EXPOSURE
Carson sat in the darkened club nursing his drink. He knew that Tom's band played here on this night, and he had planned to wait for him to get off stage. However, for reasons only known to whatever higher power existed, the band wasn't playing tonight. He wasn't happy about that. It meant he would have to track him down at his place. He didn't necessarily want to do that, either, but again, it wasn't anything he could ignore. Their confrontation wouldn't be pretty, but it had to be done. The jerk had attacked Kayla, and there was no room for that in the gang. Carson was readying to leave, but movement from the front of the club stopped him. It was Tom. Carson waited patiently until Tom was close enough to grab. Within moments of his arrival, Carson was on him, and the sudden, unexpected scuffle had drawn a crowd.
"What the hell were you thinking attacking my sister," Carson demanded, his moss green eyes spelling murder.
Tom grinned at his friend. The grin was anything but nice and mellow. "Your sister is screwing a FBI agent."
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Kayla awoke and glanced at the bedside clock. It was close to three in the morning. She had every intention of snuggling even closer against Frank, but a discreet knock on her bedroom door interrupted her plans. Knowing it was her brother, she chose to ignore it. Whatever Carson had to say to her could wait. She didn't want to leave the comfort of her lover's arms. However, her brother was persistent. The discreet knocking kept on and on, growing a little louder every few seconds. If she didn't talk to him now, the noise would likely rouse Frank. Although Kayla was an adult, she didn't want to be 'caught' with a man in her bed. Like it mattered, anyway. Carson probably already knew Frank was there. He wasn't stupid. He had most likely seen Frank's black truck. Moving carefully, she slipped out of the comfort of Frank's arms. She padded over to her closet and retrieved her robe. Just before she left the bedroom, she looked back at him and saw that he hadn't moved the slightest inch. Good. She wasn't so sure she wanted him to hear the conversation that was about to occur.
Reluctantly, she approached the bedroom door, opened it, and peered out. She could easily see her brother within the darkness. There was a look about him that was unsettling to say the least. "What is it," she whispered.
"He's here with you, isn't he," he asked calmly, although his facial expression betrayed that.
"Yes," she answered simply. "What is it," she repeated.
Without hesitating a moment, he reached through the small crack she had created and grabbed her wrist. He dragged her out of the room, barely giving her enough time to close the door behind her. She tried to say something, but he shook his head. He pulled her over to the living room as far away from her bedroom as he could get. "I found Tom tonight and I dealt with him. He's out of the gang, but before I gave his sorry ass the boot, he gave me some interesting information. Disturbing information. I wasn't so sure that I could believe him, but you have to tell me the truth, Kay. Is he FBI?"
Kayla's heart began to larrup again. She could have lied to her brother and he would have believed her, but she didn't. She couldn't. The proverbial cat was out of its bag. Everything was crumbling all around her. "How did Tom know," she asked quietly.
Carson snarled and released her abruptly. His hands ached to destroy something, but he sure as hell didn't want to awaken the goddamn FBI agent sleeping in his sister's bed. "I don't know whom the hell to trust anymore," he began. "Tom lied, Kayla. He has a goddamn rap sheet with two felonies, serious felonies. During the commission of one of those felonies, your FBI boyfriend gunned down his partner. When he fought with Tom, he recognized the dude." He laughed bitterly. "Oh, but that's not the worst part. Not even close. Tom's been getting his shares laundered, and he's been keeping things from the heists. Newspaper articles. The whole nine yards. You've known all along that your boyfriend was FBI, didn't you?" When she didn't answer him, he approached her and shook her. "Didn't you? Unless you were sleeping with him for information, I don't understand why you would do this to us. What were you thinking, Kay. What were you doing?"
She had never seen her brother so angry. He was ready to commit murder. "How dare you think so little of me that you would believe I'd use someone like that." She shook her head. "I didn't know all along. But I also didn't let him go when I found out. I told you, Carson. I love him, and it's not so easy to release someone you love. Otherwise, I never would have agreed to do this for Brett."
He snarled again and jammed his hand into his hair. He ran it through his thick tresses violently. Kayla was surprised that there weren't several strands clinging to his fingers. Keeping his voice at a reasonably low level, he charged right into to her. "You have jeopardized the entire operation, Kay. You have jeopardized Brett's life. If…no…when this FBI agent gets wise, it's all over. Do you understand that? If he remembers Tom or finds out any information about him, we're all royally screwed. And you stand there talking about love and how hard it is to release it. Well, little sis, you just did. You've released all the love you felt for Brett the first time you went back to this guy after you found out. If anything happens to ruin the rest of our plans, we know where to put the blame, don't we? We're going to the alternate plan right now. Screw meeting with the gang. You just ruined that. I hope it was all worth it, Kayla. Now go back to your lover and leave me to it."
"Carson…"
He waved his hand toward her, dismissing her. "I'm done, Kayla. I'm not saying another word about it."
Her body was still wracked by shock at her brother's harsh words. Yet, everything he said made such perfect sense. She had put everyone in jeopardy, including the most important person to them both, Brett. She turned away from Carson and slowly moved back toward the bedroom. She was barely aware that she was walking at all. Zombie-like, she shambled toward the door. Once she turned the knob, she could just make out Frank's body in the stifling darkness. He was sitting up on the side of the bed. He reached for the switch on the bedside lamp, but her voice stopped him.
"Don't," she said softly. "Leave it off."
On automatic now, Kayla came out of her robe and slipped under the covers. For the first time in months, she simply couldn't feel anything. She was numb. Untouchable. Vaguely, she felt Frank's body shifting as he slid into the bed next to her. Her back was to him, but she could sense he was propped up on his elbow, gazing at her, digging into her with his dark eyes. He wouldn't leave her alone or let it go, it wasn't in him to do so. Besides, she knew he loved her, and she had learned quickly that he had no qualms going into full attack mode to protect those for whom he cared. She just didn't know if she could speak or react at all. Too much had happened tonight. Something had died inside her. Something vital. She wasn't certain that he could reanimate it if he tried.
"Kayla, what happened?" He reached out to her and laid his hand on her arm. He was closer to her now, his body pressed firmly against hers. "Tell me, Kayla. Talk to me."
She closed her eyes tightly. She wanted to cry, but there was not enough emotion left inside her to produce the tears. "Nothing happened," she whispered. "I just had a few words with my brother. Nothing big. Nothing out of the ordinary."
"He doesn't approve, does he," he asked.
She wondered how much he had heard. "No."
He leaned down and placed a brief, gentle kiss on her shoulder. He felt her body shudder at his touch. "What is his issue? I don't think it's brotherly over protectiveness, either. You may think I'm paranoid, but my intuition leads me to believe that he never approved from the beginning of our relationship. Everything you've denied has been because of your brother, hasn't it? But you've been going against his wishes for the most part. The only other thing you're denying right now is coming to live with me. Again, I ask. What is his issue? Why does he want you to deny happiness? Why does he not want you to have your own life?" She said nothing. Her body continued to shake and shudder. "Whatever is it," he began. "You can step away from it. You can leave it behind. However the game ends, Kayla, it's up to you."
"Yes," she whispered. "It is up to me, and I'm blowing it. I'm blowing it all." She buried her face into her pillow as the numbness grew weaker inside her. Yes. The feeling was coming back, doing so almost violently. "I don't know what to do," she cried, her voice muffled against the pillow. "I don't know where to turn. I have so many people pulling me into different directions, but I can't choose. I can't make a decision. I don't know."
Although her body was stiff and unyielding, he managed to turn her to her back. Her eyes were still closed and she was shaking her head. "Open your eyes and look at me," he commanded. When she didn't, his hand came out and rested gently against her cheek. "Do it." Reluctantly, she opened them. She wanted to shrink back from his gaze. It was almost hard, penetrative. "I do know one thing," he said. "You're not safe here." He didn't honestly believe that her brother would hurt her, but there were other ideas floating around in his mind. As he feared, there was something dreadfully wrong. "When I leave, you're coming with me. I won't hear or accept any arguments."
"Frank, I…"
He placed a finger against her lips. "What did I say? No arguments."
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By the time Kayla rose later that morning, Carson was not in the apartment. Kayla figured he had left for work and taken his laptop with him. She still didn't know what she was going to do, but she packed a few things, and left with Frank anyway. He made it clear he wasn't taking no for an answer. He took her to his house, staying with her long enough to ensure that she was settled in. After he was satisfied, he left her to go to the nest. It was time to dig more thoroughly into Tom Kipplinger.
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Donovan sat with the rest of the team, his brain filled with knowledge concerning Kayla's ex-boyfriend, knowledge that Cody had been gracious enough to dig up. Tom Kipplinger, age thirty-one, had two felonies, and a list of other dirty deeds on his record. When Donovan read the information, he noticed a connection, one so immediate that it sent his mind reeling. Kipplinger was running buddies with Kelly Dade. It was a name that Donovan was more than familiar with. Dade, a street thug, had excellent connections throughout Illinois. He helped run drugs, guns, and money. He also knocked off a couple of banks some ten years prior. Donovan had had a confrontation with Dade that ended in the man's death. After so many months, the entire Sideshow case was falling together like a grammar school puzzle. He didn't doubt that Kipplinger was directly involved with the heists. The key was finding the other players in the game. Now that the team had a nibble, it wouldn't be much harder to dig out the rest of the gang. He briefed the other members of the team about the clubs Kipplinger frequented and the fact that he was in a band. The one thing that was dismissed was Tom Kipplinger's school record. If it had been touched, or his yearbook delved into, Donovan would have recognized one of his classmates immediately. For now, he was happily oblivious to it.
As Jake and Alex looked inside the file folder each was given, Donovan gave further instructions. "I want you to follow this man," Donovan said. "Learn his moves, habits, and watch the people he associates with. The Sideshow has been silent for some time now, and soon, the group should hit again. Hopefully when they do, we'll know their every move. The man you're looking at might be the leader. If he isn't, we should know who is before long."
"Who turned you on to this guy, Boss?"
Donovan fixed his eyes on Jake for a very long moment. "A friend," he answered simply.
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Kayla had gotten Carson's phone call three or four hours ago, but she was stranded. She had gone to Frank's house without her car, and there was no way she was going to tell her brother where Frank lived. Although he was still livid about the situation, he had given her the details of what would be their last job. They would hit one of Chicago's largest banks. Once there, they would collect just enough money to take care of Brett. Carson didn't trust her, but he wanted her in on this job. Both knew it would be sticky without Tom, but they had little choice in the matter. Carson made it clear that this was it for their gang. She didn't realize then how prophetic her brother's words actually were. This job would be the downfall of many things.
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Donovan came into the house just after midnight. Before he went inside, he assumed that Kayla was still awake. The light in the living room was on. However, when he entered, he saw that she was on the sofa asleep. He hadn't spoken to her since he left her this morning, and he wasn't altogether certain that she would talk to him now. She had been in a seeming numb state when he left. Did he think it would be different now? He owed her a wealth of gratitude. Supplying Tom's last name had given the team just enough to play with to dig into a case that had had zero clues for months. But the thought was also unsettling. He still had doubts, doubts that killed his soul. Nothing they had uncovered today implicated her or her brother. He wanted to believe it was a perfect case of healthy paranoia. He wasn't prepared to lose her now, and he didn't know what he would do if he did.
He stepped around to the sofa and leaned over far enough to allow his lips to brush against her cheek. Her eyes came open and she gazed up at him. She sat up, giving him room to sit beside her if he wished. He did. Within moments, she was in the comfort of his embrace, her lips joined with his. He drew away reluctantly. There was so much he wanted to say to her, to show her. His heart actually ached.
"Are you okay," he asked.
She nodded. "I am now."
He kissed her gently, his hand going into her soft hair. He didn't want to let her go. In the very near future, when he thought back to this moment, he wondered if he had had some type of premonition, some feeling that what he cherished would soon be lost to him. He thought that perhaps, just perhaps, it might have driven him to blurt the words he could no longer contain. It would lead to nothing, of course, but again, he didn't quite know what the future held. All he knew right now, at this time, was that he couldn't imagine life without her. "Marry me."
Kayla's heart skipped a beat before pounding crazily in her chest. No. Please oh please tell me he didn't just say what I think he said. Please. I can't take it. I can't answer it. No matter what she told herself or what she did, it wouldn't change the fact that he had proposed to her. She was going to die. This was definitely going to be the death of her. She no longer had to worry about one last bank heist. She no longer had to worry about his uncovering her secret life. She would always worry about Brett, of course, but Carson would have the helm over that now. She would die and bury herself forever. Never to be seen again. It was exactly what she needed to do. Escape. Escape. Run run run. Face nothing. Live a lie; live thousands of them. Whatever you do, just do not face the truth.
When he was certain that she wasn't going to say anything, he kissed her again. "I know I sprung it on you," he said. "I don't expect an answer right now. I love you very much, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Take all the time you need to decide."
With one final kiss, he left her sitting on the sofa. She watched as he climbed the stairs toward his bedroom. She didn't move until she heard the shower start. When she was relatively certain she was alone, she buried her face into her hands and finally had the cry she had been denying herself since the wee hours of the morning.
Kayla made her way upstairs a half hour later. By that time, Frank was out of the shower. He watched her carefully. Her eyes were red from crying. He said nothing, only continued to watch her. She went to the bed and sat down with her back facing him. Without hesitating, he climbed onto the bed behind her. Bringing his body up to his knees, his hands fell on her shoulders, caressing them. She sighed shakily as his hands moved up from her shoulders onto her neck. They slid along her throat, erasing tension and loosening her wound up muscles. She felt her head rolling slowly from side to side, turning in to his touch. The sensation was incredible. It was almost enough to make her believe that all was normal. But it wasn't. It wasn't even close to normal. Maybe for a few hours, she could forget it wasn't. She would allow the man she loved to touch her, to hypnotize her with his hands. She would put it all away. What harm would it do? Soon enough, she would face reality and allow it to bite her on the ass as hard as it wanted. Later. Much later. Right now, it was gone. Nonexistent.
Some time later, Kayla was tangled within Frank's embrace. He had fallen asleep hours ago, but she couldn't manage it, even after his unexpected massage. She listened to his heart beating, and it was as soothing as his hands. She waited a long time for him to fall asleep. In his current state, she figured she could say what she wanted, and he wouldn't remember it upon waking. It was okay to pour her heart out, to tell him how she really felt, what was going on in her mind, and in the deep chest of her secret heart. It was also okay for her to give him the answer he deserved to receive for his most unexpected proposal. It was okay to say and do so many things she couldn't fathom while he was awake. She tightened her hold on his body, and in his sleep, he reacted by tightening his own embrace about her.
"If my life was different, if I didn't have to think of Brett," she whispered. "I'd marry you in a heartbeat. So, my answer is yes." She wished it could be different, but there was no chance of that in this lifetime. "I love you, Frank. Forever."
To be continued…