Ruthless Bastard

by Kennedy, Stacey

  Rhett whisked the door open, and Dalton replied, “Next time you pick me up for no reason, I won’t be so nice.”

  Rhett snorted, not indulging Dalton in further conversation. He headed straight for his office and took a seat behind his desk. He opened the file, taking out the photograph of the men in Kinsley’s bar, as the loud roars of motorcycles thundered outside the station, heading out of town.

  Asher entered his office a minute later, followed by Boone. They sat in the client chairs across from him. “What did you make of that?” Rhett asked Boone.

  “Dalton knows something,” Boone said, crossing his ankle over his knee.

  Asher nodded. “But I still doubt it’s the Red Dragons.”

  “He basically hand-fed us that it’s not his bikers,” Rhett said. “His choice of words, ‘The Red Dragons have no interest in your woman or her bar,’ was very specific. The second he heard she was carrying my child, his demeanor changed. Was it a warning that while he and his men aren’t interested in Kinsley, someone else is?”

  Boone scrubbed his unshaven face. “You’re certain King has nothing to do with this?”

  Rhett nodded. “Got no doubt in my mind.”

  Asher added, “As much as I’d love to jump on King and get him for this, I agree, this doesn’t have his flavor on it.”

  “We need to put this to bed,” Rhett said, running his hands over his face.

  Asher broke the silence. “You saw something from Dalton.”

  Rhett hit the spacebar on his keyboard to awaken his computer and reached for the mouse. “Dalton recognized that guy. I saw it in his face.” Rhett pulled up the photograph of the men and zoomed in on the picture until he had what he needed. Rhett turned his monitor toward the guys and tapped the man’s tattoo on his wrist. “He recognized that.”

  Asher studied the tattoo then his brow arched. “How sure are you?”

  The military taught Rhett not to miss subtle physical clues. To do so meant lives were lost. “I’d wager that he not only knows of the guy, but he’s met him personally. We want to find out who’s behind this,” Rhett said, stabbing his finger against his monitor. “We need to find out who this tattoo belongs to.”

  Asher sighed. “That’s not hard at all.”

  Rhett nodded, knowing their lead was a terrible one. “If there’s another biker gang in town, there will be unrest in Whitby Falls. I’ll call Anderson”—a homicide detective Rhett knew well—“and see if I can go up tomorrow to revisit some recent cases. There might be a connection there that will give us one of these guys.”

  Boone nodded and rose. “Want me to come with you?”

  Rhett shook his head. “Stay here. Close.” To Kinsley. Keep her safe.

  Boone gave him a look of understanding and tapped the door frame. “Call if you need me. Asher, you’re with me. Let’s dig into seeing if there’ve been similar break-ins close by.”

  “Keep us in the loop of anything you find,” Asher said, then followed Boone out of Rhett’s office.

  Rhett turned back to his monitor and the man with the tattoo. The gesture that man had made of cutting his neck with his knife had never left Rhett’s mind. The warning there was clear. Rhett reciprocated with his own warning now to Dalton, and no doubt that warning would spread throughout Maine. Touch Kinsley and his child, and there was nowhere they could hide that Rhett wouldn’t find them.

  Chapter 9

  “What was up with Detective Hard Ass yesterday?” Benji asked by way of greeting as he strode out from the back room. “I thought his glare was gonna burn me alive.”

  Kinsley finished cutting up the limes for the busy night ahead. The last customer had left five minutes ago, but soon, the bar would be full again, all to watch the folk singer who hailed from New York City. “Oh, I’m just pregnant with his baby, so he’s getting…moody.”

  Benji froze mid-step. He blinked and then slowly lowered his foot to the ground, his mouth wide open.

  Kinsley burst out laughing. “I’m surprised you hadn’t heard already. Mary Jane overheard me talking to Remy about it yesterday at the market. I thought for sure everyone would know by now.”

  “No, man, I hadn’t heard.” Benji glanced at her belly before his gaze lifted again. “Pregnant, whoa.” He blinked again. “So, are you two a thing now?”

  “Lord, no,” she replied with a dry laugh. “He only found out the other day.”

  Benji shook his head, obviously clearing the shock away, then approached her. “Well, he’s certainly handling the news well, and stepping up, considering he fixed your bar last night.”

  “He’s an incredible guy. I’m just glad everyone’s finally seeing it,” was her carefully worded reply.

  Benji chuckled softly. “An incredible guy is not exactly how I think anyone in town would describe Rhett.”

  Playboy. Tough. Those probably sounded right to everyone in town. “Yeah, but you don’t know him like I do,” she replied.

  Benji kept quiet after that, and she grabbed the rag from the sink to wipe up the condensation left from the last customer’s beer. The bar wasn’t hers anymore, or at least it didn’t feel like hers, but soon, once her insurance claim was processed, she could get decorating. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner about the baby,” she said to Benji, suddenly feeling terrible about that. “It’s just been a whirlwind.”

  “Hey, no worries, Kins, this had to be a mega shock.” Benji dropped his backpack under the bar then enveloped her in one of his warm hugs. “Are you happy?”

  “Happy and scared,” she admitted, leaning into his comforting embrace. “And everything in between that.”

  His hug barely lasted three seconds. It didn’t take much to realize he feared Rhett walking through the door and seeing them again. Oh, the power Rhett had. Kinsey was sure he’d find Benji’s reaction amusing.

  Benji organized the liquor bottles in the way he preferred them, switching out an empty bottle of vodka for a new one. “I guess that explains why you haven’t been working as many late shifts.”

  She nodded then took her purse out of the drawer. She’d already grabbed her winter coat from the back, and quickly slid into it. Outside, the sun was already setting, the long dark nights of winter ahead. She wrapped her scarf around her neck. “I just can’t do it anymore. I’m so tired all the time.”

  “Well, that’s what you’ve got me and Lola for,” Benji said, giving her a nudge toward the door. “Go rest. I’ve got everything here for the night.”

  She let him lead her around the bar but paused before leaving. “If anyone comes in tonight who feels off to you or anything, call Boone. He wants us to keep an eye on the customers.”

  “Sure, no problem.” Benji pointed at the door. “Goodbye, Kinsley.”

  She blew him a kiss then left through the front door. Many nights, she’d seen people come into the bar and take for granted the good people in their lives. Once, she’d overheard one man boast about his wife at home with their kids, when he came in every night to the bar after work. That mistake wouldn’t be one she made. She knew how good she had it, and that’s why she didn’t have lingering trauma where her mother was concerned. She’d spent ten years in therapy after her mom left. The good was all she wanted in her life, and everyone in her life brought something wonderful to it.

  When she stepped out, the cold night and a dark sky of sparkling stars greeted her. She drew in the brisk air. With all the cloudy days lately, she hadn’t seen the stars in a while. Those little twinkling lights often reminded her of how small she was, and how life could sometimes be full of magic. She reached into her purse for her cell phone, discovering that Rhett was twenty minutes late in picking her up.

  The rookie, Cameron, sat in his cruiser. He was the youngest rookie on the force, only twenty-one. Cute, too, with his all-American blond hair and blue-eyed good looks. Kinsley approached him, and after he rolled down the passenger side window, she said, “I’m going to go meet Rhett at the station.”

  Camero
n nodded. “I’ll keep an eye on you while you do.”

  “Thanks.” She smiled. “Have a good night.”

  “You, too.”

  She turned away from him, tucking her cell phone back into her purse.“Once a cop, always a cop,” she muttered, heading down Main Street. Being late, sadly, came with the job description.

  A few minutes later, she entered the station and was greeted with smiles and waves. Every set of eyes went straight to her belly, telling her they’d all heard the news. But only Doreen, the receptionist, made a move toward her.

  Doreen had worked at the station for as long as Kinsley could remember. “Oh, my dear, Kinsley, I heard about yours and Rhett’s exciting news. A baby!” She threw her arms around her tight. “Your father was just beside himself when he told me. How are you feeling?” she asked, leaning away, bright eyed.

  “Better every day,” Kinsley answered. It was partly the truth. She’d lost her breakfast immediately after she ate it this morning but then she ate another meal an hour later and was totally fine. Progress.

  “Wonderful news,” Doreen said. “You’ll let me know if you need anything at all?”

  “Thanks, I will,” Kinsley said with a smile. “I’m actually here to see Rhett. Is it okay if I go back?”

  “Not a problem, dear,” Doreen said. Kinsley cupped her hands, looking properly pleased, then gave a quick wave and headed off.

  She felt more weight vanish off her shoulders that she didn’t know was there. Everyone who needed to know she was pregnant knew, and everyone seemed happy. Well, Rhett still seemed tense, but things were moving in the right direction. She walked past her father’s empty office and found Rhett sitting behind his desk, his head down as he studied the papers scattered around him.

  “You’re late,” she said.

  Rhett jerked his head up and glanced at his monitor. “Shit.” He jumped to his feet, guilt raging in his gaze.

  “It’s okay,” she reassured him, pointing at herself. “Kid that grew up surrounded by cops, remember?” Rhett looked torn between leaving and finishing whatever he was working on, so she sat in the client chair. “I take it this is my case.” She waved her hand at the papers on his desk.

  Rhett nodded, returning to his seat and rubbing his hands over his face. “I got sucked in. Did you walk here alone?”

  She nodded, and at his deep frown, she added, “The street is really busy tonight. Perfectly safe. And Cameron’s sitting at the bar in his cruiser. He kept a good eye on me. What have you found out?”

  He angled his head, watching her. She knew he couldn’t tell her everything about her case, even if her father was the chief of police. He finally said, “We’re drawing closer to identifying one of the suspects.”

  “That’s good,” she said.

  He nodded, his gaze sweeping over the documents like he could find all the answers there. “I’ll feel much better once we know the reason why your bar was trashed. The unknown…” Those dark intense eyes met hers again. “It’s an unfavorable position.”

  “You’ll figure it out,” she said with a confident smile. “You guys always do.”

  He inclined his head then searched through his papers. “Do me a favor, though,” he said, finally handing her a photograph. “If you ever see a guy with this tattoo on his wrist, don’t approach him. Just get somewhere safe, all right?”

  Her heart skipped a beat, her hand falling to her belly. His oath to the badge made it impossible for Rhett to disclose direct information about the case, but that sure sounded like a warning. “Is he someone I should be afraid of?”

  Rhett’s mouth tightened before he said, “He trashed your bar. Which means he is a threat to you. Promise me you’ll stay away.”

  She held his intense stare, which was also oddly filled with a new warmth she saw in him. “Okay, I’ll stay away.”

  “Good.” He tidied up his papers and put them in the file, which he then shoved into his desk drawer before locking it. “Want to grab some grub on the way home?”

  She’d been thinking about this all day. “Actually, I thought we could grab some fast food and then you can show me what you do for fun.”

  He frowned. “Why?”

  She rolled her eyes. “Is it really so awful to show me something I don’t know about you?”

  “No, it’s not awful at all,” he said, reaching for his winter coat on the back of his chair. “But you’re not going to like what I do for fun.”

  “Oh, yeah, try me.”

  * * *

  A half an hour later, Rhett dodged the first fist coming at his face, but the second landed squarely on his jaw, sending him flying back against the boxing ring padding.

  “You’re right, I don’t like this.”

  Rhett turned his head and gave Kinsley a bloody-mouthed grin, while she sat on the bench, arms crossed, one leg bouncing over the other. He turned back to his target, and longtime friend, Theo, and hopped to his feet. He charged forward and took his opponent down with his forearm pinned to Theo’s neck.

  Theo had retired from the Navy a few years ago and opened Sailor’s on the outskirts of Stoney Creek, but Rhett had known him in high school. Theo filled the void that many military guys needed filled. Most people thought that adjusting to civilian life was a challenge because of the painful memories they took home with them, and while Rhett had his own nightmares and knew that his time in the military fundamentally changed him, one of the hardest parts of returning to civilian life had been the adrenaline. He’d spent his days and nights being on alert, looking for that threat that would kill him or his men. Letting go of that adrenaline had been impossible, which only fueled the nightmares. He knew the pregnancy was why his dream had come back the other night. Any change brought the nightmares back. But that’s why he came to Sailor’s, to get control of himself, and the adrenaline coursing through his veins.

  Once a warehouse, now the boxing ring was in the center, with a weight area off to the right, and on the other side were a few punching bags. Theo gave members a keycard to gain access to come and go as they pleased. Only a soldier understood a soldier, and nearly all the gym members came from a military background.

  When Theo couldn’t break the hold, he tapped Rhett’s shoulder, and Rhett lurched to his feet. Theo followed. “Leave her at home next time,” Theo said with a grin, his dark blue eyes laughing. “You fight better with her here.”

  Rhett wiped his mouth with his forearm then caught the blood there. “I’m not the only one showing off here.”

  Theo grinned. “Bring me a pretty lady and a guy’s gotta do what a guy’s gotta do.”

  Rhett shot forward with a front kick, but Theo blocked the hit and reciprocated with a body grab. Rhett shifted, latched on to Theo’s wrist, and escaped the hold, sending Theo slamming down hard on the mat on his back.

  His laughter boomed in the open space all the way up to the exposed rafters. “Prick.”

  Rhett grinned and offered a hand. Theo accepted it and was on his feet a second later. Rhett’s chest felt lighter, his tense muscles slowly relaxing. Only one other thing made him feel so quiet, so calm, and he felt that same tug to get close to Kinsley again. Her soft moans brushing over his body. The scent of her, a pleasing scent he could still smell now. It had been on his mind all day. He’d had sex. A lot. He loved sex, but with Kinsley, sex was…different. Addictive.

  Theo bent at the hip, catching his breath, sweat coating his flesh. “And now that my pride has been beaten into the ground, I better get home to the wife.” He cupped Rhett’s shoulder, his hand wrap rough against Rhett’s sweaty skin. “You better go fix up that lip.” He grinned. “Looks like I got a good one in.”

  “Please. It’s barely a scratch.”

  Theo laughed. “Sure, let’s go with that.” He strode off toward the change room.

  Fighting, using muscles and skill for combat, Rhett had trained for years to hone this abilities. The soldier in him needed to be fed, kept in control, and sharp, and he felt per
fectly aligned when he turned back to Kinsley. She still sat on the bench with her arms crossed. The old factory lighting flickered, but there was enough on her to let him see her. A brunette beauty in a grungy place, and yet she seemed to suit the place too.

  He stepped through the ropes then moved down the stairs, beginning to unwind his hand wraps. When he met her at the bench, she asked, “Seriously, you honestly think that getting the snot kicked out of you is fun?”

  “Yes, it’s fun, and I also don’t recall losing the fight, so I’d say I did the snot kicking.”

  She slowly shook her head, frown in place. “Honestly, how that is fun is beyond my comprehension.”

  Rhett grinned, knowing there was blood in his mouth. “Getting physical and sweaty doesn’t seem like a good idea to you?”

  She cringed. “Ew.” His face was in her hands a second later. “Do you need to see a doctor?”

  “Yes,” Theo yelled from the other side of the gym as he walked out of the change room. “Maybe get him his blankie too.”

  Rhett gave him a rude gesture and Theo barked out a laugh. He headed out the front door with a wave, and it slammed shut behind him. Rhett faced Kinsley. “I’m fine. Give it a few minutes and the bleeding will stop.”

  “What about that is seriously fun to you?” she asked, pointing to the ring.

  He shrugged. “Just burns off adrenaline, and I’m good at fighting. Would you ask a tennis player why they like playing tennis?”

  She hesitated. “Okay, I see your point…sort of.” She scanned the area and asked him, “Does Theo own this place?”

  Rhett got a good look at the cleavage in the vee of her shirt before he nodded, and once he’d finished unwrapping his left hand, he moved on to his right. “He doesn’t make money off the gym. He holds a fund-raiser every year to buy new equipment and pay for the space.”

  “Really?” she asked, glancing around again, reassessing. “Why?”

  Rhett shrugged. “He gets that military guys need this when they come home.”

  Her brows shot up. “To fight each other?”