The Runner’s Daughter
Coming February 2018
*Unedited and subject to change*
Caid dropped his bag on the floor the second he stepped foot into his apartment, and immediately went to get an ice pack out of the freezer. That woman had beaten him hard, and while he wasn’t ashamed to admit it to her, he still preferred to not have any evidence of it when it came time to go into the office tomorrow. Last thing he needed was having to explain why he was sporting bruises.
“That’s the stuff.” He said as he placed the pack on his side. He wondered what had caused her to be so wound up. His sister had suffered from panic attacks, still did sometimes, so he knew how to recognize them and knew how out of control they could get if you didn’t find a way to channel it.
His sister’s channel was knitting, and apparently Jemma’s was kicking the shit out of something. Probably a control thing, he thought to himself. Damn if a part of him- a big part- hadn’t enjoyed it. She was something, wasn’t she. Powerful, driven, and he felt an attraction towards her unlike anything he had felt for anyone else. Not even his ex-fiancé, Brittany.
He groaned, that was a topic he had no intention of spending any more time thinking about. She had cheated, he had left, that was the end of it.
His phone rung and he pulled it out of his pocket to look down at the screen.
“King.” He answered without checking the ID.
“Don’t tell me you were sleeping.”
Caid closed his eyes, so much for not thinking of Brittany. It was a little hard to avoid when his ex-partner and her current husband called constantly.
“What do you want Jameson.”
“I need copies of the files you have on The Runner.” “Why?” Caid asked, fearing he already knew the answer. Surely Pax didn’t hate him that much.
“Boss put me on it with you and I want to look through them.”
“I’ll be meeting with her first.”
“Come on King, don’t do that. We were friends once.”
Before you started fucking my fiancé. “I don’t need you on my team, I’ve got it under control.” “Not from what I hear, listen don’t make a big fuss about this. Let’s just put the past behind us so we can get this guy huh? Isn’t that what really matters?”
“Come on baby, come back to bed.” The female voice that had become the bane of Caid’s existence sounded on the line.
“Not happening.” Caid said and hung up. “Fuck!” He yelled and tossed the ice pack. Now he felt like he needed to hit something. He dialed Pax’s number. She as damn well going to explain herself.
“Mind telling me why you put Jameson on my case?” He asked when she answered.
“Is this how you greet your boss now?” Her sarcastic tone would have normally had him backing off, but not this time.
“Hi, how are you, lovely night isn’t it,” He responded irritated. “Now tell me why the hell you would partner me with the man who ruined my life.” “That’s a little dramatic don’t you think? That ex-fiancé of yours was the one who spread her legs for him.”
Anyone else and Caid would have been furious. But one of the reasons he respected Melanie Pax, was that she told it like it was. There was no bullshit as far as she was concerned.
“Yeah whatever, I’m still not working with him.”
“I’m sorry did I wake up in some twilight zone? You will work with him because I ordered you to.”
“He isn’t half the agent I am, it’s the whole fucking reason he had the time to bang my fiancé when I wasn’t around. You put him on this case and you might as well pull me off of it.”
“And if I don’t?”
He heard the threat in her voice, but he stood his ground. He refused to be forced to work side by side with that fucking douchebag. It was bad enough he still had to share the same damn building and see he and Brittany coming in and out of it like they were just fucking perfect. The dick had even invited him to the fucking wedding. Because who doesn’t want to watch the woman he was supposed to marry, wed someone else.
“Then you might as well fire me.”
Pax sighed into the phone. “Fine. You can report any changes to me and I’ll pass them down to him. You can both work the case separately. Fair?”
Caid closed his eyes, it wasn’t exactly what he wanted but he knew enough to know Pax wouldn’t compromise any further. And if he didn’t have to talk to Jameson then he supposed he could call this one a win. “Fine.” He said and hung up the phone. “Well this has turned into a lovely evening hasn’t it?” He poured himself two fingers of whiskey, drank it down easily, and then headed for the shower to wash the ass kicking of the day off of him.