Don't Look Like a Seal Pt. 03

"It's way too hot to leave you guys in the car, besides with Karly coming with us I can't let her out of my sight," I commented.

"Coming with you where exactly?" Alex asked as he exited the mansion.

Cassidy turned to go but grabbed Alex by his arm.

"You had better rein your man in here, Kortesis," He hissed under his breath.

Alex sighed as Cassidy headed back inside.

"Great way to start my day, Ken," Alex complained. "Thanks for that."

"He's hated me since I got here. Don't blame this morning on me," I chuckled.

"He's just pissed because he's got this thing for Mi..." Karly started to say but Michelle jumped in to cut her off.

"Kenny is taking us out to breakfast. Well I'm taking him out and Karly needs some time away from this lock down," Michelle said as she cut her eyes at a grinning Karly.

"Before or after you go to Scott's place?" He asked me.

"Before, I assume otherwise we'll be having lunch. What's up?" I asked.

He motioned me to step closer to him. I sighed and did as I was asked. I was prepared for the incoming lecture.

"I'm not sure that taking Karly with you is such a good idea, Ken," He commented in hushed tones.

"Mr. Williams has already made that point abundantly clear but it's just breakfast then a quick minute at Scott's. It should only be a couple of hours depending on the breakfast crowds," I assured him then nodded toward Karly. "She's put up with a lot already and she's earned a little time out of here don't you think?"

Alex sighed as he looked at Karly who had put her puppy dog eyes on display for him. He shook his head and looked back at me.

"God help me if Addison can pull off the same look," He whispered to me.

"We'll be extra careful and Kenny won't let anything happen to Karly," Michelle assured him.

"Yeah, we'll even stay in the car at Scott's place," Karly added.

"All right but I should send along at least one more guard to help you keep watch," He commented.

"You need all your manpower here to get ready for tonight. I can handle this. It's only a few hours," I assured him.

"I suppose I could use the help around here," He agreed.

"And we'll both be watching out for Karly." Michelle jumped in.

"Go ahead but be back in time for the security briefing at fifteen hundred and if anything at all trips that Spidey Sense of yours get them the hell out of there. Understand me, Ken?" He asked.

"I got it. I won't let anything happen to them, you have my word." I told him as I opened the passenger door.

Michelle pulled the seat up for Karly to jump into the back then she climbed in as I hurried around to the drivers side. I pulled away before Alex could think of another protest.

****

"What was all that about?" Karly asked as we pulled out onto the road.

"Specifically Alex's crack about your spidey sense," Michelle said with a grin. "From the stories from T. J., you sounded more like Captain America instead of Spider-Man."

"I left my shield at the guest house." I chuckled her then glanced in the rearview mirror at Karly. "I'm sure that Alex and Mr. Williams just wanted to make sure that I'll keep you two safe is all. Nothing to worry about."

"We're not worried are we, big sis?" Karly asked Michelle.

"We are not, little sis," She answered. "Now that breakfast is on me. Or lunch is if all the places are too crowded."

"Don't worry about that. I know a place that's kind of a secret," I shared.

We passed several overcrowded parking lots of local breakfast places before I pulled into one that was relatively empty.

"IHOP? Seriously, Kenny? How is this place a secret?" Karly asked.

"Okay it really isn't but when there's a breakfast place on every block this place gets overlooked," I pointed out.

"I guess so," She said disappointedly.

"I usually come by here on my way into work sometimes." Michelle chimed in. "They have these red velvet pancakes that you'll love, Karly."

"Red velvet? Wow, I might have to try those." She perked up.

We headed inside and were shown to a seat. Sure enough Karly ordered the red velvet pancakes and we made idle chit chat while we waited for our food to arrive.

"I guess I should be really glad that I didn't go with you this morning," Michelle stated.

"Why's that?" I asked as I counted the number of emergency exits and how to get to each if we were under fire.

"You just ordered a piece of toast and a milk," She said. "That's not breakfast, Kenny. That's what they serve prisoners."

"How would you know what prisoners are served?" I asked.

"Movie and TV duh," She laughed.

"Yeah but they don't have this wonderful selection of jelly in prison." I pointed out as I tapped my finger on the jelly display on the table.

"You look like a grape sort of guy," Karly guessed.

"Nah, he'll use the strawberry. He's a berry guy, I can tell." Michelle stated then with a smile pulled it from the container and placed it by my napkin. "You'll need this soon."

Despite the whole Russian mob thing that had me spooked I had to smile as they launched into a debate of whether or not a grape is a berry or not. Michelle noted my lack of conversation and softly tapped my hand when the waitress returned with our food.

"Thanks." I mumbled as she sat my plate down.

"You sure that's all you want, sweetie," The waitress asked.

"Yes, ma'am. Not much of an appetite this morning I'm afraid." I answered.

She nodded and headed off to take another table's order.

"Are you okay?" Michelle asked.

"I'm fine," I nodded and took a sip of my milk.

"I'm fine." I told her as I picked up the strawberry jelly packet and opened it.

"I told you," Michelle commented.

"You told him to, Michelle," Karly answered around a mouthful of pancake. "So, duh!"

Michelle shook her head while I did my best Bob Ross impersonation as I painted my slice of toast. I glanced around and told myself that these people around us were just tourists or locals and not the Russian mob that are about to pop up from their breakfast to open fire on us. Paranoia had started to get the better of me so instead of sitting there and enjoying breakfast with two beautiful women. I was planning exit strategies and wondering how much gun fire these tables could withstand.

"These are awesome," Karly declared as she leaned back from the table.

"I knew you'd like them," Michelle smiled as she finished her coffee.

She declined a refill from the nearby waitress and asked for the check instead.

"Sure thing, sweetie," the waitress nodded and laid it on the table.

Michelle insisted that she was paying and we played keep away with the bill for a moment much to Karly's amusement.

"Come on, Michelle. I should be the one to pay," I told her.

"Nope, you aren't paying. You took on Mr. Kortesis and Mr. Williams to get us out of there and besides I owed you even if you did just have milk and toast," She stated.

"Don't argue with her, Kenny. Look how the whole grape thing turned out for me," Karly giggled.

"I think you should Google what grapes are considered, Red. You might be surprised," I smiled at her.

"Hey, you can't take back an argument that I won by allowing facts to be included all of the sudden," Michelle playfully argued.

Karly pulled out her iPhone and was quickly taping away at the keys.

"It is a berry, Michelle! Look!" She cried out gleefully.

"Oh I know it is," Michelle smiled as we paid and made our way back to the parking lot. "I still knew which berry he was going to pick didn't I?"

"The one you forced on him," Karly teased before bouncing about the asphalt on a sugar high. "Where to now? Can we go to the mall, or maybe the aquarium? I can use the walk. God that was a lot of food, I can't believe I ate most of it."

"Karly, slow down," Michelle sighed then looked at me. "She's going to crash hard. You know this don't you?"

"You're the one that told her about those pancakes." I reminded her.

I smiled but it faltered with I noticed a dark colored SUV pulling into the parking lot. I grabbed Karly by the arm and tugged her toward my car as it leisurely rolled past us.

"Kenny, what the hell..." She started to ask but froze when she saw my face.

"In the car now!" I whispered and nearly pushed her inside.

She complied and even crouched low in the seats. I thought about pushing Michelle in but the SUV pulled to a stop a couple of spaces away. I breathed a short sigh of relief as a family emerged from it and started to make their way inside the restaurant. Michelle gave me odd look then climbed inside the car. I walked around, took a moment to compose myself then climbed inside and cranked the engine.

"What was all that about back there?" Michelle asked as we pulled out of the parking lot.

"I guess I'm a little jumpy," I answered.

"I thought you were going to pull your gun on that family, Kenny," She pointed out.

"If I had it on me at the time I might have." I confessed and glanced in the rear view mirror at Karly. "I'm sorry for pushing you into the car, Karly. I'm just..."

"Jumpy," She answered. "I heard you already. I thought you were gonna yank my arm off when that car rolled up."

I thought about lying my way out of this. Just a little story of how morgues get to me or even that my lack of sleep has caught up with me but when I opened my mouth the truth came spilling out.

"At the morgue this morning, the body that Det. Young wanted me to have a look it... it wasn't a pleasant sight. I recognized some tattoos the guy had. They were Russian Mob tattoos. I've had dealings with these guys before and it's got me on edge," I admitted to them.

"What would the Russian Mob want with my sister?" Karly asked.

"I don't know. We're working on trying to find that out," I answered. "Look, I'm going to take you guys back the estate. Alex was right, it's not safe enough for you to be out in the open like this."

"We're just as safe with you as we are there right, Michelle?" Karly said.

"Kenny, we trust your judgment so if you think taking us to the estate is for the best then that's where we'll go," Michelle stated. "I'll write down Scott's address and some directions for you so you can go back out. Or I can just point it out to you since we're so close to it."

"We are?" I asked.

"Two blocks down," She said. "You take a right and it's in that neighborhood."

As we sat at a red light I contemplated what to do next. Karly spoke up after a moment of silence.

"We'll stay in the car," She said.

"No, that'd put you too far away if anything goes down. Besides, if you help me give the place a once over we can be back at the estate quicker," I sighed.

"Does that mean we're going?" she asked trying not to sound too excited.

"You have to follow my directions and pretend that you are surgically attached to Michelle's hip. You go where she goes and you both do as I say. I'm serious Karly," I told her as the light switched to green.

"Got it," She promised.

I got into the correct lane then glanced over at Michelle.

"Are you okay with this because if you're not we're headed right back to the estate," I told her.

"I trust you to keep us safe Kenny," She smiled warmly at me.

I returned the smile then tossed a prayer to the heavens that I hadn't made a huge mistake.

****

Under Michelle's direction I pulled into the driveway of a quaint two-story home that sat nestled in a patch of trees just off a small side street.

"Wow, this place is nice," I commented as I got out of the car.

"She and Scott picked it out a few months back and moved in once she finished her classes at business school," Michelle explained.

"Business school huh? She doesn't seem the type," I commented.

"You can't judge a book by its cover, Kenny." She told me. "Just look at me."

"Gladly," I managed to joke as I made sure to retrieve my nine-millimeter handgun from the glove box.

Michelle looked at it with fear so I tried to mitigate it.

"It's just a precaution nothing more," I assured her.

"Sorry, I've just never been very comfortable around guns." She admitted.

"I can certainly relate. I have the scars to prove it but it's not the weapon that's the problem it usually the person wielding it that you have to worry about," I said.

"You've been shot before?" Michelle asked.

"A few times, also stabbed and you've heard about some of the explosions already... oh and I'm mercilessly picked on but you wouldn't know nothing about that last one there would you?" I smiled at her.

"I'm sure that I don't know what you're talking about," she grinned back.

"Did you say scars? Can I see them?" Karly chimed in.

"Yes and maybe," I answered her.

"Cool," she nodded.

"So you were saying that Lissa finished business school?" I asked as we walked up the flagstones to the front porch.

"Yes, I was but don't think we aren't going to talk about that gladly you let slip," Michelle stated.

"Hey, you opened the door I just walked right in," I told her.

"And made yourself at home," She commented.

"I may have taken my shoes off at the door but I didn't prop my feet up on the furniture so I'd hardly call that making myself at home," I argued.

"And he wasn't lying around in his boxers either," Karly giggled.

"Karly," Michelle chastised her.

"Ooo, there's another debate; boxers or briefs, Michelle, your opinion?" Karly inquired.

"That I'm not having this sort of debate with you especially about that," Michelle answered.

"You're no fun," Karly sighed.

"Uh huh," She replied before she moved the conversation back to Lissa. "Anyway, Kenny, Lissa wanted to show her family that she could make her own way and do what she wanted instead of joining the firm."

"Firm?" I asked.

"She's got a bunch of hot shot lawyers in her family. Her dad's one, her mom's one, her brother's one, I think her grandfather was one too. I think he helped the caveman patent the wheel," Karly informed me.

"Karly, he's not that old," Michelle said then looked at me. "I'm paying for introducing her to those pancakes but I blame you for choosing IHOP."

"All right, partial blame accepted but she did nail you on the berry thing," I chuckled.

"You guys are too cute!" Karly laughed. "What was I talking about? Oh yeah Lissa. She wanted to do more with her life and not just help criminals beat the rap. Oh, she didn't want to be some trophy wife either. Do you think I'd make a good trophy wife Kenny?"

"No Red, you'd make a horrible trophy wife because you're strong and independent. Anybody that would try and drag you around as just a pretty piece of fluff and I've got a feeling that you'd kick their ass," I answered.

"Damn right," Karly nodded. "Michelle would make a horrible trophy wife too. She's the one that made Lissa reevaluate her value."

"She's her own woman, Karly," Michelle said. "She's not influenced by me."

"She's being modest, Kenny," Karly stated. "Any of us that have known her for awhile are really taken in by her focus and drive not to mention her attitude towards things. Michelle, why do you think I'm heading off to London in the fall?"

"After this morning I'd say to give me a much needed break." Michelle quipped.

"Be serious. It's because you showed me that I don't have to live off my parent's money or join the family company. Heck even Addison runs that art gallery of hers because you showed her that she's allowed to be her own person," Karly continued.

"Karly, that's the sugar rush talking. I'm just a quiet unassuming mouse in the grand scheme of things," Michelle told her.

"Argh, you are so frustrating some times. Kenny, tell her." Karly said to me.

"Don't look at me, Red, I'm not going to argue with her but I will say that quiet, unassuming and mouse are not three words I would use to describe her." I said as we climbed the stairs to the front door.

"And exactly what three words would you use?" Karly grinned.

"Yes, Kenny, what three words would you use?" Michelle stated and looked at me.

I felt like I had just used those busted timers that Alex gave me again.

"Uh... three words you say?" I asked then looked at them.

Michelle's lips curled into a smile at the way she had me squirming.

"Let's give him a break, Karly," Michelle said. "He didn't have much for breakfast this morning so there's no telling what might come out of his mouth."

"Yes and since your dad's right there, I don't want to make yet another bad impression on him," I nodded.

"She told you about what happened to her dad?" Karly asked shocked.

"Yes, I told him about my dad," Michelle said. "He told me what happened to his parents so we..."

"What happened to your parents?" Karly interrupted her.

"Karly, maybe you shouldn't..." Michelle stopped her.

"It's all right, Michelle," I assured her. "There was a car accident when I was young. They were killed. I survived and ended up in and out of orphanages and foster homes until I turned eighteen."

"Oh... I'm sorry, Kenny," Karly apologized. "I didn't know."

"It's all right, sweetie. It was a long time ago." I assured her while I shared a look with Michelle.

I pulled out the key that Lissa gave me and got a groan from Karly.

"I thought I was gonna get to watch you pick a lock," She explained.

"Sorry to disappoint you, Red," I commented.

The lock disengaged and I pushed the door open. It made a low squeak that sounded more at home in a horror movie than here. I glanced over at Michelle.

"You just had to mention a psycho axe murderer last night didn't you?" I asked.

"You picked Rear Window not me," She retorted.

"No wonder you're jumpy," Karly stated.

She started to say something more but I cut her off.

"You two just stay behind me," I ordered then as I pulled my gun and made a slow sweep of the downstairs.

Karly and Michelle followed my instructions and stayed behind me as I made sure that we were alone.

"What exactly are we looking for Kenny?" Michelle asked once we got back to the front door.

"Anything that's hidden away or suspicious looking is my first guess but honestly I haven't got a clue," I confessed. "I don't expect to find much."

"Don't wreck the place, Karly. These are our friends," Michelle reminded her.

"Just take all the fun out of it why don't you," Karly complained playfully.

Michelle shook her head as she started to look around. I went to the staircase and looked up.

"How many rooms upstairs," I asked her.

"Four. Well five if you count the master bath," Michelle answered.

"All right. You two stay down here and have a look around while I look upstairs." I told them.

"We're splitting up? I saw this horror movie too Kenny. It doesn't end well," Michelle whispered to me.

"Can't be a horror movie," I told her. "You aren't wearing that short skirt with heels like you said."

"Don't like the shorts?" She teased me.

"Love the shorts but take these," I hand her my car keys. "Just in case."

"The person holding the keys is the one that's usually killed you know?" She asked.

"I know, why do you think I gave them to you?" I joked.

"Not funny, Kenny," She chastised me.

"I could give you this, but I'm afraid you'd end up using it on me," I told her as I held out my pistol.

"After that crack, yes I think I might." She stated. "I'll just keep a hold on these but you yell if you see anything, okay?"

"Like a hulking supernatural killer with a machete?" I asked.

"That or a spider. I hate spiders." she shared.

"Spider's seriously?" I asked. "Michelle, you swim with jellyfish, sharks and God knows what else for your job but a spider... that's your weakness?"

"We can't all be tough as nails Navy SEAL's can we?" She asked.

"It's bees," I admitted.

"What?" She asked.

"Bees. Can't stand them. They freak me right the hell out." I shared.