The Broken Road (The Broken Series) (33 page)

As
we drove back to Alexandria, it dawned on me that my family wasn’t the only
thing I was going to miss. I was going to miss spending most of my time with
Kadyn and falling asleep in his arms. Something had changed between us,
something big… but I still wasn’t ready to admit what it was.

Kadyn
and I settled into a comfortable routine. We took turns cooking dinner for each
other, and we didn’t part ways until midnight on weeknights. Kadyn started
sleeping at my place on the weekends, which was making sex increasingly more
difficult to resist. Still, Kadyn was patient. He seemed determined to build my
trust and desire while slowly coaxing me for more. His restraint was unlike
anything I’d ever known, and it made me want him even more.

It
was a Wednesday night in mid-November. Kadyn and I were peeling open our own
individual pints of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream, Kadyn with his Strawberry
Cheesecake and me with my Chocolate Therapy. We were just settling in to watch
the latest release of Fast and Furious when my house phone rang.

“Hello?”
I answered around a mouthful of chocolate ice cream.

“Hi,
Kri. This is Patrick. I’m really sorry, but I need you to meet me at
Rockefeller’s office. He just finished reviewing the materials we pulled
together for the Homeless Health Improvement Act, and he doesn’t feel prepared
enough to introduce the bill tomorrow. I know it’s late, but can you meet me at
the office and help me pull together some more information for him?”

I
glanced at the clock on my DVR. It was just after eight o’clock. I had heard
stories about how Senator Rockefeller would make these late night demands of
his staffers, but I had never been subjected to one before. Still, this bill
was important to me. I glanced over at Kadyn.

He
stopped eating his ice cream. He was now studying me with both eyebrows raised
questioningly.

I
forced my attention back to the phone. “Are you serious?”

“….as
a heart attack. I promise I’ll make it up to you. I’ll bring Starbucks...” he
offered enticingly.

“I’m
pretty sure that qualifies as a government bribe,” I responded sarcastically. I
sighed loudly as I resigned to the fact that my quiet evening at home, snuggled
up on the couch with Kadyn, was not going to happen. “All right. As long as
you’re taking orders, I want a grande... no, make that a venti, toffee nut
latte, extra hot, with an extra shot of caffeine.”

He
didn’t even scoff at the order. “You got it. See you there!”

I
rolled my eyes as I hung up the phone. Patrick sounded entirely too excited
about working late at night. The guy seriously needed to get a life. I eyed my
ice cream and wondered how bad it would look if I tried to take it with me.

Kadyn
was still studying me. “So, what was that all about?”

I
perched on the arm of the couch. “I have to go into the office. Rockefeller
needs us to pull together some more research so he’s better prepared to
introduce the Homeless Health Improvement Act tomorrow. Evidently, these late
night requests aren’t all that unusual. The guy doesn’t sleep…
like ever
.
Patrick is meeting me at the office. I'm really sorry, but you’re going to have
to watch the movie without me. I’ll try to be quick about it, but this could
take a few hours.”

“Do
you want me to go with you?” Kadyn asked with a concerned look on his face.

I
shook my head. I was quite certain that schlepping into DC was the last thing
he wanted to do. “No. That’s okay. I'm not sure they’d let anyone who didn’t
have a Senate ID into the building this late at night. Patrick will be there,
and they have security guards all over that place. I’ll be fine.” I smiled
reassuringly.

“Okay,”
he conceded hesitantly. “I’ll walk Cade for you. Do you mind if I stay here
until you get back? Mason and Gabi are over at my place, and I got the distinct
impression they were looking forward to some alone time, if you know what I
mean.” He waggled his eyebrows at me.

I
nearly choked on my ice cream. I licked the chocolate off my mouth, then kissed
Kadyn lightly on the lips. “I would love it if you were here when I got back
home.”

Kadyn
pulled me into his lap. “Don’t work too late,” he murmured. His lips met mine
in a kiss that tasted of chocolate covered strawberries.

I
touched my fingers to my lips. “Wow. That’s really good.” I stood in front of
the couch, feeling thoroughly conflicted. It really sucked going into the office
at this time of night. I grabbed my spoon and my tub of ice cream and headed
for the door. No way was I getting through this without Chocolate Therapy.

*
* * * * *

Patrick
smiled knowingly as he approached me in the lobby of the Senate Hart Building.
“The commute is a lot different this time of night, isn’t it?”

I
nodded. “How is it that a fifteen minute drive takes an hour or more in rush
hour traffic?” I couldn’t resist whining about the commute. It had become a
rite of passage.

Our
shoes echoed as we crossed the lobby. Aside from the security guards, we appeared
to be the only two people in the building. Patrick handed me the coffee as we
approached the stairs. “Well, you could rent a place on the Hill and walk to
work. I’ve been looking for a roommate since Deb moved out, and Jamie is
insisting on another girl. You and Cade could move in with us. You could walk
Cade during lunch and put an end to those long commutes…”

Patrick
was a smart guy, but he had no clue how ludicrous that idea really was. “I’m
so
not renting a room in your party house. I value sleep entirely too much to room
with a bunch of twenty-somethings.” The fact that Kadyn and I were both still
twenty-somethings wasn’t entirely lost on me.

Patrick
flipped on all of the lights as we entered Senator Rockefeller’s office. We
made our way upstairs and settled into our respective desks, directly across
from one another. Patrick booted up his computer. “Why don’t you add the list
of co-sponsors at the beginning of his talking points; and I'll compile a list
of hospitals, health care systems, and advocates who have expressed support for
this bill?”

I
flipped my computer on. “I want to look over those CBO estimates again. We need
to make sure the senator is prepared to answer any funding questions.” I
glanced at Patrick as I took a sip of coffee. “Are you still comfortable with
this bill? Do you think we did the right thing by framing this as a pilot
project?”

“I
like how this bill awards startup funds to hospitals that want to deliver
mobile medical services to homeless people, especially given how vulnerable
that population is,” Patrick responded as he began typing on his computer.

“Me
too,” I agreed, “but I seriously doubt this bill will pass Congress, given our
current economic environment.”

“Rockefeller
seems to think that it will,” Patrick rebutted confidently. “Look at all of the
bi-partisan support it has received so far.”

I
raised my coffee cup in the air. “Here’s hoping you’re right.”

He
laughed as he leaned over and tapped his coffee cup against mine.

We
slid into silence as we began pulling material together for the senator. It was
nearly midnight when Patrick finally announced, “I think we’re done. Why don’t
you head home? I'll lock things up here and run this over to Rockefeller’s
house.”

I
shut down my computer. “Thanks, Patrick. I really appreciate all the time
you’ve poured into this bill. I can’t wait to see the senator introduce it
tomorrow.”

Patrick
nodded. “We’ll have to go out and celebrate afterwards.”

I
gathered up my things and started down the hall. “Sounds good. Let’s go to
Thunder Grill. I’ve been dying to have another mango margarita.”

Patrick
laughed. “Thunder Grill it is, then. Drive safe. I’ll see you in the morning.”

I
said goodnight to the guards as I walked out of the building. I pulled my coat
tight as I made my way toward the Thurgood Marshall Building. I couldn’t
believe how much the temperature had dropped. The cold, damp air chilled me to
the bone.

I
waved at the guard sitting at the security desk as I entered the lobby. I took the
stairs to the parking garage. The parking garage was nearly empty, so it wasn’t
difficult to find my jeep.

I
stopped short when I noticed I had a flat tire. “Just great,” I mumbled as I questioned
whether the tire still had enough air to drive home. Then I noticed that it
wasn’t just one tire that was flat. All four tires were nearly resting on their
rims. As I crouched down to inspect the tires, my skin crawled with what felt
like a million ants. My tires were slashed.

There
was no way I was waiting around for someone to tow my vehicle at this time of
night, so I grudgingly made my way back up to the lobby. I couldn’t believe how
calm Kadyn had been when his tires were slashed. I was furious it had happened
to me. I headed straight for the security desk when I exited the stairwell.

“Forget
something?” the security guard asked teasingly.

I
shook my head, suddenly exhausted. “No. Someone slashed my tires. Is it okay if
I leave my jeep here and have it towed in the morning?”

“Sure,
but give me your name, phone number, and license plate number. I’ll send
someone down there to take a look at it and file a report.” He hesitated as he glanced
at his watch. “The metro at Union Station is already closed. Do you have a ride
home?”

“I’ll
just take a cab.” I scribbled my license plate number on the back of my
business card and handed it to him. “Thanks for your help.”

“You’re
welcome. Be safe,” he called as I headed out the main doors.

There
were a number of cars and taxis sitting outside Union Station. A surprising
number of people were still milling around. The saxophone player was sitting at
the base of the Columbus Fountain, polishing his sax. He looked tired, but he
smiled when his eyes met mine. I was saddened by the thought that he might
sleep there, so I walked over and dropped ten dollars into his case.

“Thanks,”
he said as I turned to walk away.

I
was surprised by the sound of his voice, so I turned back around. It was the
first time he’d ever spoken to me. I met his gaze. “I should thank you. I love
listening to you play. Are you calling it a night?”

His
smile widened, showcasing charmingly crooked teeth. “Yes.”

My
eyes softened. “I’ll see you in the morning, then.”

A
light rain began to fall as I turned toward the cabs that lined the street. I
noticed Habib standing by one of the blue top cabs. He was staring right at me.

“Habib!”
I called out as I walked toward him. “Talk about being in the right place at
the right time!” My smile widened when I reached his cab. “You are truly a
sight for sore eyes.”

Habib
smiled back tightly. “I was just picking up my brother, Abdul. Do you need a
ride?”

I
laughed. “Do I ever! I had to work late tonight, and when I went to get in my
jeep, I discovered my tires were flat. I was just looking for a cab to take me
home, and here you are! Your timing couldn’t be more perfect.”

Habib
frowned. “I’m sorry to hear about your jeep. I'm officially off duty, but I
would be happy to give you a ride home.”

“Thanks,
Habib. You are a lifesaver.” I smiled as he opened the front passenger door for
me. He clearly remembered my affinity for riding shotgun.

I
turned to introduce myself to Abdul, who was already sitting in the back seat. “Hi.
I’m Habib’s friend, Kristine.”

His
only response was a rather ugly scowl.

I
was shocked by his rudeness. I couldn’t believe he was related to Habib. I
didn’t breathe another word as I turned back around.

Habib
settled into the driver’s seat. Then he eased into traffic.

I
tried to make small talk, but Habib was not his normal talkative self. He
seemed stressed. His brother was outright hostile, so I could certainly
understand why Habib wasn’t feeling chatty. I wondered whether the two of them
had been in an argument before I arrived.

Habib
and his brother began talking in low tones in what I could only assume was
Pashto, since Habib had told me that was his native language. Exhaustion got
the best of me as I curled my right leg under my left and relaxed against the
door. I closed my eyes, trusting that Habib still remembered his way to my
apartment.

Abdul
and Habib’s deeply melodic voices must have lulled me to sleep, because I woke
with a start. My eyes narrowed as I tried to focus on the landmarks we were driving
by. Nothing looked familiar. I wondered how long I’d been asleep. “Habib, this
doesn’t look like the way to my apartment,” I suggested uncertainly.

Habib
glanced at me. “It’s not.”

I
sat up straight. Every single one of my neurons fired at once. “Are we taking your
brother home first?”

“No.”

I
suddenly felt scared. There was something about Habib’s behavior that didn’t
feel right. “Habib, where are we going?”