Twelve Days Of Pleasure. Deborah Fletcher Mello

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      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 СКАЧАТЬ