Checkmate: Checkmate, #8

by Finn, Emilia

  “How’s she doing, Chief? How’s Avery?”

  “She’s good too. Still sleeping like shit. It pisses me off, because Jess says the twins are sleeping pretty well already. They’re two fuckin’ months old and sleeping. Avery is coming up on ten months, and she can’t be left alone for more than three seconds or there’s hell to pay.”

  “She’s high-maintenance, like her momma.”

  “Don’t I know it,” he chuckles. “I’m gonna go broke buying them designer label shit. Why’d I get a mini Jules, huh? Bishop got a mini Jess, but he also got a mini Kane, and I bet that second one isn’t gonna be nearly as high-maintenance as Jess’ clone.”

  “Listen to you, X. Getting soft on those Bishops. Who’d have thought the day would come?”

  “Don’t tell them that,” he whispers. He has no clue that there are three of them now, nor does he know I’m with two of them on my ‘vacation’. “They’re okay. I don’t much know the other one, but Kane… I dunno. He’s brand loyal too.”

  I bark out a laugh. “You mean to Jess? Jess is the brand?”

  “Right. There ain’t a thing he wouldn’t do for her. So for as long as he continues to look at her the way he does, I’m gonna have to play nice.”

  “He’s alright, Chief. He seems nice enough.”

  I get nothing more than a grunt. Because that’s who X is. He doesn’t like to admit feelings, because in his mind, it’s a weakness. He’ll love fiercely, but there are few who he’ll say that four-letter word to.

  “Anyway. Jess made one of each, so maybe that means you need to try for another baby. That might be the secret: first one is Jones, second one might be a Turner.”

  He scoffs. “It’s much more likely the second one will be Jules’ clone too. My luck don’t work the way Bishop’s does.”

  Laughing, I walk my feet up the frame of the door opposite me and snuggle in for a chat. “I’ve missed you guys, X. It’s crazy how, even though I’m on vacation, I miss home.”

  “When are you coming back, kid? We miss you too. Oz is way too cocky now without you here to beat on him. He’s strutting around the station like some kinda hero. His kid walks around behind him.”

  “Benny?”

  “Yeah. They pretend they hate each other, but Ben is in here shadowing Oz every time he can. Or they’re in the gym. They spar, and then the kid checks out Miss Evie like he thinks no one sees his wandering eye.”

  “Does her daddy know?”

  He laughs. “Yup. Nobody is watching as close as Aiden. Benny is gonna die at some point before his next birthday, and as a dad to a little girl, I’ve guaranteed a window of time where I’m not gonna watch.”

  “You what?” I laugh. “You’re finally on side with the Rollers? I thought you hated them?”

  “I thought I did too, but then I got to thinking about my girl and boys. Turns out I hate those boys so much more. So we’ve reached a kind of agreement. We still don’t chitchat or get a beer together, but if they murder a certain teenager for touching when he ain’t supposed to, I won’t even get mad.”

  “Horrible.” My laughter comes in small little bubbles that draws Gunner’s eyes around. He tilts his head to the side and watches me for a moment; he’s curious, but he’s wary. He’s always wary. “Anyway, X.” I say ‘X’ louder, so Gunner knows who I’m talking to. “I’m gonna go for a swim or something. The beach is calling my name.”

  “Yeah, rub it in, Tate.” He grunts, and because I know every sound in that station, I know the moment his heavy boots hit the top of his desk. “Meanwhile, I have to slave away in this place and keep all the children walking in a straight line.”

  “Your vocation is noble. You should be proud.”

  He chuckles. “Take it easy, Lib. Think of me while you’re in that water.”

  “I probably won’t,” I tease. “That would just be weird.”

  “You’re weird,” he grumbles. “Come home soon, okay? That’s not the chief asking. That’s your friend. I’ve known you a long time, so I kinda consider you a sister too, yeah? Don’t make me worry so much.”

  “I’ll be home soon. Promise.” I smile when Gunner leaves Jay’s room and heads toward me. “I’ve gotta go. But I’ll call again soon.”

  “Okay, love you, Lib. Be good.”

  “Um–” My heart comes to a standstill, but no one else can know that, least of all Alex, because he hangs up. My eyes are wide, itchy, and my hands shake.

  “You okay?” Gunner stops by my legs and crouches down so we’re almost on the same level. His lips pull up into a playful grin reminiscent of the boy I once met. “You look like you just saw a ghost.”

  “He said he loves me.”

  “Who?” His brows pull close together. “Your chief checking you out?”

  “No.” I drop my hands into my lap and study them in shock. I’m… speechless. “Um, no. Not that kind of love. He said he thinks of me like his sister. He said I make him worry, and that he loves me.”

  “You’ve been his cop a long time. I can see why he thinks of you that way.”

  “Right. But he’s never said it before. Um…” I cough to clear my throat. “You were the first person to tell me you love me…” I fight his hand when he tries to pull me around. “Like, literally. Before now, you’re the only person who has ever said those words to me.”

  “Ever?”

  I nod.

  “So for the twenty years I was gone?”

  I shake my head. “Nothing. Never.”

  “Baby…”

  “And now I’ve got you saying it. Plus X. It’s like an epidemic.”

  His eyes dance with humor. “That’s called family, babe. We declared family status forever ago. Now you’re branching out to others. You’ve got your boss, and that other one, the arrogant one.”

  “Oz?”

  He chuckles. “Yeah, him. And then there’s the one-legged dude you speak of.”

  “Cruz.”

  He nods. “You ate dinner with Jay last night. Like, the rest of us were there, but you and Jay chatted and had a laugh while the rest of us were the third, fourth, fifth wheel.”

  My eyes widen. “Are you mad? I didn’t mean to do that.”

  “Nah. Your hand was in my lap. You were present for me too, but whatever the fuck that idiot was saying made you happy. So who am I to get mad about that?”

  “It’s the Bishop genes,” I croak out. “They’re kinda impossible to ignore.”

  “Mm.” He takes my hand and slides our fingers together. “Just don’t forget which one you promised yourself to. You can be their friend. I’ll never get mad. Plus, you’re helping me get to know him through you. He doesn’t show me the same person he shows you. So I watch you, I watch him when he’s talking to you. It’s almost the same thing.”

  “I love you.” I slide a hand around his neck and pull him down until our lips touch. “I really, really do.”

  “I know.” He smirks. “You’re kinda obsessed with me.”

  “Hey, Priss.” Spence walks out of the end room with a phone pressed to his ear and a wide smile almost breaking his face. “You have no clue how glad I am to hear your voice right now.”

  I smile for Spence’s happiness. He has a girl back home that none of us knew about until weeks into this trip, but his smile drops in a heartbeat. His muscles visibly swell, and his eyes turn almost black as he dashes into his room beside ours and slams the door.

  His deep voice carries through the wall.

  “Abigail? Baby, what’s wrong?”

  28

  Gunner

  Theo Plus Two

  “Theo Griffin! Get your ass in here. Now!” Jay’s voice booms from his room like an explosive going off. “Bishop!”

  First Spence, and now Jay. I look into Lib’s eyes in question, but obviously she has no clue. Jay stomps through his doorway and stops in the breezeway with something akin to murder in his eyes. “Get in here. Now.”

  “The fuck is going on?” I stand and extend a h
and to pull Lib up. Jay doesn’t stick around to discuss, instead he forces us to follow him into the room where Soph sits at a table with her laptop. “What?”

  “Check it.”

  Jay stalks his room much the same way I do when I’m pissed, but I ignore him when Soph turns the laptop and shows an email taking up most of her screen.

  --------------------------------

  To: AcesAndEights

  From: Checkmate

  Aces,

  I’m willing to talk if you’re willing to be honest.

  It never had to be this way. If only the Bishops knew how to tell the truth, none of us would be here today.

  I’m interested in the Bishop fortune. I’m interested in how you earn your means.

  Being the blood of a fallen king doesn’t qualify you for immunity, so truth and honor is all you have left.

  I was forced into this war more than two decades ago. An innocent, thrust into battle with nothing to his name but his hands and wits.

  But that’s not fair, is it?

  I’ve never hurt yours, but yours have hurt mine.

  Someone must speak, they must explain, or they must pay.

  --------------------------------

  “What the fuck is going on?” Jay stops stalking, instead snatching a duffel from the closet and begins to fill it with guns and cash. Lib’s brows shoot up high. These guys, while we know they’re always packing, are usually pretty discreet about it, but now Jay literally packs handgun after handgun like they’re protein bars. “Why is he giving us the same story you gave us two months ago? Why is his email address your email address?” He pauses and glares into my eyes. “What the fuck is your game?”

  “That’s not me. I was sitting outside just now, talking to Lib.”

  “It wasn’t him,” Soph confirms. “But whoever he is, he’s here.”

  “Here?” Jay races to the window and tears the curtains open. “How close?”

  “About twenty miles out,” she murmurs.

  The email remains up on one side of her screen so I can reread it, but her fingers fly over the keyboard in a race to find this guy’s exact location.

  “Guys, I don’t know who the fuck that is.”

  “He knows your name,” Romeo murmurs from behind me. “And the original searches began at Griffin Plaza.”

  Soph nods. “This is absolutely connected. And he’s looking to get you in trouble.”

  Being the blood of a fallen king doesn’t qualify you for immunity, so truth and honor is all you have left.

  “Bishop blood again.” Libby releases my hand and walks a slow lap in front of the bed. “It continues to come back to Bishop blood. He said he was forced into this war two decades ago.” She stops and looks to me. “Same as the rest of us. We were all just kids then.”

  “Could be Frankston?” I ponder. I look from one face to the next as they all stop and look up at me. “Frankston was in that club that day. He and Tate are the only men left alive.”

  “Both in prison,” Lib presses.

  “Yes, but you’ve been on Tate this whole time. I suppose it could be him, but he knows you’re close. Whereas Frankston has been locked away separately. Could be him?”

  “He’s still locked up,” Soph reads straight from her computer screen. “He has the basic commissary balance. No jobs for extra cash. He tried the laundry for a bit, but other dudes kept fucking him up, so they yanked him.”

  I push my hands into my hair, but stop and look to Soph. “Fucking him up?”

  She grins. “He was stuffed like a Thanksgiving turkey. Often. And mostly against his wishes.”

  “No sympathy from me.” I drop my hands. “Okay, so maybe not Frankston. He doesn’t control anything anymore, and he’s still in.”

  “Has anyone ever checked out where the sour-sisters are?” Lib’s eyes flicker between mine. “We don’t know this is a dude, right? Could be them.”

  Soph turns to us. “Sour-sisters?”

  “Stella and Zoey Slutface,” I answer. “Sisters, bitches, and bullies.”

  Soph laughs. “Tell me how you really feel, Griffin. And while you’re at it, perhaps give me their real names? ‘Slutface’ isn’t popping.”

  “Stella and Zoey Hayes,” Lib inserts. “They spent a lot of time hanging out at a college over the years, though I doubt they went to a single class.”

  “Distributors?”

  Lib nods. “I know they were mooching off Hayes money up until Kane took Hayes out. I never really thought to check in after that. They just weren’t a part of my world anymore, and I didn’t wanna revisit.”

  “It’s okay.” I walk away from Soph and pull Lib into my arms. This room is packed with everyone but Spence, and that means we get zero privacy as I press my lips to the soft skin behind her ear. “It’s okay. You don’t have to go back there. That’s not your responsibility.”

  “Looks like they’re hooking somewhere in AC.”

  “Hooking?” Jay asks Soph. “Really?”

  “Records say they’re working at the casino. They serve rich folks their drinks, but I’m gonna use my creative brain and read between the lines.”

  “High-end escorts.” Lib pulls out of my arms and turns to Soph. “I know we’re here to work, and not to let our feelings get in the way, but it makes me happy they’re selling their bodies for rent money. It kinda makes us all feel a little better, right? The irony is beautiful.”

  “Nobody said we’re not allowed to have feelings here, Chick Cop.” Jay zips up his duffel and tosses it onto the bed behind us. “Bitches can have saggy old dudes rub themselves all over them. It feels good knowing they’re not living it up now, while those they hurt are dead or suffering.”

  “They’ve had a week off here and there this past year,” Soph says. “But nothing extravagant. No flights, no credit card purchases. They’re living a modest life now that their daddy has bit it.”

  “Score one for Kane. He took that motherfucker out.”

  “It says I’ve never hurt yours, but yours have hurt mine.” Soph’s eyes meet ours. “I guess Kane taking out Hayes qualifies for that, right?”

  “Not quite,” I argue. “A Bishop took out a Hayes, but it’s not like a Hayes never hurt a Bishop.” I turn to Jay. “Wanna show us that scar on your forehead again? Because that bullet came from Hayes’ smoking barrel, no?”

  “It did.” He brings a hand up and rolls his bottom lip between his thumb and finger. “But do we take that email for what it says; they’ve never hurt ours? Because everyone thinks they’re the good guy in their own story. So maybe they’re telling the truth and theirs really didn’t hurt ours, or maybe this fucker just has a victim mentality and won’t ever tell the real truth.”

  Romeo walks into the room and folds his arms. “We treat this like a threat on our lives. He says he’s willing to talk, so let’s organize the meet. We say where, we say when. We set it up so we’re in complete control, and we get this shit taken care of.”

  “Sophia!” Spence steamrolls out of his room and makes the walls rattle when he slams his door. “Finish this! I need to go home.”

  Soph rolls her eyes and turns away. “Yeah, you already said that.”

  “No, you don’t understand. My girl’s friend died. That one we were all rooting for because she’s sick. She fucking died, so now we need to finish this. I’m not staying away any longer. I tried, ballerina. I really did, and I’ve never punked on an assignment before, but I can’t stay on while she’s home crying for her friend.”

  “The girl died?” Romeo’s commando exterior drops away to reveal something much more vulnerable. “She’s only seventeen, right?”

  “Yes! She’s a fucking baby!” Spencer roars. “She’s a child, she was sick, her boyfriend dumped her because he’s a weak prick, and now she’s gone. She won’t ever get a redo at this life. She won’t make it to prom. She won’t get to do shit, becau–”

  “Because she’s dead,” Romeo finishes. He turns to Sophia. “Make the m
eet happen. I haven’t been home yet either, so make this shit happen, let’s end it, then we can stop living out of bags for a minute. I’m done.” He turns away before Soph can argue. “Reply to that email, Sophia. Organize the meet.”

  TWO DAYS LATER

  It’s funny how life can work out so strangely. I never expected to be working so close to Jay Bishop during what feels like such a high-stakes time, but here I am, laying on my stomach amid trees, twigs, and leaves. Jay is just four feet to my left, Libby two feet to my right.

  Spence and Romeo are set up on the opposite side of the valley we called the meet in, and Soph stands by the car at the bottom as she waits for our visitor and acts like her life isn’t at risk.

  She agreed to a meet with this guy that claims his name is Theo.

  The six of us have spent two days in one room talking this through. Three of us know that world of Colum Bishop. Romeo lends his military knowledge and bounces ideas off Spence, while Soph adds the brains and keeps us all on track.

  We don’t know who our target is, but it would seem, this target is willing to come to us.

  To talk.

  You know what they say about things being too good to be true.

  This might be what “Theo” says it is, and maybe he really is just here for a chat, but just in case he’s not, Soph has five sniper rifles pointing her direction now, and five well trained shooters willing to end this all today.

  I can’t even find it in my heart to get mad that Jay is still keeping me close; not because I’m a friend, but because in his world, I’m the devil.

  “Car approaching, a thousand yards to the east.” Jay’s voice is deep, low, and in work mode. He moves his head just a fraction to the right to keep the approaching car in his sight. He won’t let his girl die in this war.

  “I’m watching,” Soph murmurs into the earpieces we all wear. “I don’t see him yet.”