Liar's Fire: A Cooper Brothers Novel

by Dee Burks

  He brushed her tears away with one finger. “Wish I could do that.” Putting his arm around her, he pulled her close to his side. “They released me from the hospital in time for the funeral, which was almost worse.”

  “How could it be worse?”

  “Matt’s little brother was about thirteen at the time, and after the service, they led out the family first. Most didn’t even look my way, but he stopped right in front of my wheelchair.” Tyler took a big breath. “He said I killed his brother and that he’d never forgive me. And that one day he’d pay me back if it was the last thing he ever did.”

  “What did you say?” she whispered.

  “Nothing. What could I say? He was right. I was stupid and reckless, and it cost my best friend his life. There’s no undoing that, and nothing anyone ever says will make it better. So I sat there and took it. Every time I saw him after that, the accusation was there, even though we didn’t speak. I felt his hate without him saying a word.”

  “Did he ever pay you back?”

  “In a way I guess.” Tyler smiled. “He married my sister.”

  “Jim?” Serena asked. He seemed to have as easy a time being around Jim as he did his own brother. She hadn’t sensed any tension at all between them at the cookout. “So I guess you worked things out?”

  “Had to. Chelsie insisted that me and Jim talk and clear the air before the wedding.”

  “How did the talk go?”

  He shook his head and chuckled, his good humor returning. “It went about twelve rounds and took out the wedding cake.”

  Serena laughed with him. “Oh no.”

  “You’ll have to ask Chelsie to show you the pictures sometime.”

  “So did you have to go to jail after the accident?”

  “They gave me ten years probation on the manslaughter charge and took away my driver’s license for a year on the drunk driving.” He squeezed her arm one last time and then pulled his arm from around her. “Are you shocked now?”

  She nodded. “You win.” She slapped the letters into his hand and got up.

  “I see how you are, don’t want to sit on the deck now with a criminal?” He tried to make his tone light and teasing, but he couldn’t quite pull it off.

  Serena knew he needed to know she understood, yet still thought enough of him to be his friend. Which she did. She couldn’t imagine the emotional hurt he’d suffered, and if she could lessen the pain for him, somehow she would.

  She flashed him a smile. “Like I’d let you off that easy. I need a lover, and you’re it, buddy.” She held the back door open. “So which one of those letters are we doing?”

  He grinned wide and walked toward her, then stopped and brushed a kiss across her lips. “All of them.”

  Chapter 15

  The next morning Tyler climbed his condo’s outside stairs trying to avoid the Rat Patrol, who would be up and about by now. The bright April sun glared off the light colored stucco of the building. With the temperature already 75 degrees, the Texas sun beat down, making it a harder climb than usual. Tyler stopped at the landing to catch his breath. Serena’s perfume rose from his shirt, tickling his memory.

  She’d had fallen asleep next to him on the couch last night. He’d lain there for hours listening to her breathe, holding her close. He was comfortable with her. No pretense, no trying to impress each other. He’d never been that kind of comfortable with a woman. Not constantly wondering what she thought about him or when she’d figure out she didn’t want him around.

  Tyler had never told anyone about the accident until he’d known them a long, long time. But he told Serena, and she passed the acid test. The reaction he expected included condemnation, revulsion, suspicion. But she surprised him again, offering sympathy and understanding.

  Someone told him once that damaged people gravitate toward each other. Maybe that was it.

  He guessed Serena had been through some major hurt too, but he had no idea what. Somehow it fit that they understood each other. Serena was interesting, funny, and stand-offish at the same time—a challenge he couldn’t resist.

  Tyler reached the third floor and opened the door to a beehive of activity, which seemed to be concentrated around his front door. His couch sat in the hallway piled with the TV and several garbage bags full of clothes. Shadow’s bark rang out from the condo. Tyler rushed over to one of the men moving furniture. “Hey, what are you doing?” Before the man could open his mouth, Mrs. Lathem’s door swung open.

  “Oh, there you are, Mr. Cooper.” She gave him a smug sneer. “You’re being evicted. What a shame.”

  “Evicted?”

  “Yes. Dick’s niece is back and no longer wants you around.” She gave his disheveled appearance a once over, then turned up her nose. “Though who could blame her with you out catting around until all hours.” Rat dog appeared near her ankle and growled at him.

  Tyler’s temper flared, but one phrase flashed through his mind, like a bright warning beacon. “Krista’s back?”

  “Yes. Krista is out at the moment, but you can talk to me.”

  Tyler turned to see a man in a dark suit emerge from the condo. “And you are?”

  The man smiled as if patiently speaking to a child. “Mark Ricca. Krista’s friend and attorney.”

  Tyler gritted his teeth. Great. Krista’s latest guy would have to be a lawyer. She must have finished with John and went looking for a man who could really save her ass. Tyler resigned himself immediately to the fact that the condo was a lost cause. He knew even without calling his brother for the specific legal clauses that he didn’t have a chance.

  “You had to know your time here was temporary,” Ricca continued. “I hope we can avoid any ugliness.” He exuded arrogance and confidence, and Tyler barely resisted the urge to pop him one right in the mouth.

  Ugliness? That would only happen if Krista showed, and Tyler was relieved she wasn’t here now. He didn’t look forward to any confrontation with her after she’d left him to mop up all her financial mess. He might strangle her on sight. Tyler half listened to the guy as he tried to formulate the next step toward getting a roof over his head.

  “Your things will be here until five sharp. Whatever’s left will be hauled off. Any questions?”

  “Where’s my dog?”

  Mark disappeared and returned with Shadow. The dog ran to Tyler, who picked up two of the trash bags full of clothes, grabbed her leash and headed back down the stairs. He sat in his Jeep for a few minutes thinking, and then dialed his sister’s number.

  “Hello?”

  “Chelsie I need a place to…” The line went dead. Not that he blamed her, but this was important. He redialed and she picked up.

  “Chelsie this is…” She hung up again. Tyler glanced at his watch. Almost 10. He had to dump his stuff somewhere and get to work before the lunch rush. It would get stolen if he left it in the Jeep. He looked over his shoulder at the two bags. Not that there was much to steal.

  Why was it that every time things went south with a woman, he ended up with less stuff? One more rotten romance and he’d be down to a toothbrush. Shadow licked the side of his face, and he rubbed her ears. “I’d take you to work, but the way my luck’s running, today the health department would pull a surprise inspection.”

  That left one option—Serena. Tyler dialed her cell and waited until voice mail picked up. As he listened to her message, he tried to figure out what to say. A loud tone sounded in his ear. “Serena, this is Tyler. I’ve had a little emergency and need a small favor. Call me when you get this.” Actually, it was a huge emergency and a big favor, but he didn’t have time for specifics right now. He hung up and steered the Jeep to her house.

  The neighborhood appeared calm and quiet. It was a working day, after all, and most of the houses on Serena’s street were dark and silent. He braked to a stop, hoping no one noticed his matching luggage, courtesy of Hefty. Grabbing both trash bags, Tyler climbed out, and Shadow followed behind him. He rang the bell but knew
no one was home. Leading Shadow around to the side gate, he turned her loose in the backyard. He set the garbage bags on the deck and hurried to his vehicle.

  Serena had already proven she had an understanding heart, and he and Shadow would be out of her hair as soon as he got off work. And found a hotel. That he could afford. That took dogs, too. His head pounded as he drove to the restaurant. There was no such thing as a small storm in his life. Everything turned into a hurricane eventually.

  The parking lot to the side of the restaurant and the street in front were full of cars. A good sign, but he knew they were short-handed. He glanced at his watch again. The noon rush was in full swing.

  Tyler hurried inside, washed up, and took his customary place beside Tony at the grill. The cook frowned at him. “Where you been?”

  “Getting evicted.”

  Tony shook his head. “Then your day’s not going to get any better.”

  Tyler squinted at one order sheet and tossed two thick steaks on the grill. “Why’s that?”

  “She’s waiting for you out front.”

  Tyler met Tony’s eyes and immediately knew. “Can you handle this a minute?” He untied his apron, dread creeping into his mind.

  “Yep. Funny how your women always want a showdown in the middle of lunch rush.”

  Tyler shrugged. “Well it is high noon and she does have an audience.” He winked at the cook. “Clint’s never lost a gunfight yet.”

  “Ride ’em cowboy!” Tony’s laughter followed him until he pushed through the swinging doors to the seating area. The humor didn’t do much to quell his nerves. Tyler scanned the room until he saw her.

  Krista sat looking out one of the front windows, sipping a glass of iced tea. She hadn’t changed. Long blonde hair and smooth bronze skin set off by blue eyes and overly white teeth. Beautiful by most anyone’s standard, except for his. He knew what lay underneath the surface.

  To get what she wanted, the woman would sell herself to the devil or at least sleep with him. Anger and resentment coiled inside Tyler like a tight spring. This person had tried to ruin his life the past two years and still was apparently.

  Krista turned and waved him over with a big smile. Like nothing had happened. Like they were friends. Like he’d forgive and forget. Not hardly. He stood for a minute and thought about how this would play out.

  Tyler had practiced his lines for months after she left. What he’d say, how he’d say it, how he’d feel afterwards. Not good probably, but satisfied. He’d held his anger in check for a long time, and she deserved every bit of hate he could dish out.

  He walked over and stood next to the table.

  “Hi, Ty, how have you been?” She flashed her sexiest smile, expecting it to work its magic on him. It didn’t.

  “What do you want, Krista?”

  “I thought we could talk.” She motioned to the chair next to her, the multiple bracelets on her wrists clinking together. He knew the sound. Expensive. “Aren’t you going to sit down?”

  “No. I have a business to run. I’d like you to leave.”

  “That’s what I want to talk about. Our business.” She motioned to the restaurant.

  Tyler gritted his teeth and growled. “It’s my business, and I’ll thank you to leave.”

  Krista unfolded a piece of paper and handed it to him. “John signed his half over to me before we . . .” She lowered her voice, “parted ways. So I guess that makes us partners.” She stood and put a hand on his arm. “We were good partners at one time, weren’t we, Ty?”

  He jerked away from her touch and tried to focus on the paper in front of him. The words ran together in legal mumbo jumbo but he got the general idea. John had sold his half of the partnership to Krista. Tyler couldn’t believe it. And maybe he didn’t have to. “You expect me to think this is real?” Tyler observed her for any sign of uncertainty.

  She gave a smug smile. “Absolutely. John and I decided it was the least he could do for me before we split up, so he gave it to me.”

  Tyler grunted. John figured out what Krista was a lot faster than he had. Giving her half ownership of a worthless restaurant would have gotten him off the hook fast and easy. He pictured John sitting on a beach somewhere, grateful to be rid of JT’s and Krista. As usual, Tyler was left to deal with the crap, which in this case, meant a barbecue joint with negative cash flow and Barbi the bimbo with attorney in tow.

  The document looked real, as far he could tell, and given the way things were going today, it probably was. Now what? He tossed the paper on the table. “I don’t know what you’re after, but if you expect to come in here and take over, it’s not going to happen.”

  Surprise flashed across her face, and he pressed his point, putting in his best bluff. “In fact, if that’s what you want, I’ll sign my half over, and you can have the whole damn thing,” though he had no intention of giving up JT’s. It was all he had left, but he had to see how serious she was.

  “Well, that’s not really what I had in mind. You know I don’t know anything about running a restaurant.” She trailed a finger up and down his arm making his flesh crawl. “I thought maybe we could come to an arrangement. You could buy my half and then keep running the place like you always have.”

  “What?” Tyler knew it would come down to money. It always did with her. He shook his head and kept his voice steady. “You have more balls than anyone I’ve ever known. You think you can walk in here with some fake piece of paper and have me write you a check? Have you lost your mind?” His voice rose drawing the attention of people at the surrounding tables. “Did you ever have one in the first place?”

  Krista teared up, going into her victim act. “I thought you’d be reasonable. I only want what is rightly mine.”

  Tyler wasn’t falling for it. “No you don’t. You want what is rightly mine. Like I’m some guy you can charm back into your bed and have your way with. I’ve seen what you are, and I don’t want any part of it.”

  Her eyes narrowed at him. “I’d hoped it wouldn’t come to this, but I guess you leave me no choice.” She grabbed her purse off the table. “I will be suing you for running my investment into the ground over the last two years. Expect to hear from my attorney. I believe you’ve already met.” She leaned closer. “You will either pay up or go under, it’s your choice.” She brushed past him.

  Tyler’s hands shook. He gripped the back of a chair to keep from wrapping them around her traitorous neck. “I’ll burn this place to the ground before I give you one cent,” he shouted.

  Krista ignored him and strutted out the door, her braided belt swung in rhythm over her jeans, accentuating the sway of her hips. Several men glanced their appreciation and Tyler almost laughed. If they only knew. Desiring Krista was like standing on a highway with a semi-truck barreling toward you. And he wasn’t about to get run over—again.

  He stood a minute trying to gather his thoughts. Talking to his brother seemed the next logical step to know exactly what he might be dealing with on the legal side. Jeff’s specialty was business law, and he’d know in a heartbeat how bad this was or wasn’t. Nothing Tyler could do about any of it right this second. The restaurant was full, and he needed to get back to work. Turning, he noticed the quiet. Every customer, as well as all the employees, stared at him in stunned silence.

  “Sorry for the interruption, folks.” As he made his way back to the grill, he tried to focus on the task at hand. Meanwhile, his mind worked overtime. Had the document been real? Probably. Would her threat stand up in court? Maybe. Would she really go that far and completely ruin him? Absolutely.

  Shortly after two o’clock, things slowed down enough for him to break away. He closed the door to his office and dialed Jeff’s number.

  A female voice came on the line. “Law office.”

  “Jeff Cooper, please.”

  “May I ask who is calling?”

  “His brother Tyler.”

  After a few seconds, Jeff came on the line. “Hey, Ty. What’s up?”


  “I’ve got a problem.”

  “Yeah, I heard. Chelsie’s called me four times already, trying to get me to talk some sense into you about Sherry or Sheila or whoever she is.”

  “Serena, and that’s not why I’m calling. I’ve got a real problem. A legal one.”

  “Involving?” The change in Jeff’s tone to serious business was immediate.

  “JT’s.” Tyler took a deep breath and plowed through the details. “Krista’s back. She has some papers that say John signed over his part of the restaurant to her. She says if I don’t give her cash, she will sue. Can she do that?”

  “Whoa. One thing at a time. What did the paperwork say?”

  “It looked like a bill of sale of some kind.”

  “Did it look official, notarized?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Hmm.”

  Tyler’s anxiety mounted as several seconds of silence ticked by. “Well? What am I looking at?”

  “Worst case scenario, if John really did sign over his share, you’re stuck with her unless you buy her out.”

  “The place is barely staying afloat now.”

  “If that’s the case, you could let her have it and walk away as long as she agreed to take everything, including the debt.”

  Tony stuck his head in the door. “Hey, boss, we need you out here.” The noisy din of the kitchen invaded the sanctuary of the office.

  Tyler held up a hand. “Yeah, one more minute.”

  Tony nodded and disappeared.

  Tyler returned his attention to Jeff. “She’d never go for that. Krista doesn’t want a job; she’s after money.”

  “That could work to your advantage. If she decides to sue, she’d have to hire an attorney, and let me tell you, we aren’t cheap.”

  “She already has one, and I think he’s her boy toy.”

  “I guess some of us are cheaper than others.”

  Cheap is right and easy too. Not more than two years ago, Tyler was that same guy getting taken without even realizing it. “Can she really sue me?”