I Run to You (23 page)

The Coburns were mingling now. Jason, making
time with a blond, who was whispering in his ear, and rubbing his
arm. The younger guys were basking in the female attention too,
leaning against the wall, sipping a drink, surrounded by fans.

People shifted again during a slow dance.
Some went out to the front of the club, to the main bar. Sometime
in the parting of bodies, she was able to see Renee talking to one
of the male patrons—a regular at the Tavern. He was around
twenty-six or so, nice looking, owned some kind of computer
business Brook could not recall. Still, she could tell he was
flirting, trying to hit on Renee.

Good for Renee, Brook thought—until Sunny
appeared at Renee’s shoulder, leaned down, and whispered something
that had Renee’s head whipping round angrily.

Sunny strode off then, through the doors to
the main bar.

It got worse—the night.

Sometime before the band went back on stage
and Renee joined her again, Brook saw Renee grab a couple of shots
off Ashley’s tray and knock them back.

The band was back. People seated, Renee sat
down, her face flushed and tense. However, Brook didn’t get a
chance to ask what happened. Lights were down on stage except for a
half spotlight on Jordan as she did the down and dirty guitar intro
to Cryin.

The younger Coburns were singing lead. Coy
and Jason at a mic. Coy with a harmonica.

Brook could see Max was mesmerized when the
lights changed and the song was in full swing. Jordan looked damn
good; natural too, as she got into it. Her ass-kicking guitar
playing had half the patrons sitting with their mouths open.

When the guitar was featured at the end, the
whole place went wild.

Brook cast a dry smile at Renee. “She’s going
to be famous someday.”

Renee, momentarily distracted, nodded. “I’d
bet everything on it.”

After that song, Jordan, waving off the
praise, and heading for the shadows, Jason bragged on her and got
the crowd clapping again. They began to play a dance tune—and
that’s when Karla and a group of four came in.

Brook heard the whispers rise.

The guys looked college age. One of them
rather rough and lean, with a shaved head, and a buck knife on his
belt. Two girls, that were just barely old enough to get in the
club. However, Karla drew all the attention as usual. She wore a
skintight short skirt, and barely a blouse, her blond her piled up.
She had on what Brook would call stripper shoes.

There was some laughter under the music. The
crude kind. And a few angry comments by some woman, about strippers
and Hos. If Karla heard it, she didn’t mind it. Then again—Brook
figured they were all high.

They got out on the floor and the dancing was
a little nasty for this kind of Tavern. It would not draw a comment
at the younger/hip clubs. However, Brook could feel the tension as
people left the floor.

“Is she stupid?” Renee leaned up and
growled.

“No. Just craves attention,” Brook muttered,
noting that Coy had backed away from the spotlight and was talking
to one of the band as he played through the song.

Brook thanked God when it was over.

Jordan joined them.

“Is that her?’ she asked Brook, looking
toward Karla.

“Yes.”

Jordan watched Karla and her crowd.

The song ended and they were still hanging
out on the floor, laughing, drawing eyes.

She said to Brook, “She’s the type men go
for.”

“So I hear.” Brook told them, “I’m going to
leave as soon as I can get out of here, without having to pass by
her.”

Everyone agreed.

There was some commotion on stage before the
next song.

When Brook looked up, Coy was not there.

They began another tune. This one Jason sang
acoustic. No dance stuff.

Someone with Karla yelled and made an obscene
gesture toward Jason.

Now, the patrons were really starting to get
pissed.

Madeline made her way to their table.

“I’m leaving,” Brook told her, seeing the
look on her Mom’s face.

“Go around the back of the room, and through
the door,” Madeline cleaned the table.

When she left, Brook did just that, the
others with her. She was near the door when she heard Jason stop
singing and playing abruptly.

He looked right at Karla and her company when
he said, “These people are here to have a good time. If you can’t
respect them and us, you need to leave.”

One of the people with Karla yelled, “Fuck
you!”

That was it. People came toward him from the
crowd. However, Jason was already down there— knocking the guy on
his ass.

Brook pushed through and to the front of the
club.

Everyone was shifting in the opposite
direction—because it sounded like a all free for all was going to
erupt.

She felt battered by the time she made the
door, and outside—and wasn’t sure where or if, the others made it
through yet.

At the end of the lot, meaning to head toward
her car, Brook saw Coy.

He half sat on a tailgate, tensely smoking a
cigarette.

He looked up at her— startled, as if he had
been somewhere else in his mind.

The sounds got louder from inside the club.
Somewhere behind her, she heard Renee and Jordan, talking about the
cops being called.

“You all right?” he asked her, coming to his
feet.

“Fine.” She gestured. “Got another of
those.”

He reached in his pocket, got a cigarette
out, and lit it. She didn’t come any closer. Neither did he. He
extended his arm with it, and she reached out and took it.

Dragging long on it, Brook exhaled while
glancing over her shoulder to see Donna and Renee talking to Jason.
He must have gotten out okay. Jordan was leaning against a car,
distant.

Turning back to Coy, she caught him staring
at her. Probably shocked to see her smoking. Taking another drag,
Brook tried not to catalogue anything personal, his looks, and her
emotions.

It was not his fault that Karla was
there.

At the wail of sirens, she heard Coy mutter,
“Shit.”

Brook echoed that in her head. She had no
choice but to step close to Coy, out of the way, when the cruisers
came rolling in.

They zipped up through the lot, to the front
entry.

People were coming out. The officers went
in.

Brook saw them come out shortly with Karla’s
group. Everyone was handcuffed— except Karla.

She was saying as the officers put them in
the cars, “Don’t worry, I’ll get y’all out.”

The officer said something, which sounded
like he was telling Karla she couldn’t go back in, and to go home.
Karla answered with a laugh and string of curses.

The cruisers circled and left.

Brook waited for her own group, aware of Coy,
standing close to her.

Karla headed their way to get in her car.

Brook was about to step away, and go
opposite—when Karla spotted them. She smiled nastily and walked
faster— faster than Brook could have in those shoes. Brook was too
tense to find anything amusing about it.

“Don’t even open your mouth,” Coy growled
when Karla was close enough.

“I do what I want to.” Karla raked him, then
Brook, with her gaze. Leaving it coldly on Brook, she said,
“Already cheatin on Rafael?”

Brook didn’t answer, just stared at her.

“I’ll bet he don’t know you’re here with
Coy.”

“I’m not here with coy.” Brook gestured to
where Renee and the others finally coming her way.

“Looks like it to me.” Karla folded her arms.
“How’s that little ole car of yours, Brook? Drive well in the rain,
does it?”

Anger flared in Brook. “You should know, you
tried to blind me the other night.”

“Not me.” Karla did a fake gasp.

“Oh, I didn’t think it was. You put someone
up to it.”

“What the hell is this?” Coy demanded to know
what they were referring to.

“A car followed me home the other night, in
the rain. High beaming and riding my bumper, trying to wreck
me.”

“Karla, goddammit!” Coy took a step.

Brook stopped him. “Don’t. I can’t prove
it.”

Karla laughed. “No you can’t. Can you?”

“I’m reporting it,” Coy insisted.

Karla snorted, “You sure you want to be her
watchdog, Coy? You know where she was? Coming home, from spending
the all evening screwing’ Rafael.”

Brook stiffened. Her whole body was shaking.
Karla or someone she put up to it, was spying on her now.

She said, “You’re going to go too far one of
these days, Karla. Why don’t you just find another way to amuse
yourself?”

Karla’s mouth tightened. “Don’t give me
warnings. I can’t stand you, Brook Logan.”

“What’d I ever do to you?” Brook demanded.
“You were the one who betrayed our friendship. I didn’t do a damn
thing to you.”

Karla stepped over, close, getting in Brook’s
face despite Coy’s warning. She hissed, “Miss Goody two shoes.
Mommy’s little princess. Homecoming queen. You make me sick. You’ve
always been a spoiled little bitch.”

“Shut up, Karla.” Coy grabbed Karla’s
arm.

Brook told her, “That’s all in your twisted
mind. I do not care if you hate me, Karla. But you’d better back
off with the threats.”

“Or what?” She shook her arm free but stayed
back. “You’re going to do what?”

“Beat your stupid stripper ass,” Renee cut
in, joining Brook and Coy.

By then everyone, Jason, Donna, even Jordan,
had reached them.

“You gonna do it, honey?” Karla challenged
Renee.

“You keep harassing Brook, hell yes. I
will.”

“Don’t.” Brook told Renee. “She’s just dying
to run her mouth.”

Jason put himself in front of Karla. “Go
home.”

“I go damn well where I want.”

“Fine. Get out of Brook’s face. And, don’t
ever come where we are playing. You’re banned.”

She snorted at that. “I got more money than
all the Coburns put together.”

“You’re poor deluded husband does,” Jason
corrected. “But who gives a shit?” He reached in his pocket for his
cell. In seconds he’d told the police Karla was harassing people in
the parking lot.’

Furious, Karla headed off, not before she
yelled at Brook, “Enjoy it, Bitch! You won’t always be surrounded
by other people all the time.”

Jason sighed and turned to look at her.
“She’s nothing but trouble.”

Brook wanted to leave. To just—go home.

Jason told Coy, “We’re going to finish that
set. Everyone deserves what they came out to hear.”

“Okay.” Coy nodded. He stepped away, and
Brook and her crowd did too, getting ready to disperse to their
cars.

Brook walked a few steps but she felt Coy
take her arm. He pulled her a bit away and let go, looking down at
her with troubled eyes. “What else besides her nearly running you
off the road?”

“Phone calls….”

He shook his head, mouth tight. “You’ve got
to report this.”

“I’ve no proof.”

“I’m witness to what she said.”

Brook stared at him. “I’ll think about
it.”

“No, dammit. She is crazy as hell. You
promise me, Brook.” He searched her face. “Promise you will.”

“Okay. Shit, I will.” Brook promised. “But
they won’t do anything.”

“At least they’ll have the statement.”

“All right.” Brook made to step away from
him.

Jason was within earshot, leaning against a
car, waiting for Coy.

Coy asked roughly, “Is this all my fault?
“

Brook turned away.

“Did a mistake I made—”

“No.” Brook sighed, and turned, then looked
up at him.

The emotion in his jasper eyes was difficult
to take.

“It’s not about that, I think. All along, she
resented me. We were friends since toddlers. After she lost her
Dad— well as we grew up, I just ignored or laughed off her digs. It
was only in hindsight I saw them for what they were. She’s had a
problem with me for years. I am not saying I understand it, or her.
But—”

Coy wiped his hand over his face a moment. “I
went through hell with her after Levi was born. She’s pulled shit
that tore us all up.”

“I heard.”

He met her gaze again. “She’s out to hurt
you, Brook. Any way she can. I don’t know how often she’s not high,
but it makes her even more a threat. Those friends she was with are
bad news. She’s dangerous.”

Brook believed that. It was hard to face the
reality of her ex friend, the threats, but she did. “I’ll do what I
can. Get a guard dog, whatever. But I am not hiding out. I have a
life. I won’t let her cower me.”

Distantly she heard Max’s voice. He
apparently came out and was talking to Jason, comparing what went
on inside, and what Karla had said.

But Brook was observing Coy as he murmured,
“She’ll call Rafael and—”

“—She’ll be sorry she did. He has no use for
her. Besides that,” Brook pinned him with her stare. “He knows— I
wouldn’t cheat on him.”

“He’s a lucky sonofabitch.” Coy uttered.

“Yes, he is,” Brook retorted softly. “And so
am I.”

His eyes exposed a flash of pain that Brook
tried to ignore.

“I should say, I’m glad you’re with him, but
I’d be lying.”

“I’m not hearing this, Coy.” She stepped
back. “You didn’t know what you had when you had it, and you think
you still want that—but it’s just because you didn’t win
everything. You are a Coburn. You don’t mind screwing up. You just
expect to still have it all when you’re done being selfish.”

“That’s not true. I destroyed it, yes. But I
was never not in love with you.”

“Don’t even—” she warned him.

“All right.” He rumbled softly, yet exposed
“Even if I apologize again—and I am sorry. I am fucking gut-sick
sorry even after seven years. Even if you would forgive me. It
doesn’t change it. I know that. I do not get off easy. I didn’t
expect to. For everyone I hurt by hurting you, whose scars have
healed—bonds I have mended—Redemption, means shit. I paid. By
losing everything that mattered to me. By seeing the pain of my
betrayal in your eyes, then and every night since. By not having
the right to see you or speak to you at all for seven years.”