Framed

by C. P. Smith

  “I may have cleaned it up a bit . . . Okay, a lot. But that was the gist of it,” he grinned.

  “D, I don’t think you should be speaking for Kade,” Prez warned again.

  I ignored Prez as well, wanting to know exactly what Kade had said about me all these years. Let’s face it, what woman doesn’t want to hear that a man she has fantasized about for years felt the same way?

  “Did he say anything else?”

  Mickey nodded emphatically.

  I stared at the huge man, waiting. He grinned, as if he was saving the best for last, and then mumbled, “You gave him a hard-on that would cut glass.”

  Prez groaned, then whacked Mickey behind the head. Heat ran up my neck and settled on my face as I turned my eyes to the ground to keep from looking at anyone.

  You had to ask!

  Coughing to keep from laughing, Kyle saved me from further embarrassment by thankfully changing the subject.

  “Did you see Kade today?” he asked through a sheepish grin.

  Yep, definitely Kade’s brother.

  “Um, yeah. He was, um, he wasn’t mostly dead anymore,” I responded with a sheepish grin of my own.

  Kyle clearly hadn’t been brought into The Brotherhood of The Princess Bride because the look on his face showed some confusion but mostly horror.

  “It’s a joke,” I rushed out. “He’s fine. Healthy as he can be for someone who needed stitches and had a concussion,” I assured him, leaving out that I knew he was recovered since he thoroughly ravaged me within an inch of my panties flying off.

  After no communication with The Brute Squad since last night, I was dying to know if they had any news. “Can you guys stay for a minute?” I asked, motioning towards the house, hoping they could stay long enough to fill in Dad and me.

  “That’s an affirmative. We brought Kyle along so we could fill everyone in at the same time,” Mickey explained.

  “Please tell me you have a lead.”

  “Lead, no. But the fact that the man seemed squeaky clean up until his death tells me he was either living a double life or he stumbled across something right before his death that got him killed.”

  “So where does that leave you?” I asked.

  “It’s time to get a look inside Consolidated Poly. A company that big has to have secrets. We’re gonna break in tonight and find them. Then we’ll see if they lead us back to Sutton.”

  Six

  The low rumble of Prez’s laughter filled my dad’s living room. He was playing with my diva dog before heading to the shower to clean up and change clothes. Dad was pre-heating the grill while potatoes cooked in the microwave, and Kyle was chopping lettuce for a salad as I pulled another beer from the fridge and placed it on the counter for him.

  Looking around at all the food that was being prepared, it wasn’t lost on me that we were enjoying a nice evening on my dad’s patio while Kade was stuck behind bars. The injustice never failed to darken my mood.

  You hear it all the time: innocent men and women being released from prison, losing half their life to clumsy police work or defense attorneys who didn’t have a clue what they were doing. I wondered if this would be the case for Kade. I was praying harder than ever the boys would find what they needed to help set him free before he spent any more of his life behind bars.

  “They’ll figure it out,” Kyle said, breaking me from my thoughts.

  “Pardon?”

  “You were worrying at your lip. Prez and D will figure it out. He won’t be in prison much longer.”

  Pulling myself up onto the counter top, I regarded Kade’s younger brother for a moment. I was right when I thought he looked tired.

  “How’s your grandfather?”

  “Pops? Cancer has taken its toll on him. I’m not sure how he has survived this long, but I honestly think that if Kade had been a free man all this time he would have passed already. In my opinion, he’s been hanging on so he can see Kade vindicated.”

  “Do you live with him?”

  “Yeah. I was living with him when he got sick; I’d gone back to school to get my master’s degree in education. I moved back home to save money so I could focus on my degree. I’ve had to cut back on classes, though, to take care of Pops.”

  He’s as much a victim of this injustice as Kade.

  “Do you have any help? A family member who can give you a break?”

  “Hospice comes by to give me a break. They’re with him now.”

  The dark circles under his eyes told the story. He was all his grandfather had and the same for Kyle. With Kade in prison, unable to help with the care of his grandfather, Kyle was, in a sense, also in prison of sorts. Caring for a loved one who is dying is rewarding and life changing, but with no one to help, can become all-encompassing.

  “Kyle, if you ever need more help than what Hospice can provide, I want you to know that you can call me. My mother died of cancer a few years back, so I know what you’re going through; I’d be happy to lend a hand.”

  Kyle smiled a genuine smile, nodding his head that he would keep me in mind if he needed help.

  “Kade always did have good taste in women,” he mumbled before getting back to work chopping the salad.

  Dad walked in as Kyle was talking, grabbing the steaks he’d pulled from the freezer. He smiled at me as he was about to leave the kitchen, muttering as he left, “A man would have to be blind not to see my baby girl has a heart of gold.”

  Jumping down off the counter, I ignored their compliments. Doing what’s right when someone was in need should be standard operating procedure for all humankind. It seemed weird being complimented for doing what any compassionate person would do.

  Sometime later, the boys came down the hall from the guest bedrooms and grabbed a bottle of beer before they made their way outside. Kyle and I followed with the salad, placing it on the table as we all took a seat to enjoy the warm Florida night.

  Boats were trolling on the river, seagulls following in their wake squawking for a treat. The palms that lined the shore gently swayed as a humid breath lifted the palm leaves. The sun was setting, casting a warm glow on the horizon as another day ended. It was a typical Florida night and the only thing missing to make it perfect was Kade.

  “We might as well bring you up to speed now before we eat,” Prez stated, as my normally finicky dog curled up on his lap and closed her eyes, enjoying the big man’s attention.

  Dad closed the grill lid and turned towards the table as all eyes landed on Prez.

  “In a nutshell, we found no one who could confirm seeing anyone else in the alley with Kade and Sutton. We spoke with the bar owner, the bartender, and any other witnesses from that night. They saw no one but Kade follow Sutton outside.”

  “That they were aware of,” Kyle interjected. “Kade said Stan was looking back at the front door to the bar when he got up and ran out. If one of the three men opened the door, then left immediately, they wouldn’t have seen him.”

  “We know this. But we have to have an eye witness or security footage to corroborate Kade’s claim.”

  “Have you checked with other businesses in that area?” I asked.

  “The alley where Sutton was found, which is more like a narrow street, is shared with a retirement complex. They use the alley for deliveries, so it’s not heavily guarded by security cameras. The one from the bar covered the door and only caught Sutton and Kade leaving, and the one from Sunny Shores seems to have been off that night.”

  “On purpose?” I rushed out, a tingle of suspicion running down my spine.

  “The staff said it happens sometimes. A glitch in their system.”

  “What about the tenants?” Dad asked.

  “All the tenants who lived there at the time of the murder were either asleep or in the hospital. No one saw anything. The only footage we’ve been able to find that shows any activity coming or going from behind the bar was of a Black SUV driving down the alley,” Prez continued.

  “Was it at the sa
me time as the murders?” Kyle asked.

  “Ten minutes before Sutton ran out the back door.”

  “What about anyone entering from the front? Any lone gunmen around that time?” I inquired.

  Nodding, Prez sat back and took a pull from his beer. “We have one lone man entering around that time, but the footage is grainy. A man leaves the bar within moments of that figure entering, but we were unable to ascertain if it’s the same individual.”

  “It’s the same,” Kyle replied. “Can’t you, I don’t know, get a satellite image from that night? You’re SEALs; you can do anything.”

  “Kyle, we’re SEALs, not NASA. We can hack into a lot of places and get away with it. Not NASA though. If we hack into their satellite systems, we’ll end up in a cell next door to Kade. We want to get him out, not get ourselves in.”

  “I can’t believe Sunny Shores don’t have other security cameras in case one of their residents wanders off. I mean, the ocean is just across the street, you’d think they’d want to keep some little old lady with Alzheimer’s from drowning.”

  “They’re covered, Harley. The rest of the cameras are at the front and side of the building. There’s no back exit for residents, it’s only for employees and deliveries, so they only needed one camera,” Mickey explained.

  “You’re sure you talked with everyone who had an apartment on the back side?’

  “All but Mrs. Montoya, who was in the hospital,” Prez confirmed.

  “Shut up. Her name is Mrs. Montoya?”

  Prez grinned, and Mickey D chuckled at my surprise.

  “God’s honest truth,” Mickey laughed. “When I saw her name on the list I wanted to talk to her just to ask if she was looking for the six-fingered man.”

  “That’s so weird. It’s like a sign or something.”

  “What’s a sign?” Kyle asked confused.

  Looking around the table at the other grinning faces, I asked, “Anyone have time for a movie?”

  “Sorry, princess. You know how much I like to watch, but I’ve got a building to break into, a killer to find, and a friend to release from prison. I’m swamped,” Prez replied in his best Prince Humperdinck impersonation.

  “Wait, break into a building?” my dad bit out.

  “I’ll explain later,” I told him.

  “Never mind,” he answered, throwing up his hands. “Ignorance is bliss, and I can’t testify if they get caught,” he continued before lifting the lid and flipping the steaks.

  Looking back at Prez and Mickey, I couldn’t help but be worried. “I know you’ll be careful, but I have to say it anyway. Please be careful. I don’t know any SEALs I can call to get you out of jail.”

  “Piece of cake,” Mickey scoffed, incensed by my lack of faith.

  “I know, I know,” I raised my hand to wave off his protest, “you’re big bad SEALs, able to leap tall buildings with a single bound, blah, blah, blah. I’ve said my piece so just be careful for goodness’ sake,” I lectured.

  I thought about them breaking and entering the enemy’s domain in the dark of night, and I shivered. Better them than me, that’s for sure. Hiding in the shadows, searching for a killer, wasn’t my idea of a ‘piece of cake’ mission. “Kyle and I’ll just stay here and watch the original Brute Squad while you’re out raiding the castle.”

  Both men groaned in unison.

  “What?”

  “Storming the castle,” they both replied.

  Whoops.

  “Jesus, woman, don’t quote it if you’re gonna fuck it up. That’s sacrilege,” Mickey chided. Then he looked at Prez, and in all seriousness said, “I’m rethinking making her part of The Brute Squad.”

  Prez scoffed at that announcement, shaking his head slowly, both brows raised over wide eyes. “I think that’s a smart move, my brother,” he mumbled, “seeing as if Kade finds out you made her part of The Brute Squad he’d castrate you this time.”

  “Good point,” Mickey agreed instantly, automatically covering his crotch at the veiled threat.

  “I can speak for myself, Prez. If you boys need my help in any way, you’ve got it.”

  “I don’t think Kade—”

  “He can’t tell me what I can or can’t do,” I stated firmly.

  “Princess, that’s not how it works in big-bad-SEAL-land. Kade has claimed you whether you understand that or not. We respect that. If he says he doesn’t want you involved, then you’re not involved.”

  “Amen,” my father joined in, but I ignored him.

  “You do whatever he says, no questions asked?” I asked surprised.

  “If Kade said lie on a sword for me, I’d ask how large of a blade,” Prez answered with conviction.

  “You’re that close?”

  “Kade’s put himself in front of bullets for us, more than once. I’d gladly lay my life on the line for him,” Mickey answered just as earnestly as Prez.

  ”More than once?” I gasped.

  “More than once . . . That man would risk his life for anyone he cared about. His parents abandoning him and Kyle the way they did made Kade fiercely loyal to anyone who earned his trust. And you, princess, have earned his trust. He said to keep you out of it and that’s what we plan to do.”

  I narrowed my eyes at the two SEALs then turned and looked at Kyle. He smiled.

  “What are you smiling at?” I snipped.

  “Just thinking I can’t wait for Kade to get out so we can watch the fireworks. He’s bull-headed protective, and you’re stubborn as hell. It should be interesting.”

  “Whatever,” I mumbled, and the whole patio erupted in laughter.

  ***

  “I thought you said you had this handled?” Prez hissed when he got a look at Kade during visiting hours on Saturday.

  “I’m alive, aren’t I? Doesn’t get any more handled than that.”

  “Kyle said your shrink was gonna see about getting you moved to a new cellblock.”

  “He was, but I told him no. I already know who’s gunnin’ for me. I don’t need to learn who the players are in a new block.”

  Leaning back in his chair, Prez nodded. “All right, just make sure you stay alive. I didn’t drag your ass through Hell Week for my health.”

  Kade grinned. Leave it to Prez to think he dragged Kade through anything.

  “I seem to remember it differently. Wasn’t it me who had to keep you from ringing the bell all week?”

  “You have me confused with D,” Prez chuckled.

  “You have me confused with Slater,” D gruffed.

  “Slater may have been a rich boy, but he was no quitter,” Kade reminded D.

  “That he wasn’t. We’re hoping he has time in-between physical therapy to hack into Consolidated. We breached their walls last night, but their system is state of the art. It’s gonna take a hacker of the highest caliber to tear down their firewall.”

  “Is he still in Vegas?” Kade asked.

  “Yeah, rehabbing and hacking like usual. West is working for his brother.”

  “I heard that. He’s playing bodyguard to the rich and famous.”

  “Right. Making a shitload of money, too.”

  “I take it since you breached Consolidated’s walls that you came up empty elsewhere?”

  “We’ve got cameras that don’t point in the right direction and residents asleep. The wife said he was spooked, but didn’t know why. It stands to reason that if he was a pillar of the community and wasn’t having an affair that only leaves his job. A big company like Consolidated has to have skeletons in their closet. We figured he might have stumbled across an unlocked door and paid with his life.”

  Kade agreed with that assessment, but was disappointed it had come to that. He was sure when they started digging they’d find a camera somewhere close that would have told the tale of Sutton’s murder. Shifting in his chair, he grimaced when one of the stitches in his side tweaked.

  “Heard you had a visitor yesterday,” D grinned. Kade raised a brow, waiting for him to con
tinue. “Harley told me at dinner last night she saw you in the infirmary.”

  “You had dinner with Harley?” Kade asked with veiled anger, pinning D with his eyes.

  “She was at her dad’s when we arrived. We brought Kyle with us so they could all meet and hear how the mission was going,” Prez jumped in when he got a look at Kade’s face.

  “Kyle was there? Did he say how Pops was doing?”

  “He’s barely hanging in there, Kade. He’s waiting for you to come home.”

  “Jesus. I should be there,” Kade bit out. “I owe that man more than he’ll ever know and now I’m causing him more grief.”

  “You will. We’ll figure this shit out, my brother. Don’t lose hope.”

  Time was up, so Kade rose from his chair.

  “Tell Kyle I’ll make it up to him when I get out.”

  “I’ll tell him.”

  Kade nodded, then stood and shook his friends’ hands before turning to leave. When he was out of earshot, Prez turned to D and whacked him behind the head.

  “What the fuck was that for?”

  “I’m hoping if I do it enough, it will knock some sense into you.”

  “What’d I do now?”

  “You told a man rotting in prison you had dinner with his brother and his woman, that’s what.”

  “Fuck.”

  “Yeah, fuck. I wasn’t gonna bring it up and rub it in his face, D. He doesn’t need to know what happens outside these walls other than the investigation.”

  “I wasn’t thinking, man.”

  “Clearly. Tell me again how you made it through BUD/S with a brain the size of a peanut?”

  “Easy, I stayed close to you and Kade.”

  “Mmhmm, remember that the next time you decide to open your mouth.”

  ***

  Leroy J. Stubbs, better known as Fat Bastard, started life in 1967 as a chubby baby and grew to be an even larger man. He always, even when he was a kid, had the ability to sniff out an opportunity that would benefit his pocketbook or make life easier. His intellectual prowess and ability to lead men had served him well while being incarcerated at Renault Correctional Facility. In the seven years he’d been there for murdering a scumbag who’d tried to take over his pharmaceutical (street drugs) territory, he’d organized a crew that put the fear of God into any inmate that dared to challenge his power. That included the guards. There wasn’t a man inside Renault that he hadn’t been able to handle. That is, until Kade Fucking Kingston came along.