He grinned and took another drink.
The truth was I’d been worried about him. Things in the crime world had been tense, and he was struggling to smooth things over with as little violence as possible. But he was still dealing with the fallout of Mick Gentry’s attempted coup, as well as some of his underlings questioning his loyalty for helping the sheriff catch J.R. Simmons.
“You still dealing with Wagner’s nonsense?” I asked.
“We’re not discussing my business.”
“We have before. Every time we’ve met here. What gives?”
He shook his head and took another sip.
“I was in the thick of it last winter, James. What’s the point of keeping things from me now?”
“Simmons Jr. is back in town.”
I frowned, wondering what that had to do with our conversations. Then it hit me. “You think I’m going to give him information.”
He lifted his shoulder in a nonchalant shrug. “Deveraux’s gone. Simmons is back.”
I snatched the flask from him and threw back a generous gulp. “I expected better from you, James Malcolm,” I said, my voice heavy with disappointment.
“You have to understand, Rose, it’s not just me I’m thinking about.”
“You think I’d tell Joe about our conversations?”
“No, I think Simmons could use our conversations against you.”
I sighed. “I can take care of Joe.”
“Look how well that worked out when he arrested you.”
“That was different.”
We sat in silence for a moment, each of us mulling over our own thoughts.
“Is he going back to the sheriff’s department?” James asked, keeping his gaze on the fiery sky.
“I don’t know. I didn’t ask him.”
“He didn’t tell you this afternoon?”
I gaped at him.
He turned to look at me, his face hardening. “Calm down. I had a guy checkin’ on him. You just happened to show up.”
“I’m not so sure that you checking on the chief deputy sheriff is a good thing.”
“The sins of the father, Lady,” he said. “He learned at his father’s knee. He may have escaped charges, but for all I know, he’s angling to take over his father’s business. Working in the sheriff’s department would be a good way to cover his tracks.”
“You really think that’s his intention?”
“What if he’s preparing to fulfill a personal vendetta against me in retaliation for what I did to his father?”
“Someone has a massive ego,” I said dryly. “In case you’ve forgotten, Joe killed his father. Not you.”
“But I helped bring him down.”
“So did I, and I’m not worried about either of us.”
I was surprised he didn’t say that his case was different. I knew it was. He’d lived a life of crime. And Joe wasn’t the only one to have learned at J.R. Simmons’s knee. J.R. had personally groomed James a long time ago, and Joe knew it.
“I’m not telling Joe or anyone else what we discuss, and if you ever insinuate any differently, I’ll kick you in those family jewels you’re always so worried about. Got it?”
He chuckled. “Got it.”
“Now tell me what’s going on with Wagner.”
We spent the next half hour discussing his business, mostly the illegal side. His legit businesses seemed to be flourishing. Back in February, he’d told me they were far more profitable than his illegal ones. But he’d also said that if he vacated his role as the crime lord of the county, someone else would take his place. Chances were it would be someone with far fewer scruples.
He was in danger. I knew things had gotten bad, but I hadn’t been this worried about him since J.R. Simmons had gotten loose and threatened James’s life. The thought of something happening to James filled me with panic.
When he stopped talking, I put my hand on his arm and closed my eyes. I focused on a vision, asking to see our meeting next week.
The vision appeared immediately. I was looking into Vision Rose’s face, and she was grinning as she took a sip from the flask.
Satisfied, I ended the vision, a trick I’d learned with practice, yet try as I might, I hadn’t figured out a way to stop the next part.
“We’re meeting next week.”
When I opened my eyes, he was staring into my face with a guarded expression. “You feel reassured now?”
“I’m sorry. I should have asked you first.”
His eyes narrowed. “Never be sorry for your visions, Rose.”
“It’s a violation of your privacy. I was worried, but I still should have asked first.”
“Worried?” he asked in surprise. “Worried about me?”
“Of course I’m worried about you. Things are dangerous for you right now, and I hardly hear from you between our meetings. I have no idea if you’re okay. Some nights I wake up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat.”
“You need to start closing your windows,” he teased.
“James.”
He looked down at me.
“People keep leaving me,” I said in a whisper. “Joe. Mason. Violet. I need you to stay.”
He cupped the side of my head and searched my eyes. “Rose, I’m not goin’ anywhere. I’m here.”
“You can’t promise me that.”
“And you can’t promise me that I’m one hundred percent safe, but if a vision helps you sleep at night, then you have as many visions as you need.”
“Thank you,” I said past the lump in my throat.
Something flickered in his eyes, and he kissed my forehead. “I need to be heading back,” he said, dropping his hand.
“But we still haven’t figured out how to handle the Wagner issue.”
“You don’t need to be figuring it out. That’s my job.”
“It’s always good to have advisors.”
“Lady, sometimes just talkin’ it over helps.”
He hopped off the truck bed, and I followed. “Why don’t you talk to Jed?”
“What the hell are you talkin’ about? I do talk to Jed.”
“Like you do with me?”
He paused. “No.”
“Why?”
“Because you’re not in the thick of it anymore. And sometimes you just listen without trying to fix things. And because for some reason you don’t think I’m weak when I don’t have all the answers.”
“Jed doesn’t think you’re weak.”
He didn’t answer.
“James,” I said, a new worry hitting me in the gut. “Has Jed done anything to make you think he’s been disloyal?”
I knew Jed. I knew he would lay down his life for Skeeter. He’d also lay down his life for me, and at one point last fall, James had mistaken Jed’s allegiance to me as disloyalty until I’d helped him see reason.
“No. But people are turning on me, Lady. I’m getting paranoid.”
“Jed is the most loyal friend you could ever have. Don’t doubt it.” I gave him a small smile. “But sometimes it’s good to be able to talk to a friend who’s not gonna worry themselves sick over you.”
He grinned. “You mean like you?”
“That’s different,” I protested. “If you stop coming to see me, I’ll just hang out at the pool hall until you spill your guts.” I cringed. “Wrong choice of words.”
He grinned. “Selfishly, I don’t want to give up our time together, so I’ll keep coming until you tell me you want to stop.”
“I don’t see that happening for a long time.”
“Good.” He opened my truck door. “You need to leave first.”
I found it amusing that he believed me capable of fending off dangerous criminals, yet he always watched me drive away to make sure I was safe. “I didn’t close the tailgate.”
“You get in and I’ll do it.”
“James,” I said, turning around to face him. “You can call or text me during the week. If you ever need my help with anyth
ing, I’m here for you.”
“Thanks. Now climb up in there. I need to get back.”
James closed the tailgate, and I waved before backing out and pulling onto the highway. I saw him pull out after me, heading in the opposite direction. As his taillights disappeared in the darkness, an uneasy feeling washed over me. James was still in as much trouble as he’d been in when I showed up in his office last November. I had to wonder how long he had before it all came to a head.
11
Neely Kate
I parked my car a good twenty feet from Joe’s house, my stomach cramping with anxiety. Sure, he’d asked me to come, but he’d asked that I come alone.
That couldn’t be a good sign.
I hadn’t answered his text. I’d spent a good half hour trying to figure out if I wanted to come at all. He’d ignored me for nearly three months. Was I really expected to drop everything and come running when he called?
Leave it to a dang Simmons to make a request like that.
But in the end, I couldn’t stop myself, and that ate at me more than his months of neglect. My mother’s words echoed in my head, her laughter as she’d say, “You can always count on Neely Kate to roll over at the mere thought of a belly scratch.”
By showing up here, I was proving her right.
I suddenly felt like I was going to throw up.
This was a mistake. Yet I couldn’t leave. Tears stung my eyes, blurring the soft glow coming from the living room window.
Go home, Neely Kate. Go home.
But I didn’t have a home. Not really. As much as Rose said her house was my home, I couldn’t help feeling like I was pretending. Not that it was a struggle. I’d spent my entire life pretending.
And I was so damn tired of it.
The door opened and Joe stepped onto the porch, his hands at his sides. With the light behind him, I couldn’t make out much of his face. I gripped the steering wheel, telling myself it wasn’t too late to leave. Just because I’d shown up didn’t mean I had to go in there and talk to him.
He moved toward the steps and the hair on my neck stood on end. I wasn’t sure I could handle more of his rejection.
But then anger rose up, pushing all my fear aside. To hell with Joe Simmons. Why was I sulking like a girl who hadn’t been picked for prom? It was his loss, and, by golly, I was going to tell him so.
I got out of the car and slammed the door with more force than necessary.
“You’ve got a lot of nerve, Joe Simmons!” I shouted as I stomped toward him, my hands fisted at my sides. “You ignored me for three months. Three freaking months!”
He’d made it to the bottom step. I could see his face now, not that it clued me in to what he was thinking. The Simmonses were probably great at poker.
That riled me up even more. “I didn’t ask to have that monster as my father! Hell, I didn’t ask to have that selfish witch as my mother. But like it or not, that’s the hand I was dealt.” I shook my head and let out a short laugh. “I never asked for this. I never asked for you to be my half-brother, but here we are. So if you want to pretend like we never found out, then so be it. But it’s your damn loss, Joe Simmons.”
“Neely Kate.”
“No!” I shouted. “I’m not done! I’m sick to death of you Simmonses thinking you’re better than everyone else. You think you can make all the rules, and people will just come running whenever you demand it. Well, guess what, Joe? I’m a Simmons too! That’s right. I’m just like you. Maybe I didn’t grow up in that fancy house and go to college and wear nice clothes, but half my DNA is J.R.’s—just like you.” I squared my back, and my nails dug into my palms as I squeezed my hands tighter. “I’ve spent my whole life feeling like a worthless piece of trash, and I’ll be damned if I’ll let you make me feel that way too.” My voice cracked, and the damn tears were back. “So ignore me if you like, but you’re no better than me.”
“Neely Kate.” His voice sounded ragged as he reached for me and pulled me to his chest, holding me so tight I could barely breathe. “God, I’ve been so stupid. I’m sorry.”
To my horror, I started to cry, wrenching sobs that made him shake, but he held tight until I’d sobbed myself out. Then he leaned back and stared into my face. “It’s not you, Neely Kate. I’ve stayed away because I’ve been ashamed.”
“Ashamed? Ashamed of what?”
“That my father tainted your life. That you’ve suffered so much because of him. Because you got dragged into this godforsaken mess. That you’re linked to all of this . . . to me.”
“You mean you’re ashamed to be linked to me.”
He grasped my shoulders, his fingers digging in as his face hardened. “No. God, no. Don’t you ever think that.”
“But you ignored—”
“I was an idiot, Neely Kate.” He cracked a grin. “Apparently it’s a dominant Simmons trait. Thank God it skipped you.” His smile fell. “I felt like I failed you—your mother . . . everything you’ve been through.”
“You didn’t know.” I gasped as a new thought hit me. “Did you know?”
“No. I had no clue, but now I can’t believe I didn’t see it.” His grin returned. “There are parts of you that are so Simmons it’s scary.”
I wiped the tears from my face.
“I’m ashamed that you’ve been through so much, but you’re ten times better than I can ever hope to be.” He looked down. “I didn’t know what my father was doing, but I should have suspected. I should have investigated.”
“Joe, he was your father.”
“Apparently he was your father too.”
I shook my head, my anger returning. “No. That man wasn’t my father. If he had known, he probably would have had me killed.”
Tears filled Joe’s eyes. “I’m sorry.”
I threw my arms around his neck and clung tight. “I’m sorry too. We’ve both been through our own personal hell. But that’s in the past.” I dropped my hold on him, suddenly nervous. “It’s what we do from here on out that matters.”
“What do you want to do from here on out?”
I thought about beating around the bush, but this was too important. I needed to lay it all on the line, even though I was risking my heart. “I want to be part of your life, and I want you to be part of mine. I know DNA really doesn’t mean anything. It’s about relationships. You and I . . . all we have is bickering and irritating the hell out of each other.”
He grinned. “Sounds like siblings to me.” When I started to protest, he held up his hand. “We have more than that. We both care about Rose, and I’ve always cared about you, Neely Kate. I love your spunk and the way you stand up for your friends, even when you turn it against me. And when you miscarried and nearly died, I had to fight my panic to get you to the hospital. Then I didn’t leave until I knew you were going to be okay. So it sounds like we’re off to a good start.” Indecision flickered in his eyes. “But maybe that’s not enough.”
Was he talking about himself or me? My stomach dropped as I bared my soul. “I need you, Joe. And I think you need me too.”
A warm smile lit up his face, and a trickle of joy filled my heart. Maybe this could work out. Maybe I’d have a family after all. Sure, it wasn’t the family I’d wanted to have with Ronnie, but I’d take what I could get.
As if reading my mind, Joe put his arm around my shoulder and steered me toward the house. “Then as your brother, I need to know what’s going on with that idiot husband of yours. Last I heard, he was still missing.”
We sat on the porch, and I told him everything—how I felt like I’d cheated Ronnie from having a family because I couldn’t have more children. How Ronnie had tried to make me stay away from Rose after her arrest, and how he’d disappeared soon after she was released from jail. And since I was being open, I told him about Ronnie’s involvement with J.R. Simmons and Mick Gentry, and how I’d filed for divorce to find him. “But no one can find him, so I’m startin’ to think he’s dead.”
“Who�
�s been looking?” he asked quietly.
“The investigators Carter Hale has hired—all three of them. And—” I stopped.
“And?”
I grimaced. “I found out that someone outside the law has been looking for him too.”
“Skeeter Malcolm.”
I shot him a look of surprise and concern.
He shrugged, not looking as angry as I’d expected. “It stands to reason that Malcolm would want to squash every part of the rebellion he faced.”
“That’s not why he’s lookin’, Joe.”
He lifted his eyebrows.
“He’s not doing it to punish him. He said he’s lookin’ for me.”
“And you believe him?” he asked, sounding confused.
“Yeah.”
He looked unconvinced. “That’s not the Malcolm I know. He’s ruthless.”
“Maybe that’s the way he used to be. He’s changed.”
He sat back in his seat and stared out into the now darkened fields. “Because of Rose.”
I didn’t answer. I heard the pain in his voice; he knew it was true.
“So Malcolm came up with nothing?”
“Jed agrees that Ronnie’s probably dead.”
He reached down to the armrest of my chair and covered my hand with his. “Neely Kate, I’m sorry.”
“I wasn’t going to change my mind about the divorce.”
“But you still loved him. You were having a baby with him.”
Two babies. But that was a moot point. “And you were having a baby with Hilary.” But as soon as the words left my mouth, I regretted them. “Joe. I’m sorry.”
He turned to face me. “The Simmons offspring are cursed. All three of us have lost our babies before they were born.”
“There’s still hope for you.” But it was doubtful for me and Kate. Me for obvious reasons; Kate because I suspected she wouldn’t get out of the psych ward for a very long time.
“I don’t know,” he said, stretching out his legs. “I’m not sure it’s in the cards for me either. But maybe that’s not such a bad thing. Look at the evil my father and Kate did. Maybe it’s genetic.”
I wasn’t sure I believed that, but now didn’t seem like the time to debate him.
Sins of the Father: Rose Gardner Mystery Novella 9.5 Page 8