Chapter 13

Chapter 13: "Don't spend time beating on a wall, hoping to transform it into a door."

― Coco Chanel

Micah

I can't help feeling unsettled as I watch Sophia walk towards her friend's sweet shop. I want to kiss her so badly, but she's as cold as ice. I wish I could rewind back to earlier in the morning when we were naked in bed. But I had to open my mouth and ruin it again. I know I should have given her some reassurance, and it kills me that I couldn't. Every time that I think about confessing my feelings, my mind veers off to Kazik and the Confradia. I just don't know how she fits in the intricate web that is my life. I wonder how Sophia would handle knowing that I kill people for a living. A cringe rushes up my spine at the thought of her horrified face. We would definitely not be together then. She'd never let me touch her if she knew. And the sex was incredible. Better than any sexual experience I've ever had in my life. And that scares me.

I still can't get the taste of her sweetness from my lips and tongue. Without another thought, I step out of the car and stop her before she steps in the door. "Micah? What...?" She doesn't get to finish because I pull her into my arms and kiss her hard. At first, she resists being in my arms, then her body melts sweetly as my lips and tongue lull her into a pleasurable stupor. After a moment, Sophia steps out of my arms with heavy-lidded eyes and licks her lips.

I can tell that she wants to say something, but I don't give her a chance to. Instead, I turn around and get back in my car. As I drive out onto the street, I can see her astonished figure standing still in the driveway. I smile at the thought of how surprised she looked. That woman is definitely going to drive me off the wall.

I've made the decision this morning that I'm going to find Kazik. Because if I want to be with Sophia, I need to make sure that all threats to her are eliminated. As for our parents, Well, that's a problem for another day.

Lifting the phone to my ear, I make a call. He answers right away. "What do you want, Savage?" Gideon, aka Reaper, asks with a snarky tone. "Well, hello to you too, Reaper. Do you have a few moments to talk?" Reaper responds right away. "I have the time right now. Jade is making lunch. So you better get your ass over here before it's all gone."

Reaper meets me at the door as soon as I get there. Unlike me, Reaper has a very flashy security system. Don't get me wrong, my system is state of the art, but it's a little less intrusive. Whereas Reaper's system requires you to be scanned and checked like you're in an airport. "Savage." Reaper greets me with a smug smile. "Reaper. Am I allowed in here, or are we going to stand here staring into each other's dreamy eyes?" I mutter sarcastically. Reaper chuckles and waves me in. "Come on in."

I stumble back in surprise when a small force slams into my body. Jade giggles as she pulls back from my embrace. "Micah! I'm so glad to see you." Giving her an awkward pat on the back, I take a step back and disengage myself from her embrace. "Jade. You look as beautiful as always." Jade gives me a soft smile as she runs her hand through her now short brown hair. "Do you like it?" I nod at her question and give her a sly smile. "Gorgeous."

Reaper's eyes narrow in warning as he pulls Jade into the security of his arms. "She's mine. Get your own." He whispers with a pout. Jade snorts and rolls her eyes. "Okay, then. I know you two probably have some work to take care of. You have ten minutes." She says with a scolding glare. Which is funny coming from someone so small and fragile. Jade is a very talented ballet dancer. We met last year during one of her performances. She and Reaper were going through some relationship issues, and Kazik was looking for a way to make Reaper hurt. That's how Reaper and I were able to resolve our differences and became friends.

Gideon and I nod in agreement and move towards his office. "So what brings you here, Savage? Not that I don't appreciate you visiting." Taking a deep breath, I respond. "I need to find Kazik and kill him." His brow quirks as he tilts his head to the side in question. "Why the sudden urgency, Savage?" He asks with a measuring tone as we both enter his office and take a seat. The office is tastefully decorated with navy blue walls and several computer monitors mounted on them. His desk is a polished onyx color with dark leather chairs. There are pictures in tasteful frames of him and Jade. I raise a brow and reach for one of the pictures. It's a picture of Gideon holding Jade in his arms. Gideon sighs and takes the frame from my hands. "She insisted on a personal touch for the office." I snicker at his indulgent tone. "Wow, Reaper. You're whipped." He gives me a droll glare and places the frame back on the table. "Yes, I am. But I can still kick your ass!" A chuckle escapes my lips at his gruff tone. "Trust me, I'm not one to talk." Gideon leans his elbows on the table and tilts his head in question. "What's going on, Savage?" My shoulders shift with discomfort. I don't know how to explain why I want Kazik dead without implicating Sophia in my story. But I know that I can trust Gideon. Especially if I need his help protecting Sophia.

Taking a deep breath, I cross my legs and lean back in the chair. "Do you remember the girl I told you about when we rescued Jade?" Gideon's eyes widen in realization. "Yeah. The one you have feelings for but can't do anything about." I nod my head and clench my jaw, trying to control my thoughts. "Well, first of all, she's my stepsister. And even though there's a lot of shit we have to resolve, we're kind of together now. But I'm worried that Kazik is going to find out about her." Gideon nods his head in understanding and leans back in his chair with a thoughtful look. "Have you told her what you are?" I shake my head with an incredulous snort. "No, she doesn't know. I mean, how the hell do I explain to her that I kill people for a living? What did you do?"

Gideon chuckles. "Oh, I know how you feel, man. I'll never forget the day I told Jade. I remember the look on her face when I took her to my weapons room. She asked me if I was taking her into me BDSM den. I couldn't believe it. But she seemed to accept it after I explained what I was. She says she kind of knew that I was into some crazy military shit. So I can definitely sympathize with your situation. But I wouldn't sweat it. Things have a way of working out sometimes. Do you have any leads?"

I pull out the tablet Hunter gave me and settle it over his desk. "Hunter and Priest have dug up some information that leads us to believe that Kazik is alive and working behind the scenes of his operation." Gideon picks up the tablet and looks at the open files. "If you look at the first file, you will see several transactions that have been made by Kazik to several of his known associates Well, after his "disappearance." We think that his two right-hand men, Ilya Sardoff and Stojan Malijc, are aware of his whereabouts. Outlaw was given the task of finding Sardoff, and I was given Malijc. From what I gather, Malijc owns a very profitable gentleman's club. According to the Confradia, his "business" is a front for other illicit activities. A club that happens to be in a really good spot in the city. What if Willem is laying low in this club? I mean, if you think about the geographic location of the club, it's smack dab in the middle of all of the action."

Gideon reviews the file for a moment as he considers the implication of Kazik's resurgence. "It would be a good place to transport all of the goods. Any laundering or transports can be done from the club to the docks, or a private airport easily." I nod my head. "Exactly. And you and I both know that Willem is too much of a control freak to stay out of the action. So either he's out in some tropical island hiding. Or he's in one of these places managing his crew from the sidelines. My instinct tells me that this is the place where we'll find him, or that he uses it as a base."

Gideon inhales deeply and is about to respond when there's a knock on the door. "Times up, guys. Come and eat." Gideon's face softens at the sound of Jade's voice. I wonder if I look like that when Sophia speaks to me. "We'll be out in a minute, babe," Gideon says with a teasing tone. Then he gestures to the tablet and asks, "Is it okay if I copy the information?" I nod my head. "Yeah, that's fine. But Hunter encrypted it, so be careful." Gideon huffs in frustration. "Shit! I hate trying to decrypt Hunter's codes. The kid is a fucking computer." I shrug my shoulders in amusement. "I'll text him and tell him to send you the info." Gideon sighs with relief as he ushers me out of the office. "In the meantime, we can do some recon tonight if you want." I think about my own plans with Sophia tonight and make a decision. "Yeah, that's fine. I just have to tell Sophia I can't make it. She's going to be pissed at me." Gideon laughs boisterously and pats my back with empathy. "I feel your pain, man. If you want, I can ask Jade to talk to her. Girls love doing shit together."

"Yeah. Actually, that sounds like a good idea. I think they'd get along." Gideon nods as we both step through the dining area. Jade has a spread of fruits, sweets, and sandwiches on the table. She steps around the kitchen and places a white pitcher on the table with a welcoming smile. "Let's eat." Gideon moves towards her and places a gentle kiss on her head before he pulls a chair out for her and utters. "My lady." Jade rolls her eyes and lays a gentle kiss on his chin before she takes a seat. "This is delicious, Jade. Thank you." Jade's face brightens. "Aw, thanks, Micah." I nod my head and wiggle my eyebrows with a rugged grin. Gideon's face stiffens into a glower. Which makes me want to mess with him more. "So how's the dancing going, Jade? Gid said that there's a big recital coming up soon."

Jade nods her head in excitement as she pours some juice into a cup. "The dancing is actually going great. As a matter of fact, Adrian and I have a recital at the MET tomorrow. We're really excited about it." Gideon takes her hand and places a kiss on her palm with an admiring smile. "You're going to do great." She gives him an enamored smile, which makes me feel like I'm intruding on something. They both seem so in love as they gaze into each other's eyes. It's as if they're both in their own little world. Clearing my throat, I take a sip of my drink and ask. "Do I need to leave the room so you two can have sex?" Jade's face flushes, becomingly, but Gideon simply narrows his eyes with a glare. "Speaking of sex. Micah has a girlfriend."

Scowling at his attempt at diverting the conversation back to me, I lean back in my chair and grit out. "Sophia is not my girlfriend. It's…complicated." Jade frowns at my comment. "Really? So who is she? How'd you meet?" I swallow hard and give Gideon a dirty look before I respond. "Sophia is special. And she's…" I clear my throat and look at both their rapt eyes. "She's my stepsister." Jade's eyes widen at my admission, then she looks at Gideon, who is keeping a neutral expression.

After a moment, she takes a deep breath and looks at me. "Oh, wow. Well, I definitely can't judge, considering that I'm thirteen years younger than Gideon. How long have you two been together? Does she know about you being a…?"

I shake my head and lean my elbows on the table. "Actually, this kind of just happened. And no, she doesn't know about… my job. Things are just too complicated right now." Jade nods in agreement. She and Gideon have been together for a year, which is long enough to understand how hard our life is. Especially since she was kidnapped by Kazik a while back.

She claps her hands in excitement and rises from her chair. "Okay. Maybe I can hang out with her some time and get to know her. Give me her number, and I'll invite her to one of Adrian and my nights out." Just then, my phone dings with a message. I look at the screen and freeze when I see the message from Sophia. Hey, Micah, FYI Detective Vane called me because he wants to talk about the other night. I told him to meet me here.

Rage erupts through me at the thought of the detective cornering Sophia and questioning her about the shooting. Gideon and Jade frown with worry as I rise from my seat. "I have to go." Gideon rises with me. "Is something wrong?" I shake my head. "Nothing I can't handle," I utter angrily as I adjust my suit jacket and tuck my phone into my pocket. "How about we meet at Priest's around five. We can have Hunter run a spec of the club and go through a plan." To my consternation, Jade stands up and embraces me. "Be safe, and don't forget to forward me Sophia's number." I nod my head and embrace her back. "Sure."

Jade waves me away with a sweet smile. Gideon simply gives me a noncommittal shrug. It doesn't take me long to get to Sweet Perfect. I don't know why it pisses me off so much that the detective wants to speak with Sophia. Maybe it was the look in his eyes when he spoke to her the other night. I could tell that he was attracted to her and couldn't keep his eyes off her body. I get the feeling that this is about more than the shooting, and I don't like it. I try not to think about the fact that Sophia and I have a very tumultuous relationship, or that the detective is an attractive man. There are just too many obstacles in our way. And I worry that we might never be able to make it work.

Once I've parked my vehicle, I step out of the car and prepare to deal with the detective. He's definitely one obstacle that I have no problem removing from my path.