Page 43

Chapter 42

Cuddle party

Maddie

I s it weird to feel disappointed that the twins are sleeping so contentedly?

Don’t get me wrong. I’m thrilled my daughter can catch up on her rest, and I certainly don’t want the babies to have any discomfort that would make them cry. However, I’m bummed I haven’t been needed more the last two nights. I figured I’d be warming bottles and changing diapers until the wee hours.

Nope. No such luck.

They were only awake twice last night. And once tonight. How are they such heavy sleepers at one-month-old?

I suppose there’s always tomorrow. Unless the Redleg team can bust Lenkov and drive home from Miami all in the same day, I’ll be here another night. Fingers and toes crossed.

However, I won’t hold my breath. The last two days have been taxing without Alan and my boys.

Compared to how long they were gone on military deployments, this is barely a blip. Those were brutally long. But this is a different type of fear.

Alan, Leo, Sawyer, and the others don’t have an entire battalion backing them up on this mission. Not even a local SWAT team.

While some undercover law enforcement officers are going to the port, Redleg is largely doing this on their own. Which is by design, given how many dirty cops they’ve identified. Once they catch Lenkov off guard and bust up the operation, they’ll call the authorities to swoop in and make the arrests. Any sooner and Lenkov could be tipped off.

Over the last several months, Chief Bigsby systematically checked for moles at CPD and other agencies. Certain elected officials, investigators, and detectives were given conflicting information about Lenkov’s criminal activities. Then Bigsby and Patterson watched to see who turned up where and when.

It didn’t take long to realize Lenkov has abundant snakes in the grass.

There’s corruption in virtually every agency with jurisdiction over the bratva’s various crime rings. No wonder they’ve gotten away with these atrocious crimes for decades. Hard to see prison time when you’ve got a long line of judges, prosecutors, elected leaders, and law enforcement officers ready and willing to help you get away with murder. Sometimes literally.

Alan and his team think they can take them down. Once and for all.

I want to believe him.

In truth, I have no choice but to do so, since I’m terrified of what could happen if they don’t win this war.

My plan for coping with so many of my loved ones being in danger is to spoil the heck out of my daughter, my daughter-in-law, and these precious grandbabies.

If that doesn’t work, I have a sufficient supply of bananas to become the next Jane Goodall. However, instead of befriending gorillas, I’ll be baking enough banana bread to feed the entire population of Pinellas County. If there’s any left. Unless my nerves settle, there’s a good chance I’ll eat it all myself. Aside from my macaroni and cheese, which I made for lunch today, there’s nothing more comforting than banana bread. My grandmother’s recipe.

Tomorrow, I should teach Sue and Sammy how to make it. The time has come. And it’ll be a nice thing to do to keep us distracted from what Alan is doing in Miami.

I bend down to kiss Laci’s forehead. Lingering close, I fill my lungs with her powdery scent. Before I leave, I do the same with Logan. As I straighten over him, he makes the most adorable cooing sound, cushioned by a breathy sigh.

Oh, I could eat him up.

Silently closing the nursery door, I clip the baby monitor on my waistband and creep down the hallway to check on my daughter.

When I peek my head in the door crack, she rolls over. “Are they okay?”

“Yes, sweetie. They’re perfect. I didn’t mean to wake you.”

There’s a sadness coating her tone when she responds. “You didn’t. I can’t sleep.”

I ease a few steps into the bedroom, drawn to comfort her. “What’s the matter? Do you need something?”

She flips on the reading light. “The bed is too empty without Sawyer.”

My lower lip rolls into a pout. “Oh, sweetie. He’ll be fine.”

She sniffles. “I hope so. This family doesn’t work without him. I need him—” A sob shakes her chest, cutting off the rest of her sentence.

I grab the box of tissues off the dresser, set the baby monitor on the docking station, and join her in bed. “Come here.”

Once I prop myself on a pillow with my back to the headboard, Sammy curls against me, resting her head on my lap. I dab her tears with the tissue and rub small circles on her shoulder.

Sammy rarely shows her vulnerable side. When she returned to us, she quickly evolved from a girl broken to pieces into a woman with an indomitable spirit under a coarse shell. I viewed it as her way of processing her trauma and protecting herself while she healed.

Tonight, she isn’t a battle-hardened fighter. She’s a worried wife, mother, sister, and daughter all in one.

My baby girl needs her mama.

Her hormones are probably extra wonky after having the babies, but I suspect this is more than that. She knows how dangerous tomorrow will be. Nobody is downplaying the risk they’re taking for the greater good. Least of all, my girl.

“Are you scared too, Mommy?”

A sad grin plucks at my lips. When she’s sad, I’m Mommy . Not Ma , Mom , Mother , or Banana Bread Betty .

“Darling, I bet you’d like me to be the voice of reason, telling you there’s nothing to worry about. I’ll be happy to do it, assuming you don’t mind it all being lies.”

She expels a quiet laugh tinged with sadness. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

I run my fingers through her hair. “Samantha, I’m terrified. Not only for Alan. I’m equally scared for Leo, Sawyer, Shep, Kri, and all of them. We’ve grown so close to the men and women of Redleg over the years. How could I not be frightened for them?”

She sniffs back some of her tears. “Glad it’s not just me.”

A meek voice calls out from the doorway. “Can I come in? I’m scared too.”

Without hesitating, I wave my daughter-in-law into the room. “Of course, Susie Q.”

She pads around to the other side of the bed, crawling in behind me. Instead of cuddling like Sammy is, Sue stays about a foot away.

I raise my other arm toward her, encouraging her to mirror Sammy’s position. “Come on. I’ve got plenty of room for you.”

“Really?” she asks, hopefulness hidden in her tone.

“Get in here, Sue,” Sammy reaches toward her sister-in-law.

As Sue starts to comply, she hits me with a concerned pout. “You sure it’s not weird?”

Slanting my head to the side, I roll my eyes. “It’s perfectly acceptable to hug your mother-in-law when she’s offering you a cuddle.”

“I’d bet there’s a lot of people out there who would beg to differ,” Sammy jokes. “I wouldn’t hug my mother-in-law for all the tea in China. Fortunately, I don’t have to worry about her offering, considering nobody knows where or who she is.”

Sue tentatively accepts my offered lap real estate. “My sister can’t stand her mother-in-law. Good thing that won’t be a problem for long.”

I rub her shoulder and upper arm. “How is Fiona doing?”

“Waiting impatiently for the divorce to be final. She said she feels like her life is in a holding pattern.”

“I remember those days,” I reply, resting on the headboard.

Sammy scoffs. “ Remember them? We’re living them. If the babies hadn’t come, we’d all still be at Redleg. As it is, we’re basically on house arrest.”

“I don’t mind that part,” Sue offers. “Going places is highly overrated. I do miss sketching on the beach, though.”

Using synchronous movements, I massage their arms. “If all goes well, this will all be over after tomorrow. Everyone will be back in their own homes.”

“Sleeping in their own beds,” Sue tacks on.

“Speaking of sleeping,” Sammy starts, her tone suddenly mischievous. “So you couldn’t sleep without my giant, hideous ogre of a brother?”

“Excuse me, young lady. That’s my firstborn,” I chide Sammy. “You can ignore her, Susie. Your husband is a lovely young man.”

She snickers faintly. “I’m used to the teasing. I have six siblings, remember? Plus, I’m often forced to be an Amos-hole.”

Sammy feigns a shudder. “Terrifying. I wonder which is worse.”

Sue answers matter-of-factly, “I’ve done the math. Both situations are equally horrifying.”

Once our soft laughter fades, the room grows silent. Occasionally, the sound of a baby sighing or threatening to fuss comes from the monitor. Otherwise, it’s just peaceful.

Thanks to the screen on the dresser, I watch the twins sleeping peacefully while I’m happily in this impromptu cuddle pile.

With a sleepy yawn, Sue casually says, “Sammy, if Sawyer ever wants to meet his mother, I bet Mia knows where she’s located.”

“You think so?” My daughter cranes her neck to catch Sue’s eyes. “What makes you say that? Do you know something about this already?”

“I’m only assuming she could. Same with Tomer. I mean, they knew about Lettie, right? No doubt they have the skills to find Sawyer’s mother.”

“That’s true.” Sammy seems to settle down, her body going limp on me once more. A few breaths later, she quavers, “They’re all going to be all right, aren’t they?”

“They better be,” I answer.

And I mean that.

Sue whispers, “My biggest worry about the whole thing is that Big Al and Leo will be separated.”

Sammy jerks upright, a gasp escaping her rounded lips. “Huh? What do you mean?”

Sue stiffens, popping off my lap to match Sammy’s energy. “Oh... well, yeah. They can’t be in two ports at the same time.”

My daughter shifts to her knees, resting on her ankles. “What do you mean two ports ?”

Sue looks nervously between us. “You didn’t know the plan changed?”

Like a choreographed move, my daughter and I shake our heads at precisely the same time and speed.

Sue fidgets with the hem of her nightshirt. “Oh shite. I wonder if I’m allowed to talk about this.”

I place my hands over hers to halt her nervous twitching. “Doesn’t matter. Tell us what you know, and if anyone has a problem with it, send them to me.”

Sammy flings a thumb in my direction. “She’s banging your boss. I think it’s safe to spill the beans.”

Sue nibbles at her lip, her gaze darting to the ceiling. “Well, they didn’t tell me not to say anything.”

I pulse our joined hands. “It’s fine to talk to us. What happened?”

She worked in the office yesterday and this morning, so she must have overheard something. Or maybe she was assisting with the planning.

Everything seemed fine when Leo dropped her off with us at dawn before he left for Miami. He and Sawyer said their goodbyes, reminding us to be safe while they’re gone.

No mention of plans changing.

Whatever’s happening must not impact us, or they’d have moved us. The plan is for Sammy, Sue, and me to stay here with the babies during the entire mission. With us all in one place, we’re better protected. We’ve got three guards watching over us—Henderson, Aaron, and Josh. And CPD is sending police cruisers by for hourly check-ins.

After heaving a deep breath, Sue explains what Redleg learned from Katia’s phone calls with the mayor and her conversation with Nikolai.

When Sue pauses for air, Sammy jumps in. “Lenkov is moving his shit out of Tampa and Miami tomorrow?”

“Yes. We identified two berths at Tampa that Lenkov will most likely use. Leo’s team went to Miami this morning, as originally planned. Big Al’s team will be at the Tampa port.”

My son’s leading his own team without Alan’s guidance or backup. I’m not a fan of that. Despite knowing Leo’s an incredibly capable man, he’s still my baby.

On the other hand, this change also means Alan’s still in town. In the midst of this panic, it makes me feel a bit better to know he’s nearby. I wish he’d told me, though.

Then again, what would be the point? He knows it’d only make me worry. He’s also probably been working around the clock to deal with the last-minute change. In addition to helping with the twins, I elected to stay here so he could focus entirely on the mission. No distractions.

Sammy tugs a pillow onto her lap, wrapping her arms around it. “Which team is Sawyer on?”

“He’s with Leo in Miami.”

At least my sons are together.

“Why didn’t they all stay to focus on the Tampa portion of the move?” My tone comes across as whiny, but I can’t seem to suppress it. “There were like five or six spots to cover in Miami. That was already too many. And now they’re spread even thinner.”

“Yeah, it sounds like the odds are better in Tampa,” Sammy adds.

Sue raises her shoulders to her ears. “They considered focusing on only one port. Ultimately, they decided to divide forces after Boss talked to Chief Bigsby.”

I wring my hands in my lap. “Why? What did Bigsby say?”

“That he hasn’t been in contact with Katia for eight days.”

Sammy abandons her hold on the pillow to twist her hair nervously over one shoulder. “And? Is that unusual?”

Sue bunches her mouth on one side. “At any other time, it wouldn’t be alarming. Now? It’s not a good sign. Especially since we know Lenkov’s plans now include the Tampa port, and she’s failed to inform her father of the change.”

My heart and stomach clench. “Do they think she’s gone to the dark side like Yev?”

Alan told me how conflicted he’s been over Katia’s allegiance. If she’s not aligned with her father, he’ll essentially have lost all three of his children. While Savin could eventually come out of hiding, there are no guarantees.

Sue’s cheeks puff with oxygen before she rapidly exhales in a flutter. “The chief wants to believe she’s simply being extra cautious due to the timing. Or because she’s physically incapable of getting a message out. That could be the case, considering Lenkov is probably in paranoia mode this close to the move. It’s entirely possible he’s got her sequestered to the extent she can’t slip away to make contact. Nonetheless, we’re no longer sure where her allegiances lie. Not after what we overheard via surveillance.”

“She still might be on our side, though,” Sammy suggests. “I mean, it isn’t her fault if she physically can’t get a message out because she’s in lockdown.”

Sadness overtakes Sue’s expression. “There’s a process Katia’s supposed to follow to notify her father if anything changes, even if she can’t speak or get away from Lenkov. Bigsby didn’t reveal all the methods they’ve used over the years, but she supposedly has five distinct ways to contact him from within the house. The chief said she hadn’t triggered a single alarm. If we hadn’t hacked her phone, we’d have no idea about Tampa.”

Since they can’t trust Katia, why are they using her intel about Miami?

I’m about to voice my wondering when Sue addresses it unprompted. “Without being able to rely on the information Katia provided, our best bet is to cover both locations. Considering she never told us about Tampa, we have no reason to believe she’d inform us if either port was taken off the table. If we sent everyone to Miami, and Lenkov has redirected his entire move to Tampa, we’d miss him entirely.”

I rub my temples. “Likewise, if Lenkov sent everything to Miami as originally planned, he’d get away with it if we were only in Tampa.”

Sue sighs, her hand falling to her pregnant belly. “Exactly. So they split up.”

Silence fills the room as my thoughts ebb and flow, moving from acceptance to panic and back again.

If I’m going to get through the next eighteen hours without having a nervous breakdown, I need more information. “Susie, who did Alan keep for his team at the Tampa Port?”

“Jonesy.”

I nod. “Okay. He’s good. Who else?”

Her face crimps, and she gives her head the tiniest of shakes.

I take her hand. “Sue, who else?”

“I’m sorry,” she says, pinching her eyes closed.

Sammy leans forward, lowering her brow and glaring at Sue. “Why are you sorry?”

She doesn’t need to say another word. I already know the answer.

No wonder Alan didn’t call or text to tell me about the change in plans. He knew I’d ask who would be with him. And then I’d be a wreck.

Which is exactly what’s about to happen.

More fear. The story of my life.

My daughter urges her sister-in-law more insistently. “Sue, what the hell? Who is staying with Big Al and Jonesy?”

“It’s only those two. Everyone else went to Miami.”