Framed

by C. P. Smith

  “All right, okay, you needed space. I get that. But you can’t be surprised he won’t let you know what’s going on.”

  “Why? I’m not some wallflower who can’t handle the truth, Dad.”

  “Trust me; no one thinks you’re a wallflower. We know if you have a shred of evidence you’d hightail it out of there gung-ho to help.”

  “Of course, I would. Why shouldn’t I? I got Kade out of prison; I could help with this, as well.”

  “Because, Harley, you’re not equipped to deal with these men. The only reason you’re standing here right now, and not floating in the Blackwater somewhere, is because of those boys and you know it.”

  “Fine, you’re right, I’ll be outgunned, but I don’t have to take an active role. I just want to know what’s happening,” I tried to bargain.

  “Forget it. If you knew, you’d still try to help. You can’t help yourself.”

  “Fine, if you won’t tell me, then I’ll ask Prez or Mickey. Maybe they’ll be more reasonable.”

  “It’s not gonna happen, Harley. Those boys are under my orders to keep you out of it.”

  “Your orders?”

  “Yeah. Retired or not, I outrank them all and they’re following my orders. So quit fighting me. Those boys are keeping you safe for me. Now, you will do as they say until this is over and that’s an order from your father. I lost your mother; I will not lose you, too. I wouldn’t survive it.”

  Oh, God, I’m an idiot.

  How could I have forgotten what this would do to him if I were hurt?

  “Daddy,” I whispered, moving towards him.

  “Save it, there’s nothing you can say that will sway my decision. You’re my little girl, do you hear me? Mine! Until the day I die, I’ll protect you. With my last breath if I have to,” he vowed.

  Dad tended to tune me out when he got on a roll, so I waited for him to finish before I spoke.

  “No more chasing bad guys, no more running down the beach with the dogs, and no more jumping in your car because he pissed you off. If you wanna end things with Kade when this is over, that’s your prerogative, but until that time comes, consider him your commander in chief. Now get your ass back to the beach house before I put you over my knee,” he roared.

  Backing up, I put my hands up in surrender.

  “I won’t leave again,” I promised. “I wasn’t thinking about how this would make you feel and I’m so sorry. It just built to a boiling point and I snapped, okay? Maybe if you’d told me in the first place the boys were following your orders, I wouldn’t have been frustrated about the whole thing. But I know now and I won’t argue again. I promise.”

  “It was an error on my part not telling you, I can see that now,” he admitted. “So do me a favor and cut Kade some slack.”

  “I’ll cut him some slack on withholding information, but he’s got to learn he can’t order me around.”

  “Does that mean you’re gonna give him another chance or be your typical stubborn self?”

  “I’m not stubborn,” I lied, which made Dad scoff. “Fine, I’m a little stubborn, but he’s an overbearing caveman with a possessive complex that rivals Christian Grey’s.”

  “Christian who—you know what, never mind, just tell me, are you dumping him without giving him a chance to redeem himself?”

  “No, of course not . . . The funny thing is, I find that I prefer possessive men to laid-back men like Michael, so that doesn’t bother me. Not to mention, I spent half my life dreaming about Kade, so I’m not about to give up over one stupid fight. I just needed space, that’s all. But I’ll warn you now, I’m not wearing a one-piece on the beach just because he can’t handle men looking at me.”

  “It’s a man thing,” Dad shrugged.

  “Oh, please. He can’t walk out the door without women turning their heads, but you don’t see me telling him he can’t leave the house, or dictating what he can wear so women won’t look at him.”

  “That’s what set him off? Some guy was looking at you,” he asked.

  “A few actually . . . But it’s not my fault a wave took me out.”

  “You lost me. What does a wave have to do with this?”

  “I lost my top,” I replied.

  “You lost your top?”

  “Yep.”

  “On the beach?”

  “Yep.”

  “In front of men?”

  “Also, yep.”

  “ . . . No more bikinis,” Dad ordered, pointing his finger at me.

  Before I could even respond to his ridiculous comment though, I heard footsteps on the stairs.

  “That would be Kade,” Dad mumbled when he heard them as well. “He said he would have Prez drop him off and bring you back.”

  Shit.

  I hadn’t had time to prepare myself mentally for another argument. I was wrong for leaving, of course, and I planned to tell him that, but I thought I’d have the ride home to think about what I wanted to say. Bracing myself for his anger, I stayed in the middle of my living room while Dad opened the door.

  “Michael,” Dad said, sounding surprised. “How are you doing, son? Harley, it’s Michael.”

  I exhaled, relieved for the reprieve, and moved to the door, smiling at my ex-husband. At six feet, Michael was on the thin side with blond hair and green eyes. He worked as a rep for a shoe manufacturer and ran daily to keep his body in shape. Thanks to his running and a metabolism set like a squirrel on caffeine, he annoyingly never gained a pound. He hadn’t changed at all since we met almost nine years ago and that was a good thing. He was kind, considerate, and to this day, a good friend.

  “Hey, Mike. What brings you here?” I asked.

  “My car is making a grinding noise and I wanted Harry to look at it, so I brought it in. Davy said you guys were up here,” he replied with a smile, then scanned me from head to toe. “You’re looking good, honey. How’s life treating you?”

  “Life has been interesting,” I chuckled stepping forward to hug him. I was about to let him go, but I froze when I heard footsteps on the stairs. Knowing it had to be Kade, I tried to step back before he reached the top, but Mike took that moment to place a kiss on my forehead before he let me go. Mike and I were only friends. He had a girlfriend that I’d met and liked. However, in that moment, when I looked up and saw Kade’s face as I tried to pull back, I didn’t think he cared.

  Fourteen

  Mike heard Kade as he reached the top step and turned his head. Kade froze in place, crossing his arms and puffing out his chest, no doubt to intimidate Mike. He also didn’t move from the top step blocking his escape.

  “Whoa, you’re a big guy,” Mike mumbled.

  The heat in Kade’s eyes was reminiscent of the fires of Mordor, so Mike caught on quickly that Kade was there for me. He looked back at me, then back at Kade’s face, and released me before asking quietly, “Please tell me he doesn’t belong to you?”

  “That depends,” I whispered back. It depended on how pissed off he was at me after taking off. It depended on whether or not he thought I was more trouble than I was worth. And it depended a little on if he would apologize for being an ass, as well.

  Kade’s attention shifted to me when I answered Mike, but I couldn’t read his expression.

  Not good for Mike or me.

  “Why does he look like he wants to kill me?”

  “He’s a caveman,” I replied. “He likes to punch people.”

  Mike nodded his understanding and quickly stuck out his hand, hoping to defuse the situation.

  “Michael Jordan. Please don’t kill me.”

  Kade looked skeptical, saying nothing at first. Then, after a pregnant pause that left me praying for my ex’s life, he put his own hand into Michael’s and shook it.

  “Kade Kingston. I promise not to kill you,” he answered with twitching lips, “for now.”

  “Well, now that’s everyone introduced,” Dad jumped in breaking the tension that hung in the air. “Michael, what say you and me head d
ownstairs so I can listen to this grinding noise you were talkin’ about?”

  “Harry, I think that’s a brilliant idea,” Mike agreed as he flexed the hand that Kade had shaken and followed my father to the stairs.

  Thankfully, Kade moved to the side to let them pass, so I called out, “Take care, Mike,” as he headed down the steps.

  Mike looked back and gave me a warm smile, then looked at Kade and replied, “I’d say take care of yourself, too, honey, but I don’t think I need to worry anymore,” before heading down the stairs.

  Kade and I waited in silence, assessing each other as Dad and Mike descended. Not one to stand still and wait, I, of course, began to ramble to break the ice and to gauge how much trouble our relationship was in.

  “On a scale of one to ten, how much did it kill you not to punch him?” If he said anything below seven, I knew we were in trouble. I really should have thought twice before I took him down.

  “Fifty,” he answered back between gritted teeth.

  “That’s good to know,” I answered in relief. “Thank you for not punching him.”

  “I’ll survive.” He shrugged, taking a step towards me. “The day’s not over yet and the way D keeps running off at the mouth, I can take out my aggression on him.”

  “Again?” I questioned taking my own step forward.

  “He compared your breasts to firm melons.”

  I had to bite my lips to keep from laughing. Mickey definitely was an idiot.

  “That man has foot-in-mouth disease.”

  “He’s gonna have foot-up-his-ass disease if he keeps it up,” Kade vowed, taking the final step and reaching up to run his thumb across my mouth. “I’m an ass,” he muttered low, then raised his other hand to cup my face.

  “Sometimes,” I answered truthfully. “But in this case, it seems I overreacted. I’m sorry, Kade. I’m just frustrated with the whole situation and I took it out on you.”

  “We both did,” he replied, leaning his forehead against mine. “I’m frustrated we can’t find this guy and it’s seeping into every aspect of my life. I need him found to find closure and to move forward, but more than anything, I need to find him so I can protect you.”

  “You’ll find him, I know you will. Karma’s a bitch and she likes a hot guy as much as the next woman. She’ll come through for you.”

  Kade chuckled, drawing me into his arms.

  “Did I hurt you when I swept your legs?”

  Kade grinned.

  “I was surprised how easy it was.”

  He grinned larger.

  “Maybe you should wear pads or something when we train. I don’t want to hurt you.”

  He bit his lips to keep from laughing.

  “What?”

  “Babe . . . I let you.”

  “Uh, no, you didn’t.”

  “If you’d been a man I’d have knocked you on your ass before you had a chance to knock me to the ground. But I won’t put my hands on you in anger, so I let you.”

  “So I didn’t execute a perfect sweep?”

  “Are you ready to go home?” he asked, ignoring my question.

  “Did I or didn’t I?” I pushed.

  “Thirteen,” he answered oddly.

  “Thirteen? Is that like on a scale of one to ten my technique scored a thirteen?”

  “You have thirteen flecks of gold in your eyes.”

  “What? You’ve lost me. I thought we were talking about how skilled I was in hand to hand combat.”

  “I’m trying to avoid a fight.”

  “Whatever, I know I took you down correctly.”

  “You have thirteen flecks of gold in your eyes. I’ve counted every one of them more than once.”

  “You have?” I breathed out. Then I narrowed my eyes. No man was this hot and this amazing.

  “The one on the right has the largest fleck; it shimmers in the sun like gold.”

  Sure it does.

  “Wow, I must really be bad if you’re resorting to likening my eyes to gold.” I sighed. “Very smooth, Kingston.”

  “Is it working?”

  “Oh, yeah,” I grinned. “So I’m that bad, huh?”

  “Good enough to practice with D.”

  “I thought you wanted me to stay away from him?”

  “You have my permission to practice dropping him to the floor and kicking him in the balls whenever you want.” He grinned. “Now, are you ready to go or do you want to practice your takedown here in your bedroom?”

  Tempting, but not with my father and ex-husband downstairs.

  “That depends.” I sighed dramatically.

  “On?”

  “Can you be reasonable?”

  “I can do reasonable.”

  “All right . . . Does the bed have to be perfectly made by oh eight hundred or can we split the difference and say ten at the latest?”

  Kade rolled his lips between his teeth, but his eyes told the truth. He was trying to keep from laughing.

  “Fine,” he finally answered.

  “How about washing the dishes as soon as we’re done eating? Can I soak them for a bit so they’re easier to wash?”

  “No.”

  “No, they have to be washed ASAP or no, they don’t have to be washed immediately?”

  “You can wash them when you’re ready,” he chuckled.

  “What about forced to stay inside twenty-four seven? Am I allowed on the beach?”

  “Yeah,” he answered, but that one came out in a strangled voice.

  “Can I wear a bikini?”

  “No,” he returned without hesitation.

  “Well, that was a short-lived reconciliation,” I teased.

  Kade tilted his head back and looked to the sky for answers. Not finding divine intervention, he looked down at me, sighed with resignation, then leaned in, and nipped my bottom lip before grudgingly answering, “Fine.”

  “That wasn’t so hard now, was it?”

  “Excruciating.”

  “I’ll make it up to you,” I purred, wiggling my eyebrows.

  “Keep talking.”

  “Hmm, wanna go skinny dipping in the moonlight?”

  Kade’s mouth pulled into a slow, sexy grin and he whispered, “As you wish,” before lowering his head as if to kiss me, holding my eyes with his as he inched closer. Without warning though, he bent at the waist, put a shoulder to my stomach, and pitched me up and over, locking my legs with his arm.

  “Kade, the dogs . . . and my bag,” I cried when he tried to go down the stairs. He turned around, walked into my apartment, and grabbed my bag without putting me down. Then he whistled for Buttercup and Buck to follow. They rushed down the stairs in front of us as Kade continued to carry me.

  “I can walk, you know.”

  “We cavemen like to carry our women,” he answered with a whack from his strong hand to my ass.

  “You’re crazy,” I yelped.

  He didn’t put me down until we were next to my Jeep, but not before Dad and Michael had turned and gawked. The dogs were bouncing around our feet, waiting to for us to load them. I started to turn to open the Jeep door, but Kade hooked me around the back of the neck, crushed me to his chest, fisted his hand in my hair and tugged, kissing the bejeezus out of me. When he broke from my lips, I stumbled backward and stared, blinking rapidly until I recovered. Kade’s face turned smug when he took in my dazzled face and he winked. Then he turned, jerked his chin at Michael, and grunted, “Later,” before loading the dogs. Ha, I knew he wouldn’t be able to resist asserting his “she’s mine” towards Michael. The only thing missing from that message was Kade pounding his chest and a club. Total caveman. At least he was making progress though; he didn’t punch Michael for calling me “honey.”

  ***

  “Harley,” I heard Bette shout from inside the house.

  “On the deck.”

  I was lounging outside, catching some sun, while Kyle studied in his room. Kade was off doing who knows what, and I’d finished my work for the d
ay. That left me with time on my hands and nothing to do, per usual, but at least now that I knew it was for my father’s benefit, I didn’t feel so frustrated about being left out.

  “Life of luxury,” Bette said as she plopped down onto the lounger next to mine.

  “It’s overrated. I’m sick and tired of just sitting and doing nothing.”

  “Really? Then why am I busting my ass trying to become a famous tattoo artist if doing nothing when you’re rich enough to do nothing is a fuckin’ bore?”

  “Notoriety?”

  “I thought it was for the hot men I meet?”

  “There’s that,” I answered, throwing my magazine on the deck.

  Bette scanned the beach as she leaned back and propped her feet up. “There are worse places to be held prisoner.”

  “This is true. I could be in The Pit of Despair.”

  “The pit of what?”

  “The Pit of Despair. You know, the Albino held Westley there.”

  “Are we talking reality or fiction?”

  “We’re talking The Princess Bride, so fiction.”

  Bette smiled. “You know you’re very Edgar Allen Poe these days.”

  “No, I’m more Etta James Stormy Weather these days. I hate this limbo. Kade can’t move forward and I can’t leave. Something has to give soon or I’ll go on a shooting rampage at Consolidated until the bastard shows his face.”

  “Speaking of moving forward, has Kade decided what he’s going to do once all of this is over?”

  “He has actually. After what he went through, he wants to apply to the police academy.”

  “So, he’s gonna trade in one uniform for another?”

  “He is, that’s why we need all of this settled. Having the real killer behind bars will help with his application to the academy. As Dad said, he’s been exonerated, but there will be some who will still see a guilty man until those at fault are caught. His life is on hold until we find this guy.”

  Bette became quiet, her eyes unfocused. Buck crawled up on her lounger and she ran her fingers through his coat as she appeared to contemplate the meaning of life.