So goood!

Chapter 12

Mercedes moved to hug Tina, as they all set up to go their separate ways. "Are you sure you and Mike have somewhere safe to go?"

"Yes for the millionth time, we do. Call me as soon as this mess is over okay?"

Mercedes nodded. "I promise. Just get to where you are going safely, you and Auntie's babies."

"Keep yourself safe Merce, not that I don't trust Sam, just keep your eyes wide open." She whispered.

"We gotta go guys." Sam said, extending his hand to Mike. "We gotta do this again but without the shooting and trying to kill each other."

"Agreed. Later Merce, keep this man on his toes."

She smiled as they waved, Stacey and Marley got in the back as Sam started the car.

"Where are we going?" Stacey asked, sitting back.

"Not really sure, I can't reach mom and I am pretty much off the grid til I understand why Mike and I were left there with no back up."

Mercedes looked at Sam and sighed, "I have a place we can go, it's a few hours from here. No one will expect us to be there and it's a safe place considering where it is."

Sam looked at her. "The only place associated with you that's near here is…" He shook his head. "Surely you aren't serious."

"I am, I think it's time to get some answers, don't you?"

Sam breathed. "No one is going to be happy we are heading there, but you are right, no one will expect us to either."

"So let's go, we should be there soon." She said programing the GPS with the address.

As Sam drove off, his mind ran over a dozen different scenarios of what was waiting for them there, but also of why his parents didn't meet them, of how he could have been so stupid and trusted Quinn, and now he wondered if his mother knew all along what was happening. First he learned Quinn was head of the Tres' and now Dave was alive and working for her, things were not adding up and he deserved answers. They all did.

Quinn screamed, slamming a chair against the wall. When Dave gave the signal that Mercedes and Sam were at this location she headed there herself, she wanted to see the look on Sam's face when he learned the truth, that she was the head of a crime syndicate. Hell maybe she could convince him that crime paid better and he could work for her. But when they arrived all they saw was a knocked out, tied up dave and a note that read. "Judgment Day is near". Everything had backfired on her.

How the hell did Mike turn on her after all the money he was offered? After all the jobs he had done for the Tres' something major must have happened for him to just suddenly change his mind. And why was Sam hell bent on protecting that homewrecker Mercedes?

"Azimo untie your friend here, now!" She ordered.

"Naw I mean no disrespect but he pissed himself and I am just not okay with touching all that." He said.

She looked at him. "Is that a fact?" Pulling out her gun she shot Azimo in the leg.

"Mason, get them both up, or would you like a bullet to match his?"

"No, I like my limbs." He said looking towards three of his lackeys to come help him pick the two men up.

"Now, anyone want to explain just what the fuck happened and why that bitch is still alive?" Quinn asked the men deciding if she was going to kill them all or just torture them.

Mason looked at her. "We aren't the ones stopping her from dying. You of all people around here should know that Sam is really good at his job."

Quinn looked at him, knowing he was right but not approaching his tone so she shot him in the foot. "He was alone! He should have been handled properly like I said!" She shouted.

"Fuck! Will you stop shooting people!" He fell over gripping his bleeding foot. "We tried! He turned Mike to his side and Justin's ass is the one who failed." He cried out.

"I didn't do shit!" Justin managed to get out before groaning in pain. Quinn refused to let his father take him to the hospital. "You didn't do your part keeping Evans away from that bitch!"

Quinn turned towards him fully. "Excuse you? What the hell did you just say to me?" She said lifting her gun towards him.

"You know I am feeling personally attacked here, you shot me, that bitch kicked my ass, I am getting real tired of being a punching bag for women! All I am saying is, you were supposed to keep Sam away from her long enough for us to get to her, but you couldn't do that." Justin defended preparing himself for if she was going to shoot him again, he was lucky that they bandaged the wounds but he knew he could only take one more shot before he was done.

Quinn smirked. "You really have a death wish, don't you? I'm sure we can arrange a beautiful death for you." She snapped. "I had Evans uncontrol, you let his sister escape! She was our leverage and I was about to have them split up but you all fucked it up!"

"All this arguing is not getting us anywhere." A voice came from behind them. "You want the job done right then you should send me in Quinn. We will track them. I will take a group of guys and be done with the lot of them in an hour." He said looking at her.

Quinn turned and faced him. "Biff, you're following me again?"

"The last job you sent me on finished early. So I figured I'd help you finish the job your lackey's clearly can't do." He said smirking at the idiots bleeding on the ground in front of him. "See you are still as trigger happy as ever."

Quinn dropped her gun and sighed. "They pissed me off." She placed her hand on her hip. "The shipment got off okay?"

He nodded. "Yeah I told you it wouldn't be a problem, I could make that run in my sleep."

Quinn smiled. "Good boy, now let's finish this so I can get back to my office and be done with all you idiots."

Mercedes' leg was bouncing as they approached the gate to her parent's place and she felt her palms become clammy when Sam stopped and looked to her for the code.

"Merce?" He said and she looked at him before nodding.

"M-move your seat back, they won't open it for you." She said softly before unbuckling and leaning over him,sticking her hand out of the window and typing in her code. She wasn't entirely sure if her code would work but she tried it anyways.

"Who's there?" The intercom said and Mercedes groaned.

"Daddy, it's me… your other daughter." She replied.

"That's not what I asked."

Mercedes sighed. "Sam Evans, Stacey Evans and Marley Rose" She said and was met by silence. "Daddy don't make me do this…"

"Then don't make me ask again." He snipped.

Mercedes looked at Sam before shaking her head. "Yes daddy, I am dating him and yes he was the person assigned to protect me but I'm more than sure you knew that."

She waited for a response but the sound of the gate slowly opening let her know he accepted her answer. She sat back in her seat, clearing her throat. "Best not keep them waiting…"

Sam nodded, driving up the long driveway trying not to be in awe of the size of the place. "You grew up here?" He asked.

She shook her head. "No… well kinda. They expanded after I left and put in a guest house for my sister and her babies."

"I didn't know you had a sister." Marley said and Mercedes let out a breath.

"Because I didn't tell you about her…"

Marley shot her a look that she couldn't see. "I told you everything about me, why would you not tell me about your sister or her babies?"

Mercedes looked out of the window as they circled the driveway before looking back at everyone. "Just… stay here until I come back." She instructed before starting to get out but Sam grabbed her arm making her stop.

"What aren't you telling me?" He asked.

"That file didn't include everything about me or my parents… just give me five minutes." She said pleadingly. Sam looked at her before letting her arm go with a simple nod.

"Five minutes Jones then I'm coming in there." She smiled before walking up the steps to the door.

She took a deep breath pressing the doorbell and waited before she could hear the familiar sound of her father's shoes hitting the marble floors along with the sound of her mother's heels following.

The door opened and she was met by both of her parents, her mother smiling and her father frowning. Typical. "Mommy… daddy." She said running her hands along her jeans. "Can I come in?"

"Of cour-"

David raised his hand before looking over Mercedes' shoulder towards the car. "Kennedy, why don't you invite our daughter's guests inside while she and I have a little chat."

Kennedy looked at her daughter then at her husband before shaking her head. "I don't know what the hell you've been smoking but you are not in charge here. I will invite them inside because it's the proper thing to do but we will all be having a little chat." She replied rolling her eyes and stepping around Mercedes.

David watched his wife walk down the stairs before returning his attention to Mercedes. "An Evans, really?" He said disapprovingly.

"Seems your world and mine have finally clashed… the Fabray's are after me because of something you did."

David scuffed. "You were perfectly fine until you started making friends with that girl. You also had the option of staying here with your family like we wanted you to do."

"No daddy, you wanted to keep me locked away because I was rebellious which makes no sense because all I wanted to do was be a teacher. How that is considered rebellious, I'll never know but we don't have time to go over all the ways I've disappointed you because there is a literal hit out on me and my… boyfriend." She replied, stammering at the end because this was the first time she'd ever brought a man to her parents.

"Ha! You really think we're gonna allow this relationship to continue?"

Mercedes stepped closer. "Allow? You no longer control that aspect of my life daddy. I am here, because I want to know the truth, that's all." She stood firm, though a part of her felt sick to her stomach.

David looked at his daughter choosing to step down. "Are… are you hurt?" He asked, his tone notably softer than it had been before. "Did they do something to you?"

Kennedy approached with everyone else behind her. "Let's get everyone inside and settled, I'll have Terese prepare some food for everyone." She said looking at her husband who looked concerned.

"Yes… let's get inside." David repeated before walking inside and away from everyone else.

"You'll have to forgive my husband, he's a bit of an asshole." Kennedy said with a warm smile but Mercedes knew she meant every word.

They all followed Kennedy as she walked them through the foyer into the living room where Mercedes stopped when she saw her sister Mia sitting there with her niece and nephew.

"Auntie Cedie!" Her niece Denise scream, running over and hugging her keg. Mercedes felt an intense rush of emotions flow through her as she kneeled down and hugged her niece.

"Oh sweet girl, I have missed you so much!" She said as her nephew, Austin took a few unsteady steps towards her before falling and crawling the rest of the way.

Mercedes smiled and picked him, planting kisses all over his face. "I guess he recognizes your voice." Mia said smiling at her little sister.

Mercedes walked over and hugged her sister tightly. "I missed you too sis."

"I missed you too, Merce, but you shouldn't have come here." She whispered as she hugged her little sister.

"Mia what's going on? Do you know?"

Mia looked at their dad and back at Mercedes. "I know some but dad would know it all."

"Mercedes join your mother and I in my study." David said moving towards the foyer.

Sam stood. "I would actually like to join you if that is okay."

"No it's not okay, I don't know who you think you are, Evans but you and yours, need to be as far away from my family as possible." David said through gritted teeth.

"Me and Mine? Do I know you?" Sam asked.

"No, but I know you. And I know your family. You should have never been brought in on this case!"

"I should have never been attacked!" Mercedes shouted over to her dad. "Sam saved my life, he has done more for me in these last 6 weeks, keeping me safe, protecting me then you have in years! So if you want to talk to me, you will talk to him too."

David turned towards her angrily, but Kennedy held up her hands. "Sam, you can join us, Terese will get your sister and friend settled."

Mercedes walked over to Sam, threading her fingers through his, gazing up at him for a moment, before leading him to her father's study. As they walked in David shut the door and turned to Mercedes.

"How dare you defy me in my own house!" David boomed.

"Defy you?" She laughed. "You are still the same aren't you? I thought with everything that happened, with the time we spent apart you would actually care about me, actually love me!"

Kennedy moved towards Mercedes. "Of course we love you!"

"'Do you? Because my whole life I have wondered why your work was more important to me, you didn't even warn me about all this mess, just let me get dragged in it." She said sadly.

"You were the one who decided to go all I am woman hear me roar and kick that man's ass. No one would have found you if you just stayed under the radar! Or if you would have brought yourself home like we requested!" David said.

Sam sighed. "This back and forth is getting us nowhere. I know who you are and what you used to do, who you used to be, so how about you tell me something I don't know, like why the Fabray's are after Mercedes? What am I missing?"

David ran his hand through his hair. "What does it matter, she is here now, we can keep her safe and you can leave."

"Sam is not going anywhere without me. He leaves then so do I." Mercedes said.

"You would really choose this man over your family? Your blood?"

Mercedes looked up to Sam. "In a heartbeat."

Sam smiled down to her and Kennedy sighed. "Your dad and I weren't always criminal attorney's. We've prided ourselves on helping those who couldn't help themselves. That is until my best friend convinced me to take on a case for the FBI."

"Kennedy don't." David warned.

She looked at him but waved him off. "We both had dreams, me and her, I wanted to be a Judge and she wanted to run the FBI. And this case, it would make her career, so I asked your father to be second chair and we represented Russell Fabray on some pretty big drug charges. I felt like he was guilty but she convinced me that he wasn't, that he was just a pawn in a much bigger game, and if we got him off, it would lead to one of the biggest busts in our lifetime."

Mercedes said down as her mother continued. "So I did my job, I got him off and she got what she wanted, but I paid the price. Russell Fabray had played us both, and she was blinded by something I don't know, or someone."

"So what does all this have to do with me?" Mercedes asked.

"After we won the case, they paid us more than we agreed on and your father decided taking the money was a good thing. You and your sister were young and we wanted to move into a house. Getting Russell off got our name out there and we were attracting the wrong kind of clients."

"Like the Tres'?" Sam asked.

Kennedy looked at Sam and nodded. "Your mother is a brilliant woman, someone who at one point I would have given my life for, but she opened the door for Mercedes father and I to get mixed up in this world. She used us getting criminals off against us, had us get off her informants until she was able to infiltrate the Tres, or your sister was."

"My sister?" Sam shook his head. "What about Stacey?"

"Your mom saw how Mason was attracted to your sister, and when she learned he was working for the Tres' she encouraged your sister to date him, thinking they could protect her."

Mercedes sighed. "I still don't understand, can you get to the point of all this mom?"

"I am getting there. Once Stacey went missing, your mother called in every favor she had, including trying to call in one from me. But because your father and I were out of the game, I refused. When she realized she couldn't get to Mia, she had an informant leak where you were, and color them all surprised that you were right under their noses. Mary figured if she got her best agent to protect you, because the Tres were after you, we would change our mind and help."

"So Justin was…what a plant?" Mercedes asked, confused.

"No that was just a coincidence. And it just gave the Tres' more motivation to grab you." She said.

"So my mother masterminded this whole thing to save my sister?" Sam asked quietly.

Kennedy nodded.

Welp... that took a turn...