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“I’m a shadow…”
“It reminds me of who I am.”
Kivuli was the first thing Carter searched and when the results appeared, he realized that Kivuli not only meant shadow, but it was also dominant as a given male name in Swahili.
With that being the case, he began to wonder if his father’s tattoo was deeper than his attachment to being a hired gun existing in the shadows.
“It reminds me of who I am.”
“Fuck,” he mumbled lowly.
Carter’s eyes drifted to McKenna who was turned so only her profile was visible. The smile on her face settled something deep within him, but the darkness spilled through to Carter’s expression.
They’d changed their names, lived off the grid.
There was only one explanation that made sense. Kessler had been telling the truth and Kivuli was his father's true name.
He pulled up vital records in the county where he was born and typed his name. He had functioned his entire life never questioning or second guessing. As of late nothing in his life felt as if it was what he had always known it to be. The tightness in his chest intensified when his eyes landed on something he hadn’t expected.
He couldn’t inspect the document quick enough once he realized what he found. It was possible that the name was the same and simply mirrored his, but…
Mother’s name: Simone Reed
Father’s name: James Reed
Not a fucking coincidence, he thought.
Death: Zero hours and thirty eight minutes
According to vital records, Carter Reed died thirty-eight minutes after his birth, but he was alive and well. He carried the perfect blend of both his parents, so he was undoubtedly their child. Yet another thing that didn’t make sense and the only explanation was they were hiding him. His parents didn’t want anyone to know of his existence.
The birth certificate he claimed was a fraud. His name, his parents’ names, all false information.
Before Carter could dive too deeply into thoughts about what he discovered, the phone sitting on the side table next to him vibrated with a notification. Three things were listed: a name, an address, and a dollar amount of fifty thousand dollars. After memorizing the pertinent details, he cleared the message and another followed. One word, priority.
Kohen had sent him a contract, one he wanted handled as soon as possible. As much as he hated leaving McKenna, Carter was grateful for the distraction. Had he not received the text from Kohen, he would have pulled up his personal account to see if he had any requests. His jobs were acquired on the dark web, untraceable and sent to a personal account only Carter had access to. He would pick and choose based on what he felt. Money had never been a deciding factor so Carter was always selective.
He was also the best so potential clients would wait, if and when necessary, with the hopes that Carter would accept the offer. When he didn’t, they moved on. Sometimes with less skilled guns but that wasn’t Carter’s concern. He didn’t give a damn.
Clearing and erasing his search with a program that would leave no traces behind, Carter closed his laptop and headed onto the balcony, leaning into the framing of the door while McKenna finished her call. She expedited that process once she noticed the unreadable look on his face.
“Drea, I have to go but we can do lunch soon. Maybe in a few days.” She smiled brightly. “Girl yes, I promise. Miss you too and I will. Bye.”
Before Carter could open his mouth, McKenna was frowning. “What’s wrong?”
“Why do you always assume something’s wrong?” he asserted.
“Because your face always looks like that.”
He smirked and pushed away from the framing, closing the space between them. When he reached McKenna, he pressed a kiss to her temple. “You don’t like my face, Kenni?”
“I love your face.” She smiled. “I don’t like when it looks like that. So what’s wrong?”
“I have to go out for a while.”
“Work?”
He nodded, sensing her unease. “I shouldn’t be long though. Just research tonight.”
