Witness

41. Kaiden

Chelsea jumps out of her skin when the doorbell rings. 

She gave her friends our address half an hour ago but I can tell she's still worried that Damien might have found out where she is. She's called her mum three times in the last two hours just to check that everything is alright with her. 

Damien scares her. 

Fuck, after seeing those texts he sent her, Damien scares me. 

He's fucking delusional. Obsessive. Bat-shit crazy. 

"I have cameras," I remind her gently, pulling my phone out of my pocket. "This house is basically a fortress." 

"An undecorated one," she mutters. 

I turn around to hide my smile, pulling up the live video feed for the cameras just as the doorbell rings for a second time. Her friends stand at the door, Madelaine leaning into the camera with one eyebrow raised. 

Undecorated. 

Chelsea thinks she's so funny. I saved that plant on the mantle she cared so much about, didn't I? There's her much-needed decoration. 

"It's them," I tell her. 

She grins and skips out of the living room, going towards the front door. It dawns on me that she's never used it - I'm so used to picking her up and driving her here that I've always taken her through the garage door. Odd. 

My phone buzzes as I hear the front door open. 

Jen doesn't call me unless it's important, but I know I'm whipped when I wait to hear Chelsea talking animatedly with her friends - happy - before I walk into the kitchen to pick up the call. 

My assistant makes a positive sound. 

"The mystery man himself!" 

My laugh is breathy.

"Can I help you, Jennifer? I have...guests." 

"Guests?" She laughs. "A girlfriend and friends? Am I speaking with Kaiden Beckett? Should I call the police?"   

"She isn't..." I shake my head. She pretty much is. I want her to be. "What's up?" 

I hear Chelsea laughing in the living room and smile, because again, I'm absolutely whipped. 

"The jail filed the police report. It was some other inmates, sounds like a gang warfare. Did you want me to dig further into it?" 

Of course it was gang warfare. Tony wouldn't have been killed for just anything. 

"I'm not sure yet," I answer. 

I don't know whether his death is directly related to the drug business, and I don't need to know. Tony being dead helps us. Damien's nervous, off the rails, grieving. He's bound to slip up somewhere and hopefully I'll be right there next to him when he does it. 

At least I hope its me. God forbid it's Chelsea next to him, instead. 

The more she stays away from him now, the better. 

I just hope he lets her go. 

(I know he won't.) 

"Alright, well. I have a stack of paperwork up to my eyeballs, so give me a text if you need anything. Do you still need the Damien files organising as a priority?" 

"Absolutely. And send them to Reid when they're in order. He might be able to make something out of them for an arrest." 

"Alright, will do. Have fun with you girlfr-"