Twelve Days Of Pleasure
Kendrick smiled. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John! He could just imagine the ribbing the four of them must have gotten as kids with their biblical monikers. His sister Katrina was married to Matthew Stallion, a lawyer, and she was a district court judge. The two were constantly debating politics and legalese. They had two children, teenaged Collin and baby Jake. Kendrick could only imagine what his two nephews would aspire to as they grew up.
Kendrick smiled as Mark’s wife, Michelle, waved in his direction. “You’re pretty quiet sitting over there!” she chimed warmly.
“Just taking it all in, Mitch,” Kendrick answered with a nod, calling her by her family nickname. “Your little munchkin is growing too fast. How old is she now?”
Mitch smiled. “Almost five,” she said.
He grinned. “I like those red cowboy boots, Irene,” he intoned.
The little girl just stared at him, not at all amused with his compliment. She then turned her back on him, marching off to catch up with a ball that had captured her attention.
Luke Stallion laughed, his wife, Joanne, joining in the merriment. “She’s going to be a tough one,” Joanne joked. “I already feel for the young boys who will start chasing after her.”
“Ain’t no boys going to be chasing after my baby!” Mark Stallion exclaimed. “I’ve already got my gun locked and loaded for any of them who even think to look in my girl’s direction.”
“I know that’s right,” Luke chimed in.
Kendrick nodded as he laughed with them. The two families were tightly entwined. And the abundance of love around the table exemplified just how deeply entangled their connection was. He took a sip of his mimosa, following it with a bite of fresh melon and forkful of scrambled eggs. His cell phone in his breast pocket suddenly vibrated for his attention.
He excused himself from the table and moved to the far end of the porch. Answering the call he listened for a moment, not bothering to say anything at all to the person on the other end. Across the room Zak met his gaze and nodded as he disconnected the call. Kendrick’s gaze shifted to his sisters, who had leaned in to have their photo taken, Phaedra snapping the shot with her camera.
There was no missing the Boudreaux lineage. Their features were distinctive, each of them with slightly angular eyes, thin noses, high cheek lines and full, pouty lips. Side by side they were a kaleidoscope of colorations that ranged from burnt umber to milk chocolate.
Kendrick’s brother Guy and Guy’s wife, Dahlia, suddenly exited the home, both with a baby in tow. Kendrick shook his head. He had missed the births of his new niece and nephew, the twins, Cicely and Sidney Boudreaux, when he’d been away on his last mission. He suddenly imagined them walking and talking by the time he would see them next and the thought didn’t sit well. He blew out a deep breath.
Zakaria had moved to his side. “You off?”
Kendrick nodded. “Yeah. A pickup and delivery. I won’t be too long. It should only take a couple of hours. With any luck I’ll be back in time to see you two off on your honeymoon.”
“I’ll hold you to that,” Zak said. He took a quick glance down to the new Breitling watch on his wrist. The wedding present from Maitlyn was an 18K rose-gold design that complemented him nicely. The gesture had made both men a tad misty when Kendrick had delivered it earlier.
“So, where are you two going, anyway?” Kendrick asked.
Zak shrugged. “I don’t have a clue. Your sister made all the arrangements.”
Kendrick laughed. “You asked for this.”
His friend laughed with him. “Yes, I did.”
There was a moment’s hesitation that shifted between them. “Do you miss it?” Kendrick suddenly asked.
Zak paused for a moment as he reflected on the question. “No. I thought I would. But I really don’t. I would miss your sister more.”
Kendrick nodded. “Kiss Maitlyn for me. Tell her I had to run an errand.”
“Tell her yourself,” Maitlyn said, appearing suddenly. She moved to stand beside her husband. She slid into Zak’s arms, tilting her head to give him a deep kiss. When she pulled away she turned her gaze back to her brother. “Where are you running off to now?”
“Business calls. You know how it goes.”
Maitlyn nodded. “Stay safe, please.”
He winked an eye in her direction. “Don’t I always?”
Zak chuckled softly as he slapped him on the back. “We’re here if you need us, my friend.”
Kendrick laughed, pointing his index finger at the man. “Friend? We’re brothers now, boy! And don’t you forget it!”
Chapter 2
The sound of gunshots sent Vanessa Harrison into hyperdrive; her heart raced a mile a minute. Sprinting into the family room she found her goddaughter, Gabrielle Medina, flipping channels on the home’s oversize, flat-panel television. The channel was paused on an episode of Law & Order. Vanessa blew out the breath she’d been holding, shoulders slumping in relief.
“Gabi, why are you playing with that remote, little girl?” she said as she pulled the device from the toddler’s hand.
As Gabrielle’s bottom lip pushed into a deep pout, Vanessa flipped the channel back to the cartoon station. Before the child could skew her face to cry her attention was diverted to a show Vanessa didn’t recognize—some strange animation of a cow and a chicken playing on the big screen.
Vanessa moved from the family room back into the kitchen, needing to fill the baby’s sippy cup with fruit juice. A federal agent followed on her heels, standing with his arms crossed in front of himself as she peered into the refrigerator. An agent had been following her from room to room for days now.
Federal agents had taken over the Medina home after Gabrielle’s parents, Alexandra and Paolo, had both been gunned down. The couple had simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time. Hours after the last gunshot had echoed through the air, federal agents were holding Vanessa hostage in protective custody, because of who her father was. All she wanted to do was return home. She hadn’t bargained for this drama when she’d come to visit her best friend and her family. Drama was what she’d been running from.
Weeks ago, Vanessa had been sitting in class at Columbia University’s School of the Arts. With her relationship mess beginning to take its toll, the graduate film program had been the only bright spot in her day-to-day activities. A year earlier she had moved from her parents’ home to New York City to be with her boyfriend, Jarrod, a law student at New York University. Things had been all good in the beginning. Then their conflicting schedules, disagreements about money and Jarrod’s obsession with other women had come between them. Finding Jarrod in their bed with their red-haired neighbor had been the final straw.
It had been her best friend, Alexandra, who’d insisted Vanessa come to Miami to spend the holidays and clear her mind. Leaving the New York cold for the Miami sun was supposed to take her mind off her problems and help her find some clarity in the chaos that had become her life. Both had figured the time away would help her heal her broken heart. After some intervention from her father the school had granted her a leave of absence, and the day before Halloween she’d landed at Miami International Airport hoping to escape everything that had been wrong. Vanessa was now wishing she’d joined her mother in Italy instead.
She sighed as she undid the cap on the bottle of Welch’s white grape juice. “I really need to call my mother,” she suddenly said, turning to stare at the man who was watching her too closely.
“Yes, ma’am,” he said. Those were the only words he ever seemed to utter when she asked a question or made a statement.
“I need to call her now,” she persisted.
A voice rang from the kitchen’s entryway. “Your parents know that you’re safe,” a woman answered. She was tall and slim and almost matronly in the uniformed black suit she wore. “I’ve talked to them both personally.”
Vanessa met the woman’s dark gaze. “Who are you?” she asked.
“Supervisory Special Agent Kelly Layton.”
Vanessa eyed the woman warily.
She dropped her gaze back to the cup in her hand as she secured the cap. “So can you please tell me what’s going on?” she asked.
The other woman nodded, gesturing toward the other room. “Why don’t we get the little girl settled down first,” she said.
SSA Layton followed Vanessa back into the family room, where Gabrielle sat in the corner of the oversize sofa still staring at the cartoon playing on the big-screen television. Not quite two years old, little Gabi was a bundle of pure energy, and her sitting still for longer than ten minutes was a blessing. Barely turning her eyes from the animation playing out across the screen, Gabi took the cup from Vanessa’s hands and lifted it to her lips. Vanessa smiled as she sat down beside the child. She then turned to stare at Agent Layton.
The woman gave her half a smile as she sat down on the opposite end of the leather sectional. “Vanessa, the man who...” She shifted her eyes toward Gabi as she paused, suddenly mindful of her words as she continued. “Marcus Bennett has been a difficult man for us to find. He’s wealthy and well-connected and right now we don’t have eyes on him.”
Thoughts of Marcus Bennett caused her skin to go cold. She wrapped her arms around her torso to ward off the sudden chill. Just weeks earlier she and her friends had been guests on Marcus Bennett’s luxury yacht. Paolo had introduced them, the two men good friends for even longer than she and Alexandra had been. Paolo and Alexandra had deemed him the perfect rebound relationship for Vanessa since she wasn’t looking for forever with any man at the moment. Her friends had figured Marcus could be someone to take her mind off everything else. And he had.
Marcus had been intriguing, with a hint of street appeal and a whole lot of swag. He reminded her of the singer Akon, dark and brooding. He had an engaging smile, and physically he was built like a brick house, a hard body of solid, well-developed muscle. The man was all kinds of sexy, his appeal overshadowing his obvious illegal business dealings. He had been the perfect bad boy, the too-smooth, silver-tongued devil that mothers warned about and fathers met at the door with a shotgun. Marcus had been perfect, right up until he’d gunned down one of his adversaries and her best friends had been caught in the cross fire.
Tears misted her eyes and she swiped them away with the back of her hand. She turned to look at Gabi, who was watching her curiously. She forced a smile and winked an eye at the little girl. “Do you like that show, Gabi?” she asked, brightening her tone.
Gabrielle giggled and pulled her cup back to her mouth. The little girl was sleepy and her eyes were heavy as they shifted back toward the television.
Vanessa took a deep breath and turned her attention back to the agent. “So what happens now?”
The agent was nodding her head. “Until we have him in custody, and you can testify against him, we’re going to have to keep you in protective custody.”
“Testify? Why do I have to testify? I didn’t actually see him do anything!” Vanessa was suddenly flustered, her eyes skating from side to side. “I can’t testify! I’m not going to do that!”
“It will be okay,” Agent Layton said. “You’ll just need to testify about your relationship with Mr. Bennett. About what you did see when the two of you were together. Vanessa, your testimony is going to be crucial to our getting a federal indictment against this man.”
“You don’t understand,” Vanessa started, “my diplomatic immunity...”
“Your diplomatic immunity has been waived by your father. He has given us his full support and cooperation in this matter.”
“My father wouldn’t do that,” Vanessa said, her eyes wide.
“Your father understands the importance of getting a man like Marcus Bennett off the streets.”
“Well, I want to speak with him.”
“That’s not possible. Once we get you out of Miami and we know you’re safe then we’ll make arrangements for you to speak with your family.”
Vanessa shook her head. “What about Gabi?” she asked. “What’s going to happen to her?”
“Arrangements are being made for her. Mr. Medina’s attorney says that the father’s parents are listed as her next of kin. Apparently they live somewhere in Mexico. Your father is helping us with the search to find them. Until then, we’ll place her with a nice foster family who’ll look out for her.”
“But it’s almost Christmas! Her presents are already wrapped. Alexandra’s been buying and wrapping gifts for her all year. She has to have the presents her mommy bought for her!”
The agent nodded. “We’ll take care of it.”
Beside her Gabi had finally drifted off to sleep, completely unaware that life as she knew it was gone.
* * *
The helicopter hovered above the large Miami estate as Kendrick Boudreaux assessed the situation below. As expected there were two tactical teams in place and no signs of anything out of order. This was a simple package pickup and delivery and by the good grace of God he wouldn’t even have to unholster his weapon. He liked missions like this one—an easy in and out that didn’t require him putting himself or his team in too much danger. Kendrick’s tenure with the Secret Service usually put him in situations that took some maneuvering to get out of. His missions with the FBI had looked like child’s play in comparison. He signaled for the pilot to land.
Minutes later he took off his headphones as the pilot shut down the UH-60 Blackhawk aircraft. Exiting, Kendrick ducked low against the slowing whir and blow of the helicopter’s blades. He crossed an expanse of perfectly manicured lawn, shifting into work mode as a squad leader met him at the entrance to the large home. The man led him through the foyer, into the living space. He was surprised to find Kelly Layton, one of the unit directors, standing in wait. Kendrick bristled, something suddenly not feeling right. He could count on both hands the number of times a unit director had ever shown up for a simple package pickup, and still have ten fingers left.
He nodded his head in greeting. “SSA Layton, what brings you here?”
She tossed him a quick look. “It’s good to see you, too, Boudreaux,” she said as she began to brief him. “Your package is a key witness against a local kingpin named Marcus Bennett. He’s wanted by this agency and a half-dozen others for crimes that run the gamut from financial fraud to human trafficking. Our witness was there when he gunned down his competition and a room full of civilians got in the way. She also has firsthand knowledge of his business dealings with Pedro Fierro, one of the victims.”
Kendrick tensed. “Pedro Fierro of the Umberto Harbor cartel?”
“You know him?” Layton questioned, lifting her eyes to meet his.
He nodded. “Sayed and I took down his predecessor on one of our last assignments.”
“Well, Marcus Bennett took Fierro out. Our witness was personally connected to Bennett. We also think she knows more than she’s willing to say. We need her.”
“So where’s she going?” Kendrick asked.
“The safe house in Baton Rouge. They’re expecting you.”
“Baton Rouge?” Kendrick paused. He took a deep breath. “Why Baton Rouge?” he asked.
She shrugged. “Those are the orders.” Layton gestured for him to follow her.
As he moved into the home’s open family space, Kendrick’s eyes assessed the room, shifting rapidly from one side to the other. There was an adorable little girl jumping up and down on the family room sofa, her eyes wide with curiosity. Behind the child stood an extremely attractive young woman whose own eyes were narrowed suspiciously. Concern blanketed her demeanor and Kendrick instantly sensed that she would have given anything to have been as far away from them all as she could. Layton made the introductions.
“Vanessa Harrison, this is Agent Kendrick Boudreaux. You’re going to be in his custody until you get to the safe house.”
Kendrick met the woman’s intense stare, her gaze skewering him where he stood. Vanessa was tall, nearly as tall as him. And she was lean, with a nice hint of curve to her hips and breasts. She had a dancer’s build, and he imagined her movements would be easy and graceful. She was wearing a white sundress that billowed around her body as it complemented the sun-kissed tone of her warm complexion. Her hair was jet black, the extensive length falling to the middle of her back. She bore a striking resemblance to the Puerto Rican fashion model Joan Smalls, a woman who had graced the cover of a recent Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition. It was the only copy of the magazine that Kendrick had ever kept.
SSA Layton suddenly stepped out of the room. Vanessa’s eyes followed her for a brief moment before shifting back toward him. He smiled, the warmth of it soothing the tension between them.
“Are these all your bags?” he asked, gesturing to the leather luggage that rested on the floor in the doorway.
She nodded. “Mine and Gabi’s,” she answered, gesturing to the little girl, who was leaning against the sofa back as she stared at them.
Kendrick nodded.
There was still something about the situation that didn’t feel right to him. Something felt off. Why was Layton there? And why the safe house in Baton Rouge, a property that sat smack-dab in the middle of cartel territory? A house that had been compromised previously? Fierro’s name attached to this meant there were bigger players involved, even if the man was dead. Where did Bennett fall in the bad-guy hierarchy? And just how much did the beautiful woman standing in front of him really know? Nothing about his orders felt right. Trusting his instincts, he was suddenly on edge. He stole a quick glance at the watch on his wrist.
Layton suddenly stepped back into the room. “Change of plans,” the commander noted, pressing her hand to the earpiece in her ear. There was a moment of hesitation as she paused, listening to someone on the other end.
Kendrick and Vanessa cut an eye at each other, both knowing that nothing good could come from plans being changed so sudden.
“You have new orders, Agent Boudreaux. I need you to take Ms. Harrison and disappear. Are you and Sayed still in touch?”
Kendrick nodded. “Yeah,” he said, not bothering to mention that the man had just married his sister. “We speak every now and again.”
“Leave a number with him. No one else should know where you are or how to get in contact with you. When we can be sure about Vanessa’s safety, I’ll pass a message on to him. You are not to trust communications from anyone else.”
Kendrick’s gaze skipped from side to side. “But where...? How long...?”
Layton held up her hand. “Those are your orders. And you need to leave now. We might have a situation.” She held out Vanessa’s cell phone, a text message on the screen.
“That’s my phone,” Vanessa suddenly exclaimed. She took a step forward then stopped.
Kendrick took the appliance from Layton’s hand and read the message quickly.
“What does it say?” Vanessa chimed.
Kendrick lifted his eyes to meet hers. “‘I have eyes on you. You can’t hide,’” Kendrick said, reading the text message out loud.
Vanessa’s eyes widened. She took a deep breath.
“Agent Boudreaux will keep you safe,” Agent Layton intoned.
Vanessa reached for Gabrielle, pulling the toddler into her arms. “I’m not leaving Gabi.”
Layton shook her head. “That’s not possible. Gabi’s going to be fine.”
“You don’t know that,” Vanessa stated. “Her parents trusted me. So until you find her grandparents and I can personally hand her over to them, I am not leaving her,” she said emphatically. “Either she goes with me or I don’t testify, and I don’t care what my father promised you. I can go back to the embassy. It doesn’t matter to me.”
Chatter on all their radios interrupted the moment. Layton tossed Kendrick a questioning stare, their exchange silent. She turned and moved back into the kitchen, Kendrick following on her heels.
“Who’s her father?” Kendrick questioned.
Layton was leaning against the kitchen counter, strumming her fingers against the countertop. She tossed him a look. “Alonzo Braga, the Mexican ambassador to the United States.”
“She doesn’t use his name?”
“He’s very high profile. She said she didn’t want to be associated with his politics. So she uses her mother’s maiden name.”
Kendrick nodded, understanding washing over him. That tiny piece of knowledge suddenly put everything in perspective. “She doesn’t have to testify and legally we can’t hold her.”
“That’s correct. She has diplomatic immunity. But that doesn’t stop Bennett from wanting her dead. So her father is cooperating and he has given us his consent. The business Bennett and Fierro dealt in crossed the border into both our countries.”
“What about the kid?”
Layton shrugged. “The child is just going to slow you down. But if she insists, I don’t know what else to do. We need her to testify!”
He hesitated as he met the woman’s anxious gaze, then he nodded. “I’ll handle it,” he said.
Kendrick moved back into the family room. He crossed the room quickly, lifting the toddler from Vanessa’s arms as he looped an easy arm around her waist. “We have to move,” he said, his eyes locking with hers. “Now!”
* * *
They were strapped into the helicopter before Vanessa could protest. Gabi squealed excitedly, her chubby fingers pointing to the house and grounds below. They spied the caravan of white-paneled trucks that careened through the home’s front gates. And then just like that everything and everyone in Miami was behind them.
Vanessa looked from Kendrick to the pilot and back. Kendrick was seated on the other side of Gabi, a protective arm wrapped around the little girl. The man was breathtakingly attractive, tall and solid, with the most intoxicating eyes. His distinctive features were chiseled, his complexion a rich, warm shade of milk chocolate. Under any other circumstances she would have found his bad-boy aura intriguing.
She turned back to stare out at the landscape below, reflecting on the circumstances that had suddenly thrust them together. The weight of it must have reflected on her face, as Kendrick suddenly squeezed her shoulder. His light touch was gentle and easy. When she turned to look, the man was smiling at her. Vanessa smiled back, just a smidgen of a bend to her mouth. He suddenly said something into the microphone attached to his helmet and she realized the pilot and him were talking back and forth between themselves. Though she wasn’t privy to the conversation, the only sound she heard was the loud drone of the helicopter ringing in her ears.
* * *
“Can you get me a secure line and connect me to Sayed?” Kendrick asked.
The pilot nodded, then seconds later Kendrick’s earpiece clicked in his ear. There was a low hum and then a brief moment of silence.
“Problems?” Zak Sayed asked when he answered the line.
“I hate to bother you,” Kendrick started as he explained the situation he was in.
“Have you had a chance to talk with the witness yet?” Zak asked when he was done.
“Not yet.”
“Let me make some calls and see what I can find out but I think you’re right. Something about this doesn’t feel right.”
“I’m glad we’re still in sync with each other.”
Zak chuckled softly. “You know my wife is going to kill us both, right? I’m thinking all of your sisters might have some issues with this.”
“Might?” Kendrick laughed. “We’re talking about the Boudreaux women, man. You’ve met them, haven’t you? Maitlyn, Katrina, Kamaya, Tarah? Especially Kamaya and Tarah. They’d be mad at your funeral and you’d know it! I guarantee Maitlyn’s going to be furious as hell!”
Zak laughed with him. “We’ll worry about that when we have to. Until then, what do you plan to do?”
Kendrick shrugged. Vanessa was staring out at the land below, her brow furrowed with worry. The little girl was wide-eyed, excitement shining in her bright eyes.