Club Scars

by Mara McBain

  “Where’s the body?”

  “I haven’t killed the asshole yet,” Crux said looking at Tech funny.

  “Not Merrick’s. Where did he bury his wife? Maybe that’s what Kat knows and doesn’t even realize it.”

  “The old asylum where they sent Kat has a cemetery on the grounds. She has always believed that he disposed of the body there.”

  “Would he have access to it?”

  “The Merrick family contributed generously to the efforts to keep Oakwood open,” Crux said dryly.

  “I didn’t even know they had insane asylums anymore,” Rhys muttered, hunching his shoulders in a shudder.

  “They call them mental hospitals now to put a better spin on things,” Tech drawled. “My aunt worked in one in Georgia. Twenty-first century or not, a lot of those people are locked up in there, forgotten by family, and treated like animals. If they weren’t nuts when they went in they’ll make them that way.”

  “Kat said they pumped her full of drugs that made her feel like she was going mad and that was the nice shit. Some of the other stuff was just ancient and barbaric. They left her strapped down over night and then wet her bedding down and opened windows so she froze her ass off. She was raped and beaten by her own blood while locked up there.” Crux shook his head and took a deep breath. It tore him up to even think of what she had gone through.

  “The more I hear about this sick fuck the more I want to put a bullet in his skull,” Reaper said.

  “It would take some surveillance and planning to make sure it’s clean and doesn’t blow back on us,” Zeke muttered, tapping the ashtray with his cigar.

  “Figure out his routine and pick a time and spot where he’s alone and put a long distance plug right between his eyes.”

  “How close do you have to be?”

  “It depends on the weather, but if I can get inside 1500 yards I’d say,” Reaper said with a shrug. “We’ll have to see what we can get. I can make a 1500 yard shot in my sleep.”

  “Remind me not to piss you off,” Eddie said with a low whistle.

  “I don’t give warnings.”

  “Wouldn’t it be better if his death looked like an accident or part of a robbery or something?” Rhys asked. “There would be less of a motive question that way.”

  “There’s a lot more risk in that. That kind of plan would require getting close and then you have the chance of being spotted with the victim or in the area by witnesses or cameras. Robbery saddles you with the added problem of how to dispose of the items and once again increases your chances of making a mistake and being linked to the crime that way,” Zeke explained.

  “Listen to the expert,” Taz teased with a wide grin.

  “When a crime is too clean we always look at law enforcement,” Zeke said with a shrug. “Do you have the hardware?”

  “I have a couple stashed that can’t be traced,” Reaper said, spinning his cigarette pack.

  “Stashed for just such a situation?” Murphy asked, his tone slightly incredulous.

  Reaper nodded with a nonchalant shrug. “Doesn’t everyone?”

  Crux wasn’t sure if Reaper’s question or Murphy’s expression was more amusing. He hid a grin behind the shield of his hand as he lit another cigarette.

  Murphy muttered under his breath, the word psychopath clear enough. If he heard, Reaper didn’t take offense. History and discussion out of the way, the group set to planning. Drawing nicotine deep into his lungs, Crux held his breath for a moment and just let the drug wrap around his tattered nerves. Just talking it over with his brothers had taken a weight off his shoulders.

  The motorcycle mobile turned slowly over the top of Cam’s crib. Kat smiled, looking around the nursery in the dim light. She’d chose the décor with an eye toward long term, decorating with pictures and prints of bikes dating from the vintage 1930’s to the current model year. Custom paint jobs and Harley Davidson orange provided pops of color to stimulate their little one. Maybe it wasn’t the cutesy choice most mothers made, but Cam wouldn’t outgrow it in two years either.

  She turned at a movement in the dark hallway.

  “Everything okay?”

  “Fine. I was just staring at our beautiful son,” she said, moving across the room to hug her husband. “Thank you for tonight. You were right. It felt good to be with the family.”

  Crux nodded and kissed the side of her neck. “I know you wanted to hide. I’m glad you trusted me.”

  “I said you were right. That’s all you’re getting, buddy,” she said giving him a jab in the ribs. “Now take me to bed. I’m beat.”

  “Not yet but I could arrange that,” he grumbled, but the accompanying swat to her ass was all play. His arm looped around her neck and led her into the master bedroom.

  Plopping down on the end of the bed Kat fought back a yawn and tugged at her riding boots. The yawn won out and her jaw popped, tears creeping from the corner of her eyes. She fell back on the bed. A smile curved her lips as her husband picked up her foot and unzipped the boot. The other foot followed suit and she heard the footwear hit the back of the closet. She squealed when he swept her up and tossed her over his shoulder to shimmy her legging off.

  “I can get them,” she said, trying to stave off hysterical giggles at the sight she must make.

  “I have a lot of experience in removing women’s clothing. I might as well put it to good use,” Crux said with a chuckle.

  When he had her redressed in cozy fleece bottoms and one of his t-shirts, he stripped down and joined her in bed. Cuddling close she sighed in contentment.

  “I owe you,” she murmured into his chest with another yawn.

  “I like it when you owe me.”

  She couldn’t muster the strength to smack him.

  Kat bumped Gin’s hip with hers as she came through the kitchen doors grooving to the blues on the radio.

  Laughing, Ginny danced with her. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone so happy to come back to work.”

  “The house is finished and better than ever. I’m here with my friends where I belong. And did I forget to mention that I got laid this morning?” Kat asked, giving her body a seductive shimmy.

  “That’s what it is!” Ginny said, hands fisting at her waist as she thrust her hips in a lewd pantomime to the music. “There’s nothing like post-pregnancy nookie.”

  “Lucky wench! I barely got a kiss before Bowie went out the door this morning,” Amber said shaking her head in disgust.

  “We have to make up for lost time,” Kat said with a sly wink.

  “Is anyone working today or are you just going to stand around and discuss your sex lives?” the cook asked with a long suffering look.

  “We have to make up for lost time on that too,” Ginny said, laughing as she stepped over to check the tickets.

  “Lucky me. Another day of blue balls,” he muttered. “Isn’t this some sort of sexual harassment?”

  “You need to get laid, Lou. You’re way too uptight,” Ginny said, reaching over the counter to pat his cheek. “And only if you file a complaint and you like it and you know it.”

  “Find me a willing woman and I’m up for it.”

  “Your mission, ladies, should you choose to accept it, find a woman for Lou,” Kat intoned.

  “What’re we looking for, Lou? Do you have standards or will any willing woman work?”

  The cook grunted. “At my age the criteria isn’t much different than what I hear you women talking about. I want one with a job. I know I’m not much to look at but no bitches either way you take that. And I’d like someone I can talk to, so not dumber than a box of rocks.”

  Ginny gave the other girls an impressed wide-eyed look. “It seems Lou has thought this through.”

  “Does the color of the drapes and carpet matter?” Amber asked, eyes sparkling wickedly.

  “Drapes are a necessity. Carpet’s optional and I don’t care what color it is as long as the shade is found somewhere in nature.”

 
The girls howled in disbelief clutching at one another and countertops as their laughter made standing up a challenge.

  Shaking his head at their hysterics Lou tapped the bell pointedly. “Kat, Eva, orders up. Shake your asses.”

  Kat’s obedient shimmying strut across the kitchen did nothing to halt the hilarity. Loading a serving tray, she swung it to her shoulder and sashayed through the swinging doors.

  There was no strut or sashay in her movements when she let herself and Cam in the back door at home eight hours later. Sore and exhausted, she grunted as she swung Cam’s carrier and a small bag of groceries up onto the table. Dropping into a chair, she let her purse slide off her shoulder and sighed.

  “I think Mommy’s going to need you to make dinner tonight, little man. She can’t move,” she said to her little boy. She couldn’t help smiling at him. “Let’s tell Daddy that we want wings from Curly’s.”

  The kick of his legs looked like excited agreement to her. Hooking her purse she took a deep breath and rocked to her feet. Hanging the purse on the back of a chair, she put the few groceries away before grabbing up Cam and heading for the stairs. She smiled wearily. She’d steal all the hot water before Crux got home.

  Kat was chin deep in suds when he stuck his head into the bathroom. Hearing the hum of the small heater, he stepped inside and closed the door behind him.

  “Did you have a good day, Cleopatra?” he asked, sitting down on the toilet lid.

  “I was feeling a little more like Cinderella when I got home,” Kat groaned. “I’m out of shape. That was a long day.”

  “I told you that you didn’t have to go back to work,” Crux reminded her, playing with Cam’s toes.

  “I know. It felt good to be back. I missed everyone and it was obvious they missed me, too. Tips were awesome,” Kat said, scooping bubbles over the swell of her boobs. “I just need to get back in shape.”

  “Did you work all day?”

  “Yeah,” she murmured sheepishly.

  Crux nodded and looked up from Cam. “You never ease into anything do you?”

  “You know me. I’m an all in sort of girl,” she said grinning at him. “By the way, Cam said he wants wings and steak fries from Curly’s tonight.”

  Crux’s eyebrow shot up and a grin quirked his lips as he glanced back down at the infant. “He did, huh?” He tweaked the kiddo’s toes again. “How come you only talk to your mommy and it’s usually to her advantage?”

  “It’s a conspiracy,” Kat admitted with a wink. “Like I said, tips were good. I thought we’d celebrate a little and order out.”

  “So it has nothing to do with the fact that you’re dog ass tired?”

  “Of course not.”

  She kept a straight face until he leaned down and pressed his nose to hers, his eyes crossing. She laughed. He chuckled and kissed her.

  “Wings sound good.”

  Standing up, he started stripping out of his clothes.

  “What’re you doing,” she asked suspiciously.

  “It’s like a sauna in here.”

  “Uh huh.”

  He grinned at her as he unbuttoned his Levi’s. “We have to think about Cam’s future and conserve resources. Since you clearly used all the hot water, I was thinking we should share.”

  “Conserve resources. That’s the line you’re going with?” Kat asked dryly.

  “I was just trying to be a responsible parent, but we can go the, you’re hot, naked and wet route if you’d like.”

  “Turn your son away. He doesn’t need to see this,” Kat said with a throaty laugh.

  Spinning the seat around, Crux winked at his boy. “I’m going to borrow your mommy for a bit. You can have her boobs back when I’m done.”

  Kat sputtered and tried to blow suds away from her mouth as she laughed. Twisting around to the front of the tub, she sat up and pulled her legs out of the way to make room. Crux settled into the water. Suds skittered over the surround with the added body. He chuckled. They were going to make a whole lot more of a mess before he was done. Crooking a finger at her, he urged her to join him. Straddling his legs, Kat scooted to his end and settled across his thighs.

  “Hey there, stud.”

  “Hello, darlin’,” he drawled.

  Kat laughed. “You’d best stick to playing the trusty steed. Your cowboy needs work.”

  He whinnied and snorted against the side of her neck, drawing a squeal and peals of laughter. Taking advantage of her head tilting back, he ravaged her throat with kisses and soft nips. She moaned as he slipped a hand between them to mold one of her full breasts.

  “I hope he knows he doesn’t get to highjack these forever,” he grumbled, bowing his head to kiss the top of the pale mound. “He has his own toys. These are mine.”

  “Don’t worry. I’ve warned him that they’re just on loan,” Kat murmured into his hair.

  Letting his hand slide down her back, Crux cupped her ass and pulled her hips against his. She needed no encouragement to rock against him. His hard cock unerringly found the channel between her thighs and he groaned. The glide against her hot slippery skin was heaven. His eyes drifted shut as she slid over him. They popped open when Kat lifted up on her knees. He caught his breath when her hand closed around his shaft under water and directed him to her opening. It seemed his old lady was in no mood to play. They both groaned as she sank down on him. She shifted at the fullness and he dropped his other hand to get a two-handed grip on her dangerous curves.

  Kat’s head fell back as she posted on his cock. Her hands bit into his shoulders and soft, breathless cries fell from her lips as she impaled herself time and again. Her movements came harder along with the pant of her breath. Fingers dimpling the soft curves of her ass, he tried to match her movements, pulling down in time with her descent.

  Water splashed over the edge of the tub as their bodies strained against one another. Bracing his feet against the end of the tub, Crux thrust his hips up to meet her fall. Kat’s short screams bounced off the tiled walls and joined the slosh of water and his grunts in a deafening symphony. His roar brought an answering cry from their son and Kat’s scream was cut off by laughter.

  She slumped over his chest, little tremors still wracking her body as she tried to catch her breath through demented giggles.

  “So much for your Braveheart bellow scaring our son. I think he’s practicing his own.”

  “He has a few years to perfect it. It will help when his voice drops,” Crux chuckled.

  Kat peeked over the edge of the tub and then buried her face back against his neck giggling like a little girl.

  “We made a mess.”

  “It was worth it.”

  “Mmhmm,” she hummed in agreement, seeming in no hurry to climb out of the saddle.

  His hand stroked a lazy path up and down her spine. The cooling water finally convinced them to untangle and slide across the wet floor from the tub to the shower stall. He blocked the spray from Kat until it ran hot and then urged her in front of him to finish washing up. He soaped his hands to help her out and she squirmed as his fingers danced over her.

  “You’re not helping,” she gasped, batting at his hands.

  He chuckled but stopped tormenting her so she could get out and leave what hot water was left to him. When he finished, Kat tossed him a towel over the door. Stepping out he patted her pajama covered ass as she worked to clean the water up off the floor without getting her socks wet. The door was open and she’d moved Cam’s seat to the dry bedroom floor.

  “I’ll call dinner in.”

  She looked back between her legs as she stretched precariously with one foot on the edge of the tub and the other on the toilet seat as she tried to get to the water behind the tank. “Thank you, baby.”

  He secured his towel and looped an arm around her waist to haul her to safety. “It’s not worth busting your head or your ass, woman.” Taking the towel he tossed it on the floor and used his bare foot to move it back and forth for a quick moppi
ng. Job complete he kissed her forehead and winked as he stepped into the bedroom for some clothes.

  The blow dryer came on in the bathroom so Crux grabbed up the little man and carried him downstairs. Spreading a thick quilt on the floor, he freed his son from the carrier’s confines.

  “Stretch out and we’ll see what’s on, little man,” he said, laying the baby out on the blanket and turning on the TV before going into the kitchen to find the carryout menu for Curly’s.

  Coming back he stopped in the doorway. The cat was sniffing the edge of the blanket and craning his neck to get a look at the new addition. Lifting a paw the tomcat tested the folded quilt for stability. Obviously satisfied, he stepped onto the makeshift bed and picked his way across. His black tail twitched as he sniffed delicately at a tiny sock covered foot. When he prodded Cam’s foot with his paw, Crux’s eyes narrowed.

  “Sink those claws into him and I will skin you alive, furball.”

  Crux and the cat looked toward the stairs at the threat. Kat was sitting near the top, looking down between the spindles.

  “I thought you liked the mangy beast.”

  “Like or not, no one and nothing hurts my baby.”

  “Rawrrrr. That’s my old lady,” Crux growled with a grin.

  Kat rolled her eyes, but smiled smugly as she came down the stairs. Sitting down on the edge of the blanket, she held her hand a couple of inches above the hardwood floor.

  “After staying at Zeke and Gin’s I was thinking that it would be nice to have one of those gas fireplaces like theirs,” she said, checking the warmth of Cam’s fingers. “Do you think they’re difficult to install?”

  “Not at all, babe,” Crux said with a shake of his head. He looked around. “I could alter the built-ins a bit and put it in under where the TV hangs if you want.”

  “That would look awesome,” she said, a smile lighting her face. “I figured if you agreed, I could start socking away some of my tips every week. That would give me about six months to save up before fall and we can use part of the loot for the fireplace and any leftover toward Christmas.”