by K. C. Lynn
“You don’t think their father is capable of this?” Cooper asks.
“He’s definitely capable. He’s a piece of shit but he’s also dumb, there’s no way he has the brains to pull something like this off. Nor does he have the money to hire anyone.”
“I figured. Something didn’t sit right, but why the hell come in and confess?”
I shrug. “Maybe they’re that scared. I’ve seen people take the fall many times out of fear. They are the same guys from Kolan’s we ran into and they did kill Vince, but there’s no way Keith set this up.”
“I don’t know much about their father just the little bit Katelyn has told Kayla. I’ll at least alert the local police up there and—”
“No, don’t!”
He glares at me. “You know how this works, Stone.”
“Yeah, I do, and I’m telling you he’s going to be dealt with eventually but quietly. If you don’t want to hurt Katelyn then you’ll need to trust me on this.”
That last part has him backing off. “Fuck! Fine. I’ll dig deeper into their story and see what I can come up with for inconsistencies. Hopefully, I’ll find a hole that will lead me in the right fucking direction.”
“While you’re at it, do some digging into Bruce Warren. He runs the gym where Kolan trains and is on the board of directors for the EFC.”
“I know who he is.” He watches me, suspicion strong in his gaze. “I’m assuming you’ve talked with Slade. You wanna tell me what’s going on?”
I decide it’s only fair since he trusted me enough about Keith, but I don’t tell him everything. I tell him I’ve spoken with Kolan but leave out the part of me knowing where he is. Then I fill him in on what we suspect.
“Jesus.” He runs a tired hand down his face. “I did not expect that. I have a lot of evidence surrounding that underground ring and his name has never shown up.”
“Doesn’t mean it was never there. It just means he has the power to erase it. Just like he has the means to pull something like this off and frame Kolan.”
He nods. “I’ll see what I can find.”
“What about Nikki? Now that these two confessed, her story doesn’t add up. We may be able to get her to crack with the truth.”
“Well that’s the problem,” he says, his expression hard. “I sent an officer to her place a few hours ago and he said it was completely empty. Everything was gone, including her.”
Fucking figures.
“I’m going to hit up Annihilation and see if she’s been back there. If not, I know of another place she might be.” He shakes his head. “Jesus, whatever happened to living in a fucking peaceful small town?”
I smirk at his frustration. “I wouldn’t know. Us boys at the top are used to playing with the bad guys.” His glare has a chuckle erupting from me. “Keep in touch, Sheriff.” After a clap on his shoulder I head out of the room.
“Fucking feds.” I hear just as the door closes behind me.
After the station I head to the farm and give everyone the rundown.
“Fuck that,” Kolan says. “I’m telling you, this is Bruce. Keith is too fucking stupid for something like this.”
“I know. Cooper has no choice but to take their confessions. They did kill Vince, but he’s keeping everything quiet for now and looking deeper into their story. He doesn’t believe them either. I also told him to question Warren.”
Kolan’s hard eyes hold mine. “Did you tell him where I was?”
“No, but I did tell him I’ve spoken with you, and I told him what we suspect.”
“Fuck!” he curses, pissed off.
“Listen, I trust him, and right now we need all the help we can get. There’s a reason these assholes are taking the fall, and we need to know why.”
Cade backs me up. “He’s right. Cooper will keep this to himself, especially for the importance of the case.”
“So what do we do in the meantime?” Katelyn asks.
“We keep doing everything we are. Kolan remains hidden, and stays here like Cade suggested, and we keep searching. We have enough people on this we’re bound to find something soon. And if Warren is as arrogant as I think he is, he’ll trip up eventually.”
“I really need to open my shop again,” she says. “I’m losing a lot of money.”
“Don’t worry about the money. You know I have you,” Kolan says.
She smiles softly at him. “Thank you but it’s not just about the money. I don’t want to lose my clients. That place means everything to me. The longer I stay closed the more of a chance I have at losing it.”
“Get your girls to work but not you,” I say. “I don’t want you there until we know what’s going on.”
She nods but doesn’t seem happy about it. “Okay, I’ll tell Chantal and Shawna to open tomorrow.”
“Do you guys want to stay here, too?” Faith asks. “We have the guest room upstairs.”
“Stone should stay here and Katelyn can stay with me in the guest house,” Kolan says, making Faith smile.
Katelyn rolls her eyes. “That’s okay. We’ll stay at my place. All our stuff is there anyway. We’ll come back in the morning.”
“Sounds good. I’ll have breakfast ready.”
“Thanks for everything,” Katelyn says, giving her a hug before moving to Kolan. “Stop being such a grouch.” She gives him a big kiss on his brooding cheek. “And be good.”
With a grunt he hugs her back but glares at me over her shoulder, a silent warning in his eyes.
Whatever. He needs to get over it already.
Katelyn stands and turns to Cade. “I’d give you a hug, big guy, but we all know how growly you get unless it’s your girls. So here.” She kisses her hand then pats his cheek. “Just for you.”
Both the girls laugh at his less than amused expression.
I smirk, glad to know someone else is at the receiving end of her smart mouth. That’s until she turns to me with a sassy smile. “I’m ready, Miami Vice, let’s roll.” She gives me a slap on the ass as she passes by.
As I follow her out the door, I think of all the ways I’m going to make her pay for that.
*
We stop on the way for a bite to eat and arrive back to the apartment well into the evening. I have her wait by the door again, while I check things over, just to make sure. After today I don’t expect trouble, but something is going on and it still leaves me on edge.
When I come back for her, she’s leaning against the wall, quirking a brow at me. “Everything all clear, Miami Vice?”
In a quick move I pin her against the door, my body pressing against her soft, delicate curves as my hand wraps in her long, thick hair. “Be careful, Katelyn, it’s just you and me now, and I’m about to shove something into that sassy mouth of yours.”
Her brown eyes spark, her chest rising and falling. She licks those plump fucking lips that I’ve been dying to fuck. “That’s what I was hoping for.”
My control snaps at the breathy words. With a growl I slant my mouth over hers, inhaling her sweetness before I dirty up her mouth. Then my phone rings, shattering my intentions. Pulling my cell out, I check the number and don’t recognize it. I consider ignoring it, especially at the sight of Katelyn’s swollen lips, but decide against it.
“Don’t fucking move,” I order. She smiles, her hands moving to my belt as I answer. “Yeah?” I bark, my voice rough.
“Is this Nick Stone?”
I frown at the unfamiliar woman’s tone. “Yeah.”
“The son of Lila Stone?”
Everything in my body freezes, ice rushing through my veins. Katelyn stops her attempts and stares up at me, her image blurring in front of me as blood pounds in my ears.
I love you, Mom. Please come back.
Pain lances through me, making it hard to breathe. I shake myself from the past before it can suck me into its dark abyss. “Who the fuck is this?”
“I’m sorry, I know this must be a surprise, but I had to call you. My name is Mira Gonz
alez, and I’m a nurse at St. Michael’s hospital here in Las Vegas. I’ve been your mother’s caretaker for the last three months.”
Caretaker?
“She…” She trails off, her voice cracking. “She’s passed away.”
“Passed away?” I ask, still having a hard time registering this phone call.
“Yes. Lila was diagnosed with HIV over a year ago. She had no money for medical insurance and her condition deteriorated fast without the proper medication. She came into the hospital very ill and passed away yesterday.”
I walk into the living room and drop down on the couch, feeling numb.
“I know this must be a lot to take in, Mr. Stone, especially considering your relationship with her.”
A bitter laugh escapes me. “Well that’s where you’re wrong, lady. We didn’t have a relationship. I haven’t seen her since I was six years old.”
“I’m aware of that,” she replies softly. “It’s something Lila shared with me, and I can tell you it’s something she has regretted deeply over the years.”
“Bullshit!” I shoot back. As the shock wears off a fury takes root inside of me and I grab hold of it, not wanting to feel the searing pain in my chest when I think about this woman.
“Look, I know this isn’t my business, but I called because Lila wrote a letter. It’s addressed to you. She never intended to send it but… I think it’s important you get it. She was a lost woman who made mistakes and she paid for them greatly. She died alone,” she adds with a whisper.
“That was her fucking choice. She had a family and she left!”
“Please, Mr. Stone, try to understand, she was sick. People with—”
“Look, lady, you’re wasting your time. I don’t give a fuck what her problem was. She’s been dead to me most of my life. This changes nothing.”
“I see,” she says tightly, but she doesn’t get it.
No one does. They can’t.
“I’ll have the letter here if you change your mind and—”
“I won’t. Sorry you wasted your time.” I end the call, my fist clenched tightly around the small device. “FUCK!” With fury pumping through my body I throw the phone across the room, shattering it against the wall.
“Nick?” The soft, tearful voice barely penetrates through my rage, and I turn to find Katelyn watching me, tears welling in her eyes. I had completely forgotten she was here. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.”
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“No!” She has a pretty damn good idea what that phone call was about, and Lila is not someone I’m talking about with her. Not anyone. Except Pop.
Shit, how the fuck do I tell him this?
I can’t think about that right now. I can’t fucking think at all, not with all this turmoil battling inside of me.
“Please talk to me,” she begs. “It’s killing me to see you like this.”
“Let it go, Katelyn. It’s not your business.”
Hurt sparks in her eyes but she lifts a stubborn chin. “It is my business because I love you.”
Her admission, although not surprising, still barrels through me like a painful blow, adding to the destructive emotions inside of me.
“Nick, I love you and if you would just trust me—”
“Don’t!” I point my finger at her, stopping her words before they can destroy what’s left of me. “Don’t fucking say that.”
“Why? It’s the truth. I always have and you know it. Why won’t you let me be there for you?”
“Don’t do this to me. We had a deal—an understanding. Don’t go back on it!”
The pain that washes over her face has guilt almost wiping out every other emotion inside of me. “You’re telling me everything this week has been nothing but a deal? Really?”
“What the fuck do you want from me?”
“The truth!” she screams.
“I told you the truth. I can’t give you what you fucking want!”
“Can’t or won’t?” When I remain silent she lets out a bitter laugh and shakes her head. “You tell me I’m more yet I’m not enough for you. All these years I’ve treasured those words, but you don’t mean them. You never did.”
“This isn’t about you, goddamn it! This has to do with me. This is who I am and who I always will be. I will never love anyone!”
“Because you’re a coward,” she grinds out. “You’re so concerned about protecting yourself that you’re willing to hurt someone who has loved you from the moment they met you. You can’t even be there for a man who gave you everything when you had nothing. You just leave. How does that make you any different than her?”
The last of her words hit me like a punch to the gut, penetrating through the only barrier I had left.
With a sob she storms off, slamming the door to her room and leaving me with a pain far greater than I can comprehend. Mainly because…the truth fucking hurts.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Nick
The past
Six years old
The sound of a crash wakes me up. My heart begins to thunder as I listen carefully, scared of what’s happening. I hear whispers but can’t make out what they’re saying. One voice belongs to my mom and the other sounds angry. It could be anyone. There are always men coming in and out of here, most of the time hurting my mom, and me when I try to help her.
I decide to go check on her and make sure she’s okay, even though she’ll probably get mad at me. She doesn’t like it when I help her, but I don’t care.
No one hurts my mom.
Looking out of my broken bedroom window I see it’s completely dark outside. I put my dinosaur slippers on that the lady across the street gave me since it’s so cold in our house. Colder than usual. Opening my bedroom door, I blink at the bright light and see my mom on her hands and knees, picking up a glass vase that broke by our front door. I don’t recognize the man standing next to her but he doesn’t look very nice.
“Would you hurry the fuck up, we need to get going!”
Going? Where are they going?
“Just give me a second. I don’t want him hurting himself on the glass.”
Once she sweeps the broken shards into the dustpan she stands.
“Mom?”
She spins around, and that’s when I see she’s crying. “Oh, Nicholas, you scared me, honey,” she says with a hand to her heart. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you.”
I suddenly notice her suitcase at the door. “What are you doing? Why do you have your suitcase?”
“Mommy’s gotta go,” she says, a sob escaping her before she covers her mouth.
“Okay, hold on. I’ll go get my stuff.” I have no idea where we’re going but I’ll always follow her.
I turn to leave but she calls me back. She drops to her knees in front of me, her crying eyes really big and glassy. That’s how I know she’s been taking her medicine. The one that makes her act funny. Sometimes she can’t even talk and will sleep for days. I hate it—it scares me.
She cups my face in her soft, shaking hands. “You can’t come, baby.”
A sharp pain strikes my chest, fear skittering along my spine. “What do you mean? Why not?” She tries to answer but is crying too hard. “Why are you crying so much?” I glare at the guy behind her, letting him know it better not be because of him.
“I’m so sorry, Nicky, but it’s better this way. I’m no good for you.”
Pain rips through my little body, making my eyes burn with tears. “Don’t say that. We have each other. I’ll take care of you, Mom, I promise. I’ll be a good boy.”
She looks over at the guy next to her, trying to stifle her pain.
He shakes his head. “No fucking kids. You know that. Now are you coming or not?”
She pulls me into her arms, crying hysterically. “I love you. Please never forget that. I’m so sorry. I’ll send someone soon.” She releases me with a kiss.
Panic threatens to choke me as she
stands, grabbing her luggage. “No, stop! You can’t leave me.” I grab hold of her suitcase and try pulling her back, tears tracking down my face.
“Nicholas, please. Don’t do this.”
“Jesus christ.” The guy pushes me with a force that sends me flying to my back and knocks the air from me.
“Don’t put your hands on him!”
“Then let’s go! Or I’m leaving without you. I fucking warned you that I don’t have time for this shit.”
I watch my mother brokenly walk out of the house. She turns back to me one more time. “You’ll be better off without me. I’ll send someone right away.” Her sobs are cut off by the slam of the door.
NO!
Catching my breath, I get to my feet and run outside to see them driving off. “Wait. Please!” I cry, running as fast as I can after them, my dinosaur slippers causing me to slide in the gravel. “I love you, Mom. Please come back.” Once the truck disappears, I fall to my knees as sobs rack my chest. “Please don’t leave me!”
When one of the neighbor’s lights turns on I get to my feet and quickly run back inside. Closing the big, heavy door I fall back against it and slide to the ground. Unable to stand from the agony ripping through my heart.
She’ll be back. She’ll be back.
I waited and prayed for her to return, but she never came back and she never sent anyone for me. It was four days before the police found me, and I swore to myself then I would never love anyone again.
I’d never give anyone the chance to destroy me again.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Katelyn
With an aching heart and swollen eyes I glance at the clock to see it’s five in the morning. The agony tearing through me is still at the same intensity it was when I came to bed last night.
Not only am I hurting for me and what I’ll never have with the only man I’ve ever loved, but I also hurt deeply for Nick. I will never forget the pain I saw on his face as he spoke with whomever was on the phone last night. It had to do with his mother, that much I know, and from the few words I heard him say it seems she passed away.