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“How’s she doin’?” Bear asked when Prin returned downstairs.
Though worry clouded Prin’s bright stare, her words sounded hopeful. “She’s resting,” she announced to everyone in the room including her cousin. “She even ate a little of the soup I brought up,” something naughty crept into her gaze then. “Looks like my cousin’s talents don’t relate to the kitchen.”
The mood lightened substantially when Gib walked over to yank one of Prin’s pigtails and then draw her into a loose headlock. The laughter and easy feelings lasted but a moment. Gib went back to lean against the wall where he’d taken residence since returning from Richmond and leaving Nica in the capable care of his aunt and cousin.
Another dusting of snow coated the winter white that already brightened the landscape. Portions were visible from the row of bay windows along the far end of Jamus Holland’s basement-level mancave. Despite the fact that it was Christmas Eve, the mood was dim. Dimmer, once Gib had shared Nica’s story, including her involvement with Benjamin Haahs. He hadn’t violated Nica’s confidence by doing so. She had given him her proxy to share everything with the people in that room.
LuCarolyn caught her husband’s eye. “Guess this answers my question about whether there were any girls in the GAN.”
Rutger scowled, his whiskey colored eyes dark with loathing over the story. “It’s still news to us,” he said. “Proof that the GAN’s still got a lot of nasty surprises tucked away.”
Losing his interest in the wall, Gib went to brood at the bar.
“How many girls do you think there were?” Tee asked no one in particular.
Mercuri answered his wife. “The GAN had a lot of girls. However many were part of its experiments besides Nica and her friends? Who knows? We know they weren't being used to fight.” He looked to the men he’d once bled beside. “We’d have surely known that.”
Slayte smirked when he looked his brother’s way. “Don’t know how sure I am about that now,” he said.
“Agreed,” Pope sighed.
Gib left the bar, “Guys, you know this is all fascinating as fuck, but can we discuss the crazy jackass who’s after Nica?” he snapped.
A hush fell across the room before Prin spoke up. “Are we sure this Ben Haahs and his friends are the ones who-killed Aviva?”
“We can pretty much bank on it, Mand,” Gib said.
With a soft curse regarding the situation, Slayte went to console his wife when she shuddered in response.
“Do you guys think the others are here?” Bear asked.
“Haahs knows Nica’s here,” Gib said. “Which means he knows you guys are here,” he looked from Bear to Mercuri. “Why commit such a bold crime knowing y’all could be on him in a skinny minute?”
“So you think his boys are with him?” Pope pressed.
Gib hedged for a couple of seconds. “I can’t speak for the actions of psychotics, but this sounds-it seems personal.” He clenched beefy fists as images surfaced of what Ben Haahs had done to the unsuspecting Ashland Inn maid the night before.
The county Sheriff had been obliged to allow Gib; a friend and colleague, to view his department’s crime scene photos when Gib brought Nica in to give her statement when they’d arrived from Richmond that morning. Nica had made no mention of Haahs during her account. Likewise, Gib told no one besides Nica about the private showing of the crime scene photos.
“If they’re not surfaced yet, they will soon,” Rutger put in. “Magnus Barnaby’s a smart son of a bitch.”
“They’ll all be wanting to keep as low a profile as possible right now,” Mercuri said.
“I suppose they weren’t among those who supported your rebellion,” Lu said.
“You suppose right,” Mercuri affirmed.
“But who are they really?” Prin queried from the corner of the sofa she and Slayte now shared. “You’re saying they weren’t part of Zubin’s gang so why would they do a job like this for him?”
Slayte kissed Prin’s temple. “Mag and his boys fell out of favor with the GAN long before Merc’s rebellion,” he told her.
“We never knew why,” Mercuri added. “They were still in the organization but word was that something shady-shadier than the norm had gone down.”
“Word also was that they were on Boothe Marshall’s payroll,” Rutger said. “They would’ve known Zoo went to B.M. to get backing for the war he started here last year.”
“Rutger’s right,” Pope chimed in. “Boothe must’ve offered up a pretty sweet deal to get them to work with Zubin.”
“You’re talkin’ reinstatement in the GAN?” Doubt hugged Slayte’s guess. “Not much of an incentive with you bein’ in charge now, Po.”
“So basically y’all got no clue where this fool is or what his next move is?” Gib’s voice barreled into all the hypothesizing.
“We know one thing,” Slayte said. “We know he’s here for Nica. We keep our focus on her, he’ll come right to us.”
~~~
Gib remained when nearly everyone cleared the basement level. Slayte held back as well.
“Okay?” Slayte clapped his cousin-in-law’s shoulder.
“No,” Gib’s voice carried an eerie calm.
Slayte gave a half-hearted grin. “I get it,” he said.
“It’s constant work, you know? Keeping the rage at bay.” Gib confessed. “I’ve felt this way ever since Nica told me what she went through-ever since I learned she was the one who found Aviva Joseph, actually. After everything she’s told me-I know she hasn’t told me the half of it.”
“You have a right to be angry, man. We’ve all been there, you know?”
“Yeah,” Gib acknowledged blandly. “Trouble is, I’m a cop.”
“What? And cops don’t lose it every once in a while? We all know that’s bullshit.”
“That’s not what I mean, Slayte.” Gib said sagely. “You know what it’s like, man. Folks back up when guys our size walk in a room. Couple that with my natural tan and well...”
“Tan or not, we’ve all been there, G. We’d all go back there happily if needs be,” Slayte’s violet eyes hardened with certainty. “All bets are off when it comes to protecting the woman you love.”
“Love,” Gib winced. “Hell, am I that obvious?”
Slayte laughed abruptly. “You look sappier than I did when I was trying to get your cousin to notice me.”
“Hell...” Gib frowned. “No way am I that bad,” he joined in when Slayte laughed anew.
“I know I’ll kill the fool if I catch up to him, Slayte.” Gib confessed when his amusement waned. “I can’t let it happen, but I’ve got no way to stop it. As much as I want the nutcase dead, I want Nica more. That won’t happen if I’m doing life for murder.”
“Fuck that,” Slayte spat. “You know we won’t let that happen.”
“Doesn’t matter. I’d know. I wouldn’t be a damn bit of good to her then with that on my conscience. Killing Ben Haahs wouldn’t be about the law. It wouldn’t be about getting justice for Rosalie Keaton either,” he spoke of the murdered Ashland Inn maid. “This would be personal, Slayte. I’d take pleasure in it and what that could turn me into, scares me.”
“If it helps, you should know I’ll have your back no matter what,” genuine devilry turned Slayte’s vivid gaze into an intense dark purple. “I promise to pull you off the bastard if the time comes.”
The promise ignited Gib’s provocative grin. “Don’t pull me off too soon, alright?”
“Never! Where’s the fun in that?”
The two shared more laughter as they strolled from the room.
***
Nica felt she’d pretended to be sleeping long enough once Prin left. The meal she had was appreciated, though she’d barely tasted a bite. Prin had been strict with her instructions for her to eat and rest. Nica could easily visualize the loving, nurturing mother her boss would become.
Still, sleep continued to evade. Nica didn’t doubt she needed to rest. She’d only gotten a catnap with Gib the night before. The glorious bed in his loft had not been used for sleeping. She shook her head determinedly against the pillow to rid her mind of those images. Those thoughts, blissful as they were, weren’t ones she could afford to be sidetracked by. Not with Ben Haahs on the loose and more deranged than ever.
Whatever made her think she could outrun him forever? That she’d never see him again? Her friends had all managed to elude the men from their pasts. Then again, they’d been smart enough to go live in some of the most inaccessible corners of the globe. Of course, she had to be the one to stick close to home. But then...she’d had good reason.
It was true. She felt she owed Prin. What she and the others did that night, kept her and her girls on the path to liberation. The events in Las Vegas helped them, even though they’d already faked their deaths and escaped. It took the heat off the hunt for them and put it on the hunt for those who’d killed The Ten.
It was only fair for one of them to stick around to repay the debt. And now, her good deed had brought fresh danger to the door. The hard truth dissolved whatever attempts she’d made in hopes of dozing off. Pushing from the bed, she slipped on a T-shirt and sweatpants. She needed a walk-just past the back porch would be far enough. Maybe a dose of the brisk Christmas Eve air was just what she needed to have her return to snuggle under the luxurious linens for that much needed sleep.
If caught by Prin, Nica was sure the woman would only view her actions as a ploy to avoid napping. With that in mind, she took the back stairs she’d discovered close to her room shortly after they’d first arrived for the holiday stay.
Avoiding Prin wasn’t the only reason for taking the infrequently traveled path. Little over a week remained before they’d all be heading back out west. She’d probably never see Gibson Taylor again and that was probably best. They didn’t know each other-not really. They’d enjoyed one another very much, yes. Given the drama she’d brought into his life, however, she couldn’t blame him for wanting to see the end of her.
She made it down to the main level without being seen. The stairway led to a small hall. Left would take her to the kitchen, right to the screened porch that faced the sprawling back expanse of the ranch.
The wind sent broad tufts of snow gliding across the landscape. A heavier coating had fallen during the previous night. The fierce wind directing the blowing snow gave it the look of some ethereal cake batter beneath the gray skies. Nica knew he was there before he said a word.
“Looking like the lady of the manor these days, aren’t we?”
She turned, expression drawn, voice tight. “And you’re looking as crazed as you always have.”
Benjamin Haahs smiled, his harshly handsome features edgier given the wild gleam in his tea-colored stare. “Apologies for the theatrics, gorgeous. I felt something spectacular was needed to compete with your sheriff. You yearning for black dick these days? Does he know about us?”
“He does-”
“Does he know everything Ny? He know how special I am to you?”
“He knows I had a role to play and that I played it. Played you.”
“I suppose you did.” Haahs nodded. “You and your friends played me and mine like a song. They’re pretty beat up about it, you know?”
“But you’re not?”
“I was,” his phony downtrodden expression quickly brightened. “But now here you are and things are looking up.”
Laughter stirred from somewhere inside the house. Before Nica could flinch at the sound, Haahs was close to her ear and snarling.
“Come with me or I start turning that laughter into screaming.”
“You wouldn’t dare,” she snarled back, disgust thriving in her glare. “Is your mind so far gone, you haven’t stopped to think about how much muscle is inside that house?”
Haahs looked incensed. “You think I can’t take any one of those cocksuckers?”
Her lovely features drew into a sneer. “Yes. I seriously doubt you could, and I’m pretty damned confident you can’t take them all, which is exactly what you’d have to try.”
“Perhaps,” he inhaled deeply, causing his lean 6’7 frame to appear bulkier. “I guess the satisfaction would be in the chance to get my hands on one of the beauties in that house.”
“And do what, you piece of shit? Treat them like you did Aviva?”
Something flickered in Haahs’ unremarkable gaze, but he shrugged off the reaction. “Zoo said he wanted it messy.”
“He told Slayte differently.”
“Of course he did!” Haahs chuckled. “Who would tell a truth like that to Slayte Miltiades? Now what’s it gonna be, Ny? You coming with me or do I go wreak havoc? Sure I’ll get my ass shredded, but not before I do a helluva lot of damage.”
Nica weighed the odds then. The people inside that house-male and female-had proven more than once that they were a considerable force. All were capable of defending themselves. It would be a treat to see Benjamin Haahs get much more than he expected.
There was one person inside, however, who had no defenses at the ready. Nica couldn’t be sure whether her deranged nemesis knew about Reina and no way would she risk him being canny enough to get to the sleeping infant inside.
“What’s it gonna be, Ny?” He sounded like he knew her decision was made.
“Let’s go,” she said.