Suspicious Activities (15 page)

Authors: Tyler Anne Snell

BOOK: Suspicious Activities

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Nikki nodded. The nerves quieted. “Okay, let’s do this.”

Nikki and Jackson got out of the car and walked to the front of Orion.

Like she’d told Jackson, the building was essentially destroyed. The only semblance of an office left was the lobby, and even then the roof was gone. Everything else had burned or crumbled or been waterlogged from the fire hoses. Aside from the structure, everything inside Orion’s building had run the scale from beyond repair to a few miraculously okays. She just thanked her lucky stars that most of Orion’s database was backed up online. At least now they wouldn’t have to do a hard restart.

Though, as Nikki stood looking at the building that sometimes felt more like a home than her apartment, she couldn’t help feeling like that was what it was. Then again, it was the first time she’d seen the damage of Andrew Miller in person. While she was in the hospital with Jackson, Oliver, Mark and Jonathan had gone through with the officials and salvaged everything they could. She hadn’t asked them to and they hadn’t asked for her permission. It had been just as much their home as hers.

“It’s not as bad as I thought it was,” she lied. Jackson stepped around the other side of her and put his arm around her. He laughed.

“Oh, it’s bad,” he said, catching on to her attempt at denial. She gave him a severe look, which only made him laugh again. He retracted his arm and held his hand up in defense. “Hey, I’m just telling it how it is.”

Nikki let out a long exhale. It softened the man.

“But just because it’s bad now doesn’t mean it won’t be even better later,” he said.

Nikki nodded and turned her gaze to the large metal letters that spelled ORION SECURITY GROUP above the front doors. They were the only things untarnished. She realized they gave her hope.

Jackson helped Nikki inside and together they went through the rubble of what used to be. For some reason seeing everything gone gave her closure in a way. Like being able to say bye to an old friend. It was sad but something she found was easier to do with Jackson at her side.

The sound of car doors shutting echoed through what was left as they finished up. Not one or two but so many she lost count. Nikki looked at Jackson with an eyebrow raised. He was smiling.

“I figured you could use a pick-me-up right about now,” was all he said. Nikki didn’t know what he meant but knew she’d love whatever it was. So she took his hand in hers and they made their way back through the same path he had used to carry her to safety, one of the many times he’d saved her life. She didn’t know how she’d repay him, but she hoped to spend the rest of her life trying to find a way.

Nikki braced herself as they walked through the front doors back to the parking lot, hesitant of the unknown, though no longer afraid. Which was good; there was no need to fear what she saw.

Standing in front of their various cars were none other than some of the people she loved most. Her Orion family and their families. Or, if she really just thought about it, she could claim them all as family, Orion or not.

Oliver stood hand in hand with Darling while their son hung on her hip. Next to them was pregnant Kelli and her daughter, Grace, who held Mark’s hand while smiling wide enough to show some of her missing teeth. Jonathan rounded out the group, holding his fiancée, Kate, who smiled just as big as the rest of them.

“Wow, she’s speechless,” Mark said.

“I didn’t even know she could
be
speechless,” Jonathan added.

“I don’t know if we should be speechless, too?” Oliver said. He put his hand over his mouth and made a face of mock surprise. It made the other two men laugh. Their respective partners chimed in with stern looks that dissolved into laughter. Nikki joined in before turning to Jackson. Overwhelmed with feelings of gratitude and love, Nikki asked the only question that came to mind.

“Why?”

Jackson grinned ear to ear.

“Loyalty,” he said, simply. “Welcome to Orion, Miss Waters.”

Epilogue

“This doesn’t seem reasonable,” Nikki said, voice even. “I mean, honestly, I feel like this could get me into trouble.”

Her clients weren’t backing down. Each giving her an even look that let her know it was only a matter of time before she completely caved. Nikki sighed and ran a hand through her hair.

“Fine,” she conceded. “But you know the drill, right?” They both nodded, suddenly much more animated. Still, she wanted to make sure. Because, if she remembered correctly, they both had not followed her simple instruction. “Don’t show the younger kids until
after
Christmas, okay?”

Grace Tranton and Kenneth Quinn smiled those adorable yet completely dangerous seven-and six-year-old grins, respectively, as Nikki opened up her bottom desk drawer and pulled out two reindeer-wrapped presents. She passed them over with another sigh. Ever since the two had become aware of the fact that they were the oldest kids of the group, they’d started insisting they get their presents first. While everyone else stood strong, Nikki kept caving every year. It had, in a way, become their tradition.

A knock sounded on the door no sooner than she’d handed the kids their presents. It was almost comical how they tried to hide the boxes before the door opened.

“We’re not doing anything!” Kenneth yelled out.

Kelli Tranton looked between the three of them.

“Well, that’s not suspicious at all,” she finally said.

“Mom, we’re having a meeting and you need to leave,” Grace said diplomatically. Kelli put her hand on her hip and raised an eyebrow.

“But Kenneth just said you aren’t doing anything,” she pointed out. Grace opened her mouth and closed it. Then looked at Nikki. She in turn cleared her throat.

“Oh, yes, our meeting,” she jumped in. “We were discussing how we thought the party was going to be awesome tonight... And how pretty you are?”

Grace and Kenneth nodded profusely, repeating the compliment. Kelli looked between them, and their poorly hidden gifts behind their backs, and rolled her eyes.

“Well, how can I be mad about that?” she asked. “But now maybe you two should leave Aunt Nikki alone so she can finish work and enjoy the party when it starts?”

The kids looked uncertain. They shared a look with each other, no doubt worried about their presents. Kelli picked up on that fear. “And if you two have anything behind your backs, just know that no one is in the kitchen right now, so if you need to open anything you should probably do it in there.”

Grace and Kenneth smiled and shot out of the office in a collective flash, presents in hand. Kelli fixed Nikki with a questioning stare. Nikki lifted her hands in defense.

“Hey, they’re my toughest clients by far,” she defended.

Kelli laughed.

“They are pretty tough to say no to,” she conceded. “Grace and Liza have Mark perpetually wrapped around their little fingers and I certainly can’t talk. We
may or may not
have had Christmas-tree-shaped cookies for breakfast today.”

Nikki shrugged. “I see nothing wrong with that.”

Kelli turned from cheerful to stern within a second. She kept her hands on her hips.

“Now, it’s time for you to finish up here and come out so we can try to take a picture before the party starts,” she said. “You know how long it takes for us to get everyone rounded up.”

Nikki let out a bite of laughter. She did know how difficult it was to get them all still long enough to take a picture. Which was why they did it before the annual Christmas Eve party and not during. “Okay, I’ll be out there in a minute.”

Kelli nodded and left, shutting the door.

Nikki turned to her computer and the contract she’d been reading before Grace and Kenneth had come in. However, she realized she didn’t care to keep working anymore. Turning her chair, Nikki looked out through the half-wall window into the lounge.

It was hard to believe that it had been five years since the fire destroyed everything. Now, completely restored to its former glory, Orion looked like it had since the first day she walked in. For the umpteenth time, she wondered if they should try to expand using the empty lot next door, because even though she loved the office just as it was, she couldn’t deny that the place felt smaller. Or, she realized, maybe it seemed that way because their numbers inside kept growing.

She looked at the decorated Christmas tree next to the gym doors, currently pulling the attention of Oliver and Darling’s twin toddler boys while their mother laughed at something funny that Oliver had apparently said. The fact that they made time to come visit every Christmas always made Nikki’s heart feel warm. Behind their group, Kelli joined Mark before pointing toward the kitchen. He shook his head and laughed, most likely knowing Nikki had caved in once again. The five-year-old Elizabeth ran away from them and toward the hallway. Soon, Jonathan and his wife, Kate, walked into view. Their four adopted children, all under the age of six, followed, two already running around with Elizabeth. The other two went to the Christmas tree and fell into whatever trance the Quinn twins had fallen under.

Orion had grown over the last five years just as its families had. The stress that came with that had been exponentially lessened when she made the realization that Orion was just as much Oliver’s, Mark’s and Jonathan’s as hers. She’d made them partners and had never regretted the decision.

Nikki let out an exhale of contentment and went back to her desk, ready to shut everything down. However, once her hands were on the keyboard the door opened a crack.

“Remember when I took
three
bullets for you?” Jackson Fields asked, barely popping his head in.

Nikki laughed and looked over at her husband. “I
do
remember that, actually.”

“Good.” He opened the door and pointed at his chest. “Changing this one’s diaper before we left the house was a thousand times worse than that.”

Nikki couldn’t help laughing as she took in the redheaded baby strapped across Jackson’s chest. Mina’s little hands and feet flailed around in the open air as she giggled.

Jackson walked in a little and turned so Nikki could see that their oldest redhead, Carter, was asleep against his back. “And this one passed out hard in the car.”

Nikki left her computer, already forgetting to shut it down, and walked over to her little family.

“It’s almost as if he stayed up too late last night watching TV with Daddy,” she teased. Jackson feigned innocence.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said with a grin. He bent over enough to place his lips on hers, careful to avoid pinning Mina between them. The girl squealed as they parted and Carter stirred. Jackson angled down so the boy could climb off his back. He yawned wide and looked around. Then, after hearing the laughter of the children in the other room, he jetted off toward them, his shaggy hair bouncing along with him.

“By the way, Calvin said he’ll be here in an hour in the Santa suit,” Jackson said as they walked out of her office. “He promised not to promise Carter another puppy this year.”

Nikki laughed, remembering the year before when the detective had made that mistake. Now they had a year-old golden retriever named Sir Barks-A-Lot, Barks for short.

They joined the others and began their annual attempt to take a group picture in front of the tree. Like normal, they lined up and, like normal, madness ensued as kids squirmed and talked and moved about while their parents tried to still them for just one second. Jackson clicked the camera remote several times before he believed he got the right one. Nikki disengaged herself from under his arm and broke through the line of kids before running to the camera on its tripod.

“Please tell me it’s okay,” Grace said with a whine. It made everyone laugh.

“Please tell me you got my good side,” Mark jumped in, teasing.

“Mark, you have no good side,” Jonathan said around his youngest on his shoulders.

“I wasn’t going to say anything, but he’s right, Mark,” Oliver said, barely able to keep his laughter in.

Jackson turned and patted Mark on the shoulder. “Don’t worry, Mark, you aren’t
that
bad.”

Kelli jumped in with her own remark and then Kate and Darling died laughing at that. The children, who no longer cared what their parents were talking about, started to have their own little conversations. Nikki brought up the camera’s display but didn’t look at the last picture they’d taken. Instead she looked at the group as a whole.

“How does it look?” Jackson asked from the middle of the madness.

Nikki smiled. “Perfect.”

* * * * *

Keep reading for an excerpt from
LAYING DOWN THE LAW
by Delores Fossen.

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