by Wilder, L.
“I’m coming, Marlowe. Just need to finish things here first.”
“Okay, I’ll see you soon.”
I smiled, then left them to carry on with their heated discussion. Moments later, I was in my car and on my way home. Normally, I’d be excited about finally getting back to my place and crawling into bed. My apartment had always been a safe haven for me, a place where I could just relax and unwind after a long day, but not anymore. Eric had stolen that peace of mind from me, and I was actually dreading going home. It was a thought that had me feeling bitter as I pulled into my driveway. I was just about to get out of my car when I spotted someone sitting on my front step. I was surprised to see it was Kate.
“Kate, what are you doing here?”
“I’m not really sure.” She looked up at me with a pouty face and said, “To apologize, I guess.”
“Apologize for what exactly?”
“I shouldn’t have blurted out the whole ‘you’re adopted’ thing like I did.”
“You think?”
I rolled my eyes as I unlocked my door and stepped inside. She followed me into the kitchen and whined. “Look, I get that you’re mad and all, but I didn’t intentionally set out to upset you.”
“Well, you did.”
“Well, if it makes you feel any better, Mom, Dad ... even Eric are ticked off at me too.”
“Eric?” Remembering his threat, I couldn’t help but be concerned. “What’s he ticked off about?”
“I wish I knew. He hasn’t had much to do with me since the other night when we met you at the bar.” She walked over to the counter and sat down on one of my stools, crossing her arms with a huff. “Whenever I ask him about it, he just blows me off and tries to tell me he’s busy with his renovation. He didn’t even come back to the hotel last night. Just sent me a message saying he was working, and he’s been gone all day today as well. I don’t know what the man is thinking. It was his idea for me to tag along with him on this trip, and now, he doesn’t have any time to spend with me.”
The more she talked, the clearer her true intentions became. Kate hadn’t really come to see me so she could apologize. She was there because Eric had blown her off. It didn’t matter. She was there, and I hoped by some slim chance I might convince her to cut ties with him once and for all. “Maybe you should just leave.”
“What? Why would I do that?”
“You said it yourself. Eric doesn’t have the time to spend with you, so maybe you should just cut your losses and go home.”
She looked at me like I had three heads as she replied, “You can’t be serious.”
“I’m being completely serious. If Eric doesn’t value you or your time, then you should find someone who does.” I knew I was taking a risk. Eric could hear every word I was saying, but I had to try to get Kate as far away from him as possible. I had to swallow my hurt and my pride as I told her, “You’re a great catch, Kate. You should find someone who can appreciate you.”
“Eric is the one who’s a great catch, Marlowe. You don’t just let a man like him slip through your fingers.” She sauntered over to the refrigerator and grabbed a diet soda as she explained, “I’ll just have to find a way to remind him why he brought me on this trip in the first place. I’m thinking some new sexy lingerie might do the trick.”
“I doubt lingerie is going to fix whatever is going on between the two of you.”
Her eyes skirted over me with repulsion as she grumbled, “And how would you know?”
It was moments like these that made me question why I even cared if Eric had threatened her life. She’d been nothing but a pain in my side since the day she was born, but we’d grown up as sisters and it was hard for me to just turn my back on her—even if that’s exactly what she deserved. I shook my head as I muttered, “I don’t know. I just find it doubtful a man like Eric could be persuaded by some stupid lingerie, but—”
Before I could finish my sentence, there was a knock on my door. As I walked over to answer it, I assumed it was Rafe. I was wrong. Instead, it was Eric, and it was clear from his expression, he’d overheard my conversation with Kate. His eyes were burning with intensity as he growled, “Is Kate here?”
“Uh ... yeah,” I didn’t budge from the doorway. I just stood there, preventing him from coming inside. “She came by unexpectedly.”
“Eric!” Kate gasped excitedly as she rushed to peek over my shoulder. “Is that you?”
“Yeah, baby. It’s me.” His eyes never left mine as he said, “I came here looking for you.”
“I’m so glad you did!”
She pushed passed me and lunged at him, wrapping her arms around him like she hadn’t seen him in days. Clearly unmoved by her affections, he grumbled, “I thought I told you to stay at the hotel.”
“I know. I’m sorry. I just got so lonesome sitting there waiting for you.” She kissed him on the neck, then looked up at him adoringly. “Don’t worry, though. I have every intention of making it up to you.”
“That won’t be necessary.” He eased her away from his chest, breaking free from their embrace. “I’m just glad you’re safe and sound.”
Kate glanced over to me as she purred. “Now do you see why I’m so crazy about him.”
“Um-hmm. He’s pretty great,” I replied with a disgusted tone.
I all but cringed as I watched Kate fawn all over him, cuddling up in the crook of his arm and showing her unwavering adoration for him. Unfortunately, I couldn’t tell her he was a psychopath who’d threatened her life. Instead, I could only stand there and watch the disgusting display. It was a tense situation that was only made worse when Rafe pulled up in the driveway. We all watched silently as he got off his bike and started in our direction. Playing it cool, Rafe smiled and said, “Hey, Kate. Eric. Marlowe didn’t mention you two were stopping by.”
“We’re not staying,” Eric responded as he slipped his arm around Kate’s waist. “In fact, we were just leaving.”
“Don’t rush off on my account.” Rafe looked up at me and smiled as he said, “Why don’t y’all come in and have a drink before you rush off?”
“Thanks for the offer, but it’s getting late, and I’ve some work I need to finish on my latest project.” Eric glanced down at Kate as he continued, “And I’m sure Kate’s eager to get back to the hotel.”
“Yes, I am.” Kate turned her attention to Rafe. “Maybe another night.”
“Sure thing.”
Rafe stepped to the side, giving Eric and Kate room to make it down the front steps. Rafe and I watched as Eric went over to the passenger side and opened the door for Kate. Once she was settled, he made his way over to the driver’s side and got in next to her. After a quick wave, Eric backed out of the driveway, and they were gone. Continuing to play along, Rafe looked over to me and asked, “When did they get here?”
“Kate was here when I got home.” Rafe followed me inside as I told him, “She came to apologize for everything, but mainly, we talked about her and Eric.”
“Oh really?” He locked the door behind us, then chuckled. “Trouble in paradise?”
“Hard to tell.” I turned out the lights and started to the bedroom. “I think she’s feeling a little neglected because he’s been so busy with his new project.”
“Ah.” He removed his cut and boots, then his jeans and t-shirt. As he got in bed, he asked, “He’s in real estate or something, right?”
“Um-hmm. Something like that.” Doing my best to undress in the corner, away from the view of the camera, I pulled off my shoes and jeans, then turned off all the lights. As I got in the bed next to him, I whispered, “I don’t really know what he does, nor do I care.”
“Not a fan, huh?”
“Not a fan at all, but my opinion doesn’t really matter.” I snuggled up to him and placed my head on his shoulder. It was amazing how having him close immediately set my mind at ease. I let out a slight yawn, then muttered, “Kate has never listened to me, so she’ll have to make up her own mind a
bout him.”
“She’s a smart girl. I’m sure she’ll figure it out.”
“I hope you’re right.”
“I usually am,” he teased as leaned down and kissed me softly on the forehead. “It’s late. Get some sleep.”
I didn’t argue. I was feeling safer and more relaxed than I had in days, and I owed that all to him. Country couldn’t have been more spot on when he compared Rafe to a wolf. He and his brothers were a pack who lived by their own rules and didn’t apologize for the fact. They would stand tall against Eric and whoever he had working for him, and they wouldn’t back down until there was nothing left of him. It was a thought I looked forward to as I finally drifted off to sleep.
Chapter 19
Rafe
“Here’s everything I was able to find on Stark Realty.” Menace tossed a folder on the conference table as he continued, “The guy has been buying and selling old worn-down buildings all over the South. Looks like he stays there long enough to establish his clientele, then he sells the place and disappears.”
“So, who are we thinking this guy is?” Viper asked. “Is he Polito’s right hand or is he running his own show?”
“What I can gather from the emails and the message Marlowe left for us, this guy’s been trying to make it look like Polito is still running the show.” Menace reached into the folder and took out a piece of paper. As he offered it to Viper, he said, “And get this ... On more than one occasion, they’ve even referred to him as Scar.”
“You gotta be fucking kidding me.” Viper took the paper, and after studying it for a moment, he looked back to Menace and said, “So, he’s not only Stark. He’s our Scar.”
“Looks that way.” A strange look crossed his face as Menace looked over to Country. “There’s one more thing.”
“Yeah?”
“I was looking over the properties Stark has bought and sold in the past six months, and it looks like he was the one who bought Crockett’s from Gladys.”
Country’s jaw dropped as he roared, “What the fuck?”
“My guess is he was shooting two birds with one stone.”
Viper was the first to ask, “How so?”
“Without Crockett’s, Marlowe wouldn’t have a place to work. It would only make sense that Country or Rafe would offer her a spot at Stilettos, and with a new building under his belt, he’d have a place to set up shop.”
“Motherfucker!” Country spat. “I’m gonna stomp his ass so far in the ground he won’t know which way is up.”
“Gonna have to find him first.” Hawk turned to Viper as he asked, “How are we gonna handle this guy?”
“We’re gonna need to act fast and move in while he still thinks he has the upper hand.” Viper ran his hand over his salt and pepper beard as he considered our best move. After several moments, he turned to me and asked, “When was the last time you laid eyes on Stark?”
“He was at Marlowe’s place last night. Came by there to pick up Kate. As far as I know, they were headed back to the hotel. Said he had to call it an early night because he had some work to do on his latest project. If Menace is right about him buying Crockett’s, I’d say he’s probably there.” Hoping I was right, I told him, “He was driving a dark blue Cadillac. More than likely a rental, but enough to check if my hunch is correct.”
“We need to get over there and see if there’s any sign of him.”
“Wait. I’ve got a better idea.” Menace turned to Country as he asked, “Do you know if the security cameras we installed a few years back are still there?”
“As far as I know, they were there when we moved Gran out, but got no idea if Stark left them up,” Country answered. “Not sure if they’d do us much good, though. We only had the one above the register and the two outside.”
“If they’re still there, I can use them to see if he’s there.” Menace reached over and grabbed his laptop. We all watched in silence as he started typing away. After a few torturous moments, a slight smile crossed his face and I knew we had our way in. “Looks like we still have eyes on the place.”
“Can you tell if anyone’s there?”
“There are a few cars parked out back, but I can’t see anyone in the bar.”
“Go back to the parking lot,” Viper told him. “Look for his dark blue Cadillac.”
“Yeah, he’s there.”
Menace turned the laptop towards Viper, giving him a perfect view of Stark’s Cadillac. Viper studied it for a moment, then let out a low, deep-seated growl. “Okay, boys. The way I see it, we’ve got two ways we can handle this. We can go to war with this asshole, try our hand at taking him and his goons down in a face-to-face battle, or we can just blow the motherfuckers to smithereens and be done with it.”
“And how are we going to do that?” With a half-hearted chuckle, Axel asked, “You thinking we’re just going to go in there and blow up Crockett’s?”
“That’s exactly what I’m thinking.” Viper looked over to Axel with all seriousness as he continued, “We make it look like an accident...a gas leak or some shit like that, and this shit ends before it ever gets started.”
“I gotta say, it’s not a bad idea.” Axel turned to Menace as he asked, “You think we can make it happen?”
“Absolutely. Just need a small IED placed in the right spot, and boom. It’s all over.”
“Wait just a cotton-pickin’ minute. You’re serious about this?” Country asked, sounding wounded. “I mean, I want to get this guy as much as anyone else, but I spent half my life in that fucking bar, and now we’re just gonna blow the place?”
“You got any better ideas?”
“Fuck no, but damn, I got my first blow job in that bar. A damn good one too.” Country pouted, and for half a second, I actually felt sorry for the guy. That pity quickly faded when he continued, “She only raked her teeth against my dick one time ... and yeah, she was a little lacking in the tits department, but damn, she could suck it like a Hoover vacuum. And that’s just one of the memories I’ve got of that place.”
“Oh well, you’ll always have the memories.” Sarcasm dripped from his words as Widow said, “Can’t take that away from ya. Sure wish we could though.”
“Fuck you, man. You got no heart.”
“I got plenty of heart, brother. Just know this is something we gotta do.”
“He’s right,” I told him. “I know it’s a hard pill to swallow, but this is our safest bet.”
“I get it. You’re right.” Country looked down at the table as he shook his head. “Gran would have my ass for saying this, but if we want to make it look like there’s a gas leak or whatever, we’ll need to get to the basement. That’s where all the water and gas lines are.”
“All right, so we get a small IED and plant it in the basement next to the gas line. Make it look like there was damage to the release valve, and then we’re golden.”
“This could work, boys.” Viper turned to Country as he asked, “You sure you know where the gas lines are?”
“Sure do,” Country answered. “Just get me inside, and I’ll handle the rest.”
“That might be our only issue,” Viper replied. “We’ve gotta get access to the building without Stark knowing.”
“Might be a way around that.” The second Hawk turned to me with that look in his eyes, I knew I wasn’t going to like what he had to say. “We could have Marlowe distract him...get him out of there just long enough for Country to get the IED planted.”
“And how would she do that?”
“She could call him. Make up some bullshit about finding some information for him,” Hawk suggested.
I could tell Viper was intrigued when he asked, “What kind of information?”
“I don’t know. I’m sure we can come up with something.”
“He’s watching her, right?” Lynch asked.
“Yeah. He’s got cameras at her place and at the club.”
“Then, he’ll need to see her find whatever she’s gonna give him.”
Lynch shrugged, “Maybe it’s the fake ledger Menace keeps at his desk in case the cops show up.”
Menace always carried our real ledger home with him each night. It was just an extra protective measure in case the club was ever investigated. The ledger in his desk was a simple budget outline showing the bar’s inventory and the daily customer flow. There was no real information in it that could blowback on us. It was clear Menace approved of the idea when he added, “She could call him up and tell him she’s found some book with names and transactions that he might find useful. He’ll think he’s hit the mother-load.”
“Not a bad idea, brother.” Viper nodded with approval, then said, “He can watch her snoop around a little, and then he’ll see her come out of the office with the ledger.”
“When’s she gonna get it?” Country asked. “The club is closed today.”
“All the better. She can make it look like she’s really trying to do whatever it takes to protect her sister and Rafe,” Hawk replied.
They were talking back and forth like it wasn’t a big deal they were putting my girl in danger. I knew this was something the club needed, but I wasn’t going to let it happen if they couldn’t assure me she’d be safe. “And what if he figures out this whole thing is a scam?”
“She’ll be long gone before that happens.”
“I don’t like it. It’s too fucking risky.” I leaned back in my seat as I told them, “I don’t want Marlowe anywhere around this guy.”
“Okay then, instead of having her meet him face to face, we have her drop it off at his hotel. She can leave it for him at the front desk, and when he goes to get it, Country plants the bomb.”
“Now, that’s an idea I can get behind.”
“There’s just one problem.” Lynch looked over to Viper as he asked, “How are we going to relay this plan to Marlowe without Stark hearing or seeing us do it?”
“Leave that one up to me.”
Viper nodded, then looked over to Shotgun and asked, “How long will it take you to get the IED ready?”