Blackness Takes Over & Blackness Awaits (68 page)

It’s been half an hour and no response. Shit’s not good. She always texts right back. It’s only 10:30 p.m. in Kansas City. She’s not asleep yet and if she was the text would wake her up. Time to text Kav.

Kellerman: What’s wrong?

Kavanagh: Man you telepathic or something? Drive-by at Children’s tonight. Kid’s good. Butch is BAD!

Fuck me. I knew something was wrong. Goddamnit!

Kellerman: She’s not answering texts. You sure she’s good?

Kavanagh: She’s talking to a doctor right now. Butch update. Her bag got left at the crime scene. Probably doesn’t have her BB. I sent Karl to grab it for her before he gets here.

Kellerman: So this was about Butch not Kid?

Kavanagh: No. About Kid too. Got a threatening note here in the waiting room. Same like Thanksgiving. Cooper’s on it. Thinks he can squash the threat. Coming here tomorrow.

Christ how much more can she have going on in her life? Once this shit is over we’re taking a year long vacation to a private island.

Kellerman: Glad Cooper is on it. Keep Thomas on her ass!

Kavanagh: No need. Thomas is on her ass and pissed! Almost as pissed as Kid.

Kellerman: Good to hear. Got some news for you to pass on to Cooper for me. Cassie and her dad have a meeting tomorrow. I’m not invited. That’s fucking strange considering she hasn’t left me alone for more than thirty seconds since I’ve been here.

Kavanagh: Yeah that’s weird. You know where the meet is?

Kellerman: A shipping company. TUG Shipping. Think eyes should be on that meet.

Kavanagh: Agreed. Look I think Butch’s out of surgery. I’ll pass this on to Cooper. Keep in touch so I can fill you in on Butch.

Kellerman: Kiss Kid for me. Tell Butch I’m thinking about him. This fucking sucks!!

Kavanagh: Will do, man. This definitely sucks!! Later.

Kellerman: Later.

“Dylan?” Cassie moans from the couch.

“Yeah,” I grunt from the kitchen.

“My back hurts. I can’t wait to get rid of this thing. Ugh,” she complains sitting up. I fist my hands trying to keep calm. I hate her, fucking hate her. Whatever Cooper and his team are digging up will put her in danger once she’s arrested. I could give a flying fuck. If that makes me a heartless bastard so be it. She’s a monster. She hates my son. Talks about him like he’s some evil parasite she needs to rid herself of. She’s hired two nannies. TWO! She scheduled a C-section because she doesn’t wish to go through labor, she says. She’s an abusive neglectful mother and her child isn’t even here.

No one knows about her blackmail. Everyone thinks we’re a perfect shiny couple getting ready to welcome our son to the world. If anyone could see her behind closed doors they would die from shock!

“You need to stay in your office tomorrow while I’m out. Daddy’s scheduled some conference calls for you to take while we’re gone,” she informs me. “Stop moving you little shit!” she yells at her stomach. Hate her!

Shannon

We’ve been at the hospital all night. Butch made it through surgery but crashed again twice overnight. The shooters did a number on him. They got both of his lungs, liver, and spleen. It’s just a waiting game at this point. Karl and Thomas stayed with me last night plus my boys. Karl brought me some jeans, a T-shirt, a hoodie and some Jack Purcells, so I’m no longer in scrubs. My hair is in a messy bun on top of my head and I’m makeup free. I look dynamite! Karl also went to Children’s Mercy and found my handbag. Luckily the hospital staff had found it and held it so I don’t have to deal with identity theft on top of my list of shitty life happenstance. Poor Kel had texted me, feeling something was wrong. Luckily he got a hold of Kavy. By the time I could text him back he’d gotten rid of his burner phone. He takes no chances.

I stand up and stretch in the Critical Care waiting room, our sleeping quarters for last night. Fuck I’m sore! Thomas senses my movement and jumps up. I give him a look indicating he can calm the hell down. He smirks and joins me in stretching.

“Shanny,” Nicky’s voice calls from behind me. I turn and smile at him. He moves quickly, pulling me roughly to his chest. I wrap my arms around his waist and wait for him to get his fill. When he finally lets me go he pulls me into a chair and sits next to me holding my hand.

“Fuckin’ scared the shit outta me,” he huffs his fake brown eyes ablaze.

“Had that shit under control,” I assure him. I did. Uncle Mick was in my head and I was calm, cool and collected. That’s where I shine in this life, under pressure with a gun in my hand.

“Badass,” he accuses. I nod in agreement. “I can’t tell you what I’m workin’ here, but you won’t have another threat like the one that was here last night.”

“Nicky, that sounds a little too good to be true. You’re tellin’ me you can come in and just make shit go away that’s been followin’ me for months?” I question, quirking an eyebrow at him.

“I can’t tell you how, but I can assure you that no one that was part of last night will come after you again,” he says definitively.

“Okay so I just have to worry about the Yates shit.”

“You don’t have to worry about that either.”

“Since when?” I ask shocked.

“Since I just said. You think I’d let anything harm you? We’re workin’ the case hard to get to the bottom. I won’t stop until we get Kellerman and that baby back to you,” Nicky says softly.

“I can’t stop worryin’ about it until they’re here. You tell me to get on a plane and pick them up then I’ll let it go, until then it’s a constant worry for me.”

“Okay,” he relents. “The threat in Kansas City is gone. So let this go.”

“Okay. Will you explain that to me some day?” I ask quietly.

“Yeah.”

“Okay.”

“I need to head out to deal with this shit. I’ll come around later to talk through this thing with Kellerman,” Nicky says as he stands.

“Oh fuck, Nicky. Last night Butch found the drugs or at least how they’re coverin’ it up. Here,” I stand and move to my bag to give him the papers, “these are the notes from last night.”

“This is good,” he says scanning the notes. “I’ll look ’em over while I’m out. Kav texted me some intel from Kellerman last night too. It’s all gonna work out. Love you,” he says kissing my forehead before leaving the room.

I turn back to see all my guys watching me. A room full of love.

“I’m gonna go see Butch. You guys should go home. I’m good,” I say strongly.

“You know that’s not gonna happen so save your breath,” Karl chides. “I’ll go down and get coffee and breakfast.” I smile and nod at my friend. He’s right, waste of my breath.

I head into Butch’s room. This is a depressing sight. Butch is on a ventilator, chest tubes coming from each lung, and other wires and tubes are attached to him. His face is ashen and drawn. He looks weak and Butch has never looked weak. I sit next to his bed and gently wrap my fingers around his. I start to talk. I talk to him the way I talk to Mia. I tell him about what happened and what’s going on now. I talk about Kel and the guys. I just talk.

“Shannon, foods been here a while. Come eat,” Thomas orders from the door. I give him a chin lift. I kiss Butch’s hand before heading back to the waiting room. I plow through two bowls of oatmeal, two bowls of fruit, and a gallon of coffee (close enough) before I feel normal.

“Less gross than you were a few weeks ago,” Sully informs me taking the chair next to me.

“Well you’re just as gross as you were more than thirteen years ago,” I snark. He chuckles and kisses my cheek. I lay my head on his shoulder and close my eyes for a moment. I just need a little rest.

“Kid wake up,” Kavy commands loudly.

“What?” I moan.

“Kid you really need to wake up and see this shit,” Cally says in my ear. I’m laying against Cally now? I must have been out cold. I open my eyes to a breaking news story running on the TV.

“Alleged methamphetamine manufacturer, Gregor Pedowski, has been killed in an apparent house explosion. More details to come. Stay tuned,” the reporter says.

Holy SHIT! Nicky blew up the guy responsible for my threats. I look around the room and all eyes are on me. My eyes are orbiting my head from bugging out. Holy shit. Meth houses blow up all the time. It’s a good move. I still cannot believe this shit. He was just here talking to me like a normal (normalish) person. A few hours later a house has been blown up, and now I’m safe. This is not normal.

“Your boy doesn’t fuck around,” Kavy says in a chuckle.

“No shit,” I huff.

Ring, ring

“Hello?” I answer.

“Hey Shanny,” Nicky say swiftly.

“Nicky,” I start but he cuts me off.

“I’m assumin’ you’ve seen the news. Can’t talk about it. I also can’t make it back to you today. Somethin’ came up I need to get back to. You’re safe, Shanny. I’ll be in touch later today.”

“Okay. Thank you. I love you,” I say because I don’t know what else to say. I’m not sure the correct protocol for extending gratitude for committing murder on my behalf (again).

“Love you,” he says softly and hangs up.

Kellerman

I’m alone for the first time in months and all I want to do is call Kid. I’m not going to though. I’m assuming the whole office is bugged. I have no clue how crazy Cassie is, but I put nothing past her at this point. So I sit in my office and wait. I hope her and her father are fucking up today. I hope they finally do something so we have enough proof they’re drug traffickers to get my son the hell out of here. Eight weeks. I open my home page on my computer and there’s a breaking news story out of Kansas City.

Meth Manufacturer Killed in Explosion

I read the article quickly and find the name of the manufacturer Butch worked for. This has to be connected to Butch getting shot. I don’t know how but that’s too much of a coincidence. I hope Kid didn’t blow up the house. I wouldn’t put it past her with as pissed as Kav said she was. I got a new burner on the way into work today. It’s pretty easy now. There’s a gas station that I stop at on the way here. Cassie stays in the car while I fill up for gas and go in to pay. I buy a phone and she fucks around on Facebook in the car, she has no clue. The guy that works at the gas station thinks I’m some kind of spy. He asked me a few months ago and I gave him a bland no comment type response feeding the illusion. It works out well him thinking that, he’ll never tell anyone that comes asking about me or my purchases because he thinks he’s in on something covert (whatever works, right?). I buy three phones at a time and hide them in my gym bag. Cassie’s never going in there.

I can’t call Kid, but I’m going to text her. I go to the bathroom, check over the top of every stall, and then lock myself in the last one.

Kellerman: How’s it going, Kiddo?

Kid: Kel, my life is fucking crazy! I’m fine though. You?

Kellerman: Cassie and her dad are at their meeting so I’m alone. Doesn’t get much better than that for me right now.

Kid: Word. Butch is hanging in there.

She just texted “word”. She’s too cute and such a dork sometimes. I chuckle under my breath as I text back.

Kellerman: That’s good. Any idea how long he’ll be in the hospital?

Kid: Long time I’m guessing. They jacked him up. Both lungs, liver and spleen. He’s on a vent right now. They want to get him off it soon though.

Kellerman: Fuck that sucks. You been there all night?

Kid: Yeah.

Kellerman: You have to take care of yourself, Kiddo.

Kid: I know. I’m good. Promise.

Kellerman: Saw the news. You have anything to do with that?

Kid: I didn’t blow up that house! What do you take me for?

Kellerman: You. Pissed and exacting justice.

Kid: If I could have done it I would have, but I didn’t. I’m sticking my tongue out at you!

Cute as hell dork. I miss her so damn much it causes actual physical pain.

Kellerman: I wish I could hear your voice. I don’t trust that this whole place isn’t bugged. She probably had a tracking device implanted under my skin while I slept at some point.

Kid: Don’t risk it. We’re almost there. Butch found some stuff last night that’s good. I think we’ve almost got them Kel!

Kellerman: No SHIT?! I have to get back for a conference call now. I’ll text later and you can tell me about it.