by Leigh Lennon
“Junior, sugar, if you are a good girl and wear your hair up in the orange cap, I’ll get you your favorite lollipop.” I’m new to this dad business and you better believe like fuck I’ll spoil her.
Ginger shoots me a dirty look but continues to fuss with Junior over the cap when our girl finally says, “Mommy never let me have canny so that deal, Senior!” Apparently, our girl likes nicknames, too! Ginger smiles with a little giggle and I can only assume Junior comes by this ability naturally.
However, this girl is two and I must remind myself we are not talking to a Supreme Court judge like she acts.
As we settle on the seventh floor, it looks like a ghost town until some of Burbank’s men arrive as “patients.” It’s then that I see Luchen but to my dismay, he doesn’t pay me any attention. His eyes roam up and down Ginger’s wonderful curves that are all mine.
Trying to break his stare on my woman, I stand basically between them when I say, “Luchen.”
Finally looking over to me, he acknowledges me, “Davis.” He then smiles, looking at our girl in Ginger’s arms. “How is my favorite patient this afternoon, Audrey Margaret?”
“I have new name,” Junior says.
He doesn’t take his eyes off of both of my girls now. “Not like you didn’t have enough names to begin with, little one, what is your new name now?”
“I now Junior. That what I want everyone call me. No more Audrey Margaret but Aunt Sylvie call me Merida and Burbank call me Miss Audrey,” she plainly states.
He shoots me a look and I shoot him one back, firmly placing my hand on Ginger’s back as if that is to stake my claim on my little family.
Sylvie cuts in, “Okay, you two, stop this whose dick is bigger than whose contest,” Sylvie begins and Junior only laughs at her words. She must be used to Sylvie’s blunt and crass words at this point, but Sasha still shoots a warning look to Sylvie. “She obviously has made her choice, Luchen, so let’s continue.”
Not that I want to admit this but thank fuck Sylvie gave me the clue I had already worked out for myself. There has been something going on with her and Luchen in the past, but I make a mental note to tackle this subject with Ginger at a less volatile time.
“Lucha,” Ginger begins and I hate that she has a nickname for this fucker in front of me. To say I hated him equally or maybe more than Sylvie would have been true. However, in two days Sylvie has gone up a little bit in my likability because of how she’s taken care of Ginger and Junior.
She continues touching his arm, giving him a hug. “Junior spiked a fever today, had it within ten minutes of waking up.”
He shakes his head, “I’m not an expert in this field but I’m a good enough doctor to know we will admit her immediately. I know you wanted one more night but hell, we need to do this, Red.”
Oh, I fucking hate that he has a nickname for my woman too. But he continues, “Though we will start with some tests from him.” The way he says the word him makes me out to be a second-rate citizen and not the father of my girl.
I don’t wait for any more questions. “So what does that mean?” I clarify.
Acting as if I’m not part of this conversation, he continues to look only at Ginger. “We have an area for her to keep as many germs away from her as possible and Red, really and truly, we have to watch who she comes in contact with, so you are better off at the hotel at night.”
“How long before she gets Jake’s bone marrow?” Ginger asks.
“I would guess the doctor, the specialist we are flying in from New York, will want to wait and monitor all day tomorrow but a week to ten days would be my guess if everything with Audrey Margaret is good…”
Junior interrupts him, “My name Junior now.” I can’t help but love that my two-year-old just put Luchen in his place.
“Sorry, sweets! I forgot, but as I was saying, I’m guessing the doctor will be making the final decisions tomorrow,” again pointing at me, “about when he’s needed.”
I’ve had enough and step closer to him. A half an inch from his face, I say, “He has a name, it’s Junior’s father. Better get used to it.”
“Ah, fuck, you two are going to wear me out. I need a smoke.” And with that, Sylvie leaves us but I’ve already walked away, taking Junior with me while Ginger continues the logistics of admitting our girl.
Before I can sit down, I hear, “I don’t fucking care who you think you are. I know the father and I’ll be fucking welcomed.”
I look up and see the familiar eyes of my business partner and best friend. Ah, Mack is certainly a sight for these tired eyes.
12
Sasha
Staring at the commotion from the side door, I hear that familiar loud voice I’ve missed. Walking away from Luchen, I stand near my guy as he hugs Mack Sheridan. Hell, I have not seen him since I left the Caymans over three years ago. Besides graying a little bit around the scalp of his head, he’s the same good-looking hunk I remember meeting nine years ago when I first started visiting his bed and breakfast.
He turns, not surprised by the smile on his face, and he whips me into a huge embrace. “Damn, girl, you haven’t changed a bit!” he exclaims.
Jake looks shell-shocked when Mack talks barely higher than a whisper, just enough for me to hear. “I have had a hard fucking time tracking you down. I saw you slip in the hospital with your signature ball cap. I noticed I could get to every floor except the seventh and I took the floor, acting as if I were a doctor.” I look at him and sure enough, he has scrubs on. “I took the first flight out yesterday and made it to Spokane. Then Anna just found you all today, and I got my ass down here as soon as I could. Fucking Sylvie hid you all really well if Anna couldn’t find you.”
I’m glad to know that a world-renowned hacker had a hard time finding us, but at the end of the day, she did find us. How fucking easy could it be for my dad?
He turns to me again, giving me another hug, “Christmas has not been the same, not since…”
Not finishing his sentence, I pull back. “I now understand a little something about hard choices when it comes to protecting those you love. I get it, Mack.”
“Well, hell, thanks, sweetheart.” Hugging me again, he only says, “Now this hug is from Anna.”
Finally, my little one can’t be quiet any longer. “Who dat, Senior?” she asks, staring at her daddy. Turning to her, I’m about to say something to my girl until both Jake and Mack break out in laughter.
“Come here, you cutie.” Grabbing Junior from Jake, he continues, “I’m your Uncle Mack and it doesn’t take much to see who your mama is.”
Behind us, I hear someone clearing his throat. Luchen watches me intently and I don’t miss his cold eyes. “Now that this family reunion of sorts is over, I have a little girl I need to examine.”
Turning from Luchen to Jake, Jake doesn’t take his eyes off of Luchen who has not taken his eyes off of me.
“When Sylvie gets back, Mack, try not to kill her,” I mention and Jake doesn’t follow me, but I’m positive we will be having a discussion about Luchen, very soon.
In the exam room, Luchen hasn’t said a word to me. Holding onto Junior’s little hand, she giggles while Luchen tries to calm her the best he can by acting like the stethoscope is tickling her.
“Lucha?” I ask and his eyes are glossed over. “I tried to tell you my heart belongs to someone else.”
“Daddy, right?” Junior asks.
I kiss her because as literal as my daughter is, she’s still only two and a half. I now look at the man, the one that has protected her from this illness. I do hurt for him. I tried to be honest with him from the beginning.
“You’re right, Sasha, you did. I’m the stupid fucker that let it go too far.”
Searching his eyes and wanting to fuss at him for his foul language in front of my girl, I say nothing.
“Mommy, he talks like Sylvie.” I chuckle at my girl as I drop the subject with Luchen.
As Luchen leaves the room, Jake appears a
t my side. “Where did you come from? You snuck in here like a ninja,” I ask, reaching my arms around his waist.
Junior is now in a bed while I stand in front of my girl, willing the fates of the world to let me switch spots with her.
Whispering in my ear, he says, “She’s going to be okay. I just know it.”
She has to be because my life could never be the same without our daughter in it. Turning me around, Jake’s face becomes serious. “As much as I want to fight this, Luchen has told me I need a good night’s sleep. We have a room, just across the street from the hospital and since I need to be healthy for our girl, I tend to agree with the sadistic bastard.”
“Oh, tell me how you really feel,” I retort but before he can say another word, I begin, “He cares for me and he has known from the get-go that my heart has been with someone else. Nothing happened with us, ever.”
Jake, as though he’s fucking eight, gets a large grin on his face. “Well, that is good to know, but that is not the only reason I hate him.”
I have come to understand this set of people, spies some will call them. They are the type of people that don’t truly reveal everything about themselves. “Of course, there is always more with you all, but back to you getting a good night’s sleep.”
“It’s about us both getting a good night’s sleep. Besides you and myself, there is nobody I trust more than Mack to watch Junior tonight. So, for that reason, you and I are going to sort some shit out with Sylvie and we will get a good night’s sleep together.”
As much as I want to be with him, in every way there is, I can’t. “Jake.”
“Now listen, cupcake, I have had less than two days to sort out being a dad in my mind, and I have to say, you’ve had it bad for the past almost two and a half years. My heart is aching but we’re no good to her if we are exhausted or sick. We have this floor completely shut down. So, you are going to come back to the hotel room where we will get a good night’s sleep.”
13
Jake
Sitting down with Burbank and Sylvie side by side, and Ginge nestled close to me, I am finally able to understand this whole nightmare that has kept me away from Ginger for so long.
“I want to know everything, Sylvie, and don’t fucking lie to me.” At my strong words, Burbank stiffens and she comforts him with a single touch, but I don’t let this go unchallenged when I look at him. “Burbank, if I lied and stole three years from your life, you’d be talking to my girl the way I’m talking to yours.”
Again, Burbank doesn’t say anything but Sylvie does. “Jacob, from the beginning, well, after you fell in love with Sasha that is, my plan was to keep you both together. But to do that, it meant your file would be transferred to this case. I knew then we had a mole when Hannah and I were in Maine the same time you were with Sasha at Mack and Anna’s place. We were followed. Sure, I planned for you to fall in love. I knew you well. She was the perfect girl for you and you are right, you’d never cross the line if she was assigned to you.”
My mind heard what she said, however, when she mentioned Hannah, it’s all I could do to continue to hear her. “You mentioned Hannah, I want to know more about this.”
Leaning forward to take a sip of water, she leans back into Burbank’s embrace. “Well, I’ll get back to that. After I knew for sure Hannah was being followed, I left for DC but only before I found someone to watch her for the two days I was gone.”
My head is swimming, besides Burbank and myself, she’d use Morry or Luchen and the latter would send me over the edge. “Who?”
“Morry.” I’m relieved as fuck. “Anyway, as I was saying, I got back to DC and found lots of backstory on you, on Hannah, even on Justine. I was able to wipe you from the system and from what I could tell nothing had been copied. It was all I could do to protect Hannah, and even you. I knew you’d choose Hannah and Justine over your own happiness.”
I look at Ginger, a shake of her head tells me she agrees with Sylvie. “I know you may not believe me, Jacob, and not all my intentions were honorable, but I did what I needed to do to get things accomplished, and getting Stravos behind bars has always been my number one priority.”
I’m still reeling from the idea of someone harming Hannah. “Hannah?” I remind her.
“Well, after you basically undid our whole friendship in five minutes, I had no choice but to stick Morry on her for two years. He moved in next to her, kept a safe distance. I only allowed him to know her as a neighbor, no reason for her to get any more involved in the hurt I have placed in her life.”
“And the team?” I ask.
“I disbanded all of them. You know, it worked to my advantage that you used Burbank against me as leverage in order to let you go. Even when Mack and Anna used my little secret, it was perfect.”
I’m not sure if I should be happy that she’s such a type A bitch of a person that she’s always been ten steps ahead of me, or if I should be pissed that I can never fucking beat her. In this time and place, I’m just glad she has all three of my girls’ backs, Hannah included.
“I locked down the operation. Gave Sasha a day and then sought her out. I mean, I always planned on bringing you in again. Truly, then we found out about the baby, your baby, plans changed. After this, everything we did was meant to keep everyone safe. If they still knew about you, you’d lead them back to us and with a newborn, no one, including me, was willing to take that chance.”
“How many are in your inner circle?”
She turns to her purse to grab a cigarette and when she looks at Ginger, I see my girl only nods. “Junior isn’t here.” Of course, this is Sylvie, not caring about anyone else’s fucking lungs. I should be thankful she at least didn’t smoke around our sick girl. Lighting up, inhaling a drag, she’s quiet for a while and I don’t say a word to her. I know there is more to the story.
“Well, Burbank was on his own assignment when I pulled him into this. This undercover op was sanctioned by one person but I won’t get into that right now.” Of course, she can never completely be straight with me. “But I pulled Burbank and he brought half his team. They had nothing to do with Sasha’s father’s op. Obviously, Mack has been part of this for some time.”
I feel Ginger inhale deeply at the mention of his name but the words continue to seep from Sylvie’s lying mouth, “Technically you were on it but you never knew. We were working the China case, which was real but I couldn’t let you in too deep on Stravos’ case or you’d be privy to his daughter,” Sylvie croaks out between puffs, pointing at Sasha as if I’m just being introduced to his daughter for the first fucking time. “Anyway, I only kept Morry and Luchen.”
Of course, she’s kept Morry and Luchen, and I’m about to address that little cluster fuck right now. I know what I’m about to ask will get my head chewed off but I ask the tough question anyway. Sylvie and her raging bitch of a temperament never bugged me. Leaning forward, while Sasha’s arm drops on my thigh, I ask, “And how can you vouch for either Luchen or Morry?”
I hear a deep chuckle come from Burbank but probably more of a warning for the volcano explosion we are about to witness. Sylvie then shows us that she’s human as she explodes from the couch. “Fuck you, Jake Davis.” Ah, anytime she shortens my name, I know I’m in the hot seat with my former boss. “How do you know Hannah isn’t part of this? Because she’s your sister and you trust her, right?”
Standing now, coming face to face with Sylvie’s five-feet-two-inch frame, I counter, “No, I trust Hannah because she was never taught or been programmed by me to lie. You turned your own brothers into the lying, conceited, arrogant men they are now.”
“I know for a fucking fact you aren’t talking about Morry so why don’t you just come out with it.” She’s spitting and I have never seen Sylvie become so unhinged in my life. If there was ever a weakness in Sylvie’s life, it was Luchen and Morry, her brothers.
Burbank stands, and when he pulls Sylvie from me, she doesn’t fight him. “Fuck you, Jake Davis!” she co
ntinues to scream, all while her husband takes her to their room. I turn to see Sasha and she’s standing in front of me, indifferent, and for once I don’t know what she’s thinking.
14
Sasha
I never understood the protection that Sylvie gave to both Morry, who looks like John Goodman, and Luchen, who looks like Christian Grey. Now, I get it, I get it all. Sylvie, the puzzle she has been to me for three years, now makes sense. The woman that is tough as nails, that can smoke a cigarette, pull a gun on someone, and never spill any ash from the butt of her smoke, is human after all.
So many times I saw her give in to both Luchen and Morry when she never even gives in to her husband. As much as I trust Sylvie, I also trust my man’s instincts.
“How did you know?”
“I didn’t, not at first, it’s something Anna found when they wanted leverage to leave the life Sylvie had trapped them in.”
Pulling me back to the couch, Jake continues, “Ginger, I want to hear about your dad. I have no doubt Sylvie cares for you and is doing this, in part, for you, Junior, and Hannah, but this is Sylvie, and there is always a bigger picture.”
I won’t deny it. “Well, it was always assumed that I would reach out to my dad eventually, but Sylvie knows with you back, there is no way in fuck you will allow that to happen.”
“True,” is all he says. “So your dad. Since I was just read in on the case a little here and there and then have been used as a fucking pawn, what are we looking at, Ginger? She has an end game. Sylvie is not that gracious.”
In the past forty-eight hours, my man’s eyes have grown tired, as though he’s aged ten years in two days. Don’t get me wrong. He’s still hot as fuck and I can’t wait to have my limbs wrapped around him, but shit, I worry for him strictly because he’s taking every little thing on himself.