Daddy's Boy (7 page)

“So Rachel never found out?” Olivia asked.

“No, I told her the truth later that night but it didn’t matter.” I said smiling to myself, remembering another look I would never forget. This look was so much better. Hazel eyes filled with tears of overwhelming joy, red lips caught between white teeth as she tried to contain her smile. “Jack started to protest saying I was a liar but his rant was cut off when Rachel started to throw up. After she was done she looked up at me and said ‘oh shit I really am pregnant.’ Then looked at me with the most amazing look I’d ever seen.”

Olivia was smiling like a goof as she tilted her head, a wrinkle appearing on her forehead. “Wait how long where you with Rachel before you met her father?”

Clearing my throat I whispered my answer, “About a month and a half after the first night we met.”

“And how pregnant was Rachel?”

“Past six weeks.”

“You knocked her up the first night you met!” Olivia screamed. “Holy shit Denny. Where you happy when she told you?”

“Fuck yeah I was.” I said without a moment’s hesitation. “The woman I loved was carrying the little life we made. Sooner than I wanted, that was for sure, but it didn’t matter. Our love had made the person growing inside her, it was the best feeling in the world.” I whispered feeling sadness and loneliness seep into my bones.

The car went uncomfortably quiet and Olivia’s hand squeezing my shoulder had me feeling embarrassed as I realized I’d shared way too much.

One year, one month and two weeks earlier…

“Are you mad?” Rachel said lying down beside me.

“That your Dad just spent the last four hours ripping me a new ass. Yeah babe. I haven’t been yelled at like that since I was a kid. Even then Vinnie normally just went for a short speech and a smack to the head.”

“Your dad hits you?” Giving her a ‘duh’ look, she sighed. “Of course he does. You going to tell me about the drug thing?”

“Depends. If I tell you are you going to run away and never talk to me again?”

“Depends, how bad is it?”

Shit she was going to run. “More ugly than bad. But you have to know Rachel that I will never let that part of my life touch you or the baby.”

Jesus the baby, Rachel was pregnant with my child. Holy mother of God I was going to be a father.

“Was it true what you said to Dad about never touching or selling drugs?

“Yes, I have never done drugs or sold them.”

“Then what do you do?”

“I move the money for Vinnie.”

Playing with a thread on the blanket Rachel thought it all through. Over five minutes of pure hell. She was thinking too hard, she was going to tell me to leave and never speak to her again I just knew it.

“I’m not thrilled Denny and if I would have known this the night we met I wouldn’t have even talked to you. But it’s too late now, not only because you knocked me up.” Rachel said chuckling as her hand move to touch her flat stomach. “But it’s too late because I’m in love with you Denny and if that means taking the bad and ugly then that’s what I’ll do. I’ll take the good, bad and ugly.”

Breathing easy for the first time since Jack had showed up, I pulled Rachel into my arms and kissed her head. “The good, bad and ugly.”

“The good, bad and ugly.” She repeated in a whisper.

“Now to answer your first question. I am not mad about the baby. How could I be Rachel? It’s not like you did it by yourself babe.”

“So you’re happy?”

“Rachel stop being silly. Of course I’m happy. You’re having my baby woman, I’m freaking ecstatic.”

“Are you sure because most of that sounded sarcastic.” Rachel said trying to pull out of my arms.

Pulling her back down I rested my forehead against hers. “Sweetheart trust me when I say that I am happy. The woman I love is having my baby. I never even thought I would have someone I loved. So to have the person I love pregnant with my child is the most amazing thing that has ever happened to me. I love you Rachel and this is,” I said putting my hand to her stomach, “a great thing.”

Present day…

Even the good memories left me feeling sad these days. Sighing I got back to the point. “Anyways getting back to the whole point of this conversation, I’m going to see Jack later today so that I can hopefully start seeing Lucca a couple of times a week.”

Mason pulled the SUV into the town house drive. As we all got out I overheard Olivia whispering to Jonah. “If he loves Rachel so much why isn’t he with her?” I didn’t wait to hear Jonah’s reply as I got into my car. I had my reasons but today was not the day to go into those reasons.

****

Jack Owen lived in the middle of town, not too far from our town house, in an apartment building. The apartments in this building where all average size, two bedrooms, one bath apartments. I took the stairs to the third floor not wanting to wait around for the elevator. Jack’s apartment was of course at the other end of the hall. I approached the door about to knock when a black mark at the bottom of the door caught my eye.

Crouching down I realized it wasn’t just a smear but a black boot mark. Kind of like the marks you get on a door after repeatedly kicking it open. But this wasn’t a repeat. After Jack confirmed he knew about Vinnie’s business I spent the next couple of weeks watching his every move. From that time I knew that Jack was OCD about keeping his stuff clean and looking new. One look at this mark, no matter if he saw it at three in the morning his grumpy ass would have been out here cleaning and repainting.

Standing up I checked up and down the hall feeling the skin on the back of my neck prickle. Knocking on the door I rubbed my neck trying to stop that funny feeling.

I waited for several minutes hearing no noise from inside the apartment. Listening to my gut telling me something was very wrong I tried the door handle. The door was locked, which was a good thing but still my gut wouldn’t let me leave. Reaching into my back pocket I took out the tool that had gotten me into every lock since I was sixteen.

God I had to be every kind of stupid to be breaking into a cops apartment, but something was wrong. Just like last month, when Jonah was taken by Nick and Olivia was kidnapped by Vinnie, I knew something was wrong long before Mason had called me.         

  The lock clicked and for the first time in over a month I wished I was still carrying a gun. Slipping the lock kit back in my pocket I opened the door silently. The floor plan of the apartment was one big open room, with a breakfast bar separating the living room from the kitchen and three doors leading to various rooms.

White blinds not closed let the mid afternoon sunlight in through the window lighting the trashed and turned room. Every bit of furniture in the living room area was turned over, picture frames lay smashed on the ground, and a lamp was broken in half. The room was a complete mess. Walking further into the room I saw that the kitchen was untouched. Crossing the room quickly I grabbed a towel lying on the floor using it to stop my fingerprints from getting on the door handles. Both rooms and the bathroom were as ruined as the living room. There was no sign of Jack, which was bad but I found no blood so that gave me some comfort. Still blood or not we had a very big problem.

Leaving the room quickly but carefully I pulled my phone out and dialed Jonah’s number. I stopped only to wipe away my fingerprints from both sides of the door before I walked calmly down the hall.

“What?” Jonah snapped out of breath down the phone line.

Lord I could only imagine what I’d just interrupted. “We have a problem.” I said ignoring Olivia’s giggles.

“Can this problem wait?”

“No. Jack’s place was trashed and turned.”

“Shit.” Jonah groaned.

“Yes shit. Get your clothes on Jonah. Call Mason have him stay with Olivia. I’m going to get Cole over to Rachel’s work.”

“What are we doing?”

“We are going to go see Adam.”

****

“What the hell took you so long?” I hissed at Jonah. I’d called him over thirty minutes ago and his stupid ass had only just gotten to the restaurant where Adam was having lunch.

“It took me a couple of minutes to get the boys rounded up. Then it took me a couple more minutes to convince Olivia to let me go. Which by the way she is pissed at me now.”

Jonah had come a long way since meeting Olivia. Before Olivia he wouldn’t have cracked the slightest smile when we had a problem or when we were about to meet with a dick like Adam. Olivia had turned bad mood, never smiling Jonah into good tempered, smile all the time Jonah. Shit, I wasn’t sure which one annoyed me more.

“Game plan?” Jonah asked crossing his tattooed arms over his chest.

“Game plan is I ask Adam what he wants with Jack and hope for Adam’s sake that he doesn’t screw us around. I am not in the mood today.” I said starting to walk towards the restaurant door.

“It’s not just today.” Jonah whispered under his breath.

Choosing to pretend I didn’t hear that I opened the door looking around for Adam. Spotting Adam’s greasy ass sitting in a booth at the back, I locked my eyes on him and stalked towards him.

“I’m surprised I don’t see a long line of DEA agents following you.” Adam growled, wiping his hands on a white napkin. It wasn’t a secret that Olivia had accidently outted us to a group of DEA agents. One of those agents being Shark, a well-known player in the underground scene. To say that the Denver underground wasn’t happy to find out Shark had been playing them for over four years was an understatement.

“Funny you should mention law informant Adam,” I said laying my hands on the top of the table and leaning into him. A dominant position like this would have Adam remembering I could and would kick his ass. “Jack Owen. What do you want with him?”

“What is with you and cops D? I bet you Vinnie is rolling in his grave, you surrounding yourself with fucking cops.”

Without thinking my hand shot out, my finger curling around Adam’s throat. “The only thing Vinnie is doing these days is rotting in a wooden box. Now Adam what the fuck do you want with Jack Owen?”

Behind me I heard a bang followed by a woman gasping loudly. Turning my head I found Jonah had the guy who had hurt Olivia pinned to the wall, his right knee shoved into the guy’s groin. Of course Jonah was targeting him, the guy had put his hands on Olivia. God knows I would do the same if someone put their hands on Rachel. Chuckling I turned back to a red faced Adam. “Answer me.” I snapped loosening my fingers so the fucker could talk.

Gasping and pulling in as much air as my fingers would allow Adam’s eyes sparkled with tears. “I was making sure his son was staying away from the scene.”

“Jace hasn’t been back to the scene, you and I both know it. You owe me a marker Adam, I want the truth.”

“I want nothing to do with him.” Adam spat. “I was only looking for him as a favor for a business friend.”

“What’s your friend’s name?” I asked giving Adam’s neck a tight squeeze.

“What the fuck D. You use to be the sane one.”

“Name Adam?” I growled.

“Darcy.”

“Darcy, redhead, works for Mika, Darcy?” Shot my fucking father Darcy.

“By the look on your face I’d say we’re talking about the same girl.”

Shit was Mika back in town? Did they somehow find out Jack was the cop working with Jonah’s father?

“What does she want with Jack?” I asked my voice shamefully coming out a little shaky.

“She didn’t say and I didn’t ask. Come on Denny boy even you know the code we live by. Don’t ask, don’t tell.”

Adam wasn’t lying; I could see it in his eyes. He was not only living by the business code, he was scared shitless of Darcy. Letting go of his neck, I stepped away from the table.

Giving Jonah a nod we calmly left the restaurant. No point showing Adam how screwed we were with Darcy back. Fuck if Mika had Jack we had to work fast or he would be as good as dead. Probably already was.

Once we were outside my mind started moving a mile a minute. If something happened to Jack it would kill Rachel.

“Is there any way Olivia can get a hold of Nick and find out if Mika has Jack?”

Jonah’s yellow-green eyes turned dark. “Olivia has no way of contacting Nick. That fucker left Olivia with nothing but a promise to one day see her again and went back to his boss who may or may not want Olivia dead. Fuck him and fuck you. No way.”

So Nick was still a sore subject. Jonah thought he was a piece of shit. Olivia worshipped the ground he walked on. Yeah that wasn’t going to end well.

“I’m sorry, I know. It’s just I don’t know how to fix this. If Mika has Jack I don’t think there is anything I can do about it.”

Opening his car door and then slamming it shut Jonah stalked towards me with a look of pure rage on his face. “Why the fuck do you care what happens to that bitch’s father?”

Without hesitation I brought my fist up and punched Jonah in the jaw. Calling Rachel a bitch was taking things too far. No one called Rachel a bitch, not even my brother. Wiping the blood off his bottom lip, I gave Jonah a hard look. “Watch your mouth Jonah or I’ll hit you again.”

“You better get use to hitting me then because I don’t like her. She fucked you up brother. You were an asshole following in Vinnie’s footsteps before she came along. You fell in love or whatever the fuck you call it and you stopped being an asshole. Then she pissed off and you turned into a reckless asshole whose daily needs are get drunk and get fucked.”

Jesus Jonah really did want to get hit again. Fuck no I wasn’t going here with him. Not now, not ever. “If you’re not going to help me find Jack leave and stop wasting my time.” 

Jonah looked at me like he’d just seen a ghost. Maybe he had. Maybe my fears were finally coming true and I really was turning into Vinnie.

Running a hand through his blonde hair Jonah let out a long sigh. “Jack’s a cop right? Rachel goes to the police station reports him missing, they deal with it, job done.”

“Yeah we’ll do that.” I said not liking that plan at all, but needing to get away from Jonah I took it and ran.