Hush - Fighting Fate #2

by Maree Green

  He looked momentarily startled for a second before he jacked up to his full height – which was still a number of inches shorter than mine, and puffed out his chest. He was a solid dude, but it wasn’t trained muscle like mine. He had muscles, but I seriously doubt he knew what to do with them.

  “Back off, dude!” he spat.

  I narrowed my eyes at him, leaning forward slightly so he knew I wasn’t intimidated. “Aaron,” I said in that scary calm way TJ liked to use. Aaron’s eyes widened. I could see the wheels turning as he tried to place how I knew him. “I don’t think TJ’s going to be happy when I tell him Ken’s dealer is becoming sloppy.”

  Fear flashed through his eyes before they turned dark and bitter. “What the fuck do I care?”

  I cocked my head as I studied him. There was something skittish about him. He was nervous about something. Nervous was never good. Bad things happened to people when they were nervous.

  “I’m sure you’ll care when TJ puts a knife in you.”

  He narrowed his eyes and his top lip curled up with distaste. “You’re one of TJ’s guys?”

  I gave him a cold stare. “What do you think?”

  Uncertainty crossed his face before he closed it off again. Fuck, this guy was all over the place with his emotions. To me, that indicated some major trouble.

  “I think I don’t really give a fuck. I was just curious as to what losers he had working with him. You all fuck each other?”

  Oh man. It was a good fucking thing it was me and not one of the other guys. This dick would’ve been out for the count with a knife in his side before he even finished that sentence.

  “You heard about these fake pills with Mr. X’s mark going around?” I asked point blank.

  Aaron blinked. The shock on his face was out of place, then panic took stage front and center. “What pills?” he stammered.

  “You know, little light blue ones with a dark blue cross like ours. But completely full of shit.”

  He shifted on his feet uncomfortably.

  “You see,” I continued. “To say Mr. X is livid, is an understatement. And to say TJ is furious is even more so. They’re both scouring the streets to find the culprit, and when they do…” I sighed. “It’s not going to end well.”

  Aaron swallowed, but he seemed to spark back into life. “It’s nothing to do with me. I just sell what the old man gives me, and he’s too fucking stupid to re-press pills, so I know it’s not him.” He gave me another disdainful look. “Now, if you wanna get the fuck out of my way, I have stock I have to shift before the night’s through.”

  He pushed past me and I took the opportunity to lift him, my sticky fingers fast and efficient. I waited for him to work his way through the crowd before stepping back into the shadows to check out the packet I’d lifted from him. Holding it up to the sliver of light, I took in the little blue pills.

  I think I knew before I even looked what I’d find, but when I took in the imperfections and confirmed they were indeed counterfeits, I exhaled heavily. Fucking motherfucking shit.

  Then my brain finally processed something. Aaron had said re-pressed pills. Why the hell would he think they were re-pressed?

  It all hit me at once.

  Holy fuck. The fakes weren’t just reproductions to look like Mr. X’s, they actually were Mr. X’s, ground down and mixed with crap before being re-pressed.

  And Aaron knew. Fuck.

  It had to be Ken. With all the extra purchases he’d made lately, it all added up.

  Ken was The Shadow.

  Kaeli was in more trouble than I thought.

  Chapter 35

  Kaeli

  The beeping of the machine Mom was hooked up to grated on my nerves. My eyes stung from tiredness, and my cheek and head ached like a bitch.

  The doctor at the hospital had given me something to take for the pain, and the nurse had given me an ice pack to help the swelling go down, but it was the emotional ache that was killing me.

  Seeing Mom laying there so broken was like the worst pain I’d ever known. She had three broken ribs, a broken wrist, a cut on her temple that had required ten stitches to close up, and bruising that almost covered her entire torso.

  The doctor had made a point of telling me about all the old injuries he’d been able to see on Mom’s x-rays, practically begging me to confess everything, but I couldn’t do it. It was a decision Mom had to make. She needed to take the step herself.

  Pushing myself to my feet, I sighed and walked over to the window, self-consciously brushing my fingers over the high part of my cheekbone that still throbbed.

  I’d assessed it in the small mirror over the hand basin first thing that morning, groaning at the dark bruise that had formed overnight. It looked awful, and there was going to be no way to hide it.

  A loud voice drifted in through the open door and I froze.

  “Where’s my wife?! I need to see her.”

  Ken? I couldn’t believe the audacity of that freaking man! How dare he come in here and pretend he was concerned!

  The nurse’s voice was low, so I couldn’t quite hear what she said, but Ken’s panicked response was very clear.

  “Melanie Lehmann. I’m her husband. I just got back from a business trip. Is she okay? Can I see her?”

  I gaped at the open doorway. If I didn’t know any better, I’d seriously think he was beside himself with worry. The nurse spoke quietly again.

  “Kaeli’s here? Oh, thank god. I was worried Mel was all alone.”

  I was still blinking stupidly when the nurse poked her head in. “Hi, sweetie.”

  I gazed at her in a daze.

  “Your father just arrived…”

  That snapped me out of it. “Step father,” I said, not quite hiding my disdain.

  She frowned at me, but didn’t comment on my response. Clearing her throat, she forced a smile. “He’d like to see your mother. Do you think you could give him some time with her?”

  Ah, that was right. Only one visitor at a time…

  I had to stop myself from shooting daggers out my eyes at her, reminding myself she didn’t know any different. “I’m not ready to leave just yet,” I said instead.

  She blinked at me. I think she was a little shocked at my response. “He’s quite distraught. I think he just needs to see she’s okay.”

  I blanched at her words. “Are you joking? Look at her. Does she look okay to you?”

  Her gaze jumped over to Mom’s prone body then back to me. “Of course not,” she said quietly. “I’ll let him know you need some more time with her.”

  After she left I tried to get myself to relax. My whole body had tightened up like I was going to explode. Moving back over to the armchair, I sank down and went back to watching Mom breathe.

  An hour later the nurse came back in. She gave me a look that told me she was disappointed in me, but I didn’t care. She shouldn’t be so quick to judge. Pinning her with my gaze, I spoke in a low tone. “Where’s my stepfather?”

  She pursed her lips. “He decided to go home to freshen up. He’s been driving all night to get back here after he heard about the accident.”

  I shook my head at her stupidity. “Is that what he told you?” I rolled my eyes to show her how stupid she was to believe him.

  She looked confused for a minute, but then she molded her expression into a more professional one. “He said he might come back later tonight.”

  I was about to retort with another snide comment, but Mom’s doctor saved me by striding into the room.

  I don’t know why I was suddenly so willing to reveal how much of a douche Ken was. I knew it went against the story both Mom and I had told about how we’d both been hurt, but hearing him sound so concerned about her when I knew just how much of an act it was, pissed me off. That whole Mr. Nice-guy thing was the reason Mom ended up married to him in the first place. It’d all been an act. She’d fallen in love with an imaginary person. That guy didn’t exist.

  Dr. Miller gave me
a sympathetic smile. He knew the truth. It was written all over his face.

  “You’re still here,” he said with mock surprise. “I’ve just ordered some scans for your mom. Just some follow ups to make sure nothing’s changed over the last twelve hours.” He eyed me kindly. “It’ll probably take a few hours. Why don’t you go home and get some sleep? She’s going to need you at your best over the next few days, and you won’t be able to help her if you’re run down too.”

  He made a convincing case. I really didn’t want to leave, but I knew he was right. I nodded.

  The smile he gave me made me feel like I’d pleased him, and for some unknown reason, I liked that. “Good girl. Make sure the nurses have your number. I promise I’ll call if anything happens, okay?”

  “Okay,” I said. I didn’t think I’d ever heard my voice so small. Strangely, he made me feel like a small child again. It wasn’t a bad thing. It was more like in the way a parent made their child feel safe and loved. After having a douchebag father figure who beat Mom and sent me into a known drug den for so long, having someone like him care about me made me feel like crying.

  Picking up my bag, I turned and left Mom in the hands of the only man I seemed to trust in that moment.

  As soon as I stepped out into the sunshine I realized I had a problem. No car. Groaning, I squeezed my eyes shut. With a deep breath, I bit the bullet and dialed Mia.

  “Hey,” she answered. “Where have you been? I’ve been trying to get a hold of you.”

  I sighed. Here goes…“I’m at the hospital. Can you come get me?”

  “What?! Are you okay? What happened?” I held my cell away from my ear at her raised, panicked voice.

  “I can’t talk right now. Can you come?” I asked softly.

  “Yes, of course. I’m on my way.”

  “Wait! Mia?” I waited for her to respond. “Can you…come alone?”

  I was met with silence for a few heartbeats, then, “Sure, babe. I’ll be right there.”

  While I waited, I slid my sunglasses on to try to hide the bruise. I knew it wouldn’t cover it all, but it was better than nothing.

  Ten minutes later, Mia’s little car pulled up in the patient pick up zone, and I hurried to get the door open before Mia could get out.

  “What happened?” she demanded the second the door was closed.

  I sighed. I knew there was no way around it. I was going to have the bruise for a good week or so, and I still had to go to school. I just didn’t want to lie. I was sick of lying.

  Sliding my sunglasses off, I turned to face her.

  I cringed at the gasp that exploded from her. “What happened?” she asked, her voice barely more than a whisper.

  I slid my sunglasses back on before answering. “Mom fell down the stairs last night. I heard the thump and ran out to check on her. I tripped at the bottom and smacked my face on the banister.”

  Her eyes widened. “Oh shit. Is your mom okay?”

  I swallowed against the sudden emotion that wanted to break free. “She’s pretty banged up. She’s got a few broken ribs and a broken wrist.”

  “Oh my god! How the hell did she manage to fall down the stairs? Was she half asleep or something?”

  I had to seriously stop myself from clenching my teeth. I hated that I had to make my mom out to be a clumsy idiot instead of just revealing that her husband was a disgusting pig of a man. “God knows,” I said instead.

  Mia exhaled a huff of air. “Jesus, Kaeli. You and I are done with hospitals, okay? No more.”

  I sobered as I caught her sideways glance. It had been a month since Mia had fallen and hit her head, landing herself in a coma for a couple of days, but it still felt like it’d only been yesterday. We’d all been terrified we were going to lose her.

  “I think I can agree to that.”

  Mia slowed for a truck that had its indicator on to move into our lane and gave me a brief glance. “Am I taking you home?” she asked.

  I paused. The thought of Ken being home stopped me from answering straight away. Could I face him yet? I didn’t think so, but I needed to grab a quick shower and nap before heading back to the hospital. And I needed my car.

  Sighing, I nodded. “Yeah, thanks.”

  We drove the rest of the way in silence. I knew Mia wanted to say more, but wasn’t quite sure where to start.

  Before I climbed out, I paused with my fingers on the handle. ‘Thanks for coming to get me…”

  I watched her bite her bottom lip nervously. “That’s okay. Let me know if I can do anything else. And send your mom my love. Tell her I’m thinking about her.”

  Smiling, I climbed from the car. “I will. I’ll ring you tomorrow.”

  With that, I went straight inside and up to my room. I hoped like anything luck would be on my side and I’d miss seeing Ken altogether.

  Chapter 36

  Noah

  Setting the empty beer bottle down on the bar, I gestured to the barman for another. After stewing over the latest development in the fake pill dilemma, I decided I needed to check in with my team before letting TJ in on my thoughts about Ken.

  Knowing TJ like I did, I had no doubt about the way he’d react if I told him I thought Ken was The Shadow, and I didn’t want to risk Kaeli getting caught in the middle if shit went down because of it.

  Gazing out across the bar, my eyes paused briefly on Leah and the old guy who was currently putting in some major effort to pick her up. I repressed the urge to laugh, knowing how disgusted she’d be having to pretend she was actually enjoying it.

  The barman snapped the top off the bottle and placed it down in front of me.

  “And one for the pretty lady over there – whatever she’s drinking,” I said, nodding in Leah’s direction.

  The barman turned to see who I was talking about then nodded. I watched him mix her drink and deliver it to her, indicating towards me when she enquired about its arrival.

  Leah’s face lit up as she eyed me. She held the drink up and mouthed a thank you, eliciting a scowl from the old guy trying to pick her up. I smiled a fraction, giving her an intense look that spoke of nothing but lust. She licked her lips in return.

  We kept this interaction up for a while longer, until the old guy got the hint and stormed off in a huff. Not long after that, Leah slid off her stool, giving me a flirty glance, and sashayed off towards the bathrooms.

  I watched her the whole way until the door closed behind her swaying hips, then threw back the rest of my beer and followed.

  Leah was checking the stalls for occupants when I slid in through the door. She gave me a little nod to confirm we were all alone before exhaling quietly and giving me a grin.

  “How’ve you been, Patch?” she said softly.

  Leah had called me Patch since the first time we’d met in the Captain’s office. I’d had a sticker on my jacket that’d come off a shipping package I’d opened that morning, and as eager as I was to get to my first assignment, I hadn’t checked the mirror before running out the door. Unfortunately, the name stuck just as much as the sticker had.

  I grinned at her. “Hanging in there,” I said cryptically.

  She let her gaze roam over my face, unabashedly showing me just how much she wasn’t acting when she was showing her interest in me. “When this assignment is over, you and I are going to celebrate,” she said.

  Her eyes twinkled, letting me know exactly how she wanted to celebrate. That too, had been something she’d stuck with since that first encounter in the Captain’s office. She’d never made any attempt to hide her interest in me. It was one of the things I liked about her. She didn’t play games. What you saw was what you got, and what you saw what pretty easy on the eye.

  With long blonde hair and warm, chocolate eyes, she was hit on wherever she went. Over the last eighteen months, I’d often considered taking her up on her offer and seeing where things went when the assignment was over.

  An image of Kaeli popped into my head like a roadblock. I wondere
d if she would consider any sort of relationship with me when this nightmare was all over. Of course, I’d have to make sure Ken was put away for a really long time so she wouldn’t have to worry about him coming back for her or her mother.

  The thought of Ken brought it all rushing back into perspective. The smile slipped clean off my face. “What does Captain know about these fakes that are going around?” I asked.

  Leah slipped right into business mode along side of me. I had a feeling she thought it was her offer that had given me the incentive to get on with it, but I wasn’t in the mood to clarify.

  “We know it’s the fakes that are landing people in the hospital, and we know the fakes are being produced by someone who calls himself The Shadow.”

  I nodded to let her know she was right. “I think the Shadow is Ken Lehmann. I saw his son, Aaron, at the Cross earlier tonight selling the fakes.” I pulled out the packet I’d pulled off him and handed them over. “I lifted these off him as he left.”

  She lifted her eyebrow up, letting me know she was impressed, but as she took them, she shook her head. “Ken’s not The Shadow. We’ve been following him since you informed us of his step-daughter’s involvement. Done some pretty thorough digging around. There’s nothing there. There was supposed to have been at least two exchanges involving The Shadow over the past fortnight, and Ken’s been under our watch the entire time.”

  I frowned. It had to be Ken. “He could still be working from a distance. His kid knows something. I’m sure of it. He just had that look about him. One minute he was all cocky and arrogant, and the next he looked like he was about to have a full blown panic attack.”

  Leah shook her head. “Captain’s positive it’s not Ken, but we do know the originals that are being crushed are confirmed to be genuine Mr. X’s.”

  I nodded to let her know I already knew that. I did a quick mental recap of all TJ’s buyers. Ken was the only one who’d been buying more than usual.

  I sighed. Captain had a rep for having a sixth sense about these things. If he didn’t think Ken was The Shadow, then chances were he was right, but I didn’t want to rule it out on gut instinct alone.