The news that Alisha was the little girl Brandi was trying to help came as a shock to Daron. The fact that Roger threatened to traffick her if she didn’t assist was appalling. Now Levi’s statement about causing him to lose money made sense, especially since Marquise and Roger were really working for him.
They transported Marquise’s stolen merchandise to clients, along with drugs, Roger’s illegal wares and trafficking victims. The entire situation made Daron sick to his stomach. The leads Daron’s team had on the shooter Marquise hired, hadn’t panned out. He turned the task over to Red, hoping he’d have better luck.
“Cam’s father can cross Dr. Oakley off his list.” Nicco sat a whiskey mule on a square wooden table next to Daron’s tablet.
“Hopefully, the other doctors on the list are not like Oakley.”
Bringing Dr. Oakley and Marquise to justice made Daron realize his life would be entangled with that of these eight other directors of The Castle for the foreseeable future. Might as well take the time to really get to know them outside of their scheduled meetings.
“You picked a beautiful day to have a barbecue,” Nicco said, reaching into the small refrigerator to grab some fruit. “Is Cam coming?”
“Calvin and Mia, too.” Daron figured The Castle would be the best place to host the event.
Daron hoped spending time with the Kings would give Cameron an opportunity to talk with them and accept that they were not criminals. Her silence didn’t mean she wasn’t still questioning his retirement and new responsibilities. He’d already messed up their relationship by projecting his fears on her and focusing more on his purpose, as if it had been an ‘either-or’ scenario. She had a right to be concerned.
“Did Pedro get the boys settled?” Nicco asked, sitting the orange slices, pineapple chunks, and cherries on the counter.
“Yeah. We have JD helping Amarion and Reese get set up in New York, while Pedro’s in DC getting Cedric squared away.”
Daron lowered the silver lid on the grill, then sat down. The early morning start had begun to take its toll. He reached for the glass of whiskey as the tablet chimed.
Nicco grabbed the Glock tucked in the waistband of his shorts, hidden under the tank top. “Which quadrant?”
Daron picked up the device and shook his head. “It’s Cam.”
The only reason he knew Cameron was coming was because he installed sensors on the exterior wall that were hard to see from a distance. Daron still had some work to do on security. She shouldn’t have gotten this close to the building without him being notified. He wondered if she’d come in on a motorcycle. She was wearing a jogging suit with a backpack and baseball cap low on her forehead. By the time she made it to the end of the building, Daron was waiting for her.
“You’re hiding again, gorgeous.” He tugged on her cap before pulling her into his arms and giving her a peck on the lips.
“Of course not,” she replied, following him into the backyard.
The sun beamed down on them as she walked beside Daron through the uncovered seating area with a fire pit waiting to be lit, moving closer to the smoky-sweet smell.
Cameron waved to Nicco, who was back to manning the bar that had stools inside and outside the pool. Her eyes stayed on Nicco too long. Daron assumed she was checking out his tattoo sleeve which was normally hidden under suits. At least, that had better be why.
Daron placed a hand on her lower back and guided her into the covered kitchen. She walked over to the fireplace that held the large screen television where there was more outdoor furniture. He imagined that sitting outside with the fireplace going on cooler days was a great way to wind down. A mix of R&B, oldies and Jazz played in the background.
“You’re the grill master for today.” Cameron smiled as she returned to his side near the pit. “I thought the staff would handle that.”
“To ensure there was no drama and everyone could safely enjoy getting to know each other. I chose to cook and put Nicco on drinks.” Daron pointed toward the pool with a rock waterfall feature. “We have Linc as the lifeguard.”
Cameron waved at Linc, who was relaxing in a chair on a landing with a fire pit that seemed to float on the pool’s lily pad. Linc walked over to the patio side heading their way.
Nicco slid from behind the bar.
“How about I watch the grill while you give her a tour,” Nicco offered, entering the kitchen.
Linc replaced Nicco at the bar.
“Sounds good.” Daron pointed to the stairs near where the water cascaded down. “There’s a private whirlpool up there.”
He walked her down the path that led to the basketball courts, tennis courts, then toward the golf course. Daron directed her attention to his left. “Further back there is a lake and stables.”
“I imagine the area near the lake is serene and beautiful,” Cameron stated, as they strolled down the path. “It’s a lot of estate to protect.”
He captured her hand in his, then stopped moving. “Your comment that I can’t be your King and a King of The Castle stuck with me.”
“Don’t ruin the day by starting an argument.” Cameron tugged him forward.
He held her waist, guiding her to one of the benches along the path where they sat down. “I admit that I didn’t handle the discovery of my membership in the correct way. At the time, I felt the best method to maintain our relationship was to wait until I found out more.”
He had to admit to himself that the decision had more to do with how he thought she would react to the news than her actual actions, which were reasonable given the circumstances.
“That doesn’t sound like the relationship we discussed that we’d build on honesty.” Cameron ran a hand through her reddish-brown hair. “I don’t want to feel like I’m on one of Bishop’s assignments in my personal life.”
“Don’t walk away without at least giving us a real chance.” Daron held her hand as she stood. “I love you.”
Cameron stared at him but said nothing. He could see she was debating with herself.
Daron immediately felt numb. Was she actually planning on permanently cutting ties with me? “What is it?”
“To be honest, I wish you weren’t involved in The Castle. My entire point of wanting to be sure you remained retired was so we could maintain the life we had before you received that call from Katara.”
The sadness in her eyes was a gut punch. Even though he expected Cameron to be stubborn and difficult, Daron had been so sure he’d get her back. However, he hadn’t counted on the fact that with the membership there was no returning to how they were before the call. “Babe, your friends are actual criminals and you see them on a regular basis.”
She raised an eyebrow. “It’s not them that my mom is asking to meet.”
“Accept the role of Queen in my life and let me show you that we can find the same kind of happiness in our new norm.” Daron slid his arms around her waist, gazing into her eyes. “Together we’ll work on implementing the same precautions that your father and brothers have, to keep work-life from crossing over to their personal one. Can we do that?”
Cameron paused, taking a deep breath. Her hesitation made him slightly nervous.
“Yes. But no more ultimatums.”
“Be warned,” he said, placing his forehead on hers. “I’m going to be on you about speaking to your father. I feel like you were able to walk away without blinking an eye because of your relationship with him.”
“I did blink an eye.” She smirked. “I can’t help if you missed it.”
Daron chuckled before lowering his mouth to hers, tasting what he’d been craving since she’d tossed back the house keys. “Making us official feels so right.”
“I’ll deal with you harassing me about Jake, but this time you’ll have to mean what you say, Daron. We’re a team.” She placed a palm against his face with her brown eyes laser-focused on him. “No making decisions that affect both our lives without so much as a mention.”
He wrapped her in both arms holding her firmly as she laid her head on his shoulder. “Moving forward, I’ll honor the team.” Closing his eyes, he reveled in the feel of her body against his, praying that they would develop a foundation strong enough to handle the truths about his past decisions.
She broke the embrace and her full lips curled into a smile. “Your woman is hungry from the hike she had to take to get to this shindig.”
“I’m hungry for another type of nutrition.” He pulled her back into his growing erection.
“You better eat well now because tonight we have a lot of lost time to make up for.” She slid a hand across his bulge, gently caressing as she slowly sucked his bottom lip before her tongue began exploring his mouth.
“Damn.” Daron wished he didn’t know how many drones and cameras were on the property, otherwise, he wouldn’t be waiting for tonight.
Reluctantly he broke the embrace, leading her back to the outdoor kitchen. He relieved Nicco from grill duties as Cameron washed her hands, then set out the plates and cutlery. She snagged a turkey hotlink from the traditional barbecue pan on the stand next to the macaroni and cheese and dirty rice. He peeled back the plastic so she could use the tongs to grab the chips.
“Do you think I should put the other items out?” Daron asked, opening the small refrigerator and lifting out the salad to see if she wanted any.
She shook her head. “Wait at least until someone else arrives, the sun isn’t playing with anybody today.”
Daron joined her at the table after flipping the vegetables on the grill. Being there talking with Cameron reminded him of his mother sitting with his father as he finished barbecuing. She’d once told Daron after getting up so early, his father would be tired and she’d keep him talking until he got his second wind.
We should have had more time, Dad.
Cameron rested her hand on his shoulder. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah. Just thinking I’m grateful that if Roger survives, he’ll be prosecuted for his crimes.” His tablet beeped, but he knew Nicco and Linc were watching the security feeds. “And that Ralph, has had the charges dropped.”
She slid an arm around his shoulder, pulling him closer and planting a kiss on his cheek.
“He did handle the entire situation with dignity and grace though some people will always think he was involved.” Daron rested a hand on her thigh, appreciating that this moment was the first time he felt that maybe happiness didn’t have to be an occasional visitor in this new life. “I’m planning to refer the youth I come across to Tony while I widen my net for a candidate to run my program.”
A few minutes later, Reno and Kaleb arrived, then Grant moments later. Daron introduced Cameron, who gave them an intense once over and directed them to the food.
“Are you cooking for an army?” Grant asked as he approached the long table filled with chafing dishes. He peeked into three warming units that contained either lamb chops, jerked chicken or rib-eye with lime Tequila butter.
“What we don’t eat, we box and deliver to the homeless,” Daron stated, as he fixed a plate with fruit and cheese to snack on. “Besides, y’all left Dwayne’s house on empty the first time we showed up?”
“Weren’t you the one who was the first to the table?” Kaleb asked.
“See, why you want to bring up old shit?”
His brothers laughed. So did Cameron, before heading to the bar to get a drink.
“What’s this?” Reno asked pointing to the last chafer as Shaz and Dro arrived.
Dro looked a little worn-out, probably because his crisis management clients kept him on high octane adventures.
“Grigliata mista di carne. I think.” Daron reached for a piece of fruit, but Cameron returned and commandeered the plate.
“You think.” Grant chuckled, peeking in the chafer with corn on the cob, salmon with Bourbon glaze, and Cajun shrimp skewers.
“Hey, it’s technically a platter of mixed grilled meats, but I don’t know if Italians would say it qualified as Grigliata mista di carne.” Daron removed the last of the veggie kabobs and the assorted vegetables from the grill.
“We’ll see,” Reno said, making his way down to the end of the line.
“As long as it tastes as good as it looks.” Kaleb picked up a plate. “I don’t care what it’s called.”
“Coleslaw, Potato Salad, and cold items are in the refrigerator,” Daron carried the salad and dressings to the table as Dwayne and his girlfriend, Tiffany, made their way over, followed by Calvin and Mia.
Daron made introductions.
Jai, and a woman they barely knew, arrived a few minutes after Cameron and Mia left to change to hit the pool. “I see you all got started without me.” He scanned the plates of food, but the pressure of dealing with the fallout from the discovery that a comatose patient at his clinic was pregnant was clearly etched on his face.
“Did you get my proposal for adding a weight alarm to the bed with safe zone sensors along sides of the bed?” Daron asked.
Jai lifted his cell, smiled then said, “Thanks.”
Daron hoped it helped prevent a repeat of the incident in the future. Now Jai had to survive the physical and emotional fallout of the investigation. Daron glanced at Vikkas and Milan as they approached the group. “Why is it that the person who actually lives on the property is the last to arrive?”
“You can’t make an entrance if you’re first to the party,” Vikkas announced as he guided Milan past the square tables to the long one where everyone was dining.
Daron made his way to Reno, who looked relaxed even though he was dealing with the surge in crime and how it affected his women’s shelter. He also had the added headache of someone hunting for a Tanzanian princess at the shelter, who was trying to remain out of the clutches of a father who’d sold her like a piece of meat. “Did you get all the evaluation forms in for the women?”
The new process would determine whether the women could receive the tracking earrings or they’d have to come up with an alternative.
Reno’s jaw clenched as he ran a hand through his hair. “I’m curious. What would be the alternative?”
“A bracelet, maybe a ring or watch.” Daron thought about Tracy. Her experience would have been very different if the traffickers had known to take out the earrings. “However, if Pedro deemed any of them unstable, in good conscience, he couldn’t give them any device.”
“Once they are approved, they’ll receive a device and the membership to receive training?” Reno queried.
Daron gestured to the women chatting it up with Cameron. “If you have any questions, it’s a perfect opportunity to speak with Mia, who will be in charge of transportation and Cameron, who will be handling training.” Daron glanced at Cameron and Mia, who took a few laps between talking with Linc poolside and Nicco at the bar.
He was thankful she was wearing one of her more conservative swimsuits. Daron was already contemplating how to slip out so he could feel those thick thighs wrapped around him.
“You okay over there?” Reno glanced at him, then looked at the pool before returning his attention to Daron.
Daron focused on the table. “Yeah.”
Cameron slipped into a purple and silver sundress cover-up, then made her way back to the group. He introduced her to the remaining people. Despite the fact that they all were going through some major challenges, they seemed to be enjoying themselves.
Kaleb was still caught up in the investigation into the suspicious arson of his property, resulting in the death of several young women. Grant was being blackmailed for something he did when getting his business off the ground. He wasn’t aware Daron knew, but Daron planned to stay out of it unless Grant asked for help.
Calvin took a seat next to Daron. “This is a great break from working. Thanks for the invite.”
“No problem.” Daron knew the next few weeks would be extremely busy with them testing how the tracker affected The Suits in different environments. The Kings were determined to help out. “Enjoy. We’ll be back to the grind in a couple of days.”
Dwayne went to the bar while Daron downed his whiskey and decided it was time for another drink.
“How are things?” Daron lowered himself onto a bar stool.
Dwayne picked up the drinks Nicco placed on the counter. “I’m adjusting.”
He was obviously struggling with the shift from life as a professor to the issues and dangers that came with being a King, while still balancing his vision for his charter school. That night at Marquise’s mansion showed he was up for the challenge.
“Well, I’ve only had a taste of the life you were living before The Castle dropped in the mix, shaking things up. I have moments where I crave the return of the peace and stability, but I know if we—” Daron nodded at the men laughing and talking around the table. “—restore this place to its original purpose, lives will be changed for the better. Including ours, and we won’t regret this leap of faith.”
He patted Dwayne on the back, took his own drink from Nicco, and they headed back to the group.
Khalil was approaching, with Steve as his personal guard. Daron was slightly surprised Khalil had made an appearance since his schedule stayed busy.
Cameron seemed to be enjoying herself and wasn’t faking it for his benefit.
Reno, Shaz, Dro, and Kaleb had moved to the table that held the decks of cards and were playing bid whist, another game Khalil taught them in school.
Daron walked over, sliding an arm around Cameron’s waist as she watched the men laughing, talking trash, and slapping down cards. He was confident he could make this new tribe work. Life didn’t always go as planned, but unexpected blessings always managed to slip in and make an appearance.
“What are you thinking?” Cameron asked.
“That we need to make a quiet exit, so I can not only show you my wing of The Castle, but also how much I’ve missed you.” Daron took her hand, slipping away to demonstrate that the beauty and splendor of The Castle paled in comparison to the love he had for her.
You met Calvin and Mia in King of Morgan Park. They actually have their own story in The Confection Assignment where you’ll learn more about the making of the Emperor’s Suit.
Mia’s head snapped up at a sound that wasn’t anything like the faint echoes of music from the other end of the lake. For some reason, her instinct was on high alert especially since the additional security team was missing in action.
“Having dinner out here was a great idea,” Mia said for the sake of their nosy neighbor Patty, who was walking in their direction as Calvin approached the table.
The older woman wasn’t any cause for concern.
“You like me cooking for you.” He brought out the spaghetti and salad, slid it on the table, then leaned in, kissing Mia. He wrapped his arm around her waist, nuzzling her neck. “Maybe we should have dessert first.”
“I’ll not be reheating dinner tonight.” Pushing him away, she turned him back toward the house, then swatted that gorgeous rear end of his to send him on his way. “You need to go grab those breadsticks. I’ll open the wine.”
Calvin, who had never been married, enjoyed playing the role of husband a little too much. He winked before stepping off the planks and into the dining room. He paused at the door and glanced over his shoulder. “We need to do this more often.”
Most often wouldn’t happen. Tonight was the last day of her assignment, then she’d be back to her regular life and that didn’t include being a high security detail protector to a top secret invention and its handsome creator.
Several minutes later, she poured him a glass of red wine before fixing their plates. She scanned the area again and a tingle of suspicion ignited in her mind.
What’s taking him so long?
“Calvin, today would be nice,” Mia yelled. She perched on the chair, waiting for his smart response.
None came.
Mia placed the glass on the table and swept into the house. Calvin wasn’t in the kitchen. If he had slipped into his office to work instead of joining her outside, there was going to be a problem.
Mia laid eyes on Calvin as she rounded the corner, but his voice halted her in her tracks.
“Run, Mia. Run,” Calvin yelled, lunging for the stocky Asian man near the office door.
A hefty Black guy slammed his weapon across the back of Calvin’s head.
Mia sprinted down the hallway past the study and powder room, aiming to get her weapon. She kicked herself for not bringing it inside. They wouldn’t kill Calvin, but they could hurt him if he didn’t cooperate. She slid a cast iron skillet from the cooktop.
“Go get her,” someone yelled from the office.
Several things crashed to the office floor. Calvin put up one hell of a fight. Mere seconds had passed when Mia’s pursuer rounded the corner. She slammed the skillet into his chest, causing him to fly into the wall. He recovered and reached for her arm. The skillet crashed down onto his head with a backward swipe. This time, his body hit the ground, right on top of his gun.
Damn.
Her feet pounded on the hardwood floor as she raced for the front entrance, aiming to find some type of reinforcements. An armed man came off the path to the porch. She slammed the front door, locking it. Keys jiggled in the tumbler.
Mia ran top speed toward the kitchen ahead of a spray of bullets that landed in the cabinets. She slid toward the island like a baseball player trying to reach the home plate. She scrambled around the counter, bolting to the deck and made it to the table.
“Nowhere to run,” a man with an ivory complexion said as a Latino guy calmly stepped over the threshold onto the deck as though nothing out of the ordinary had transpired.
“Don’t be so sure of that.” She snatched the Ruger, aimed, and pulled the trigger five times taking out the biggest threat. Mia didn’t wait for the Latino man’s advancing body to hit the ground. She hit the stairs. The ivory man took cover in the dining room and held up on a perfect vantage spot.
Three armed men raced toward her. Damn, how many did they send?
Her heart sank, but adrenaline kicked in as she turned back.
She had to make it to the Lincoln.
“Mrs. Atwood, don’t do it,” he yelled as she climbed from the patio chair to the railing.
He aimed his Glock and fired.
Mia took a flying leap from the banister and dove into the water.
Daron and Cameron had an interesting life before The Castle. Their story is told in Transition of Power.
Most days Cameron Stone was an upstanding citizen. Nights, not so much. She spent those reclaiming stolen items and returning them to their previous owners for a hefty fee. For owners who couldn’t make a police report for items from their private collection of stolen properties purchased off the black market. This, along with other things, was one of many assignments she and her team, Greg, Rob, and Trenton had when she worked for a man named Bishop who dabbled in all things illegal. Today she was doing recon in downtown Chicago, preparing for a job they would execute later that evening.
People milled about on their lunch, soaking up the touch of warm weather before the Chicago chill returned. Cameron placed a manicured hand on top of her fake pregnant belly as she sat in the outdoor seating at Pub on Wabash Street. The view of a particular stony office building, not the food, had brought her there. She carefully scanned the area.
“Need anything else?” the waitress asked, picking up the cash payment Cameron had left for the bill.
“No. Thanks,” Cameron replied, shifting the wicker chair toward the black metal gate fencing around the seating area.
Her gaze was focused on the door where the client would exit but her mind was on leaving the business. She wasn’t convinced it was the right time, especially given the latest incident of someone snatching their product before it was delivered to the client. She did a double take as a woman passed her who bore a striking resemblance to Kathleen Frost one of the few women Bishop allowed into their inner circle.
Cameron’s cell vibrated. She slid the handsfree buds into her ears as her eyes shifted to the bald man with a beer belly hanging over his belt, stepping out of the dull brown office building. Her client, Mr. Arthur, was on the move. Being a creature of habit was dangerous. She already knew what restaurant he was heading to and what he’d order.
She answered Rob’s call. “Hey hon, I’m sorry. Got your message. It’s okay to place the order.”
“Greg is calling him now,” Rob replied.
Cameron increased the volume to tune out the chatter of the older couple sitting nearby, the city sounds and the rumbling of the train overhead. The light changed and Mr. Arthur crossed the street. She could hear the client answer. A tall spiky-haired man walked past Mr. Arthur, blocking her view of his mouth. She watched chubby man continue his journey without a cell in his hand.
“We may have a problem,” Cameron said as she rose to her feet, waddling down the street. She reached him before he made it to the building that housed Heaven on Seven. He had no hands-free set and Greg was still on the line with the client. Who was pretending to be him? “Track the caller’s location now.”
The Gu, a 12th Century metal piece, was one of thirteen works stolen from the Gardner Museum in 1990, had been in Mr. Arthur’s possession from a black-market purchase. FBI offered a ten-million-dollar reward by for recovery the Museum’s thirteen pieces. They were worth more on the black market. Someone had stolen it from Mr. Arthur, killing his wife in the process. The police report corroborated the break-in and murder and Cameron had a feeling that old man missed his artwork more than his wife. She had let herself into his private museum which was hidden behind the bar in his basement. Pictures with him standing next to the Gu were splayed in the vault, but barely any around of his deceased wife. The client, who stated he had located the Gu and wanted it retrieved, was clearly not Mr. Arthur.
One thing she learned from her first failed job was expect to be double-crossed and be prepared for anything.
is a national bestselling author for her contribution to the NKTCS Sugar anthology. English and Grammar were never her strongest subjects. As life would have it, her weakest link would become her saving grace. Writing fiction became one of her favorite forms of therapy and kept her sane through life’s ups and downs. She has penned several contemporary fiction and suspense novels. Venturing into film making, she wrote and produced a short film based on one of her novels. Visit Karen on the web at www.karendbradley.com or on Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest @ms_kbradley.