Consequence (Reckless Killers Book 2)

by V. Hunter

  The people I so desperately missed.

  Across from me, Malik's head shot up as the opening notes of Dolly Parton's 9 to 5 rang out from behind the Smokehouse. I was starting to think Bobby did it on purpose just because he knew it was the other man's least favorite song to hear whistled. I chuckled under my breath, but Malik didn't seem so amused.

  "The woman has, what? Forty-one top-10 country albums? Why the hell does he have to keep singing that one?" he grumbled.

  I tried to fight back a grin but it was hard. Seeing the dark, burly man get so worked up over a Dolly Parton song never stopped being funny. He didn't look like the kind of man who would even recognize a Dolly song, much less know how many albums she put out.

  Malik was the second half of my bodyguard team. He worked rotating shifts with Matt so that one of them was with me at all times. I liked Malik better than Matt, though I would never admit it if asked. Matt refused to entertain any conversation that wasn't professional, which wasn't much fun when sometimes the guys were the only people I interacted with outside of customers.

  Mae wasn't working as much anymore, and Bridget and Alex had their own jobs and lives. Most of my college friends hadn't stuck around after graduation, so I didn't even have any of those friendships to fall back on.

  Life was lonely.

  At least Malik talked to me. It was mostly all dad jokes and strange celebrity knowledge, but it was still better than nothing. Which was what Jairo had given me.

  I really thought he would change his mind. I thought he would realize sending me away was a mistake. But there had been radio silence since the day I left the hospital and so eventually, I had to accept that it wasn't gonna happen. I kept telling myself I would move on eventually, like how I moved on from Alex, but it didn't seem like the same thing.

  Malik's phone vibrated from its spot on top of our table.

  "It's your sister. She's wondering if you want them to wait for you for dinner," he told me.

  "Can you see if they'd mind coming here for dinner?" The sky was really clear, which made Mae's porch the perfect place for dinner. Besides, I wasn't ready to leave just yet.

  Malik typed out the message before setting his phone aside. He studied me closely, which was really just how he looked at everything. When he wasn’t being goofy and entertaining, he was constantly calculating and evaluating everything around him. It was kind of exhausting. On more than one occasion I considered trying to give him the slip, but then I remembered he was only there in case someone tried to come after me again.

  Fear won out every time.

  "Are you ever going to start carrying your own phone again?" Malik asked.

  “I kind of like not worrying about it," I admitted. After spending all that time at Jairo's with no phone, I quickly realized it was nice not feeling chained to it all the time.

  Malik frowned. "What about when Matt and I aren't here to receive messages for you? You won't need us indefinitely. So, what will you do then?"

  That was a thing Matt did, too, asking me questions that made me think about what life would be like once I was on my own again. I hated it. I didn't want to think any further ahead than the next day. If I did, I would just remember how it wasn't that long ago that I started to think my future plans included Jairo and Sofia—and now they didn't.

  "How long will you all be here?" I asked, out of curiosity more than anything. I was in no rush to get rid of them. I could still feel some lingering fear from what happened with Cooke, especially since I didn’t know what happened with him after he left us in the woods.

  "Until we're told otherwise," he answered without hesitation.

  "From who?"

  He went tight-lipped, but that was answer enough for me. He had no problem saying Tomas' name, so that meant it wasn't Tomas.

  Even now, from four-hundred miles away, Jairo was calling the shots.

  The door to the restaurant flew open, slamming against the side of the building. Mae stepped out and looked directly at me with wild eyes. "You have to come see this, hurry!" she said before rushing back inside.

  I stood and hurried to follow her as Malik's phone started going off like crazy. He grabbed the phone but put his full attention on me until he confirmed we were safe inside. His eyes turned back to his phone as mine landed on the bank of televisions hanging over the bar.

  Barron Duffey's face was plastered on every channel. Only seconds later, one of the stations zoomed out to show he was being led away from the state capital building in handcuffs. My eyes went as wide as Mae's as she shouted to the bartender to turn the volume up on one of them. The whole restaurant fell silent as the news anchor stoically explained how the governor of Georgia was being arrested on human trafficking charges.

  A buzzing started in my head as I tried to make sense of what I was seeing.

  "Are you okay?" I thought I heard Malik ask, but I couldn't seem to breathe in enough air to form an answer.

  Mae wrapped her arm around my shoulders. Out of everyone, she was the one I confided in the most after my whole ordeal. She knew exactly why the news story was such a big deal to me personally. The news anchor went on about how authorities had already managed to reunite a large number of girls with their families.

  I knew Barron wasn't a good guy, but I never would have guessed about the human trafficking thing. A horrified realization struck me that I could have come very close to being one of those women.

  "Come on." Malik wrapped his hand around my upper arm and dragged me away from the TVs.

  I protested feebly, but the truth was, I didn't need to see anything more. There was a sort of closure that I got from seeing for myself that Barron would have to face what he'd done. He wasn't as untouchable as he thought. I was sure his lawyers would have him out of jail the second bail was set, but his name would no longer carry the weight it once had. No one would want to have their name associated with his now.

  I only hoped his wife and daughters would be okay. They'd been so authentically kind every time I met them, and they didn't deserve to suffer for what he'd done. I didn't have to worry about Alex because he cut ties with his dad the second he found out Barron was connected in some way to my kidnapping. And that his dad had been storing illegal money under my name.

  It turns out one good thing came from that—Jairo left Matt instructions to help me take all the money out of the bank since it was virtually untraceable and legally in my name. I took great joy in using that awful man's money to pay for Bridget and Alex's wedding. Even better than that, I also made a sizable donation in his name to his political arch-nemesis, Jude Hagan.

  I really hoped someone from Hagan's campaign would send a personalized thank-you card, too. That would really be icing on top of the cake.

  "What are you doing?" I asked as Malik dragged me all the way back outside.

  "I thought maybe... I know seeing that probably raised a lot of questions for you. Do you want to try calling... him?" He looked expectantly at me, waiting for an answer.

  I knew what him he had to be talking about. I closed my eyes and forced myself to really think about the question. Did I want to call Jairo? My mind kept playing over and over again the moment in the hospital when he said he thought I should go home. There'd been no hesitation or sign that anything could ever change his mind. Did I really want to risk feeling that same heartbreak and rejection all over again?

  "No," I answered carefully. "No, I don't."

  27

  Jairo

  I stood in the doorway of Sofia's room, silently watching as she laid in the floor painting a surprisingly good rendition of Brooke. After three months, she was no less obsessed with the woman than I was. Both of us were in pretty rough shape in Brooke's absence. How we'd survived this long—I really wasn't sure. Sofia was stock-piling gifts for Brooke, determined that she would get a chance to give them to her soon.

  "Is it time?" Sofia asked, her eyes going big as saucers as she noticed me in the doorway.

  I went to h
er room with the intention of telling her plans had changed. Malik said Brooke didn't want to call me when he asked, and I thought maybe that was a sign that she had moved on. If that was the case, it seemed like the best thing to do was let her, even though it killed me.

  But, as Sofia looked up at me with hopeful eyes, I knew I couldn't do it. I couldn't deny either of us the chance to try. We could go to Georgia, where Brooke was staying with her sister, and let the chips fall where they may. Surely she would feel more compelled to speak to me when I was right in front of her face, impossible to avoid. I knew I had a lot of damage control to do after sending her away, but I was prepared to face that.

  I couldn't be sure Brooke would be glad to see us, but I had to try. She took a risk coming to my home for the first time. Now it was my turn to return the favor.

  "Yeah, Sofia. It's time. Let's go see if we can bring Brooke home," I said.

  She squealed as she jumped up and ran for the door. I really fucking hoped I wasn't about to get her heart broken.

  I had greatly underestimated how much of a pain in the ass it would be to travel from home to Brooke in Georgia. Once I got it in mind to go to her, I wanted it to be instantaneous. All the waiting, especially while on the plane, made me want to pull my hair out. I had too much time to think about all the things that could go wrong when we finally came face-to-face again.

  But finally, we touched down in Georgia, only a thirty minute drive from Mae's Smokehouse, which is where Matt told me I could find her. Malik was actually the one on duty, but Matt was the first to respond in the group chat. I tried not to let that worry me. It was possible he was standing in a spot with bad service or in the middle of something and couldn't answer right away.

  I tried to relax, but it wasn't much use.

  "You gonna be okay, boss?" Tomas asked quietly while Sofia was distracted by the views outside of our car. It was amusing to see how traveling out of state seemed like an exotic experience in her eyes.

  "I'm worried this isn't going to go how either of us are hoping," I admitted, my eyes seeking Sofia out again in the side mirror. She was still distracted.

  "I've said it before and I'll say it again: she could surprise you, given the chance,” Tomas reminded me. I hoped like hell he was right.

  Tomas pulled into a gravel parking lot next to a huge log cabin style building. The Mae's Smokehouse sign out front left no question as to where we were. There was no going back now. Whatever happened in there, I needed to be willing to accept it. If she really didn't want to come back with us, I wouldn't make her. No more turning Brooke into a hostage. If she came with us, I needed it to be her own choice. That way I could count on her never to leave again.

  Sofia threw her door open and bolted out before either of us could stop her. Tomas and I both yelled out her name as we tumbled out of the SUV ourselves. She completely ignored us, which was about to make me blow a gasket until I realized why she'd done it.

  There, standing next to the building and covered in sand, was Brooke.

  Sofia had seen her before I did and she wasted no time getting to her. I was still a few feet back when Sofia bent her knees and then took a leaping jump at Brooke. The impact of it sending Brooke sprawling to her ass in the sandpit with Sofia still attached, her arms around Brooke's neck.

  I took in the scene in front of me. Brooke wasn't the only one in the sand, which was actually a volleyball sandpit. Malik was standing just behind her. There was also a whole slew of other people I didn't know. It looked like we'd interrupted them mid-game, but no one seemed bothered. Malik was holding the volleyball but he chucked it back to one of the guys standing on the same side of the net as him.

  "Sorry, you guys finish up without us," he called, grinning when he was answered with a chorus of booing.

  He reached down to help Brooke up, and I saw red the moment he touched her. What was I thinking giving two men I didn't know unrestricted access to my woman? They were Tomas' buddies but clearly they couldn't be trusted. I didn't like the domestic scene in front of me or the way Malik so casually touched Brooke. They'd obviously gotten too close and I didn't like that.

  At all.

  "I've got it," I snapped as I shouldered me way past him so I could be the one to help Brooke up.

  Brooke's eyes met mine with suspicion, but she didn't object when I helped her stand. Sofia still wasn't letting go, her head buried in the crook of Brooke's neck. Given the choice, my niece would probably elect to never let go again. She'd really struggled with Brooke's sudden absence. No matter how many times I tried to explain it was for the best, she just wouldn't quit pushing the issue.

  Finally, I'd been forced to come to terms with the fact that Sofia was right. Life was better with Brooke in it.

  "I'd like to talk to you," I said to Brooke. To Sofia I added, "Can you let Brooke go for right now, sweetheart? I need to talk to her for a minute."

  Reluctantly, Sofia released Brooke and slid to the ground. "Fine," she mumbled with more attitude than I'd ever seen from her. I hoped that wasn't a sign of rebellion to come, though maybe I had it coming since I'd given my parents such hell as a child.

  "The patio is clear right now, I think," Malik said. He started to walk in that direction until I cleared my throat.

  "I'd like to talk to Brooke alone. Your services aren't needed at the moment." Who the hell did he think he was? His job was to protect her, not hover over her. And she sure as hell didn't need protection from me. I was the one paying the guy's salary in the first place.

  "Okay," he answered easily enough that it just made me more suspicious of his intentions. To Brooke, he added, "I'll be right here if you need me."

  "She won't," I snapped.

  "Hey!" Brooke protested. She frowned at me before turning to Malik. "I'm sorry," she apologized to him.

  "It's fine," he reassured her, which only irritated me more.

  I glared at him as Brooke jerked me by the arm to lead me away from the rest of our small group. The second we were out of earshot, she lit into me. "How dare you come here and treat Malik like that? He's been a perfect gentleman and bodyguard and there's nothing more to it than that. For you to suggest otherwise is a real asshole move, especially since you're the reason I'm here with him anyway."

  "Sorry," I muttered, feeling like a scolded child.

  "Why are you even here?" she demanded.

  "For you," I answered, wondering why that wasn't the most obvious thing in the world. She frowned, seemingly baffled by my answer.

  "That's funny, because I happen to remember you telling me very clearly that you were sending me back to my 'real life' and I don't think you qualify as part of that." To an outsider, the words might've sounded like they were said in anger, but I saw past that to know they were said out of hurt. She wasn't mad at me, but I think I underestimated how much it would hurt her when I sent her away.

  "Brooke, I just wanted to do what was best for you... but I think I made the wrong decision," I admitted. "It should have been your choice to make. And I should have let you make it with all the information. Like the fact that I've never loved a woman before in my entire life—but I fucking love you. The house is empty without you. You told me once that my house was like a prison, but with you there, even for only that brief time, it did feel like a home."

  Tears were streaming down her face now. "Why couldn't you have said all this at the hospital?" She swiped at her cheeks but she couldn't keep up with the tears at that rate.

  I started to hand her the handkerchief from my pocket, but she reached into her own and drew out something that surprised me. It was the handkerchief I'd given her the first time I laid eyes on her. I recognized it because the embroidery color on that one was different from the others. I couldn't believe she kept it all that time, but my heart fucking soared because it seemed to me like that had to be a sign in my favor.

  "Brooke, at the hospital I wasn’t thinking clearly at all. All I could focus on was making sure I got revenge on the guys w
ho took you and Sofia.”

  "Guys? More than one?" A flash of fear passed over her face, making me reach out to comfort her. She let herself be swept up in my embrace.

  "No," I said, stroking her wild, untamed hair that I loved so much. "Not anymore. I know you saw about Duffey on the news, but there was another guy, too..." I wasn't sure if I should tell her the next part, but I figured if I wanted her to come back and build a life with me then I needed to start practicing full-disclosure. So I told her, "He's dead now."

  Brooke pulled back from me, putting some space between us again. She let out a deep, shuddering breath, but when I looked at her expecting to see disgust, I saw relief instead.

  I was glad about that. If nothing else, maybe that could give her some peace. The last thing I wanted was for her to spend her life looking over her shoulder. Even though she would be safe if she wasn't connected back to me anymore, I knew that feeling of fear would never have left otherwise. It made me that much more glad I'd taken care of the whole situation and left no loose ends.

  "Is Cooke—?" She bit her lip.

  "Michael Gordon," I used his real name, "is currently having a very difficult experience in gen-pop at his local prison. Turns out he already had plenty of warrants out, so I never even had to touch him. Tomas just called some friends at the bureau."

  "A cook named Cooke. How on earth did that ever get past Tomas?" she joked, shaking her head.

  I was just glad to see her laughing softly instead of crying. It seemed it wasn't so difficult for her to fall back into things with me. So, I hadn't imagined how easy things could be between us when we weren't fighting each other every step of the way.

  "Yeah, don't mention that to Tomas. Sore subject," I told her with an exaggerated grimace that made her laugh again.