“Yes, I am. I was invited and I’m going.”
He shook his head angrily, almost like he was panicking. “You can’t go. I won’t let you.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “You don’t have a say in it. I’m not your girlfriend, remember? Actually, according to you, I have no place in your life. So you can go tell someone else what they’re going to do.”
I ripped my arm out of his grasp and yanked the door open. Before the door swung shut again, I glanced back to see something like sadness filling his face.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Cazzo
I had been at it for hours, beating the shit out of the bags, running the track around the gym, lifting weights, basically doing anything to work out all my frustrations. I just couldn’t seem to tire. That was only part of the problem though. I had a lot of shit running through my head right now, and if I went home to Vanessa, she would see it. And she would want to know what was going on. I couldn’t tell her, though. All of this shit with her dad needed to stay in the past for her. She had moved on and very rarely actually talked about her life before me.
“You’re gonna tear that bag apart if you keep beating on it like that,” Chris drawled from behind me. I ignored him and kept going. I wasn’t tired enough to stop. But then Chris stepped behind the bag and held it tight.
“What do you want?”
His eyebrows shot up at the hostility in my voice. “Just came to see what had you so worked up.”
“Why do you say that?” I asked before hitting the bag again.
“You’ve been down here for hours. Everyone else left an hour ago. So, I guess I’m wondering why you’re trying to kill yourself tonight.”
“I’m just still wired.”
“Uh-huh. This wouldn’t have anything to do with Adams, would it?”
“So what if it does.”
“I’m just saying, maybe this isn’t a road you want to go down.”
I stopped and grabbed the bag as it swung toward me and glared at Chris. “What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”
“Look, I know you’ve been doing great for years. No one would question that. But this is different. This is all the shit that led to some very bad decisions.”
“Are you saying you don’t fucking trust me?” I spat. What a fucking joke. I had proven myself. I had worked my ass off to get back to where I was before I met Vanessa. I worked shit out, and I was on track. I hadn’t once faltered, not even for a second. And now he was here, telling me that he thought going after Adams was a bad idea.
“Of course I trust you,” he said fiercely. “But I was there. It wasn’t just you that fucked up. My whole team was responsible, and that’s something that still fucking eats at me. She was our responsibility, not yours. And she almost died on that boat because of our bad decisions. I still fucking see her laying on the boat. Her lips were blue and her skin was gray. She had no fucking life left to her. It’s a fucking miracle that she survived that.”
“Don’t you think I fucking know that? I’m the one that had to deal with the fallout of that.”
“I know,” he said quietly. “And that’s what I’m worried about. I do trust you. I just don’t ever want to have to go through that again. Cazzo, you almost killed yourself. And I know it was at a low point and you were fucking out of your mind, but it was scary as hell to walk in on that. If I had been just a second later, you’d be gone and it would have been for nothing.”
“Look, I understand, I really do. But that was years ago. I’m fine. The only thing I want right now is to put Adams in the ground. I don’t ever want Vanessa anywhere near him again.”
“But we can handle that. You don’t have to go near this.”
“Would that have been enough for you?”
“What are you talking about?”
“With Ali. You fucked up when you were a kid. You walked away and left her to Slasher. You didn’t fucking know that would happen, but it did.” His fists clenched at his sides in anger. Fuck, I wasn’t trying to throw shit in his face, but he brought it up. “Are you telling me that you would have sat things out and let us take out the Night Kings and the Blood Devils?”
“No,” he said after a minute.
“So don’t fucking ask me to do it either. I’m going, and I’m not gonna fucking fall apart. I’m not the same man I was back then, so don’t you dare come to me and act like I’m gonna fucking fall apart. I’ve got this.”
He gave a curt nod and headed for the door.
“That’s it? You come in here and talk shit to me and then you fucking leave?” I shouted.
He turned with a lazy grin. “Just wanted to hear you say it.”
Son of a bitch.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Alec
I watched Reid training with Chris. He seemed to be someone that Reid felt comfortable around. And while I wished it was me that he wanted to talk to, I knew that Chris would be able to help. Chris knew what it was like to grow up in a shitty situation. He knew what Reid was going through, and hopefully, he could help him to move on.
Florrie and I knew exactly what we were getting ourselves into. He wasn’t our kid, but he was someone that we could help and make him feel wanted. I was sure that was something he was lacking at home.
We still didn’t know exactly who this kid was. He refused to tell us his last name or anything about his family, and that was beginning to worry me. Usually when someone didn’t want anything about themselves revealed, it was either because they were terrified or there was something bad or it was dangerous to reveal that information. Rob had been digging into missing persons cases, trying to find a match, but there was nothing matching Reid’s description. It was time to take him aside and get shit straightened out.
Chris caught my eye and I jerked my head, letting him know I needed Reid. He finished up with him a few minutes later, and then Reid made his way over to me.
“You’re looking good out there.”
“He’s a good teacher,” he said, not really letting any emotion in his voice. The kid had walls a mile high, not letting any of us in on what he was feeling. Those first two days he was with us was the most he had ever shown us his fear. Since then, he shut down and pretty much ignored anyone.
“We need to talk.”
Reid’s eyes darkened and his whole body stiffened. He gave a jerky nod and grabbed his bag, then followed me to our suite. We sat down in the living room, Reid so jittery that his leg was bouncing out of control.
“Reid, I know you don’t want to talk about this-”
“I’m not saying anything, so you can save your breath.”
I raised an eyebrow in surprise. I shouldn’t have been surprised at his outburst, but I was.
“Reid, I need to know who you are. I can protect you if I know who you’re running from.”
“I told you already.”
“No, you told me it was your step-father. I need a name.”
“Well, you’re not getting one, so you might as well tell me to leave.”
“Leave? Why would I tell you to leave?”
“Isn’t that the way this works? If I don’t do what you say, I have to leave?”
I sighed, shaking my head in frustration. This kid really did think the worst of everyone. And I couldn’t blame him. I couldn’t get over the feeling that things had been very bad for him.
“The way this works is that you tell me who your step-father is so I can beat the shit out of him.”
“You can’t!” He looked panicked, and for a moment, I thought he might slip up and reveal some valuable piece of information. He stood and looked at me, almost pleading with me to stop bothering him. “You have no idea what you’re asking. You have no idea how powerful he is!”
“Reid, we can all protect you. Florrie and I would never make you leave for any reason. We just want to help you. And I know that you have your doubts about what we can do, but I’m telling you that we are willing to go up against anyone that is hurting you.�
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“You don’t know what you’re saying,” he said shakily.
I looked at him, trying to figure out who this kid could belong to that he would think we wouldn’t be able to fight back.
“Kid, this isn’t our first time going up against some very dangerous people. I promise you, I will do whatever it takes to make sure that you’re safe.”
I could tell that he was at war with himself, but I felt like he was so close to the tipping point. I could see it in his eyes that he didn’t want this burden anymore. I had to give him something that would let him know that we were one hundred percent behind him.
“Reid, I swear to you, there’s no way that anyone can get in here. This place is tighter than Fort Knox. And we know because we’ve been attacked twice. After the last time, we didn’t take any chances. This place is impenetrable. There are machine guns out front and cameras set up for miles in every direction to let us know when someone’s approaching. We monitor the airways. Reid, you live in a fucking panic room. You are safer here than anywhere else. And when you tell us who your father is, we’ll be smart about it. If he’s powerful, we’ll get everything we can on him and make sure that he never comes after you again. Please, trust us.”
The panic in his eyes receded some and the pacing had stopped. I sat on the edge of my seat, waiting for him to tell me exactly who his step-father was. I watched as his throat bobbed up and down, and practically shouted in relief when he gave a slight nod.
“Senator Brantley,” he whispered.
“Senator-” I sat in shock. That was his step-father? I knew the man was slick, but I had no idea that he was deranged. He put on a good front for the public, but we all knew that he was good at getting what he wanted. Except what he wanted right now was Reid. And there was no fucking way that was happening if he was beating the shit out of him.
“Senator Brantley is your step-father.”
Reid nodded and sat down. “He married my mom when I was a kid. He wasn’t like this when he was dating my mom, but then they got married and he wanted her to act a certain way and dress a certain way. Things just changed.”
“When did he start beating you?”
He shrugged. “Not long after. Mom raised me on my own when my dad died. I guess she was too loving. George said that she was raising me to be a pussy. He said that I needed to be trained to behave right.”
“And your mom didn’t stop him?” I asked incredulously.
“She was…messed up. When my dad died, I think she just didn’t want to be alone. When George married her, I think she was relieved that she didn’t have to do it alone.”
“But you said she was loving. Why did she allow him to do that?”
He sat there for a moment and just shook his head sadly. “I don’t know,” he finally said quietly.
I reached forward, gripping his hand. “I’ve got this.”
His eyes held a slight sheen to them, but I pretended not to notice. This kid was determined to keep his distance, but I was more determined, and I would make sure this kid was free from his asshole step-father. Senator or not.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Knight
“I’ve put cameras in position all throughout this area,” I said, pointing to the map showing the woods surrounding the lodge that Chance was having his wedding at. “I’ve also planned for an escape route for the ladies. The lodge is only about three hours from here, so we should be able to get them out and to safety in no time. But as requested, there’s a safe house set up just twenty minutes from the lodge.”
Coop nodded. “If you can get your hands on a helicopter, I could fly the ladies out.”
“You fly?” I asked in shock. “How the fuck is it that you’ve worked with us for a year and none of us knew that?”
“I knew,” Cap grinned.
“Thanks for sharing,” I snapped. I hated when information was withheld. I should have checked him out like I did everyone else, but I was starting to get a little too complacent here. I assumed that if Cap did the background, that was good enough. After all, he never brought anyone bad in before. And Coop had the skills to work with us, so I hadn’t thought anything about it.
“It doesn’t really matter, does it?” Cap said, but I knew he was fucking laughing inside. He liked that he knew something I didn’t. And that just pissed me off.
“Anyway,” I bit out, “Everything’s in place. If Adams makes a move, we’ll be one hundred percent prepared for him. I think we have a very good chance of keeping this limited to the outer perimeter of the property.”
“Good,” Cap nodded. “We don’t need any more problems. We’ve had enough shit to deal with over the last few years. Let’s get this taken care of, cleaned up, and move on with life.”
“There’s just one more issue that could be a potential problem.”
“What’s that?” Cap asked.
“The lodge is a historical building. There are no sprinklers in case of a fire.”
Cap shook his head. “No, they would have updated the lodge.”
I shook my head. “They never did.”
“Right,” Cap nodded. “So, don’t set the building on fire.”
“Not if you want to live,” I quipped.
I folded up the map and gathered the rest of the documents I had laid out for Coop and Cap to see. I was just about to leave when Coop said something that captured my interest.
“Becky says she’s going to be there. I need you to make sure that she stays behind.”
“I can’t do that,” Cap said. “You know that I can’t tell her what’s going on. What reason am I supposed to give to make her stay away?”
“None,” I cut in. “I actually think she should be there. As much as I want to be pulling all the strings, I also need someone to watch the feed for me and make sure we aren’t ambushed.”
“Anyone can do that,” Coop insisted.
“But Becky has other skills that are very useful.”
“What about Rob?” Cap suggested.
“He can’t be there. Family obligations.”
Coop looked like he wanted to punch me. I turned a cold glare on him. I wasn’t backing down on this. I needed the best for this job, to make sure that everyone went home to their families.
“Fine,” Coop bit out before he stomped out of the room.
Cap shook his head. “Why do you always have to do that shit?”
“You mean make sound and logical decisions that will keep everyone safe?”
“I mean being an asshole about it. You know he likes her.”
“Yet he hasn’t made a move,” I pointed out. “Besides, I’m not in the business of making sure that his love life is on the right track. I have a job to do and I take it seriously.”
Alec knocked on the door and shut it as he walked into the room. “I found out who Reid’s step-father is.”
“I’ll leave you to it,” I said, heading for the door. But then Alec spoke and I stopped in my tracks.
“Senator Brantley.”
I spun around so fast I almost dropped my papers on the ground. “Brantley?” I asked, trying to hold my rage inside.
“Yeah, you know him?” Alec asked.
I calmed myself, not wanting to give away the anger I held for that man. I shrugged like it was no big deal. “That fucker is an asshole. I’ve come across him a time or two. I’ve never dealt with him personally, but let’s just say he was in the room. He’s a sick fuck.”
I didn’t want to let on that I knew Brantley more than as just a sleazy Senator. Cap would stop me right away if he caught on to how much I knew the Senator. How much I had been watching him, waiting for him to fuck up. To go just a step too far. And now he had.
“What do you want to do?” Cap asked.
“Blackmail him,” Alec answered.
I stood there as if I didn’t care, but internally, I was already calculating, making my next moves in my head. I knew where he lived and I knew exactly what I would do when I got to him. I focu
sed back on what Alec was saying.
“I just need something that will make the senator back off.”
“I can have Rob look into it. We’ll let you know when we find something.”
I moved toward the door, already planning on what weapons I would bring with me and how I would break into the Senator’s house. I had seen it many times before. I had cased the place so many times that every hill was burned into my mind. The property was gated and the house was set back off the road about a quarter of a mile. There was a guard house outside the front gate, so that way was out of the question. I needed to get over there right away and check to see if his security was the same. I hadn’t been there in over two years, too preoccupied with issues at Reed Security. But the time for putting this off had come and gone.
After putting away all the paperwork I had brought to Cap’s office, I grabbed my bag and got on my motorcycle, heading out of town. It was a good hour to his house, located on the eastern side of Pittsburgh in Edgewood. I was so consumed with my need to get to his house and scope it out that I didn’t even consider calling Kate. When I pulled up to a gas station in Pittsburgh, I used the opportunity to call Hunter.
“Hud, what’s up?”
“Pappy, I need you to do me a favor.”
“I don’t like the sound of that,” he said warily.
“Watch over Kate for me. I’ll be a few days.”
“Doing what?”
“Just make sure that she’s taken care of.”
“Hud, I don’t like the sound of this. The last time you asked me to take care of her, you disappeared for a fucking year.”
“It won’t be that long. Most likely,” I said grimly.
“Hud, what about all this shit with Adams? You can’t just fucking disappear on us. You planned this out. We need you.”
“Cap and Lola have been told everything. Hell, Lola helped plan it. If I don’t make it back, she’ll know what to do.”
“What the fuck do you mean, if you don’t make it back? What the fuck are you doing?”
A Mad Reed Security Christmas Page 11