Club Scars (21 page)

“I’ve got him,” Kat said sharply, swinging the carrier out of reach. She grimaced as Reaper held his hands up in acceptance. “Sorry. I’m tired. I didn’t mean to be a bitch.”

Crux relaxed and raised an eyebrow as his normally volatile brother wrapped an arm around Kat’s shoulders and pulled her close, planting a kiss against the side of her head.

“No problem, little mama. Come on.” 

The way Kat leaned against him as they walked out to the car was a testament to how wiped out she was. The stress was taking a toll.

Fifteen

Fear stole Kat’s breath as her eyes flew open. It took a moment to recognize her surroundings. She was safe at Gin and Zeke’s. Flopping back on the pillow, she tried to slow her pounding heart. Ghosts of the nightmare that had haunted her sleep stayed with her into consciousness. She shuddered and pulled the comforter closer around her. Her hand slid over to touch the empty spot beside her, missing her man’s warmth and strength.

The light peeking through the wood blinds told her that it was late. Crux was at work already. Slipping from bed, she dug a pair of fleece pajama pants out of her bag. She’d loved her comfy clothes before pregnancy, but they’d practically become a uniform since. Glancing in the mirror, she finger combed her hair and shrugged, calling it good. It was just Gin. Zeke would be at work. Turning to the portable crib she froze. It was empty.

Spinning, she brushed against the foot of the bed in her haste and stumbled. Catching herself on the door, she yanked it open and rushed down the dark hall. Light flickered from the living room. Kat’s shoulders slumped in relief as she rounded the corner. Ginny was sitting in front of the gas fireplace with Cam cradled in her arms. Her voice was soft enough that Kat couldn’t make out the words, but the contented smile on their queen’s face tugged at her heart strings. Leaning against the door jamb she took a deep breath before she tried her voice.

“Good morning.”

Ginny looked up with a smile and lifted Cam’s head higher, tilting him toward Kat. “Ut oh, Mommy’s awake. Now we have to behave,” she said with a laugh.  

Kat shot her an incredulous look. “You, behave, since when?”

“There’s a fresh pot of coffee brewing and breakfast burritos that can be reheated,” Ginny said, grinning at the comment and rocking to her feet. She laughed when her joints audibly snapped as she straightened.

“Are you going to make it, Auntie Gin?” Kat teased.

“Hush, smart ass. You don’t sound any better when you’ve been sitting on the floor.”

Kat grinned at her friend as Gin brushed past, bumping her shoulder.

“Someone should’ve woken my lazy ass up,” she said, following Ginny into the kitchen to pour a cup of coffee.

“And miss my opportunity for snuggle time with Cam? I don’t think so,” Ginny said, handing her the creamer. “Besides, you obviously needed the sleep.”

Sliding onto a stool at the bar, Kat watched Gin move around the kitchen warming and doctoring the breakfast burritos with one hand. She made it look effortless. Would motherhood ever come that naturally to her? She smiled around the rim of her coffee mug when Ginny slid the steaming plate in front of her.

“How do you do it?”

“Do what?” Ginny asked, coming back to the bar with a coffee of her own.

“Make it look so easy,” Kat murmured around a bite.

“Experience. You’ll get there.”

“I wish I was as sure as you are.”

“Trust me, little sis, it just takes time. You’re already a fabulous mother. You just need to cut yourself some slack. No one’s perfect.”

“You are,” Kat said honestly.

Gin gave a bark of laughter that startled Cam. She bounced the startled boy lightly in the crook of her arm as she cooed to him. “Shhh…It’s okay, little man. Your mama is just being silly.” She looked up at Kat with a shake of her head and a self-deprecating twist of her lips. “I’m far from perfect and you know that. You’ve been around for some of my finer moments.”

“I think the boys would agree with me.”

“You should share whatever you’re on,” Ginny said with a wry smile. “I love my boys more than anything. I would do anything for them and I know they feel the same way. It’s a special relationship between mother and son. Don’t try to be perfect, Kat. Just love him. And for God’s sake don’t try to be something you aren’t. Cam doesn’t need a preppy soccer mom, organic baby food and planned play dates. He just needs a ferocious mama that loves him. It’s the same as being an old lady. There are always going to be younger, hotter bitches out there, but I’m the best fit for Zeke.” 

“How did you get to be so wise?”

“With age and experience comes wisdom and treachery,” Ginny said with a smile.

“Yeah, because you’re so old,” Kat said, rolling her eyes.

“Maybe not, but I’ve lived a lot of life,” Gin said with a slight shrug.

“Well thank you for sharing your wisdom, and for last night.”

Gin waved her hand in dismissal. “You’re always welcome. You know that.”

“I know. I just would’ve thought the big man would at least warn you he was bringing refugees home.”

“I wish we still lived in a time when I could say the door is always unlocked,” Ginny said, her smile a little pensive. “But family is always welcome and Zeke knows that. Besides, it keeps my guestrooms fresh.”

“We’ll sleep in a different one tonight so you can wash all the bedding,” Kat said with a laugh and ducked away from Gin’s swat. She scraped her fork over the plate and licked the leftover guacamole off the tines with a sigh. “I guess I should quit procrastinating and call the insurance company to find out what I need to do.”

“I’ve got the little guy. Use the phone in Zeke’s office if you want. Find out when the agent or an adjuster can look at it and when we can go in and get it cleaned up.”

“Aren’t you tired of cleaning my house?”

“What is family for?”

Kat nodded. Their club family was there for the good and bad. Leaning over she planted a kiss on her son’s chubby cheek. “Mommy will be right back, bud. Don’t let Aunt Gin corrupt you,” she whispered. She grinned thinking of the recent discussion at Mox and Eva’s. Ginny arched a questioning eyebrow but Kat shook her head. She’d save that one for later. Maybe she’d share that story while they were cleaning. They’d need a good laugh.

Kat glanced at her watch as she stepped out of the insurance office. Who knew that making a list of everything stolen or damaged could be so draining? She rubbed at the tension in her neck and searched for her car keys as she hurried for the Navigator. It was already five o’clock. The guys would be getting out of work. Ginny had Cam and would be starting dinner preparations soon, if not already. How had insurance bullshit taken all day?

Sighing, she stopped, tilting her purse to the side and digging for her elusive keys. She hoped wine was on the menu for tonight. The doctor had reassured her that in moderation it wouldn’t hurt Cam, and she needed a damn drink. Patting her coat pockets, she finally found her keys. Fishing them out, she slung her purse back over her shoulder and hurried for the vehicle. Rounding the back of the SUV she ran right into a solid chest.

A startled squeak escaped her and she yanked away from the steadying hands. Her father’s sharply dressed investigator made no move to follow, but he blocked her way to the Navigator. Backing away, she thanked God Ginny had convinced her to leave Cam in her care for the afternoon.

“What the fuck do you want?” she snapped.

“I just want to talk, Katrina.”

“You didn’t get the point last time that I have nothing to say to you or the sick fuck you work for?”

“Your father is very disappointed that he hasn’t heard from you.”

“And I’m disappointed he’s still breathing, but there’s always tomorrow,” Kat sneered, backing up another couple of steps.

“You need to set aside the bitterness, Katrina. While your relationship with your father might have been rocky when you were younger, you’re an adult now, a parent yourself, and surely you can see that he only wants what is best for you and his grandson.”

“You don’t know anything about my childhood, or from the sounds of it, my father. John Merrick is an abusive monster. He killed my mother when I was twelve and with her gone, our
relationship
became so much closer. I was such a daddy’s girl that at sixteen I found myself strapped down to a metal table while they aborted his baby because it was another worthless girl. I really don’t think that
rocky
accurately describes our relationship.”

The horror and disgust on the investigator’s face was strangely satisfying. Let him think about the kind of man he was working for.

“Are we done here? I burned the check. He can’t buy me or my son. If he wants to hold his breath until I call him that would be great,” she said, glancing under the Lincoln. How long had he been lurking around her vehicle? She couldn’t see any fluid leaking. What else could he have done to it?

“He’s a persistent man. He’s not going to give up.”

“Maybe I did get something from him. I’m every bit as stubborn as he is. You’re wasting your time.”

“He asked if you would enjoy another stay at Oakwood.”

Kat’s eyes narrowed and she fought to rein in the rage that boiled up in her at the mention of the nut house.

“I’m not the helpless grieving child I was when he shipped me off to the loony bin. I’m not stupid. And I’m not crazy just because I have a backbone.”

“Mr. Merrick asked me to deliver a message to you. As cliché as it is the old adage holds true, Katrina. He said we can do this the easy way, or the hard way. I suggest you think about those that might end up in the crossfire.”

Wetting her lips, Kat fought the volatile combination of fear and hatred that coursed through her veins. She wanted to smack the mock concern off the asshole’s lined mug. She backed up another step instead.

“You also might mention to your employer that playing with guns is a good way to get hurt.”

Fury overrode common sense and Kat surged forward, hitting him with both hands in the chest and shoving the man against the Navigator.

“You mess with her and you’ll be a dead man,” she hissed.   

His knowing smile made her see red.

“What one might not do for themselves becomes a different matter when those they love are in jeopardy.”

Her hands tightened in his shirt at the taunt. Tense moments ticked by as he merely returned her stare. A throaty rumble drew her attention and a familiar car rolled up behind them.

“What’s the problem?”

Kat forced her fingers to unfurl and stepped back as Rhys slid out of the Mustang. Relief made her knees weak. A lanky six-two, the young man wasn’t one of the larger members of the Lords, but still an imposing figure in his greasy work shirt and jeans. He pulled up the sleeves of his thermal undershirt and gave the older man a once over.

“Is this suit bothering you, Kat?”

“He’s here to deliver another message from Daddy Dearest. It seems Ginny’s sawed-off  wasn’t a clear enough dismissal.”

“You need to stop harassing ladies,” Rhys said with a chiding shake of his head. His blue eyes narrowed and he looked surprisingly like Zeke in his resolute ire. “That’s a damn good way to get hurt around here.”

“Don’t let a little chivalry goad you into doing something stupid, son.”

“I’m not your son. Don’t patronize me, old man.”  

The investigator’s gaze stayed on Rhys, but his words were for her.

“Think about what I said, Katrina. You know your father’s not bluffing.” He gestured to Rhys. “And this, like your employer’s ill advised bravado, is the kind of futile posturing that could land your
family
in a world of hurt because of you. Is that what you want?”

“You need to take your hundred dollar words and JC Penney suit and get the fuck out of here,” Rhys said firmly. “Tell Kat’s sick-ass daddy to man up and deliver his own message next time. We’ll show him what we think of abusive scum-fucks around here.”

“You don’t know who you’re dealing with,” the older man said, annoyance coloring his voice for the first time.

“John Merrick, Forbes list fat cat and brother to our slimy governor,” Rhys said, lip curling in a sneer. “You can polish shit all you like and in the end, he’s still a turd.”