He’d worked damn hard, saved countless lives, and rid the world of some truly evil bastards—all to escape looking himself in the mirror after what he’d done to the woman he’d married.
He’d just pulled through the gates of his Montecito home, when his phone rang with a familiar tone. What were the odds that the very woman he’d been thinking about for most of the ride down here, was calling?
“Lena.”
He knew before she spoke that she was crying. He always knew.
She cleared her throat. “My mother died this morning.”
He scrubbed his face with his hand. “I’m so sorry, sweetheart. I’ll be there as soon as I can. How’s Leech?”
“Not good. Where are you?”
“Driving up the coast. I’ll be there in less than two hours.”
“You’re at the house, aren’t you?”
“Not yet,” he lied, looking up at the place he couldn’t remember the last time he’d been inside.
“Goodbye, Kade.”
“Bye, Lena. Let your dad know I’m on my way.”
He let her end the call first and then threw his cell phone on the seat beside him. He took one last look at his house, drove out the gates, and got back on the highway.
Lena’s mother’s death hadn’t come as a surprise. The woman had been ill for many years with Parkinson’s. She’d fallen into the final stages of the disease a couple of years ago when her inability to walk forced her into a wheelchair, and dementia clouded her once-bright spirit.
Kade was far more worried about Lena’s father, than he was her. Leech had been a mentor to him since his first day of boot camp. There was no telling what kind of downward spiral Elisabetta’s death would send him in.
Before driving over the pass to Paso Robles, Kade stopped at the house in Moonstone Beach. Given he had no idea what kind of shape Lena or her father would be in, along with what might have to be done to make arrangements for Elisabetta’s funeral, he picked up several changes of clothes.
While there, he called his father who had already been made aware of this morning event’s and was on his way to the same place Kade was.
Next, he called Razor. He and Gunner knew Leech as well as he did.
“What up, Doc?” said Razor when he answered his call. Kade told him the news.
“Oh, man. I’m sorry to hear that. Elisabetta was one of the best women I’ve ever known.”
“I’m getting ready to call Paps. Do you know his twenty?”
“Sittin’ right in front of me.”
“What’s your ETA to Paso Robles?”
“Be there by sunset.”
“I appreciate this, Raze.”
“What about Eighty-eight?”
“Let’s hold off on getting him involved for now.”
“Roger that. See ya tonight.”
The process he’d begun when the met with his three partners in January needed to be completed now. Something in the back of his head told him it was time to get his affairs in order. All of them.
He ended up spending a week on the property that with Elisabetta’s death, he now owned. He hadn’t liked it when he and Lena divorced and he didn’t like it now, but the property had been handed down from Elisabetta’s family, and she had been intransigent that it become Kade’s.
Leech was, as he’d anticipated, despondent over his wife’s death. He blamed himself, got drunk, and lashed out at both Lena and Kade. Even Laird, Leech’s best friend for more than fifty years, couldn’t get through to him.
“He’s going to do some reckless. Or worse,” Kade said to his father as they both walked back to their parked vehicles.
“I agree.”
“He wants revenge.”
Laird nodded. “And he has nothing left to live for.”
“He does.”
“But he doesn’t see it that way.”
Less than six months later, Kade and his father’s worst fears materialized. Leech Hess was missing and they both knew it would be up to Kade to find him.
The first thing he did was make arrangements to meet again with his K19 partners, this time he wanted Eighty-eight there.
In the event of his death, there were things that needed to be carried out. Anticipating what Leech would do, Kade had spent the last six months getting it all ready.
The only thing he hadn’t done, was talk to Peyton and he still hadn’t decided how much to tell her.
17
This Christmas was nothing like the last one. Instead of Kade wanting to spend it with her and the boys, it seemed as though he felt he had to.
She hadn’t broken up with him in June like she’d planned. Instead of being gone a few days, he was away almost two weeks. When he returned, his behavior was different. It was almost as though something horrible had happened and he was in mourning over it.
He clung to Peyton when they slept. The sex between the changed too. Each time they made love, Peyton felt as though it would be their last.
They spent Christmas Eve together, the same way they had the year before, and then Christmas morning with their respective families. Instead of talking about meeting up later, Kade told her he’d be with his all day, and he’d see her and the boys the following day.
Thankfully, Jamison and Finn didn’t question why they couldn’t see Kade. It was as if they also sensed something was off.
On New Years’ Day, right after they’d all had breakfast together, Kade asked to speak to the boys alone. When he came out of their room, he closed the door behind him, and asked Peyton to take a walk with him.
They went out to the beach and sat on the same rock they always did.
“I’m leaving.”
“I sensed you were.”
“This time is different, Peyton. I’m going deep undercover and I have no idea how long I might be gone. It could be several weeks, or longer.”
He was scaring her but she
