Chapter 17

The day before the store was to reopen, Fran took Kelcee to Nina’s beauty shop for a haircut. Kelcee’s attacker had cut a hunk of hair off, leaving her ends very crooked.

“It’s a tangled, greasy mess, Nina. My hair hasn’t been washed in almost a week.”

“Don’t you worry. I’ll take good care of it.” Nina led her to the shampoo bowls. “I think every woman in town is keeping a closer eye on her surroundings after your attack. Mark’s been reminding me every morning and calling me more often, which is nice.”

Kelcee walked out of the salon, her hair ten inches shorter, laying on her shoulders in soft waves and curls. Her head felt five pounds lighter. It also felt less woozy since she’d switched from the strong prescription painkiller to an over-the-counter medicine.

Flipping her sign from “Closed” to “Open” gave Kelcee great satisfaction. Fran was already there, making a pot of coffee and giving the rundown of the latest town gossip. All Kelcee could do was smile. Some normalcy was returning to her life. Her arm might be in a sling, her clothes chosen for ease of one-handed dressing, her hair shorter than she’d worn it in years, but her little store—her pride and joy—was open for business.

Owen was her first customer. He wrapped his arms around her and cried. “You know how much you mean to us here in Warrior Falls. I shoulda’ gone after that creepy dude on that rice burner when I saw him. Indeed, I shoulda’.”

“My sweet man, then you’d be the one with the broken arm and the cut on your back.” She kissed both of his moist cheeks. “Fran’s got coffee made. Help yourself, my friend.”

The UPS man delivered a box of books and she was shelving them one at a time when Jim Dobbins entered the store. He began rummaging through the bin of books for sale. “You’ve got book two of this spy series by Heinrich Knicks. Do you have book one?”

“Gee, I don’t know,” Fran answered. “Best you ask Kelcee.”

She groaned under her breath. Jim was the last person she wanted to talk to.

He sauntered down the aisle toward where she was shelving some paperbacks. “Katrina, do you have book one of this series?”

“Sorry, I only have book two. That’s why it’s—” Dear God, did he just call me by my real name? Her heart pounded in her ears like a jackhammer and she swallowed a mouthful of dust. Surely she’d misunderstood. She looked at the smirk on his face and knew. “What did you just call me?”

Jim leaned toward her, his breath rancid. “I called you by your birth name—Katrina. I have a message for you from Tony. ‘You’ll be dead in three days, bitch. Oh, and your new boyfriend? He’ll be skinned alive while you watch and listen to his sissy screams.’ ” He turned on his heel and walked out.

She grabbed for the edge of the shelf in front of her as the bookstore slowly spun. Her lungs didn’t want to work. Black spots dotted her vision. She slid down the bookshelves and put her face between her knees. Tony knew where she was. He was coming after her. Yet what was a hundred times worse, he was going to kill Dustin, the man she loved even though she was mad as hell at him. Dustin didn’t deserve to be caught in Tony’s insane crosshairs.

Finally, she gulped air as tears flooded her vision, washing away the dark blotches. Because of her, her brother had been on the run for two years, hiding from the authorities. He was a vengeful person. Dustin’s death would not be swift or painless. He’d make her suffer by watching her lover die.

“Kelcee, where are you? Jim just walked out without paying for that book!” Footfalls sounded on the wooden floor. “Oh, dear God, why are you down there? Are you hurt, child?” Her orange-flowered top became a mass of rolling blossoms as she rushed to kneel in front of her. “Land sakes, you’re crying. Tell me what’s wrong. I’ll make it better or try to. Do you need pain pills?”

Kelcee’s teeth had started to chatter. “C-call Clint. I n-need him.”

“Land sakes, what’s going on?” Fran fumbled in her orange pants for her cellphone and thumbed a speed-dial number. “Clint, Kelcee’s in an awful state. She says she needs you.”

She reached for Fran’s cell and held it to her buzzing ear. “My…my cover’s been blown. Jim Dobbins was…was just here. He…he had a message from Tony. He’s c-coming for Dustin. We…we’ll both be”—she swallowed—“dead in three days.”

“On my way. Don’t you worry, now, I’ll take care of you.”

She handed the phone back to Fran, who gaped at her. “Cover? What cover? What are you talking about? Who’s going to kill you and Dustin?”

“Help me up, Fran.” Warm hands held Kelcee as she slowly stood and everything spun again. She reached for Fran’s arms. “I love you. You’re like my heart-adopted mother. I can’t bear leaving you.” The tears started again and she leaned her head on Fran’s soft shoulder. She’d gotten close to so few people and those she had were golden to her. But if Dustin’s life was in danger, she had to do what she could to protect him from the terrible wrath Tony could evoke.

“Land sakes, why would you have to leave me? You know you’re like the daughter we never had. After my fourth miscarriage, we just gave up trying. Neither one of us could handle another devastating loss. I made it to the sixth month with the last child and it was a little girl. We were so sure we’d make it to full term, but our hopes were dashed.” Fran shook her head. “Now, suppose you tell me what’s going on? Why is your life in danger? Or Dustin’s, for that matter?”

“I’ll tell you as soon as Clint gets here. I need his permission first. I’m under his protection.”

Fran’s eyebrows crinkled and then rose as dawning registered. “You mean like Witness Protection?”

ZQ’s cellphone rang and Clint’s number was on the display. “Hey, buddy. What’s happening?”

“Are you at the house?”

“Yeah, entering data in my breeding programs. You sound in a rush.”

“I am. Listen, Kelcee, Fran, and I will be coming out to your place shortly, if that’s alright. Kelcee’s in some serious trouble. Dustin, too. I know about your black ops team. Maybe you could help her and your boy out.”

ZQ’s antennae went up. “Tell me.”

“She’s in Witness Protection and her cover’s been blown. The bad guy says she’ll be dead in three days. So will her boyfriend, which of course is Dustin.”

“Get your asses out here as soon as you can.” ZQ disconnected the call. How did Clint know about his top secret ops team? He’d damn sure find out. Why was Kelcee in hiding? He’d find that out, too. How did Dust get mixed up in this mess? ZQ scoffed. If the bad guy only knew how dangerous Dust was, he’d be shaking in his own damn boots. Fool asshole. He closed down his program and went hunting for Dust and JJ.

As he passed through the kitchen, he kissed his mom on her silver hair. She puttered around the kitchen singing an old Willie Nelson tune about his bucket having a hole in it. ZQ mentioned the company coming and that they’d be meeting in his office.

“I’ll set out cans of soda and bowls of snacks on your coffee table, son.” His office or private sanctum, as his parents had always called it, had three leather sofas forming a “U” in front of a fireplace, centered with a square coffee table. He had no doubt his mom would have it filled in no time.

He trudged out to the stables. JJ and Dust were in the fenced corral, walking the mares due to drop their foals any day. When they saw him coming they must have read the signs on his face, for they both ambled toward the fence.

“What’s up?” JJ tossed a treat for Nance to catch mid-air.

“I’m going to need the two of you inside. We’ve got problems. Or at least Kelcee has.” Dust looked at his boots, then raised sad eyes to lock on his. “Her life’s in danger, Dust.”

He all but exploded in front of ZQ. “What the hell? How? From who? That bastard who ran her down?” Dust grabbed the top rail of the wooden fence, his knuckles white from the pressure of his grip.

“I don’t know all the details, but Clint will fill us in when they get here. You’re in danger, too, Dust. The man who’s after Kelcee also wants you dead.”

Dust’s arms shot out. “Then let him try. Send the bastard to me. I’ll mess him up so bad he won’t be able to hurt my Kelcee.”

“I figured that would be the attitude you’d take. Both of you put the mares back in their stalls, come inside, and clean up. We’ve been asked to help. Did Kelcee ever tell you she was in the Witness Protection Program?”

“Hell, no. I could sense she was keeping secrets and she told me there were things in her life she couldn’t talk about. Not even to me. Just like I couldn’t share about our missions. Some things between us had to remain secrets. I accepted that.”

ZQ nodded. “Get moving. Mom’s setting out snacks. I’ll go see if she needs help. JJ, make sure you get a big rawhide chew for our girl, here. You know how she’ll carry on if strangers are in the house with you and she’s been left outside.” Everyone scattered.

Once Clint, Fran, and Kelcee arrived, ZQ’s mom escorted them to his office. And a damn good thing, too. If he had to hear Dust crack his knuckles one more time, he was going to order him to sit on his fuckin’ hands.

Kelcee halted when she stepped inside the office and her vision landed on JJ. “Hello, Jerryl, I wasn’t expecting you to join us.” Her gaze raked over Dust. “I certainly wasn’t expecting you to give a damn.” She plopped on a sofa next to Fran.

The temperature in his office suddenly dropped a good twenty degrees. Kelcee was one pissed-off woman. Things were worse between the two than he thought.

Dust had bigger balls than ZQ imagined, for he stepped in front of Kelcee and pointed. “There’s not enough room in here for your attitude. From what I’ve heard, we’ve got some serious plans to make to save your precious life. By the way, I like your haircut.”

“Look, I’ve got emotions bouncing all over the place right now. I suggest you leave me alone. I’m scared. I’m hurt. I’m rejected. I’ve got a painful decision to make. Leave. Me. Alone.” She tried to cross her arms, which she couldn’t very well do with one in a sling, so she just huffed. “Thanks for the compliment, by the way.”

Dust took a seat on the sofa directly across from her, next to JJ. He rubbed two fingers over his eyebrows as if he was trying to regain some control. Oh, this meeting was off to a great start.

“Everyone, help yourselves to the snacks Mom set out. This will probably be a long meeting. I expect we’ll all have a few surprises to share today.” ZQ placed his hands on Fran’s shoulders. “Everything said in this room will be confidential, not to be repeated except between the people who are inside my office right now. Do you understand, Fran darlin’?” He had to make this clear. The woman loved to talk.

She brushed her platinum hair away from her face. “You’re telling me not to gossip.”

ZQ gave his patented scowl he used on his men. “Lives will depend on it. Maybe even Clint’s.”

She blanched. “Land sakes, I won’t breathe a word. You can trust me.”

ZQ patted her upper arms. “Good girl. I knew I could count on you.” He sprawled on the remaining sofa space next to Clint.

Kelcee reached for a soda, but her fingers shook too badly to open it. Fran took it from her and popped the top, handing it back.

Clint snagged a cookie and took a bite. “ZQ, thanks for seeing us right away. I could simply place Kelcee in another safe house, but I’d sure as hell like to get this guy. And I’m going to need some help.”

“We’re going to need some details, Clint. Like, first off, how did you hear about my team?” This fact had stuck in ZQ’s craw since he found out earlier.

“Your handler at the CIA and I served in ’Nam at the same time, but in different branches of Special Forces. We did some missions together, forged a friendship, and have kept in touch ever since. He knew I lived in the same town as you and on my last trip to D.C., he came over from Langley to have dinner with me.” Clint reached for a soda and opened it, took a swig. “He told me about Black Eagle Ops and asked me my opinion. I told him I thought it was a damn fine idea, that you were certainly able to man such a team.”

“I see. So my top secret handler in the CIA has a big mouth.”

Clint laughed. “Not with everyone, believe me. I saved his life. He trusts me.”

The two men stared at each other for a bit and ZQ nodded. He could accept that explanation. Saving lives created a special bond. It also hadn’t gone unnoticed that not once had Clint mentioned the man’s name or the office he held. “Okay, who’s going to fill us in on what’s going on with Kelcee?”

“I should.” She stared into her soda can as if it held the answers to the universe. “I mean, it happened to me. Right?” She exhaled a long breath. “Whew, my heart’s beating like a frightened rabbit’s. Let’s get this story over with. It’s lengthy, so stop me if you have questions.”

“Don’t worry, I will.” ZQ crossed one ankle over his other knee.

“I was born Katrina Talamo in Baltimore, Maryland. I was the middle child of an Irish mother and an Italian father. My older brother is Tony and my younger sister is Sophia. My parents ran a restaurant and we lived in the apartment above it.”

After a few sips of her soda, she shifted and curled her legs under her. “Tony, being the only son, was doted on. Our parents felt he could do no wrong.” She lifted a shoulder. “And I guess I felt the same way. Tony had always been my protector. I was constantly in his shadow and he didn’t seem to mind my hero worship. He taught me how to play basketball and, in a way, I grew up being one of the guys in his circle of friends.”

Fran’s hand flew to her chest. “Please tell me they didn’t rape you.”

ZQ noticed Dust’s jaw clench and the muscle in his cheek bunch. The mere thought of someone else touching Kelcee evidently drove him batshit crazy.

Kelcee shook her head and took another sip. “Once I began to really develop, Tony refused to let me run with him anymore. Claimed some of the guys looked at me funny. The neighborhood was on the edge of going downhill, drugs and gangs had moved in.” She waved an open hand in a downward motion. “I graduated from high school and started taking accounting classes at a junior college in addition to waiting tables at the family restaurant. Tony became distant and dictatorial toward Sophia and me. Especially me. He ordered us not to leave the apartment without our parents or him, which was ludicrous.”

Dust reached for a handful of potato chips. “I bet you resented the hell outta that. I know I’ve run headlong into your temper a time or two, including just now.”

“Oh, you have no idea. I don’t handle being ordered around at all.”

ZQ could almost imagine the sparks flying between these two. They really were perfect for each other. Too bad they were both too damn hardheaded to see it.

“I felt I was an adult. I worked my butt off at the restaurant when I wasn’t at college. Had my own little compact car, junk heap that it was.” Kelcee smiled slightly. “So, when Tony was out for the evening and I didn’t have to help at the restaurant, I snooped in his room. I found drugs and four stacks of bills, fifties and hundreds, under his floor.” She pushed her hair back and appeared as if she were fighting a smile. “I’d heard wooden boards scraping one night as I accidently had my ear against his bedroom door.”

Fran snorted. “You inherited the snoop gene, girl.”

“Yeah, well, it’s what got me here, fearing for my life every day. I won’t tell you what else I found and heard, but Tony was rising in rank in a neighborhood gang.” She exhaled another loud sigh. “And because he wasn’t afraid of anything or hardly anyone, he’d made connections with the Russian Mafia. This particular branch was called the Morozov Circle.”

ZQ ran a hand over his face. The Morozov Circle. What the hell did they have to do with Kelcee? Hell, they were one of Black Eagle Ops’ next missions.

“Jesus, Kitten, how did your brother get in with them?” Dust reached for two cookies. “Earning their trust doesn’t come easy.”

Fire all but blazed from her eyes as she scowled at Dust. “Earning mine no longer comes easy, either.” She took Fran’s hand and patted it before turning her gaze on ZQ. “I suspected my brother was mixed up in something super bad, but had no clue what. So, I started wearing a dark hoodie and following him at night.”

JJ set his can of soda on the square coffee table. “Hell, this doesn’t sound good.”

Kelcee stood and started pacing as if she couldn’t endure sitting still for the telling of what came next. “It wasn’t. I followed him to the docks one night. I turned off my headlights and eased my car into a parking area when I saw him stop at the entrance gate.”

ZQ extended his hand in a stop gesture. “Wait. How did you, and Tony for that matter, get into a secured area? Surely the Port Administration had the place locked down tight.”

She shrugged. “Connections, I guess. Tony punched in a code at a gate, waved at the guard, and exchanged a few words and an envelope once the gate opened. It was one of those gates that slid back, not the type where two halves swung inward. Once it had slid back enough for me to slip through, I crouched in the shadows of the guard shack.”

Damn, this woman has nerves of steel. ZQ’s respect for her grew.

“I followed his black van through rows and rows of large shipping containers, until Tony and two other guys stopped at a large one, under a security light with an ‘M’ inside a circle drawn in chalk on the pole. One of the guys unlocked the doors. Tony and the others hopped in and I waited a few minutes, thankful he hadn’t placed guards outside.”

ZQ knew. He closed his eyes in resignation and pinched the bridge of his nose. Damn it all to hell—human trafficking. His team had broken up one kids-for-sex ring in Taiwan, but the demand for young sexual playthings was so heavy, it was like playing whack-a-mole. As soon as one group was disbanded, another popped up.

Kelcee wiped her trembling hand on her floral skirt. “I crept closer to the container, saw the doors weren’t closed completely, and peeked inside the few open inches. The guys with Tony held flashlights while my…my brother”—she choked back a sob—“examined the human merchandise, touching them all inappropriately. Girls, mostly. A few boys. All between the ages of what looked to me to be eight and twelve. They were crowded in there, shipped over from God knows where…” She waved her hand for emphasis as tears coursed down her face.

Seeing others in pain wouldn’t come easy for her. For all her sass, Kelcee was a kindhearted person in a cruel-hearted world. What she saw that night would have surely cleaved her soul in two.

“The children were frightened, pleading for help, I suppose, in a couple different languages. And the odors.” She rubbed her index finger under her nose as if to banish the memory of what she spoke. “I knew I had to document this somehow, so I made a video with my phone. Snapping a picture would have attracted attention, but my phone taped action and noises quietly. One of the girls appeared near death. To my horror, Tony pulled a revolver from the back of his jeans and shot her in the head. Everyone screamed, including me. Thank goodness, with my hand over my mouth, my muffled cries only blended in.”

She grabbed some tissues from a box on the desk, blew her nose, and sat again.

JJ leaned forward, his forearms on his thighs. “Seeing what you did probably gave you PTSD. I’m betting you were afraid of loud noises and crowds afterward.”

She nodded, dabbing a tissue at her eyes. “I was afraid of everything. Especially after…well, there’s more, Jerryl.

“One boy, who was kind of muscular for his age, was jerked to his feet before Tony shot him in the face. I couldn’t stand seeing any more. I held onto my phone and ran. I ran until I couldn’t run anymore. I was overweight and my endurance low. I threw up between one of the rows of shipping containers.

“I got out of the secured area the same way I got in. By the time I got to my car, I was shaking so badly I could barely get my keys in the ignition. He had to pay. They all had to pay for what they’d done to those scared, innocent kids.”

Fran rubbed Kelcee’s hand. “So you went to the police?”

“No. I was afraid I’d luck upon a dirty cop. I drove to the CIA in Langley, Virginia. Extreme, I know, but I was in fear for my life. And I was so disappointed in the brother I’d always adored and trusted. As it turned out, they were already watching Tony and his cohorts, building a case against the Morozov Circle. My video and sworn statement was the final piece of evidence they needed. They put me under protective custody while they issued warrants and all the other legal stuff they had to do. I was in such a panicky mental state, most of the next few weeks were a haze of distress and horrible night terrors.”

ZQ stared at Kelcee as he came to terms with her story. “You’re Tony Talamo’s sister? Really? The one who went to the CIA with a video of Tony killing two kids and then testified against him? That sister?” Holy hell, he hadn’t expected this; his mind kept rolling it around. Sweet, gentle Kelcee, who would help anyone, was the sister of a cold-blooded killer who ran with the notorious Morozov Circle. Hell, he had a folder on the gang and Tony in his safe…and ZQ had known his sister all along.

“Yes, I’m the nosy sister who had to know everything her brother was up to.” She jabbed a finger in her chest. “Look where that got me. On the day of my appearance in the trial, I could barely make it to the witness stand on my trembling legs. I’d been gone for weeks and my parents thought I was dead. My mother reached”—she held three fingers to her lips—“reached for me as…as she cried.” Her tears started again and she swiped them away. “Momma looked as if she’d aged twenty years and I wanted to hug her so hard. I couldn’t bear to keep looking at her or I knew I’d fall apart before the rough testimony began.”

“Your whole family suffered because of your brother.” Fran rose to get Kelcee more tissues.

“Yes. After I answered the questions put before me, the prosecution showed the video of Tony shooting the kids, my fa…my father jumped up, face red with rage and yelled, ‘You are no longer my daughter.’ ” A gigantic sob and shudder escaped. “ʻI disown you!’ ”

Dust slid to the edge of his seat, his hardened gaze never once leaving her even though she’d purposely chosen to ignore him. “He should have been proud of you, just as I am right at this moment.”

Her eyes rose to meet his and a moan of pain escaped. Dust reached her in a few long strides. Damn, he didn’t hesitate one second to lift her into his arms and swivel, sitting with her on his lap. He kissed her hair and she burrowed her face in the curve of his neck. He whispered something as his arms tightened around her.

A moment later, Kelcee pulled back from their embrace so she could look at everyone in the room. “Pandemonium broke out in the courtroom. Tony stood and glared at me with such menace. ‘I will kill you. Somehow, you snitching bitch, I will kill you!’ He was found guilty and sentenced to three lifetime sentences in the penitentiary.”

“He got what he deserved. Those children were no more than babies,” Fran growled.

“He never spent a day there. On the journey from the holding cell at the courthouse to the penitentiary, Tony’s mob buddies staged an escape. They killed the driver of the van and the guard. With Tony on the run, the CIA knew my life was in danger, so I was turned over to the U.S. Marshals and placed in the Witness Protection Program. Katrina Talamo died; Kelcee Todd was born. I was sent here to Frank Brandt for safekeeping through Clint and other U.S. Marshals.”

“Was Frank, the man who willed you the bookstore, aware you were in hiding?” JJ petted Nance.

“He knew,” Clint said. “We’d been best friends since we were boys. I wanted him to know the young woman I’d asked him to hire into his store was honest and aboveboard. I’m sure he never told a soul, which is why Wanda disliked Kelcee so much. She couldn’t understand his protectiveness, but Frank was like that with most everyone. He always had a soft spot for the underdog.”

“You’ve been safe here all this time. What’s happened, Kitten?” Dust wrapped one of her short curls around his finger. “How did Tony find out where you were living?”

“Jim Dobbins. Remember when I told you I thought he’d taken a picture of me with his cellphone?”

“Yeah.” Dust’s face darkened.

“He came into the bookstore today and called me by my real first name. I was so distracted being careful not to bump my broken arm, I answered him without thinking. He told me he had a message from Tony. Said he was on his way and I had three days left to live, but that I wouldn’t die until I’d watched him skin you alive.”

“So, that bastard Jim Dobbins has been working for Tony all along?” Dustin’s eyebrows dipped into that annoyed “V” again.

“According to my superior, Kelcee’s brother is still in hiding somewhere,” Clint informed the group. “We have a general idea where from intel the head office has been gathering. I’ve been on the phone with them once I had the local police pick up Jim Dobbins. We haven’t been able to get him to respond to interrogation yet, but it’s still early. Plus I haven’t spent any time with him. I’ve been known to squeeze information out of a rock.”

Clint looked at Fran for a minute, reaching for her hand, before gazing at Kelcee. “Young lady, we can move you, if you want.” Fran gasped, no doubt a personal veto of Clint’s idea. He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it before continuing. “We’ll set you up with a new identity. That would be safest.

“Or we can put you in hiding until we catch your brother. Hang a ‘Closed’ sign on the door of the bookstore, lock it up tight, and stick you somewhere your brother wouldn’t expect you to be. But you must choose.”

“I just reopened the store today. I’m tired of running. Tired of always looking over my shoulder. I love this town, my store, my friends, but I won’t risk Dustin’s life. Make arrangements to have me moved. Dustin has to be protected.”

“Oh, this is fuckin’ rich. I’m the bad guy for walking out of your life, for protecting you from my PTSD episodes, but it’s okay for you to leave everything and everyone you love to protect me from your brother? What the hell, Kelcee!”

She stormed off his lap and raged in front of him, leaning in, a hand on her hip, like an incoming hurricane. “Don’t you swear at me, you gutless wonder! You didn’t have the fortitude to stick around and work through your PTSD issues with me the way Clint did with Fran. No, it was easier for you to slink away and lick your wounds.”

Dust exploded from his seat, forcing Kelcee to step back. “No fortitude? Gutless wonder? Slink away? You’ve gone too far. Damn if you don’t need your teacup ass beat.” His gaze remained locked on hers. “Excuse us for ten minutes or so while we iron out a few things. Don’t anyone dare interrupt us.”

Kelcee jutted her chin. “I don’t have anything to say to you.”

Dust scooped her in his arms like a baby. “Clint, she stays. Make your plans around that fact. And this SEAL protects what’s his. I could give a fuck about his threats toward me. That motherfucker has no clue who he’s messing with.” He stormed out of the room with Kelcee fighting his hold and hurling insults.

“Damn, those two are perfect for each other, aren’t they?” ZQ laughed. “Just look at them. They’re so busy trying to protect the other, they don’t realize how deeply they care.”