Page 24 of Chasing Storm

Sean and Kara fled to Iowa. They found a small apartment and laid low, not wanting to raise suspicion. No one followed them. Because it was uneventful, they used the time to clean, cook, play board games, and read. When Joey gave a recount of what we went through, Sean’s eyebrows creased, and Kara kept gasping, tears pouring and drying up during the conversation.

Sean cuts in, “Elijah is ex-FBI?” We nod in unison. He falls back into the chair and runs a hand through his hair. “Christ! We’ve been embroiled in illegal shit for years. Ten years ago, he shows up with his Deviants, recording everything we’ve done.”

Joey holds his finger up. “Correction. Everything James and William have done. To my knowledge, Elijah was never around when I…” He stops talking, eyes darting to Kara and me. “Well, when I engaged in…gray matters.”

We all bust out laughing at Joey’s word choice. None of us sitting in this room are oblivious to what the criminal underworld is about.

“Still, it’s surprising Elijah didn’t hand you over to the FBI on a silver platter.”

“I think the man has his own skeletons. Besides, he can’t stand William and James, and they were the focus.”

“Did he mention what kind of intel he provided to them?”

“No, and I don’t care. As long as we’re not under investigation or being prosecuted, let their attention remain on them.”

The conversation changes, and I take in all of us sitting together. Sean’s hair has grown longer and is one length. He now resembles a surfer dude with his blond hair and blue eyes. A woman’s wet dream, except Sean’s dreams consist of men. Through his lifetime, he’s going to cause a lot of achy lady parts and broken hearts.

My eyes move away from him, landing on Joey, who is wearing a frown. He must have caught me staring at Sean. I wink and pucker my lips toward him. Perhaps my actions reminded him of his behavior regarding Elijah because he returns the sentiment and gives me one of his sexy smiles. The kind where his face softens, a corner of his mouth upturns, and he punctuates it with a raised eyebrow, leaving me weak in the knees. Sometimes I find myself holding my breath, gazing at him, afraid that if I exhale, he’ll disappear.

I sit on the couch’s armrest, watching Kara listen to Joey and Sean. She’s lost some of the weight she put on before James sent us running, but it doesn’t alter her beauty. Her black hair is now cut into a bob, and her petite face enhances her big brown eyes. Similar to when Joey saved her from James’ hell, she can’t stop touching his arm, kissing his hand, or rubbing his back. It’s like she wants to make sure he’s real, sitting right next to her.

This is our little family, who I love. All of us have been through a lot, and I hope things will be calm for the time being. But first, I want to call my brother to find out how they’re doing. Frankie told Joey he was coming after him because he needed the money to build his empire and overthrow my brother Leo. While we fled, I called and warned Leo about Frankie’s intentions. I only hope the warning came in enough time for him.

I excuse myself, heading into the kitchen to retrieve my phone.

I’m fidgety because it takes Leo five rings before he picks up, and whispers, “Teagan?”

“Hey big brother.”

“Are you okay, Monkey?”

My childhood nickname creates a lump in my throat as I flick the tears away. I’m an exposed ball of nerves, surprised my tear ducts haven’t clogged up.

I clear my throat and respond, “It’s me.”

Leo lets out a heavy sigh. “Damn.” I hear his voice crack when he adds, “I’m so glad to hear your voice, Monkey.” We both take a couple of seconds to collect ourselves, and then he adds, “With the hit vanishing on the dark web, I wasn’t sure if someone succeeded or captured you.”

“I’m good. We’re good. How’s Isabella?”

“Ornery and big. I swear it looks like she’s pregnant with twins. Isabella’s so miserable, she can’t wait for the baby to come.” He whispers to someone in the background and comes back on. “Izzy says hello.”

“Tell her the same from me.”

“Enough about us. What the hell happened?”

“First, tell me what we’ve missed. Did Frankie try anything?”

Leo laughs at the idea. “Are you kidding? After you called me, I didn’t give him a chance to do anything. I went and beat the shit out of him. He has some loyal followers, but Cooper’s Crew thinks he’s a traitor. They like Joe, and Frankie trying to overthrow him and me didn’t sit well with them. Besides, the guys from Cooper’s Crew know they’d never win against our gang, especially not now. Things are in an upheaval over there. With James and Joey missing, no one knows what to do. I’ve extended an olive branch to Joey’s friends, Danny and Reuben. They appreciated that I reached out to them, but they’re waiting to hear from Joe. The Crew doesn’t care there was a hit on him, their future leader. They remain loyal, which is phenomenal. A leader could only hope for that kind of loyalty. Which reminds me, Joe and I have to talk about his involvement.”

I press my hand against my chest, relieved at the news. “That’s good. Frankie deserved the beating and more.”

He asked, “Now tell me everything.”

Joey comes from behind, slipping his arms around my waist, chin on my shoulder, rocking us from side-to-side. I explain to Leo what happened from when we went to Frankie’s, up until today, leaving out Elijah being ex-FBI. Maybe I’ll tell him later or he’ll find out on his own. Leo grunts and lets out some curse words while I relay the story, but otherwise, he remains quiet.

When I finish, he says, “Monkey, I can’t even explain how happy I am that you’re safe. If I ever come across James, he’ll wish he died at the silos.”

“Leo, have you by chance seen Erin?”

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