the house music. “He’s going
to be my boyfriend.” Kennedy grinned.
“ Huh? He isn’t in high
school. He’s probably twenty-two or three, and I hear he’s got a
temper. Remember that kid Bryan? The one that goes to
Gaylor?”
“ Yeah.”
“ Heard he beat him up
pretty bad over something trifling. I can’t remember, but I think
it was over a pack of cigarettes.”
“ Really?”
“ Yeah, remember our rule?
We sneak out to have fun, but we just look, never touch. Besides,
you can do better than that loser,” Sierra huffed.
Kennedy ignored her. The just-looking rule
seemed only to apply to Kennedy. Sierra touched anyone she wanted,
as many times as she wanted in a night. She was overly protective,
as most everyone in Kennedy’s life was. Besides, in Liam’s case,
Kennedy suspected Sierra had grown salty because he’d turned down
her flirt, especially since it was the first time anyone in this
crew did. Kennedy lifted on her toes to look for him. But he was
gone.
Kennedy smiled to herself. She’d see him
again soon. She’d find a way.
***
Angelina blocked Alexa’s entrance. “I asked
you a question.”
“ Right. I see.” Alexa
stepped back from the door and cleared her throat dramatically.
“Good evening Mrs. Vasquez.
I’m-so-sorry-to-bother-you-at-this-late-hour-I’m-here-on-official-business-with-the-major-is-he-available?”
Vasquez hustled to the door and rested his
hands on his wife’s shoulders. “Hi, Alex. What are you doing
here?”
Angelina, obviously annoyed with her
husband, shook off his touch.
“ Let me guess. You’re here
to see Liam,” Angelina snipped.
“ Sweetheart, please.”
Vasquez pulled her back inside.
Angelina whirled on her
husband. “I want her out of here. And unless you want the fight of
your life tonight, you’ll make it happen quick .” She stormed aside, hand to
her belly.
Alexa sneered. “I see your wife is as
charming as ever.”
“ It’s not a good time, Alex.
Liam already went upstairs.”
“ This isn’t a social call.
Can I please come in?”
Vasquez sighed, weighing his options.
Angelina paced the floor behind him. He stepped aside. She shot her
husband a withering glare when he allowed Alexa to walk inside,
then turned and marched off to the kitchen.
Alexa looked up to the stairs. “Can you get
him to come down?”
“ No. He’s wiped.”
“ So I take it the reunion
didn’t go well.”
Vasquez shook his head. “He hasn’t seen her
yet. Tomorrow, maybe.”
“ Well he needs to see her
soon. Senator Clayton is making a big stink over his release. You
know his concerns. Liam could be a security risk.”
“ Not possible. You and I
both know this, Alexa.”
She shrugged. “Maybe not. But there’s more.
Sarkhir knows he’s alive.”
“ How?” Vasquez
said.
“ We’ve gotten intelligence.
So far it points to an active a cell in West Virginia. It may not
mean anything. It may mean everything. Clayton thinks we needs to
contain Liam, and I think the vice president agrees.”
“ Fuck. My boy has been
through enough.” Vasquez rubbed the back of his head.
“ Exactly. We have to think
of the men and women out there now with their lives on the line.
Liam is too important. They want me to bring him back in. Weeks. A
few months, tops, and then he can go public.”
Vasquez stepped to Alexa and lowered his
voice. “Delay it.”
“ Huh? I can’t.”
“ You and I both know you
can. Use someone else. The man has lost five years of his life. He
hasn’t even met his daughter. You get the administration off his
back. I’ll keep him here. Trust me, between us, we can contain this
together.”
“ That’s not a good
idea.”
“ You owe him your life. We
both do. He’s in a lot of pain, Alex, and you can do something
about it. Delay it. Give him a chance to heal his family, for
fuck’s sake.”
She looked up at the stairs. Alexa sighed.
Vasquez hoped she would turn and walk out. Do something selfless,
act the
to be my boyfriend.” Kennedy grinned.
“ Huh? He isn’t in high
school. He’s probably twenty-two or three, and I hear he’s got a
temper. Remember that kid Bryan? The one that goes to
Gaylor?”
“ Yeah.”
“ Heard he beat him up
pretty bad over something trifling. I can’t remember, but I think
it was over a pack of cigarettes.”
“ Really?”
“ Yeah, remember our rule?
We sneak out to have fun, but we just look, never touch. Besides,
you can do better than that loser,” Sierra huffed.
Kennedy ignored her. The just-looking rule
seemed only to apply to Kennedy. Sierra touched anyone she wanted,
as many times as she wanted in a night. She was overly protective,
as most everyone in Kennedy’s life was. Besides, in Liam’s case,
Kennedy suspected Sierra had grown salty because he’d turned down
her flirt, especially since it was the first time anyone in this
crew did. Kennedy lifted on her toes to look for him. But he was
gone.
Kennedy smiled to herself. She’d see him
again soon. She’d find a way.
***
Angelina blocked Alexa’s entrance. “I asked
you a question.”
“ Right. I see.” Alexa
stepped back from the door and cleared her throat dramatically.
“Good evening Mrs. Vasquez.
I’m-so-sorry-to-bother-you-at-this-late-hour-I’m-here-on-official-business-with-the-major-is-he-available?”
Vasquez hustled to the door and rested his
hands on his wife’s shoulders. “Hi, Alex. What are you doing
here?”
Angelina, obviously annoyed with her
husband, shook off his touch.
“ Let me guess. You’re here
to see Liam,” Angelina snipped.
“ Sweetheart, please.”
Vasquez pulled her back inside.
Angelina whirled on her
husband. “I want her out of here. And unless you want the fight of
your life tonight, you’ll make it happen quick .” She stormed aside, hand to
her belly.
Alexa sneered. “I see your wife is as
charming as ever.”
“ It’s not a good time, Alex.
Liam already went upstairs.”
“ This isn’t a social call.
Can I please come in?”
Vasquez sighed, weighing his options.
Angelina paced the floor behind him. He stepped aside. She shot her
husband a withering glare when he allowed Alexa to walk inside,
then turned and marched off to the kitchen.
Alexa looked up to the stairs. “Can you get
him to come down?”
“ No. He’s wiped.”
“ So I take it the reunion
didn’t go well.”
Vasquez shook his head. “He hasn’t seen her
yet. Tomorrow, maybe.”
“ Well he needs to see her
soon. Senator Clayton is making a big stink over his release. You
know his concerns. Liam could be a security risk.”
“ Not possible. You and I
both know this, Alexa.”
She shrugged. “Maybe not. But there’s more.
Sarkhir knows he’s alive.”
“ How?” Vasquez
said.
“ We’ve gotten intelligence.
So far it points to an active a cell in West Virginia. It may not
mean anything. It may mean everything. Clayton thinks we needs to
contain Liam, and I think the vice president agrees.”
“ Fuck. My boy has been
through enough.” Vasquez rubbed the back of his head.
“ Exactly. We have to think
of the men and women out there now with their lives on the line.
Liam is too important. They want me to bring him back in. Weeks. A
few months, tops, and then he can go public.”
Vasquez stepped to Alexa and lowered his
voice. “Delay it.”
“ Huh? I can’t.”
“ You and I both know you
can. Use someone else. The man has lost five years of his life. He
hasn’t even met his daughter. You get the administration off his
back. I’ll keep him here. Trust me, between us, we can contain this
together.”
“ That’s not a good
idea.”
“ You owe him your life. We
both do. He’s in a lot of pain, Alex, and you can do something
about it. Delay it. Give him a chance to heal his family, for
fuck’s sake.”
She looked up at the stairs. Alexa sighed.
Vasquez hoped she would turn and walk out. Do something selfless,
act the
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