Club Scars (15 page)

“Stop ogling my hubby.”

Ginny laughed and stroked the back of her finger over Cam’s chubby cheek. “Lean, sinister, devilishly sexy, sure, but cute isn’t a word I normally associate with Crux.”

“And here he thinks you don’t love him,” Kat said with a teasing grin.

“Crux knows he’s a sexy beast, but you know how sensitive Zeke is about his mug and how jealous he can be. I can’t be drooling over his club brothers.”

Kat shoved off the window frame with a laugh and wandered over to check on dinner. She’d been surprised when Crux had called her back to suggest she invite Gin and Zeke over for dinner. Now she knew why. There had been a method to his madness. She peeked in the oven. Shepherd’s Pie wouldn’t have been her first choice to serve company, but Gin and Zeke were family. With a fresh salad and rolls it would work.

“What did you bring for desert?” she asked Gin, already reaching for the box from The Lantern.

“We had the mixed berry cobbler that Crux likes today. I tucked a half gallon of ice cream in your freezer when you were changing the little man.”

“Mmm, smells delicious. I hope Zeke doesn’t mind working for his supper.”

“You know he’d do anything for a brother and it’s so seldom that Crux will ask for his help. He’s just glad when Crux doesn’t lump him with the rest of law enforcement.” Ginny said with a dismissive wave.

“He respects Zeke as more than a brother. I’m telling you, my old man is seriously pissed off. I actually hope this had to do with my father because Crux will kill that college punk.”

“First his tatas and then his truck; I think that would skip straight to strike three for junior,” Ginny said with grimace.

“Don’t encourage him. I don’t want to raise that kid by myself.”

The back door opened, interrupting the girl’s laughter. Ginny turned her back to the door, sheltering Cam from the cold. She jumped when Zeke came up behind her and cupped her breasts to warm his hands.

“Heathen!” she hissed. “I’m holding a baby here.”

“I see that. I’m sure Cam won’t mind if I use them since he isn’t,” Zeke said with a chuckle and nuzzled the side of her neck.

She shivered, hunching her shoulders at the press of his cold nose. “Beast,” she muttered, but couldn’t contain a smile as his teasing turned to kisses along her nape and behind her ear.

“I’d be careful, brother. Our queen looks pretty comfortable holding that little one. She’ll be getting all broody on you,” Crux said with a big grin.

“I gave her three. That’s all she’s getting.”

“You never did give me my little girl,” Ginny reminded him.

“I gave you Rhys; the pretty one’s as close as you’re getting, woman.”

They all laughed at the comfortable old joke and Ginny passed Cam off to Crux so she could help set the table.

“Anything?” she asked Zeke.

“A scrape on the concrete pad where they pulled the container out and a few drips, probably from the funnel. The ground is too hard right now to give up any footprints. Nothing worth filing a police report on and he just has liability on the thing so insurance won’t help him out regardless.”

“We appreciate you taking a look,” Kat said.

“Anything for a brother. I wish I could do more. Seems I’m saying that a lot lately,” he said with an apologetic roll of his shoulder.

“Yeah, well we knew going in that the law side of things wasn’t going to be real helpful when it comes to the Merricks,” Crux said bitterly.

Kat gave Crux a reproachful look but closed her mouth when Zeke waved her off.

“We talked about this the other night and I agree with Crux. This is a case where the upper ranks are going to close and shield the piece of shit because his brother is our esteemed governor. It doesn’t matter what is right or wrong, they’re only looking at the politics. They aren’t going to want a whiff of scandal surrounding the family with next year being an election year.”

“As black and white as the law is about most things you’d think they’d be above this shit, but it’s everywhere,” Ginny said with a sigh.

“As long as there are palms that can be greased and appointed positions, politics are going to play a role. It’s why you’ll never see my ass any further up the ladder. I don’t play by their rules,” Zeke said with a shake of his head. “If there is one thing I learned in the Marines it’s that rules are a nice frame but sometimes you have to think outside the box if you want to survive.”  

“Enough talk about politics. Let’s sit down and eat while Cam lets us,” Kat said, waving them toward the table and reaching for her son.

“I’ve got him,” Crux said, and stepped through to the living room to ease the baby into his portable crib.

A wide yawn split Crux’s face as he wandered back into the kitchen in search of his wife. He frowned watching her take dirty dishes out of the dishwasher. She caught his eye.

“Gin was trying to help. She loaded the dishwasher. I didn’t want to tell her that it’s not working. You know how she is.”

He sighed, nodding as he moved around the island to help. Their queen meant well, but she was a fixer. There would’ve been a repair man or a replacement on their doorstep the next day.

“Sorry, baby. I’ll get on it.”

“Worry about the truck. I can hand wash dishes,” Kat said, thrashing her hand through the water to create suds.

His neck cracked as he rolled it. Leaning against the counter he scrubbed at his face. “I’ll figure it out.”

“Another couple of weeks and I’ll be picking my shifts back up at The Lantern. It can wait.”

“You don’t have to go back to work,” he growled. “I can handle it.”

“I don’t think I could handle being home all day. It makes me stir crazy and I miss my friends. I want to go back to work.”

“What about Cam?”

“For now, he can go with me. Gin made the lounge baby friendly.”

“And what happens when he gets a little older and is into everything? That’s not safe.”

“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”

Her dismissive attitude was pissing him off. “You don’t have to do this. I might not be John Merrick, but I can support my damn family,” he ground out.      

Kat’s hand slammed down on the faucet shutting off the water. She turned slowly to look at him. Her eyes gleamed a brilliant shamrock to match his own, making her ire clear.

“After all these years you still think money matters to me?” she asked, her voice shaking with the emotions that flitted across her beautiful face. “I would live under a fucking bridge before I went back to that bastard. Don’t you dare throw his money in my face because things are a little tight around here. We’ve been through worse and made it. We’ll always make it.” Her voice broke. Dropping her eyes, her shoulders heaved as she fought a sob. Slapping the sopping wash cloth into his chest she whispered, “Fuck you, Tommy.”

He watched her flee the room, her hand clamped over her mouth as her shoulders shook. He closed his eyes as she disappeared up the stairs. The bedroom door slammed and Cam gave a startled wail. Crux tossed the dish rag in the sink and headed for living room, stripping off his wet t-shirt. His son’s cry became more adamant, no doubt as unhappy with the tension in the house as he was. Scooping the little guy up, he swayed on his feet, rumbling a soothing hum in his ear.

Cam snuffled against his neck, his tears warm. Crux’s heart twinged at the thought of Kat’s tears now soaking a pillow instead of his chest. Why the fuck had he said that? As broke ass as they’d been at times, Kat had not once whined about money. His old lady was tough and resourceful. They paid the bills and she made do with what was left over. She handled money, and the lack of it, better than he did.

He sighed, kicking himself for lashing out while he was tired. Knowing Kat, he was going to pay for that moment of stupidity. Tears or not, she wasn’t up there feeling sorry for herself. He grimaced. She was likely plotting her revenge and he had it coming. She was right. They’d get through this bullshit like everything else. Rubbing his hand over the back of his neck, he cast a look skyward, not sure if he was asking for strength from God or the woman upstairs.

Eleven

 Shrugging the diaper bag higher on her shoulder, Kat hooked the baby carrier in the crook of her elbow and tried to nudge the Lincoln’s door closed. She sighed when it didn’t shut all the way and resorted to shoving it the rest of the way with her foot. The boot print glared accusingly at her in the road salt that coated the bottom of the posh SUV. Rolling her eyes she added the car wash to her mental to-do list. Slinging her purse over the other shoulder, she started for the backdoor. Her heart sank as she heard the distinct jingle of her car keys hit the ground. Dropping her chin to her chest, she shook her head in frustration. She was never going to get the hang of motherhood. How the hell did everyone else make it look so easy?

Letting the carrier slide down her forearm, she caught the handle and lowered it to the ground as she searched the gravel for her keys. A heavy sigh left her lips as she flung the sliding diaper bag to her back muttering, “Give me a fucking break!”

“Let me help.”

A well-dressed man squatted beside her and picked up the elusive keys. Kat scrambled to her feet, hand reaching back to find the carrier’s handle. Heart pounding, her eyes narrowed on the stranger. He was around Crux’s size, but older, his high and tight haircut a distinguished silver. He had the same air of authority as Zeke. She licked her lips, easing toward The Lantern’s back door. A cop, she guessed, or maybe the private investigator?  

“It’s okay, Katrina. I just want to talk.”

“I have nothing to say to you,” she said, the words sounding weak as she swallowed against her suddenly parched throat. The sunlight glinted off the metallic emerald cover on her house key in his outstretched hand. “Give me my fucking keys.”

He stopped, the keys taunting her from the palm of his hand. Shaking her head, she stole a look behind her to gauge the distance to the door and buzzer.

“Things don’t have to be like this, Katrina,” he said smoothly.

“Stop calling me that and toss me my fucking keys,” she snarled, backing up another couple of steps.

“There’s no reason to be hostile.  Do you prefer Kat?”

“I’d prefer you toss me my keys and disappear.”

“I understand you have had your differences with your father, but as a new mother you have to understand that a parent’s love never dies. Your father loves you and just wants what is best for you and his grandson. He wants to talk to you and make things right.”

Kat couldn’t hold back a snort of disbelief. The carrier finally bumped against the building. Settling it behind the shield of her legs, she stretched for the button, holding it down in hopes it would express the urgency to her friends. She picked Cam back up and moved to the other side of the door so they could push in as soon as it opened.

“I have a check for you. No strings attached. Mr. Merrick knows that times are tough and just wants to make sure his grandchild is well taken care of. I saw you struggling. You should have help, a nanny.”

“Screw you. There is no such thing as
no strings attached
where my father is concerned.”

“A lot of things can change in fifteen plus years, Katrina. Think about how you feel about Camden. Is there anything he could do that would make you stop loving him?”

“If you had any idea what that sick fuck you work for is capable of you wouldn’t be standing here having this discussion with me.”

The door opened and her eyes barely met Gin’s as she backed through the opening, keeping Cam behind her. The sawed-off shotgun in Ginny’s hands was comforting.

“All he wants is a relationship with you and Camden. I’m going to leave the check here with your keys. His phone number is on it. Call him, Katrina. You won’t be sorry,” the man said sincerely. Squatting down, he placed the envelope on the ground with the keys on top and backed away.

Neither woman moved until he got in his car and pulled away. Kat slumped against the hallway wall.

“Sweet Jesus,” she breathed.

Ginny scanned the parking lot and eased out the back door. She kept the shotgun ready, but walked quickly to the keys. Snatching them up with the envelope, she backed to the door and pulled it closed in her wake. She leaned next to Kat and took a deep breath.