AN: I'll try and post song lyrics to the beginning of my chapters. I do most of my writing to music so thought I might try to pass on some of the ones I use. Also, thank you so much to those of you that took the time to review, favorite, or follow my story. It was much appreciated!
I've got my hands up, so take your aim, yeah, I'm ready
There's nothing that we can't go through
Oh, it hit me like a steel freight train when you left me
And nothing ever hurt like you, nothing ever hurt like you
-"Nothing Ever Hurt Like You" James Morrison
Two days prior to the raid.
Adam was sitting at his desk trying to concentrate on the paper work in front of him. Running his hand through his already unruly hair did not seem to help with his concentration. Nor did the consistent scratching to his beard. He should probably think about trimming the damn thing, but it was still a pretty cold spring and he was getting attached to the thing. Looking up into Voight's office every two seconds was a bad idea as well. He could see Kim's frame through the window and could tell she was vibrating with a mixture of what he guessed was excitement and too much coffee. She was talking with her hands. God he needed to get her out of his system and mind, but for the life of him he had no idea how to accomplish that. He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket and pulled it out to see his mother's face staring back at him. Shit. He so did not want to take this call. "Ok everyone gather round." Thank you, Voight! Adam dismissed the call and got up to join the rest of the group to hear what was up.
Voight began to post pictures of the top six leaders of the Donati crime family. When he got to the sixth, he placed a blacked out silhouette and turned to the group. "I'm sure all of you recognize these boys. The Donati's. Organized crime has a whole room in the basement dedicated to these bad boys and thanks to Kim we might have a chance to bring some of them in. Care to catch everyone up?" Everyone shifted their attention to Kim and she began to tell them about her meeting that morning. Adam smiled slightly impressed that he was still able to read her so well and proud that her move to Intelligence was working out. She was truly the golden girl that Platt liked to call her and she was quickly adapting to Voight's way of doing things. Kim may come across as green initially, but she had good instincts. Her courting Natalie as a CI was proof of that and was currently displayed in front of them. Kim finished up her story and everyone turned back to Voight. "Ok, I think our best course of action is to try and get our two lovely ladies in with the mix. Lord knows the Platinum Dolls owe us a favor or two for letting their girls go in the last few busts we've made. Lindsey, you think you can set that up?" Lindsey nodded, "Shouldn't be that hard. I'll take Halstead and Kim up there today. Get a face to face and make sure they realize that its in their best interest. Piece of cake." Adam felt his hand go to scratch his beard and stopped it. Thinking about Kim going in undercover in such a capacity always made him itchy. She was good at what she did, but his protective instincts were still on high alert. He kept telling himself that she wasn't his. Not anymore. Voight started handing out assignments and Adam vaguely heard him say something about having him and Atwater scope out the address that was given before he dismissed the group. Adam turned around but once again felt his phone vibrate. Looking at the annoying device, he saw his mother was once again calling. Adam signaled to Kevin to give him a minute before he answered the phone. "Hey Mom." Adam made his way into the back hallway to get a bit of distance from the rest of the team. He really did not want them hearing this conversation. "Honey, Gianni absolutely loved you last night. He wants us to get together again next week. Are you free?" Adam leaned back against the wall and searched the ceiling for some kind of inspiration to get out of this predicament. The dinner he had last night with his mother and her newest boyfriend was not what he would have called enjoyable. His mom's overwhelming need to have her son approve of her latest conquest coupled with her enthusiasm and Gianni's too slick personality had grated on Adam's last nerve the whole night. "That's nice to hear. I have no idea yet. I'll have to get back to you on that. Plus, Grace's birthday is next week so I am sure I am going to hear from Dad." Adam cringed as he braced himself for his mother's snide comeback. It always came with any mention of his step mother, but it couldn't be helped. His Dad would have a fit if he dropped Grace's birthday for another dinner with his mother. Adam's head began to pound as he allowed his mother to vent her frustrations out on him. "Look, Mom. I promise I will call you. I'll let you know what night might work. I've got to go. Work calls." Adam quickly terminated the call before his mother could respond. Adam was leaning up against the wall once again looking towards the ceiling for inspiration on how to get out of two get togethers with his parents when Kevin stepped into the hallway. "You ready to roll?" Adam pushed off the wall and pointed toward the exit. "Lets go. I need the field trip." Kevin slapped him on the back and the two friends headed for the lot.
Two hours prior to the party.
Her eyes felt heavy with the fake eyelashes put in place, but Kim knew that she needed them to look the part. She assessed her eyeliner and decided that it looked even enough before going to grab the tube of lip gloss that would be the finishing touch before heading out. Kim leaned towards the mirror and could feel her skirt riding up. Pulling down on the annoying article caused Lindsey to laugh. "You have got to stop that. We've done this what? Five times. I would think you would be use to how short that thing is by now." Kim rolled her eyes at Lindsey's joke. "Never. I don't know how anyone gets use to that. You can't move without flashing the world." Lindsey smirked, "I think that is the point. Your legs look amazing though. Hopefully that won't make our job harder tonight. Don't need you getting caught up with some guido wanting to play grab ass." Kim shuttered with revulsion. She really was constantly amazed at how some men would act at these parties. She placed the lip gloss back in her locker and grabbed her extendable baton and wedged it into her boot. The stiletto heels were going to kill her by the end of the night. Kim straightened up and took one last look in the mirror. She didn't even recognize herself. Taking a deep breath she could hear Nadia telling her to turn the light off in her eyes and she sent a silent prayer of thanks up to her. "Did your daddy ever touch you?" It was almost like Nadia was there since her voice was so clear in Kim's head. Kim's inner voice snarked about how he would actually have to be around for that to happen. She closed her eyes again to banish the voice. That kind of line of thought would only distract her. "You ready?" Kim turned and nodded to Lindsey.
The ride over to the Platinum Dolls parlor was quiet as Lindsey and Kim both were mentally preparing themselves for the night. Walking into the back, Kim was impressed with the plush surroundings of the den. Girls were standing at a bar to one side talking up the few men that were already there looking for company. Not all the dolls would be going to the party with them. The Donati's had only paid for about ten of them to go and had apparently stated that they would provide the transportation. Kim still wondered how Natalie had gotten the actual address, but she knew that Natalie had a friend that worked the phone and she imagined that was how. The Donati's had also specified that all the girls would be inspected prior to leaving and that if anyone was deemed inappropriate that the Dolls would have to substitute. This explained why there were about twenty women working the den tonight, when the manager told them she usually only had ten to staff the place. Kim scanned the faces and felt a sense of relief that Natalie was not there. She had advised her to continue about her normal routine, but to try and stay out of this one. Looked like she had listened.
Kim and Lindsey separated as they made their way further into the room. Kim could hear Voight's voice crackle in her ear, "You ladies better be in place. A party bus has just pulled into the parking lot." Kim was impressed at how well the earring ear piece was working. Mouse was amazing. They could hear Voight loud and clear but the people around them were none the wiser. The bracelet that Kim was wearing had a microphone in it, but she had to key a small button to make it work. Mouse said that it made it so that even if they were scanned for bugs no one would be the wiser. Kim didn't understand all the techie mumbo gumbo he had said, but she trusted that he was right. The back door then opened and a beautiful tall woman walked in. She was about mid to late fifties, but Kim could tell that she would easily pass for younger to the untrained eye. The woman's dress was expensive and well tailored, but something in the way the woman held herself told Kim that she was not all that comfortable in it. Like she wasn't typically the dress kind of gal. The woman briefly spoke to the manager and then looked to all the girls. "Which of you are coming to the party tonight?" Kim, Lindsey, and the others stepped forward, but stopped when the woman motioned. Her cool gaze began to assess the group as she walked along the line of them. She motioned for one of the girls to leave and pointed to replace her with another that was sitting at the bar. She stopped in front of Kim and paused for a minute. Kim concentrated on keeping her breath even, and not making too much eye contact with the woman. The smell of the woman's perfume invaded Kim's nose and clashed with the upper crust persona that the woman was trying to convey. "My name is Mary. Have we used you before?" Kim let her head lean to the side slightly so she could look up through her lashes. "Not that I recall." Kim smiled, "I think I would remember you." Mary looked her over again and nodded. "Alright. You all pass. Get in the bus." Kim followed the rest of the group and linked hands with Lindsey as they walked up. "What was that all about?", whispered Lindsey as she leaned into Kim's shoulder once they took their seats. "I have no idea, but she does seem familiar." Kim kept the woman in her peripheral vision as the bus began to leave the parking lot. "Do you think you've been made?" Kim shook her head in the negative as she tried to put two and two together. Nothing was coming to her so she started going over her mental checklist again in her head. She just hoped that they could do what they needed to and get out without anyone getting hurt.