Chapter 4

• Chapter Four
• Summer 2012
• Damien swung his bag over his shoulder when the ding sounded in the large elevator signaling his arrival to his floor. He was beat, and would have loved nothing more than to go straight to bed, but his cousin had asked him to meet him at his office. Considering he would be imposing on him for a few weeks until he found an apartment of his own, he couldn’t say no. He walked out onto the busy floor, stepping out of the way of a few rushing agents. His curiosity demanded he ask what all the excitement was about, but his tired body and brain just wanted to lay down right there on the floor and take a cat nap.
• He pushed open the glass door and stepped into the bullpen. It wasn’t as active as the corridor; in fact it looked a little empty. Where was everyone? What was going on?
• He heard the quick in draw of breath and his head snapped to it. A chubby girl with long hair that matched the rainbow, her clothes just as colorful, stood a few feet away from him, staring open-mouthed at him. For a second, he wondered if he was walking around naked and actually looked down at himself. No, he was fully clothed. Maybe she was shocked at how filthy he was. Busing it through the country, searching for one girl without any other thought but her had him neglecting himself a bit. It was how he’d spent all his vacations for the last five years. This past year was the longest he’d ever had and he’d been sure this time he would find her, especially after the message she’d left him. He’d taken a year off work, put his promotion to the FBI on hold, just to find her and nothing. It was like she didn’t exist.
• His throat stung and his chest tightened. He couldn’t think like that. He couldn’t give up. He had to keep looking… so what if he adds one more year to the other five? It was because he’d been searching for her that led to this promotion. Busting a Russian mob and ending their guns and human trafficking business gets a lot of attention. It was that attention that had her contacting him the third time. The first time to beg for his help from Vladimir and the second time, two years later was to ask him to stop searching. She was so cold and distant during that second call, he was sure Vladimir had already gotten to her and hurt her. He cursed himself for failing her and that year he almost lost himself in the bottom of a bottle, if not for his cousins.
• But the third time she called, he was sure she needed him. She might not have said a word during the call, but he was sure it was her. He spoke to her, begged and cried—not his finest moments, but he was desperate. He wasn’t sure exactly what was going on with him. He wasn’t even sure if he loved her, but he did come to terms with the fact that he was obsessed with her, obsessed with finding her and making sure she was safe. It was what had driven him these past five years and he didn’t see himself letting up anytime soon.
• “The guys in your family can’t all be drop dead gorgeous! It just isn’t fair to the rest of the male population.”
• His lips twitched with a smile at the colorful girl’s statement. Normally, this was where he would put his moves on and have her panting and wanting him by the time he had her panties around her ankles. Normally, that is if he was himself five years ago. Post Victoria Secret he would cut to the chase and find a secluded corner somewhere where he would bend her over something, ride her long and hard then walk away with a bored thanks. Senseless sex had kept him from drinking himself to oblivion every night and he preferred it, though he didn’t derive any pleasure from it.
• “Ah, but this one isn’t like the rest of us. He’s got beauty and brains.”
• Damien turned to the approaching voice of his cousin, a real smile commanding his face. It had been three years since he last saw him, since he last saw either of his cousins, and at that moment he felt like the biggest jerk. How long had it been since he last saw his parents?
• He hugged Dale, patting him on the back, hard making him wince.
• “Careful with him! His back is having a bad season!” The girl with the multicolored hair warned behind him.
• Damien pulled away and stared at his cousin who was now glaring past his shoulder. He stepped away, his eyes swinging quizzically between the two.
• “Why is your back acting up little D?” he asked Dale, the youngest of the three cousins.
• “Just a little back injury I got a few years ago middle D,” he answered, his voice casual but his eyes lethal.
• Multicolored girl snorted. “If you call getting shot in the back twice just a little back injury. His back is acting up because of the cold—lucky your summer starts in a few weeks.”
• Shot? Damien held up his hand. “Time out. You got shot? Why didn’t anyone tell me—why didn’t you tell me?” he demanded glaring at Dale.
• Dale’s gaze softened. “You were having a few troubles of your own,” his eyes did a once over, on Damien, “Looks like you still do.”
• Damien looked away, fighting to swallow the guilt that choked him. “Was Derrick here at least?”
• “No and you know why.”
• Damien nodded looking everywhere but at Dale. “Yeah, his problems are everyone’s problems.” Such was the life of a CIA operative. Of course, they weren’t supposed to know what Derrick did for a living, but the cousins rarely hid anything from each other.
• Dale playfully punched his shoulder. “Hey, your problems are about to become mine and mine are about to become yours.”
• Damien looked at him at that. “What do you mean?”
• He pointed to multicolored hair girl. “That’s Audrey. There is nothing she can’t find unless it dates before computers and the internet. Give her everything you’ve got on VS to date and she’ll find something for us.”
• Damien gave him a bemused look. “Don’t you think I’ve tried that already. I even wrote an entire algorithm on VS and it’s like she doesn’t exist.”
• “You’re a tech nerd?” Audrey asked coming to stand close beside them.
• Dale snorted. “He’s a Kevin type nerd. Broke his father’s heart when he chose to become a cop instead of a mad science genius.”
• Damien shrugged with a crooked grin. “What can I say, I liked playing cops and robbers better than space aliens.”
• “Oh no. Nothing like Kevin, a better version of Kevin,” she grabbed his bicep and squeezed. Her black lips formed an adorable O. “He’s got bigger muscles than you do. He’s you and Kevin combined.”
• Dale rolled his eyes. “I don’t spend as much time as I want at the gym. The kids take a lot of my time now.”
• Damien’s head snapped to him. “Kids? You’ve got kids!”
• He clenched his jaw when Dale gave him a pitying look. “Yeah, I think it’s time your problems became mine and I gave you something else other than VS to concentrate on.”
• His jaw tightened so hard his teeth hurt. “Dale, you know I can’t give up. Not now.”
• “After five years, what have you got?” Damien looked away. “I thought so. Now let someone else take a look at it. I need fresh eyes as well.”
• “Why?”
• “Because his psycho sister-in-law escaped from the loony bin a year ago and she’s finally been spotted.” At his shocked look, she went on with more vehemence. “Yup, she’s the one who plugged you’re cousin twice in the back and we are all afraid she’ll come back and finish the job.”
• Damien rubbed his face frustratedly with his free hand. He was exhausted, but there was no way he was going to get any sleep now. Taking a deep breath and loudly exhaling, he looked at the two of them and said, “Why don’t you start from the beginning?”