Shattered Pieces (Undercover Elite Book 1)(32)

He lifts my chin and his face has the look of a snarling, feral animal. “Do you honestly believe that I’m going to let him get to you after I kidnapped you to save you from yourself?”

“He’s dangerous, Cash.”

“Yeah, well, I’m fucking dangerous too. Grr,” he growls, kidding with me. I can’t help but burst out laughing.

Steven Taggart might be a killer but Undercover Elite is an organization that is trained to deal with his type and I couldn’t be in better hands.





Rhonda

“Tsk, tsk, tsk… you have been a very naughty girl.”

“Leave her out of this, Steven, please.” I hate that my voice comes out so weak. It’s as if I’m begging him to have mercy on me. It isn’t me I’m begging for, though. It’s my baby sister. It’s an ingrained behavior—protecting her—and one I can’t avoid. I’ve been doing it my whole life, looking out for my baby sister from the day she was born. There were five years difference in age between us and I watched over her from the day my mother brought her home from the hospital.

Oh, there were various reasons I had to watch over her, all of them very good. There was my mother’s alcoholism and then there were the men she brought in and out of our lives. They had proven to be even more dangerous than having a violent drunk for a mother. The bruises from the beatings we suffered, whenever she was in an alcohol induced rage, healed. The scars I carry from what the men put me through, and would have put Johnnie through if I hadn’t protected her, never healed. I’m a living testimony to that.

My head jerks back so quickly when he roughly yanks a handful of my hair that it hits the top of the chair where I’m sitting. He forces me to look up at him from where he stands behind me.

“Trouble just seems to follow you. Doesn’t it, girl?”

I can’t stop the chuckle that comes out as I speak, “You did this. You killed a woman to stage my death.”

“I beg to differ. Colombian drug lords killed that girl. I just capitalized on it and made it look like it was you. You forced my hand when you threatened to leave me. I love you too much to give you that option, especially with all the information you have about my, shall we say, activities. You’ve put me in a bit of a bind, Rhonda. It seems your little sister has hooked up with a very powerful man.”

I jerk away from his grip and turn, eyeing him in anger. “Who?” I can’t hide the desperation in my voice. I have to know if she’s safe.

“I’m not going to bother you with trivial details, darling.” His voice drips with sarcasm as he continues to speak, “Let’s just say that you have Talia to think about and I’m sure you wouldn’t want me to put you in a situation where you never get to see our daughter again, would you?”

“Mommy, mommy, look at what I drew in preschool today.”

As if on cue, my daughter runs into the room, solidifying his veiled threats. That’s how he operates; there’s always a menacing undertone to his speech.

I grab my daughter, set her on my lap, and take the picture from her hands. “It’s beautiful, baby.”

“I drew it for you, mommy.”

“Give daddy a kiss.” He leers at me as he speaks to our daughter.

She jumps from my lap and into his arms. He pulls her against him and pets her dishwater blonde hair, eyeing me with a look that says it all. He holds all the power and I will never be free from him.





Chapter Nineteen


Cash

“You have stirred up a hornet’s nest, my brother.” Hunter jokes with me over the phone as I sit at my desk and listen over the speakerphone.

“Mr. Steven Taggart has been all up in your business.”

“As long as he stays the fuck away from my woman, I really don’t care what he does. I want you to do me a favor though. I want the hospital records on the death of Johnnie’s sister.”

“What’s going on in that head of yours?”

“I’m going to keep it to myself for now. It’s just a gut feeling.”

“I know how you think and you aren’t hiding anything from me. You think I’ll come to the same conclusion if your gut’s right and you’re keeping me in the dark because you don’t want my perception skewed.”

“You do know how I think. I want the nurses who were on duty more so than I need the doctor’s names. You know how it is. It’s easier to get Intel from them.”

“Alright, I’m on it. I’ll get back with you as soon as I track ‘em down.”

I hang up the phone and let my mind wander. I’m not feeling settled with this case. There are too many unanswered questions. Johnnie never saw her sister’s body. Steven had the body cremated and I’m certain he did so to cover up information he didn’t want people knowing.