Four of a Kind: Kind Brothers Series, Book 4, page 9
“I’ll go get the oil.”
“You know what? It feels a lot better now. So much better after that bath.”
“Stop being so dramatic.” The corners of my mouth curved upward as I walked out of the bathroom.
As I slipped on a pair of pajama bottoms and a tank top, my phone rang, and my uncle was Facetiming me. Sitting on the edge of the bed, I answered it.
“Hey.” I smiled.
“My darling Grace. How are you?”
“I’m fine, Uncle Aiko. It’s over.”
“I know, sweetheart. You did good and I’m very proud of you. Take some time and recenter yourself. Reflect on what has happened and put it behind you.”
“I will. I’m just really tired right now.”
“I can see that. Get some sleep and we’ll talk soon. When are you coming back to Washington?”
“I don’t know yet.”
“Okay. When you’re ready, you’ll know. I love you, Grace.”
“I love you too, Uncle Aiko.”
I ended the call, grabbed the bottle of oil, and walked into Simon’s room.
“We’re you talking to someone?”
“My uncle just called to find out how I’m doing.”
“I’d love to meet him one day.”
“I think you’d like him.” I smiled. “Now, sit your ass down on the bed.”
He let out a sigh and took a seat.
“You better be gentle. I’m already sore enough as it is.”
After I rubbed the oil into his shoulder, I went into the bathroom and washed my hands.
“I’m going to head to bed,” I said.
“Sleep in my bed tonight.”
“Simon, I—”
“You shouldn’t be alone after everything you’ve been through tonight.”
He walked over and pulled the covers back.
“Come on. Climb in. I promise I’ll behave myself.” He smirked.
A small smile crossed my lips as I climbed in, and he pulled the covers over me. Walking over to his side, he climbed in and held his arm out, signaling me to snuggle my body against his.
“Did you set the alarm for tomorrow morning?” I asked.
“Unfortunately.” He let out a sigh. “I’m sure my ass is toast. I’m probably looking at a hefty suspension.”
“I doubt it. Jonah will talk to your captain.”
“Somehow, I don’t think my captain will care. I’ve broken more rules in my career as a detective than he’s ever seen, and he’s tired of it.”
I let out a soft laugh as my head lay on his chest.
“Go to sleep, detective.”
He pressed his lips against the top of my head as I slowly closed my tired eyes.
When the alarm went off the following morning, I was rolled on my side with Simon’s arm hooked securely around me. I let out a moan as my body ached from head to toe. Rolling over, he shut off his alarm and then snuggled up against me, pressing his lips on my shoulder.
“Good morning,” he whispered.
“Good morning.” I rolled over and faced him.
“How do you feel?” he asked.
“Sore. You?”
“Same. I need to get up and get dressed.”
“I’m coming with you.”
“I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”
“You know, it’s way too early to argue with me.”
“Fine. We can argue about it later.” He kissed my forehead and climbed out of bed.
“I’ll go make us some coffee.”
I went downstairs to the kitchen and popped a k-cup in the Keurig. When I heard a light knock on the sliding door, I looked over and saw Sebastian standing there.
“Good morning.” I opened the door.
“Morning. I know it’s early. Simon is usually up by now,” he said as he stepped inside the kitchen.
“He is. He’s in the shower.”
“Ouch.” He pointed to the bruise on my cheek. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. You should see the other guy. Oh wait, you can’t. He’s dead.”
“Oh.” He chuckled. “Anyway, I just wanted to drop off these muffins from the restaurant. They’re Simon’s favorite.” He handed me a white box and I lifted the lid to peek inside.
“Oh wow. These look delicious. Did you make them?”
“No. My pastry chef did. She’s amazing.”
“Hey, brother.” Simon walked into the kitchen in a pair of sweatpants. “I thought I heard you.” He gave him a light hug.
“You look pretty banged up, bro. You okay?”
“Yeah. I’m good.” He smiled. “I’m just getting ready to head to the station. The captain wants to see me after last night.”
“Are you in trouble?”
“Most likely. I’m probably going be suspended for a while in addition to my medical leave.”
“Don’t listen to him. He’s being dramatic.”
Simon glanced over at me with a narrowed eye. “You really need to stop saying that.”
I grabbed my coffee and gave him a smile. “I would if you would stop being dramatic all the time. It was nice to see you, Sebastian.”
“You too, Grace.”
CHAPTER 23
Simon
“I like her, bro.”
“Yeah. She’s a great woman. Thanks for the muffins.” I took one from the box and bit into it.
“You’re welcome. Now that your guy is caught—”
“You mean dead.” I smirked.
“Okay. Dead. Is Grace sticking around or is she leaving?”
“I don’t know. She hasn’t said and I haven’t asked.”
“I see. I have to run before Emilia leaves for the office. Good luck at the station and let us know what happens.”
“I will, brother.”
That was the question that had kept me up all night. Was she going to stay or was she going to leave? Either way, I needed to prepare myself.
I ran upstairs to finish getting dressed and then Grace and I headed to the station. When we walked in, all my fellow officers began clapping and patting me on the back.
“Okay, okay. Let’s not make a big deal about it.” I grinned.
“Kind, in my office!” my captain shouted.
“Here we go.” I sighed.
When Grace followed me into his office, my captain didn’t look pleased.
“May I ask why you brought her?”
“In case you don’t know who I am, my name is Detective Grace Adams, formally of the NYPD.” She extended her hand.
“Captain James Burrows.” He lightly shook her hand.
“Just to clear something up, Simon didn’t have a choice.” Her brow raised at him as I stood there holding my breath.
“You must have some higher up connections within the FBI, young lady. I was all set to suspend your dumb ass, Kind. But I was told by the chief not to, even though you broke so many rules. You know I don’t like people telling me how to run my department.” He pointed his finger at me.
“Yeah, Captain. I know. I’m sorry. It’s just—”
“He was helping me. And because of his help and knowledge, we got Ives and his men off the streets and saved many people’s lives. Lives the LAPD saved. Am I right, Captain Burrows?”
He stared at her for a moment.
“Right. How do you two know each other?” His brows furrowed.
“We’ve known each other since we were thirteen years old, right?” Grace glanced over at me with a smile.
“Yes. She’s right. I’ve known this woman for the past twenty years.”
“How’s the shoulder, Kind?”
“It’s a lot better.”
“Did you have your appointment yet with the psychologist?”
“That appointment is tomorrow.”
“Good. You can report back to work on Monday.”
“Really?” I smiled.
“Yes. I know Roman can’t wait to have his partner back.”
“Thanks, Captain. I appreciate it.”
“You’re welcome. Now, get out of here. I have a press conference to attend.”
* * *
Sebastian
I created a new group chat that included Sam, Stefan, Emilia, Julia, and Alex. I purposely left out Simon because I didn’t want him to know about it.
“Can you all meet me at Emilia’s at 1:00 pm? We need to have a family meeting.”
“Why didn’t you include Simon?” Sam asked.
“Because this meeting is about him.”
“I’ll be there, babe,” Emilia responded.
“Me too,” Julia said.
“I’ll be there,” Alex wrote.
“Stefan and I will be there, bro.”
“Lunch?” Stefan wrote.
“Yes, bro. Don’t worry.” I sent the rolling eyes emoji.
I prepped a few different kinds of paninis and salads for when my family arrived.
“Hey, Courtney, get the family table set up. There’ll be six of us.”
“Got it, boss.”
It was five minutes to one and my family had arrived on time. Giving Emilia a kiss, I took the seat next to her.
“What is this about?” Sam asked.
“As you are all aware, the case Simon was working on with Grace is now closed.”
“Yeah, I heard it was a bloodbath.” Stefan shook his head.
“He and Grace are pretty bruised up. I was over at his house this morning. I asked him if Grace was going to stay or if she was going to leave now that the case is over. He said he didn’t know, but I could tell he was worried about it.”
“Worried about her staying?” Stefan asked.
“No. I think what our brother is trying to say is that Simon is worried she’s going to leave,” Sam said.
“Correct. We all like Grace in the very short time we’ve known her, right?”
“Yeah. Of course,” everyone spoke.
“I don’t know about you, but I notice the excitement in his eyes when he looks at her, and we all know what that look means.”
“I’ve noticed,” Sam said.
“Me too.”
“Jenni mentioned it to me the other night,” Julia said.
“We need to get Grace to want to stay in California,” I spoke. “She doesn’t have any family except an uncle in Washington. Simon said she doesn’t work for the NYPD anymore, so that means she doesn’t have a job and isn’t tied to anywhere specific. Em, Julia, and Alex, take her out, have fun and include her in as much as you can. We need to make her feel like she’s part of our family. Julia, talk to Jenni and have her do the same. She’s really good at that.”
“I will.”
“I hear what you’re saying, Sebastian, but what if she just packs up and decides to leave?” Sam asks.
“We’ll have to stop her.”
“And if she doesn’t feel the same way about Simon?” Alex asked.
“I think she does.” Emilia smiled.
“So, we’re playing cupid?” Stefan asked.
“Pretty much. Are we all in agreement to try and get Grace to stay?”
“Yes.” Everyone nodded and spoke at the same time.
After the girls left, Sam and Stefan stayed back for a moment.
“What’s going to happen if this blows up in our face?” Sam asked.
“Yeah. What if Grace wants more from Simon? You know he isn’t a willing participant in the relationship department,” Stefan spoke.
“Let’s pray it doesn’t blow up. And if we know and can feel that Simon is in love with her and he’s just being a fucking douchebag like we were, then we’ll have to deal with him. So, my brothers,” I placed my hands on their shoulder, “brace yourself for the storm that might be coming.”
CHAPTER 24
Grace
Simon and I stayed at the police station for a while, and he introduced me to all his friends and coworkers. I could tell he was very respected and well-liked by his peers.
“Hey, Grace? Can I talk to you for a minute?” Roman asked.
“Sure, Roman.”
He led me over to a quiet corner while Simon sat at his desk talking with his people.
“What’s up?” I asked.
“You can’t mention this to Simon. I’m not ready to tell him yet.”
“Okay. You have my word. I won’t say anything.”
“I’m applying for the FBI, and I need your advice.”
“That’s great, Roman. You’d make a really good FBI agent. I’m not sure what advice I can give since I’m not one. I only was doing them a favor undercover. But I know someone who can tell you everything you need to do and know, and maybe put in a good word.”
“Really? Who?”
“My Uncle Aiko.” I pulled out my phone. “Give me your number.”
As he rattled it off, I typed it in my phone and then sent him a text message with my uncle’s contact information. Then I sent a message to my uncle, who responded immediately.
“There. I sent you his number and he just told me he’d be more than happy to talk with you.”
“Wow, Grace. Thank you. Thank you so much.”
“You’re welcome.” I gave him a smile.
“What’s going on over here,” Simon asked.
“Roman was just asking me about my martial arts training.”
“Over here in the corner?” Simon’s brow arched.
“It was too noisy over there, partner.” Roman placed his hand on Simon’s shoulder. “Everyone is happy you’re back on Monday and so I am. I cannot wait to have my partner back. I’ve missed you.”
“I’ve missed you too, man. It’ll be good to get back to working together again.”
“If you’ll excuse me, I have some paperwork to catch up on. Catch you later. Bye, Grace.”
“Bye, Roman. He’s a nice guy.”
“Yeah. He’s one of the best partners I’ve ever had. I love him like a brother. Are you ready to go see Vinnie?”
“Yeah. I hope I don’t give him a heart attack.” I laughed.
“Just keep your distance, and don’t get in his face.” Simon smirked.
Simon slowly opened the door to Vinnie’s room and stuck his head inside to see if he was awake.
“Hey, man.”
“Simon. Come on in.”
“I hope you don’t mind.” He opened the door all the way. “Grace wanted to come and check on you.”
“Hi, Vinnie.” I smiled. “I brought you some flowers and a get-well balloon.”
“Thanks. What are you two doing here? I hope you got Ives and his guys.”
“We did,” Simon said.
“They’re all dead and sitting in the morgue as we speak.” I grinned.
“There was something real sinister about the way you just said that, Grace.”
“Sorry. Maybe that’s something I need to work on.”
“For real though? You got them all?”
“As far as we know,” Simon said.
“Even Ives?”
“I emptied my clip into that motherfucker personally,” I said.
Vinnie’s eyes widened as he looked at me.
“Grace.” Simon glanced at me and slowly shook his head.
“Sorry, Vinnie. The doctor said you’re going to make a full recovery. That’s great.”
“Yeah. What about Tommy? He’s dead too, right? Cause he’s the one who did this to me.”
“I shot him right through the forehead.” The corners of my mouth curved upward.
“Yeah. While he was holding me hostage.” Simon shot me a look. “One millimeter off and it would have gone in my head.”
I rolled my eyes. “You’re being so dramatic. Isn’t he being dramatic?” I asked Vinnie.
“How is that being dramatic? I still can’t believe you fired that gun with my head being right there.”
“Let it go, Simon. Let. It. Go.”
“Thanks for that,” Vinnie said. “I can sleep better now knowing they’re all dead.”
“Anytime, Vinnie. You need someone to disappear, I’m your girl.” I gave him a wink.
“Okay. We better get going. We just wanted to let you know that we were thinking about you, and we appreciate everything you’ve done to help,” Simon said.
“Yeah. No problem.”
“Come on Grace. Let the poor guy get some rest.”
“Call me?” I mouthed to him as Simon pulled me out the door.
“What is wrong with you?” he asked as we walked down the hall to the elevators.
“What?” I cocked my head at him.
“You cannot go around telling people to call you if they need someone killed.”
“Please. I was just trying to make him feel better. I didn’t mean it. Or did I?” I smiled.
Simon sighed and shook his head as we stepped into the elevator.
The moment we stepped out of the hospital, Simon’s phone pinged. Pulling it from his pocket, he read a text message.
“That was from Alex. She invited us over for dinner tonight. Do you want to go?”
“Sure. Sounds like fun.”
* * *
Simon
When I pulled up to my house, my father came walking over.
“Great.” I looked over at Grace.
“Hello, Son. Grace.”
“Hey, Dad.”
“Hi, Henry.” She smiled.
“Good God. What happened to both of you?”
“It’s no big deal, Dad.”
“But it is a big deal.” He followed us into the house. “You’re still recovering from a gunshot wound.”
“Well, I’m done recovering because my captain is letting me go back to work on Monday. Is there a reason you stopped by?”
“Do I need a reason, son? I am your father.”
“Sorry, Dad. I’m just a little tired.”
“I just wanted to see how you’re doing.”
“I’m good. I have a lot on my mind.”
“It’s okay. I understand. I’ll go and let you rest.” He patted my back. “Take care, Grace.”
“You too, Henry. What’s going on, Simon?”
“Nothing. He just can’t show up whenever he feels like it.” I went into the kitchen and grabbed a beer from the refrigerator.
