I just feel like it’s time.”

  “I agree with you on that,” I say slowly. “But …”

  His phone ringing in his pocket interrupts our conversation. He adjusts himself in his seat in order to dig it out. He looks down at it and lets it ring a few more times before he reluctantly answers it. “Yes?” he asks in greeting.

  Tate and I exchange a look of confusion before he goes on. “I’m not sure … yes but …” He runs a hand through his hair as he shifts in his seat. After a few long moments of silence, he speaks. “Fine.” Then he hangs up.

  “Who the hell was that?” Tate asks being nosy like a woman.

  “That was my brother.” He looks at me. “He wants to come over and meet Kat. Tonight.”

  My eyes widen and Tate frowns. “Wait? He’s never met her? Like ever?” Tate asks surprised. Guess he didn’t already know this.

  Parker shakes his head. “Why would he? We don’t get along. And ever since Dick almost killed her,” he grinds out, “I have kept her away from all of my family. When she asks about them, I make up some kind of bullshit about how busy they are. Or how much I can’t stand them. And she gets that. Because she doesn’t even speak to her mother.” He shrugs. “It’s never been an issue. Until now. Now, he wants to meet her. Get to know her.” He rolls his eyes. “His words.” He looks at Tate and changes the subject. “Call Missy and tell her we’re having dinner at our house tonight.”

  “What?”

  He ignores him and looks at me. “I want you guys there with the girls. For some crazy reason, I don’t want him there with just the two of us.”

  “You don’t think you can trust him?” I ask.

  He waves off that question. “That’s not my concern. I just don’t want Kat to question why he showed up out of the blue. If we are already having people over and she asks why he came over, I have an excuse. And I don’t want her to feel obligated to tell her life story. The girls will keep her busy.”

  “What time?” I ask already pulling my phone out of my desk drawer to text Angel.

  “Say six thirtyish.” And with that, he gets up and walks out of my office, slamming the door behind him.

  Tate turns to me. “I think this is a very bad idea.” He leans closer to my desk. “What if Braxton is setting him up? Maybe he’s planning to help Dick!”

  I have to agree with him. “Well, if he is, then you’ll get your chance to beat the shit out of him,” I say and Tate smiles. He can’t stand Braxton, so that would be a win for him.

  CHAPTER THREE

  PARKER

  I’m nervous as shit! I pace back and forth in our living room while Tate sits on the couch next to his wife, Missy. They both eat Cheese Puffs out of a bag while staring at the TV. Every now and then, Puss Puss meows, and he slips her one as she lies on his lap. He’s definitely taking this sympathy weight gain seriously. Best husband of the year award goes to him!

  A hand taps my shoulder and I spin around to see Slade standing behind me. “Whoa,” he says softly. “Calm down, man.” He looks around the room to make sure Kat isn’t in here. “You’re gonna blow the cover you’ve set up for yourself.”

  I shake my shoulders and hands, letting out a deep breath. I had come home from work today and told Kat that I had invited our friends over for dinner tonight. She didn’t even give it a second thought. She just kissed my cheek and went into the kitchen to start cooking up a storm. She likes that we have a lot of friends who we call family. She never really had anyone close to her besides her dad, and I know she misses him. The girls help keep her mind off things. And everyone is popping out babies like every month is a fucking holiday! Between baby showers and birthdays, we have at least one event every single month. It’s annoying and refreshing at the same time.

  The doorbell rings and I close my eyes as I take a deep breath. “Can you get that?” Kat calls out from the kitchen.

  “Yes, ma’am,” I say and Tate chuckles as he stuffs another Cheese Puff in his mouth before licking his orange fingers.

  I narrow my eyes on him but make my way to the door. I suck in one more deep breath before pulling the door open. My brother stands there in another one of his expensive suits and holds a bouquet of red roses in his hands that sit in a pretty glass vase. It reminds me of the flowers that my father had delivered to her hospital room. His were meant to be a warning. I know my brother doesn’t mean these the same way, but tell that to my brain.

  “Come in,” I say stepping out of the way for him to enter.

  Tate gives a grunt to acknowledge him, and Missy gives him a soft hello. It’s a tad awkward considering my brother had a thing for her. And if you ask me, he still does. Slade slaps h
im on the back. “How’s work going, Braxton? My dad still treating you right?” Slade quit working for his father at the firm, and he, Tate, and I started our own security company. Braxton took Slade’s position at the firm.

  “Yes. He’s always keeping me busy,” he says with a laugh, but I can tell it’s a nervous one.

  I walk him through the hallway and into the kitchen. Might as well get this part over with. I smile as I walk in and see my future wife standing in front of the stove. She and Sam have their backs to us as they cook. They laugh and giggle like little schoolgirls as Sam tells her something that Sadey did the other day. I clear my throat to get their attention.

  They both spin around. The laughter dies and a smile drops off Kat’s face. She looks at me wide-eyed before she stares at Braxton. I can see the question in her eyes. Who is this man? Why is he in my house?

  “Honey, my brother has come to join us for dinner,” I announce awkwardly.

  “Braxton,” she announces in a high-pitch tone. This is usually the part where someone says It’s nice to meet you. I’ve heard so much about you. But this is not one of those moments for her. I don’t ever talk about my brother. And now, he just shows up all of a sudden … Shit! This was a very bad idea. She’s gonna ask me questions later, and I’m gonna have to dodge when I spoke to him last and why he wanted to come over.

  I gave it some thought today, and the guys are right. I can’t tell her about my father’s involvement just yet. Not when I’m closer to setting him up. I know Kat too well, and she will run straight to my father. She will confront him, and I can’t keep her safe if she does that.

  “Hello. Katherine?” he asks, and I swallow nervously.

  The surprise wipes off her face and she smiles at him softly. “Call me Kat,” she corrects him.

  He nods his head. “Kat.” He takes a step toward her as he raises the vase and flowers that are in his hands.

  “Oh,” she says looking down at them. “Those are beautiful. Thank you.” She reaches out, takes them from him, and then walks over to the kitchen table to place them in the center.

  I watch Braxton look her over as she sets another plate at the dinner table. His eyes linger on her wrists, and my jaw tightens. To any random person just walking by, you wouldn’t see the scars the handcuffs left. But to a person who knows they are there, they stick out like a sore thumb.

  I clear my throat to get his attention, but instead, everyone turns to face me. “We’re going to go into the living room and watch the game,” I announce, before placing my arm on his shoulder and yanking him out of the kitchen.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  TATE

  Ever feel like you’re waiting for the ball to drop? Like things have been going so smoothly and you’re counting down the minutes before you fuck it up? That’s kinda what this dinner feels like.

  I never took the time to get to know Braxton because well, he tried to take Missy from me. And for a while, I was a fucking idiot. Pushing her away. Pushing her right into his arms in the process. Now, he’s in the same room as us, and I can’t help but watch every move he makes to see if he looks at my wife. He has; he’s smiled at her, and he has even asked when our baby is due. He hasn’t tried to hit on her, which is smart on his part. I would lay him flat out with one punch to his face, Parker’s brother or not. But still, I don’t like the fact that he is here. Call me insecure, jealous, whatever. I’m territorial over what is mine, and I’m not a hundred percent sure that he is on Parker’s side here. Why is he all of a sudden here? Why all of a sudden does he care about Kat? Kat and Parker have been together for over six months. Doesn’t anyone find it odd he’s never met her? I sure as hell do. And what if by coming around, he puts all the women in danger? I put nothing past Richard. That man is ruthless and every man in this room is trying to do everything he can to bring him down.

  “I’ll have to come in and try this bakery, Sam. I’ve heard nothing but great things about it,” he says as he eats a piece of the cherry pie she made for tonight.

  She nods her head as she wipes the corners of her mouth with a napkin. “It’s exactly what I always dreamed of. Well, what my mother and I dreamed of,” she clarifies.

  Slade throws his arm over her shoulders and pulls her into his side. He kisses her hair and smiles proudly at his wife.

  “Oh,” Missy says before she takes a deep breath.

  I stand quickly and look down at her. “Are you okay?” I ask starting to panic. “Is it time?” I ask quickly. I’m prepared if so. I’ve had the car seat and her hospital bag in the truck for more than a month now.

  She reaches up and grabs my hand, yanking me down to my chair. She laughs. “No. Just extra active tonight. Calm down, babe.” Everyone else around the table chuckles. I have no shame. When our baby is ready to show her face, we need to be prepared.

  “I remember when I was pregnant,” Sam says. “Slade would literally call me every hour on the hour to check on me.” She slaps him on the chest playfully.

  “I don’t know what it is about babies that make men paranoid,” Missy says shaking her head with a beautiful smile on her face.

  I snort. “There’s nothing wrong with being protective,” I say giving Braxton the evil eye. He looks away from me quickly.

  I look over at Parker and his jaw is tight as he stares at his brother. I’m not sure what he is thinking. I haven’t had the chance to sit down and talk to him one on one. Why did he tell Braxton about what happened to Kat? He had said today up at the office that Braxton had said their dad was talking about her, but he never said what it was he had said exactly. Isn’t he afraid Braxton will run back to Richard and inform him of what Parker is trying to do? Put him away for life? Kill him? Maybe that’s what he wants. He wants his dad to confront him.

  All I know is that I don’t know what I would do if I were in his position. Probably go crazy with the what-ifs. All I know is that I’ve always been a person who preferred anger and my fist connecting with someone rather than to feel something for someone. Missy shattered every wall I ever put up. And then she managed to build one that hid us away from the world. She never quit having faith in me, and all I ever did was give up on her. It’s amazing how God never gives up on us even when all we do is fail to believe. I may sound like a religious person, but I’m not. It’s just that I allowed the devil to take over my life for so long that when I stopped giving in to him, I realized the true meaning of freedom. I’ll gladly give my life for my wife and unborn child any day.

  “So, Kat, what is it that you do?” Braxton asks.

  She frowns as if he should know this. And I watch as Parker does the same. Did his father not fill him in? Or is he just trying to act as if he doesn’t know her?

  “I’m an ER nurse.”

  His eyes widen in surprise. “Really?” He looks over at Missy, and I physically stiffen. “The same as you?”

  She looks down at the table and says, “I quit.” Don’t you remember? Dumbass!

  “What?” He looks at me and then back at her. “I thought you had just taken some time off. Did you quit because of the baby?”

  “No! I quit before the baby!” She smiles brightly. “And I still work for Sam up at the bakery.”

  He nods his head, but I can see the disappointment in his eyes as he looks at her. His eyes briefly hit mine. He blames me. He thinks that she lowered herself to my level. And he would be a hundred percent right. If I had not slept with her in Vegas, then she wouldn’t have gotten pregnant and lost our first baby. Then she would have never quit nursing school. Or gave up her dream to be an ER nurse. I will gladly take the blame, but I won’t apologize for it. Things might have not worked out how we wanted them to, but I couldn’t be happier. And I also couldn’t care less what he thinks of her or myself.

  He looks back at Kat. “That must be a hard job.”

  “It’s not always easy, sure. But it is very rewarding.”

  He nods his head. “I can only imagine. And your parents? Do they live here a
s well?”

  “Enough questions!” Parker orders making Kat jump in her seat.

  “Parker.” She looks over at him as she gently pats his chest. “It’s okay.” She looks back at Braxton. “My parents are dead.” I know she’s lying. Her mother isn’t dead. She just tells everyone that. I know this because Slade and I helped Parker look up her mother. I guess the woman could be dead because she was nowhere to be found. It’s as if she just dropped off the face of the earth. But I know Kat is okay with that.

  Silence falls over the kitchen, and I take a bite of my cherry pie. God, Sam makes the best pies.

  A phone ringing breaks the silent, and Braxton hurries to grab his phone from his pocket. He quickly silences the ringing noise and places it back in his pocket.

  Slade looks at me and then over at Parker. Parker places his fork on the table, stands, and speaks. “Braxton, can I see you for a second?” Then he walks out of the kitchen.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  PARKER

  I walk out the front door with Braxton right behind me. As soon as I hear the door shut, I spin around to face him. “Does he know you’re here?” I demand. I know that was our father how just called him.

  “Who?”

  “Don’t play dumb with me, Braxton. Dick. Does he know you’re here?”

  “No.”

  “Don’t you dare lie to me,” I say pointing a finger at his chest.

  “I swear I didn’t tell him anything. I haven’t even spoke to him.”

  I turn away from him and start to pace on our front porch. “Why did you even want to come over tonight?” I ask not even bothering to stop and look at him.

  “I wanted to meet Kat,” he says softly. “Did you marry her?”

  I come to a stop and look up at him. “What?”

  “She wears a ring.” He looks down at my naked fingers. “Did you guys get married?”