Coming For What's Mine pt 2: The Politician (Law Boy's Series)

by Edwina Fort

“Let’s roll, old man.”

  Albert nodded. “Right behind you, kid.”

  I looked back at what was the beginning of our family before my gaze fell on Joseph’s face.

  “Did you say we all had to die?”

  His eyes came to mine as he carried me through the open doors. “You said you trust me, right?”

  In his gaze I saw a new beginning. In this moment, he and I were leaving behind everything we’ve known before today and walking boldly into the unknown.

  Gently I ran my fingers through his beard. “Have I told you yet that I love you?”

  He shook his head. “The three words my soul longs to hear.”

  I leaned in and gently kissed his lips. “I love you. I love you with my whole heart and soul. And I’m not afraid to walk into the future with you.”

  “Together, we can handle anything.” He whispered.

  “You promise?”

  He nodded. “I promise.”

  The Epilogue

  Journey

  “We can put you a greenhouse right here in this spot overlooking the river.”

  I stood with Jo taking in our new home. He’d taken a job working for his brother’s security firm called, Security in Law. And apparently the new position came with some amenities, including a beautiful new home on his brother’s five-hundred acres of land in the Canadian Mountains.

  Not only did Jo get a new home, but so did Rome and Albert, who too had taken a position with Security in Law. My mother and Rob had moved in with Rome, but I didn’t expect that arrangement to last. A little birdie may have let it slip that Albert was getting ready to propose to my mom.

  I turned to look back at our home that was nestled deep in the tall Blue Spruce trees. The place was spectacular. It was ten times as beautiful as the cottage. Plus, when I looked out my kitchen window I had the perfect view of the mountains and the rushing river that ran alongside it. Our home was big enough for Ayana to have her own room as well as the new baby.

  “What do you think? Are you happy?” Jo asked turning away from the amazing view to look at me.

  Poor baby, he was so worried about me, about the way I was handling my new lot in life. I laid my head on his chest wrapping my arms around his waist.

  “I don’t think I’ve ever been so happy. It’s so peaceful here. The trees and the mountains, and the river, it’s all so very beautiful.”

  He held me close protecting me from the brisk wind that encircled us.

  “They say the winters are pretty severe here in Canada.”

  He was fishing to see if I was lying to him about being utterly happy. I leaned back in his arms, taking in my handsome, strong warrior.

  “You forget I’m from Chicago. I’m not afraid of Canada’s winters.”

  “That’s another thing that worries me. You’re from Chicago, is the seclusion here going to drive you crazy?”

  I looked at him as if he had gone loco. It’s true, Judah’s property was very secluded. He had a house here and the small group of men that worked for him had houses and families here, not to mention Rome and Albert’s, but you wouldn’t know it. There was so much space and forest between us that it was easy to forget we weren’t the only ones here.

  “Do you know how tired I got of constantly hearing police sirens and ambulances?” I shook my head. “This peace and quiet is a blessing from on High. No, baby, the seclusion is not going to drive me crazy. In fact, I welcome it with open arms.”

  With our hands clasped together, he and I walked back towards the picnic area and our little family. Albert stood at the grill flipping burgers. My mom brought him out some more stuff to put on the grill. He leaned over and whispered something in her ear that caused her to blush before she swatted his arm, no doubt telling him to behave.

  I chuckled, she was always telling him to behave, but something told me she liked his naughtiness…

  Jo and I settled down at a picnic table and he lifted a piece of fruit to my lips. I shook my head and ate it. The man was always trying to feed me. I had to keep reminding him that I was only a couple of months pregnant and that my appetite hadn’t changed that much.

  “Do you think Judah will come and have dinner with us?” I asked around a mouth full of cantaloupe.

  Jo shook his head. “I doubt it.”

  Although I didn’t show it, that saddened me. Judah didn’t mingle much with the rest of us. In fact, he didn’t interact much with anybody but his men. Joseph said it was because he wasn’t used to dealing with civilians. He said his brother had been in the military most of his life and that was all he knew.

  Jo reached up and smoothed out my frown that I hadn’t even been aware was on my face.

  “Don’t worry about him, baby, he’ll come around.”

  Rome sat down on the bench seat across the table from us and tossed Joseph the paper.

  “I don’t know what branch of government your brother works for. You know I’ve been trying to find out. Every time I ask him, his answer is more cryptic than the last.”

  “I’m sure it won’t be long before you find out.” Jo muttered as he began to look through the paper.

  Rome shook his head. “The man is a ghost, he and his whole crew. My guess is CIA.” He pointed to the paper Jo held in his hand.

  “He got to be pretty high up there to pull something like that off.”

  “The flag hangs half-mast as the Hill mourns a great loss.” Joseph read out loud.

  “In a horrific plane crash, Senator Warren, his beautiful wife, and their only son Joseph Warren, who was due to announce his candidacy for senator of Florida, all died when their plane crashed somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean. Search crews have been out all morning looking for the bodies. Everyone on the plane is presumed dead. Along with the Warrens were Joseph’s fiancée, Journey Reevers, her daughter that she shared with Mr. Warren, her mother, and two brothers. It is believed they were on their way to attend the secret wedding of the couple, who had all but announced their engagement on PMZ.”

  Wow! How quickly life can change. One minute you’re walking down the path you thought almost for certain was for you, and in the next, you’re headed in the complete opposite direction. It was official, Journey Reevers is dead.

  In a way that troubled me a bit, but I knew it was something that had to happen. Before we’d left town, I’d insisted we go back to the cottage to at the very least, get the necklace Jo had bought me that went with my engagement ring.

  When we got there, we couldn’t even turn down the street because the fire department had blocked it off. Someone had set my cottage on fire. Jo said it was nothing for me to worry about, but I knew we were in danger. Why else would they have to fake our deaths?”

  However, we were safe here. Jo no longer went by Warren, he’d decided to go by his real father’s last name which is Law.

  Journey Reevers was dead, I was soon to become Journey Law.

  “I don’t know how my brother pulled that off, but I must say I don’t know how my future brother-in-law pulled this off either.” Jo said flipping the page.

  “A very sad day for Macon Technologies.” He began to read.

  I looked over his shoulder as he did. There was a big picture of several business men being led out of a building in handcuffs.

  “Jeff Barnes, CEO of Macon Technologies fled a burning house, leaving his major investors to stay and clean up the mess. Records of the company’s long history of embezzling and racketeering mysteriously became public, linking key players of the company’s development to wrongdoings that’s going to leave Macon Tech bankrupt and several people faced with jail time.”

  Jo’s gaze rose to Rome, he nodded his head once. “I’m impressed.”

  Rome shrugged. “All in a day’s work.”

  Not many people could see the sadness in my brother. Like Judah, he’s been withdrawn, lost in his own thoughts, constantly on his laptop feverishly searching for her.

  “How you feeling, big bro?” I quietly asked.
/>
  He exhaled as he rubbed the back of his neck. “Incomplete.” His gaze rose to Jo. “I need you to look after my mother and little brother for me.”

  Jo nodded. “You going to try and look for Nak again?”

  “I can’t stop until I find her.”

  We all sat quiet for a while. I was kind of sad that my brother was leaving to go back in, placing himself in danger, but I’d never seen him in love before. If this woman was able to capture Rome’s cynical heart, she was definitely the one for him.

  “You know… something just came back to me, I don’t know if this will help you or anything, but I believe Nak’s mom is in a nursing home.” Jo said rubbing his chin.

  “She told me her mother was dead. I found a death certificate and a place of burial.”

  “Naw, they have a really messed up relationship. When her mother fell sick, she put her in a nursing home under an alias.”

  Rome stood. “Why are you just now telling me this?”

  Jo chuckled. “I’d forgotten till just now.”

  Without saying another word, Rome walked away disappearing in the trees. I watched him go, sending up a little prayer for him and Nak. I had never met this woman, but I knew she must be one bad chick to get my brother, who is by far one of the smartest men in the world to fall so hard for her.

  Jo shook his head. “I hate to admit this, but I actually feel sorry for the poor bastard.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “Nakhti is hell on wheels.”

  I opened my mouth to ask him to expound on that, but right then, Robert ran out the house with a huge smile on his face.

  “Come quick! Ayana just took her first step!”

  We all took off for the house.

  Well…

  It seems you guys are going to have to check out Rome and Nak’s story for yourselves. I’m sure it’s going to prove to be quite interesting.

  But I’d be remiss if I left without telling yall this:

  After meeting the Preacher, I looked up the word he’d called himself at first, Qoheleth. It is a Hebrew word that means Gatherer. He’d said that the next time I saw him, the world will be on fire. I don’t want to go into too much detail, to do so would be me taking away from someone else’s tale that I’m sure you all will read soon.

  But Jo thought us having to fake our deaths and move to secluded mountains in Canada was the drastic change that was coming our way.

  It was not even close…

  A storm was coming, and nothing in my life prepared me for what lay ahead of us…

  However, the promise Jo made me the day he took me from the hospital would prove to be true.

  There was nothing he and I could not face together…

  Note from the Author

  Sad to see Journey and Jo go? Don’t be… You will see all these beloved characters again. Their story was just the first book of an epic saga. A tale of conquering love and laughter, and yes pain. For how can we enjoy the pleasures of life without first knowing pain? So be sure to follow this Saga where we will find out about this mystery woman that have captured the heart of one of the smartest men to ever walk the earth.

  May I present to you…

  Falling for Rome

  BONUS CHAPTERS!

  Take a sneak peek into upcoming novel by Edwina Fort!

  Falling For Rome

  Chapter One

  Beautiful Surprise

  Nakhti

  I put the car in park and checked my GPS. This couldn’t be the right address. The big grey building looked as if it had been one of those old industrial warehouses before it was turned into an apartment building. Several men and boys stood outside the building at the door, some looked like they were dealing, and some looked like they were hanging out with the dealers. I raised my eyebrow at a group of young girls in short skirts and shorts that walked by laughing and posing, trying to catch the eye of one of the men.

  “Oh hell no.” Reaching in my bag I took out my phone and pressed one.

  “What’s up, Nak?” The deep masculine voice came from the other end.

  “What the hell, Jo? I’m in the hood.” He chuckled.

  “Yeah, I know. Did I forget to mention that?” I sat back in my seat leaning my head back against the head rest. I was too damn tired for this.

  “Nak?”

  I exhaled. “I’m here.”

  “Come on darling, don’t give me the silent treatment. It’s not that bad. I just need you to find out what information he has about me and my family, and then erase it. I don’t give a damn if you have to wipe his whole system clean. Somebody has been digging real deep and my gut is telling me it’s him. We are at re-election time and we can’t afford any slip ups. This guy is buried in mystery, I need to know what he knows before he knows what he knows.” I rolled my eyes.

  “So, how am I supposed to get in there? This place is a fortress. Can you get me the blue prints to the building?”

  “Already in your mailbox.” Silence came from the other end for just a moment. “I wouldn’t have asked you to do this on such short notice, I know I was pulling you from another assignment and you’ve had no recovery time. It’s just that whatever system he’s working with is impenetrable from the outside. I’ve had the best hackers on the Agency’s payroll trying to crack it. It’s impossible. The only way in is through the front door.” I exhaled, in no mood to put up with some ignorant thug, gangsta, wannabe playa.

  “And you’re sure this isn’t a job that Miller or Terry could handle?”

  “Neither Miller or Terry will be able to get through those doors. I need the best on this one. I told you he laid out Michaels and Baker. And get this, he was handcuffed at the time. Had I not come out the room when I did, he would have snapped Tom’s neck. There’s not a man around that can resist that pretty, innocent face of yours. It causes them to let down their guard and then like a black widow, you strike, which makes you perfect for this job. Just look at it this way, you get in, you get out. You’ll be home, wherever that is in no time.”

  “So, if things get out of hand with this civilian, can I kill him?”

  “You have no idea how much I want to say yes to that. But alas, he’s my lady’s brother and she loves him. She’ll be crushed if anything happens to him and I can’t stand seeing her hurt. But hey, the quicker you gather my information, the quicker you can be done with it.”

  I grunted eyeing the man that was approaching my car with a spray bottle and a windshield squeegee that looked as if he’d borrowed it from the nearest gas station. Reaching in my briefcase, I pulled out a five-dollar bill before letting my window down.

  “Wash your windows for you, beautiful lady?” He asked smiling, showing off his rotting teeth. The smell of alcohol and unwashed flesh singed my nose.

  “I’ll give you five dollars if you don’t.” He grinned as I handed him the money.

  “Generous as well as beautiful. Have a blessed day.” I rolled my window back up.

  “Fine, but this is my last assignment.” I said into the receiver. “I’m too old for this sh*t. I’m retiring.” He chuckled again.

  “Get out of here, you can’t retire at thirty-four. I need you to have my back. I’ll feel naked without you.”

  Dammit Jo… he knew he had my loyalty for life. He knew that there was nothing I wouldn’t do for him. The man had saved my life on more than one occasion. He and I went way back to the days of being two green eared Seaman Recruits. All the way up through becoming the only two minorities in our SEAL unit.

  It wasn’t easy and several times I wanted to quit, but Jo never let me. He pushed me until I became the soldier that my father never was. My father who left home because I was just a stupid girl and not the boy he wanted, had tried several times to become a SEAL, but could never make it through BUD school. Not only did I make it through, I became a decorated soldier in my own right.

  When Jo left the military for the Bureau, he took me with him. Again, pushing me to be more than I
thought I could. Yes, I was loyal to him, unquestionably, but I was tired and he needed to know that.

  “I can and I will. I’m thirty-four, but I feel sixty-four. You remember what happened last month in Libya?”

  “Yeah.”

  “I still hear ringing in my ear from that sh*t. I don’t think I will ever get my hearing back on my right side.”

  “You got too close to the fireworks.”

  “It’s just the way it played out. Anyway, I said all that to say I quit after this Jo, I’m serious. The agency already fired me, why won’t you just leave me the hell alone?” He chuckled, the charming bastard.

  “Because you’re the best man I got in the field. I won’t be able to run for office unless I know you have my back.” He repeated for the second time, knowing what those words did to me. I bit down on my teeth determined to stand my ground.

  “Yeah well, I’m done after this.”

  “Nak, on a serious note…” He said, brushing off my words.

  Sh*t!

  “Be careful with this one. I took this kid for granted and he surprised the hell out of me. He’s smarter than you can imagine. He doesn’t look it, but he is. And he’s dangerous. My sources tell me he’s responsible for many a stiff found floating belly up in Lake Michigan. You’re on his turf, everybody within twenty city miles either way is loyal to him till the death. Keep your eyes open, and whatever you do, don’t take this kid lightly.”

  I eyeballed the hustlers standing outside of the building and farther down on the corner. It was nothing about them that appeared spectacular, just your everyday average thugs. However, Jo was the most skilled soldier I knew, so if he told me not to let down my guard, then I won’t.

  “Alright, I’ll be in touch.” Hanging up the phone I slid it back in my briefcase.

  For just a moment, I sat enjoying the silence of my rental car. I had no time to rest from my last assignment for Jo, well, for his father really. The mission like most of my missions called for me to get close to a man and then kill him.