“Yup. The flirt-o-meter is turned way up.”
Janie let out a charming laugh at something Mo said and Luke grabbed his beer, downed it then got up and went back toward the kitchen. Janie glanced back to see him leave and within a couple of seconds, excused herself.
“Mm, hm. It’s gonna be interesting,” Mike murmured then kissed Em’s knee again.
“You can say that again.”
“It’s gonna be interesting,” he said again, chuckling.
Emily grabbed a tuft of his hair and tugged playfully.
Tiffany and Drew were only a few feet away on the loveseat talking and even though Emily wanted to know what was going on, she didn’t dare interrupt them. Tiffany was actually talking normally to him, looking a little flustered, yes, but they were having what appeared to be a real conversation.
Ryann and Jeremy were talking with Rene and her husband, with Mo now discussing something with Jon and Ayanna.
“Ya think if I went into the kitchen right now, I’d catch them making out?” Mike asked with hesitation. “I was gonna go get another beer, and I do not want to be walkin’ in on that.” He shuddered. Janie and Luke still had yet to make a reappearance.
Emily smiled and looked down at Mike who was watching her reaction. “No. You’d catch them thinking about it though, I bet.”
“How did I totally miss that one?” he asked shaking his head, still not believing that he missed the obvious.
“I have no idea, baby. You just didn’t see them in that light together, I guess.” She changed the subject and said in a low voice, “Whattaya think of Drew and Tiffany?”
There was a moment of silence while he thought about it, then, “Ooh, yeah. I can definitely see that. She needs a good guy after that dick of a husband and Drew’s a really nice one, but still has the tough side which she’d want, I think.”
“That’s what I think. She likes him, which is why she babbles around him.”
“Which means he makes her nervous. She always talks a lot when she’s nervous.”
“So I’ve seen.”
Mike’s text went off and he checked his phone. Emily could tell immediately that something was wrong because Mike’s body tensed and he went on high alert. The air practically crackled and Mike sat up from the floor immediately. His abrupt actions caused the friends in the living room to look over at him.
“Whatsa matter?” she asked.
“It’s a text from the throw away phone I gave Kevin. He wants me to come over to the house,” Mike paused and looked at Em then the group, “because he thinks he may have killed Strover.”
……
The house turned into a chaotic frenzy as Luke and Janie emerged from the kitchen to find out what all of the swearing and yelling was about. Mike called on Rene’s husband, Victor, and Maurice to go with him to the Strover’s brownstone. Victor still had his gun on him from work as did Mike, but Mo only had his pepper spray and taser. Mike started making calls and barking into his phone that he needed back up and an ambulance sent over to the Strover’s right away.
“I’m going, but don’t worry. I’ll wait outside unless you need me for anything,” Rene said jumping up.
“I’m going too,” Emily said, her voice taking on the tone that said she wouldn’t be taking no for an answer. “And don’t let Kevin talk to you, Mike. He needs a lawyer so let me do my thing until we can call someone better suited for this. I don’t want him talking to the cops yet. Let’s protect him for as long as we can.”
“Agreed. I’ll make sure you’re there first before we start finding out what happened.” He turned to Drew. “You might be needed too.”
“I’m there,” Drew nodded.
Even though no one else was needed, everyone stood and looked as if they were an army ready to be called in for battle.
“Okay, I’m texting Kevin to say we’ll be right there and to stay put,” Mike said. Then he turned to fellow cops in the group and said, “Let’s go.”
Some of them stayed to turn off the ovens and get their jackets, while the cops in the group along with Rene, Drew and Emily poured out into the fall evening and in three minutes jogged the short distance over a block to the Strover’s residence. The lights were on downstairs, but it was dark everywhere else.
“I’ll take the front. Em, you stay close behind.” Mike then turned to Rene’s husband. “Vic, you take the back. Mo, watch the windows,” Mike said in a low voice. They all dispersed to their locations with Rene and Drew waiting by the bench on the sidewalk. Mike walked up to the front door with Emily close behind him. He tried to peer into the side window panels, but saw nothing.
He tapped on the door and waited. After ten seconds of no one coming to the door, he texted Kevin to see if he would respond. He didn’t.
“This isn’t good,” Mike murmured. He lifted his hand to the knob and tried it. Miraculously, it was unlocked. Mike turned to Emily. “Stay out here,” he ordered. He gave her a look that said he meant it then crept into the house.
Like hell she was staying out there. There was no way Mike was going in all by himself. She looked around for Mo and Victor but didn’t see them. She waited a few seconds then quietly followed him in.
A soft sounding gun shot, as if with a silencer, went off at the top of the stairwell and the sound of something collapsing on the floor thumped through the house. Emily saw Mike running quietly toward it and he never looked back. She heard the sirens approaching in the distance and decided to follow Mike closely behind.
She crept up the stairs until she heard labored breathing outside one of the rooms. She peeked around the corner of the hallway and saw Kevin in a crumpled heap outside of a bedroom door, clutching his stomach, blood oozing between his fingers. She looked ahead and saw Mike hugging the hallway wall making his way quietly down the carpeting toward another room. He had no idea she was there.
“You brought this on yourself, Suzy Q,” Emily heard Strover grunt as if winded. His voice was flat and matter of fact. He sounded as if he was in the room Mike was approaching. She looked down at Kevin and removed her sweater to hold it against his stomach then leaned down and whispered in his ear, “The ambulance is almost here, Kevin. Hold on, buddy. Just hold on.” She gripped his hand and pressed the sweater into the bullet wound.
“Everyone knows you haven’t been around in a while. You’ve shown nothing but signs of sickness and instability for months now. It’s a shame that you snapped and killed your own son then tried to kill me.” Strover was grunting as if carrying something. “Thankfully, I’m gonna stop you and put an end to your pitiful life so you can’t hurt anyone anymore.”
“Is he dead?” she whimpered. “Did you kill him, you fuckin’ bastard?” Emily heard a scuffle then Mike disappeared into the room.
God. Oh my God, please. Mike, be careful.
Shit. Should she get Drew for Kevin, or follow Mike? She couldn’t stay where she was. She had to follow him, so she did, quietly down the hall to the room, quickly peeking in then moving back just as quickly so not to be seen in case Strover was there. Mike was in the room approaching what appeared to be the walk in closet or attached bathroom area, because Strover and Susan weren’t in the front part of the room.
In the split second she saw the room, though, she noticed many things. Closed drapes, a dark dingy depressing quality with a single bed against the wall, a single chair and table. Not much else. She peeked in again and followed Mike. He looked back and finally saw her. And if his expression could talk, it would be saying she was in deep shit.
She looked at him with all of the love she could and mouthed the words I love you. Let me help.
He had an exasperated angry look on his face then appeared to be strategizing and thinking. A moment later, he directed her with his hand to get on the opposite side of the closet door so both of them were hidden there, one of them on each side. In an instant, she seemed to know what he was going to do. He was going to draw Strover out then they’d take him down.
Sirens were getting closer. They heard Strover say, “Those better not be for us, Suzy Q. Did Kevin get his hands on a phone? I guess I need to move faster.”
Mike looked at her, put out his foot indicating he wanted Emily to trip Strover when he came out then put up his fingers, counting 1, 2, 3. Without waiting a second longer, he slinged the chair across the room so it landed by the doorway with a crash.
Silence loomed heavy and the air began to sizzle. They both stood still, flat against the wall, Mike with his gun at the ready, Em’s stance ready to fight. Even though they couldn’t hear Strover, they knew he’d heard them, and they knew he was coming.
Don’t wait. Go in while he’s distracted. He’s going to come out to check on the sound. Go in now!
She wanted to scream it but continued to wait, knowing Strover was creeping closer to the doorway on the other side of the wall.
“HELP!” Susan yelled in a blood curdling scream.
Then all hell broke loose.
Strover made a growling sound at Susan’s noise, obviously angered noise at giving them away, allowing Emily and Mike to hear that he was just inside the doorway. Emily crouched low so she wasn’t in his line of fire if he still had the gun in his hand, which she was certain he did. Then she looked at Mike one last time, turned into the doorway and charged.
There was an oomph sound as Strover toppled back, surprised. Emily, using her training, rammed her hands up underneath his gripped hands on the gun, pushed up as the gun discharged and twisted the gun back and down. The fingers from his right hand made a loud crunch, catching in the opening where the trigger was. Emily’s maneuver caused Strover to scream as his fingers were crushed inside the loop of the trigger.
In the split second Emily swooped in, Mike was right behind her, yelling, “Em, stay down!” Strover continued to struggle, but within moments, Mike had his own gun at Strover’s temple and Emily moved out of the way. The gun hung from Strover’s useless fingers and Mike pulled it from his grasp.
In one final move, Emily slammed her booted foot into Strover’s groin and he crashed to the floor moaning and grunting in pain.
Mike quickly cuffed him then looked at Emily as if he was going to kill her right there. She’d never seen him look so scared or angry. “Go check on Susan,” he demanded, avoiding her eyes.
They would discuss it later, she was sure. She knew he was angry that she followed him, but she couldn’t help it. She made a split second decision and followed her gut. There was no time for second guessing now.
She walked further into the closet toward the bathroom and saw an emaciated woman leaning back against the wall covering her mouth with her hands. She looked haunted, covered in old discolored bruises and swimming in a sweat suit that was too large for her. Emily approached slowly, her hands up so Susan could see she was safe.
“My name is Emily White. Your husband isn’t going to hurt you anymore. He’s been detained by the police and the ambulance is almost here. You’re safe.”
She let out a gut wrenching sob and doubled over. Then as if remembering her son, she looked up and screamed out, “Kevin?!”
“I’ll take you to him. Come on.” She reached out her hand and led the woman out of the bathroom. By this time, Mike had Strover secured in the bedroom on the bed and was on the phone.
“Send everyone in,” he was barking. “We have a gunshot wound to the stomach. Sixteen year old boy at the top of the stairs –”
As soon as Susan saw Strover and heard Mike’s words, she lunged and screamed, tearing at his hair, punching his face, crying.
Both Mike and Emily pulled her from him. “Susan! Susan? Come on. Kevin needs you,” Emily said loudly.
And just like that, Susan forgot about Strover and allowed Emily to lead her away just as Drew, EMT’s and cops were rushing in downstairs.
Chapter 23
In the activity after the authorities arrived, Kevin was sent to the hospital along with his mother. Drew went along since he was the very surgeon who’d removed the bullet from Ryann after she’d been shot. He knew about gunshot wounds all too well.
A separate ambulance took Strover in under heavy guard. Emily made some calls to Joe Mitchell who sent a lawyer over to the hospital to represent Kevin and his mother, and Emily knew that she and Mike would probably head over to check on them after things were secured at the brownstone.
There were still unanswered questions for which the police needed to gather information, but as the house was combed through, they’d made some observations which led to some theories. One, all of the windows in the house had been nailed shut as well as covered with a film not allowing people to see in or out. Two, the bedroom where Strover had taken his wife resembled a cell, sparsely furnished with the door having a lock on the outside that could only be opened with a key. Three, there was a house phone but it appeared to only receive incoming calls, with a voicemail system taking messages. No outgoing calls were able to be made.
It appeared to all those who were looking at the residence that it was indeed a prison for those living there. And given what Mike and Emily had overheard when they’d listened to the exchange between Strover and Susan, it seemed that Strover had been the jailkeeper. After shooting Kevin he planned on killing his wife. That much was clear.
When he’d been taken away, he had a gaping wound on the back of his head, which Mike assumed had been inflicted by Kevin. A bloody frying pan was found by the front door and was believed to be the weapon which had caused it. This further explained the text Mike had received.
Apparently Kevin had been able to knock Strover unconscious, but in the time that it took Mike and the crew to get to the brownstone, Strover had come to and shot Kevin.
Emily stood outside with the friends while Mike finished up inside. They’d been standing out there for upwards of an hour, along with neighbors and police cars.
“This is unbelievable,” Rene kept saying. “It’s like something you’d hear about on the news but you never think you’ll know someone who’s actually gone through it.”
Tiffany walked over having just gotten off the phone. “That was Drew. They made it to the hospital. Kevin’s in surgery now.”
“Drew’s not doing it?”
“No. Another surgeon took over, but Drew said he was going to stay for a bit,” Tiffany said. “He’s a godsend, isn’t he?” she asked rhetorically, her eyes taking on a faraway look. Everyone knew she was referring to Drew.
“That he is,” Emily said.
“You’re the godsend,” Mo said to Em. “I can’t believe you got the gun out of his hand.”
“Don’t get me wrong, Emmie. I’m so proud of you. Your parents are gonna be so proud of you, but they are so gonna wanna kill you at the same time. Not to mention my own mother,” Jon said, shaking his head. “God, Em. Just thinking about what could’ve happened in there,” he began then hooked his arm around her neck and pulled her in close.
She hugged him back. She hadn’t talked to Mike yet since the incident and she appreciated being held. She only wished it was him doing the holding.
“Forget them,” Janie guffawed. “She’s gotta survive Mike first. Mike is the one who’s gonna kill her.” She turned to Emily. “Have you two talked yet?” Janie asked.
“No,” Emily said, looking away. “I’m not looking forward to that conversation.”
“I wouldn’t either,” she said dryly. “He’s gonna be pissed.”
“Em, you missed your calling. You would’ve made a great cop,” Mo said. “Seriously. Cool under pressure. You saved people’s lives tonight.”
She shrugged, a little embarrassed. “After so many years of training with Krav Maga, it kind of just becomes natural. Like instinct.” She broke away from Jon.
“Well, I don’t know what the hell happened in the last three or four months where you women started attracting all the crazies,” Jeremy said, his arms loosely around Ryann as if he was afraid she’d disappear if he let go. “All of the sudden, you�
�re all magnets to every psycho in the City.” The girls all looked at each other and smiled crookedly at his comment. He was obviously referring to Ryann being shot and then Ayanna being caught in the restaurant fire several weeks back which had been set by a woman who’d had some major issues with her.
Now counting Emily’s incident that left Janie and Tiffany as the final female friends in the crew who had yet to experience violence from someone in recent months. Although, maybe that wasn’t entirely true. Janie had been with Ayanna during the restaurant fire and Tiffany’s ex-husband had been an asshole.
“You girls need to be careful,” Luke said intensely to Tiffany and Janie. He plowed his fingers through his hair. “Every time we turn around, one of you is in the hospital. And Janie,” he said under his breath as an afterthought, “you need to watch out for these men you’re dating –”
“Whoa, there. What men? I’ve dated one guy like in the last year and he was a cop, so calm it down there, Lukey,” Janie said in a snarky tone.
Emily noted Janie’s childhood name for him. When she wanted to get under his skin, she called him Lukey and he called her ‘baby girl’. They’d adopted these nicknames early in their lives together.
“I’m just saying that if you’re gonna be flirting and trying to hook up with men, you need to be careful,” he said quietly giving her a look. “You don’t know what these men are like.”
“What men are we talking about?” she asked throwing out her hands in exasperation.
Mo watched the argument with interest and a little smirk on his face, as did everyone else.
“Besides,” Janie continued, “the only psycho I’m with on a regular basis is Ayanna. And when she’s wielding a knife, it’s usually aimed at the vegetables.”
Ayanna snorted.
“This isn’t something to joke about, Janie. You need to be careful.” Luke was on a roll. He was visibly upset.
“Yes, you’ve made that abundantly clear, darling,” Janie said, apparently not affected at all that he was upset. “Don’t you worry about little ole me. I can handle men, Lukey.” She raised an eyebrow and with challenge in her voice, finished with, “Very well, actually.”
Revelation: A Contemporary Erotic Romance (Iris Series) Page 36