My cell rings and I see that it’s Jagger. I answer it immediately. “He there?”
“Yes boss, what do you want me to do with him?”
“Hold him there, I’m waiting on Aaron to arrive and I’ll be there.” I’m not sure yet if I’ll bring both Aaron and Mia along or leave him here to watch her. “Has he said anything?”
“Not yet.” There’s a slight mocking in his tone, and I’m curious as to what they’ve done to him.
“I’ll be there shortly.” I end the call and walk back to the office and grab my whiskey. I down it in one swallow, I hate fucking waiting and dad’s taking his time. I wonder if they’re having a trip down memory lane, talking about how fucked up their son is? It’s hard to think that asshole’s my brother, the trust I had in him was misplaced, had I known what he was that trust wouldn’t have been there. I’d have been suspicious of him from the get-go, I’d have been wary of his motives, always wondering what angle he would have been playing. I’d have known that he was passed over for the title of Boss, I’d have known that it would hurt him and I’d have known that he’d want revenge, I’d have been prepared for what was to come. I would have been one step ahead. Whereas now, I’m at least three moves behind and finally gaining ground. It’s too late, way fucking too late.
I hear a noise in the bedroom, followed by footsteps, Mia’s awake. I follow the noise, just as she comes out of the bathroom. “You have a good sleep?”
Her arms reach above her head as she stretches. “Yes, but it wasn’t long enough.” She yawns, her hand covering her mouth as she does.
“We’ve got to go out, but once we return, you can sleep all night.” I promise her.
Her eyebrows raise, “All night?”
I smirk knowing what she’s getting at. I hold my hands up, “I’ll leave you be…” She smiles. “For this evening,” I finish and she shakes her head but that smile is still present on her face. “I’ll have Aaron stop for some food on the way.”
She walks to the wardrobe and starts getting dressed. “Where are we going?”
I sit at the edge of the bed and watch as she pulls on her dress. “I have a bit of business to attend to, I had debated leaving you here with Aaron but I can’t part with you, I can’t guarantee your safety with anyone but me.”
She walks over to me, her arms going around my neck. “I’m not going to argue with you, I know that you have my best interests at heart, if you say it’s for the best I’ll go along with it,” she tells me placing a kiss against my lips. “Just don’t lie to me,” she begs.
“I won’t,” I promise her. “I won’t lie to you. Sometimes I can’t tell you about my business and that’s not because I don’t trust you. It’s because it’s to do with my men. I came to realize something this morning, I had a Fed on my back, the man was on me constantly, I couldn’t piss without the asshole being there. Then all of a sudden he’s gone and Martin’s gone crazy. It didn’t make sense. That’s where we’re heading, we’re going to find out what the Fed knows.”
She sits down beside me, her hand clasping mine. “Hudson, this is a Federal agent, you can’t kidnap him. You’ll go to prison.”
I smile, she’s so fucking innocent. She doesn’t understand. “Mia, I’m not going to go to prison, that I can assure you. That fucking Fed is crooked, there’s no way he’s going to report that he’s been taken, that’s if I let him go.”
She sighs. “God, Hudson, if he goes missing they’re going to look at you. You’ll be the first person they look at.”
“Princess, trust me, I’ve been doing this a long time, I know how to make things look like an accident or a suicide. There’s no way it’ll trace back to me.”
“I trust you,” she replies instantly.
“Good, now, there’s one more thing that I need to tell you.” Her hand convulses in mine. “A friend of mine informed me that your cell has been tracked, not only that, whoever has been tracking you was listening to your phone calls.”
She gasps. “Martin?”
I nod. “That’s what I’m guessing. It’s how he knew you’d be at your parents’ house.”
She gapes at her phone. “Is he still doing it?”
My jaw clenches. “Yes, the man that gave the devices to Martin confirmed that he is indeed still using them and that it was last used less than twenty four hours ago.”
“Oh,” she whispers, her eyes wide with fear.
“He’s not going to get you, Mia. I have a new cell on the way, Aaron’s getting it as we speak. I have an address for Martin, once Aaron gets here, he’ll be sitting on that place until I’m finished with the Fed.”
Her body slumps forward as she releases a ragged breath. “Thank god. Hopefully it means that we can stop him now.”
“Yeah, Princess, we’re going to stop him. I’ve not even told you the most fucked up part yet.”
“Oh God,” she groans.
“Do you remember me telling you about Martin’s mom dying?”
She turns to look at me. “Vaguely.”
“Well turns out that the woman that we buried wasn’t his mom, it was a girl he kidnapped when she was in her teens. She’s dead and I’m wondering what else he did to her? But one of my men delved into Martin’s background and found out that his parents are still very much alive.”
She shakes her head. “Is everything a lie?”
“With him, it seems so. Dad is with them at the moment. He’s going to take out some of the rage he has.”
She doesn’t say anything, her eyes fixated on her cell that’s lying on the bed. A look of sheer horror is written all over her face.
“I’ve moved all your photos to the memory card, so that you won’t lose them when you change your cell. Mia, what my dad does, it’s what he needs to do.” I remind her that this is the business we’re in.
“I know, is it bad that I want him to feel what I feel right now? That numbness, that pain, the utter devastation of losing your parents?”
I pull her toward me and she comes willingly. “No, Princess it’s not bad, it’s natural.”
“I don’t think it is Hudson, I don’t think this darkness that I have is normal. The need for revenge, for his life isn’t natural.” Her tone hesitant and full of worry.
“Mia, that’s what I feel knowing what that bastard did to you, it’s my normal. Sometimes we have to embrace the darkness that’s fighting to come out. Sometimes we have to let it engulf us. If we don’t then we’re denying who and what we’re meant to be.”
She glances at me. “What am I meant to be?”
My hands frame her face. “You’re the princess of my organization.”
“What does that mean?”
I smile. “It means that once we marry, you’ll be queen to my king.”
She blinks. “But you’ve been calling me princess for ages.”
My smile widens. “Finally realizing, huh?”
“Do I have to kill people?” she asks quietly and I can’t help but laugh. She hits my shoulder. “Don’t laugh at me.”
“Sorry,” I lie, not even in the slightest bit sorry, she’s so fucking cute. “No, you don’t have to kill people but Mia, once the baby’s born, I am going to insist that you take self-defence lessons, along with learning how to fire a gun.”
“I want to learn, God, I want our children to learn. I don’t want anyone to be in the same helpless position that I was in.”
“Children?” I question, remembering her saying only a few hours ago that we’ll wait until this baby’s born before we decide on anymore.
Her lips twitch. “Slip of the tongue.”
A knock on the door, ends the conversation. “Time to go,” I tell her as I stand. My cell rings and I look at the screen, it’s Aaron. “Yeah?”
“I’m outside,” he grunts and hangs up.
Mia follows me to the front door, she grabs the keys of the counter as we pass by it. “We’re going to Church,” I tell Aaron as I open the door, the smirk that forms on his lips tell
s me that he’s looking forward to it. It’s been a while since we’ve been there and it’s been a long time coming.
We walk toward the car, Aaron walking in step beside me. “Any word on your mom, Boss?” he asks quietly not wanting Mia to overhear.
Shit. “Mom’s good, she’ll be back to normal in no time.” I glance back at Mia, she’s pulling the front door closed behind her. “Tina didn’t make it.”
“Fuck, Boss,” he whispers, “How is she?”
“About as good as you can expect. She’s hurting. Dad’s working on taking down Martin’s parents and I have Intel on where that bastard is. I’m sorry Aaron, you’re going to have to miss church and sit on him. If you see him, follow him.”
His back straightens. “Fuck church, there’ll be more times that I can attend church. Not every day we find the biggest rat since Benedict Arnold.” So much pride in his voice, he knows that me asking him means that I trust him. Since shit has gone south, Aaron has been one of the men that have risen through the ranks, he’s been loyal. I respect that and have shown him that his loyalty is seen and have rewarded it.
“Stop at a fast food joint, Mia needs food,” I instruct him as I open the back door of the car, waiting for Mia to get into the car. As soon as she does, I slide in next to her, “Ready for this?”
She shrugs. “As ready as I’ll ever be.” She leans her head against the car and sinks into the seat, her hand reaching over and grasping mine. “We’re in this together.”
Six
Mia
Sitting in this hotel lobby, I’m struggling to come up with how this place has anything to do with church, that’s what Hudson told Aaron, they were going to church. Yet, I’m in some fancy hotel. I’ve searched the Internet and a night here cost upwards of a thousand dollars. I know that Hudson owns this place, he told me when he left me in the lobby and walked toward the elevator. I’m wondering where he’s gone. Why would he bring me here and leave me? It doesn’t make sense, I’m missing something.
The elevator dings and I glance at them once again, every time they arrive at the lobby I hope that it’s Hudson returning but each and every time it’s not. A couple walk out hand in hand, the look of love in their eyes as they stare at one another. I know that’s something that Hudson and I won’t be able to do, we won’t be able to be so carefree, we’ll always have bodyguards, always have people watching us, protecting us. I don’t ever envision it not being that way, not again, not after what has happened. The same way, I don’t see Hudson trusting anyone like he did with Martin and Barney, although Barney never betrayed him, he kept things from Hudson, and when the time came to be honest, he wasn’t, he evaded the truth. I know that Hudson had him killed but I don’t blame Hudson, I blame Martin. If Martin wasn’t so hell bent on vengeance, and framed Barney, he’d still be alive. That man has killed a lot of innocent people and it’s time he paid the price.
Once again the elevator dings, my head immediately turns to the sound, relief washes through me when Hudson walks out, a smile on his face. He stands by the elevator doors, looking every bit the powerful man he is. I bite the inside of my cheek when he crooks his finger at me, he’s instructing me to come to him. How dare he? I’m not a dog. I rise from the chair and walk toward him. As soon as I get close his hand reaches for me.
“You crooked your finger at me,” I tell him as I take his hand.
He smirks. “I did.” He presses the button for the elevator.
“It was extremely rude.” I inform him as we wait.
“I apologize, what would you like me to do in the future?” I know that he’s not taking it seriously, and neither am I, it annoyed me and I’ve told him as much. I shrug, not sure what he should do, anything is better than that. “I’ll walk over to you.”
“Is everything okay? You were gone a while.” I ask as the doors to the elevator open.
Hudson places his hand on the base of my back, directing me past the doors. As soon as he releases me I walk to the back and turn to face Hudson. The elevator is empty and once the doors close, Hudson speaks. “I had to check on the condition of Johnson, while I want you to see my world, there are some things you do not need to see.” His gaze is intense as he looks at me, those deep brown eyes so full of love and affection.
My tongue swipes my bottom lip, coating it so that it’s not dry. “How is he?” I don’t know why I’m asking, curiosity getting the better of me, maybe?
“Alive, barely injured. He’s ready to be questioned. I’m going to ask you once again to stay in the shadows. Whatever you may see you are not to react." The warning is there. So clear to hear.
"I won't I promise I'll stay outside and I'll be quiet.” I promise him, just as I did with Macka. I won't go against Hudson not in front of his men anyway. I know that if I challenged him in front of his men it would be classified as disrespect. If his men did it they'd be punished.
He stalks toward me, his hands going either side of my body onto the walls of the elevator, pinning me where I stand. "Made for me," he murmurs gruffly and I feel it all the way in my stomach, where those butterflies begin to swarm. I bite back a groan as his lips touch the shell of my ear, “Never letting you go,” he declares and instantly my thighs slam together as liquid pools in my panties. “Mine,” he growls and I shiver.
“Hudson,” I moan, he can’t do this to me, not here. It’s not fair, we’re about to face his men.
His lips gently touch mine. “I promised you, no more tonight.” Even as he says the words I can see the lust in his eyes, he doesn’t want to keep his promise. “Anyway, we’re here now.”
I frown when I realize that we’ve gone down to the basement. As soon as the doors open Hudson grabs my hand and pulls me behind him. He leads us past the laundry room and towards a steel door. A hundred questions run through my mind but when I see David waiting for us, each one of them are silenced.
“Boss,” David says with a nod of his head and I realize that when the men nod their heads to him, it’s their way of doing a courtesy, it’s a show of respect.
I give David a small smile, my heart hurts for him, he’s just lost his wife and he looks a mess. His normally shaved head is starting to grow out, he’s light stubble growing into a full beard. His eyes are bloodshot, and his clothes are unkempt.
“My condolences, Princess,” he murmurs.
“Thank you,” I reply shocked, he called me Princess, only Hudson has so far. I’m not sure that I like it coming from anyone else's mouth. It sounds foreign.
“David, call Rory and find out what the hell is taking them so long,” Hudson instructs him and I keep my head down as the steel door opens, Hudson immediately steps in front of me, shielding me in case anyone’s looking.
“On it, Boss.”
Once we’re in the room, I realize why they call it the church, it’s an old small offertory, with pews and an altar. I have so many questions and yet no one to answer them just yet. The room is in darkness, only a little light by the alter shining. I move in the shadows to the darkest corner of the room, my eyes on the figure strapped to a pew in front of the altar. He’s in his pants, his shirt off and lying on the ground beside him, his arms and legs both restrained with zip wire, a tie shoved into his mouth, no doubt silencing his screams. There’s six men in this room, three of them I know, I have seen, they’re Hudson’s men, Jagger, Liam, and Alex, the other’s I’ve not seen before. Hudson usually only lets those who show their loyalty to him around me.
“Mr Johnson, it’s good to see you.” Hudson says sarcastically, the men laugh. “Now, are you ready to talk?”
I watch as Mr Johnson’s eyes narrow. He says something but it’s hard to make out what, as it comes out as a mumble thanks to the tie that’s being used as a gag.
“Fine, have it your way,” Hudson says and clicks his fingers. Two of the men leave the room, they're gone for a few minutes before they return with a woman being dragged into the room with them, and David looking menacingly as he walks in behind them. �
��Do you know who this is?” Hudson taunts and I press closer to the wall as they throw the woman to the ground beside Mr Johnson.
“Clive, what have you done?” The woman sobs as she gets to her knees. Mr Johnson once again mumbles something and the woman tentatively reaches up and pulls down his gag. “Why am I here?”
“They want something,” he says through clenched teeth, it’s then that I notice that his leg is broken. It’s twisted in a way that it shouldn’t be.
“What? What is it that they want?” she cries.
“Josie, please, just shush, it’s going to be okay,” he tells her, it’s almost as if he knows something, something we’re missing. His cockiness reminds me of Macka and how he was confident that Martin wouldn’t be found out.
“Okay? Do you know who that is?” she whimpers. “He’s a monster, Josie. It’s Hudson Brady. He won’t hesitate killing us.”
“I am right here and I can hear you,” Hudson smirks, he loves that people think he’s a monster, if they knew the truth, they’d be shocked. Being the boss is only one side of him, the other side is a side he shows to very few, I get to see it every day.
“Mr Brady…” Josie stutters, “Why am I here?”
Hudson’s smirk turns sadistic. “You’re here because he is a dirty cop.”
She gasps. “No, you’re mistaken, he’s not. Clive is a good man.”
Hudson laughs. “He cheated on you and you call him a good man? You’re deluded, he’s a liar and because of him, innocent people have died. Because of him, my woman was taken.”
She shakes her head. “I know that he cheated, but he wouldn't hurt anyone, he wouldn’t let someone die.”
“Tell her,” Hudson demands, his voice deep and unforgiving.
“I don’t know what you want me to say.” He’s a fucking coward, I can tell he’s lying, he just won’t admit it.
“That you are working with Martin, that you have helped him escape my clutches.” Hudson’s losing his patience, his words are clipped. Mr Johnson doesn’t have long before someone gets hurt and I have a feeling it won’t be Clive that will be feeling the wrath of Hudson.
Forever Love (Kingpin Book 3) Page 5