Ginny giggled as her husband swatted her ass all the way up the stairs. Stepping into the apartment, spicy aromas tempted the taste buds.
“Something smells wonderful,” she said, accepting a crushing hug from Mox.
“Eva made homemade enchiladas and Lee brought over stuffed jalapenos,” Mox said, rolling his eyes and licking his lips in delight.
“I’ll make you both a plate,” Eva said, turning for the kitchen.
“Oh, God, as good as it smells, Zeke just took me out to dinner, and I couldn’t eat another bite. Thank you though, honey. It smells fantastic. You take such good care of my boys.”
“Zeke?”
Zeke waved off the offer as he greeted Reaper with a hand clasp and a smack on the back.
“I crashed the party, but I brought the movie,” Rain said with a laugh as there were hugs all around.
“I need to talk to you two outside,” Zeke said, indicating his sons.
Rain made a face at Rhys. “Ohhh, Dad’s mad. What’d you do, dumbass?”
“Wasn’t me. Must’ve been Mox.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” Mox said, pulling his boots on with an eye-roll.
Following Zeke down the stairs, Mox had a bad feeling in his gut that his brother had been right. He just wasn’t sure why Zeke wanted to talk to both of them.
“You, go look at your car and figure out who you pissed off,” Zeke said, giving Rhys a nudge.
A string of obscenities followed Mox and Zeke as they walked around the edge of the building, and Rhys surveyed the damage to his beloved muscle car. Mox glanced up at the night sky, waiting for his dad to speak. He didn’t see the hard smack to the back of his head coming. Wincing, he ran his tongue over the inside of his lip where he’d bit it and tamped down the hurt.
“I thought we agreed that Ginny could never know about Kramer.”
Mox sighed and hung his head, gathering his thoughts. “I didn’t mean to tell her. As a matter of fact, I didn’t actually tell her. It was more like she guessed. She didn’t even say it. We just looked at each other, and she knew.”
He could practically hear Zeke’s eyes roll. He sighed again and looked for the right words to explain, but Zeke spoke first.
“I know it’s been rough. Gin’s been distant, and you felt guilty. I get it,” Zeke said tiredly. “Now she’s worried about you, but the good thing is you know your secret is safe with her. She loves you, you dumb ox, and would do anything for you.”
“The feeling is mutual.”
“You more than proved that. I don’t know if I’ll ever have the words to tell you…”
Mox shook his head as Zeke’s words trailed off. “You don’t have to. I get it.”
Neither said anything for a while. The sound of Zeke’s Zippo broke the silence as he fired up a cigar.
“Just make sure no one else guesses. Are you serious about this girl?”
“Deadly,” Mox said, a little thrown by the subject change.
“That’s a good thing because it might come down to that. Does the name Rocco Soriano mean anything to you?”
“Is that the bastard’s last name?”
Zeke nodded, puffing on his cigar. “On the surface, he runs a string of night clubs and strip joints. Behind the scenes, he’s into drugs, prostitution, and the Feds think human trafficking. I’ve had some dealings with him in the past.”
“Sounds like a hell of a guy.”
“Yeah, he’s a real charmer. He’s not making it public knowledge that Eva ran off. That would be bad for business, but he has people looking. Needless to say, things aren’t going to be real pleasant for her if he gets his hands on her.”
“That’s not happening.”
“I’m doing some more digging at work, but, in the mean time, you need to understand who you’re dealing with. If you get in their way, murder isn’t going to be a speed-bump in their day.”
“I can take care of myself, and I’ll protect Eva,” Mox said firmly.
“Just remember that you don’t have a carry permit for that Glock, and if you’re caught with it—”
“You don’t know me,” Mox interjected with a chuckle. Zeke grinned.
“I was going to say it’s a fine and a misdemeanor, if you’re lucky, and a felony if they get you for anything else.”
Mox nodded, his thoughts going to Eva alone in the apartment all day. As if reading his mind Zeke asked,
“What do you have at the apartment?”
“My shotgun is in the closet.”
“Show her where it is, and make sure she knows how to use it. In the meantime, I’ll let the rest of the club know.”
“This is my problem. If he comes after her, he’s a dead man.”
“What affects one Lord affects us all. You know that. From what I know about Soriano, it won’t be him that comes looking. He’s not the type to get his hands dirty. He has thugs for that. The club needs to know so they can take precautions as well. If the way he treated Eva doesn’t give you an indication, he’s never given a shit if women and children get in the way.”
“I don’t want to get anyone hurt.”
“I wouldn’t have wanted to put you in the position you ended up in either, but we’re family,” Zeke said, clapping him on the back. “We better get back inside before your over-protective mommy comes to check on you.”
Mox snorted and punched his father in the shoulder, making the older man stumble a step and grin.
“What did Becca do to the Shelby?”
“Figures it was that crazy bitch,” Zeke said, shaking his head. “She keyed it good. It’s down to the metal in places. It’s not something that’s going to buff out.”
“He kicked her out tonight and said they were done.”
“For how long this time? A week? A month?”
Mox shrugged. He couldn’t argue with their father’s cynical take. They’d all seen it before. A shadow fell across the square of light from the window above, and he glanced up. He couldn’t see much through the slatted blinds, but knew in his gut that it was Eva. He had seen her unease when Zeke said he wanted to talk to them outside. Her concern fueled his hope that maybe her feelings for him could grow outside the realm of protector. In the meantime, he would take what he could get.
Chapter ~ 18
Tears coursed down age-worn cheeks. The woman stared stupidly at the broken shards of china littering the kitchen floor, her gnarled hands clasped tight in prayer. Rocco snorted. Like God was going to save her. A soft cry escaped her as one of his men buried a boot in her husband’s midsection. The old man let out a rattling wheeze, blood frothing his trembling lips. He wasn’t going to make it much longer.
Closing his fist in the bitch’s grey curls, Rocco wrenched her head back.
“I’m losing patience. Where is she?”
“I-I told you. We haven’t seen her.”
“Now why don’t I believe that?”
“Whatever you did to her this time, she didn’t come here,” the old man rasped.
“What I did to your precious granddaughter is drag her out of flea-bitten poverty and offer her a life few can even imagine,” Rocco forced out between clenched teeth. “So I’m sure you can understand that I don’t appreciate having the little princess spit in my face and disappear.”
“I’m sure it’s a misunderstanding. She’s just scared.”
“Scared? Hmm, no, I don’t think so. Eva’s not that smart,” he said, shaking his head slowly. “But I promise you, when I find her… I’ll educate her for good.”
“You’re a coward!” the old man barked, fury reddening his jowled face. “You don’t deserve—”
A shot to the jaw silenced his outburst and toppled the chair onto its side. His wife screamed, struggling against her bonds as she leaned toward his still form.
“Please, we don’t know where she is!”
Rocco gripped the old bitch’s face, fingers biting into her wrinkled cheeks as he forced her eyes to his. A glimmer of fire still flickered in their depths. Just like her granddaughter, the biddy didn’t know when to quit. He brushed his knuckles over her flushed cheek. There was quite the familial resemblance. Bits of tooth and blood sprayed from her slack lips as her head snapped to the side under the forceful backhand. When he wrenched her head back around, fear shone from her teary eyes. He smiled. That was better.
“They don’t have a new number listed for her anywhere I can find. I went through emails and texts and there is nothing in their in-coming or out-going for the past month.”
Rocco’s teeth ground together. He was getting very tired of being told what the morons couldn’t find. With no cash or friends, the cunt couldn’t have made it far, and yet here he was in Atlanta because he couldn’t trust the stoonods to do their damn job.
“Not so much as a phone call or a postcard to her dear grandparents?” he said with a chiding cluck of his tongue. “It seems our little Eva really needs to learn some manners.”
The old woman’s bloody lips trembled as he stroked her cheek with the back of a gloved finger.
“Think hard, Elaine. If Eva didn’t come to you for help, who else would she reach out to?”
“I-I don’t know.”
Her eyes darted to her husband as he stirred with a low groan. Rocco’s cold eyes followed her gaze, and he shook his head in mock sympathy.
“I don’t think poor Al is going to be able to take too much more. He’s tried to play the gentleman and keep our focus on him, but he’s looking a little rough.”
“I swear we haven’t heard from Eva in five or six weeks. The last time we spoke with her, she said everything was going well and…and you had bought her a puppy to keep her company. She sounded happy.”
Rocco’s lips turned up in a smirk. Snapping the furry little rat’s neck had been extremely satisfying, but the look of fear and horror on Eva’s face, that had been priceless.
“There is no one else you can think of that Eva would contact for money, for shelter?”
At the negative shake of her head, Rocco raised his hand in a menacing arc. Fear flashed across her face as she flinched away with a cry.
“She had a couple girlfriends in Cleveland. They wouldn’t have much money, but they might let her stay,” she sobbed.
“Names and addresses.”
“Jenna Caffrey and Stacey someone. I don’t know Stacey’s last name or addresses. I swear.”
Rocco squatted down so he was eye level with the old woman.
“I’m going to find her. You know that. It will be better for her if she comes home so we can work things out. If she contacts you, you tell her that,” he said softly. Patting her swelling cheek, he smiled. “Not a word to her, or anyone, about our little visit. If you open your mouth, Eva will be dead before my bail money is cold.”
Chapter ~ 19
Mox offered her his arm as they crossed the icy, truck stop parking lot. Eva accepted with a smile, and cuddled against his side to escape some of the cutting wind. He’d been a bit quiet since his conversation with his dad the night before. When she’d asked, he had shrugged it off, saying they’d been discussing the vandalism to Rhys’ car. She hadn’t asked him why he and Zeke had walked off alone or why Reaper hadn’t been allowed to be part of the conversation. She hadn’t missed the little negative head shake the Lord’s President had given his Sergeant at Arms before disappearing with the boys. No, she knew better than to ask those questions, but they were eating at her.
She’d been surprised when he had offered to take her out for breakfast this morning. Okay, offered wasn’t really the word. He had smacked her ass and told her to get up, they were going grocery shopping and out to breakfast. She hid a smile in his sleeve. Secrets or not, why was it that the dominant male thing was so sexy on Mox? After Rocco, she would’ve thought she’d be attracted to the meek accountant type out of pure self-preservation, but Mox’s self-assured strength was so different.
“I don’t give a fuck if you’re a new mother,” a male voice bellowed. “You get bitchy with me again, and I’ll leave the little sons of bitches in the cold parking lot.”
Eva’s round gaze darted to Mox at the angry outburst. Frowning, he hastened his step, dragging her along with him. Rounding one of the big trucks, they spotted a man leaning over a cowering Pit Bull. He spun at their approach, having the good grace to look a little embarrassed.
“Damn bitch has been snippy ever since she had the pups. I think I startled her when I reached into the sleeper, and she nailed me,” he said, holding his bleeding hand.
Eva felt Mox relax beside her.
“You have to watch those protective mamas. You okay?”
“She got the fleshy part between my thumb and forefinger. I’ll be okay.”
A couple of pups poked their nose out the door, their paws scrabbling on the edge as they looked at the drop, their butts wiggling. Eva’s heart melted and she curled her fingers in Mox’s coattails to control the urge to grab one of the yipping babies. He glanced over his shoulder at her with a knowing smile and gently pulled her around in front of him.
“Can she pet the pups?”
“Sure. Go ahead. Mommy’s okay as long as you don’t startle her. It was my fault. We’ve been traveling together for five years, but I’m not used to the little ones. I’ll be glad when these last two are gone,” the trucker said, pulling a first-aid kit from under his seat.
Eva scooped up the pure white puppy and snuggled the little girl inside her coat. She nuzzled its soft head and satiny ears, snorting as the wiggly thing turned to lick her nose. Keeping her cradled close, Eva reached out to pet the one still dancing in the doorway.
“Are they purebred?” Mox asked.
“They’re a mix. My neighbor’s boxer slipped his collar, and this little hussy got herself knocked up,” the trucker said, scratching the mama’s ears as she pressed apologetically to his leg.
“How much do you want for them?”
“Both of them?”
Mox shrugged, reaching over to play with the steel-gray and white pup in the truck. “My mom lost her Mastiff not long ago. She misses having a dog in the house. It would make a nice Christmas present for her. And of course, something to keep my girlfriend company when I’m at work.”
Eva’s breakfast threatened to come back up as Mox winked at her.
Something to keep my girlfriend company.
The words and images of the tiny Yorkshire Terrier Rocco had bought her flashed through her mind as she breathed in the warm puppy smell. Trembling, her eyes flew to Mox. He was a gentle giant. He wasn’t a sick monster like Rocco. Mox wouldn’t harm an animal just to hurt her. He was buying one for Ginny, too. He worshipped Ginny. She held her breath.