Defending Serenty (8 page)

“When?” he asks but there’s too much demand
there and I bristle.

“Excuse me?”

“When is your last day?” he clarifies.

“January fifteenth.”

What the hell am I doing? I’m answering his
questions but he’s not giving me shit.

“You need to let the Monroe thing go,
Serenity,” he says softly.

“Why?”

He shakes his head and I know he’s not going
to give me a reason even though he knows shit. God, it burns my
ass. Why is he here? Why am I doing this? I’m breaking every single
rule I’ve made for myself over the last decade. I am so not doing
this. I stand up.

“Get out. Just go, Trace.”

He looks stunned and I’m tempted to laugh but
this is just not funny. And then that mask of his falls back into
place and he picks up the box of pasta. Taking half of it, he drops
it into the now boiling water. He turns back to me.

“I’m not going anywhere, baby. You owe me.
For ten very long years.”

I should be pissed or afraid. I’m not. The
alpha posturing and chest thumping and insane pronouncements draw
me in. What the hell is wrong me? I
know
he’s trouble and I
just keep coming back for more. I don’t kick him out. I let him
feed me and then I let him take me to bed. And it’s incredible and
I pretend we don’t have all these obstacles between us. I pretend
everything is perfect. That he’s perfect.

It’s a beautiful lie.

Chapter Six

Trace

I have music pumping and I’m pulling an
engine block when I hear someone calling my name. I smack my head
on the hood as I back up and I rub my head as I turn around. I have
no idea where Walker is. He wasn’t around when I went to the gym
this morning or came into the garage. I didn’t bother trying his
cell. I figure he’s working on that Lexus Serenity mentioned.

I look for the source of the voice and a man
approaches. The open door is behind him so it takes a few steps
before I know who I’m looking at and I grin. Dan Phillips. He comes
close and we grasp hands and do that chest bump thing. Of all the
people who’ve come traipsing through here to gawk at the ex-con
murderer, he’s the one I’m most happy to see.

“You look good,” he says.

“Must be all the fresh air,” I answer.

He laughs. “I hear it does a man good. How’s
it going?”

I wonder if this is a personal or business
question. I like Dan, but unless things have changed, he works for
Monroe.

“Things are great,” I answer, wondering if
there is a point to this visit.

“Yeah? You’re happy just working on cars?
There is other action around here, you know.”

Since I’ve never been into selling drugs I
wonder what the hell he’s talking about.

“Wasn’t my thing before and still isn’t,” I
say. He’s working up to something but I’m not sure what. “Just spit
it out.”

He rubs a hand over the back of his neck.
“I’m going out on my own. I can make a clean break from Tim but the
support of Hunter’s guys definitely wouldn’t hurt.”

There is no way any of us will throw our
support behind a drug dealer and he knows this so why is he
here?

“You know that ain’t gonna happen,” I
say.

“Not even to protect your woman?” he asks and
I go cold.

I’m not sure if it’s the implied threat
against her or the calling her mine. That makes her a weakness and
I don’t want that getting around.

“What have you heard?” I ask.

He shrugs. “Nothing concrete. Tim doesn’t
share much,” he says sarcastically and I get the impression he’s
talking about money as much as information. “But she’s making the
people he works with nervous. They like this town because it’s
small and doesn’t get much notice. Lynn has connections that can
put it on law enforcement maps, though.”

Does she? It occurs to me that I don’t know
nearly as much about her as I should.

“Why are you really here, Dan?” I ask.

He takes a minute, just looking at me, before
he answers. “I want to know if y’all are gonna make a move against
Tim. If you give me enough advance warning, I can cut you in. I
won’t go down with him.”

I have no idea how to respond to this offer.
First, I really can’t. I work for Hunter. This is his decision and
he’s always been against going into the drug trade. Second, that
I’m hearing it at all scares the shit out of me for Serenity’s
sake. And I don’t want to be afraid for her. I want to fuck her. I
want to use her until I get her out of my system though I’m
starting to think that will be never.

“I’ll take it to Hunter,” I say. “But you
know he won’t want to get involved in any way in this.”

Dan nods. “Y’all talk. Let me know.”

I stop him before he can leave. “Who’s Monroe
working for, Dan?”

He pauses so long I don’t think he’s going to
answer. “Chase Beaumont.”

The name is familiar but I can’t remember
where I’ve heard it. Dan leaves and it’s closing time anyway so I
wash up and call Hunter. No answer. I try Walker and get the same
result. This shit is getting old fast. I’m not sure what to do next
so I head over to the gym. I find them all in the office.

“No one can answer a damned phone?” I
snap.

Hunter gives me a surprised look, like he
can’t believe I’m questioning his leadership. I’m not, but I’m sick
and fucking tired of being in the dark so I don’t modulate my tone
or hold back my anger.

“Dan Phillips just came to see me,” I say.
“He wants to know if we’re making a move against Monroe. And can he
get a heads up first.”

“Shit,” Hunter says dragging a hand over his
face. “We aren’t. There’s nothing to tell him.”

“Okay.” I already know that. “Who’s Chase
Beaumont?”

“Beaumont is Monroe’s backer?” Hunter
asks.

He sounds relieved. Hopefully this means I
don’t have to worry about Serenity or getting her to back off the
investigation she seems so hell bent on.

“That’s what Dan says. How do I know that
name?”

“I did some work for his father. In
Birmingham,” Walker says. “They’re dangerous but they won’t go
after a cop.”

Serenity is safe then. The relief is immense.
I don’t ask what Walker got messed up in while he lived up north.
He wouldn’t have dealt but there were plenty of other options
around drug dealers.

“Did he say anything else?” Hunter asks.

I start to shake my head but remember what
he’d said about contacts. “He implied Serenity has powerful friends
in law enforcement. That it wouldn’t take much for her to get them
involved down here.”

“She does,” Walker confirms.

The last thing any of us want is a bunch of
investigators from the state down here but I’m torn. I want her out
so if they can take over I’m all for it. January fifteenth isn’t
soon enough. And Beaumont may not be a danger to her but Monroe
sure as fuck is. I want to go find her now. Talk some sense into
her if that’s even possible. Hunter blows that plan.

“I need you to do a run with Ryder,” he
says.

I’m back in that easily? I nod but I wonder
if this is a test. “No problem,” I say.

A few minutes later I sit in the passenger
seat of Ryder’s truck. I haven’t talked to him much since I’ve been
home and I expect to get the third degree about Serenity. He
doesn’t let me down.

“So what’s up with you and this woman?”

“Sex,” I answer curtly.

He gives me a disbelieving look. “You can
laid anywhere but you went after a cop. I can’t decide if you’re
ballsy, bent, or just plain dumb.”

“Probably all three,” I mutter.

It hasn’t escaped my notice my life is more
bizarre outside of prison.

“She gonna come to the fight?”

I shake my head. “I don’t think so. She’s
knows about though.”

I rub a hand over the back of my neck. I’m
tense, hungry, and confused. I don’t like complicated and my life
sure as hell ain’t simple right now.

“I didn’t tell her so she must have asked
around,” I continue.

“I’m not gonna ride your ass about her, man.
I figure the rest of the guys have done enough of that.”

Wasn’t that the truth?

“We all know the best thing to do is walk
away from her now.” Not gonna ride my ass, huh? “But I know you
won’t.”

I’m not sure what to say to that so I keep
quiet and he goes on.

“After she leaves the department how far are
you bringing her in?”

My knee jerk reaction is not at all. She may
not be a cop in a few weeks but she’ll still be burdened with that
do-gooder conscious. Some aspects of my life I think she’ll
reluctantly accept--the fights for instance. Anything else? I
seriously doubt it. But if we’re going to be together for awhile
I’m not sure how much I’ll be able to keep from her.

“I’ll deal with that when I have to,” I
say.

“Fair enough. You can’t tell her about
Beaumont. We do some business with him occasionally.”

“Parts?” I ask.

“Yeah. And the fights.”

I wasn’t planning on telling her about
Beaumont anyway so this is no skin off my back. A couple minutes
later we turn on the road leading into River City. Ryder hasn’t
said but I’m assuming we’re collecting late debts tonight. It’s the
first time I’ve ventured into the city since my release and I’m
amazed at how much it’s grown in ten years. I start to relax.
Unlike Madison, it’s not likely I’ll be recognized with all the
newcomers here.

“Did you grab dinner yet?” Ryder asks.

“No.”

“Good. I’m starving.”

A few minutes later we pull into a chain
steak restaurant. The place is packed so we go to the bar. The
bartender flirts with Ryder when we sit.

“Hey stranger. Where ya been?”

He smiles back. “Work, darlin’. Man’s gotta
earn a living.”

“I get off at ten if you want to go out.
There’s a new club downtown.”

“Make it eleven,” he counters. Whatever we’re
doing after dinner apparently wasn’t going to take all night.

“Sure,” she says then turns and looks me over
before focusing on Ryder again. “Carla’s off tonight. Maybe we
should introduce her to your friend. I’m Shelby by the way,” she
adds to me.

“Nice to meet you.”

“So you’re coming out with us?”

“He’s taken, darlin’. I get you and Carla all
to myself.”

She blushes and I get the impression he’s
already done that. I’m not surprised. Ryder has never had to do
much more than wink and snap his fingers and gets any woman he
wants. She takes our orders and walks away to deal with another
customer.

“So we came here so you can get laid?”

He shrugs. “Two birds one stone.” Then
grinning, he slaps me on the shoulder. “Multitasking, brother. You
should try it.”

I want to know what we’re doing after dinner
but I can’t ask here. It’ll have to wait. I take a drink of the
beer Shelby sits in front of me and listen to them flirt. After a
few minutes they switch to mutual acquaintances and I’m surprised I
recognize several names. Thankfully our food arrives before I have
to contribute to the conversation.

The steak is excellent, juicy and flavorful.
I can’t remember the last time I’ve had anything this good. It’s
gone too soon and I’m tempted to order one to take with us but
decide against it. We pay up and leave. Soon we make the first
visit, collect some money, and move on. Everything goes smoothly
and we head to the last stop.

We drive to a building on the edge of town
and walk into a bar that’s so seedy I doubt it ever had better
days. There’s a handful of people inside, most look like bikers and
they aren’t happy to see us. Easy just went out the window. I
should have known and realize Ryder intentionally left this for the
end of the night. Hope his dates like the battered and bloody look.
Oh hell. I groan. Serenity is gonna want an explanation I can’t
make. I’ll just tell her my sessions with Lake went a little too
far.

“Which one?” I ask grimly.

Ryder jerks his chin to a back corner and
leads the way. Two men are slumped across from each other in a
booth.

“Oh look, he sent his killer after me,” one
of them says.

I squint in the dim light and study him. I
know the voice but the face isn’t coming back to me.

“Knock it off, Thompson,” Ryder says.

Fuck. If I get out of this in one piece I’m
gonna kill Ryder. He should have warned me. I recognize the guy
now. Mike Thompson, Billy’s little brother. The man I killed a
decade ago. The years have not been kind to Mike. Or more
accurately he hasn’t been kind to himself. He’s got a beer gut and
the sallow skin of a hard partier. I’m guessing drugs as well as
alcohol.

“You owe us money,” Ryder says. “Time to pay
up.”

We’ve attracted the attention of everyone in
the bar now. I look around, sizing them up. Most are just watching
and I don’t think they’re gonna give us any problems. The two in
front of us on the other hand… Mike stands up and charges me.
Fuckin’ idiot. I knock him down with one punch. Ryder gives me a
dirty look and I shrug. The dumbass on the ground doesn’t have the
sense to stay there, though. He climbs to his feet.

“You’ll pay for that.”

I sigh. Great. With my luck he’ll press
charges and I’ll end up spending the night in jail even though it
was self defense. I haven’t had much luck with that explanation in
the past. Thankfully, Mike is pretty wasted.

“Just pay up and we’ll be gone,” I all but
growl.

The dumbass gets in my face. I have this
thing about personal space. As in don’t get in mine. He moves
another inch closer and I punch him in the gut. I don’t hold back
either and my knuckles ache when they connect to his belt buckle.
Right now I really don’t give a shit. I’m getting pissed. With a
grunt, Mike makes his first smart move and sits back down.

“The money,” Ryder reminds him.

“I don’t got it,” he mumbles.