Page 50 of Subtracting the Heart

“Which two were the agents? Those boys didn’t work at the shelter, Fiona… Abigail… Agent. They were good boys,” Cade said.

She smiled. “I can’t tell you who was undercover because it could compromise them in the future, but when I found out you were working there, I knew they’d be in good hands. Anyway, Kenneth Shaw was a starving artist hired to head up the shelters and bilk funds from unknowing people trying to do a good thing for teens in need. Each shelter had one member of the O’Malley crime family working in it because they were a front for money laundering as well as fraud. What do you know about Samuel Belew?”

“His husband’s my agent. That’s how we found Cade again. Stan’s a great guy. I seriously doubt they’d be involved in anything like that.” Jax’s voice was tense. If the woman pushed, Cade was certain Jax would lash out.

“Okay, that checks out. What about Beverly Singer?”

“She’s innocent. She’s married to a woman named Regina, and they have two boys,” Cade said.

“Have you ever met the two boys and the wife?” The agent was really pushing her luck with Cade.

“Well, no, but she talked about them a lot. She didn’t do the books, Agent. She cooked and worked as the second monitor on the day shift.” Cade watched her quickly typing notes into her phone.

“Okay, well that’s enough for now. I’ll be in touch, okay? I’m not trying to drag you into this any more than I was trying to drag you into the Triad bullshit, but you seem to have a nose for trouble, young Kincade.” She dropped her phone into her handbag.

Cade glanced at Ford, seeing him drinking out of a straw. “What’s that?”

“Scotch. She drugged me last time she stopped in. I don’t trust her.” Ford’s comment brought an ear-splitting cackle from the woman.

Yeah, Cade didn’t trust her either. After her latest revelations, he needed to contact his mother to find out exactly what part she was playing with the FBI. The situation with his father, Clarence Radcliffe, and Kenneth Shaw sounded dangerous, and he didn’t want his mother in danger at all. She was the only parent he had left.

Chapter Twenty-One

Jax

Jax lay on a padded bench at his physical therapist’s office, catching his breath. He had a weighted collar around his ankle and had finished his reps, rebuilding the muscles that had atrophied during his confinement in the damn cast from which he was finally free.

The brace would continue to be a fixture to protect Jax’s newly healed bones from an accidental kick or trip, but the X-rays showed the bones to be solid, and the prognosis was positive.

Full recovery by the middle of summer, as his doctor had told him. It was definitely something to celebrate in the future.

Having worked out a schedule that had been approved by his doctor and physical therapist, Jax was getting better every day. He’d dropped twenty pounds since his cast was removed, and he was looking forward to losing another fifty.

He wanted to settle around the two hundred mark when all was said and done because his football career was over, and he didn’t need the bulk for the defensive line any longer. He couldn’t remember when he’d weighed in at two hundred pounds, but he was anticipating the trim down. It reminded him of the memorable vacation they’d taken to the Bahamas on Valentine’s Day, which had been quite memorable.

“We’re going where?” Cade gasped as he stared at the papers in his hand. They were in the living room of the Greystone on Valentine’s night. They’d catered in dinner and had made a picnic on the floor, having lit a fire with romantic music playing softly in the background.

Ford had given the two of them envelopes with hearts drawn around each of their names. He’d demanded they open them together, so they counted to three and did as instructed. Inside were first-class airline tickets to Nassau with an internet printout of a beautiful home which he’d rented for the three of them.

“Nassau, Bahamas. I rented a house for us where we can swim and enjoy the private beach. There’s a bus that passes by the driveway and will take us to town for a dollar each. I’ve hired a cook, so we don’t have to worry about food, and there’s maid service included. It’s my Valentine’s gift to the two of you.” The happy grin on Ford’s face warmed Jax’s heart.

That night, the three of them danced and laughed and made love. Cade called it a seventy… he and Ford in a sixty-nine with Jax buried deep inside Cade. When Jax felt Ford’s tongue swabbing his balls after he and Cade had both climaxed in each other’s mouths, Jax couldn’t hold back. It felt too fucking good to keep it inside.

The vacation was perfect. The three of them took Jeep tours around the island and even a catamaran voyage to another island for a day at a private beach where they swam naked and made love on a large blanket under the shade of a palm tree. They took many wicked pictures, and Jax knew he’d count the time as some of his favorite. Life with Ford and Cade would be wonderful.

“Okay, Wes. How much weight was that?” Jax had a weight room at home next to the indoor pool area where he could continue his therapy so he could recover as quickly as possible.

A boot camp was coming up in a week, and Jax wanted to be able to demonstrate the exercises to the participants without causing damage to his healing leg. He needed to make an impression on the participants because he had visions of his future that kept him motivated. His two lovers motivated him as well.

“Cajun, that was forty pounds with ten reps, three times. Don’t go above fifty before we take another X-ray, okay? You don’t want a stress fracture in the newly healed bones because you did too much, too fast, okay? You’ll get back to normal in timefor the season, but take it easy at the minicamp,” the therapist, Wesley Martin, said.

The guy had played college ball as a cornerback, so he had an idea of what was required of a football player recovering from a serious injury. Of course, Jax couldn’t tell him he wasn’t going to play for Chicago anymore because the news of his impending retirement was yet to be shared outside of his close circle.

The Cajun needed to show up at minicamp to prove he was able to play so he could go into free agency. He’d balked at the idea when Stan had informed him of the necessity to keep up the charade of playing again, but his agent told him not to dismiss the idea entirely. He might be able to pick up a coaching gig if he followed up, which was something Jax hadn’t even considered. For the sake of his future endeavors and the future of his family, he wanted to be strong and healthy.

“Thanks, Wes. I’ll see you on Wednesday, I guess.” Ford entered the weight area. He had a grin on his face, which brought a matching one to Jax’s.

Things had been a bit of a rollercoaster lately because it seemed each day brought a new raft of bullshit. It all started when that woman, Senior Special Agent What’s Her Name, had invaded their lives. Jax was happy he had no more family left to cause a problem because it seemed as if poor Kincade had enough problems with his parents to fill a warehouse.

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