Feel free to call me at home, on my cell or just stop by my house. I don’t expect this to last more than a week. If it does, we’ll find a different way to deal with it. I am willing to hide out for a short time, but more than a week and my family will start driving me crazy. Oh, and the pre-meeting is still on for Friday, but the location has been moved. Everyone who is working the concert, is expected at my house no later than three p.m. Expect to stand because I don’t have room for you, I don’t even have room for the people that are staying there now.” I waited for them to stop laughing.
“If you have any questions or concerns, call me, email me, take it up with Jacob, Zeke, Anthony or Sebastian. I can’t guarantee that they will be addressed, it depends on whether they let me get kidnapped again or not.” I smiled, along with a few others. Only those named didn’t smile.
“But I’ll make every effort. And we are still planning the fall picnic, but we are moving it back to the first weekend in October. Don’t forget, you don’t want me to show up on your doorstep to find out why you decided to skip it.”
“When you’re done making jokes, we need to pick up Vladik from the airport, his flight landed about ten minutes ago.” Zeke pointed to his watch.
“Ah, yes, Vladik. Don’t harass, maim or shoot the scary guys that will be following me, I don’t want to bail you out of jail for harming a law enforcement officer.”
“I heard that,” Liam and Ivan had suddenly appeared in the back of the room.
“I don’t know who let you in, but I think I should fire them.” I retorted.
“You might as well come up here.” The group let my brothers into the room.
“These are the scary guys you shouldn’t harm. This is my oldest brother, Liam and my second oldest brother, Ivan. The other two brothers look like them, only younger.”
“Vladik.” Zeke said again.
“Yeah, yeah, I’m going, but I won’t see anyone for three whole days,” I mock sobbed.
“Ok, it’s getting deep, time to go.” Lucy yelled from the back. With that, the meeting was dismissed, everyone filed out of the room. Liam, Ivan and Zeke stood around me, shielding me as we walked through the garage and back to the Hummer.
Chapter Sixteen
“No, we’re stopping and buying dinner so that you don’t have to cook for me and all four of my brothers. You have no idea how much they eat. They’re built like that for a reason.” I told Zeke.
“Be nice,” Devlin chided beside me.
“Hey, you’re built like a truck, I am being nice.”
For some reason, Devlin had been at the airport too. The Hummer was a tank on wheels, but it seemed tiny with all four of them in it. Zeke, myself, Ivan and Vladik were shoved together in the back. Liam was driving; Vladik had the other front seat. You couldn’t have gotten air between us in the backseat. We were all touching; I wasn’t really sitting on the seat. I was wedged so that half my body was on Zeke, the other half on Devlin. Zeke and I were the skinniest people in the car, which is saying a lot since I wear a 36 in men’s jeans, skinny really doesn’t describe me. We needed a small bus to transport us. I hoped to not have to do this again, even if it meant breaking out my ’69 Charger for half of us to drive.
Ivan had decided to take vacation as soon as they told him he was off the case. Currently, his wife, two children and our mom was on a plane to visit relatives in Maine. Good thing his wife was a stay at home mom.
“What are we listening too?” Vladik asked, trying to adjust my CD player.
“World War III.” I used the remote to turn it up.
“That wasn’t what I wanted,” he yelled. I ignored him. We were going to grab dinner and then head to my house. The six humans with the six dogs was going to make my house feel like a very full coffin. I was glad I had two bathrooms. I really needed a bigger house, maybe a mansion.
“I transferred to the KC division,” Liam yelled.
“Where are you going to live?” Devlin grabbed the remote out of my hands, turning down the music. “Thank god, now I can hear myself think.”
“You’d like it if you’d give it a chance.” I sneered.
“I have no doubt, but I want to hear why Liam plans to do about living here.”
“Live with me.” I told him, snatching back the remote.
“Did your husband agree to that?” Ivan smiled at me.
“Oh, go give yourself a swirly.” I snapped.
“Ooh, testy about the husband thing,” Vladik chuckled. “So how did you two end up married in mom’s opinion?”
“Very, very long story,” I sighed. “But I imagine it’s similar to how you ended up gay in her opinion.”
Vladik seemed to think about that for a moment, then nodded, just once. Yep, he understood.
“Devlin, you’re very quiet.” I commented.
“I’m wondering if I should tell you that I also asked to be transferred.” He stared out the window.
“Where are you going to live? Why did you transfer here?” I asked.
“I’m tired of Atlanta. The KC office needs a new profiler. It seemed like the smart thing to do.”
“You’re free to stay with me while you look for a place. I don’t have much room though. You could also stay with mom, but I’m pretty sure that would suck.”
“That was kind of my thought about staying with mom. Zeke do you mind if I move in temporarily?” Devlin looked around me.
“Nope,” Zeke nodded.
“Why are you asking him?” I punched Devlin in the shoulder.
“Because he’s your roommate.”
“Oh yeah, I forgot about that.” I wiggled, trying to get comfortable. I was also not wearing a seatbelt. If Liam wrecked, I was going to haunt him. Of course, we were in a Hummer, I would probably live, just be horribly maimed.
“Maybe you and Liam could get an apartment together.” I suggested.
“Hmm, yeah, we’ll see.” Liam said from the front seat.
“Why don’t you seem surprised or upset about this?” Ivan frowned at me.
“Because whenever something really big happens in my life, it’s made more complicated by little stuff happening with it. Like when I was hiding the mobster’s wife, I found out that the mobster was Anthony’s cousin and that Anthony had been hired by our family to protect me from the mob. We were also doing security work at a warehouse, I put in an appearance one day and it turned out that a serial rapist worked there. He followed me home that night. I shot him in the leg and then had to keep him from dying in my garage. Oh, and then Grandma Chzov decided to set me up with some guy that goes to Granddad Chzov’s church. Not only didn’t I want to be set up, but she didn’t tell me who it was. Turned out to be the husband of a woman I had helped disappear about six years ago because he was abusive. I ended up having to kick his ass in the parking lot of the church because he just didn’t know what the word ‘no’ meant. So, yeah, I’m just used to this kind of thing.”
Everyone but Liam had turned to look at me as I talked. Devlin’s mouth hung open so far I was sure that I could fit my head into the gaping hole. Zeke was trying very hard not to laugh at me. I could tell because his hand was over his mouth and his eyes looked like they were trying to bulge from their sockets.
“So, this is just standard stuff for you?” Vladik finally asked.
“Yep, so what’s new in your life? Did you transfer, get fired or quit? Did you get someone pregnant and are now being forced into a shotgun wedding?”
“Yes, actually.”
“To which one?” Devlin asked.
“I quit my job. I’m tired of the secrets. My resignation isn’t effective until the end of the month though. I was going to ask if I could stay with you, but looks like your house is pretty full.”
“That’s ok, we’ll make room for you. The three of you could get a house together.”
“I’m kind of used to living alone.” Vladik frowned. “Are you sure you have room?”
“No, I know I don’t have the roo
m. You’ll have to share with your brothers, it will be just like it used to be. The three of you shoved into one tiny room.”
“And we all cook, so we can help Zeke out.” Vladik sounded a little too happy about that.
“Good, I could use the help.” Zeke was grinning.
“I think you’re going to regret this.” Liam smiled at me in the review mirror.
“I have no doubt,” I shrugged. “What are we having for dinner? I’m starved.”
“Penny thinks she’s pregnant.” Ivan leaned forward. “She didn’t think she was pregnant until yesterday afternoon.”
“It will probably be quintuplets,” I smiled at him. “Simply because it happened while I was having a crisis.”
My cell phone rang, I dug it out. The ID said the number was blocked. I frowned at it, flipping it open.
“Nadine Daniels.”
“Ms. Daniels, I see you got my first message. It’s a shame that Robert and Wes were stupid enough to get caught. But they had probably out lived their usefulness. I’m sure that you and your employees are far more ready now and amateurs wouldn’t be very useful against them for a second strike. Have you had time to consider my offer?”
“Yes, but I don’t have a clue what you’re talking about.”
“Come, Ms. Daniels, don’t deny your involvement.”
“Fine, even if I do the things you claim and help people escape bad situations; I don’t know who you’re talking about. I would need more information than her just being your sister. Almost everyone is someone’s sister. Look at me, I have four brothers. It’s not easy…”
“Ms. Daniels, I will give you the information you need to find my sister and you will have one day to remember her. After that, I will deplete your office one person at a time until you do remember.”
“Give me the information and I’ll see what I can do. However, you should consider the fact that I had nothing to do with her disappearance. Thousands of people a year disappear, I meet very few of them.”
“Not over the phone, in person. You will meet me at 4900 E. Truman this evening, shall we say 6:30 p.m. Feel free to be escorted to the address, but only you will enter. Also, should you involve the police…” I cut him off.
“Wait, my brothers are in town, they are all law enforcement, can I involve them?”
“That depends, can they behave? You see, Ms. Daniels, as soon as you arrive at the address, you are going to become a target in the scope of someone’s gun. Should anyone follow you in, then I’ll have them put a bullet in your head. Even if I’m caught at that point, you’ll still be dead and the entire thing will be null and void. I will allow you one brother and your new husband. They can follow you as far as the gate, after that, they must return to your Hummer. I will give you the information and you will leave. If things do not go as planned, you, your brother and your husband will all die. As soon as you walk out the gate, the timer begins.”
“And if I wasn’t involved?”
“Then you’ll need to prove that to me.”
“Why is it so important that you get your sister back. If I did have something to do with her disappearance, it’s because her life sucked. She’s probably better off where ever she is.”
“That is not your concern. Don’t forget, 6:30 p.m. 4900 E. Truman.” There was a click as the call was disconnected.
“Ok, I know where and when to meet him. He’s allowing me two escorts to the address, but only I can enter.” I frowned. “It sounded like he was going to have the place staked out early because police involvement results in me dead. I also got the impression that whoever escorted me would be in the line of fire. I’m allowed one brother and Zeke.”
“Well, I’ve got kids, lots of them, maybe you should take one of the others,” Ivan smiled.
“Chicken,” I smiled back at him, making clucking noises.
“I hate snipers,” Devlin groaned beside me. “You can’t really profile a sniper.”
“So don’t be a profiler.” I thought about it moment.
“Vladik, want to become a body guard?” I asked. “However, I’m the boss so you’d have to listen to me.”
“Taking orders from my little sister…” Vladik scratched his chin. “No, not sure I’d like that. No offense Nadine, but you will always be the little one.”
“Fine, move home and help me and Ivan deal with our mother. Hey, does anyone want to volunteer to get me out of this marriage thing?” I asked.
“Nope,” they all said in unison. So much for that idea.
“Have Zeke do it.” Devlin poked me. “You’re making my arm go numb.”
“He’s afraid of her,” I tried to rearrange and found myself sitting fully on Zeke’s lap.
“Much better,” Devlin wiggled a little. “I can’t say I blame him. We’re all afraid of her, not because she’s mean, but because she gets these weird ideas that the fires of Hell can’t burn out of her.”
“What movie is that line from?” Liam asked.
“I don’t remember,” he answered. Yep, this was my family. I was off to meet with a deranged madman in a couple of hours and we were discussing movies and mom.
“I’ll go with you,” Vladik said from the front. “Who knows, maybe my violent temper will be of some good.”
“Maybe,” I looked at a sign. “Ooh, pull off here, let’s get burgers for dinner. We can head back to my house, eat and then Vladik, Zeke and I will go find the crazy guy.”
I thought about it for a moment, “by the way, I’ve got the four of you set up in the library.”
“No you don’t,” Liam took a look at me in the review mirror. “Ivan and I rearranged your house today. We decided that we wanted to be close to you, so we moved a set of the bunk beds into the spare room. Devlin and I will be in the library, Vladik and Ivan in the spare room and we are leaving Zeke in your bedroom. We can move a set of bunk beds in there for the two of you if you want.”
“Uh, the dogs can’t fit on those bunk beds,” I replied. “Why don’t you let Zeke sleep in the spare room and Vladik sleep in the library?”
“Because we still want someone in your bedroom, duh.” Ivan rolled his eyes. So that’s where I’d picked that up from.
“We drew straws and Zeke got stuck with you and the dogs. Besides, it’d be wrong to keep the newlyweds in different bedrooms.”
“What did you say?”
“Newlyweds,” Vladik teased.
“Huh, that’s what Crazy Guy said to me too. He called Zeke my new husband. He knows an awful lot about me. Maybe I know him.” I thought about that for a moment.
It should have been frightening, but it wasn’t. It actually had the opposite effect, kind of calming. I was quiet for the rest of the ride. My mind consumed with thoughts that this guy was someone I knew.
While we ate lunch, Zeke and Vladik worked out plans on how to protect me. The thought of meeting with him had put a small knot in my stomach. The knot would ease once we began driving to meet him, until then it was all I could do to force myself to eat the burger I’d gotten.
“If I get the opportunity to kill him, should I take it?” I asked suddenly. This guy might be better off dead.
“Um, uh,” Ivan frowned at me. “That depends do you feel your life is in imminent danger?”
“Of course I do, meeting crazy men at strange addresses knowing that he’s hired people to kill my employees… yeah, I’d say my life is in imminent danger.”
“How? I don’t think you’re going to be allowed to take your weapons in with you.” Liam frowned. “And I’m not sure you have the training to do it with your bare hands.”
“It’s just a thought…” I muttered. “It’s not like I’m going in intending to kill him, but if the opportunity arises, I’m just trying to figure out a game plan. Geez, you’d think I was asking to rob a bank or something.”
“It’s just hard to imagine our little sister killing people.” Vladik had put down his pen, him and Zeke both stared at me.
“I do wh
at is necessary to survive,” I responded coolly. “That’s just the way it is. I’m very attached to life and I’m not entirely sure I’m ready to give it up.”
“She has our survival instincts,” Liam wiped away a fake tear. “And I just thought she was a pretty face.”
“Piss off,” I gave him the finger.
“That’s the girl we know and love,” Devlin smiled. “Well, maybe Zeke and Vladik’s planning is in vain, you’re going to do exactly what you want, aren’t you?”
“Yes, yes I am, but by all means, continue to plan if it gives you a sense of direction.” I smiled back.
“What happened to you cowering in a corner earlier?” Zeke asked.
“It went away when the guy called. I must admit I’m not thrilled to go meet with a crazy guy, but it’s an evil necessity. Once it’s done, it’s done. At least I’ll know who he is when it comes time to get revenge for Thomas.”
“What makes you think he will personally meet you?” Ivan leaned back in his chair. The legs creaked. Oh yeah, they were going to break my furniture.
“I’m getting the impression he has more money than brains,” I shrugged. “Think about it, he’s giving me information to find someone that I supposedly hid. Not the smartest thing to do, because if I did hide her, then I’m going to know her familial situation. Second of all, he has misinformation, which means he hired someone to find it out. He hasn’t given this a lot of thought.”
“Wow, she is good.” Devlin laughed again.
“Don’t sound so surprised, I’ve always been the brains in the family.”
Dysfunctional Affair Page 16