I open his drawer to put the label inside for safekeeping and pause at the stack of labels neatly set in the corner, exactly how Sebastian would intentionally organize them.
I lift the stack and as I sift through them, big fat tears well. He’d pulled them all off. Every single one. “Oh, Sebastian…”
Returning the labels where I found them, I walk into our bedroom and grab my cell, typing him a message.
Thank you for letting me be your rainbow.
His reply is immediate.
You have always been so.
I smile at his reply. The more I think about what a good man my husband is, the more determined I become with my plan for the day. Stepping into our living room, I pause at the sight of Den’s sitting by the window drinking a cup of coffee and smile. I especially love that he’d pulled a kitchen chair up close. A kindred spirit. “Do you do that when it rains or snows too?”
He clears his throat and immediately stands. “I find it helpful for thinking.”
“It’s best if you fully face the glass, you know.”
“Not when I’m on duty.” Walking over to the sink, he rinses his cup, then returns to pick up his gun and slide it into its discrete holster under his arm before he buttons his suit jacket. “Where are we going this morning?”
“I’ve got a couple of errands to run. First stop…a spa.”
When his eyebrows lift, I laugh. “I’m not planning a mani-pedi. This is a data retrieval mission. Fingers crossed, I’ll be able to get what I’m looking for.”
The Blake estate is quiet as the house manager with silent footsteps, escorts me into the dining room where Mina and Josi are having breakfast.
“Come in, Talia. Would you like some coffee or a croissant with jam?” Mina says as she pulls a pastry apart for Josi, then sets the bits on her highchair tray.
“Where are your brothers and dad?” I ask as I move into the room and take a seat at the table on the other side of Josi’s chair.
“They’re all at the office today,” she says, her blonde hair swaying as she pulls more bread apart for Josi. “Thankfully Damian finally dragged himself out of bed this morning.”
“How are you doing?” I ask and smile at Josi when she waves and calls out, “Ahhya, oon, oon!”
“You want a spoon?” Mina says, handing her daughter one.
Josi grabs the utensil and bangs it on her tray a couple of times before throwing it on the carpet.
I laugh and pick it up, setting it on the table. “She’s talking about the book, Goodnight Moon that I read her the other night.” Glancing Den’s way, I say, “Could you please close the door, Den?”
Nodding, he pulls the double French doors closed, leaving Mina, Josi, and me alone in the dining room.
“This seems serious,” Mina says, her smile melting away.
“You know why I’m here.”
Lifting her chin a notch, she sniffs. “Sebastian’s at fault here, not me. It’s as if he could care less that she died.”
“That’s not true. He knows you’re in pain.”
Her brown eyes water, tears threatening. “Then he should be there. He sacrifices nothing by attending except his time and his pride.”
I shake my head and turn in my seat to fully face her. “That’s where you’re wrong, Mina. You think he’s dishonoring your mother—”
“Yes, he is!” she says, cutting me off.
“But what you don’t know is that by attending Isabel’s funeral, he would be dishonoring his own mother’s memory.”
She snorts and folds her arms on the table. “Since when is Sebastian so sentimental? Everyone knows my mom never tried to replace his mother. He’s being ridiculous. And the rest of the family sees it that way too.”
“You told your brothers and dad?”
“Of course I did. They needed to know he wasn’t attending.”
“Then it’s your job to undo the damage,” I say, my tone hardening. “The guys were just starting to get along.”
Mina frowns, her hands folding tight around her arms. “Why would I do that?”
“He’s your brother too.”
She rolls her eyes. “No true Blake turns their back on family.”
I press my lips together to keep from saying something in the heat of anger. This whole thing has really thrown Mina, making her revert back to that immature girl I first met years ago. “I know losing your mom has been awful and hard. I had hoped that instead of being angry with Sebastian about the funeral that you would remember how your brother was there for you when Josi was born, but since you seem determined to hold a grudge, and have now passed your sentiments on to your brothers who already resent Sebastian, you need to know the truth.”
When Mina shrugs and looks away as if she couldn’t care less, I snap at her, “Look at me, Mina. This is important!”
Huffing, she turns back and adopts a haughty tone. “You have five minutes.”
“That’s all I’ll need.” It’s hard not to take a defensive tone with her, but I manage to keep mine even and calm. “Sebastian has already sacrificed on a deeply personal level for you, and I won’t stand by and let you continue to lash out at him because you don’t have all the facts. You are the only reason he didn’t tell his father the truth and seek full justice for his mother.”
“What are you talking about?” Mina says, her tone sharpening.
“I would explain it, but I don’t think you would believe me, so I’m going to show you.” I queue up the video clip that I retrieved from the spa. Sebastian told me about his visit to the spa Isabel frequented where he confronted her about her part in his mother’s death and the attempt on his life. I wondered if there might be a recording of their conversation. Sure enough the spa had put cameras in the rooms at discrete angles to protect themselves from potential lawsuits. It took longer than I expected, because my husband had them erase the original tape from their system, expecting the off-site backup to be erased at the same time. He didn’t know that the back-up sweep only happened once a quarter. Thankfully the spa bent over backward to please the new owner’s wife and discretely retrieved a copy for me before the sweep erased that copy too.
Handing Mina my phone, I say, “Please move away to watch that. I don’t want Josi hearing any of it.”
She frowns, but moves to the head of the table to watch. My heart aches that I have to share Isabel at her nastiest with her daughter, but I refuse to protect someone’s reputation who never deserved it. I’d rather fight for my husband’s happiness with his family.
Mina gasps, a shaky hand flying to her mouth as she watches the truth unfold. When her tears spill over, I get up and move to sit in the chair beside her. The moment I’m seated, she lets go of my phone, dropping it on the table as if she can’t stand touching it. “I’m sorry, Mina. Sebastian has no idea I’m here, but I love him too much to let his protective silence tear your relationship apart. He deserves better.”
Angry eyes cut to me, her voice quavering. “How could you destroy my memory of my mother like that?”
“You’d rather go on believing your brother is a cold-hearted, selfish person who doesn’t care about you instead?” Shaking my head, I sigh. “I did what I thought was best for the future of this family as a whole, Mina. If it makes you feel better to blame someone, then blame me, but now it’s your turn to be the bigger person and support Sebastian. If you can’t see past your hurt to acknowledge his and find a way in your heart to understand—even in your darkest moments—then you were never a true sister to him. Not like the many ways he’s been a brother to you.”
Picking up my phone, I stand and drop a kiss on Josi’s sweet curls on my way out.
Chapter 14
Sebastian
“Is there a reason you’re just now putting your gun on?” Calder says once I cut the car engine, then tuck the compact holster behind my back to keep it hidden.
“I didn’t want to upset Talia. If she saw the gun, she’d definitely worry.” I nod toward the s
tore. “Elijah said the owner’s name is Vincent Karras. On a first pass, his business seems to be legit.”
Calder opens his door. “Let’s find out.”
The store is cramped with various types of electronics and casings. It’s a hodge-podge of old and new parts, but somehow the man with curly gray hair sipping coffee at the counter has the parts and bits completely organized in trays and bins on the shelves in the small store.
“Good morning early risers. I’m Vinny. Let me know if you need my help,” he calls from his seat on an old-style metal stool.
I hone in on the small electronics section and walk over to stare at a box of casings like the one used to hold the circuit board and explosive compound inside the igniter. Looking up, I address the owner. “We’d like to know more about these.”
His stool scrapes the floor as he stands and walks over to us. “What would you like to know?”
I uncurl my fist and show him the device Talia found on her car. “We traced the path this batch of casings took from the manufacturer to their distributor, and then to your store.”
He gives me a wary look as he points to the box with only two casings left. “I have some extra in the back if you need them.”
I shake my head and pull the casing off the igniter to show him the serial number. “I just want to know who you sold this particular part to.”
He walks away, saying over his shoulder, “Eh, I’m not in the habit of giving out customer information. It’s bad for business.”
Calder walks over to the door and stands there while I follow the guy back to his small desk next to the wall.
The moment he steps behind the desk and I see his hands shaking, I’m right there standing across from him as he turns around. I set the device on his desk. “The person who built this used another one just like it to kill a family member.” Before he can refuse my request, I retrieve my gun from its holster and glance Calder’s way as I check the clip, then slide it back into place. “Family is pretty important, wouldn’t you say?”
He keeps a stoic expression and slowly nods.
Vinny clears his throat and zips his jacket all way up before quickly tapping on his computer keyboard. “Um, let me see if I can track that down for you.”
After I give him the number, he scans through a few screens, nervously glancing my way. “I’m sorry but the few people who purchased that part paid cash, so it’s not on record.”
He’s sweating and it’s air-conditioned in his shop.
I turn his screen too fast for him to stop me.
“Hey!” Vinny tries to pull the screen back, but I refuse to let go as I quickly scan for the part. Only one purchase this year, but it definitely stands out.
BB Discount, FREE.
“Which one of his crew bought it?” I bark.
“Banks,” he says, eyes wide.
I narrow my gaze, my jaw muscle tensing. “If you warn them I’m coming, I’ll be back.”
At his fast nod, I return my gun to its holder and nod to Calder. “Let’s go.”
The moment we pull into my old neighborhood, my phone rings, Mina’s number popping up on my Caller ID.
I answer on the first ring. “Is everything all right?”
“Everything is fine. I just wanted you to know that I’ve thought about what you said and I understand, Seb.”
“Mina—”
“It’s okay, I really do understand. Also, I’ve been overwhelmed with taking care of Josi while trying to coordinate everything for the funeral, so if you and Talia are still willing to watch her the night before the funeral and keep her until after it’s over, I would appreciate it so much.”
“We’ll be happy to do that for you. Can I call you back later?”
“Sure, no problem. We can talk later. Thanks, big brother. I owe you.”
When she hangs up, I look at Calder, my brows pulling together. “That was…unexpected.”
He shrugs. “None of us understand the road trip to forgiveness in a woman’s mind. Count your blessings yours was fairly short.”
Shaking my head at his answer, I turn onto Banks’s road and drive past his house to see how many of his guys might be home. When we round the corner to another street, Paulo leaves the house, whistling and tossing his car keys in the air. The engine of his suped-up muscle car rumbles to life just as I park on another street that’ll allow me access to the back side of their home.
We wait another twenty minutes, watching the house, before I grab my lock-picking kit, stun gun and supplies from the glove compartment. Calder goes around the front and rings the bell while I head to the back.
No one’s in the kitchen when I let myself in. Just as I tuck the kit away, a guy steps into the kitchen. He doesn’t even get a yelp out before I stun him, then quickly use plastic ties to bind his hands and feet. A cloth gag from the kitchen keeps him quiet.
Male voices rumble in the living room, and as I soundlessly make my way down the narrow hallway, I pause and stare at a picture. Pulling the frame off the wall, I hear Banks bellow in annoyance, “Why does Blackie keep sending people to talk for him?”
A young guy around fifteen, with spiked black hair and tattoos all over his neck, reaches the bottom of the stairs in the hallway when he sees me. I hold up the stun gun and say in a low, intimidating voice, “Go back upstairs and pretend you never saw me or be stunned and hog-tied. Your choice. Don’t warn him either.”
The punk-looking kid shakes his head and says, “Not my circus,” then turns and silently heads back up the stairs.
“It’s because the Blackie bastard’s too afraid to show up,” a short guy with buzzed hair says while standing beside Banks in a show of support of his leader.
“Sebastian wants a neutral meeting place.” Calder doesn’t let his gaze stray to me as I trade the stun gun for my lethal one and enter the room from the hallway.
Other than the guy standing next to Banks, two guys are in the room sitting on the couch with gaming joysticks in their hands.
“Too fucking bad,” Banks snarks at Calder. “If he wants a piece of me, he knows where to find me.”
“Yes, I do,” I say, right before I toss the picture in his direction.
When Banks captures the frame mid-air, I point my gun at his guys, who’d quickly jumped up from the couch the moment they heard my voice behind them. “I wouldn’t if I were you.”
“Calm down.” Holding the picture, Banks lifts his other hand toward his guys, letting them know not to make any aggressive moves. “What the hell are you doing invading my home?”
I nod to the picture he caught. “You’re going to pay for killing a Blake, Banks.” I shift my gaze to my cousin. “Does she look familiar?”
When Calder glances down at the image of Banks and the unicorn girl kissing in the photo, he quickly steps back and pulls his own gun. Training it on Banks, he speaks to the guys in his crew, “Stay put. Banks is the only one we’re interested in.”
“Did I mention my cousin’s a SEAL too?” I meet Banks’s defiant stare with a cold one. “You just fucked with the wrong family.”
Chapter 15
Talia
Once we pull away from the Blake Estate, my hands start to shake. The tense meeting with Mina got to me and I immediately reach up to touch my necklace. Sighing my frustration and sadness that it’s gone, I let my hand drop to my lap.
“To the office?” When I don’t immediately reply, Den slides his gaze to me. “Are you all right?”
The downside of refusing to ride in the back is that he can see everything. I offer a rueful half-smile and fold my hands together. “I tried to smooth some ruffled feathers, but I may have just made things irrevocably worse.”
He returns his focus to the road, flipping the sun visor down against the bright sun. “You were right to defend him. Isabel wasn’t always the nicest person. I don’t know what this is all about, but I know Sebastian doesn’t do anything without cause. I’ve seen how much he does for Mina. She’s a bit oblivious to
that, I think.”
I glance his way, surprised he has paid so much attention. “I hope you’re right, Den. I have a tendency to go with my gut on things.”
“All will be well, Talia.”
The confidence in his tone makes me feel a little less stressed. Needing something to distract me, I open my satchel and pull out the paperwork from the bombing that Sebastian read over last night after I zoned out. If I scan over it once more, I can feel confident that we didn’t miss anything. The detective, Phil’s number is scrawled across the top. Pulling out my phone, I dial it.
“Hi, Mr. Mayhew, this is Talia Blake, Sebastian’s wife. Do you know when I’ll be able to get my necklace from the police?”
“It’s an on-going investigation, Mrs. Blake, but as a favor to the family I’ll see what I can do to get it for you. I have a contact in the evidence room.”
“Thank you. I really appreciate it.”
“Sure, no problem.”
“Have you heard of any new leads in the case?”
“None so far. I’ll let you know.”
It’s on the tip of my tongue to share that BLACK Security is already running down a lead, but until find out more, there’s no point. “Well, hopefully the officers will find something soon.”
“Yeah, just have to keep working it. I’ll be in touch about your necklace.”
“Thank you.”
Hanging up, I sigh and spend the next ten minutes flipping through the paperwork of reports until I reach the tech person’s write up that said since no other accelerant was found, the igniter had to have been located on the gas tank flap to cause the kind of explosion it did. “This is the third time that I’ve looked at this report. I’m not sure why I keep staring at it,” I mumble after several frustrating minutes.
Black Platinum (In the Shadows Book 6) Page 13