by Jessie Cooke
Kat laughed. “Shit. I miss the stunt scene. But that would take a lot of time away from the catering business, if it picks up…”
“The girls said they’d help. I talked to them already too, just in case.”
“The girls? The Bunnies from the ranch?”
“They’re good people and most of them are good cooks too. You have three months to train them. You don’t have to give me an answer today, but I told Tucci I’d let him know by the weekend.”
She wrinkled her nose and said, “I haven’t told David yet…about Tucci.”
“Hmm…” Dax got up and put his cup in the sink. Walking over to the oven and grabbing a cookie off the pan he said, “I guess you ought to do that first, huh?”
“I’m only going to be gone one night, Dillon.”
“I almost died. I saw the light, Kitty-Kat. I heard your dear, departed mother’s voice…”
“Give it a rest, Dillon. You’re giving me a headache. It’s been three weeks since your operation. You’ve been out of the hospital for a week and sitting on a barstool shooting off your mouth for three nights straight. Two of the prospects will be here to help you, there’s no reason why you can’t run this place for one night so I can go downtown with David.”
“Fine,” he said with a long sigh. “I’ll try not to reject your liver while you’re gone.”
“Give me a break. The doctor said that the graft is doing fine and it’s even already generating new growth. Take your fucking meds, drink a lot of water, don’t touch the alcohol, and you’ll be fucking fine! Why is everything an argument with you?”
“Because you’re meaner than a snake. Who leaves her father three weeks after major surgery? A transplant. A post-death surgery…”
“You know who does that? Someone who gave her father the chance to go on living so that he could annoy the hell out of her for another fifty years. What the hell was I thinking?”
Dillon smiled. “You were thinking that you love me, and you don’t want me to be alone and lonely…” He stopped mid-sentence and his eyes went to the door. Kat turned and looked in time to see Bess coming through the door. Dillon, the man who was on death’s door two minutes ago, now had his tongue hanging out and he was salivating over the old pole dancer. “You know what, Kitty-Kat? Maybe a free night would be good for both of us.”
Kat almost groaned aloud. Dillon and a sex life was not something she wanted to consider. She was saved by the object of her own sex life as David came into the bar through the kitchen door. He slid his arms around her waist and rested his chin on top of her head. “Aw, isn’t that Dillon’s girlfriend?”
Kat rolled her eyes and slipped around to face him. “Don’t call her that. It’s creepy.”
David laughed. “You have a problem with your old man having a girlfriend?”
“Bill told me she used to be a pole dancer at the Top Hat club out on I-91.”
David nodded. “I heard that too. I went to school with her youngest son…you might have known him too. His name was Brett Nichols.”
Kat made a face. “I couldn’t stand that guy. I heard his mother was a prostitute.”
David chuckled. “Rumors, just because people found out where she really did work. She raised two kids by herself. She made an honest living as a dancer—so what?”
“So who wants their father messing with an old worn-out exotic dancer?”
“Aren’t you the one who agreed with me when I said we were going to leave the past alone from now on? Bess should get the same consideration. I like her.”
“You mean you know her as something other than Brett Nichol’s mother?”
“I may have met her once, outside that capacity.”
She narrowed her eyes and said, “Where?”
“I don’t want to tell you.”
Kat stepped back and folded her arms. “Really? Now you know I only want to know even more. How do you know her? Oh, God! You didn’t…?” The very idea of David touching the old woman was ten times worse than Dillon touching her.
David’s face turned beet red. “No! No way! I mean…she could be my mother…or…”
“Grandma?” Kat said, sarcastically.
David sighed. “No, anyways, I don’t know her like that. I processed a scene a few years ago while one of the CSI guys was on vacation. Bess was there, that’s how we met.”
“Processed a scene? Like, fingerprints and DNA and stuff? Like a murder scene?”
“It was a stabbing, but the victim didn’t die. He was…stabbed a couple times…”
“Where was he stabbed?”
“At the grocery store.”
“You know what I mean. Why are you hesitating?”
“He was stabbed…in the genitals.”
“Ouch. I don’t even have a dick and balls, and that hurts. So, what was…oh, shit! She stabbed him? Bess stabbed someone in the genitals? You just said she was a nice lady, didn’t you?”
“Hey, Kat, can I get another beer?” Bill yelled at her from the other end of the bar. Kat turned, gave him a dirty look, and said:
“Get it yourself. I’m busy!” She turned back to David. “What are you smiling at?”
“Nothing, baby. I was just thinking it was a wonder that this place is struggling, the service is so good.” Kat hit him in the arm.
“Funny. Now stop trying to change the subject. Who did she stab and why?”
“Some guy groped her. She was just standing in line at the grocery store and some old coot that recognized her from her…shit…”
“What? Shit what?”
“Well, you knew she did a porn video about thirty years ago, right?”
“Jesus, this just gets better all the time. My future mommy…the porn star.”
David looked like he was trying to control his laughter as he said, “Anyways, the dirty old man put his hand between her legs and under her skirt, right there in line at Dorchester General. She happened to be carrying a blade and when she turned on him, his genitals just happened to be in striking distance. He was charged with assault and she was charged with possessing an illegal weapon. She got a few years’ probation. She should be off by now.”
Kat looked at Dillon and the redhead. They were standing next to the jukebox and Dillon’s mouth was close to her ear. She wondered what he was saying…then when her stomach twisted, she decided she was better off not knowing. Looking back at David she said, “I guess it’s like the old saying…”
“What saying is that, baby?”
“You can take the family out of the apartment over the bar…”
He laughed. “You both still live there.”
“Yeah, whatever. Fuck my life.”
42
“So there’s something we need to talk about.” David was driving and Kat was in the passenger seat. They were on their way in to Boston for a romantic weekend together. Kat had been looking forward to it for over a week. Now that they were on their way however, she decided that Dax was right and she had to tell him about Tucci. She wasn’t happy about it.
“Okay, shoot.”
“Well, first, I’m not completely sure I sufficiently thanked you for tracking down my mother’s killer and killing him.”
David smiled sadly. Kat could see the rage in his face every time he looked at the bruises on her neck. She’d been worried about his state of mind after he killed the crazy bastard. David had never pulled the trigger on his gun in the line of duty, much less killed anyone. Thankfully, no charges were filed and he was only given a simple write-up at work for not following protocol. And even more thankfully, he didn’t seem scarred by the incident. The psychologist at work had released him after only three sessions. Kat loved how together he was.
“Well, to be honest, if it wasn’t for him tracking you down, I might have never found him.”
“You were already hot on his trail. I love you even more for saving me. Thank you.”
He laughed softly. “You’re welcome. Is that what you wanted to talk about?”
“Nope. Just leading up to it.”
Laughing again he said, “Wow, can’t wait for the big reveal.”
“Hush. Okay, so…Dax was offered a job--did Angel tell you about it?”
“Yeah, being a technical advisor on a movie set. Pretty cool.”
“Yeah, well, it’s not a movie, it’s a series, but yeah, cool. I was offered a job on the show too.”
“Really? Stuntwoman stuff?”
“Yeah, I was offered the position of stunt supervisor.”
“Hmm…so you’d have to go to New York too?”
“Just for a few days at a time and only for about ten weeks while they’re shooting.”
“Oh, well, that sounds like fun.”
“Yeah, you could go with me on your days off. It’ll be like a vacation from…you know, Dillon and his porn queen and stuff.”
He laughed. “Yeah, because I’ll need a vacation from that.”
“Oh, trust me, you will because I doubt that I can keep quiet about it.”
“So you understand where Angel was coming from five years ago, then?”
“Hey! Not the same thing. I never starred in a porno…although, I could.”
“Hell yes, you could…but you wouldn’t, right?”
“No, of course not. Now, let’s refocus. The show is produced by a company out of California. The guy who provides most of the funding for that company is Vinnie Tucci. Tucci runs a bunch of strip clubs in the city and he dabbles in prostitution and pornography…but he makes most of his money by loaning it out.”
“Like a loan shark?”
“Exactly like that. He loans money out for a 25% return if you pay on time. 50% if you don’t, and broken kneecaps if you don’t pay at all…you know, usual loan shark stuff.”
“Okay…” Kat got the feeling David was putting it together. He wasn’t stupid, and he’d only stopped asking about the money because she told him he was stressing her out over it. She was sure he hadn’t given up on finding out where she got it, though.
“I borrowed the money for Dillon’s surgery from him,” she blurted out. “Almost a quarter of a million dollars.”
David whistled through his teeth. “Damn, I knew that kind of surgery was expensive, but…damn.”
Kat waited for him to say something else. She was expecting him to be angry with her for not telling him, or talking to him about it before. They’d been talking about moving in together soon and that was absolutely something he should know…that she owed a loan shark a hell of a lot of money. She was honestly surprised Angel hadn’t told him. She was beginning to gain a new respect for Angel, especially after David told her the story of what happened at the police station the night David shot the serial killer. After a long silence, she said:
“So?”
“So what?”
“You’re not mad?”
Another pause and then he said, “No, not mad…concerned, of course, but not mad. I can cash in some retirement and maybe mortgage my part of my parents’ house…”
“What the fuck are you saying?”
“I’m saying that I’ll help you. There’s going to be no breaking of your kneecaps. I wish you wouldn’t have done it, but it was about saving Dillon’s life. I would have done the same thing for my father. I miss him every day and if there was anything I could have done to save him, I would have done it. We’ll figure this out… Jesus, baby, don’t cry.”
The dam finally broke. Tears ran freely down Kat’s face and she couldn’t stop them. First, there was Dax, willing to take on a job with a man like Tucci in another state because she was “family” and now David, willing to mortgage the house that he owned with his four siblings. Where did these people come from and why was I so lucky to have found them? Kat wiped at her face with the back of her hand. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry. It’s just…well, you never cry. I’m not used to it.”
“They’re happy tears because I’m so fucking lucky. I don’t deserve you…or your family or their family…”
“What do you mean, my family?” Kat told him the rest of the story then, what Dax had done and how Tucci would wipe the slate clean once they had both done their part. When she finished talking David said, “Wow, I knew I liked Dax, but until this moment I didn’t realize how much. That’s amazing. No wonder my sister is so crazy about him.”
“Yeah, it is amazing.” She wiped her face again. “I’m sorry I didn’t talk to you before I did this.”
He shrugged. “We weren’t officially a couple then. I have faith you’ll talk to me about everything from now on, right?”
“So much that it’ll probably drive you crazy.”
David smiled. “I’m already crazy, baby. Crazy about you.”
Kat and David stayed at a hotel near Boston Harbor. David had made all the arrangements, so Kat wasn’t sure what the itinerary was, but as soon as they checked into their hotel she said, “So, should we try out this bed?” David laughed.
“Already? I thought maybe we’d do some shopping and get some dinner first.”
“It’s Boston, we’ve got all night to shop and eat.” She crooked her finger at him. “I have another secret.”
“What’s that?”
“I got the all clear from the doctor. I can have hot, passionate, sweaty sex…as much as I want.”
“Did he put it like that?”
“No, he said something dull like intercourse and I said, you mean I can fuck? He blushed and said, yeah.”
David laughed. “That’s a true story, isn’t it?”
“Hey, if you spend eight years in medical school and the word ‘fuck’ makes you blush, it’s not my problem.” David was still standing next to the bed so Kat rolled over on her stomach and let her breasts hand slightly over the edge. She’d taken off her bra before they left the bar. She didn’t think he’d even noticed on the drive to town, but now, he was looking straight down into her blouse…with interest.
“You forgot your bra, baby.”
“Nah, I took it off on purpose. I was hoping I wouldn’t need it.”
“Want me to open the wine at least?”
“We have wine?”
“Yeah, I asked them to send up a bottle of Merlot before we got here.” He looked over at the dresser and Kat saw there was a bottle of wine there, chilling.
“Wine sounds good,” she said. “Don’t let me have too much, though. I haven’t drunk for a while.”
“Is it okay for you to drink?”
“Sure, if my liver goes bad, I’ll just get a piece of yours…”
“Kat.”
She laughed. “It’s fine, honestly. I’m finished with my meds, I’m good.”
David went over and poured them each a glass. While his back was turned, Kat pulled off her top. When he turned back around, he almost dropped the glasses in his hands. “Wow, wine and a show.”
Kat giggled. “You can have wine, an appetizer, and a show if you’re interested.”
David handed her one of the glasses and when she went to take a drink he said, “Wait, a toast.”
“Oh, sorry. Not used to that fancy stuff.”
With a grin, he said, “To us…forever.”
“To us,” she said. They both took a drink and before Kat put her glass down, David tipped his slightly so that some of his dripped out onto her breasts. The wine was cold and caused her body to shiver. With a deep, almost animalistic sound, David sat down his wine glass and attacked. Kat loved it when he got so excited that he forgot about the proper Catholic boy he was raised to be. She loved him down and dirty, and she loved him straight-laced and religious. She loved everything about him.
David latched onto one of her breasts with his lips and he held the nipple between them while he licked and flicked it with his tongue. The sensations raced through her body and culminated between her legs. Kat wrapped her arms around his head and held him to her chest. He licked until she was moaning and whimpering, and then he sucked most of the breast into
his mouth. Kat cried out and let her head drop back. David sucked, licked some more, and then bit down on the nipple before trading sides. When he got to the other side, he gave it the same treatment and by the time he ended that one with a bite, her panties were soaked. David brought his mouth up to hers and kissed her, passionately. While they kissed, he caressed her breast, pressing his palm firmly against her nipple and moving it in tiny little circles. He brought his other hand down between her legs and caressed her pussy through her pants and underpants, creating a wet spot in the denim. She could feel how hard he was in his jeans as he pressed up against her and gyrated his hips into hers. He began twisting and pulling on her nipple and rubbing his fingers faster up and down the crotch of her jeans, and Kat arched her back up off the bed, moaning into his mouth and begging silently for more. Their tongues played together as David’s hand slid underneath her waistband and down inside her little panties. She gasped against his lips when his hand touched the bare, wet lips of her pussy. David’s mouth traveled down over her chin to her neck where he began to lick, suck, and nibble while stroking her pussy inside of her jeans and driving her to the brink of madness.
“So sexy,” he muttered against her skin.
“Fuck yes, you are,” she breathed out, spreading her legs further apart to give him better access to her pussy. He slowly and deliberately caressed the lips with just the tips of his fingers, teasing her, taking his time and making her squirm. David moved his mouth back down to her breasts and once again began to tease and tantalize with his tongue and the edges of his teeth. Kat was reveling in those feelings when his fingers found her clit. The touch of his fingers against her swollen nub while she was so excited nearly sent her sailing through the roof. She rocked her pelvis up into his hand, almost enjoying the fact that it was trapped there underneath her jeans. David was nibbling all around the outside of her areolas and occasionally licking her nipples and Kat was thinking about how badly she wanted him inside of her…and how much she didn’t want him to stop what he was doing. She finally pulled his head back up to her lips, and she sucked and licked at his hungrily while he wiggled a finger in deeper and let the tip of it enter her hot tunnel. “Fuck!” she cried out, taking her hands and putting them at the hem of his shirt. She pushed and tugged at it for a while before he finally gave in and pulled his hand out of her pants and took it off. Standing up, he stripped off his jeans too and then did the same to her. When they were both naked he said: