What Lies Within (41 page)

King’s eyes narrowed. “And so?”

“Were the 22s involved?”

King stiffened at the threat in Rafe’s tone. “If they were? You gon’ do somethin’ ’bout it?”

Solid tactic. Don’t admit or deny. “I just want to know if you were involved.”

King leaned forward. “Why?”

“Because he’s been standing for you, that’s why.”

King’s gaze shifted to his brother, and Rafe saw something that gave him the first hope he’d felt all day. A softening in King’s eyes. “You lookin’ good, L’il Man.”

“Yeah?”

Rafe’s hand shot out to grip Tarik’s arm. The sarcasm in the kid’s tone wasn’t what they needed right now, and he communicated that with a hard squeeze.

Tarik fell silent. He was a smart kid.

King K relaxed back against the couch cushions, his arms draped over the women at his sides. “I’m not saying we did or didn’t do nuthin’, but I will say this. Those church people got what they deserve for moving in on our territory.”

Rafe’s anger had him stepping forward, but Tarik cut him off. He faced his brother. “Are you saying this was your doing?”

Rafe had never heard the boy’s tone go so hard. Like honed steel. He’d better be careful, though. He might be King’s brother, but the gang leader wouldn’t let Tarik go too far over the line. In fact, from King K’s angry eyes and tense mouth, Rafe was pretty sure Tarik had gotten as far as he was going to get.

“What if I am?”

Tarik’s reply matched his brother’s tone, ice for ice. “Then you tried to kill me.”

King K’s arms fell away from the women, and he stood, a frown crossing his features. “What you talkin’?”

“That shot, big brother.” Tarik took another step forward, putting his face right in his brother’s as his words hissed out. “The shot that took out Miss Justice’s sister. It was meant for me.”

Outrage. Vengeance. Betrayal.

All those and more flooded the gang leader’s features. “I don’t believe you.”

“Your belief doesn’t change the truth,
hermano
.“ The term dripped sarcasm. “Miss Justice’s sister, she heard the first shot and jumped in front of me. If she hadn’t taken the bullet, it would have hit me”—he pressed a clenched fist to his heart—“here.” Raw emotion turned Tarik’s voice hoarse. “Was it you? Did you try to kill me?”

For a moment, silence, thick and heavy, fell over the room. The 22s watched King K for any signal to take out the intruders. Rafe tensed. He wouldn’t go down without taking a few of them with him.

But the signal never came. Instead, King K reached out to grab his younger brother’s shoulder. “
Nunca
, hermano. I’d never hurt you.” His fingers gripped Tarik’s shirt. “On Mama’s grave,
lo juro
. You hear me? I swear it. Whoever did that woman, it wasn’t the Blood Brotherhood.”

“Where were you last night?”

King K’s gaze cut to Rafe, and his features hardened. “You callin’ me a liar?”

Rafe didn’t back down an inch. “Answer the question, King. Unless you’ve got something to hide.”

King let go of Tarik’s shirt and took a step back, his chin lifting a fraction as he studied Rafe down his nose. Rafe’s muscles tensed. This was it, that crucial moment when things either eased up or got worse.

Much, much worse.

He knew it. King knew it. And from the way the 22s were watching their leader, they knew it. Rafe didn’t let his gaze flicker. He would not be the one to give way. If he did that, he’d lose any chance of getting to the truth.

“We were here.” King’s soft words split the silence like an explosion. Rafe let himself relax. The slightest flicker in King’s eyes said he’d seen Rafe’s tension, and his relief. “You don’t believe me”—his stare drilled into him—“you go ask the 5-0. They were here too.”

Tarik frowned. “Why were the police here?”

A gang member behind them spoke up. “They always droppin’ by when we just chillin’.”

Hoots sounded from all around. “Yeah. 5-0 tryin’ to bust up on us.”

King K held up his hands, and the room fell silent. “Like I said, you got someone other than us to worry about.”

Rafe believed him. “Thanks.” He nodded to Tarik, and they started to turn. But King’s voice stopped them.

“Mr. Marine.”

Rafe turned, not sure what to expect. King’s expression was hard. “You find out who did this, who tried to take my brother out, you let me know.”

“I’ll make sure the person responsible pays.”

King didn’t like his answer, but he didn’t argue. “One more thing.” Rafe waited.

“You tell the builder lady we’re done.”

“Done?”

“We out of it. Her sister saved one of ours. We won’t come against her and hers. Not no more.”

There were those who might doubt a gang leader’s word, but Rafe knew if King was saying it, he meant it. Because of Tarik.

“I’ll tell her.”

“You do that. And you tell her somethin’ else.”

“What’s that?”

“Watch her back.” King was dead serious. “ ’Cuz they be comin’ for her. Soon.”

Rafe and Tarik walked back to Rafe’s car, but before they reached it Tarik stopped him with a hand on his arm. “What are you going to do?”

“What do you mean?”

The kid snorted. “Don’t give me that. I know that look. You’ve decided something.”

Yup. No doubt about it. Tarik was smart. And altogether too perceptive. “Yeah, I have.” He started walking toward his car again.

“So?”

He didn’t look at Tarik as he answered. “It’s time.”

“Time? For what?”

Rafe pulled his driver’s door open. “To call in the Marines.”

FIFTY-ONE   

L
ike any good Marine, Thales was ready for Rafe’s call.

“I need you here. Now.”

“Will four more Marines do the job, sir?”

“Five Marines against a whole gang?” Rafe smiled. “Well, I hate to overpower them, but that’s just the way it goes, oo-rah?”

“Oo-rah, sir. It’ll be Sabada, Monroe, Rashidi and me. Green’s been deployed, so he can’t make it. But the rest of us will be there soon as we can.”

Rafe filled Thales in on where he’d meet them at the Portland airport, then hung up.

“You weren’t kidding? You really called the Marines?”

Tarik stood behind him. Rafe leaned back. “You listened in?”

“Naw, but you gettin’ all oo-rah means Marines.”

Rafe let a slow grin travel his features. “Yeah, it does.”

“The whole team—”

“Unit.”

“—unit comin’?”

Rafe studied the boy. Was Tarik frightened King might show after all? If so, would Tarik warn his brother reinforcements were on the way?

“Don’t sweat it.”

Rafe tipped his head. “Don’t sweat what?”

“I ain’t—”

“I’m not.”

A long-suffering sigh. “I’m not askin’ so I can warn anyone. Jamal’s my brother, but if he goes against his word, he’s on his own. I just want to be sure you’re, you know, covered. And to let you know I’m with you.”

It took a moment before Rafe could respond. “Thanks. That means a lot.”

“Yeah, well, you done”—he caught himself and grinned—“did a lot for me. So you and the Marines, you gonna be on the front lines, huh?”

Rafe digested that fact. Back on the front lines. He thought he was done with all that. “Looks like it.”

“Then I’ll stay in the background.” The boy’s eyes, so full of knowledge a boy that age shouldn’t have, met Rafe’s. “To watch your woman.”

Rafe arched a brow at that. “My woman?”

The kid’s grin was all boy now. “C’mon, man. Don’t try to tell me she ain’t … isn’t your woman. You get all googly-eyed when you talk about her.”

“Googly-eyed?”

“Yeah, like this.” Tarik pulled a hilarious face, and Rafe cracked up. “I have never looked like that in my life.”

“Just every time you talk about Kyla Justice.” Tarik stood. “But it’s okay, man. I like it that you got a good woman to love.” He punched Rafe’s arm. “Just promise you’ll name your first kid after me, a’ight?”

Rafe did his best not to let the boy see what that idea—having a family with Kyla—did to him. But from the laughter brimming in Tarik’s eyes, he figured he blew it. “Uh-huh. Tarik Murphy. Just sings off the tongue.”

“Tha’s what I’m talkin’ ’bout, Mr. Googly Eyes.”

Rafe stood, and Tarik signaled his surrender. “Okay, okay, I’m going to my room. Do the homework. Don’t get all up in yo’ testy self.”

The boy’s laughter echoed down the hallway as he headed to his room, and Rafe welcomed the sound.

Almost as much as he welcomed the boy’s idea.

He and Kyla getting married. Having a baby. Tarik Murphy …

More unlikely things have happened.

Not many. The image of the man at the hospital drifted into his mind. Kyla’s voice taunted him: “Just a friend of Annot’s.” Yeah, unlikely. That was the word for it.

But it’s not impossible
.

Well, no. Of course not. Nothing was impossible with God. Rafe pondered that thought. Nothing was impossible.

This time the voice echoing in his head was Fredrik’s: “The plans of the L
ORD
stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.”

The plans of the Lord. The purposes of his heart.

And timing. God’s perfect timing.

All that swirled around in Rafe’s mind and heart. He stood, stretching, and headed down the hallway to his room. But right on his heels was a thought he knew he shouldn’t entertain. But one that wouldn’t go away.

Maybe … just maybe … this would turn out right after all.

FIFTY-TWO   

W
hat have I done?

Kyla Justice leaned her head back against the wall, grateful for its support. Her fingers gripped the hard chair that held her, keeping her from collapsing into a heap on the floor.

She wanted to get up. To go look through the glass at the still form that lay there. But she couldn’t. Couldn’t stand to see the tubes. To hear the beeping monitors. All that terrifying equipment that said, as clear as day, “This is your fault.”

God!
The prayer catapulted her from her chair.
Help me!

But He wouldn’t. How could He, when she’d gone so wrong? She’d known what He wanted her to do. Known the right thing to say and do. But no. She had to do things her way. Always her way.

Kyla’s feet halted their agitated pacing, and she sagged against the hard wall of the intensive care waiting room. Her mother used to tell her disobedience had a cost. Now … 
There was no doubting it.