by Debra Kayn
“What?” Her brows wrinkled. “I was under the impression, going from the paperwork the department has collected over the years, the Archer’s were a close, albeit dysfunctional family.”
He sighed. “His dad’s in prison, sweetheart. His mom, as you know, is dead. Kage has managed to stay out of his uncle’s business this long, and he won’t go back. I’d say he’s strong enough to handle anything Darrell throws at him.”
“But he doesn’t know—”
“No. He doesn’t.” Tony opened his door, but before he stepped out he said, “And when he does find out, it’s going to knock him on his ass.”
Darrell, Kage, Garrett, Lance, Tony, and Rocki congregated in the parking lot as if they’d planned this moment for weeks instead of a few hours ago. Tony stood beside Kage and sent Rocki off to join the girls at the back door to the body shop to help keep an angry Janie from getting any closer to Darrell.
Tony focused on Kage. He wanted to ask if Kage was okay, but he already knew the answer. Whether being this close to Kage’s uncle bothered him or not, Kage would never speak of his feelings.
“Your only job is to keep Janie safe,” Kage said without taking his gaze off his uncle.
Tony slipped his pistol in the back of his jeans and nonchalantly hooked the thumb of his nonshooting hand in his front pocket. “That’s a given, bro. Always.”
Garrett flanked Kage’s other side. “What’s your uncle want this time?”
“Same shit, same drug lord,” Kage murmured.
Tony knew why Darrell called the visit. Tightness crawled up his neck. He just didn’t know whether Kage’s uncle would share the truth after all these years or create another lie to fuck with Kage’s head. He studied Darrell as he approached the group, staying ten feet away.
Polished in a black suit, cream-colored shirt, and navy tie, Darrell appeared in total control. Tony scanned the area. Darrell never went anywhere without his thugs, yet not one of them was in sight.
“Kage.” Darrell unbuttoned his suit coat.
Kage refused to acknowledge him. Tony stared straight ahead, all his attention toward the front in case any of Darrell’s men decided to show their faces. Kage’s lack of emotion over the family meeting was normal and what Tony expected from his friend. He had more self-control than a man had a right to own.
Darrell studied the area beyond them. Tony’s gaze followed in the same direction, and his stomach tightened. Rocki stood in front of Janie, glaring at Darrell.
“I hear congratulations are in order, Detective Bangli.” Darrell dipped his chin. “Our deal has been finalized to a mutual satisfaction, I believe.”
Rocki’s brows lifted. Tony shifted. He’d seen that look on her face before. Now was not the time to rile Darrell. She was free, and he’d like to keep her that way.
“You do know I won’t give up on taking you down,” Rocki said. “It’s my job.”
Oh, fuck. Tony reached behind him, gripped his gun, and waited.
Darrell chuckled. “I wouldn’t expect anything less from you, Detective. You’ll keep me on my toes and I’ll keep you entertained, I’m sure. I look forward to seeing you again.”
“Don’t even think about it,” Tony said. “She’s mine.”
Darrell’s jaw twitched and he swung his gaze back to the group of men. “I’ll take that into consideration, Weston.”
“Nobody calls him Weston,” Rocki said.
He turned in time to watch Janie hold Rocki from going after Darrell. He nailed her with a look, and inhaled deeply when Rocki stepped back beside the other women heeding his silent plea to back off. A fierce pride came from her standing up to Darrell. No matter how foolish or useless the stance was, he knew where she stood.
“You’ve got thirty seconds to say what you came here to say, and then I’m going inside and you’re getting in your fucking car and leaving,” Kage said.
During the whole exchange Kage stood patiently waiting, but he’d put an end to the game Darrell wanted. Kage’s hands relaxed at his sides, his face a mix of boredom and disinterest in what was happening around him. Tony clenched his teeth. He should’ve told Kage when he and Rocki made the deal and broken his promise to Kage’s uncle.
He owed Kage.
“They’ll be some news that comes out in the press regarding Gino Marcelli that directly involves you.” Darrell took one step forward. “I wanted you to hear it from me first.”
“Nothing that involves you would surprise me, or the fact that I would get dragged into the mess,” Kage said. “Save your breath.”
Darrell tilted his head and studied Kage. “You’ve always had a strength I admired. You do know that, don’t you, Kage?”
Kage remained silent.
“Very well.” Darrell clasped his hands behind his back. “Your friend Wes—Tony has already been informed of the details, and I can see that he too has kept his word. You’ve accomplished a lot with such loyal friends. Some say to have friends, you don’t need money. I’ve found that untrue but like always, you’ve taken a different approach than I, or your father.”
“Bastard,” Tony whispered.
Whether Darrell drew out the truth to nail them all or to cause Kage more pain, Tony wanted the meeting over and done. He stepped forward, but Darrell put up his hand stopping him.
“The shipment of heroin your mother was testing all those years ago came from Marcelli, and wasn’t part of my stock.” Darrell lowered his voice. “Marcelli was the one who killed your mother, Kage. The batch wasn’t mine. What you witnessed was me trying to help your mother after she’d injected the heroin to test it during a buyout.”
Tony expected Kage to lurch forward, to go after his uncle, to reel back in shock, or to stare dumbfounded at the news. Instead, Kage took the information as if Darrell had announced the chrome bumper on Kage’s Mustang had a dirty spot.
Garrett cussed. “Is that true?”
“Yeah.” Tony swallowed. “He handed proof to Rocki and in return she presented evidence in court supporting the fact. They pinned the death of not only Kage’s mom, but also five others on Marcelli. I gave my word to Darrell during his meeting with Rocki and me that I wouldn’t tell Kage in exchange for keeping Rocki safe until she could bring in Marcelli.”
And still, Kage stood there unaffected by the news.
Darrell pulled his lips tight against his teeth. A crack in his armor. He gave a damn, but for what reason, Tony would never know. If Darrell thought to weaken Kage’s resolve to stay out of the family business, he was sadly mistaken. He knew in his heart, Kage would never walk on the other side of the road and work for the underground.
“We’re done,” Kage said, pivoting and walking off.
Janie ran to him, but the only sign Kage knew she was there was that his hand went to her hip and he held her against his side.
“Kage,” Darrell called.
Kage stopped, but kept his back toward his uncle. Tony walked forward joining Garrett behind Kage. Lance joined them and together the three of them surrounded Kage, shoulder to shoulder, blocking Kage from Darrell’s view. It wasn’t the first time they’d protected Kage’s back, and it wouldn’t be the last time. Even though he trusted Kage to stay away from Darrell, he knew Darrell would never give up trying to bring his nephew into the family business. He’d personally stop his friend before he ruined his life.
“While you believed I was the one responsible for you losing your mother, it kept you safe,” Darrell said. “It strengthened your resolve to stay out of the underground, away from me, and made you the better man.” He paused. “I did it for you, Kage. You’re blood. You’re my family.”
Tony sucked in air. Shit. He was not expecting that.
Kage raised his hand in acknowledgment, and walked forward toward the back door of the body shop without saying another word in reply to his uncle’s confession. Tony followed everyone into the building. He couldn’t imagine what Kage was going through.
“We still have a while before it’
s happy hour at Corner Pocket.” Kage headed down the hallway with Janie, leading all of them toward the garage. “Let’s cut that sunroof into Garrett’s Duster before we go have a beer.”
“Sounds good to me. I could use a drink,” Garrett said.
Sabrina hurried to catch up with Garrett. “I get to turn on the air compressor.”
“I’ll sit back and ogle the man candy. I’ll even slip you boys a dollar if you leave off the coveralls.” Charlene cackled.
Janie leaned her head against Kage’s arm, and the sight pleased Tony. Kage had somebody, and he hoped in private, his friend would lean on the woman who loved him. The business with Darrell rocked Kage’s foundation of what he’d built his life around, and he’d need his woman. He’d need them all before this was over.
Tony reached out and slipped Rocki’s hand inside his. She looked at him and bit her lip, asking him with her eyes whether everything was okay. He shrugged and followed the group. He couldn’t explain how they all coped with their connection to Darrell, they just did.
“Beers are on me tonight,” he said.
Despite keeping busy and the girls distracting everyone, Tony kept his eyes on Kage throughout the installation of the sunroof. His friend would be all right, he had no doubt. But he worried about how Kage would accept the truth, and he’d wait in case Kage wanted to talk. The news changed the reasoning behind Kage’s hatred for his uncle, and who knew what the future would bring him.
For that matter, he had no fucking clue what was going to happen between him and Rocki. Her trying to put distance between them was the last thing he’d expected today. Before he did anything, he wanted to make sure she realized he wasn’t letting her go.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Beer in hand, sexy guy’s arm looped across her shoulders, Rocki stood beside pool table number three at Corner Pocket’s where her life had changed for the better. She held on to the cue stick, leaning against her man. She fought against giggling her pleasure at her propitious turn of events. Tony lost the last game of pool to her, and she was about to clean the table again.
Ecstatic over the win, she’d done her best to keep up the momentum. That included leaning into him tightly and palming his ass with her free hand. He jolted, and she moved in for the kill. She had one more shot, and she needed to win.
“Winner calls,” she whispered, nibbling on his neck.
“Right,” he said.
She stepped away from him, bent over the table, and glanced behind her. “Anything, gorgeous.”
He flashed her one of his killer smiles. “Hell, yeah.”
Then she cleared the table of balls. Winning was her name today, and Tony deserved what she had planned for later when they returned to his house.
“Damn. You played me the night we met, acting like you couldn’t sink even two balls back to back.” Tony whistled. “Remind me to never bet you when we play pool.”
She grinned. Life was about to get interesting.
Darrell no longer wanted her silenced, Marcelli was in prison, and the guys at work would eventually realize she’d had their back the whole time. She vibrated with excitement for the future. Her relationship with Tony could go forward.
She believed him when he said they’d work out any problems together. They made an awesome team, and she had all the confidence in the world that if she tried to lead them in the wrong direction, he’d be the voice of reason in the relationship. Not that she wouldn’t try to push him into her way of thinking. Trying to change Tony’s mind was the fun part.
“You are going to love what I have planned for you,” she said, walking into his embrace.
He squeezed her to his chest. She smiled at the hammering of his heart, which she could feel over the music playing in the background. For a split second, she wondered if things were going too well.
Relationships usually never worked for her. Friends went to the wayside because of her career. Boyfriends tired of her need to control the relationship. Yet, Tony fit into her life better than if she’d handpicked him herself.
He took away her need for control and let her be herself. He made her feel like the most precious woman in the world. He allowed her to open up and be vulnerable, which was what she needed in her line of work. She had no desire to be the strong fearless detective at home. No, home was where she wanted to be Tony’s woman and please her man.
She gazed at Janie sitting on Kage’s lap. She’d never had girlfriends who pushed their way into her life and refused to leave the way Janie, Sabrina, and even Charlene had done. They understood her needs without her saying a word. They accepted her without any explanation.
“Honey?” Her mom hurried toward her. “Caleb and Pauline are taking me home before they head to the hotel. Then I’m going to help them find a Realtor tomorrow. They’re thinking about moving back to Bay City. Isn’t that wonderful?”
Rocki looked at Tony. He pointed to her and grinned. She slapped his arm at the reminder of her lie. She did not sell real estate.
“Did you know your parents wanted to move back?” she asked.
Tony shrugged, but seemed to accept the news. “Nothing surprises me when it comes to my parents. They’re retired, and go where they want.”
Rocki left Tony’s arms and entered her mom’s embrace. “That’s wonderful. You seem to really like the Westons.”
Her mom nodded. “I do. We got to know each other in Hawaii and we have something in common.”
“What?” she asked.
“You and Tony.” Her mom kissed her cheek before moving to Tony and raising up on her toes to give him a kiss too. “Take care of my baby.”
“I will,” Tony winked at Rocki.
Caleb stepped forward, shook Tony’s hand, and then hugged her. Not any hug, but a hug that spoke more of the depth of the man. He loved his only son and wanted him happy. She understood and squeezed him back, a lump forming in her throat.
Pauline took Caleb’s place in front of her. “I’m so happy everything worked out for you.”
“Me too.” She hugged Pauline. “Thank you for taking care of my mom. I appreciate you being there for her.”
“No thanks needed. We were glad to help.” Pauline smoothed Rocki’s hair off her shoulder and whispered, “Stick with my boy, sweetie. He’s falling in love with you, you know.”
She pulled back. “What?”
Pauline smoothed Rocki’s cheek with her hand. “He hasn’t said anything to me, but a mother knows.”
Tony walked his parents and her mom outside. She stood in the same spot, staring at the door. That was the second person who’d claimed to know what Tony was feeling toward her. With the excitement in their life and the trial, she’d ignored the fact that Tony hadn’t mentioned love in the equation. Neither had she.
Her whole body squealed in the most wonderful way and she looked around the room, spotted Sabrina, and rushed over to her. She had to tell someone, anyone, to make the moment real. Laughing, she threw herself on Sabrina and forced her to jump up and down with her.
Relief swept through her. “I’m falling in love with Tony.”
“Girlfriend, we already knew that.” Sabrina planted her hands on her shoulders, stopping the movement. “You’re supposed to tell Tony that, not me.”
“I will.” She inhaled a big breath. “Tonight.”
Lance stood from the nearby table, knocking his chair over in the process. “What the hell?”
Rocki turned and found Tony walking toward her with the cutest old lady she’d ever seen. She glanced back at Lance. “Who’s that?”
The elderly woman took Lance’s attention and he moved in front of Rocki. “Granny McCray, what are you doing here?”
Granny McCray?
No more than five feet tall, curly short gray hair, stooped, and wielding a metal cane, Granny hobbled up to Lance and poked him hard in the belly. “You’re needed at home.”
Lance looked toward the ceiling. “What now, Granny?”
“Don’t g
ive me any lip, boy.” Granny’s cane flew out in the other direction, almost hitting Tony. “She needs your help.”
Rocki followed the direction of the cane. A gorgeous woman with long straight black hair stepped out from behind Tony. Rocki whispered, “Wow.”
Along with a perfect tight body and kick-ass outfit, the woman sent a glare straight to Lance that screamed she was looking for trouble. Rocki skirted the stare-down between Lance and the woman, and moved to Tony’s side.
Tony grabbed her hand. “Let’s get out of here while we can.”
“Maybe we should stay and see what’s wrong,” she said.
“Hell, no. I lost a bet playing pool and I’m willing to pay.” He laughed as he pushed the door open and strolled outside.
Fifteen minutes later at Tony’s house, in the bedroom, Rocki hung on to Tony. She had no time to put her plan into action. He’d gone all business on her in the driveway, half dragging her inside and holding her while he quickly put Brute out for his nighttime potty business.
Hot, hard, aggressive, Tony held up his part of the bargain. He slid his hand underneath her hair and cupped her head as he crashed against the wall, cushioning her to his chest. She melted as his hand covered her lower back, holding her tight. Heat rolled off his body, warming hers.
“Damn.” He kissed her again. “Sweetheart, I want you.” He palmed her ass. “Now.”
“Yes.” She wiggled away from him and dragged him to his bedroom.
He picked her up and fell onto the bed with her in his arms, holding her against him. Touching, kissing, stripping his clothes off, she flailed beside him in her rush. “Hurry.”
“I’m trying, sweetheart.” He ripped out the laces on his boots, pulled them off before he pushed his jeans down and kicked his legs, sending his pants to the floor.
She nibbled across his chest, over the taunt muscles. Her nails dug into his shoulders. Tony laughed as she peered into his face, realizing she’d created a wild man. He’d gone from laughing in the car to pushing the pedal to the metal and breaking all kinds of speeding laws to get her home.