Club Scars (22 page)

Kat couldn’t smother a snicker of amusement as her father’s goon shot her a hard look.

“The kid might not know how determined your father can be, but you do, Katrina. Think about your mother. At this age, Camden wouldn’t even remember you.”

A cold hand closed around her heart at the words and Kat fought to draw a breath. Her hand shook as she tucked hair behind her ear and forced words past her lips.

“You tell my father he can go to hell. He’ll never touch Cam. I’ve made sure of that legally, he will never touch my son no matter what happens to me,” she said, fear and fury making her words tumble over one another.

“You need to leave,” Rhys said, stepping between them.

“Think about it, Katrina. Do the smart thing and call your father.”

Kat flinched as he flicked a business card at her. She stepped back from the small rectangle letting it flutter to the ground. Rubbing her hands up and down the outside of her arms, she tried to fight off the chill that had seeped into her bones at the asshole’s pointed words regarding her mother. The other car pulled away and Rhys leaned down to pick up the card.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah ,” she murmured, trying to pull it together.

Rhys’ hands covered hers trying to rub some warmth into her. He pulled her into a hug when shudders continued to wrack her body.

“Did he hurt you?”

Kat shook her head. She clenched her jaw trying to stop the violent chatter of her teeth.

“Do you want me to call Crux?”

“N-no. I’m fine. I-I…will you just take a look at the Navigator and make sure he didn’t mess with it?”

“Where’s Cam?”

“He’s with your mom. If you could just make sure it’s safe to drive.  I need to get back to their house and help with dinner,” Kat said, pulling away from the worried young man.

“Let me pay my insurance and then I’ll drive you over there. Mox and I will bring the Lincoln over later.”

“I’m
fine
,” she said sharply and then softened. “I’m sorry. Just…please.”

“Okay,” he said reluctantly. Reaching into his Mustang he pulled out an envelope and handed it to her. “Would you mind running that in there while I look the Lincoln over?”

Kat nodded and gave his arm a grateful squeeze before heading back into the insurance office.   

Ginny met her at the door, the worry in her hazel eyes confirming that Rhys had called at least his mother, if not Crux too. Kat rolled her eyes.

“I’m fine,” she promised, brushing by and dropping her purse so she could sweep Cam up for a cuddle. Pressing her lips to the top of his head, she breathed in his warm scent and closed her eyes. “I missed you, little man.”

“What happened?” Gin demanded.

“My father’s flunky made another appearance. John Merrick isn’t used to being ignored.”

Ginny followed her into the kitchen. Frustration stamped her beautiful features as she turned Kat by the shoulder.

“You know that isn’t going to cut it. Spill!”

Looking at the fist on her friend’s hip, Kat sighed. Gin wasn’t going to drop it.  “He just let me know that my father is
disappointed
that he hasn’t heard from me and dropped a few threats. It seems I must be mentally unstable not to want anything to do with him. And here all these years I would’ve said the opposite.”

“What kind of threats?”

Kat closed her eyes at the menacing growl of her husband’s voice. How in the hell had he snuck up on her? His hands landed heavy on her shoulders and Kat leaned back into his hold.

“He asked if I needed another vacation at Oakwood,” she said tiredly. “Then he reminded me that there are others that could be hurt if I don’t come to heel. It was his normal heavy-handed bullshit. Nothing new.”

“Was he specific in who else might get hurt?”

The forced civility in Crux’s voice was more frightening than his bellow. She pressed back against him and one at a time his hands fell from her shoulders and his arms wrapped around her.

“He said that Ginny should be careful playing with guns; that it was a good way to get hurt,” she whispered. “And when that pissed me off, he said something about people doing things for their loved ones that they wouldn’t necessarily do for themselves.”

“Where was Cam?”

“Here with Gin.”

She shivered as his lips brushed her ear. His voice was low, seductive but commanding.

“What aren’t you telling me?”

“He said my father won’t give up, and that I should remember what happened to my mother,” she said swallowing hard against the lump that threatened her airway. “And that at this age, Cam won’t even remember me.”  

Crux’s arms tightened around her and for a moment she couldn’t breathe. Cam squirmed in her arms, perhaps sensing her panic.

“Nothing is going to happen to you.”

Kat nodded, unable to even force agreement past her lips. She jumped when the door opened. Zeke looked around the room before returning his hard gaze to Ginny.

“What happened?”

“Merrick’s goon, or P.I., whatever you want to call him, showed up in the parking lot outside the insurance office today and threatened Kat,” Gin said, fist still on her hip. Her chin tilted aggressively and Kat swore she could hear her best friend’s silent demand that Zeke
do something
.

“He threatened Ginny specifically,” Crux said.

Zeke didn’t say anything but Kat noted the way the muscle in the big man’s jaw clenched. He rubbed his fingers over the close cut of his steel-grey goatee.

“I found out some more information about our P.I. friend from a Fed connection today. When he left the military Daniel Carson gained quite the reputation as a mercenary in Iraq, doing personal security and private contract work. He’s one of those guys that has a code all of his own, but it’s open for debate on how far he’ll bend those beliefs if the cash is right.”

“So he’s only wanted to talk to this point, but he’s dangerous,” Crux said, his voice tight with worry and anger.

“Yeah, with his skill set if he’d wanted to hurt or snatch Kat, it would’ve been done by now,” Zeke agreed.

“Son-of-a-bitch!” Crux roared, swinging away from Kat to grip his hair with both hands. He paced the kitchen, his movements jerky and agitated. He stopped and stared out the window over the sink, hands braced on the counter. “I should’ve killed your fucking father years ago.”

Kat sighed and wordlessly handed Cam off to Ginny. Stepping up behind Crux, she wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed her cheek between his shoulder blades.

“It’s going to be okay, baby,” she whispered.

“That’s supposed to be my line,” Crux grumbled, turning from the window to pull Kat close again and burrow his nose in her hair.

“We’ll get through this, brother,” Zeke said.

Crux nodded. There was an awkward moment of silence as everyone wrestled with their own thoughts. Cam broke the spell with a pissed off wail.

“My thoughts exactly, little man,” Zeke said and gave Gin’s ass a groping swat. “Where’s my dinner, woman?”

“I was waiting for everyone to get here before I put the bread in,” Ginny said with an eye roll, and pressed Cam into her husband’s arms. “Make yourself useful and dinner will be on the table in fifteen.”

Zeke turned the baby carefully, draping Cam up on his broad shoulder. His movements were rusty, but confident as he soothed the cranky infant. “Hey, little man. It’s okay.”

Zeke’s huge paw spanned most of Cam’s back and bottom as he patted gently. Kat couldn’t help but smile. Their burly prez didn’t show his soft side often. On impulse she grabbed up Gin’s phone and snapped a couple of pictures. Zeke caught her on the second one and gave a lazy grin.

“Collecting blackmail material?”

“It will be a good shot to break out when he patches into the Lords of Mayhem someday.”

Zeke’s grin widened at her confession and he stroked the back of Cam’s head. “Between my boys and Cam, the Lords will be in good hands. For years I thought I was going to have to do it by myself. The rest of the club should kick it in gear.”

“The way the girls have been gushing over Cam, some of the guys should be counting birth control pills,” Crux said with a chuckle.

Kat worried her bottom lip as she tried to help Ginny with last minute preparations. She felt guilty piling extra work on Gin. Tension still hovered in the room and the men’s banter sounded a little forced. Despite his reassurances, Zeke seemed as concerned as Crux. Her father’s return was a fresh pall over their MC family. She really needed to ask who had broken a mirror or disturbed the mummy’s tomb.  Sighing, she traced the lines in the granite countertop. Whatever the reason, the family had rolled from one crisis to the next over the past year.  The fact that they were all still standing was both a testament to the way they stuck together and some good old-fashioned luck.

Giving in to the ache of her breasts and Cam’s hungry whimpers, she fished a receiving blanket out of the diaper bag. She tossed the shield over her arm and reached to retrieve her son, offering a smile of thanks as she eased Cam off the big man’s shoulder. Cam nuzzled against her boob immediately, his impatience making her smile. Cradling him close, Kat slipped into the quiet living room as she unbuttoned her shirt. His lips parted eagerly at the first touch of the nipple.

The heat from the Brawer’s gas fireplace felt good, easing some of the chill the day’s events had left behind. Nudging a large ottoman closer to the flickering flames, Kat settled down with a sigh. After today she would be lucky if she were allowed to leave the house. Crux was about to go into uber protective mode and who could blame him? She hadn’t proved to be real adept at staying out of trouble.

What was her father’s end game? He’d professed a desire for an heir, but had he really thought they’d just hand Cam over to be raised by him? Wolves would be a better option. She knew he was used to his money buying anything, but he was the one headed for a loony bin if that had been his plan. Her father was many things but stupid wasn’t one of them.

Lifting Cam onto her shoulder, she patted his back and bottom trying to look at the options. Even if her father could somehow get her committed again, Crux would be there. Was he hoping that her being locked up would goad Crux into doing something stupid? Even that was moot now with the will drawn up and provisions made for Cam’s guardianship. Where did that leave John Merrick? She didn’t have an answer for that and it scared her.

She nuzzled the side of Cam’s head. It was crazy how fast he had become the most important thing in her world. She loved Tommy beyond reason, but he was a man that could take care of himself. This tiny being needed her, was counting on her. She wanted to give Cam the kind of stable, loving upbringing that both she and Crux had been denied.  She feared they weren’t off to the most promising start.  It was said that troubles came in threes. Gin and Zeke had dealt with Kramer, and fought through the rest of the skeletons in their past. The club had stood strong against the sadistic mobster, Rocco Soriano. Now Mox and Eva were engaged to be married. Her father was the club’s third trial in a year. All she could do was pray that if they made it through this, they would be allowed the coveted happily-ever-after. She wasn’t the most religious of people, but she hoped God was listening.

Sixteen

The smell of cleaning supplies, paint, and varnish mingled heavily in the air. After the expected wait and bullshit, the insurance company had finally paid to have the structural damage professionally repaired. In an effort to put a little money in their pocket for fixing the truck, they had opted to do most of the cleanup and cosmetics themselves. Her sisters had been a godsend. Knowing her bent toward compulsiveness, they’d all pitched in to help scrub, polish and paint. The house gleamed from the crown molding to the scarred hardwood floors. Stepping down off the step-stool, Kat rolled her shoulders and surveyed the kitchen. With the new red stoneware washed and put away, everything but restocking the pantry was done. That would have to wait for Crux to get home.

Closing the dishwasher she ran her fingers over the shiny façade. With a little destruction and deception her wily old man had even managed to get that replaced. Popping her cold cappuccino in the microwave, Kat leaned against the counter and took a deep breath. As much as she loved Gin, it had been a long couple of weeks and it was good to be back in her own house again. She hoped once all the things were back in place the sense of home and sanctuary would return. The steel security door that had replaced the damaged back door was a taunting reminder of the violation. While she couldn’t argue the practicality, some small part of her missed the charm of the old wood door, not to mention the cheery window.