Shattered Lies

Chapter 11

The sound of Kate's key clicking in the lock takes Castle by surprise. He'd managed to engross himself in his writing - A Derrick Storm novella, not Nikki Heat. It's only three o'clock. He hasn't started his new batch of pasta or even dipped any strawberries. Pushing himself up from the chair behind his desk, he strides to meet her as she comes through the door. "I didn't hear anything on the news. Has Dominic Spinelli been arraigned?"

Kate drops her purse and wraps her arms around Rick's neck. "Held without bail on the theory that with his overseas resources he's a flight risk. Same ruling as his sons. And all three of them are being put in segregation so they can't use other prisoners to get a message out. The Spinellis still have the family consigliere on the case, but Murphy is keeping an eye on him to make sure the family can't launch any further operations."

"So you're in the clear?"

"I'm a cop, Castle. I'm never in the clear, but Murphy and Beeman have put a leash on the Spinellis, and they've frozen as many accounts as they could. If there is anyone left on the outside, they'll have a hard time scraping up the funds for a hit or much of anything else."

"I had a celebration all planned, but nothing is ready. You caught me unawares."

Kate's hands slide down his back to grip handfuls of the firm muscle above his thighs, "Sometimes that can be the best way to be caught."

"And now that you have me, whatever will you do with me?"

Kate inclines her head toward the bedroom. "I'm sure we can figure something out."

Castle mouths silent thanks that he at least got around to making the bed. His healthcare aide had been doing it, but after the doctor removed the stitches from his incision, he'd been able to let her go. He still has a lot of physical therapy ahead of him; he can't fulfill his fantasy of sweeping Kate up in his arms, but heated visions of how he and Kate can indulge themselves are steaming his brain.

Kate reaches for the top button of Rick's shirt. "How long are we going to be alone?"

"Huh? Oh. Mother will be gone through the night. She has a performance, and from what I gather, she's been doing some very personal encores. Alexis has a fencing lesson, and then I believe she's going for pizza with her girlfriends. So the coast is clear for at least a couple of hours."

Kate yanks off Rick's plaid overshirt and tugs at the T-shirt beneath. "That should be good for a start." She stops short for a moment as she uncovers the scar on his chest, before tracing its unexpected length with her fingers.

Rick presses a kiss to her hair. "The surgeons had to go on quite a treasure hunt. They needed some room. It's all right, really. Nothing is going to pop out - unless one of the doctors was an alien who surreptitiously implanted her offspring in me."

Kate brushes the raised red line with her lips. "I'll watch out for any signs of invasion."

Castle removes her top. "Tit for tat."

Piece by piece, their garments find temporary storage on the hardwood floor. Rick wants to take his time to explore every inch of Kate, but after two years of waiting and longing, impatience is creeping in, if not to his mind, in some parts of his anatomy considerably lower. The way Kate is thrashing beneath his touch suggests she has no desire for moving at a leisurely pace either and when she takes matters into her own hands, it confirms his assumption. Her fingers encircle his growing arousal before she straddles his hips. She is ready, more than ready, to take him in. As she bucks above him, Rick's thumbs find the desperate pink buds pleading for his attention. Kate's hair flies, as her ride becomes more urgent. She is a thing wild, striving for release. His questing hands and mouth do anything but gentle her.

Rick can feel the explosion building from deep within her, the rush of shockwaves triggering his own. He struggles for breath as she collapses atop him, but he wouldn't have her anywhere else. Whatever comes next, for him, the connection he and Kate have forged is indestructible. They drift together in the hazy dreamscape between awareness and slumber.

As an alert sounds from the pocket of the pants still occupying the spot they'd been tossed beside the bed, Rick forces himself to full consciousness. Kate has shifted position enough that she is pressed against his side, but he still must, however regretfully, dislodge himself from her grasp to retrieve his cell and read the text from his daughter. Trapped by a downpour, she wants to know if he can come and pick her up from Giovanni's. Rain. He never heard a clap of thunder or the drops pelting the tall windows of the loft, but now the dull roar of the storm is registering on his ears. He punches in his response that he'll be there in twenty minutes. Kate pushes up on her elbows. "What are you doing?"

"Attempting to fulfill the obligations of fatherhood. I need to rescue Alexis from the assault of the weather."

"Wow! I didn't even see a cloud on my way here."

"Sorry about this," Rick calls from the bathroom while he hastily sponges off before slipping his clothes back on. "Alexis is following standing instructions to call if she gets caught by anything like this unheralded squall."

"Hey. Don't apologize. Your devotion as a father was my first clue that you're actually a responsible human being. You want me to drive?"

"No. I've been handling emergency retrievals for a lot of years. But you can be a passenger. It is my fervent wish that Alexis will be seeing a lot of you. She might as well start getting used to it now."

Director Mullen motions Agent Murphy to a chair. "You did a good job, Seamus. It's going to be a long while before the Spinellis can regroup - if they ever do."

"Yes, Sir, but the operation might have been impossible if Detective Beckett hadn't been willing to put her ass on the line," Murphy acknowledges, "and the other four major families in New York are already showing signs of moving in to take over Spinelli territory."

Mullen taps his pen on a folder on his desk. "Exactly the two matters I wanted to discuss with you. There is a hell of a lot of work yet to be done in New York, and I believe that Beckett has proved herself to be a worthy asset. I want you to head up our New York-based war on organized crime, coordinating with the U.S. Attorneys on RICO prosecutions. And for as much as you'll be interacting with the N.Y.P.D., I propose enlisting Beckett as a liaison."

"Sir?"

"I believe I was clear, Murphy. I want you to take charge of all our operations against organized crime in New York City. And as far as Detective Beckett is concerned, I realize that it is unconventional to appoint a cop on the front lines to a liaison position, but I believe I can smooth any ruffled feathers at 1PP. After the load you removed from the N.Y.P.D.'s plate, the commissioner owes us a few."

"Yes, Sir."

Mullen hands Murphy his file. "This outlines what your duties will be and how your organization will be set-up. Consider it a guideline. Within the law, I am essentially giving you a free hand, but I expect results, Murphy."

"Yes, sir. I'll try not to disappoint you."