Keeping You: KJ Elite Inc. (27 page)

For now, we stay on defense, keeping vigilant. It’s obvious something fishy is going down with Bryant’s unnecessary visit. The only way he’ll breach us is if he drops a nuke on Betty. Luke has his work cut out for him searching high and low for Bryant’s whereabouts the last few years. More specifically the last few months. Bryant’s no 007 but my guess is if we find something soon – anything – it’s because he wants us to. He may be real bastard, but he’s a good soldier.

While everyone is going to catch some z’s, Luke is in beast mode at his set up digging any and everywhere he can.

After going full blown stealth mode, I find our room empty. Taylor probably came and harassed her to join the family for breakfast. As much as I want to curl up in bed, my body entwined with hers, I just really need sleep.

I strip off my clothes leaving a trail to the bed before flopping face first into Jamie-scented pillows. I’m vaguely aware of the door opening as sleep claims me, drawing into a deep, dreamless abyss.

And just like that, as quickly as I’m pulled under, I’m yanked back out. My internal clock tells me it’s around noon.

Before my eyes flicker open, I realize what woke me. Soft warm lips envelope my rigid dick, drawing a moan from my throat.

“Oh holy fuck!” I shout, hoarse.

Looking down my body, I see Jamie’s gorgeous face, hollowed out cheeks, head bobbing up and down.

My hands automatically shoot out for her hair but find a ponytail instead so I reach back and wrap it around my fist.

She needs no guidance this time around but I cannot let go – it’s a guy thing.

The morning after with anyone else would end before it could even begin. As soon as we fucked, I left. Women didn’t come to my home, they didn’t know where I lived and I sure as shit didn’t stick around for small talk.

Some didn’t even get my name. Hell, most.

Jamie took me all, causing her to gag which pushes me over the edge in record time.

What women didn’t understand was that it’s not about frequency or sometimes even skill.

I’ve lasted hours before, all night. It’s the person.

I’m ready to blow just looking at her with my dick in her mouth, and I love her – she’s got me hook, line and sinker. Granted our few sexual encounters haven’t been five or fifteen minute quickies, they’re still over too soon for my liking.

Call me mushy or a pussy, I really don’t give a damn. It ain’t always a stamina thing.

She swallows every last drop and pulls her head back. I release her hair to reach for her but she jumps up and runs for the bathroom.

I’m still waking up and without prosthesis so she’ll have to come back to me.

Peeking around the corner with a toothbrush in her hand, she grins at me. “Good morning.”

“Great morning.” Cheesy as fuck.

The woman makes me certifiable.

She slides back into the bathroom to return not but two minutes later. The clock reads 12:45.

Sitting next to me, she wrings her hands and looks at me under her lashes.

“Was that…I mean, is that okay?”

My intent when reaching out for her is take her hand but instead I wrap my arm around her waist and pull her to me.

“You can do that or anything else to me that you want, whenever you want.”

She beamed at me, relieved.

“What have you been up to, sugar?”

“Harassing Luke with Taylor.”

“Ah! Is that so?” I laugh.

The more she comes out of her shell, the deeper I fall. I’m pleased she’s found a comfortable groove with my brother.

“He won’t tell me anything.” She pouted.

“Well, that won’t do, will it?” I know she needs that sense of control and power she gets from knowledge.

Unfortunately my cell won’t work down here so I have to go to him.

After tossing on my old stick, I got dressed and pulled her after me.

The door is slightly ajar, putting me on edge.

I don’t bother knocking knowing Luke wouldn’t have answered anyway.

As a matter of fact, he doesn’t even turn around.

“Tay, I told you to go drive someone else nuts. I don’t have time right now, girl.”

That wasn’t a good sign. Luke has an especially soft heart for Tay, after me of course. Shit, she was the only girl he could talk to until his junior year of high school.

“Sugar, can you give us a minute?” Jamie looked put out, so I whisper in her ear, “I’ll tell you everything I find out but he won’t talk to me with you in here.”

She nodded and walked back out.

“Alright, whatchya got?” I settle into a seat beside his captain’s chair.

Luke finally acknowledges me and frowns.

“What?”

“You’ve obviously found something because you, almighty wizard of all things tech, aren’t even keeping an eye to the camera outside your office door. And it was unlocked. You thought I was Tay, bro.”

Luke started spinning in his chair from, side to side again, scratching his stubble. “Just tired.”

“Man. You might could pull that bullshit excuse on the others but I know you better than you know yourself. I also know it’s big which is why I sat down. So give it to me.”

IF he weren’t really distracted, he would have chuckled a “that’s what she said”, but nothing.

“It’s… uh… it’s kind of big.” His eyes widened in something a lot like disbelief.

Clearly, he’s still processing.

I sit quietly while he gathers his scattered thoughts.

“When Jamie’s case came across my desk, I was mildly interested. Not enough to jump in feet first with wild abandon.” He paused and looked straight into my eyes, pointedly. “I should have.”

I nod for him to keep going, preparing a piece of blank mental paper.

“The case files on Jamie, Nolan, Jamie’s parents and the whole event are just chock full of inconsistencies and more questions than answers. What isn’t complete bullshit, is just missing like they couldn’t come up with a good enough excuse so they just ignored it. The guys who ‘investigated’ Nolan’s investigation are just up and gone. Another FBI ghost thing I’m assuming.”

He took a deep breath and hit something on his keyboard. Several screens loaded different files and pictures.

Jamie’s scared and swollen but vindicated, 12 year old face lit one screen.

“Jamie’s story doesn’t match up?” I ask, unable to hold my tongue.

“Yes and no.” He held a hand up. “She told the truth; her truth. Everything she knew.”

He waved me off and looked back at the screens.

“I’ve learned few things here this morning, big brother. One, your woman’s parents were not her parents. Literally. She was kidnapped as a baby. I’m still working tracking down who and where the bios are. B, that fire was staged not accidental and while it
did
create casualties, it didn’t kill as many as were reported. This is where it gets really good. Lastly, Nolan is still alive. Which, unfortunately, means…”

“So is Jamie’s kidnapper. The first one.”

What is it about these women? Taylor has two stalkers, Jamie is kidnapped twice – what next?

“I suspected Nolan was still a player, and that Marcus was still alive. I mean, we’ve already covered this but I have some damning evidence now.”

“Any leads on who Nolan actually is?”

“No. I’m chasing a few hunches but nothing solid yet. He’s due to reach out soon; he’s had his toes dipped in this case with Jamie before I knew who he was, or who I suspect him to be. I’m expecting his contact in the next few days to discuss any leads and exchange breaks we’ve both gotten.”

I swipe my hand over my face in an attempt to smooth my annoyance.

“What about Bryant?” I ask, looking from screen to screen.

“Not much, regrettably. I’ve had a few hits but not anything that’ll tell us who he’s working for.”

A thought hit me smack between the eyes at the same instant it apparently struck Luke.

“Holy fucking shit balls!”

“You were so tired you made 2+2, 22, instead of 4.”

He smacked me on the back excitedly.

“Just needed a little kick start.” He turned back to his setup placing his fingers on the monstrosity of a keyboard before I could stop him.

“Whoa there, cowboy! What do you think you’re doing?”

“This opens a whole slew of places for me to look and things to discover, questions needing answers!”

“Alright Bill Nye. After you’ve had some rest. You’re at the end of your fuse. Get some food, sleep, and recharge then hit it again in a few hours. We aren’t going anywhere. I’ll brief Mike and the guys.”

For a minute Luke looked ready to fight but gave in.

“Hey! Everybody fucking loves Bill Nye – that’s a compliment. But you’re right. Fresh eyes’ll go a long way.”

Chapter 13

I found Mike, Tommy, Peyton, Charlie, Candace, Baby and Paulie all in the meeting room.

“Crapshoot. He’s not better, he just has balls of steel. I’ll guarantee you he came in with what you saw – no backup.” Baby argued.

“Maybe, but how and why get past our perimeter security only to begin a game of cat and mouse? Send a strip-o-gram or something.” Charlie rebutted.

“A strip-o-gram, really Charlie?” Tommy asked, eyebrow raised in scrutiny as he laughed silently.

“Do they even make those?” Peyton asked, mildly interested.

Charlie ignored him.

“He wanted to send us into high alert.” I said, closing the door behind me.

“And why do you think that?” Candace asked.

“Story time, boys and girls. Paulie, stick around. I think you’ll want to hear this one.”

Paulie eyed me wearily as I flipped my chair around and straddled it.

“Once upon a time there was a beautiful baby girl born to mommy x.” I begin.

“Really? Mommy x?” Candace scoffed.

“Okay. Sally. Anyways, for whatever reason, a big bad man kidnapped Sally’s baby and raised her in one of Brooklynn’s worst projects. As the baby got older, the sumbitch Earl-”

“Earl?” Peyton interrupted this time.

“Will you just shut up and listen to the fucking story?” I ground my teeth.

“As I was saying. Earl was raising the girl like cattle, except cattle are treated better. He had very big plans for her. She was his meal ticket. Then, one day he was visited by a man looking for a good time. When the man left with the girl, Earl found out it was a trap. The government got a tip off about his blossoming child prostitution and trafficking ring. He escaped in the very nick of time, leaving a whole building of people to die in a giant blaze – which he created. Flash forward twelve years later. Little girl is all grown up and way more beautiful than expected. Earl found her and followed her, building his contacts and his empire. Now he’s ready to claim his prize. So he hires some rogue Seal’s to do his dirty work. In exchange for the girl, they never have to work another day in their lives. For ten lifetimes. Or something like that.”  I take a deep breath and steeple my fingers.

You can hear a pin drop. Jaws are on the floor. I’ve aged five years before Baby stutters, “Bryant would never…”

“I know. Hence the warning.”

It was all coming together for them now.

“That mother fucker.” Paulie spat.

“He’ll probably be practically untouchable at this point.” Tommy said angrily.

This wasn’t our first rodeo with sex trafficking – even with kids – but it never got easier. Such a despicable act earned top priority in our case load. Full attention and no expense spared on resources. Every bit helped even if the tip was years old. Even half-truths helped. Some people couldn’t handle the pressure of putting loved ones in danger if they spoke up. Others couldn’t talk fast enough. Trafficking cases were always tough because the success rate of retrieval was dismal. The odds were grim.

Except this was our specialty.

“So Bryant…” Baby started then swallowed.

“Is actually trying to do the right thing.” I finished, placing my hand over hers. “Maybe I’m shooting in the dark, but I’d say that little outing to the lake and nappy time over at the B&B was his way of letting us know he was here. He knew we’d go on high alert which also means that even when security is maximized, we can be spread thin wanting to cover every base.”

“That explains it.” She said, throwing her arms up and head back.