Into the Blackness (Blackness Series Book 4) (23 page)

Her green eyes pop open as I finish admiring her. She furrows her brow, wondering what the fuck I’m doing staring at her.

“You look like my best friend,” I say softly.

“I look like a boy?” she asks horrified.

“No, my best friend’s a woman,” I say through a smile, turning my gaze out the windshield and backing out of the garage.

“Oh,” she responds quietly.

“His best friend is gorgeous, Cara. It’s a huge compliment,” Kat mutters sleepily.

“Is she as pretty as you?” Cara asks with her big green eyes almost pleading for a yes.

“Yes,” I say confidently. “I hit the jackpot with my wife and my best friend. Two prettiest women on Earth and I have both of ’em.”

Kat and Cara grin at each other before Cara giggles and my heart stops at the sound. It’s like hearing an angel sing, airy and hypnotic.

“How old are you, Cara?” Kat asks gently.

“I think I’m seventeen. I could be older or younger. I’m not really sure,” she answers in a shrug like it doesn’t matter.

“How long have you been in the dungeon?” Kat continues.

“They took me when I was seven.”

“Do you know your last name?”

“I don’t remember one,” she admits sheepishly.

“Do remember where you’re from originally? What state or city?”

“Chicago,” she mumbles.

Kat meets my eyes in the rearview. Why is all of this hitting so close to home? I nod minutely to let her know this is getting to me too.

“We’ll try to get you home as soon as we can,” I reassure her.

“I don’t have a home,” she says blankly.

“Someone is surely lookin’ for you, honey,” Kat coos.

“No,” Cara responds annoyed. “I don’t have anyone. I never did. I probably never will.” With that she closes her emerald eyes and shuts us out.

We ride quietly discussing what happened with Cara while she sleeps against Kat’s side. Eventually, Kat also succumbs to exhaustion. So I spend the last of our journey with my eyes on the road as much as on the girls in the backseat.

As we pull onto an old dirt road I see the jet waiting in the distance. No one has trailed us. Jake hasn’t called to alert us of any issues on the home front. We’re going to get Cara to safety and I’m beyond relieved I haven’t had to kill anyone to make it happen. The day is coming though and I’m getting more and more excited for the blood. The monster within me is beginning to wake and he craves bodies to torture and maim. Soon.

I park and gently wake Kat, which wakes Cara. I see the panic wash over her features and Kat holds her tightly, shushing and reassuring her. Jess and Shane descend the stairs of the jet and approach the vehicle. I climb out and meet Shane while Jess moves directly into the backseat. I keep a wary eye on the ladies while talking to Shane.

“What’re we lookin’ at?” he asks glancing in the backseat.

“Fucked up and then some. Her name’s Cara. Doesn’t remember her last name. Taken from Chicago when she was seven and thinks she’s somewhere around seventeen. Doesn’t know where she came from before she got to our house. Kat got a bad feeling and checked the security monitors, found her in the back yard. We scared the shit out of her before we realized she was a kid. Held her at gunpoint for a few moments. Cara said she broke a lock on a dungeon she’s been in, doesn’t know the names or the faces of the people that had her.”

“Doesn’t matter how long I do this job. I’ll never get used to this shit,” he huffs with pain on his Ken Doll features. “This is a good lead for the op. We’ll get her in with psych as soon as she’s able. I don’t wanna push her though, so we’ll go slowly.”

That’s a shock coming from Mr. Hungry. Could he finally be pulling his head out of his ass?

“On a side note. You hurt Kat and I’ll have you eliminated,” he says with no waver or joke.

“What’s that?” I ask, taken aback by the forwardness.

“Kat called Jess and asked her to get Kat a birth control shot before we left Virginia. I’m guessin’ that means you two are no longer playin’ house and are actually doin’ this thing for real. I cleared the use of birth control. I figure if you’re doin’ this it can work for the op. To be honest, if I could pick a man for Kat it’d be you. I wanted you on this op because I trust you above any other agent to keep her safe. I’ve fucked up with Kat for a few years and allowed shit to happen I’m not proud of. I wanted you to have her back. But if you hurt her, I swear I’ll put a bounty on your head with every hit man I know and every agent in the company,” he finishes emphatically.

“You doin’ drugs?” I ask stunned at his monologue.

“I’m sorry?” he asks confused.

“You’re takin’ it easy on Cara, backing up Kat and apologizing for pimping her out for years. What’s the change?”

“Tell me how you really feel,” he scoffs. “Look, I’ve made mistakes with Kat and I’m tryin’ to fix that shit. I’m a little too hungry sometimes and it clouds my judgment, but don’t question whether or not I love Kat. She’s the closest thing to me in this world other than Jess. As for the rest, my fiancée has been putting her foot down with my shit and I’m makin’ some changes so she doesn’t quit fuckin’ me because that was her latest threat.”

“I’m likin’ the new and improved Shane Hollander,” I say through a chuckle, appreciating Jess and her skills. “I’ll tell you this. I won’t hurt Kat and I appreciate the threat you’ve given me. I’m glad you’re lookin’ out for her, but I’ve got her from here. You’re right to trust me. I won’t let anything happen to her at anyone’s hands, mine included.”

“We’ll see how much you like the new Shane when I make my next suggestion.”

“What?” I growl, immediately losing my good feeling.

“Is thing with Kat a fling or permanent?”

“Permanent,” I answer without hesitation.

“Good. Don’t give her the shot. Get her pregnant. The sooner the better, frankly. It’ll work the op. You can reach out to the Bookers for domestic help. There’s no way you can spin that you’re lookin’ for a young girl to lock in a dungeon. You’ve gotta work the domestic edge. A nanny is the way to go.”

I stand in stone-faced silence. I don’t know what to say to him. I’m fucking livid that he’s yet again asking Kat to sacrifice her body for an op. This is beyond anything that a team leader can ask. I can’t believe he’s even suggesting it. The worst part is, I’m considering it. What the fuck is wrong with me? I’m about to rip into him when he speaks again.

“She needs an out, Nick. Kat loves the job and she’s better than any other agent I’ve ever known, you included. But she’s more than this and she deserves a life. She’s my best friend. I owe her a life and this is the best way I can give it to her. You can give it to her. I’m askin’ you to give that woman something outside of the blackness this job requires. She’s been alone since her parents died and this job has become her only focus in life. I know this means a change for you, but you’re takin’ my job. You two can settle in Virginia and have a family. Kat can be safe and happy. That woman deserves that and so much more. I can’t give it to her, but you can.”

“I don’t know whether to knock you the fuck out or hug you,” I grunt. “It’s a good move for the op. I agree with you as much as that annoys me. But I’m not forcing her to get pregnant for an op. She’s given enough of her body for this agency and I refuse to let her give anything else. I’ll talk to her about it and see where she is. We’ll take the shot with us and I’ll let you know what we decide,” I say with a shake of my head. “And if I find out you try to push her into this I’ll take you out myself…my way.”

He smiles a dazzling grin at me.

“Now I trust you with her life and her heart. Don’t fuck up.”

Shane turns on his heel and approaches the SUV. He pulls the backdoor open for Jess and Cara to slide out. Kat follows and wraps Shane in a tight hug. She loves him and he loves her in some warped way. I move over to the group to say goodbye.

“Bye, Cara,” I say softly, gazing into her haunting eyes one last time.

“Bye, Nick,” she whispers. “Tell Jake thanks for the hoodie.”

“I will, sweetheart.” She blushes when I say it, but not the same way she did at Jake.

“Will I see you again?” she asks Kat shakily.

“Yes,” Kat answers emphatically and engulfs her in a tight embrace, but Cara remains rigid.

Kat hands Cara over to Jess, but Cara refuses the contact and just stands next to Jess. Jess doesn’t push the issue and they move off together. I see a few people on the plane waiting for Cara. It looks like a medic and maybe someone from psych. God knows she needs both. Shane and Kat talk a bit before the medic runs out to us with a box in hand.

“Agent Russell,” he greets and hands her the package.

“Thanks,” Kat says nicely and the guy runs back to the plane.

“Nick, have you got anyone left in Chicago you can reach out to?” Shane asks cautiously.

“I’m a dead man, Shane. What the fuck do you think?” I growl.

Kat watches us with big eyes. I haven’t given her many details and now this asshole has just opened a can of worms. Dick.

“How dead?” he asks honestly.

“Have you fuckin’ taken a look at me lately?”

My natural hair color is back from the blond it was dyed for six months after I “died”, but the contacts alone change my appearance greatly. I also had a bump removed from my nose. Those two changes allow me to move through life without looking over my shoulder too much. That and the fact that the people that would want to kill me if they knew I was alive are either in prison or idiots that couldn’t pull off the hit necessary to take me out.

Even so, I’m a dead man in Chicago. Well…mostly dead.

“You’re right. Sorry. I just thought if you could dig back into Chicago we could figure Cara out quicker. If she’s been gone a decade this is gonna be difficult,” he says backing off.

“I’ve got a guy I can reach out to, but it’ll be expensive,” I huff at the prospect.

“Budget is a non-issue. But don’t risk your safety. We can work this ourselves.”

“Mindfuck,” I mutter and Kat giggles.

“I’ll talk to you soon, Shane,” Kat says through a giant smile before nuzzling into his chest.

I stamp down the feeling in my gut, knowing he’s been her friend for years. I still don’t want her touching him like that. Now I know why Shanny’s man always looks at me like he wants to eat me for breakfast. Not that I’ll stop hugging my best friend for his benefit, but I get it now.

“Keep her safe,” Shane orders as Kat disappears into the SUV. “Jake too.”

“I will. I’ll let you know what my guy in Chicago says. I’d tell you to be gentle with Cara, but Jess seems to have your ass under control,” I say through a cocky grin.

“Wait till Kat has you by the balls. You won’t think it’s so funny then,” he chides through a kind smile glancing at his friend. I snort, but fear he’s right.

“Safe flight.” I offer him a low wave and join my wife. Time to kick this op into high gear.

As I drive away, Kat interlaces our fingers and I pull our hands into my lap. She’s pissed and relieved just like me. It’s nice to have someone to share the op with. I’m done being alone. I have a family now…and I may be adding to it sooner than later.

Kat

Nick and I amble into the house, exhausted and bone weary. Jake comes charging into the kitchen from the family room looking as worn out as us.

“She okay?” he asks me urgently.

Jake is smitten and I love it and hate it. I love it because he was soft and strong for her at the same time. He was a man caring for a woman that he had an instant connection with. It was beautiful to witness. I hate it because if he tries to go after her, it’ll be a rough time for the two of them. Jake comes from ugly and Cara’s been in a living nightmare for a decade. I can only hope maybe they’ll heal each other.

“She will be,” I say through a sad smile. He nods in understanding.

“Let’s make pancakes,” I encourage, hoping it will get all of us out of our haze.

“How about Jake and I make pancakes and you grab a shower?” Nick murmurs into my hair.

“’Kay.”

“You know how to make pancakes?” Nick asks Jake, letting me go.

“No,” Jake says through a laugh as they go off to make some surely disgusting pancakes.

I climb into the shower and scald my skin trying to wash the night from my mind and my body. When I locked eyes with Cara for the first time in the back yard, I felt like I’d been shot. It jolted me in a way I wasn’t prepared for. I expect the unexpected at every turn, but I never thought I’d find a kid in our backyard basically naked running for her life. Some sick fuck in Maybelle had her as a sex slave for a decade. When I find him…I can’t even formulate a proper punishment but it will be gruesome.

The only good thing about finding Cara was getting the chance to see Shane and Jess. Not that I got to talk to them much, but just seeing their faces gave me a piece of joy that I miss when I’m away from them. Shane and Nick seemed to have a heated discussion while Jess and I were in the SUV with Cara. I didn’t pay much attention because we were trying to get Cara comfortable with Jess, but Nick definitely looked pissed a few times while Shane was talking. Shane also looked tense. I hope they worked out whatever they needed to because it’ll make the op a pain in the ass if they’re butting heads.