Thin Ice 7 - Echoes of Reckoning (45 page)

Blinking she wiped the tear that rolled down her cheek at the recollection. Sighing softly Kaitlyn needed to make some decisions. The divorce from Ian was going to be the battle of Armageddon and she knew it. He was already pulling out every trick he could think of to keep them legally linked. Blue was still her constant companion though she knew he wanted much, much, more. Kaitlyn sighed again knowing her heart didn’t belong to the man anymore, but not wanting to deliberately hurt him. She needed to set him straight though. That was the one thing she’d finally made up her mind to do; stop lying to herself, and stop lying to anyone else to protect their feelings. Unfortunately in a moment of weakness, Kaitlyn had allowed him to make love to her.
That should have never ever happened,
she thought regretting the act every time she thought of it. Blue hadn’t spoken of it again and he hadn’t pushed, but she could see the desire in his eyes when he looked at her. He wanted the Lauren of 16 and she wasn’t that girl anymore.
What about your heart’s desire,
her mind piped up as Kaitlyn smiled and picked up her cell.

“
Hi,” she greeted Tariq sweetly.

“
Hey baby,” he returned amiably.

“
You okay,” he asked hearing the sadness in her voice.

“
I’m good, just missing you,” she told him as he echoed the sentiment.

“
I shipped the girl’s present yesterday,” he told her as she smiled and told him okay.

“
Mardi Gras is next weekend,” Kaitlyn told him as Tariq chuckled and asked had she booked their room.

Assuring him she had, they chatted pleasantly a few moments more before disconnecting. Smiling Kaitlyn continued her day deciding that once her divorce was final, she was leaving Overton Park, telling Blue the truth about her feelings and returning to the man she loved and the life they deserved together. She never saw Blue as he stood at the open door listening to her conversation, frowning deeply and making his own plans for Mardi Gras weekend.

A sneak preview of
Thin Ice 8: Separazione Finale
follows this page. Also, check out these other offerings from the Author KR Bankston available at all fine online retailers: Amazon.com, BN.com, Smashwords.com and more.

T
hank you for reading this novel. We hope you’ve enjoyed and will continue to follow the ongoing saga of Ice, KiKi, Ryan, Tweety and the rest of the crew as they allow us to tag along inside their worlds.

“
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The Gianni Legacy:

A Deadly Encounter (eBook/paperback)

Sins of the Father (eBook/paperback)

Smoke & Mirrors (eBook/paperback)

Other Books:

King of the Game (eBook)

Unraveled: A Short Story Collective (eBook)

Crossroads: An Anthology (ebook/paperback)

with Authors Elizabeth LaShaun, Keith Kareem Williams, DK (Keith) Gaston

Thin Ice Serial:

Thin Ice

Thin Ice 2 – Hide & Seek

Thin Ice 3 – Armageddon

Thin Ice 4 – Resurrections

Thin Ice 5 – Checkmate

Thin Ice 6 – Hangman & Socrates

Thin Ice 7 – Echoes of Reckoning

Thin Ice 8 – Separazione Finale (coming soon)

About the Author:

KR has been writing for years creating several poems, short stories and inspirational plays, before finally venturing into a full-length novel. Some of her greatest literary influences came early in the form of V.C. Andrews, and Stephen King.

When not writing, KR Bankston is an avid Dallas Cowboys, Atlanta Falcons football fan, and Orlando Magic, Miami Heat, basketball fan. KR is currently in the process of writing a new novel.

Contact the Author:

www.krbankstononline.com

[email protected]

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Cover Design info:
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Thin Ice 8 – Separazione Finale

“
You can’t be serious,” Kaitlyn spoke looking directly at the man.

Ryan smiled slightly, shifting in his chair and giving her another look.

“
Very,” he said simply.

Kaitlyn’s mind spun. She’d never had issue with Ryan.  She knew he was deadly, but for the most part he’d stayed out of the drama between her and Ian, now he was sitting in front of her demanding the impossible.

“
Ryan, we’ve never had beef, what’s the deal,” she asked still trying to buy time and sort out her options.

He sighed leaning closer to her and speaking once more.

“
KiKi, Ice is my baby brother, and for whatever reason, even through all the hurt, he still wants you,” he told her frankly. “My job as his big brother is simply to make sure he gets what he wants, and that includes you,” Ryan finished with finality.

Kaitlyn raised an eyebrow.

“
I’m not fucking property Ryan,” she told him growing angry.

The divorce was already dragging well into a year now and Kaitlyn was past sick of it. “No, you’re not,” he threw back, his tone changing. “But you are my brother’s wife and my nieces mother,” Ryan fired, emphasis on the word wife.

“
I don’t love Ice and you can’t make me love him,” Kaitlyn flared, tired of being pushed around.

“
No, but I can make your life a damned nightmare, I can’t make sure your boyfriend Tariq never gets a fucking moments peace,” Ryan growled.

“
But you know what KiKi, if you want out that badly, sign the muthafuckin’ papers,” he told her coldly, giving her another look.

Kaitlyn sucked her teeth and pushed the papers still sitting face up, away.

“
You must be damned delusional, I’ll never give up custody of my girls,” she told him, slightly regaining her composure.

“
Well the days of you having your cake and eating that shit too are over,” Ryan began anew. “You’re going to go home to my brother, your husband, and you’re going to be his wife, in every way, and I might think about not wiping out every trace of your boyfriend from the earth,” he hissed, never taking his eyes from her.

Kaitlyn knew he was serious. Everything about Ryan screamed Socrates right now.

“
What about your other brother,” she threw out as Ryan raised an eyebrow.

“
What about him,” he returned.

“
Have you forgotten he’s in love with Tariq’s sister, and my cousin,” she fired off.

Ryan chuckled.

“
One has nothing to do with the other,” he told her dismissively. “Don’t try and play me KiKi, I know the game, remember,” Ryan told her once more.

“
Why the hell can’t you and Ice leave me alone and let me be with the man I love,” Kaitlyn again fired, her anger rekindled.

“
Ice loves you, what about that shit, what? Doesn’t he count,” Ryan returned irritably.

Kaitlyn sighed deeply.

“
I’m not trying to hurt him Ryan, but this is one time Ice cannot have what he wants,” she tried to explain.

“
Hmph,” Ryan replied as Kaitlyn picked up her drink and drained the glass, exhausted from the conversation.

Ryan was impressed. Kaitlyn was sticking to her guns this time. He knew she loved Tariq but that was beside the point. She was married to Ian and he was hell-bent to make sure it stayed that way. Ryan dropped the packet onto the table in front of her, garnering Kaitlyn’s attention once more.

“
What’s this,” she questioned looking into his face again.

“
It’s information,” Ryan returned cryptically.

Kaitlyn frowned slightly, reaching out and flipping open the folder. It contained all the information Ray Lockhart had procured through the DEA and other sources on Tariq, Mook, Jacoury, Ramell, Kim, Tae and Jaleesa. She sighed deeply having a pretty good idea what was coming next.

“
You do realize how many reincarnated life sentences they would all get with this information right,” Ryan told her as Kaitlyn regarded him. 

“
And you would destroy all these people’s lives just to keep me with Ice,” she threw out, her eyes never leaving him.

“
Without thought,” Ryan replied evenly.  

Kaitlyn sighed tiredly again.

“
You don’t have to make a decision tonight KiKi,” Ryan told her amiably. “I’ll give you 90 days,” he spoke once more, lighting the cigar he’d just removed from his pocket.

She sucked her teeth lightly, rolling her eyes at him.

“
Are we done,” she asked, really wanting to leave his presence.

Ryan put the cigar down, reaching over and taking her hands holding them between his own, his eyes boring into her.

“
I’m not my brother KiKi, I won’t have mercy on Tariq, his people, or his son,” he told her as Kaitlyn absorbed every word.

“
You are a Cisneros, your blood runs in my family, your life has been intertwined with mine since conception,” Ryan continued to talk sounding very much like his father.

“
Your heart can love him, but it can never have him wholly, you belong with Ice and in time you’ll see that,” he finished, hugging her gently and allowing her to leave.

Ryan sat back in the chair after Kaitlyn left, pulling out his cell and making a call.

“
Make the pickup,” he said simply and disconnected, finishing his cigar and making himself another drink.

1

Mrs. Connors gently put the sleeping baby down, turning on the lighted carousel nightlight featuring Noah’s Ark. The soothingly melodic lullaby that played kept the baby asleep through the night, making everyone’s life a little easier. Trey Kian Bailey was Ian’s son with Gabrielle. The little boy was born five months ago as Gabrielle remained hospitalized at the private clinic where Ian had committed her. Ian entered the room moments after the nurse left, checking on his son and thanking God once again the child had survived. Ian paid good money to keep Gabrielle in the institution and supposedly away from harm, yet when she delivered the staff left her alone with the infant. Gabrielle quickly found a syringe, preparing to puncture the baby’s skull and kill him; making good on her threat to Ian some two months earlier. Thankfully the nurse walked in at that precise moment, stopping her. The baby was immediately removed and Gabrielle restrained, placed back in her bed. Of course when someone is determined, they will succeed eventually if given enough chances. Gabrielle accomplished that goal two days later when she managed to steal a scalpel from one of the emergency carts left unattended in the facility’s hallway. She cut her throat, severing the jugular vein, bleeding to death before a nurse discovered her body almost four hours later.

Ian came and retrieved his son hours later, as well as making arrangements for Gabrielle. A private service was held the next day and her body buried next to her brothers. He’d covered the mauve coffin with an expansive spray of yellow and white roses and marked her grave with the small cherub headstone, espousing her goodness as person. Ian had left Louisiana and not looked back. He left Creeper and Pirate in total charge of the operation, simply collecting their percentages at the appropriate time. Sighing gently Ian continued to watch the sleeping baby, shaking the bad memories from his mind. He had the son he wanted, but the woman he wanted to make his mother was still beyond his grasp. Truthfully Ian was running out of time and excuses. Ray told him that the next time they went before a judge they would need more than innuendo and stall tactics to stop the proceedings from moving forward. Kaitlyn had agreed to and attended each court ordered mediation. She hadn’t budged from her original position.
She is going to get this divorce, go back to Tariq and you’ll only see her on weekends,
Ian thought growing irritated at the thought of Tariq not only being with Kaitlyn, but spending time with his daughters.

“
That bullshit is not going to happen,” Ian murmured turning and leaving the nursery.

His cell rang almost immediately after his arrival into the den.

“
Hello,” Ian spoke amiably.

“
Hi Ice,” Kaitlyn returned calmly. “I wanted to see what time you would arrive tomorrow,” she questioned.

They were meeting at the girl’s school production to support their daughters in the small play where they were performing. Tejdra was playing a talking shrub, Tajdra was a tree. Ian smiled slightly thinking of the girls, before returning his attention to Kaitlyn’s question.