Kyle (Hope City Book 4) Read online

  Barking out a laugh, he pulled her close and tucked her head next to his chest. He held her tight for a minute, then mumbled low and soft. “Babe, I’m not such a man that I don’t get that that scene was embarrassing for you. But honestly, it’s fine. I don’t spend the night with other women. My mom hasn’t met a girlfriend of mine in years. I don’t have women come to this house. So, the only thing you and I have to worry about today is my mom running off to the priest to reserve the church.”

  Now it was her turn to bark out a laugh, and she felt her chest ease. “I just didn’t want to make a bad impression. Kyle, we’ve only had one true date.”

  “Are you planning on dating anyone else while you’re seeing me?”

  Rearing back, she shook her head. “Of course not!”

  “Then, even if we’ve only known each other a short time, we’re dating exclusively. We want to see where this goes. Sweetheart, you’re beautiful. You were in my house, fixing me breakfast, and I introduced you as my girlfriend. Believe me, my mom is fine with all that.”

  17

  Breakfast was over, dishes were rinsed, and Kyle made good on his promise to use the kitchen table for something besides eating. As he rocked into Kimberly’s body, her perfect ass in his hands as she bent forward over the table, he wondered how his legs would hold them when their releases hit at the same time. Panting, he tried to suck in enough oxygen as he pulled her tight against him, his arms wrapped around her front. Slowly pulling out, he turned her so that her breasts were pressed against his chest and he took her lips in a gentle kiss.

  He hated that she’d been embarrassed this morning when his mom dropped by but could not say he was sorry at all that she’d met his mother. He had only known her a few days, and yet, everything with her felt… right. Although, he had to admit it might be too early for dinner with the family. Thinking of her meeting all the McBrides, he now had a clear understanding of Sean’s wife, Harper, and Tara’s husband, Carter, when they first had to meet everyone.

  After leading her upstairs, he rejoiced that he’d agreed to the extra-large shower when they put it to good use. Finally sated, he linked fingers and said, “Let me show you my view.”

  He led her into the hall to the stairs leading upward. At the top, they entered a bonus room, complete with a slouchy sofa, small bookcase, TV, and windows on all four walls. She was just exclaiming delight when he said, “That’s not all.” He then led her out the door and onto a deck that showcased a view of the harbor in the distance.

  “Oh, my God! I can’t believe you can see the harbor from here!”

  His friends and brothers had often spent many good times up here grilling and sharing a beer, but now, seeing her standing with her arms spread wide, twirling in a circle, he couldn’t imagine anything better than having her there with him.

  On the way back downstairs, he showed her the second bedroom and said, “There’s also a finished den in the basement.”

  “This place is huge!”

  Pulling her close, he said, “I can’t wait to make love to you in every single room.” If her smile was anything to go by, she was just as excited by his suggestion as he was.

  His plans for spending the rest of the day with her were shot to hell when his phone vibrated. Seeing it was Alex, he sighed. “Yeah?”

  “Just got a call from the Captain. We’ve been approved to see Doug Tiller today at the prison.”

  “Today? Fuckin’ today?”

  “Yeah, today. What? You had something else going on?”

  Staring at Kimberly, he said, “Yeah, actually I do. But it’s gotta be done. You gonna drive?”

  “Yeah, I’ll swing by and pick you up in about thirty minutes.”

  Disconnecting, he watched as she stepped closer, encircling his waist with her arms. Resting his chin on the top of her head, he memorized the feel of her in his arms.

  Leaning her head back, she held his gaze. “I take it you’ve got to go to work.”

  “I’m sorry as fuck, babe.”

  “It can’t be helped, Kyle. It’s what you do.”

  Her gentle acceptance moved through him, and he took her lips. The kiss started gentle, but with a touch of her tongue on his, he growled, pulling her tighter against him. Finally, dragging his head away from hers, he said, “Stay here. Explore the house. Eat what you want. Call for takeout—”

  She stilled his words with her fingers on his lips, shaking her head. “Thanks for making me feel welcome but, honestly, Kyle, I’ll be better off at my place. I have some work to do, my laptop and my e-reader are there. You need to get ready, and I can catch a cab.”

  He hated the idea of her not being at his place when his day was over but promised to come to hers. A few minutes later, he watched as a cab pulled in front of his house, and she climbed in. Leaning into the window, he made sure to show his badge as he handed the driver some money. “Make sure she gets home safe and you stay long enough to see that she gets inside.”

  “Absolutely, Sir!”

  He caught her rolling her eyes from the back seat and grinned. With a tap on the top of the cab, he watched it pull away. Having just enough time to grab his jacket and secure his home, he stepped outside as Alex pulled to the curb.

  Entering the men’s prison was not a new experience for Kyle, but having so recently been inside the women’s prison to see Beth Washington, he was struck with both similarities and differences. There was no color on these walls. They were simply painted beige. This prison was older and it showed in the wear and tear—faded floor tiles, scuffed baseboards, windows with a coat of grime on them.

  With their arrangements being previously made, Doug Tiller was waiting for them in the interview room. Kyle remembered seeing him at the time of his arrest. The middle-aged, dapper physician still maintained an aura of superiority even in prison. He wondered if the doctor’s money smoothed the path for him inside but, since much of his wealth had been seized by the feds, Kyle wasn’t sure that offered Doug much preferential treatment.

  “I’m Detective McBride, and this is Detective Freeman.”

  As soon as the word McBride left his mouth, Doug’s gaze jumped to his face.

  “Ah, Tara’s brother. I see the family resemblance. Are you here for your pound of flesh as well?”

  Shaking his head slowly, he said, “No. I allow the law and justice to take its course and, from your surroundings, I’d say that’s happening. For me, I’m satisfied with knowing my sister is well, happy, and healthy.”

  Doug held his gaze, then shook his head. “For what it’s worth, I never intended Tara to get caught up in the… situation.” His face hardened as he added, “I have no idea what you think we need to talk about.”

  Refusing to give in to the verbal baiting, Kyle began. “The arrangement you had with Beth Washington was not just between the two of you. You helped organize the drug runners and profited, but you’re just a cog in the wheel.”

  Doug remained quiet, his gaze never wavering.

  “You pleaded guilty, so it never went to trial, but you also never gave up anyone else. Well, except those below you.”

  Doug continued to remain silent.

  Alex took over. “You may be smart but not smart enough to organize everything. You’re only a small cog, not as big as you liked to think you were.”

  “What is it exactly you think I’m going to say?” Doug finally bit out. “If I didn’t give up anything months ago, why do you think I’m going to say anything now?”

  “Because months ago you hadn’t been in here.” At that statement, Kyle waved his hands slightly to indicate the bars on the window and the guard standing behind him. He saw a faint flicker move through Doug’s eyes and wondered if the prison was already taking its toll on him. Doug had tried to maneuver into a position of authority by volunteering in the prison’s clinic. The warden didn’t want him close to medications or other prisoners who might have battled addiction, so his request was denied.

  Shaking his head, Doug repli
ed, “Detectives, I’ve got nothing to say.”

  “So, you’re willing to sit here in prison and let those higher up the chain get away with everything.”

  A slight snort was the only indication that Doug had any reaction to Kyle’s question. He leveled the detectives with his gaze and said, “You’re the detectives, you figure it out. If you’re so sure I was in the middle of the chain, then you figure out who profited the most.” Standing, he turned toward the guard. “I’m finished here.”

  Kyle and Alex stood also, watching as Doug stopped right before he passed through the door.

  Doug looked over his shoulder and said, “There’s a lot of money in drugs. Think about that the next time you go to pick up your aspirin at the drugstore. Advertising, pharmaceutical companies lobbying physicians and politicians… lots of money exchanges between the hands that go into that bottle you pick up when you’re trying to stop your headache.” Without another word, he turned back to the guard and exited.

  For a moment, Kyle and Alex stood silently. Finally, Alex huffed, “What the fuck?”

  Kyle nodded slowly. “I know he just told us something, but what the hell he meant, I don’t know. Looks like it’s back to following the money trail.”

  As much as she would have liked to spend the afternoon with Kyle, Kimberly could not deny that it was nice to have a chance to catch up on everything she needed to do at home. She had showered at his place but dumped her dress and underwear into the dirty clothes and hauled it to her laundry room, starting a load to wash.

  Dressed in comfortable clothes, she vacuumed and dusted, neither an activity she enjoyed beyond simple tasks that everyone has to endure. Her house was smaller, but she loved Kyle’s house, especially the third-floor bonus room and deck with its harbor view. Bob had finished her basement also, which would be great for a family but was rarely used by her.

  Finally finished with household chores, she sat down on her sofa and pulled out the notes she’d taken from her various interviews. Opening her laptop, she typed the notes, remembrances, impressions, and even included the pictures she’d taken with her phone.

  Scrolling through the photographs, it was amusing to see the different offices. Tammy’s had been tiny, organized, filled with maps and files for the drivers. Bob’s had been utilitarian, somewhat neat, but she had the idea that occasionally he might have to search to put his hand on something he needed. She was used to John’s office but now realized it was similar to Helen’s, which would make sense as they were both department supervisors, although hers was more organized. Dr. Chen’s office was filled with textbooks and what appeared to be research manuals. She flipped through several more, but it was Thomas Kilton’s that now caught her attention.

  A large corner office with wide windows allowing in expansive sunshine, plush carpet, and heavy wooden desk, it was rivaled only by Sally Gleason’s. She remembered his sister Sidney’s comments on the comparison of his office with hers. She had not met the president, Robert Kilton, but if Thomas’ office was anything to go by, then Robert’s would be exquisite.

  Thomas had allowed her to take a picture of him sitting at his desk and, not wanting the sun to be framed behind him, she managed to get his bookcase and credenza in the background. She hated to be impressed by trivial matters, but she had to admit his office was envy-inspiring.

  She typed up her interview from the researcher, the information Tammy had given her on the robbery, and added the notes she had compiled from the various uses of legal and illegal uses of fentanyl.

  With everything saved to her laptop, she emailed the notes to herself and decided she wanted a hard copy. Hitting print, she ran upstairs to her second bedroom where she had a small desk and collected the pages. Back downstairs, she folded them in half, put them in her notebook and slid it and her laptop into her bag.

  A knock on her back door caused her to grin, thinking of this morning’s meeting with Kyle’s mom. She always kept her back gate locked so only Bob was able to come through the gate between their properties. She opened the door and greeted him, offering him iced tea.

  “No, thanks. I just came by to drop off some mail and let you know the farmers market on Spring Avenue has opened up. It’s right on the corner of Spring and Haymarket.” From behind his back, he dangled a bag from his finger and grinned again. “Since I knew you wouldn’t make it there this morning, I thought you might like some fresh strawberries.”

  Clapping her hands, she squealed. “Oh, my God, that’s perfect! I can wash them and fix some right now for us.”

  Waving his hand, he declined. “I’ve already eaten my fill from what I bought this morning. Anyway, I’ve got plans with friends this evening, so I’ll take a rain check.”

  Locking the door behind him after he left, she glanced at the junk mail, tossed it into the recycle bin, and carried the strawberries to the sink to rinse. Kyle had said he was coming over when he finished work today, and she decided strawberry shortcake would be perfect. She made a quick trip to the grocery store, grabbing the ingredients she needed plus a few other items. Once home again, she mixed up shortbread and put it into the oven.

  A few hours later, a knock on the front door had her bounding to the window to peek out over her stoop. Her heart skipped a beat as she observed Kyle standing there, one arm extended with his hand resting on the doorframe. Certainly handsome as always, but his head was bowed, shoulders slumped as though he carried great weight. Struck with the realization that whatever he had been doing at work had probably not been a happy chore, she rushed to the door and flung it open.

  He lifted his head and his blue-eyed gaze speared her. She leaned forward and grabbed his hand, pulling him in. Not waiting for a second, she plastered her body against his, wrapped her hands around the back of his head, and pulled him down for a kiss. If he was surprised by her greeting, he didn’t show it, instead plunging his tongue into her mouth. Tongues tangling, noses bumping, they kissed wildly for a long moment before she finally settled back on her heels and smiled up at him.

  He cocked his head to the side. “Wow, what a greeting.”

  “I peeked through the window and you looked so beleaguered out there. I wanted to make sure you had a proper welcome.”

  Grinning, he pulled her tighter against his body. “Can’t think of a better one, babe.” He lifted his head and sniffed, asking, “By the way, what’s that fabulous smell?”

  “My neighbor, Bob, brought over some fresh strawberries from the market, and I made homemade strawberry shortcake with real whipped cream!”

  His eyes widened and so did his smile. “Damn, girl. I was going to carry you off to bed, but I haven’t had lunch so maybe a snack first would be good.”

  “We want to make sure you have plenty of energy,” she added with a wink before leading the way into the kitchen. As they walked the short distance, she said, “I know you were here already, but you didn’t get a good look. My rowhouse is smaller than yours, but it’s plenty for me.” Looking over her shoulder, she laughed. “Although, I’m incredibly envious of your bonus room and deck! And the view… oh, my goodness!”

  She plated the desserts, placing strawberries in the middle and on top of the shortcake, then added whipped cream piled high. As soon as he took a bite, he closed his eyes and groaned. The sound shot through her, reminding her of the sound of his coming when they were in the shower earlier that morning. Trying to force those thoughts from her mind, she asked, “Did everything go okay today?”

  Shrugging, he said, “It went. Not my favorite thing to visit someone in prison, and I can’t say we got anything useful so it may have been a waste of time.”

  A forkful of strawberries and whipped cream were on their way to her mouth, but she halted. “Prison? Oh, Kyle, I’m so sorry you have to do that.”

  Shaking his head, he said, “Don’t worry about it.”

  “Yeah, but it’s got to be one of the more unpleasant parts of your job.”

  “It’s not pretty, but you know wh
at is? Coming home to you.”

  Dessert finished, she walked over to the counter and grabbed the bowl of homemade whipped cream. Glancing to the side, she said, “I hope that snack built up your stamina. I’m going upstairs to bed… with the whipped cream.” With that, she ran out of the kitchen and made it halfway up the stairs before he caught up to her. He swooped her into his arms, careful to keep the bowl of cream upright. She was glad… after all, she had plans for the whipped cream. And from the grin on his face, he was on board with her plans.

  18

  “I can’t believe you talked me into this fuckin’ trip.”

  Kimberly glanced to the side as Kyle’s comment reverberated through the cab of his truck. Seeing the scowl on his face, she bit back her retort. Instead, she said, “I promised I would bring some fruit. These women have had enough promises broken to last them a lifetime. I don’t want to be just one more person who does that.”

  Kyle’s lips thinned into a straight line and then he blew out his breath in a loud huff. Reaching across the front of his old truck, he squeezed her hand “Babe, you’re a good person, but I cannot be firm enough in my warning that this place is dangerous. Do not under any circumstances ever come here by yourself again.”

  “I know, and that’s why I asked you to come with me. I understand it was foolish the last time, and I’m not going to do that again.”

  They pulled off the road and began the bumpy trip toward the underpass. Just like before, the dark recesses appeared scary, but near the edge, less so. The children were playing ball in the dirt again, and she said, “You can just park back here, and I’ll—”

  “No way, babe. I’m going to be close by.”

  “I don’t want you to scare them—”

  Her words halted as he jerked his head to the side, his glare so scorching she was surprised her eyebrows were not singed. “Okay, okay!”