by Gen Griffin
“April Lynne is tired of being my girl on the side. She gave me the code for the safe, but I had to swear I'd use the money to leave Katie and file for divorce. Me and April Lynne are fixing to start a whole new life together. She's already been looking at places for us to rent. We're gonna start playing house for real. Funny how I still remember me and her doing that in kindergarten.”
“You're moving?” Joe choked on his beer. “You ain't going to work with us no more?”
“Keep your pants on. I'm only moving to Canterville. I'll actually be closer to y'all than I was before. We're still in business. I just need to get out of Possum Creek. Besides, April Lynne likes Canterville.”
“The wife know that you're leaving her yet?”
“She'll figure it out here pretty soon. I was supposed to take her out to dinner tonight for her birthday and I'm here with y'all. She's probably still sitting at the restaurant.” Ian laughed to himself with only the slightest twinge of guilt. “She's probably burning my phone up, but I ain't got it turned on.”
“You know that she could cause us all kinds of problems, right?”
“Who? Katie?” Ian was genuinely confused.
“Remember when she drove your truck to work and the bed was full of stolen tools and equipment?” Joe asked.
Ian nodded. “She never noticed. We're good.”
“How sure are you that she never noticed?” Joe countered as he chugged down half a beer. “She might have noticed and not said nothing.”
“She didn't notice,” Ian said, a flash of fear flickering in his eyes for the briefest moment. “She would have turned me in if she had.”
Joe grunted. “That's my problem, man. I think the bitch knows we ain't been mowing half the lawns we claim we mow. Right now, she ain't saying nothing because at least you're bringing home money. What's going to keep her mouth shut after you leave her?”
“I don't give her money,” Ian said. “Ever.”
“Never?” Joe looked skeptical.
“She doesn't need my money,” Ian said. “She makes plenty. She can pay the bills all by herself. Katie's one of them modern women. Liberated. She don't need me for money.”
“Damn. What's she keeping you around for then?” Joe asked with a laugh.
“I don't know, but it's not the sex. We ain't had sex in months. She's colder than a dead fish in an ice box.”
“I still think she's going to make trouble for us,” Joe said. “You ever think that maybe you ought to do something about her?”
“Do something?” Ian asked, plainly baffled.
“You already killed one girl and buried her so deeply in the swamp that even you can't find the body. Maybe you ought to do the same thing with Katie.”
Ian's mouth fell open and for a moment he let off the accelerator. “You think I should kill Katie?”
“She's got a lot of dirt on you, man.”
“Yeah...but...” Ian trailed off.
“She's a bitch. She always screams at you. Wouldn't it feel good to bash her head in?”
Ian swallowed, looking unhappy for the first time all night. “Killing Casey was an accident. Katie, man, I used to love her.”
“What are you going to do if she has your ass thrown in jail to serve 10 to 20 years on felony burglary charges?” Joe asked as they turned into the strip club's parking lot.
“She won't.”
“You sure?”
“I'm sure,” Ian confirmed as he cut off the engine. “I'm real sure.”
“I think you're making a mistake,” Joe said. “Think it over, Ian. Think about the money you'll save. No child support. No losing half your stuff. All you got to do is get rid of your wife and you'll be cruising down easy street.”
Ian sucked in a deep breath. “Hand me another beer. I feel sober.”
Joe handed him a fresh beer. He downed the entire bottle without stopping to breathe.
Chapter 11
“Shots for everyone! Quick y'all, take 'em.” Becca Lindsay held out a tray with a dozen shot glasses displayed on it. Each glass contained vodka that had been tinted a different color to create the rainbow effect.
“Yee!” Kristy grabbed up the pink shot. “I love these. Thank you.”
“Don't thank me. Next round is on you.” Becca winked at Kristy and then turned her attention to Katie. “Take one, kiddo. You are not nearly drunk enough.”
“I'm getting there,” Katie promised. This was their fourth round of shots and, truth be told, she was more than getting there. Katie rarely drank. Two beers were enough to give her a buzz. She picked up the green shot off of the tray and smiled at Becca. Becca had been Kristy's best friend for as long as Katie could remember. She was almost like a second big sister.
“Drink up.” Becca took a purple shot and made a cheers gesture in mid-air. Kristy and Katie clinked their glasses together and then tossed the shots back. Katie was almost surprised when she didn't come up gasping.
“Is it a bad sign when the liquor stops burning?” Katie asked no one in particular.
“It's a good sign,” said Harley as he draped one arm around Becca's shoulders while downing his own blue shot. Kristy had introduced the skinny, tall, brown haired boy as one of her co-workers at the packaging and distribution center. He seemed to be a nice enough guy and so did his friend Jay. Jay had been alternating between dancing with Kristy and dancing with Katie for the last half hour. Kristy's friends were making a real effort to include her. It made her happier than alcohol ever would.
“Remind me of that when I'm tossing my cookies in the bathroom later tonight,” Katie told him.
“Don't be whiny,” Becca said teasingly. She took an orange shot off the tray and passed it to Katie. “Drink.”
“Oh, I really probably shouldn't.”
Kristy rolled her eyes and Becca giggled. “Stop being such a goody-goody. You're here to let loose. Let loose.”
Katie sighed and then took the shot. The vodka was starting to taste more like water and the nightclub was getting a bit fuzzy around the edges. Have fun, she told herself silently. You're supposed to be having fun.
“Well, that's a sight I never thought I'd see.” A familiar but out-of-place voice came from behind them. Katie turned halfway and then blinked at the man who was grinning at her. For a moment all she saw was his huge, muscular chest and a tight blue t-shirt. Then she took in the hazel eyes, strong square jaw and short, light brown hair and she recognized Sullivan Briggs. He's cute, her drunken brain informed her. Katie blinked, surprised by her own traitorous thoughts.
“I didn't think you drank.” Sully offered her a teasing smile.
“I don't. Except when I do.” Katie smiled shakily at him. “It doesn't happen very often.”
Sully held out his arm to her, an invite into a casual hug. She decided to take it. She stepped into his side and wrapped her arm around his thick waist. He pulled her in close. His cologne smelled good. She wasn't sure of the scent, but it was something nice and masculine. If Ian hadn't been such a jerk, she probably would have asked Sully what he wore so that she could buy Ian a bottle.
Forget Ian. You're getting a divorce, she told herself firmly and then focused her attention on the man who was currently hugging her.
“God your arms are huge,” she told him as she nestled into his side. Katie was feeling more than a bit dizzy from all the alcohol and Sully felt very, very solid.
Sully laughed and then flexed for her. He was a regular competitor in amateur body building competitions. His biceps were bigger than her waist.
“Hello. Who are you and where have you been all my life?” Kristy had zeroed in on Sully and her eyes were lit up like a little kid's on Christmas morning as she took in his massive, broad shoulders and thick chest.
Katie laughed as she stepped back from Sully so her sister could get a good look at him. “Kristy, meet Sullivan. Sully, this is my sister.”
Sully held out his hand to shake Kristy's. She stepped up to him and made a big show of checki
ng him out. “You are one beautiful man,” she informed him.
“Thank you,” he said with a flirty grin. “I appreciate the compliment. Especially from a gorgeous woman.”
Kristy reached out and squeezed his bicep. She fanned herself and then looked at Katie. “And where have you been hiding this hottie?”
“We work together,” Katie explained with a laugh. She looked up at Sully. “I wasn't expecting to run into you here tonight.”
“I bet I come in here more than you do,” Sully countered.
“I'm sure you do,” Katie said. “I'm boring, remember? Y'all always tease me for spending all my time off sitting around the house with Hannah Mae.”
“Nah. Not boring. Just responsible.”
“You're responsible,” she pointed out.
“I'm single with no kids,” he clarified. “My responsibilities are limited.”
“True,” Katie agreed. “My responsibilities are either missing in action or being babysat by my mother. Kristy decided I should be irresponsible tonight. Want to be irresponsible with me?”
Sully grinned and Katie abruptly blushed, realizing how her words had sounded.
“I'd love to be irresponsible with you,” he teased. “Malone will probably kick my ass if I try. We all know he's more than a little bit possessive of you.”
Kristy's eyes widened in surprise.
Katie frowned at him. “Addison couldn't care less about me. Did you come in here with him?”
Sully nodded. “I didn't feel like sitting alone at my house on a Friday night so I talked him into coming out with me. Of course, he ran into some girl in the parking lot and disappeared...so...”
“Screw Addison,” Katie said. “I don't care what he thinks. Or wants. Or anything.”
Sully raised one eyebrow at her. “Y'all still fighting?”
“We aren't fighting. I'm just...not playing with him right now.”
Kristy let out a snort. “Not playing with him. That's one way to put it. You know Mr. Muscles here is right, don't you? Addy's crazy protective of you.”
“Addy's an asshole.” Katie purposely ignored her sister as she reached for the tray of shots and plucked up two more of them. She kept the purple one and handed the yellow one to Sully. “I don't want to think about Addison any more than I want to think about Ian. I'm trying to have a fun night, remember?”
“I didn't realize Addison was in the same category as Ian,” Kristy said, eyeing Katie with curiosity.
“He's not. Or maybe he is. They're both on my shit list right now,” Katie clarified. She tossed back her own shot and gestured for Sully to do the same. He didn't need much encouragement.
“I know why Ian's there, but what did Studmuffin do?” Kristy asked.
“Studmuffin?” Sully nearly choked on air as he started laughing.
“Addison,” Katie explained.
“Oh. I figured that out,” Sully was grinning like a fool. “I'm definitely going to start calling him that.”
“You should. He loves it.” Kristy giggled. “Now, about the shit list...?” She looked questioningly at Katie.
“I assumed Ian always stayed on her shit list,” Sully said, cracking his knuckles against the palm of his hand. “How's his face doing, by the way?”
Katie snorted and shook her head at him. “You're bad.”
“You're not mad at me,” he pointed out. “You didn't say that I was on the shit list.”
“You're not. You're on my good list.” She winked at him.
“What happened to Ian's face?” Becca asked.
“Sully threw him,” Katie explained, feeling strangely nonchalant about the entire incident, which she supposed was a side effect of the alcohol. She'd been horrified and humiliated when Ian had come into work and started screaming at her and cussing at her for taking a truck that she legally owned and she'd been even more embarrassed when Sully had removed him from the sheriff's department. Now, in retrospect, she wasn't at all sorry that Sully had done it.
“You're the one who threw him?” Kristy eyed Sully's broad chest again.
“Out the front door of the sheriff's department and into the parking lot. He landed on his face and slid for a few feet.” Sully shrugged. “He shouldn't have yelled at Katie and then spit in my face.”
“I don't think I ever thanked you properly for defending me,” Katie mused.
“You didn't have to,” Sully said with a shake of his head. “It's called manners and I have some.”
“More than Ian has,” Katie said.
“A lot more than Ian has,” Sully confirmed. “No offense, I know he's your husband and I'm guessing you must be able to see some redeeming qualities in him that I'm missing, but I don't have much use for Ian.”
“Neither does she,” Kristy butted in. “She's leaving him.”
Sully appeared surprised by the bluntness of her statement. “You're leaving Ian?”
“He's a worthless loser,” Kristy announced with her lips pursed. “Katie's too good for him. It's time for her to move on.”
Katie ducked her head even as she shook it. “Kristy, enough.”
“I'm just glad you told him to get his shit and get out of your house.” Kristy put both her hands on her hips and surveyed Sully again. “You're cute, but are you single?”
“Very,” he said, seeming unfazed by the sudden change in topics.
“Single as in divorced or single as in never married?”
“Never married.”
“No kids?”
“None,” he confirmed.
“Straight?” She looked at him pointedly.
“Very.” Sully laughed.
“Do you dance?”
He nodded.
“Good.” Kristy grinned at him. “Why don't you take my adorable little sister out on the dance floor and remind her of all the reasons being single doesn't suck?”
“Kristy!” Katie felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment, but Sully was grinning.
He looked down at Katie. “Want to dance?”
“Only if you actually want to dance with me,” she told him.
“Believe me when I say that there is no girl in this bar who I would rather have for company tonight.”
“Okay then.” Katie felt surprisingly ballsy as she held her hand out to Sully. He took it and then took the lead, cutting easily through the packed bar crowd and guiding her out onto the dance floor.
Chapter 12
“I'm so glad you decided to come out tonight.” Holly had given Addison a big hug just as soon as he'd gotten out of his truck in the parking lot of Boomers, the most popular club in Beauton. Now, just inside the club entrance, she looped her slender arm through his as they began walking towards the bar. She was practically skipping in her tight jeans and high heels.
“I didn't have any plans,” he said. He halfway wished that he had turned Sully's invitation down tonight. He'd been feeling pretty damn drained by the time he'd fielded an hour's worth of random 911 calls and talked Candy, their part-time dispatcher, into taking over Meg's abandoned shifts.
With all the work emergencies handled, Addison had declared himself officially off duty for the night. He had been on his way home when he'd chanced a glance at the gas gauge and realized his truck was running on fumes. He'd almost finished pumping his gas when Sully had pulled up beside him and asked him to go to Beauton with him for a night of drinking.
He'd almost turned him down. He'd been very, very close to turning him down, but maybe he wasn't as tired as he thought he was because he'd gotten a good look at Holly's perky little b-cups in her perky little bandanna top and felt a whole lot more optimistic about the night.
Besides, it was ten o'clock on a Friday night. Addison couldn't remember the last time he'd gone to bed before ten o'clock on a Friday night. He was an adult, not a senior citizen.
Holly chattered happily beside him as they walked up to the bar, surrounded by a gaggle of her friends. He would never remember any of the friends' names even thou
gh he had been introduced to them just a few minutes earlier. He hadn't been paying very much attention. Gracie probably knew most of them. They were all closer to her age than his. She and Holly had been best friends once upon a time. Addison didn't remember what fight had ended the friendship, but he did recall seeing tall, willowy, red-headed Holly at his sister's wedding.
Addison flashed his ID to the bartender and then tossed a twenty on the bar. “Just give me a draft beer,” he told her.
Holly grabbed his hand in hers. “Buy me something fruity? Please?”
Addison glanced down at the huge black X's that the bouncer had drawn on her hands when they'd gone into the bar. She wasn't even 21. “If you can get the bartender to serve you, you can have it. I can't buy you alcohol. I'm a cop, remember?”
Holly wrinkled her nose at him and let out a grumpy sigh. “You're no fun. Do I get to pick out anything I want once I'm 21? My birthday is two months from now.”
“Sure. You can have whatever you want once you turn 21,” Addison said.
“I'm 21. Well, I'm well over 21. Does that mean I get to pick out whatever I want, too?”
Addison turned to see a heavyset blonde in a very, very tight blue and purple swirled dress standing to his left. She had a friendly smile on her heart-shaped face.
“Always,” Addy said as he gave Kristy an easy, one-armed hug.
Holly shot Kristy a slightly evil look. Addison noticed it but chose to ignore her. If she was going to get jealous over a hello and a hug then she didn't need to hang around with him. He was overly friendly with too many people.
“You're my hero,” Kristy told him with a flirty grin. She leaned on the bar and told the bartender to give her a rum and coke, heavy on the rum and light on the coke.
“Glad to be someone's hero,” Addy flirted back out of reflex rather than interest.
“Uh huh. We need to talk.” Kristy looped her arm through his elbow.
“Do we?” Addison pursed his lips at her.
“Mmm hmm.” Kristy nodded and then shot a glance at Holly. She wrinkled her nose at the younger girl. “Without the jailbait.”
“Hey! Excuse me.” Holly stepped towards Kristy, squaring her shoulders. “I don't know you, but-.”