Club Scars (33 page)

“That was stupid, Connor.”

John’s head whipped around at the cool voice. All emotion had fled Kassandra’s face and the 9 millimeter in her hand was trained steadily on him.

“Just so you don’t try anything as stupid as your brother, you might want to know that I took the bullets out of the .38,” she said with a smile. “You really are a creature of habit aren’t you? Same maid, same hiding place for your gun, even the combination for the safe is the same.”

Shaking his head against the ringing in his ears, John’s gaze flickered down at his gun. He couldn’t tell in this lighting. Was she bluffing? “Why now?” he asked, his voice coming out in a croak.

“You have something that I want.”

“How much?”

“Think about it. If I just wanted money I’ve been in the safe already. Why would I still be here?”

“If it’s not money you want, then what?” John asked, a bubbling gasp from Connor drawing his attention for a moment.

“I want my grandson.”

Head whipping up again, John frowned. “You walked out on Katrina when she was twelve. Did you develop some maternal instincts since then, or do you think this is your second chance?” he sneered.

“Not for me, for Katrina,” she snapped. “We’ve put her through enough hell. She has found happiness and she deserves a chance at a family without us ripping it apart again.”

“What do you know about it?”

“You’re not the only one that has kept an eye on her, John.”

“So why not contact her? Your daughter thinks you’re a saint. She’d welcome you back with open arms and you could compare notes about what a monster I am. Oh, wait, there is that whole walking out and leaving her thing. It might be a different story when she doesn’t have me to blame for your disappearance.”

“You’re awfully smug for someone on the wrong end of a gun,” Kassandra said with a strained smiled.

Connor coughed and reached for John’s arm.

“Your brother seems to see a bit more urgency in this situation than you do. Why don’t you tell me where my grandson is and we can wait another twenty-two years for a reunion.”

“He’s not here.”

The gun roared again sending fire through his shoulder. The .38 fell from his numb hand. He clutched at the wound, blood pumping through his fingers.

“Are you fucking crazy?” he asked incredulously.  

“Do you really have to ask that?”

“You shot me!”

“You’re a genius. Now where is my grandson, and I suggest you don’t repeat the obvious that he’s not here.”  

“He’s somewhere safe,” John said, mind racing. How the hell was he going to get out of this? Taking his chances with the FBI sounded good compared to dealing with his crazy wife. “Jesus!” he screamed as she calmly put another bullet in Connor. He stared at her in disbelief. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”

“I have very little patience left, John. I’m not messing around. Do you have any idea what Katrina is going through right now? I know what it’s like to sit helpless and wonder if my child is safe,” she said and then shook her head. “It’s even worse when you know your baby is in the hands of a monster.”

The semi-automatic pistol shook in her hand and he held his breath. Her fingers were white around the grip. The hatred in her eyes burned into him and he thought at that moment that he was a dead man.

“Where is he, John?” she asked, her voice a silky whisper but a manic gleam shone from her beautiful jade eyes.

“I knew they would search the house so I left him with a doctor friend. Our grandson is safe, Kassandra. You know how badly I wanted a son,” he said turning his free palm up in supplication. “I have the money to give Camden a life that the pauper Katrina married can’t even imagine. We can give him the world, Kassandra.”

“We?” she asked with an incredulous laugh. “John, there hasn’t been a
we
in a very long time,” she held her hand up when he opened his mouth to plead his case. “I’m not here to reconcile or rehash the past. If I’d been half as strong as our daughter is I would’ve ended this twenty-two years ago, but I’m not. I couldn’t do it for me and I hate myself that I didn’t do it for Katrina. That child that you’re holding has nothing to do with us, John. He is innocent. Let him grow up in an environment of love and real family. Don’t drag him into the Merrick’s world of lies, hate, secrets and pain.”

“Camden is a Merrick. He deserves the kind of life that we can give him. He’ll want for nothing. You want to talk about innocent? Katrina made her choice to walk away and live in squalor. Our grandson didn’t choose that.”

“What you call squalor is a warm and loving blue collar home, John, and I would rather live under a bridge than come back to your golden cage. I’ve no doubt that Katrina feels the same way. Now, I’m done discussing this. You’re going to take me to my grandson.”

“Connor needs medical help.”

“Your sadistic brother needs more help than a doctor can give him. I hope he enjoys hell,” Kassandra said dispassionately. “Move.” 

“We can’t just leave him. At least call an ambulance after we get out of here,” John said, looking at his brother. There was so much blood and yet Connor still looked so calm. Did the fucker not realize he was dying? “NO!” John yelled, jumping forward as Kassandra calmly put two bullets in Connor’s head. He staggered back as she swung the gun back to him.

“There. No more hold up. In case you’re counting, that’s five now. I have ten remaining. Keep pissing with me,” she said dryly.

At a prompting wave of the semi-automatic, he stumbled to the door, glancing back at Connor and then Kassandra. Steely determination etched her beautiful face. He wet his lips nervously as he led her through the house to the garage. This wasn’t the woman that he’d married or even the one that had fled twenty-two years ago. What had happened in those years to turn his submissive wife into a killer?

“You’re going to drive. Unless you want to end up like your brother, don’t do anything stupid,” she said as they got into the car.   

He took a deep breath as the garage door opened behind them. His brain raced, trying to figure a way out of this mess. He almost laughed out loud. Connor was dead. There was no way to cover that up. Rolling down the drive he considered his immediate options. It was risky, but he could drive straight into the huge trees across the road and hope to overpower her for the gun. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye and decided to bide his time. There was still hope Kassandra would make a mistake. That meek woman he had known was in there somewhere.

Twenty-Four

Kat burrowed her nose into the soft folds of fleece and breathed deep. A hint of Cam’s baby sweet scent still clung to the blanket and kept her clinging to hope. She jumped as the front door flew open, banging against the wall.

“Get your fucking hands off me,” Reaper snarled, shoving one of their FBI friends. “I’m his brother you badge toting cocksucker!”

“Whoa, whoa!” Crux yelled, leaping up to referee the scuffle on the porch. “He’s okay,” he said, putting a stilling hand on the Fed’s chest and shoving Reaper into the house. “He’s a brother. Back off.”

Grabbing Crux’s shoulder, Reaper yanked him into the house and slammed the door, but not before offering the glowering agent a one-fingered salute.

“You guys aren’t going to fucking believe this,” he said, dragging Crux into the living room.

He looked around and then motioned them both into the kitchen. Ginny looked up from washing coffee cups and he waved her over.

“You guys are not going to fucking believe this shit,” he repeated in a hushed tone, his eyes wild. His hands shook as he hastily lit a cigarette. “The fucker and his brother, the governor, were in his office there at home. I found a good spot where I thought I could take the shot. I’m looking at them through the scope and this woman walks in on them with a fucking gun.”

Kat hit him in the chest with both hands, knocking him back a step. “He might be the only person who knows where Cam is! What is wrong with you!” she screamed.

Crux wrapped her up, pinning her arms to her sides as Reaper spread his hands wide in innocence.

“Stop! He knows that,” Crux snapped. “He was just doing surveillance for now.” Kat slumped in his arms and he looked back at Reaper. “What the fuck
is
wrong with you? They didn’t need to know about this.”

“You’re going to want to hear this. The bitch shot both of them.”

“Jesus,” Ginny breathed.

“They’re dead?” Kat asked, fear and hope warring in her.

“She shot the governor at least once in the chest and twice in the fucking head. We’re not going to have to worry about an incumbent this election. There was another shot but I don’t know where that one went. Your father took one in the shoulder and then they both disappeared from view. A car pulled out of the garage and left. I’m pretty sure there were two people in it, but I couldn’t see who. By the time I got out of the woods it was too late to follow them.”

“Who was this bitch?” Crux demanded.

“I didn’t recognize her. It’s a damn big window that looks over the backyard, but she stayed off to the side most of the time, out of my sightline. I caught glimpses of her in a mirror on the opposite wall.”

“How the hell do we tell the Feds what you saw without telling them you were there, in a tree, with a gun?” Ginny demanded.

Kat closed her eyes and thumped her head against Crux’s chest. “What the hell is my family involved in now? On any other day I’d be celebrating the monster’s death, but right now I have to ask myself if it has anything to do with Cam.”

“We’ll find him,” Crux promised, his hands sliding up to massage her neck and shoulders.

“The cops were converging on the house with lights and sirens when I was getting the hell out of Dodge. I’m sure your Fed buddies will be getting a call soon,” Reaper said, running his hand over the wild tangles of his curls. He was still all pumped up.  

“You were careful?” Kat asked. She reached out to squeeze his forearm when he looked at her in surprise. “Lee would never forgive me if you got jammed up because of us.”

“No worries, little mama,” he said with a confident grin and a wink.

A knock at the back door interrupted the conversation and Crux went to see who it was. A box with bags from The Lantern peeking out the top earned Lee immediate entrance. Crux took the box from her and she pressed into Reaper’s arms. Kat felt a twinge of guilt watching the reunion. Crux’s brothers were doing all they could to help find Camden. Their women were keeping the home fires burning and trying to keep everything going, but that didn’t mean it was easy. They were missing their men.

The kiss Reaper gave Lee left no doubt that he’d missed her as well. She couldn’t help a little smile watching their volatile brother fondle his woman’s ass and nuzzle her ear drawing a naughty giggle from Lee. The soft spoken young woman brought out a side of Reaper she never would’ve imagined existed. It was something to watch. Kat started as an arm went around her.

“Are you okay?” Crux murmured in her ear.

She shook her head. “No,” she whispered. “I won’t be okay until our boy is home and my father joins my uncle in hell.”

“It’ll happen, babe. Whatever it takes.”

“Who is this woman? Do you think this has to do with Cam?”

“I honestly don’t know what to think. I’m sure your father and uncle have made a lot of enemies in their lifetime and it doesn’t surprise me that one of them is a woman.”

“Maybe we should tell Hunter what Reap saw,” she said, biting her lip in uncertainty. “I mean, obviously we don’t tell him how we know or who, but—”

Crux pressed his lips together as he mulled her words over. She could see the indecision. It was a testament to how worried he was about Cam when he nodded. He turned to Reaper.

“I’ve got to tell Hunter about this mystery woman. If there is any chance this could have something to do with Cam—” he said, his look willing his brother to understand.

“I get it. It’s cool. Just tell the Feds it was bird watchers or the neighborhood watch,” Reaper said with a grin.

The comment drew smiles, a few laughs and shaking heads. Ginny gave him a hug.

“We love you, Reap baby.”

Crux clasped his shoulder in thanks and pulled out his phone. Dialing Agent Hunter, he put it on speaker and laid it on the table in front of him. Everyone gathered close.