CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

"That bedroom looks like a tornado tore through it." Charles had just walked downstairs after viewing the crime scene. And Mick and Amelia both could tell he had not expected it to be as horrific as it was. "Damn, Millie. You fought for your life."

Mick had the same reaction when he saw the scene too. It saddened him, too, and pissed him off. "It's her own damn fault," he said. "She keeps ticking people off and playing around the edges with that no rules private detective agency she's running."

"Quit lying, Mick, it does have rules! And how is it my fault if I never met that senator before in my life? How is that my fault?"

Mick's phone began ringing. "Who on earth keeps bugging you?" Charles asked as he sat down in the chair across from Mick's chair.

Mick looked at his Caller ID. It was Teddy. "It's Ted," he said, as he answered the call.

While Mick spoke with his oldest son, Charles was staring at Amelia. "You sure you're okay?"

"I would be better if you hadn't made me call Hammer."

"We have to be realistic. There's not just a dead body up those stairs. There's a dead senator up those stairs. What the fuck we gonna do with that? We've got to have law enforcement power in on this one. And Hammer is the only member of the family with that kind of reach."

"Soon-to-be nonmember of the family," said Amelia.

Charles exhaled. "Sure about that?"

Amelia didn't respond to that. Which didn't surprise Charles at all. Amelia started out delaying that divorce for months on end. Now it was Hammer's time. Both of their asses were slow-walking that divorce. Which meant neither one of them were ready to let it go.

As soon as Mick ended his call with Teddy, his phone began ringing again.

And Charles was frustrated. "Damn, Mick! It's ringing again? What did Teddy want?"

"He wanted an update on our end." Mick looked at his Caller ID. When he saw that it was Atticus Wales this time, he answered. "Hello Atticus."

Charles looked at Amelia when Mick said that name. And just as he suspected, Amelia was staring at Mick.

"Lucas Grimley's been trying to reach you all evening," Atticus said over the phone. "Why wouldn't you answer his calls? You know he works for me."

"That's why I didn't answer. I don't work with assistants. Your ass want to reach me, your ass better call me."

"Same old Mick."

"What do you want?"

"Can we meet?"

"Not right now we can't."

"It's vital, Mick."

"I don't give a shit how vital it is. I said not right now."

"You don't give a damn that I could lose my team? You're an investor, remember? You got dough to lose too."

"What happened?"

"You alone?"

That wasn't his business. "Yeah," Mick said.

"It's doping."

"Quarterback?"

"Everybody. Every starter on the team has dirty urine. Seriously dirty."

"Damn." Even Mick didn't expect to hear that. "What do you need?"

"I need to find out who the supplier is. Nobody's talking. And I don't want them to talk. I want this shit to go away."

"I'll look into it."

"Thanks Mick."

"And next time don't you dare have a middleman calling me."

"Understood." Then Atticus hesitated. "How's Amelia?"

Mick hesitated. And looked at Amelia. She was still staring at him. "She's okay," he said to Atticus.

"Good."

"Want me to tell her you said hello?"

"No. No need for that. Thanks again, Mick," Atticus said, and ended the call.

"That's the guy you should have married," Mick said.

"Don't even try that, Mick," Amelia fired back. "You were the one talking about Hammer was the only man on earth that could handle me. Now everybody but Hammer can handle me let you tell it."

"That's a lie. Nobody can handle your ass. But at least Atticus would have treated you right. At least Atti would have made it his business to live in the same household as his wife."

Amelia was touched by her brother's concern. But he was always too hard on Hammer. "Hammer treats me right."

"Where? In the bedroom? Because that's the only thing he seems interested in lately. I'm surprised you put up with his bullcrap this long."

"I'm surprised Roz put up with yours this long."

Mick gave her a hard look.

"What did he want anyway?" Charles asked.

"A business issue."

"That you can't even tell me?"

They heard a car drive up. Instead of answering his brother, Mick got up and went to the window. "It's Hammer," he said as Ozzie got out of the SUV and opened the passenger door. Hammer got out and headed for the entrance.

"Watch his ass doesn't even bother to knock."

"She's still his wife and this is his wife's home," said Charles. "So don't even start that, Michello. This isn't about you and Hammer. This is about Millie."

Mick shook his head. "Leave it to our sister to marry a fucking lawman."

"Hammer is a lawman like you're a businessman. It's nothing more than a cover for your real moneymaking enterprises."

"That's bullshit," said Mick. "I'm out of the game."

"Yeah, you and Millie both. And you both give it another name. But it's still the game," Charles said like a man with clean hands. And compared to Millie and Mick, he was.

But then Hammer Reese walked through that door. Without knocking, just as Mick had predicted. But as soon as he walked down the foyer hall and turned into the living room and saw her sitting there, his heart began to pound. Something about her touched him in a place no other human being had ever occupied. And the idea that she was in a horrible situation where she was forced to go there terrified him. She always played on the edge. Always had to have that Sinatra swag everywhere she went. But edge dwellers always eventually fell over.

When he began walking slowly into the room, Charles knew he was affected not only just by seeing Millie again, but by the reality of what she'd been through. Because it showed in her eyes. She was never able to hide what she felt inside from her eyes.

"Hello Charles."

"How are you?"

"Mick."

Mick didn't respond. He hated the fact that Hammer had a law enforcement background. Until he needed that background to work for him. But Hammer didn't give a shit if he spoke or not. They would always have their battles. But Amelia was on his mind.

He made his way to the sofa. And stood in front of her. When she looked up, his heart sank. He saw the terror still in her eyes. "Hey."

"Hey," she responded. Her heart was already fluttering when he entered the room. But when he squatted down and placed his hand on her neck, and then he placed her bandaged hands in his big hands, when he touched her, she wanted to break down and sob in his arms. Nobody could soothe her like Hammer could. But she refused to allow it. They were through. What crying in his arms was going to do?

Mick and Charles watched intensely as Hammer knelt down in front of Amelia. His look was so anguished that they wondered if he was well.

Like always, Amelia's heart had butterflies again just being near him. What was it about him that always touched her so completely? And when he touched her still hurting hands, it was as if the pain just went away. He had an effect on her that no man ever had. And she was going to throw that away? "Hey," she said again.

"What happened?"

"I told you it was a fight."

He looked at her in that don't play with me look he perfected.

"I had just got out of the shower. When I dried off and walked back into my bedroom, I could see him through the mirror. Or at least I saw somebody in a ski mask in my bedroom. But just as I saw him, he was coming up behind me and he placed a cord around my neck."

Both Charles and Mick recoiled when she said those words. Even Amelia had to take a moment to digest it again. Hammer's jaw tightened. "Go on," he said.

"Because I saw him, I was able to place my hands between that cord and my neck." Then she looked into Hammer's sympathetic eyes. "And we fought. We fell on the floor and I was able to maneuver over to my nightstand where I had my gun. I pulled it out and fired three or four or five shots, I don't remember how many. But I wasn't going to stop firing until I killed his ass."

Then she stared at Hammer as Hammer seemed barely able to digest it too. "You knew him, didn't you?"

Hammer nodded. "Yes. He was a good man."

"A good man?" Mick was livid. "He nearly killed your wife and he was a good man?"

"I'm only going by what I knew of him," Hammer fired back. "Not what he did to Millie." Then he looked at her. "Where is he?"

"Upstairs."

Hammer stood up. "Show me."

Charles frowned. "Why would you want to put her back in that," he began saying.

But Mick cut him off. "Charles?"

Charles looked at him.

Mick shook his head. It was obvious to Mick, too, that Amelia needed to see the aftermath in order to move forward. Because despite what she was telling them, she was stuck.

Amelia stood up and began walking toward the stairs as if it was no big deal to her. Hammer followed closely behind her because he knew it was a big deal. Amelia was tough as nails, but she was fragile as a flower too.

And sure enough, as soon as Amelia walked into her bedroom again and saw the senator, and the scene, and remembered how she struggled so mightily for her life, and how it all could have gone so differently, her heart grew faint and she leaned back. She would have fallen had Hammer not been there to catch her.

He caught her.

And then she turned into Hammer's arms and sobbed. "He almost overpowered me," she cried. "He almost . . ."

Hammer pulled her tighter into his arms as she began sobbing. Because he was astonished by the scene himself. She fought for her life. There was no doubt about that. Millie did not give up. Or, he also realized, she would not be in his arms right now. And that reality staggered him too.

"It's okay, babe," he said to the woman he was set to divorce. Which seemed crazy to him in that moment. But they did have serious issues.

When she finally backed up from his embrace, he reached into his coat lapel and handed her his handkerchief. She took it and wiped her tears away. And then she moved to get out of there.

Hammer didn't object. He wanted to get out of there too. And as soon as he made it downstairs and sat Amelia back on the sofa, he went and sat beside her. She was seated on the edge of the sofa still wiping tears. Hammer leaned back in a slouch position. He was bone tired.

When Mick and Charles heard their baby sister crying upstairs, they both almost got up and went upstairs too. But they knew she was in good hands with Hammer. He didn't treat their sister the way she deserved to be treated. He was an absent father and husband if you asked them. And that sense that he could do better by their sister and their nephew always created tension between Hammer and the Sinatras. They didn't like his arrogance and how he put the government over his own family. They knew he could do better.

But they respected the hell out of him.

And Amelia needed him.

And he always found a way to get to her when she needed him most.

That was why they stayed put and let him handle her pain.

When Amelia was able to stop the tears from falling, which she hated that they were at first uncontrollable, she leaned back too. She and Hammer were shoulder to shoulder. Charles and Mick also noticed how Hammer discreetly placed his arm around her waist.

Hammer then pinched the bridge of his nose. "Sick bastard," he said.

"Millie said you knew him," said Charles.

Hammer nodded. "I did." Then he looked at Amelia. "Was he naked like that when you got out of the shower?"

Amelia nodded. "Yes. Why?"

"Seems like he had more on his mind than killing you."

That line of thought intrigued Charles. "You think he broke in to sexually assault her?"

"Why else would his ass be naked? An assault makes more sense than killing her."

"But I've never laid eyes on that man before. Only from watching him on television. He shouldn't have known me from Adam."

"The wife of Hammer Reese?" asked Charles. "Come on, Millie."

Amelia took her long, curly hair and pushed it back. She just wanted this resolved. She looked at Hammer. "What do I need to do? Call the Police and tell them it was self-defense?"

"The Police?" Mick and Charles said it in unison. "Are you kidding me?" asked Mick. "Those cops aren't going to buy any self-defense from a Sinatra."

"They'll buy it," said Hammer. "If I'm the one calling it in."

They all looked at Hammer. Stunned. "You?" asked Charles. He was the government's golden boy. Their secret weapon. Their behind the walls man. He never went public with anything. But he was willing to put it all on the line for Millie? Even Mick respected that. He stared at Hammer.

But it was still too risky for Mick. "I say we let that cleanup crew clean it up and leave that shit alone."

"Were all of her security cameras offline?" asked Hammer.

"Yes."

Hammer stared at Charles. "Every camera?"

"Every one, yes."

"What is it, Hammer?" Mick asked.

"She may not be the target."

They all looked at him. "You think this was about you?" asked Amelia.

Hammer was still thinking it through in his mind.

But Charles was thinking it through too. "Why wouldn't they go to the source? Why go to a wife about to be an ex-wife?"

"They went where they could go," said Hammer. "To send a message perhaps." Then he frowned. "But why have Reiner send it?"

"We have to call it in if that's the case," said Amelia. "No telling how many people might be involved."

"I agree," said Charles.

Hammer looked at Mick. As he suspected, Mick had a different view. "We need to wait," Mick said.

Charles frowned. "Wait for what?"

"I don't know what. But my every instinct is telling me to wait. We don't know enough to do anything right now. But we've got to get that body out of this house."

Hammer nodded. "That's what I concluded too." He stood up, walked over by the foyer, and pulled out his phone. "Bring them in now," he said over the phone and then ended the call.

Within seconds, Ozzie, along with a crew of three men in Hazmat suits and carrying a vacuum cleaner and all manner of cleaning supplies, entered the home. Ozzie looked at Hammer, who was between the foyer and living room. "Upstairs. Master bedroom," he said, and Ozzie directed the men upstairs. Ozzie glanced into the living room. Saw Mick the Tick and Big Daddy Sinatra, both of whom were so protective of Amelia that it often came across to him as if they were trying to control her, which even he knew was impossible. He saw Amelia, too, looking surprisingly vulnerable for a woman he'd only known as pure power. And now she was caught up in this mess. Which meant Hammer was caught up in this mess too. Ozzie glanced at his boss, whom he loved and whom he felt was still too entangled with a woman he was supposedly divorcing, but he knew Hammer would always be ride or die with Amelia no matter what she did. And like her family, that woman had done a lot of shit down through the years. The apple didn't fall far from that tree. Then Ozzie went on upstairs to supervise the cleanup team.

Hammer knew Ozzie and all of his friends were tired of his inability to rid himself of Amelia. And he knew their concern was coming from a good place. But nobody seemed to understand the depths of the feelings he had for Amelia. The sense of responsibility and protectiveness he felt for her. He barely understood it himself. And besides, it was nobody's business but his.

"Okay, they take the body. Then what?" asked Charles.

"He'll be declared missing. Then later declared dead."

"And if other people knew he was coming to Millie's house?" asked Charles.

"If they knew, and especially if it's related to me, they certainly aren't going to the Police," said Hammer.

"But what if they do?" asked Charles. "What if it isn't some criminal mastermind or some shady government behind this shit? What if that senator's loved ones knew he was coming to this house?"

Hammer exhaled. "We'll cross that bridge when we get to it."

Charles shook his head. "I don't like this plan." He looked at his brother. "Do you, Mick?"

"No," Mick said bluntly. "But what the fuck else we got? We don't know enough. Because of who the perp is, we can't even ask around. But Hammer's right to get that body out of here. We've got to make sure there's no connection to Millie no matter what."

"Right," agreed Hammer.

Charles stood up. "Okay, Millie, get some clothes on and let's go."

Mick stood up too. But Hammer looked at Charles. "She's going with me."

"Like hell she is," Mick shot back. "She's coming with her brothers. And my wife wants her with us. She's not trying to divorce us."

Hammer looked at Mick. That was a low blow. "I don't give a good gotdamn what your wife wants," Hammer fired back. "Millie stays with me."

"Don't you dare talk derisively about my wife," said Mick.

"Then don't you dare put your wife out there like I'm supposed to bow down to her ass the way you bow down to her!"

Mick was about to go for Hammer, and Hammer was about to go for Mick, but Charles, as he usually did, got in between them.

And Amelia had had it too. "Just stop," she yelled out. "Just stop. I'm not going with either one of you. I'm staying home. This is my house. I'm not letting that senator or anybody else run me away from my own home. I'm staying home."

"No, you're not," said Charles.

"Yes, she is," said Hammer. "And I'm staying with her."

When Hammer said that he'd stay with her, both brothers eased up. They both knew, at the end of the day, a husband trumped a brother. And Hammer's hold on Amelia trumped it all.

"You're okay with that, Millie?" Charles asked her.

She nodded. Inwardly, she was relieved. But she wasn't going to display that. "Yes, I'm okay with it," was all she'd say about it.

It was enough for the brothers. They backed off. And after the cleaning crew left the house with the body of the late Senator Darby Reiner in tow, Mick and Charles said their goodbyes and left too.

Hammer looked at Amelia. By now, it was well past two in the morning. Both of them were through dealing. He went over to her and extended his hand. She took it, stood up from the sofa, and allowed him to take that same hand and place it on her lower back.

"I don't think I'm ready to go upstairs just yet," she said, although she knew it would look immaculate up there. As if nothing had ever happened. But she knew it had.

"No, you take your time with that," said Hammer. "We'll sleep in the guest room." He would have said JoJo's room, which was larger, but he knew she needed much more than just sleep. And he had every intention of giving it to her.

They went into the guest bedroom.