by Jill Sanders
“What?” she asked easily.
“Pull away.” He moved closer and she maintained most of her control as he started kissing her, but as his mouth moved over her, she started relaxing. He pulled back when the last of her control fell away completely.
“There.” He nudged her chin up until their eyes met. “Much better. I don’t play games,” he warned.
“No.” She sighed. She should have known better with Brian. Over the past year she’d gotten to know him better than anyone else in her life, including her mother. Maybe that was the reason she felt such a pull? “Neither do I. I’ve just got a need for…”
“Self-preservation?” His hands were running up and down her arms.
“Right.” She nodded and stepped away. “Coffee?” She handed him a mug.
“Thanks.” He smiled at her. “So, I figured while you were busy with things…” He sighed.
“Lunch with your mother?” She smiled at his uncomfortable look. Rea had invited her to join her today for a girls’ lunch date, something Brian was uncomfortable about.
“Yeah.” He ran his hands through his hair and set the mug down before turning back to the stove. “Anyway, while you are doing that, I’d thought I’d swing into some of the clubs and see what I can find out.”
“Clubs?” She frowned at the thought of him going into the many strip clubs that lined the streets of Haven. Especially after last night. Then she remembered Darla and her worry doubled.
“Yeah.” He glanced back at her and chuckled when he noticed her look. “Trust me, Mia, after last night and this morning, you have nothing to worry about.”
Flipping off the stove, he set the last pancake onto a plate and nodded towards the back-patio dining area.
“Let’s eat out there and watch the snow fall,” he suggested.
He was right, the snow was still falling outside and since it was already light outside, she could see that they already had a few inches piling up on the ground.
She followed him out, taking both of their mugs while he took the plates stacked with food. He disappeared and came back with syrup and a plate of bacon and eggs.
“Dig in.” He motioned to the food.
“You like cooking.” It was an accusation instead of an observation.
He nodded. “After I learned to eat healthier, I decided to teach myself.” He took a large bite of bacon.
“This is eating right?” She chuckled.
He smiled up at her. “After last night… yes.” He wiggled his eyebrows, an impressive move since she doubted that she had the skills or muscles to attempt such a move.
“Okay.” She chuckled. “Now you’re just showing off.”
He laughed. “It’s been far too long since I’ve…” He nodded towards the upstairs. “I think I’m due a little gloating. You?” he asked, in between bites.
“I don’t gloat,” she said, sipping her coffee as his sexy chuckle filled the room.
“Whatever happened between you and…” His eyes narrowed.
“Steve?” she asked, picking up a slice of bacon and nibbling on it. She was hungry, but the conversation was causing her stomach to waver.
“Right.” He set his fork down and just looked at her. “It’s been a while since you’ve been with someone.”
“Yes, just like you. The job…”
“Is an excuse,” he finished. “I should know, I’ve used it in the past myself.” He reached over and took her hand in his. “We’ve got a lot more going on than the job.”
She nodded.
“So, here’s to us…” He held up his coffee mug. “The damaged. I plan on riding this wave for a while,” he warned when their mugs connected with a dull thud. “If there’s an after…”
She thought about the possibilities of breaking things off with Brian and knew that there was no way they could ever return to how things were before.
“Right.” She swallowed the hot liquid.
He set his mug down and continued eating. “So, let’s go over what you plan on talking to my mother about today.”
The change of subject allowed her to eat a pancake, some eggs, and three pieces of bacon.
By the time he dropped her off at his mother’s house a few hours later, she felt a little more centered. He had driven her through the snow once more around the town so she could become familiar with the streets and buildings in the daylight.
At this point, she was pretty sure she knew every inch of the town. It wasn’t a large city, but there were enough buildings that she wondered how they were going to find whoever was making and selling the pills.
It wasn’t as if they would need a huge building. Hell, the DEA had caught a few people selling pills out of their basements. Still, if the rumors of the number of pills coming out of Haven were correct, it would have to be a fairly large operation. Big enough they would need at least multiple people to help.
“Have fun,” Brian said to her as he parked in front of his mother’s place. “Remember,” he started, but she held up her hand.
“I’ve got it all…” She tapped the side of her head with her finger.
“Right.” He smiled, then leaned over and kissed her, letting his lips linger over hers. “God, I don’t think that’s going to get old anytime soon.”
She smiled. “No, it’s not.” She felt her heart skip and turned away to open the door.
“I’ll pick you up in three hours.”
“Have… fun.” She narrowed her eyes at him, and he chuckled.
He waved and drove away as she made her way up the cleared sidewalk.
Rea answered the door wearing dark slacks and a bright red blouse with fine beadwork.
“Hi.” She smiled and glanced over Mia’s shoulder. “Did Brian already leave?”
“Yes,” she answered, removing her jacket and boots as she stepped into the small entryway. “He was meeting some old friends,” she lied easily.
“Oh.” Rea’s smile changed a little. “Do you know who?”
“No.” Mia shook her head.
“Okay, come on in. I have some hot coffee or tea if you want.”
“Coffee is fine.” She started to follow Rea into the kitchen area. As they walked through the living room, she noticed some American Indian jewelry and clothing hanging up in a corner of the room that was set up as an office space. Most of the items had a symbol of a bird on them. “These are yours?” she asked, moving closer to the items.
“Yes, I started my own business, Wise Crow,” she answered and moved over next to Mia. “My office is full right now, since I had a large order, and some of it spilled out into the living room.” She chuckled.
“These are beautiful.” She ran a finger over the fine needlework of a bright blue T-shirt. The crow symbol was done in bright yellow and black.
“Thank you. After retiring from McGowan Enterprises, I had a lot of free time on my hands. So, I filled it with something I’d always considered a hobby.”
“And the jewelry?” Mia moved over and picked up a piece with turquoise and red stones. The necklace had two small black crows under large pieces of turquoise that led down to a red flower with a moon dripping off the bottom. The gold and silver used on the piece had Mia looking closer. “Is this real gold?”
“Yes,” Rea said. “It’s plated, but still. I was commissioned for this piece for a dear friend.” She smiled down at the necklace as Mia set it back down in the black jewelry box. “She’s coming to pick it up later tonight.”
“Nice.” She ran a finger over several other pieces. “These are amazing.”
“Thank you.” Rea beamed as Mia took her time looking at each piece. “How did you learn to do all this?”
“I was raised on the Flathead Reservation; my teacher was named Blackfoot.” A sad look crossed the older woman’s face.
“He’s passed?” she asked, touching the smaller woman’s shoulder.
“Yes, a few years back.” She sighed. “Which is when I decided to start doing this full time.�
� She looked over her work and smiled. “Someone needed to carry on the tradition and share the history of our people.” She turned to Mia. “You have a little heritage in you. I can see it.”
Mia frowned. “No, I don’t… think so.” She shrugged.
Rea beamed. “I can tell.” Rea took her arm and she followed her into the kitchen as she started asking her about her parents and her family.
It was strange, but after an hour of talking to Rea, she found herself opening to the woman.
“What about your mother? Brian told me that your father died shortly after you were born?”
“Yes, my mother still lives in the small home I was raised in.”
“Were you two close?” Rea asked.
“No, not really.” She frowned.
“Oh no, why?”
“My mother wasn’t… isn’t really the emotional type.”
Rea tilted her head in question, then reached over and took Mia’s hand as Mia thought about the phone call with her mother.
“Something’s bothering you,” Rea said. “I can see the sadness there behind the shield you’ve built up for protection.”
She didn’t know why, but a few minutes later, Mia was crying on Rea’s shoulder as she talked about her mother’s call and how she’d been treated as a child.
She didn’t know why she felt comfortable enough to open up to the older woman, but as she spilled all of her dark childhood secrets, she wondered why they had to lie to his mother in the first place.
Chapter 8
Brian walked into the strip club and, as the sounds and smells hit him, memories flooded his mind.
He saw several of his old acquaintances and more than a dozen unfamiliar faces as well.
Swinging around, he made his way towards the back booth and found the owner, Cam, hanging out watching the news on a small laptop.
“Hey, Cam,” he interrupted. When the man glanced up, a large smile filled the older man’s face as he stood up to shake Brian’s hand.
“I’d heard you came crawling back home,” Cam joked. “Heard you brought a looker with you.” He glanced over Brian’s shoulder as he laughed.
“She’s with my mom, having lunch,” Brian answered as Cam motioned towards the bar.
“Buy you a beer?” Cam asked.
“I never turn down a free beer,” Brian answered with a chuckle.
“Smart man.” Cam slapped him on the shoulder as they stopped in front of the bar. “What’re you having?”
“Bud Light,” he told the bartender, yet another new face, as he sat on a barstool.
“So, what brings you back to Haven?” Cam asked.
“The holidays,” he lied easily, wondering when he’d learned how to do it without blinking. “It’s been a while since I came home, and Mia’s family isn’t…”—he shrugged— “present.”
Cam nodded. “So, how long are you back for?” The man sat down next to Brian and sipped a bottle of water the bartender set in front of him. “Thanks, Corey.” Cam waved the bottle at the bartender. “Corey moved here last year from Vegas. I can’t stand all those fancy sugary drinks he makes, but the customers eat them up. Pay top dollar for them too.” Cam winked at the bartender. “Ladies love him too.” He turned to Brian.
Brian made a mental note of the man’s name. The guy had the skinniest build Brian had ever seen. His arms were nothing but bone and muscle and covered with tattoos, like Brian’s own arms.
“A few weeks,” he answered Cam. “We’re not sure yet.”
“Heard you were staying at Gail’s place.”
“Yup.” News went around like a wildfire in Haven. Actually, faster, which Brian knew because a few years back, the entire hillside outside of town had been engulfed in flames. It was during an elaborate scheme Dennis Rodgers had cooked up. The man was Brian’s biological uncle, but that had been unknown to anyone except Carl McGowan, Brian’s biological father, who had died at Dennis’s hands. Dennis had been trying to shoot Trey McGowan, but at the last minute, Carl had thrown himself in the line of the bullet.
Dennis was rotting away in a jail cell across the state. Brian had gone from one crazy relative—Gavin Laster—to two, Carl and Dennis.
Still, the rest of the McGowans all appeared normal enough, and they were welcoming him, the black sheep of the family, with open arms. He was pretty sure it was because they all loved his mother so much.
“So.” Brian turned on the stool and looked around the place, not really seeing the two ladies currently on stage, shaking their stuff. “What’s new in town?”
Cam spun around and glanced over the place as well. “You heard about the deaths?”
Brian glanced over at the older man, thankful that he’d broached the subject.
“Yeah, I knew both Andy and Kris. I didn’t know Doni…”
“He worked up at the new McGowan school.” Cam shook his head. “Damn, I thought the pill epidemic was over.”
“The fight never is.” Brian sighed. “Do the police have any leads?” he asked easily, trying to make his questions seem like they could come from anyone, not an undercover DEA agent.
“Not that we’ve heard.” Cam shook his head. “We’ve got our eyes and ears open around here. Doni was sitting right over there when he…” Cam sighed. “Takes something out of you. Damn.” He ran his hand through his thick silver hair. “I thought I’d seen my last body. Spending half my youth as a pilot in the Corps…” He shook his head.
Brian tossed back a drink of the beer. “It was pills, right?”
“Yeah, laced with something…” He glanced up as the dancers changed on the stage.
Darla climb up the stairs to the main stage. The dress she was wearing was completely see-through, and Brian turned away slightly. She had on a small G-string and what could be considered a bra, but he found the view of her distasteful, knowing that she was after him now because he was a McGowan.
“You still have her around? I thought you let her go a while back,” Brian asked.
“I did. She told the entire town that a good man had raped her.” Cam shook his head. “A good man that never hurt a fly and ended up killing himself because of it. She was gone for almost three years. Still, there is a serious lack of women willing to work in strip clubs in this town.” He sighed heavily. “And she promised me that she’d changed.”
Brian thought of Addy’s father. He’d always liked Addy. Maybe it was because he had been able to tell that she had a shitty family life and was like him. Her father had killed himself when he’d last been in town working with Addy in FREE, and it had hit him hard.
Brian turned his eyes away from Darla as she started using the pole, her eyes locked on him as if she was giving him a private dance.
Turning back towards the bar, he nodded to the bartender.
“Lot of new people in town.”
“Yes.” Cam turned as well. “That school has been really good to the town.” Cam smiled. “Since its doors opened, I’ve brought in double what I made in the past few years.”
“Not bad.” Brian thought of all the possibilities. “Guess the drugs could be coming in from there?”
“Sure, but something tells me the school is clean. You know how the McGowans are.” Cam suddenly turned to him. “Oh, that’s right.” He snapped his fingers. “You’re one of ’em.”
Brian groaned. “Don’t start that shit with me.”
Cam laughed and slapped him on the back again. “Right. I guess we can’t expect you to start building a place on McGowan land like your cousins.”
“Nope.” He finished his beer and glanced around. “I was hoping to run into a few old friends, Mark and Nick?” He looked around the dark room.
“Mark Phillips is in Bozeman. He moved there early last year. Got himself a job at the plant there. Nick should be in before work.”
“Where’s he working now?” He thought about his old buddy Nick, the man who had given him his first joint.
“He’s still delivering pizzas.” Cam
chuckled. “The man is high half the time he comes in.”
Brian shifted in his seat and added Nick to the top of his list.
“Married?” he asked.
“Nope, he was seeing that one.” Cam nodded towards Darla. “But ever since you stepped foot into town, you’re all she can talk about.”
“Shit.” Brian sighed.
“Yeah, Nick doesn’t seem too pleased either.” Cam turned around and stood up. “Well, enjoy yourself…”
“I was just here to talk to you.” Brian stood up and reached out to shake the man’s hand.
“Don’t feel like you have to leave on my account. Sit, enjoy the show…”
“Nope, I have everything I want back home.” He smiled. “Thanks for the beer.”
“Anytime. I know your mother is happy to have you home.”
“Right.” He glanced around the small bar once more, not even noticing that Darla was climbing off the stage and heading his way.
When he stepped outside, he pulled his jacket closer to him as the wind blew right through it, sending chills racing down his body.
“Leaving so soon?” Darla’s voice sounded from behind him.
He turned to see her standing just inside the doorway in only the red G-string and sequined bra and heels.
“Yes, just came to talk to Cam.”
“I still owe you that dance,” she said, ignoring his words and reaching out to take hold of the cuff of his coat. When she tried to pull him back into the warmth, he wrapped his hand around her wrist and pulled himself free.
“Sorry, can’t today. I have a few more people to see right now.”
“Brian,” Darla called after him as he started to walk away, “I’ll see you later.”
He didn’t even glance back as he climbed into the rental.
He stopped at four more bars and got as many details as he could from each place. Still, when he drove back to his mother’s house, the only real lead was that Nick was still using.
The last thing he’d expected to see when he walked into his mother’s house was Mia and his mother laughing in the living room with their heads bent over photo books. He should have expected it, but it honestly hadn’t crossed his mind.