Page 11 of The Madman's Nightmare
They didn’t seem homeless or even a threat, so I shrugged and walked to the door. Pulling my gun from the back of my waistband, I held the loaded weapon behind my back and opened the door.
“What do you want?” I asked, and they glanced at each other before the woman spoke.
“Are you Devlin Callahan?” she asked, and I looked at James.
Turning back to the girl, I replied, “Who wants to know?”
“I’m Kendra, and this is Bradon. We were hoping you’d have a job for us,” she explained, and it was my turn to looked confused.
“Did someone tell you I was hiring?” I inquired, and Kendra shook her head as she tucked a piece of hair behind her ear.
“No, but I was hoping with all the changes going on, you might need someone to help.”
“Help with what?” I asked, looking her up and down.
I wouldn’t make her sleep with me for my help, but I would fuck the hell out of her if she was so inclined. Her green eyes lifted to mine as she replied, “With whatever you need.”
The man didn’t speak, but he kept his eyes moving between me and the woman until I finally relented. We had too much to catalog, too many people with needs, too many people being cut from Marco’s payroll who would need job, and if they wanted to deal with the bleeding-heart crap while I built my empire, I’d happily take some assistance.
I stepped to the side, opening the front door for them and they walked inside. James stood from his seat, and I instructed, “This is James. Whatever he says goes. If you don’t pull your weight or you fail on a job he gives you, you’re out. Do not think this is your home. This is my home, and you are guests. Take advantage of me or try to steal from me and you won’t see the light of day again.” I paused and made direct eye contact with both of them. “Understood?”
“Yes,” Kendra said.
I looked at Bradon and waited for his response. “Yes.”
Before I knew it, the siblings—as James and I started to call them—became regulars at the house, helping sort out Marco’s craziness. They went through countless hours of tapes and identified sixteen people who were trying to peddle flesh within the Flats.
From the beginning, James said Kendra was looking for more from me and I should keep her at a distance, but she and I fell into bed regularly. Every time, I told her that my heart was not hers for the taking and nothing we did meant anything to me past an orgasm, but she kept coming back for more.
I should have listened to my brother.
He always saw the truth in people.
“Devlin,” someone said, and I jolted awake, reaching for my gun, which wasn’t with me. I looked to see Hailey standing outside my open door in the garage of my building. She looked worried as I slid from the car, and she asked, “Are you okay?”
I looked at my niece and admitted honestly, “Until Elise is back home with me and the boys, no.”
She gave me an understanding nod as I heard a motorcycle pulling into the garage. Turning, I saw four men standing guard at the entrance to the building, and when Hawk and Stella pulled in, followed by Hannah and Seth, I finally turned and started walking to the elevator.
They could catch up. I needed to get upstairs and get an update. If they hadn’t gotten a lead on Elise by now, I feared she may be gone forever. As the elevator doors closed, I felt a piece of me shift inside.
And I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or my first step into true madness.
Chapter 6
Elise
Kendra sat behind the desk, and I lifted my eyes to her. She appeared smug and happy as tears flooded my eyes. I had all the documents sitting on my lap as I glanced down at the picture of her with a young, beardless Devlin. They were holding their hands out to show off wedding rings, and I felt a piece of my heart turn to dust.
“I don’t understand any of this,” I remarked as the man who brought me upstairs took the seat beside me.
Kendra had a nasty tone when she responded. “God, you’re stupid. What’s to understand? Devlin is my husband, and it’s time you knew the truth.”
“Why now?” I inquired, placing the documents on the desk in front of me. I didn’t need the evidence of his betrayal staring back at me. “He and I have been together for over five years, so why now?”
She reached out and picked up the same photo I had been looking at. Touching the image with her painted nail, she smiled, as if remembering a memory. Sighing, she placed it down on the desk and began to speak.
“Devlin was always an impulsive young man, acting first and thinking later.” She shook her head and continued. “He thought you’d be the better choice to father kids with due to some issues I have. He sent me on an extended vacation, and when I returned, he had implemented his little plan.” Her eyes locked onto mine. “When I got back, he and I had one hell of an argument about his little plan to use the misfit, as he called you, to give us the onething I couldn’t.” My eyes grew wide, and my mouth dropped open at her implication. I fought to control my heartbreak as she sighed heavily. “I told him this wasn’t a good idea, but he was hellbent on giving us a family. I’m just sorry he let it go on for so long.” She twisted a ring on her finger as she added, “He was supposed to kill you after the birth of our second son, but he was trying to back out, saying we could just send you away.”
