Turn On A Dime - Kade's Turn (Kathleen Turner Series Book 7) Read online

  He was horny as hell and he didn’t give Blane and the brunette a second thought as he began kissing the blonde. She was a good kisser, turning so she straddled his lap, her short skirt climbing to her waist.

  “Your friend’s got the right idea,” Kade heard the brunette say to Blane, her voice a husky murmur.

  “It would appear so.”

  Kade’s lips twisted in a smile when he glanced over and saw Blane had gotten in on the action, the brunette busy sliding her hands underneath his shirt.

  They arrived at the hotel and ten minutes later unlocked the door to a room. The girls were as drunk as Kade and Blane, laughing uproariously when one of them tripped and nearly went down. They stumbled, helping each other into the bedroom, while Blane and Kade followed.

  “One room?” Blane asked Kade with a derisive snort. “We’re brothers, but some things I don’t need to know.”

  Kade shot him a wicked grin. “Take a walk on the wild side, brother, and trust me.” Unscrewing the bottle of Jack, Kade took a long swig, then handed it to Blane.

  Blane sighed, then shrugged and tipped the bottle to his lips.

  When they entered the bedroom, the girls were already down to their underwear, both clad in tiny thongs. The blonde wasn’t a real blonde, not that Kade cared. And he was pretty sure her breasts were fake, but he wasn’t going to complain.

  “Care for a drink, girls?” Kade asked, handing the blonde the bottle he’d opened.

  The blonde laughed, took a drink and passed it to the brunette. While the brunette drank, the blonde unhooked her bra, helping the brunette slide the straps down her arms while she kept drinking. The blonde began touching the brunette’s breasts, her palms cupping them while her thumbs brushed the pink nipples. The brunette tossed aside the now empty bottle, and they started kissing.

  “Holy fuck,” Blane breathed quietly.

  Kade’s dick was hard as a rock. He didn’t turn away from the scene when he answered Blane. “You can thank me later.” Digging in his pocket, he handed a couple of condoms to Blane.

  The alcohol in his bloodstream made disrobing slightly more difficult, but it wasn’t too long before Kade was naked and kneeling on the bed behind the blonde. Out of his peripheral vision, he saw Blane echoing his movements. Then the brunette was on her back, her mouth between the blonde’s legs, and Blane was fucking her. Kade pushed himself inside the blonde, his hands cupping her fake boobs. The room began to spin, the booze hitting him hard, and he closed his eyes.

  The next few hours were a haze of sweat and skin, the blonde sucking him off as Blane fucked her from behind, the brunette straddling Kade’s face, his hands gripping her ass while he ate her pussy. Blane passed out at some point and the last thing Kade remembered was screwing the brunette while she used her fingers on the blonde. Feminine moans and sighs filled his ears, his orgasm making him groan, then he collapsed on the bed, spent.

  When Kade next opened his eyes, it was almost four in the morning and the room was still spinning. He sat up, blinking as he got his bearings. The girls were sprawled together, their naked limbs entwined, and were sleeping…or passed out. Blane was asleep at the end of the bed, his leg hanging off the side.

  Getting up, Kade shook Blane awake.

  “Wha—” Blane groaned, but Kade shushed him.

  “Let’s get out of here, bro,” he said quietly. The last thing he wanted was to wake the girls.

  Kade dressed, finding the buttons on his shirt more difficult to do up than usual. He had to help Blane, who he thought had drunk most of that second bottle of Jack.

  They exited the hotel from a side entrance.

  “That was one for the books,” Kade said, flashing a shit-eating grin to Blane. “Am I right?”

  Blane laughed, scrubbing a hand across his face. “My little brother’s a bad influence on me,” he joked.

  “Damn straight.”

  They scanned the deserted street for a moment. “No way are we getting a taxi at this hour,” Kade said. “We’ll have to hoof it back to your car.”

  The streets were silent and nearly empty. Kade knew the layout and alleys of downtown Indy like the back of his hand. He turned into a side alley shortcut, Blane close behind.

  The alley was dark with shadows, meager light filtering through the blackness. Kade was as alert as he was able to be with as much alcohol in his system as he had. Which wasn’t good enough.

  A sound behind him made him turn in time to see a figure fly at Blane from the shadows. Kade had no time to help Blane as another attacker came at him, catching him in the gut and making him double-over.

  “You may have fucked them first, but we’re gonna fuck you over,” the guy hissed.

  Kade realized it was the two guys from the bar. They’d waited for him and Blane to show? What losers.

  “Fuck you,” Kade rasped. He brought his fist up, knocking the guy in the jaw. Blane was punching his attacker while Kade wrestled with his.

  The darkness of the alley didn’t help and Kade didn’t see the glint of a knife until it was already coming at him. He leapt backward, but not in time. The knife swiped across his chest, leaving a slice in his shirt and skin in its wake. The cut burned, but Kade could tell it wasn’t that deep. Blood oozed a trail down his stomach.

  A roar of rage made both Kade and the guy with the knife look back. Blane had caught sight of them, his attacker on the ground.

  Blane’s gaze was locked on the blood on Kade’s chest, his eyes glinting with fury. He launched himself at the guy with the knife, his hands locking around the man’s neck. The guy dropped the knife to tug uselessly at Blane’s hands. Blane let go, crouching down to grab the knife from where it had fallen. The man came at Blane who, with one hard, upward thrust, buried the blade in the man’s chest.

  He stared at Blane, his mouth open in surprise, then looked down at the hilt protruding from his body. The light faded from his eyes and his body dropped to the ground and was still.

  Kade stared in shock, his mouth agape. It had happened so fast.

  “Holy shit,” the remaining guy breathed. “You killed him! You sick motherfucker!” Scrambling to his feet, he began running down the alley.

  Kade made a split second decision. Reaching down, he pulled the gun from the holster around his ankle. Taking quick aim, he squeezed off a single shot. The man dropped to the ground and didn’t move.

  Breathing hard, Kade looked over at Blane who stood, looking down at the man he’d killed, his chest heaving with exertion. His hands were clenched into fists and he was shaking.

  Survival instinct kicked in and Kade hurried to Blane. Careful not to touch him, he said, “C’mon. We’ve got to get out of here.” Reaching down, Kade grabbed the switchblade and yanked it from the body before flipping it closed and shoving it into his pocket.

  Blane didn’t respond and Kade had to call his name twice more before it seemed to get through.

  Moving quickly, they were back in the Jag in five minutes.

  “Gimme the keys,” Kade said. Blane handed them over without a word.

  They didn’t speak on the way home. Blane stared out the window.

  The enormity of what had just happened hit Kade as he drove. The two men had been looking for a fight, not looking to die. Blane’s reaction to Kade getting hurt, the blood that seemed to set him off, scared Kade. He’d never seen Blane so…out of control.

  And Kade himself had done worse. He had no excuse of blind rage or what he now suspected was PTSD in his brother. Kade had assessed the situation, had known the man would be a witness to the murder of his friend, and had done what he had to do. Kade would protect his brother, no matter what.

  An officer of the law, an FBI agent, had just killed a man in cold blood.

  Kade pushed the thought away, his thoughts returning to Blane, who still hadn’t spoken.

  Parking in the driveway, Kade got out, going around the car and opening Blane’s door, too, when he didn’t step out. Taking his arm, he led Blane upsta
irs to his bedroom and sat him on his bed.

  Finally, when Blane was still silent, Kade said, “Hey man, are you all right?”

  Blane blinked confusedly, looking up at Kade. His face blanched when he saw the cut across Kade’s chest. The bleeding had stopped, but it’d left a helluva mess behind.

  “What the hell happened to you?” Blane asked.

  Kade was so surprised, it took him a moment to reply. “The…fight,” he said finally.

  “Shit,” Blane said jumping to his feet and heading to the bathroom. “What have I told you about getting in those damn bar fights?” He returned, holding a small med kit. “What if he’d stabbed instead of sliced? You could be dead right now.”

  Kade stared as Blane opened the kit, taking out some antiseptic wipes. Could Blane really not remember what had happened?

  Blane carefully cleaned the cut, the antiseptic burning like a sonofabitch, but Kade ignored it. “You were in the fight, too,” he said carefully.

  Glancing up at him, Blane said, “Obviously I didn’t hold up my side if you got hurt like this.”

  “You don’t remember?” Kade persisted.

  Blane sighed, pausing in his ministrations to rub his forehead. “My head hurts like there’s a jackhammer in there and all I remember is a brunette—no, wait—a blonde? I do know there was booze.” He cracked a grin at Kade. “Guess if you can’t remember the details, that must mean it was good, right?” He laughed lightly.

  Kade forced a smile. “That’s right, brother,” he said. “Hey, I’m gonna hit the shower, then the sack. I’ll catch you in the morning.”

  “Afternoon, more likely,” Blane said with a snort.

  Kade didn’t reply as he left the room, closing the door behind him. Going downstairs, he went into the den, closing the door behind him. Pulling his cell from his pocket, he dialed a number. When they answered, Kade said only four words.

  “Blane needs your help.”

  “What happened?” Keaston asked once he’d slid into the passenger seat of Kade’s car. He hadn’t wanted to discuss anything over the phone, agreeing to meet Kade instead.

  Kade quickly explained, ending with how Blane had no memory of the incident with the men in the alley.

  “Did anyone see you?”

  “No, I don’t think so,” Kade answered.

  “Did you take the knife?”

  “Yes.”

  “Are the bodies still there?” Keaston asked.

  “Probably.”

  “Okay, here’s what’s going to happen,” Keaston said. “I’m going to have the bodies taken care of and we’re not going to speak of this again. You will never, ever tell Blane what happened, do you understand?”

  Kade swallowed. “Yeah.”

  “In return, I want something from you,” Keaston said, his eyes narrowing as he studied Kade.

  Kade’s brows lifted in surprise. Blane’s uncle had barely given him the time of day over the years, tolerating him solely for Blane’s sake. It hadn’t escaped Kade’s notice that Keaston thought Kade was a blight on Blane’s life, and he’d helped convince Blane to go along with Kade’s request to not tell people that they were brothers. Blane hadn’t wanted to do that, but Keaston had taken up Kade’s argument for the secrecy and eventually Blane had reluctantly agreed.

  “What do you want?” Kade asked.

  “I want you to quit the FBI and come work for me.”

  Kade had spent too many years knowing that people wanted to use him to think that this was going to work in his favor in any possible way. With a sinking feeling, he asked, “Doing what?”

  “You’re a smart man, Kade,” Keaston said. “A clever and dangerous man. The skills you have, the additional skills you could acquire, would be extremely...useful...to me.”

  “Why me?”

  “Because you have nothing to lose,” Keaston answered flatly. “And a lot to gain. Agree to do this, and I’ll take care of this problem for you with Blane none the wiser.”

  “And if I refuse?” Kade asked.

  “Refuse, and I can’t help what’ll happen,” Keaston said with a sad shrug. “Two dead bodies are hard to run from, especially when there are witnesses to an altercation you had earlier with them. Blane will be caught, as will you.”

  “I can say I did it,” Kade replied. “I killed them both.”

  “And do you really think Blane will believe you?” Keaston asked. “You and I both know he’ll figure out the truth, maybe even remember it. Then not even I will be able to stop the wheels of justice from turning.”

  “He’s your nephew,” Kade protested. “Why do I have to do anything? You’d really let Blane go down for this if I don’t do what you want?”

  “Perhaps,” Keaston said, his calculating gaze glittering in the near darkness inside the car. “Are you willing to take that chance?”

  Kade stared at the man. The same blood ran in their veins and for the first time, Kade recognized some of himself in Keaston. A ruthlessness and coldness that Kade had tried to pretend didn’t exist in his own soul. The only person who’d ever looked beyond that, had seen something else inside Kade, was Blane.

  “All right,” Kade said. “I’ll do it.”

  “Excellent.” Keaston smiled, his lips thin. “Do you have the knife?”

  “I ditched it,” Kade said. “And the gun.”

  “Good thinking,” Keaston replied. “I trust somewhere they’ll never be found?”

  Kade nodded.

  Keaston smiled again. “Get Blane back to normal, then I’ll be in touch,” he said, before getting out of the car.

  Watching Keaston walk away, Kade felt as though he’d just agreed to a deal with the devil. Everything he’d wanted, dreamed of—it was all dust now, collateral damage from the choices he’d made tonight.

  But better Keaston destroy Kade’s life than Blane’s. Blane deserved nothing but happiness and success, and if Kade had to be the darkness lurking in the shadows to make sure that happened, then he would.

  Kade had emailed his resignation to the FBI that very night, breaking the news to Blane the next day. Blane had been stunned, then furious.

  “Why the hell would you do something so stupid?” he’d raged at Kade. “You just threw away your entire career!”

  “It’s my life,” Kade replied stonily. “And there’s no money in law enforcement. You know that.”

  “If you need money, then just say so,” Blane said.

  “I don’t want your money.”

  “What’s mine is yours. I’ve been telling you that for years—”

  “I don’t want to live by the rules, Blane,” Kade interrupted, grasping at straws. “It’s boring. You may be able to handle it, but I can’t.”

  Blane was quiet for a moment. “What do you mean?” he asked finally.

  Kade glanced away, unable to see the look on Blane’s face. “People pay a lot of money for the stuff I can do,” he said.

  “Please tell me you’re just talking about hacking,” Blane said in a low voice.

  Kade didn’t reply and Blane cursed.

  “Hunting people for a living is not a career,” Blane argued. “It’s a death wish.”

  “I’ve made my choice,” Kade said flatly. “I’m not ten anymore. So you can either accept it, or throw me out. Which is it going to be?”

  Blane had studied him, his lips pressed tight together. The disappointment in his eyes had pierced Kade, but there was nothing Kade could do about it, nothing he could say. He couldn’t tell Blane the truth, so he just met his gaze and waited.

  Blane sighed. “You’re my brother, no matter what,” he said. “Even if you’re making a shitty decision.”

  And that had been the end of it. Blane had refrained from any lectures over the years, though Kade had certainly deserved them. What had remained was Kade’s task—getting Blane to a state of normalcy.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Kade spent the rest of the day digging up everything he could on every single person invol
ved in the case Blane was defending. Kyle Waters was a decorated SEAL, as had been the men with whom he’d served on the ill-fated mission. The ex-wife was a piece of work, though Kade supposed she was entitled to a little bitterness after her miscarriage. The divorce had come swiftly after that, Kyle deployed for the entire proceedings.

  He kept tabs on Kathleen and saw when she left her apartment—as he’d told her not to do—ending up at some hotel downtown where she stayed most of the day. Kade briefly entertained the thought of calling her to see what the hell she was doing, but then she’d know he had a tracker on her.

  What was she doing at a hotel? Was she seeing someone else behind Blane’s back? The thought should have irritated him. Instead, a little voice inside his head said that if she wasn’t into Blane any longer, then maybe Kade had a shot…

  Kade shoved the thought away as he surveyed himself in the mirror. Tuxes weren’t really his thing, but women seemed to like them. Would Kathleen think he looked good in a tux? He snorted at the thought. Like he should care what she thought. Grabbing the jacket and bowtie, he headed downstairs. He found Mona in the kitchen and handed her the tie.

  “I’ve taught you how to do this a dozen times,” she said mildly, wrapping the length of silk around his neck.

  “And I’ve told you, I don’t want to learn,” he replied.

  Mona chuckled and shook her head. Kade’s lips lifted in a half-smile as she patiently tied the bowtie.

  “There. Perfect,” she said. “Are you and Blane going to Kandi’s party?”

  “Unfortunately,” Kade said.

  “Is he taking Kathleen, too?” she asked.

  Kade shook his head, snagging a meatball from the plate where Mona had set them and popping it into his mouth. “She’s gotta work,” he mumbled.

  “Don’t talk with your mouth full,” Mona automatically chastised. “That’s too bad. I’m sure she would have enjoyed it. The Millers’ Christmas parties are always nice.”

  “They should be for how much she spends on them,” Kade said with a snort.

  Just then, Blane entered the kitchen. Of course his bowtie was already perfectly done. Spying the meatballs, he grabbed one.