She smiled and held out her hand for the cup. “Good, then let’s see how you do. If you need it, just call.”
“Thanks.”
When she was gone, I was left with my own negative thoughts. I had been an asshole to Scottie for no reason.
I quickly sent her a text.
Hey, sorry I acted like a dick. I’m a terrible patient. I hope you can forgive me and I’m trying to behave better.
I saw the three dots show up and soon her response popped in.
I understand. But don’t show that side to me. I’m sorry you’re stuck there, but it’s for your own good. Take care of your hand and I miss you. The real Raiden.
That brought a slight chuckle out of me.
Miss you too—from the real Raiden.
She sent me back a smiling emoji along with lips and an eggplant. Why the eggplant? Was she going to cook for me? I rarely used emojis, so I was out of the loop on those. I’d have to ask her tomorrow.
That night I fell asleep and dreamed about the O’Briens. I saw Scottie and some men I didn’t recognize shooting guns. Bodies were scattered on the ground with blood draining from them. The faces were blurred, but when I woke, my heart was clanging against my ribs, and I was tangled in damp sheets.
Was that a premonition or just an overactive imagination? I’d never been one to have nightmares before but I also never had a bomb explode on me either. It was most likely a latent reaction to the trauma I’d been through. Nevertheless, I had difficulty falling back asleep because I kept worrying about Scottie.
This would, no doubt, put her in harm’s way. She would want to be on the front line, hunting down the perpetrator. If Drex and his team figured out who did this, then I’d really have something to worry about because she and Isla would go off, guns blazing. I wondered how Acer was dealing with this.
Shortly after seven, my phone rang. It was Acer.
“Hey, Little Guy.”
“Cruze said you’ve been a total jerk off.”
“Yup.”
“Stop. None of us need this on top of what we’re dealing with.”
“I know. I’m sorry. I was feeling a little too sorry for myself, but I’m over it. So, what’s up?”
“I’m worried about the girls. As ex-law enforcement, we both know what’s going to happen.”
“Funny you should mention that because I was thinking the same thing when you called.”
“What are we gonna do?” he asked, concern lacing his voice.
“Nothing. If we try to stop them, it’ll piss them off. If we let them do their thing, but tell Drex to cover them, that’ll be best.”
“Isla’s a mother now. I can’t afford for her to be in a dangerous situation.”
“I understand and hopefully, she’ll see that too.”
“I was hoping you could talk to Scottie and Scottie could talk to her.”
“Yeah, Acer, I don’t think that’ll work. Law enforcement officers have kids and that doesn’t stop them from going out on calls.”
“True, but they’re not my wife.”
Laughing, I said, “That won’t get any mileage with Isla and I doubt it will with Scottie.”
“Then we’re both fucked.”
“You, worse than me.”
“Truth. So any word on when you’re getting out?”
“Nope. But I’m going to bug the doc until he can’t stand it.”
“Right. I’ll try to drop by today.”
“Hey, if you do, can you bring me some decent food?”
“I got you covered. Need anything else?”
“Yeah. Do you know what the emoji eggplant is all about?”
“Wh-what?” he stuttered. Then an ear-splitting laugh came over the phone, causing me to nearly lose my hearing.
Chapter Seven
Scottie
Last night, exhaustion claimed me before I could change my clothes. After the texts from Raiden, at first I fumed, but when he apologized, the anger melted away. My limbs were jelly as I rolled over and conked out. When I woke up, my entire body was stiff. I don’t think I moved an inch all night.
The doctor said to take it easy. Sitting at a desk wasn’t hard work, but I’d done it for twelve straight hours and the tension grew as each one passed.
It took Huff a while, but he finally found where Aiden O’Brien passed through customs several months ago. That was sufficient time to amass a team. Who knew what they were up to? We’d ruled out human trafficking. They’d broken up that ring when his brother was sent to prison, so every lead we searched had nothing to do with that.
Guns and drugs were our next best guesses. I was on the drug search team, for obvious reasons. Aiden was power hungry, so starting out fresh wouldn’t be something he’d go for. He had to either connect with another drug lord or try to take over an already established business. My searches began in Chicago, New York, Baltimore, and Miami. I doubted he’d line himself up with any of the Mexican cartels or the South American ones, only because they were turf kings and never liked to share. In fact, if anyone entered their territories, they executed them, no questions asked. Aiden was too smart for that. My thoughts were more in line with the east coast and maybe the Russian mob.
Aiden had power associated with his name, so anyone looking to gain ground would be wise to align with him. However, it would be short-lived because Aiden wouldn’t want to share. Whoever joined with him would end up as his subordinate or dead.
“Huff, can you run a search on any Russian mob killings that occurred in the past three months? I’m focusing on the east coast and Chicago.”
Isla was doing the same, except on a weapons perspective and running it from the west coast. Drex had connected Isla with someone he knew in the ATF and they had given her a file of everything they had, off the record.
It took all day for me to review the Chicago reports Huff pulled. And I didn’t even finish. There had been lots of mob activity, but we now had to attach that to drug sales and distribution.
The best method for this was to follow the money. We screened all the wealthy Russians in the metro Chicago area and then hacked their accounts to see what their bank deposits showed. We went back two years for consistency. It was a painstaking approach, but the best way to uncover anything.
Late in the afternoon, I called a conference. When everyone was in, I began, “I’ve come up with the big four in Chicago. These families have operated for years and they have strength. Then there are three newcomers. I can’t decide if Aiden would knock all three newbies out and go for their business, or take out one of the older family heads. Thoughts everyone?”
Gemini jumped in saying, “The three new. Maybe by combining all that business he’d be able to crack into some other families then.”
Nodding, I said, “At first, that’s what I thought. But then I thought about how large Aiden’s ego is. Wouldn’t he want clout? He’d get more if he took down one of the older family heads.”
Drex thrummed his fingers on the table. “I agree. However, if he starts small, he won’t get noticed at first and the big four will let him be. When they’re comfortable with his presence could be when he strikes.”
“Yes. That makes sense too. And mind you, I don’t know what I’ll find on the east coast. If he’s already working there, he may set up a pattern.”
Isla shook her head. “No. He won’t do that because he’ll want to keep everyone guessing. So if he takes out a family head, he won’t do it again somewhere else.”
“Excellent point. So with this information, any suggestions? Should I continue in this vein, or change what I’m looking for?”
Drex was the first to respond. “Keep doing what you’re doing. I like how you’re identifying potential targets. If we can locate people and search for patterns, we might find out what his involvement is.”
Everyone else agreed, so that’s what I did. I worked until close to nine, keeping my focus on Chicago. I gathered as much research as possible before I left, so today wh
en I came in, I could jump in and continue with New York. My hunch was it would be the most active of the searched cities. I’d be careful of who I focused on and whether a pattern started emerging.
Close to lunch, my phone vibrated, and I saw that Raiden had texted me. I hoped his attitude was better than last night. Before I’d received his text, I’d toyed with the idea of telling him to grow up and shove it. He’d surprised me with his sour attitude.
When I checked out the text, I died laughing.
I had to ask my brother what the eggplant meant.
The hot dog and taco emojis accompanied his message. Oh, he was catching on.
I sent him back the hard core laughing one. That was hilarious. He didn’t know about the eggplant. I couldn’t wait to cook eggplant parmigiana for him. He’d get a kick out of that. In the meantime, I sent him back a tongue, banana, and exploding head.
My phone rang.
“Hey. It seems you’re in a much better mood.”
“Yeah, even if I am horny, thank you.”
Chortling, I said, “I’m still laughing about you not knowing about the eggplant.”
“Oh, yeah. I figured you wanted to cook for me.”
“There is that.”
“Now that you’ve gotten me all fired up and no way to relieve myself, do you have any suggestions?”
“Oh, God, I forgot about your bandage.” I had this image of him trying to jerk off with a mitten-like hand. I snort-laughed.
“And it’s not funny.”
“I have an idea. I’ll come straight to the hospital tonight instead of going home.”
“Do me a favor, will you?”
“Sure. What is it?”
“Work straight through lunch.”
I was still laughing when I ended the call.
Chapter Eight
Raiden
Cruze had stopped by earlier and brought more clothes. As I hung around the hospital all day, my brain spun with ideas. One could only pace the halls so many times before the nurses noticed.
“Mr. Kent, would you like something to calm you down?”
Why were drugs always the answer? “No, I’d rather walk, thank you.”
It was a good thing I had my running shoes and workout clothes to wear, instead of that dreadful hospital gown. A grin curved my mouth when I thought how handy it had been while Scottie was still here as a patient.
All of a sudden panic hit, and I ran back to my room, grabbing my phone and punching in a series of numbers.
“Wolfe here.”
“Drex, it’s Raiden. We need to put bodyguards on everyone.”
“You’re several steps behind us. We have taken care of it, friend. I set them up right after they discovered the bombs.”
My heart took its time returning to normal, and I inhaled a cleansing breath. “Thank you. Being in the hospital clouded my brain.”
“Isla was right on it, along with Gem and myself. The three of us agreed if they hit the two of you, that wouldn’t be their only attempt.”
“The hospital?”
“There’s one there too.”
“Are you sure? I’ve been wearing my shoes out walking the halls and have seen no one.”
“I’m on my way.” The call abruptly ended, and in an instant, I was on alert again. I was the rabbit being hunted by the hawk, only my hawk was faceless.
Twenty minutes later, Drex stood in my room, along with two other men I didn’t know.
“Bad news. The guy I assigned here is nowhere around. We’re looking for him.”
A police officer strolled in and introduced himself to Drex. “I’m Officer Dent, and I’ll be assisting you in your search.”
Drex frowned. “Where’s Detective Rodriguez? He said he’d meet me here.”
“Yeah, he couldn’t make it.”
Drex had his phone out and was making a call while asking for Officer Dent’s ID. The two guys that had accompanied Drex appeared wary.
“Hey, Juan, where are you?”
Pause.
“Who’s Dent?”
Dent made a run for it, but wasn’t fast enough to escape the beefy arms of Drex’s men. They grabbed him and forced him to sit in the chair.
Drex walked forward until his feet were close to touching the man’s. “Who are you? And I want the truth this time.”
The guy shook his head. “You’ll have to kill me.”
“That can be arranged.” Drex grabbed his collar and tightened his grip until he was on his feet. “I asked you a question. Who are you?”
The man only sputtered. Drex dropped him and he fell back into the seat. “Looks like you’re headed to jail then.”
A few minutes later, Detective Rodriguez entered along with another man. He introduced him as Detective Gentry. Drex brought them up to speed on things.
Rodriguez went up to the impersonator and asked, “You don’t want to answer our questions? How about a trip downtown then?”
The man only shrugged.
“Hey, do you suspect he had anything to do with the bombs?” I asked.
“That wasn’t me,” the man said.
“Then who was it?” Rodriguez asked.
“No way. I’m as good as dead if I talk and I’m not a rat.”
Rodriguez looked at Gentry and said, “Cuff him.” Then he read him his rights. “It’s obvious you were an accessory to the crime, which falls under terrorism and is a federal offense. Good luck to you.” Gentry walked him out. Rodriguez continued, “We’ll interrogate him, though he’ll lawyer up before the feds get to him. And we’re searching for your man. I’m not too optimistic though. If those guys deployed two bombs, a murder falls low on their ladder.”
“Fuck. Let me know what you find.” Drex shook hands with Rodriguez as he was leaving.
Then he leveled his gaze at me. “I’m putting one man in your room and one in the hall. No more walking around. Clear?”
“Yeah, I got you. And everyone else has protection, right?”
“Got it all covered.”
“Why didn’t Cruze say something when he stopped by this morning?”
“I can’t answer that. At the very least, he should’ve noticed there wasn’t anyone outside your door.”
Then I thought of something. “Maybe there was then.”
Drex nodded. “I’ll ask him. Anyway, you’re looking well. I hope you get out soon.”
“Another day or two at the most. At least that’s what the doc said yesterday.”
“Hey, do you have any firearms experience?”
“Not much. I’ve fired a gun here and there.”
“I’m enrolling you and Cruze in a class then.”
“Drex, aren’t you forgetting something?” I held up my bandaged hand.
“Shit. Scrap that, but once you have full motion again, that’s a high priority. You good with that?”
“Sure and let’s hope it’ll be sooner rather than later.”
“Okay, I have to get back to the office.”
“Hey, thanks, man.”
He dipped his head. “It’s what I’m here for.”
One of the burly men followed him out, leaving me with the other.
“So, what’s your name?”
“I’m Adam, sir.”
“Adam, do you play cards or anything like that?”
“Not while I’m on duty, sir. My job is to protect without distractions.”
“I see. Can you talk?”
He attempted to suppress a grin but failed. “Yes, sir. I can talk.”
“Good, then take a seat.”
We talked, but he trained his eyes on the door at all times. Anytime it opened, he was on his feet in a flash. After the first time, I asked him about his experience.
“Former special forces.”
“That answers one question.”
“Question? What was that?”
“Your quick reflexes. I’ve never seen anyone jump to their feet so fast.”
“Yes, sir. It was that, or
fail.”
“How long have you been out?”
“About four years, sir.”
When the doctor came in, he asked Adam to leave. I nodded and Adam walked out. “Is he your bodyguard or something?”
“Matter of fact, he is. So is the one in the hall.”
“I didn’t see anyone in the hall.”
Jumping up, I ran to the door and opened it. Adam jerked when I flung the door open, but the other guard stood next to him. That was strange.
“Sir?”
“The doctor said he didn’t see anyone in the hall.”
The doctor had joined us in the hall. “Is there a problem?”
“You didn’t see him?” I pointed to Adam’s partner, who I’d found out was Ben.
“No.”
“I ducked in the bathroom for a second,” Ben said.
“That explains it. Let us know whenever you do that.”
Adam shuffled his feet. “He did, sir. He texted me.”
Feeling foolish, I nodded and went back into the room.
The doctor followed me and asked, “Is everything all right?”
“Yeah, a bit jumpy with things.”
“Let me examine you. Maybe it’ll calm you down.”
He unwrapped the bandages and appeared happy with the progress.
“Any chance you can spring me from here?”
“I think we can manage that tomorrow. Mr. Kent, I’m happy to tell you skin grafts won’t be necessary.” He turned me around and then examined my wrist. “You are certainly a lucky man. But I need some promises from you. One, do not skip a dose of the antibiotics I’ll prescribe, two, call me if any unusual redness or swelling develops, and three, go to rehab every day. If you don’t, the scar formation may inhibit motion later on.”
“You have a deal. I’ll follow all of your instructions.”
He showed me how to wrap my wounds using special breathable bandages. I was to see him in a week unless something happened.
Scottie showed up around dinnertime. She carried a large bag with her and pulled out a bunch of containers. There was enough Asian food for us and the bodyguards, hers included.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” I asked.
“Tell you what?”
Raiden: A Stand Alone, Irish Mob Crime Romance (The Kent Brothers Book 2) Page 5