Once finished, the man glanced up, looked right at the camera, then made the gesture of cutting his neck with his knife.
“Fucker,” Rhett growled. Boone froze the video on the man, zooming in on his eyes. The lack of light in the bar made making out shape or color impossible beneath the ski mask. Not getting any further by examining the footage, Rhett returned to his seat next to Asher. “He knew exactly where the camera was.”
“It’s gotta be King,” Asher offered, taking the lid off his coffee cup, steam spiraling out.
“But the question begs to be asked, why target Kinsley’s bar?” Rhett asked. “What could that possibly serve King?”
Silence was met with hard frowns. As a trio, they had a perfect record solving cases. No one liked not having an answer, and in most cases, that usually meant trouble was on the horizon.
Rhett took another quick sip of his piping hot coffee, tasting the hazelnuts in the flavor, before he studied the man on the monitor again. He took in every single detail of the man, the way he stood and his mannerisms, imprinting them in his mind. “All of these men are fit and well built; they don’t look like a motorcycle gang.” Some in the Red Dragons had that description, like Dalton, but most of the men in the club didn’t spend hours in the gym to keep in top shape. “These men look like soldiers or special ops.”
Boone frowned.
“King’s men are retired Navy SEALs and Army Rangers,” Asher pointed out, obviously already convinced. “They fit the description.”
Rhett wasn’t so easily swayed. “But it still doesn’t explain why King would do this to Kinsley’s bar. He’s been quiet for months since Remy’s troubles with him. It doesn’t add up. Besides, he’d come after us, or Remy.” He saw the flare in Asher’s gaze but went on, “Logically, that’s what make sense here. This, destroying Kinsley’s bar, someone either wants her to shut down or they’re sending us a warning.”
Heavier silence descended on the room. No one liked being in the dark, especially when it involved someone in their inner circle.
Boone finally rose and pushed his chair back under the table, frustration etched in his face. “We’re not going to get any answers from the footage. I’ll give the chief a report on this and get in touch with Whitby Falls to see if they’ve had any similar vandalisms.” He unplugged his laptop then reached for his coffee. “Perhaps we’ve got a new gang in town and they’re just making their presence known.”
That felt wrong to Rhett, but he kept the thought to himself. “I’ll check out Kinsley’s employees again and see where that takes me.”
“Can’t hurt to have another look,” Boone said.
Asher rose. “I’ll contact the surveillance team trailing King.” Surveillance on the crime lord never stopped. A team in Whitby Falls was dedicated to taking King down and had kept eyes on him ever since he’d stepped into his father’s footsteps. “Maybe he’s got some new men on his payroll. If he does, I’ll see if I can get some photographs.”
“It’s a start,” Rhett agreed. He reached for his coffee, suddenly aware of the stillness in the room.
He looked up, and Boone asked with raised brows, “Care to tell us what you’re planning?”
“Who says I’m planning anything?” Rhett asked.
Asher leaned against the door frame and barked a laugh.
Boone merely gave him a knowing look.
Rhett snorted, giving his head a slow shake. “If you both know me well enough to know I’m planning something, then you also know that I’d never tell you what I was planning.” And with the men he considered his brothers chuckling behind him, Rhett strode out of the command center. His only plan was not waiting for that group of bastards to act again. This next move belonged to him.
* * *
Two hours had gone by since Rhett left the bar this morning, and Kinsley was still reeling from their talk earlier. He’d rattled her then, and she still felt rattled. She could stay strong against jerkish Rhett, but when faced with the sweet, caring, and tender Rhett who fixed her hand and offered his house up to her, she felt the strands of her strength waver. She chugged the cold water in her glass and set it back onto the bar when she heard Remy say, “Oh, my God, Kinsley, I’m so sorry.”
A quick look at the front door revealed that not only had Remy arrived but so had Peyton. Both were ashen faced. Remy took two big steps in and spun in a slow circle. “Who would do this?” she gasped.
“First guess would be the Red Dragons,” Kinsley explained, feeling the dull headache building behind her eyes. She’d spent an hour calling her staff and explaining what had happened then another hour with the insurance adjuster when he came by the bar. He told her that he had what he needed to get the claim rolling. She moved to the stage, which luckily hadn’t been smashed in, and took a seat on the edge. “But my dad called a bit ago and said that the guys didn’t think it was them.”
Peyton picked up a chair leg before tossing it back into the pile of broken wood. “Did he say anything more than that?” she asked.
“Nope, just that.” Kinsley hesitated. Then, and fully aware of the reaction she was going to get, she added, “Well, not exactly just that. He did say that he’ll be picking me up later to drive me home to grab my stuff before taking me to Rhett’s.” At her best friends’ bewildered expressions, she gave a laugh that sounded empty even to her ears. “Surprised?”
“Yes,” they said in unison.
She laughed again. A little more honest this time. “I was surprised too, believe me. Rhett showed up this morning, and we had a talk.”
“Which obviously went well,” Peyton said.
Kinsley nodded. “Things are moving forward, and right now, I think that’s about as good as I’m going to get. I mean, this is a shock. For everyone, I’m sure. We all just need to catch up, and luckily we’ve got time to do it.” She noticed the tightness in Remy’s mouth. “All right, out with it. I know you’ve got feelings on this.”
Remy’s voice came out in hyperspeed. “Staying with him is a terrible idea. I mean, there’s just a lot going on right now. You can stay with me and Asher, where there’s absolutely no one that’s going to upset you.”
She only loved Remy more. “It’s sweet for you to offer, thank you. Boone already offered, but Rhett’s trying to do the right thing. I need to let him.” She paused, trying to get this right. “I know it doesn’t really make sense, but it feels like I’m making the right move here. At this point, I just gotta trust what I feel and hope to hell this is all going to work out okay.”
Remy didn’t look convinced.
Peyton glanced between them then, being her ever-sweet self, smiled. “Boone told me about Rhett stepping up this morning. I think this will be good for him. Just might help him accept that this is happening, you know. Seeing what you go through and stuff.”
“Like barfing my brains out at totally random times and wanting really weird food combinations,” Kinsley offered.
“Exactly.” Peyton laughed.
Remy didn’t laugh. Her eyes narrowed on Kinsley. “Well, if I can’t talk you out of this, then you can’t go into his house without backup.” She marched out of the bar to no doubt go to her magic shop to bring back every candle, incense, good luck charm, and whatever else she had to bring positivity and light to Kinsley.
“It’s good Rhett came by to talk to you,” Peyton said as the door shut. She turned to Kinsley. “To be honest, considering how his talk with Boone went last night, I think it’s great he’s already stepping up.”
“It went that well, huh?”
Peyton lifted a shoulder. “Boone said he was just…torn up a bit.”
Kinsley didn’t have a reply, so she simply nodded. Yeah, and that was because Rhett wasn’t the guy you had a kid with. Hell, he wasn’t even the guy a woman should date. He had always been that hot-as-hell tough guy that gave a woman the best sex of her life. Rhett had been that for many women. He’d been that for Kinsley too in the tropics, but she also had something no
other woman had with Rhett. A long-standing friendship. She’d known him as a boy, as a teenager, and known him right before he went off to the military. Sometimes, every so often, in his smile she could still see the kid who wasn’t so…torn up.
“Shit, man.”
Kinsley whirled around right as Benji stormed through the front door. He scanned the space, looking probably like she did this morning. Tormented.
Benji’s sad eyes finally met hers. “Kinsley, I’m so sorry.” He rushed toward her and, in mere seconds, had her in his arms.
She wasn’t quite sure why her emotional dam broke when he hugged her, but maybe it was just the buildup of everything from the past couple days. Besides, her emotions lately never made any sense. She cried watching a commercial about a puppy last night but felt nothing during a sad movie the other day. She fell into Benji’s comforting embrace and shut her eyes, tears rolling down her cheeks.
“Kinsley.”
She heard the restrained control in Rhett’s voice even before she opened her eyes. He stood right in front of her, but he was not looking at her. His attention was absolutely fixed on Benji’s arms around Kinsley.
He closed the distance between them quickly, his eyes now wholly on her face. On her tears. “Why are you crying?” he asked through clenched teeth.
Benji slowly slid his arm off Kinsley’s shoulders and took a step back, as if sensing the threat in front of him.
Even she felt the intensity rolling off Rhett in waves, and she chalked that up to his being in full protective mode because of the break-in. He’d trust no one and suspect everyone. She moved away from the others to put some distance between them to keep the conversation private. She saw Peyton draw Benji over to the stage to help her begin cleaning that area up. “I’m just overwhelmed,” she said, wiping her face. “It’s just…today…it’s been…a lot.”
Rhett released a breath like all the plans he’d had to take out his frustrations on Benji had vanished. “What can I do to make that better for you?” he asked sincerely.
She watched him for a moment, sensing his struggle. She’d met so many men over the years working behind the bar. Arrogant men. Cocky men. Sad men. Pathetic men. But Rhett was a different kind of man. An honorable lost man. One who had no idea how to retransition into civilian life. “I’m okay. Honestly. Just emotional.”
He didn’t look convinced, but he reached into his pocket and handed her a key. “Your dad’s going to drive you back to my place after his shift.”
Her heart flipped in her chest at the idea of staying the night with him. “Where are you going?” she asked, accepting the key.
“Got a couple stops to make before calling it a day.”
The bar’s door opened again, and Remy walked through with a grocery bag full of her magical help. She took one look at Rhett and cringed, before reaching into the bag and closing the distance.
She sprayed him twice with something that carried a floral scent. “There, that’ll at least get us started,” she said.
Rhett frowned.
“Oh, this is bad!” Remy looked outright horrified and then sprayed him five more times before shaking her head at his deeper scowl.
Rhett didn’t so much as move, but the authority in his voice filled the room. “Spray me again, Remy, and you’re not going to like what I do to that bottle.”
She watched him intently for a long moment then shoved the bag at Kinsley. “This is no good at all. I’ll be back.”
Rhett watched her as she scurried away.
Kinsley laughed. “You better get out of here. I’ve seen that look. Not only is she determined to fix your mood, but she told me she made a new drink that could battle any negative emotion.”
Rhett shuddered. “I’ll see you later then.”
“See ya,” she said.
With a final stern look at Benji, Rhett vanished out the back door.
Remy ran back through the front, holding up a glass filled with a liquid that looked like vomit. “Where’d Rhett go?” she asked.
“To run from that,” Kinsley said, pointing at the glass. “Seriously, Remy, no one is going to drink that.”
“Oh, please, it’s fine.” She took a sip then gagged. “Okay, you’re right, no one should drink this.”
Chapter 6
Rhett booked it around the building and headed toward his truck parked at the curb. He liked Remy, but there was no magic to cure him. Especially now, when confusing jealousy cut through him as Benji’s arms around Kinsley filled his mind, and he hated himself for it. She deserved a guy like Benji. A man who could love her right and be that perfect guy she needed. And yet the thought of Benji’s body anywhere near Kinsley burned Rhett’s blood red-hot.
When he reached his truck, a low snort escaped him when he saw someone sitting in the passenger seat. He got into the driver’s seat and said, “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised to see you. How did you know I was on my way to see King?”
“Because it’s exactly what I would have done,” Asher replied, his seatbelt already buckled. He hesitated, his nose scrunching. “Do I even want to know why you smell like flowers?”
“Blame your wife,” Rhett growled.
Asher’s deep laugh filled the truck as Rhett turned on the ignition, and soon, they left the small town behind for the country roads heading toward Whitby Falls. Traffic was typical along the coastline, with most driving slow to take in the scenery. Rhett passed two cars before he settled into the open road.
When the town faded behind them, Asher broke the silence. “Have you given King a heads-up on this meeting?” he asked.
Rhett nodded. “I thought surprising him wasn’t in my best interests.” King was a smart criminal, so smart that he had people believing he’d gone straight. “He’s expecting me.”
“Smart call,” Asher said, taking out his cell phone. He laughed a moment later. “Remy has instructed me to bring you back to her shop when we’re done.”
“You can try,” Rhett warned, grinning at Asher, all teeth.
Asher chuckled and fired off a text.
Not that Rhett blamed Remy for trying to make the situation better. She and Kinsley were connected in ways Rhett couldn’t even fathom. If Kinsley was feeling off, Remy would feel the same way too. But that didn’t mean Rhett would indulge Remy. If he did, she’d unleash the full force of her New Age magic on him.
Outside his window, the bright sun glistened along the ice on the water, and on any other day, Rhett would’ve sunk back into his seat and enjoyed the ride. While on tour in the Afghan mountains, he’d often dreamed of the ocean, of the coast, even in wintertime. Nothing was as beautiful…well, he could think of one thing more beautiful.
“Did you get anything on Kinsley’s employees?”
Rhett shook the thought from his head. He’d run Benji, Lola, and Justin before dropping the key off to Kinsley. “They’re clean, but I’m not ruling out Benji.”
“Why?” Asher asked. “Because he’s slept with Kinsley?”
Rhett knew they’d been intimate only because Boone had shared that info when Kinsley hired him. He’d been against her hiring an ex-boyfriend. She’d ignored Boone, like she ignored most people. She always went with her gut. Rhett liked that about her. “That has nothing to do with anything,” he retorted.
“Sure it doesn’t.” Asher smirked.
Rhett focused back on the road, not allowing Asher to turn this conversation personal. Kinsley had been threatened. Rhett would find out why. “Someone had a way to disable her security system,” he said, reminding Asher of that fact. “This could very well have something to do with someone who works there.”
Asher didn’t look convinced and ignored Rhett’s redirect of the conversation. “Speaking of Kinsley, how’s things going there?” he asked.
Rhett’s jaw clenched and his fingers tightened on the steering wheel. “The only thing I want to talk about is how to keep her safe.” He gave Asher a sidelong look. “Got it?”
Asher’s brow
s rose. “In a mood today, huh?”
Damn. Rhett rolled his shoulders and relaxed his jaw, keeping his gaze focused on the road ahead. Both Asher and Boone were his found brothers. They were also the only family he had back in Stoney Creek. “This is…it’s…”
“Tense,” Asher offered. “I got that.”
“That’s all it is right now,” Rhett said, having nothing more to give. “She’s fine. I’m dealing with all this. That’s all I got.”
Asher inclined his head and didn’t push anymore; he simply continued looking out the window.
Most days, Rhett wondered what he did to deserve the friends he had. They were understanding, loyal, and supportive. When Rhett first returned from the Army, he’d been in a dark place, and they had stuck by him. Every single one of them. He kept his focus on the road, getting the subject off Kinsley. Truth was, Rhett had no answers, only pulsing emotions that felt like they were tottering on the edge of control.
They spent the rest of the drive in silence, and by the time Rhett drove along the endless shops and restaurants of The Square in downtown Whitby Falls, he was cemented in his decision to talk with King. He had no clue as to how he could make all this right with Kinsley, but he knew how to protect her.
That was a start.
He drove through the town until they headed back out of the city and into the vast beauty of Maine. Ten minutes later, Rhett pulled into a gated driveway. He rolled down his window, and when the security camera above the gate turned toward him, Rhett announced, his breath clouding, “Detective West and Detective Sullivan to see King.”
Ruthless Bastard Page 7