Shrouded in Blackness

by Karlsson, Norma Jeanne

  “Who was that huge blond guy at The Castle today?” I ask Owen before looking back to Jack.

  “Alex Vetrov. He’s the guy Kieran’s fightin’ tonight.”

  “What?!” I hiss under my breath. That guy looked barely twenty years old and is a good four inches taller and forty pounds heavier than Kieran.

  “Tell me about it. I never got the full story, but Kieran’s makin’ some kinda move with the Russians.”

  “Jack, how do you know that man?” I ask quietly with the slightest edge to my voice.

  “He saved me from the bad man. I was all alone and then the angel came in and took me away. He told me he’d never let the bad man get me again, but I never saw him after that. That’s how I figured out he was an angel,” Jack explains quietly.

  “Wow,” I whisper, not having any other words in this moment.

  “You think Daddy needs my angel right now?”

  “I don’t know, Baby.” I glance up at Owen who seems to be putting pieces together faster than I am.

  “You wanna go see Grandma and Grandpa?” I ask, changing the subject. I need a minute to process this.

  “Yeah!” Jack exclaims, jumping up from the table.

  “I’ll follow you,” Owen grumbles in my hair.

  Once I have the kids loaded into the SUV I call Clare, who happily agrees to take the kids. She can tell something is wrong but doesn’t push me for answers. Rick is away on a “job” so she’ll be alone with the kids. That makes me nervous until we pull up in front of her house and I spot two of the Dílseacht Crew sitting in a car.

  “Why’re they here?” I whisper to Owen as he pulls Ash’s car seat out of the SUV.

  “I called ’em. Need to be sure you and the kids are okay.”

  “I’m goin’ back with you.”

  He nods and scoops Jack out of his seat. Clare meets us at the door, offering me a sad smile. A mother always knows. Owen takes the kids in the house as Clare wraps me in a tight hug.

  “You stay here tonight,” she whispers in my hair. “We’ll eat chocolate and watch movies.”

  I almost crumble at the loving gesture. Maybe I’m not alone in this world after all. Owen’s here to support me, just me. He’s not here to do Kieran’s bidding. Now Clare is holding me to her chest like my mother used to hold me when I was sad. These people love me. I know Connor and Ian love me too.

  Instead of letting this epiphany turn me into a puddle on the porch, I let it steel me. I need to get to Kieran. I don’t know what kind of deal he’s struck, but if he’s fighting the man that saved Jack, something is wrong.

  “I’ll be back in a bit. Keep the chocolate ready for me,” I say through a small smile, squeezing her one more time. She crushes me a little harder before letting me go.

  As she enters the house I kiss Jack and Ashling, telling them each I love them before running back to the SUV. There’s a feeling of dread creeping up my spine as I speed toward The Castle. What if Kieran doesn’t know Alex saved Jack? What kind of game are the Russians playing? Why do I think I can do anything to help?

  I screech the SUV to a halt in the middle of the street and tear into The Castle. I’m struck by the roar of the crowd pulsing with energy around the ring. I weave and slice through the mass of people, using my small size to my advantage. The sweat and blood wafting through the room makes my stomach churn as I can hear fists slapping against skin.

  I break through the crowd stopping at the edge of the ring. The canvas is stained red, marked with swirls and footprints. Alex and Kieran are trading blows in the middle of the ring. They look tired. I can’t tell which is bleeding from where, but they’re both drenched in blood.

  Alex pushes Kieran back, landing two quick hits, one to the ribs and the last to the jaw. Kieran’s legs go out from beneath him and he falls. He’s not getting up. His body is going slack as Alex returns to his corner. I look into my son’s angel’s eyes. They’re willing Kieran to get back up. The pain and intensity marring his face spurs me into action.

  I move to the ring and slam my palm as hard as I can against the canvas.

  Kieran’s eyes flutter open and lock on mine. The man standing next to the bell is counting down, readying to end the fight. The Russians are screaming in jubilation. This is about more than a fight. I don’t know Russian, but this is an effort to end Kieran. I know the posture, the tone, the venom…it’s the same feeling I had when the O’Boyle Brothers taunted my father. Only tonight, I’m not hiding.

  “Fight!” I scream over the thundering crowd.

  Slowly, Kieran drags his hips off the canvas, his arms shaking as he pushes himself up on all fours. He sprays a mouthful of blood, speckling his hands. As he hauls himself to his feet, Alex charges at him from his corner. Kieran closes his eyes, waiting for the impact. He looks beaten and broken until his murky blues spring open. There’s the fight.

  Alex swings wildly at Kieran’s head. Kieran ducks, taps Alex lightly in the shoulder with his right fist before driving his left fist into the side of his face. Alex’s head snaps violently from the impact, blood and sweat misting the air. His body goes limp as he topples to the canvas unconscious. The crowd roars to a deafening level, muting the sound of the bell dinging. Kieran wins.

  Before I can make eye contact with him, discontent rages in the room and fights begin to break out around me in the crowd. I’m jostled a few times, wishing I’d grabbed my knife before running in here. Strong arms scoop me off the floor and I recognize Owen before I start to struggle. He cradles me to his chest, moving us through the fists and fury.

  I’m suddenly sprawled on the floor beneath Owen before he scrambles off me. As he gets to his feet, he keeps me guarded behind his massive frame as he wails on the guy I’m assuming attacked him from behind. I remain as close to Owen as I can without getting in his way as he beats the man ferociously.

  As the mêlée continues, I search for Ian or Connor, but neither of them is anywhere to be seen. Not that I can see much from my low stature in a room full of mostly men brawling like teenagers. From the corner of my eye I spot a woman around my age being screamed at by two of the Russians that were celebrating when they thought Alex had won. She looks terrified.

  The fight taking place next to me catches my attention as Owen arches his neck and connects his forehead with the man’s he’s fighting, knocking him clean out. When he’s satisfied his opponent isn’t getting back up, he turns to me, shrugging his shoulders. Fighters.

  I roll my eyes at his nonchalance with a smirk on my lips. He smirks back, nodding toward the door. I move ahead of him as he holds his arms on either side of me, clearing a path. Once we’re outside, I find the SUV still running in the middle of the street with a few people standing around staring at it.

  Owen ushers me to the passenger’s side before climbing in and driving us away. The back door bursts open.

  “Drive!” a woman screams.

  I rotate in my seat to find the woman the Russians were yelling at. Her face is red with fury and chest is heaving in panic.

  “Shit,” Owen mutters.

  I look over at him to see him training his eyes on the door where the Russians are running at the SUV.

  Owen slams on the accelerator, burning rubber down the street.

  “Thank you so much,” she breathes out raggedly.

  “Where to?” Owen barks.

  I cut my eyes at him, but he doesn’t say anything or even act like I’m not giving him the stink eye.

  “Are you okay? Did they hurt you?” I ask softly, turning in my seat to get a good look at her.

  She’s got chunky bangs and thick platinum blonde hair that hangs just past her shoulders, stick straight. Hazel eyes are peering at me from beneath her fringe. There’s a small spot of blood peeking from the corner of her wide mouth.

  “Here,” I say, offering her a napkin from the console.

  “Thanks,” she replies, dabbing at her wound.

  “I’m Quinn and this is Owen. Can we take you somewhere
safe?”

  “I’m Sofia. Thank you guys so much for gettin’ me outta there.”

  “No problem,” Owen snorts. He’s such a dick sometimes.

  “I guess I could go wait at my brother’s apartment, but I doubt he’ll be there anytime soon,” Sofia says, looking out the window, her nose scrunched in thought.

  “Will it be safe at your brother’s? Do those men know where he lives?” I ask quietly, trying to remove the tension Owen’s oaf-like behavior has created.

  “Yeah,” she snorts “they know where he lives. They bought it for him.”

  Owen slams on the breaks in the middle of the street and spins in his seat to glare at Sofia.

  “Owen!” I protest again getting ignored.

  Sofia’s eyes are bugging out at his behavior and his aggressive demeanor.

  “Who the fuck are you? If you jumped in this car to start some shit you’ve just fucked up,” he growls.

  My stomach flips at his suggestion. If she’s here to relay information about me to the Russians, she definitely picked the wrong girl to fuck with. I pick up my bag from the floorboard and palm my knife.

  “I’m Sofia Vetrova. My brother’s Alex Vetrov. Our ‘family’ is pissed he lost the fight. They think he lost on purpose. They grabbed me as leverage or something before the fight. When I tried to get outta their hold, Uri backhanded me. I kicked him in the nuts and ran. I ran straight into this SUV. I don’t know who you are or why you’re nervous about me. I’m not tryin’ to do anything other than get away from them. Alex promised he’d get me away from them,” she finishes in a whisper.

  Owen and I stare her down for a few moments after she’s done explaining. There’s not a hint of a lie in her body language or her pretty face.

  “Should we take her back to The Castle?” I ask, turning my attention back to Owen.

  He huffs and turns around in his seat, driving off without responding. We sit in silence a long time as Owen thinks through everything. We’re basically going around the streets in circles. I’ve learned with these guys not to push in these moments. So I wait.

  “Can’t go back to The Castle now,” he finally grumbles.

  “Well I’m not takin’ her back into Russian territory, Owen. Where do you suggest we go?”

  “Your place.”

  “No,” I growl. I’m not going back there tonight. I don’t care if I went to the fight and had a moment with Kieran. I’m loyal to him. I always will be after everything we’ve been through. But I’ll be damned if I walk back into his house after the shit he pulled today.

  “Clare’s?” I suggest in a kind tone.

  “No,” he barks.

  “Runnin’ outta options. As you know, I’m not a social butterfly,” I scoff.

  “I’ll go to a hotel,” Sofia speaks up. “Shit! I don’t have my bag.”

  “It’s probably better that way. I can check you in so you can’t be tracked,” I say, thinking back to my invisible days.

  “I don’t have any money and I’m in this damn dress,” she grumbles.

  She’s wearing a slinky black long sleeved jersey dress with a high neck. The neck opens almost all the way to the edge of her shoulders giving the slightest peek at her golden skin. It’s also really freaking short, maybe to her mid-thigh. Her feet are covered in high, silver stilettos that make my feet hurt just thinking about them.

  “I think you look nice,” I compliment her. She offers me a slight smile, almost embarrassed. “I’ve got cash. Don’t worry about it.”

  “I can’t let you do that for me. I’ll be fine. Just take me to Alex’s place.” She says the words, but there’s little-to-no conviction behind them.

  “No way. They’ll look for you there and you said your brother won’t be there. If you’re worried about the money, you can pay me back. Let’s just get you somewhere safe tonight,” I insist.

  “Thank you, Quinn,” Sofia relents.

  “Take her to the Downtown Hilton. They won’t look for her there,” I say to Owen who’s rivaling Ian’s perma-scowl.

  His phone keeps buzzing in his pocket, but he’s made no move to answer it. Owen’s livid at Kieran so I’m guessing that’s whose calls he’s ignoring. That won’t go over well.

  “You should answer it,” I murmur.

  “No,” he grunts.

  I leave it at that. I’m not his mother. Honestly, I don’t want him to talk to Kieran while I’m around. Kieran’s probably freaking out, though, so I made the suggestion…that’s enough for me.

  The silence in the car is tense, only more punctuated by the continuous hum of Kieran’s request to be answered.

  Kieran

  “God-fucking-damn it!” I roar, launching my phone across my office. It hits the leather couch with a thud, saving it from my wrath.

  “He’s not answerin’ me, either,” Connor grunts.

  “You’re positive he left with Quinn?” I growl.

  “Yeah, boss.”

  “Why the fuck are they at the Downtown Hilton?!” I’m seething, irrational, exhausted, adrenalized and just about every other emotion you can imagine that resembles pissed off.

  I had lost, given the fuck up. Then she was there, screaming at me to fight. I thought I was hallucinating at first until her icy blue eyes cut through to my soul. That was all it took. I dragged my sorry old ass up and ended the fight. I won. So why do I feel like I lost everything with that win?

  The Russians were scheming, as usual. The Castle broke into an all-out shit show as soon as Alex hit the canvas. Ian and Connor forced me to stay put in my corner until my men shut everything down. I never saw Quinn again.

  Alex has been downstairs in a therapy room getting worked on by a doctor for the last half hour. I got the same treatment. Stitches and bandages galore, I look like hammered shit.

  My office door flies open and Alex barrels through the door, looking about as happy as me.

  “Sofia,” he growls.

  “Nah, man. I’m Kieran. Must’ve fucked you up somethin’ fierce if you think I’m a chick,” I snark.

  “My sister. She’s fuckin’ gone. I had her layin’ low until after the fight so I could take her with me. Right before the fight I see Uri Pavlenko walk in with her all dressed up. No one’s seen her since the fight!” Alex roars.

  “You didn’t mention a sister before,” Connor interjects suspiciously.

  “Yeah. Havin’ people that are important to you makes you vulnerable. I’m not stupid.”

  “Call your fuckin’ brother again. He doesn’t answer we’re takin’ a field trip,” I instruct slowly, standing up pathetically from my chair. I’m too old for this shit.

  “You stupid motherfucker!” Connor snarls into his phone. “Yeah? Well next time, answer a fuckin’ call or better yet, fuckin’ tell me what you’re doin’!”

  There’s a long silence while Owen does his own roaring. I can’t make out his words, but I gather he’s pretty pissed off. I’m also aware that he’s filling Connor in on what I did to Quinn when his gaze pins me where I stand, a promise of uncompromising pain in the near future.

  “What room?” he grunts, never leaving my gaze. I would attempt to glare back, but my face can barely move, it’s so swollen. So I take the eye-murder and wait.

  “Don’t leave! We’ll be there.”

  Connor hangs up and stalks to an inch in front of my face.

  “If Alex didn’t just beat your ass I would fuckin’ end you right now!” he roars.

  He stands in front of me shaking until he can’t take the tension of being in the same room with me anymore. As he prowls from the room, he stops next to Alex.

  “My brother has your sister. Let’s go,” he growls.

  I move to follow Connor when he holds his arm out in protest.

  “You’re not comin’.”

  “The fuck I’m not,” I bark, finding the end of my rope with his shit.

  “You’re not fuckin’ comin’. She doesn’t wanna see you. Owen’s strugglin’ to keep her at
the hotel as it is. You show up and Quinn’s gone. You’ve fucked up good this time. If she takes the kids and leaves, I’m done. I’ll follow her around and make sure she’s safe until she’s old and grey. I can’t fuckin’ believe you,” he says with disgust before leaving me in my office alone in a timeout like a damn toddler.

  I sit in timeout for about five minutes before I climb into my Camaro and head for the hotel. I don’t give a shit if she wants to see me. I need eyes on her. I need to know she’s okay. This shit with Alex was just an excuse for the Russians to start a war and they’ll use any means necessary to get to me. Quinn and the kids are the only things they can use.

  The kids are at my parents’ with four men guarding the house so I know they’re good. Quinn is with Owen, but I’m guessing she’ll take off as soon as Connor and Alex show up. She can’t be alone right now. This all sounds well and good, but it’s a load of bullshit. Owen and Connor will keep her safe and, because of that, she’s in no real danger. I just have to see her for my own selfish reasons.

  When I get to reception, I realize my usual charm isn’t going to work on the woman at the desk. I look like shit smeared on crap crackers. Money’s the name of my game. I find a bellhop who willingly gives me the room number. It’s scary what two hundred bucks can buy you.

  When I step in front of the door, I turn into a bucket of nerves. I haven’t really thought this through. Connor may have reined it in with me, but I doubt Owen will. I can’t fight him tonight, not after the beating Alex handed me. I’m so exhausted I can barely stand upright, so I lean against the doorframe and lightly rap.

  “Who is it?” Owen growls in a deep, menacing voice.

  “Housekeeping,” I snark back.

  There’s a commotion on the other side of the door before it opens, Alex staring at me with wide eyes. I ease past him into the suite to find Connor restraining Owen against the far wall while Quinn and Sofia—that must be her—sit next to each other on a couch holding hands. Sofia looks nervous while Quinn looks defeated. I was hoping for pissed or hurt or something other than the look on her face right now.