Time Owed
Page 21
Three rings later, Merk paced. Finally, Jacko connected.
"Pizza Factory, what would you like to order?" said Jacko.
"Where are you, man?" Merk stopped and looked at Cam.
"Right where you wanted me. The bar."
"Where's Desi?"
"In the cooler."
"What the fuck is she doing in the cooler?" Merk fisted the top of his hair. "I swear, Jacko, you better be running right now to get to her. Do not let her get locked in there. The door sticks."
"Chill out. Katie is with her. They're organizing the wine. Apparently, chicks dig wine. Hang on. I'm going in the back." Jacko yelled over the phone. "Desi, do you need any help in there?"
Silence came over the phone. Merk's heart raced.
"There. She answered."
Merk groaned. "I didn't hear a damn thing."
"Well, she said she didn't need help and I'm supposed to stay out of their way. Between you and me, I might've driven the women nuts this morning when they were trying to put that shiny shit on the wood floors. But, Jesus, I could've done it in half the time hooking a car battery up to the motor on the polisher, but no...they rented the machine and were afraid I'd break it. Your woman is stubborn, Merk. She's also a pain in my ass when you're gone."
Merk's shoulders relaxed. He shook his head. "Keep an eye on her and don't let her leave the bar."
"What about Katie?" Jacko lowered his voice. "She'll take off in a half hour or so. She's got practice at Silver Girls."
"Have one of the brothers escort her to work." Merk wiped the sweat off his forehead. "I need to go. Make sure you watch Desi."
"Got it, brother," Jacko said.
Merk disconnected the call. Desi was his responsibility, and he needed to return to the bar.
"Is something going on?" Cam asked.
"No, everything is okay in Federal." Merk paused. "I'll go ahead and head into Martin's on my own, and you can head back to Federal."
He shoved his phone in his front pocket. Merk inhaled a much needed breath. Desi was safe. That's all that mattered.
Cam fingered his get-back whip. "What's your plan?"
"I'm going to remove the threat against Desi." Merk met his gaze. "The only thing I want is for her to wake up every day, nobody threatening to sell her to Los Li or thinking they can take advantage of her. For the first time in her fucking life, I want her to feel safe."
"Sell her to Los Li?" Cam whistled. "Does she know that's the reason they're after her?"
Merk shook her head, willing to let Cam know enough to understand the problem while keeping everything else to himself. "Either she's forgotten what her father discussed that night or at thirteen years old she failed to understand the talk. As long as I'm alive, she won't find out what a monster her father was and she can go on thinking he was a dirty gambler who became an asshole when he drank. Her childhood wasn't easy, but she enjoyed her life with Joe. I want her to have that as her memories. To know differently would only fuck with her head."
"All women should grow up with parents watching out for them and building stupid shit like tree houses." Cam looked off into the distance. "I'll ride with you."
"I can't promise you'll make it out alive," Merk said.
Cam straightened his bike and toed the kickstand. "I never think about tomorrow."
Merk walked over to his Harley, sat, and started the engine. He focused on making good time to Martin's house. The thought of being on someone else's turf made him leery. Martin's reputation with a knife and a dozen or so members backing his every move gave Reds an advantage over him and Cam.
There were only two of them. They die, Desi would end up alone, and his club would no longer have a president. He flexed the fingers of his left hand. Jeremy would be without a father and an uncle. Hell, he'd never get to see how the kid turned out. Desi would lose another person in her life, and no one would be there to hold her so she slept or tell her when to eat.
He had to focus.
Exit fifty-three appeared a quarter mile up the road. He glanced at Cam, turned off the interstate, and rode the three miles to Martin's house.
Situated at the end of a dead-end street, the driveway of Martin's one-story ranch style home sat bare. Not a vehicle in sight.
Merk gritted his teeth and took in the plastic children's pool tipped upside down in the yard, a forgotten tricycle by the front door, and the garden hose strung haphazardly in the yard. The obvious fact jumped out at him.
"Motherfucker." He sighed.
"Maybe something happened inside prison and Ring failed to get the message to Reds." Cam rubbed his jaw through his beard. "There are a lot of men that could've fucked this up and broken the chain of communication."
"I'd feel a lot better knowing where Martin is." Merk removed his phone. "I'm calling Desi."
"Whipped," Cam mumbled, pulling out his own phone.
Merk gave him a double look, noticing Cam tapped the contact number for Christina. "Pussy," he said in return.
On the second ring, Desi picked up. "Hello?"
"Hey." Merk dropped his chin to his chest and lowered his voice. "We're about four hours away from Federal. Just wanted to check in and make sure you're doing all right."
Desi paused and finally said, "I'm okay."
Merk's head came up and he peered at Cam. "Sweetheart, what's wrong?"
Desi's tone suggested she wasn't okay. She sounded down, and not her normal energetic self. Hell, he hadn't heard her speak that way since right after Joe passed away.
"Nothing." Desi's voice wobbled. "I think I'm going to go upstairs and clean the apartment."
"Okay, but do me a favor and hand your phone to Jacko." He got off his Harley. "I need to talk with him."
"Hang on," said Desi.
Merk's heart pounded. Nothing had gone according to plan. He was too far away from Federal. Too fucking far from Desi if she needed him.
"Yo," said Jacko.
"What's wrong with Desi?"
"I couldn't tell you." Jacko paused. "Earlier the doorbell rang from the back door. I was down in the basement putting the extra wine on the shelf, so I opened the door. Lola and Jessie came over to visit with Desiree."
"What happened?"
"That's the thing, I don't know. The women helped me put the rest of the wine away after drooling over them and talking about how they want to come to Girl's Night, and then we all went upstairs. Desiree sat at one of the tables and didn't even hear us come in. You know how loud they are, and Desiree just sat there staring at nothing. Anyway, Desiree told the women she was busy and went into the office. She's been in there for about an hour and only came out to hand me the phone. Now, she's back in the office with the blinds closed."
"Nobody was around her before that?" Merk asked.
"Only the two guys from Silver Valley Construction. They came by to paint the outside trim around the windows early this morning, and then they left before nine o'clock. Desiree stayed in the bar the whole time. She and Katie organized the cooler and once Katie left, Desiree announced she needed to work on the books in the office. I don’t know what changed her mood from this morning until the last couple of hours."
"Okay." He pushed the trapped air in his lungs out. "Stay close to her. I'll be back soon."
"Got it." Jacko disconnected.
Merk pocketed the phone. Martin forgotten, he wanted to get back to Federal and check on Desi.
Cam's gaze narrowed. "Trouble?"
"I don't know." He toed his kickstand. "She's safe, but something is going on in her head. She refused to see the Moroad women and has locked herself in the office. She barely said two words to me."
"If she's safe and Jacko's watching her, then what's your next move?" Cam glanced at his phone. "We're wasting time here. Martin's not around, and I doubt he'd come back with us parked here waiting for him."
"We go back to Federal." Merk put his gloves back on. "I'll figure out why Martin never took the bait later. Right now, Desi needs me."
Chapter Twenty Nine
The phone rang. Desiree jumped and grabbed the receiver. "I'm here."
"Ah, you mind me well. I like that. We've received the envelope with the check you slid under the door." The heavily accented words flowed through the phone. "You've saved your boyfriend's life, for now, by following my directions. But he's not back to you yet, is he?"
She shivered, holding the phone to her ear and pressing her temple with the other hand. The first time the bar's phone rang earlier, she'd expected to hear from the beer distributer. They always called the day before delivering.
Instead, a man who said his name was Martin told her Merk would die today if she failed to follow his instructions. Her stomach cramped and she leaned against the desk, afraid she'd pass out. If anything happened to Merk, she'd never forgive herself.
"What do you want from me?" she whispered.
"This time, I want you to listen to a story and pay attention to the questions at the end. I think you'll find it very interesting." Martin chuckled.
"I-if I listen, you won't hurt Merk?" She held her breath.
"It depends on if you stay on the phone until the end."
She struggled to swallow with a dry mouth. "I will. Just don't do anything to him."
"You need to trust me. You paid the money and I didn't kill your boyfriend. We're moving on to your next test." Martin paused. "Are you ready to listen?"
She wanted to scream for Jacko in the other room, plead with him to help her get away from Martin's sick game, and save Merk before he ended up dead. Petrified she'd do or say something wrong, or not act fast enough, she followed Martin's instructions.
She pulled her tongue off the roof of her mouth. "Yes."
"Good answer." Martin exhaled loudly. "You do know this isn't the first time we've talked."
"I-I don't know what you mean." She stared at the middle of the doorknob, wondering if she could unlock the door and get Jacko without Martin knowing. Maybe if she let Jacko listen to the man, he could figure out the location of the call. Martin had to be close. He'd picked up the check she wrote him.
"You were so young, beautiful, and smart the last time I saw you. I could tell you were special. You were slim and still quite girlish. I watched you swindle a grown man out of twenty dollars playing him in a game of pool. You were cocky in a charming childlike way and flashed a grin to everyone watching the game, even me. You lit up the room with your beauty." Martin sighed. "But the next night my plan was compromised.
"What plan?" Her head pounded.
"It would've been my wish to introduce you to your own pleasure. I was so close. Your padre...father understood. He'd given you to me."
Oh, my God. Desiree caught her forehead, understanding crippling her in pain. "My dad would never give me away."
Martin laughed. "I hate to be the one to deliver the news. Unfortunately the only man still alive who would recognize the truth has a timer on his life and is depending on you doing the right thing."
"Merk?" Her spine stiffened and she pushed away from the desk.
"Si." Martin rambled off in Spanish, confusing her more.
"Please, I can't understand what you're saying."
"The night Merk killed your father, he'd overheard our deal. Your father couldn't pay his debt and in exchange to save his own pathetic life, he agreed to hand you over to me," said Martin.
Her arm grew heavy and she rolled into herself and propped her elbow on her thigh. "No," she whispered.
"This is the truth." Martin softened his voice. "Now, you need to listen to the end of the story."
She closed her eyes. Her father was an alcoholic, a gambler, an abusive man on occasion, but he'd never get rid of his own child.
"Your father ran up a gambling debt. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to pay off the loan and because your boyfriend murdered your father, I was unable to follow through with our agreement and take you with me. When the police finally stopped coming to the bar, I contacted your grandfather."
Desiree whimpered. Pop would never let her go. He'd saved her more times than she could count from her dad's hand and kept her away from the bad men that visited the bar.
"Joe agreed to pay me your father's debt. A little here. A little there. I was happy to work with him over the years. Then all of a sudden, I wasn't seeing any money." Martin tsked. "I don't like being disappointed, Desiree."
"He died." She cleared her throat. "Pop...Joe passed away over three months ago."
"Yes, yes, I heard. I'm very sorry for your lose. Please accept my condolences," said Martin.
Bile burned her throat. She wanted Merk. The moment Martin called and put demands on her, scaring her enough she believed Merk's life was in danger, her whole world slammed to a stop.
"Are you done?" She inhaled rapidly and continued. "Will you leave Merk alone now?"
"I'm not quite finished." Martin's pleased smile came through his voice. "I still need to tell you were the story ends. Are you listening?"
"Yes," she said, rushing him.
"A few days ago, your boyfriend killed two of my men to keep me away from you. One of the men murdered was my brother-in-law, and my sister hasn't been the same since hearing the news. I'm sure you can empathize with me having recently suffered your own loss. We're a loving family and very close, and when my sister is hurting, it makes me very angry."
She gasped, covering her mouth.
"You understand then, why I want to hurt the man that brought pain and heartache to my family, to me. I believe the best way to make Merk hurt is to share his little secret with the woman who loves him. It's up to you to learn why Merk showed up the night he killed your father and overheard him trying to sell his own daughter. He saved you, but there's more to Merk's story that he's keeping from you."
"Why are you doing this to me?"
Martin sighed. "Ask the man you believe you love why he came to the bar the night he killed your father. Make him tell you the truth, Desiree, so he can see the damage he's caused you."
Her chest burned and she sank down into the chair. A few nights ago, Merk had left her and returned in a bad mood. He'd almost started drinking, but she'd opened up to him and they'd grown closer. She'd fallen even more in love with him because he'd reached out to her...oh, God. He killed two people?
The night Merk murdered her father; he committed the crime to keep her out of Martin's hands. He'd saved her life in more ways than one that night, and he never planned to tell her what kind of father she had. What was he keeping from her?
"Desiree?"
She sniffed, wiping her cheeks. "Yes?"
"The story is over," said Martin softly. "All you need to do now is ask Merk why he came to kill your father the night you hid in the basement. Can you do that?"
She panted, panicked over whether Martin would kill Merk or not. "Will you leave him alone? Please? He only wanted to save me."
Her voice gave out. Only squeaks escaped her parted lips. Her whole body trembled. Exhaustion controlled her every move as she tried to follow Martin's instructions to save Merk's life.
"I must end this call now, Desiree," said Martin.
"No, please." She stood and the room swayed. Grabbing on to the desk, she closed her eyes to fight the nausea building inside of her. "Please, don't kill him."
The phone call disconnected.
Chapter Thirty
The back door of Rail Point bar swung open. Merk removed his pistol at the same time he stepped off his Harley. Strung tight after riding to Federal, worried about Desi, he expected to find Martin facing him down.
"Hey, hey." Jacko raised his arms. "Don't shoot me."
Merk slid his pistol back under
the waist of his jeans. "Where is she?"
"Office." Jacko followed Merk inside and up the stairs.
On the main floor landing, everything appeared the same. Each table outfitted with a napkin holder, an empty glass dish waiting for peanuts, and every chair tucked under and out of the way. Merk turned to Jacko, not understanding how Desi went from loving on him last night before he left to locking herself in the office.
"Are you sure nothing happened?" Merk ran his hand over his face, knocking the road dust off him.
"Bro, she stayed in the building the whole time. When the women came up to talk with her, she apologized and said she was busy before going back in the office. If something happened, it happened in that room." Jacko's phone vibrated and he dug the cell out of his pocket. "It's Stache. He wants to meet up with me as soon as you get back."
Merk lifted his chin. "Go on. Make sure you lock the front door behind you."
Jacko hesitated. "Who'd you see at the prison?"
"Ring."
"Everything okay?" asked Jacko.
"Ring's good. The rest..." Merk shook his head. "I'll take care of."
"Okay." Jacko slapped Merk's shoulder. "Yell if I'm needed."
Merk stared at the closed office door, wanting to break it down. There was no reason for Desi to hide from him, unless she found something in the office that upset her. He walked to the door and stopped. He'd gone through every inch of the office in his spare time, even getting out of bed in the middle of the night to scour through Joe's files. While the room seemed stuffed with papers, receipts, and the history of the bar, Joe kept every bit of information in a rather organized system. He'd found nothing that would shock Desi.
He'd removed the papers outlining the money spent to Reds and the details of her father's prior gambling troubles. His weary back spasmed. That was when he'd discovered Joe kept records of every gambling gain and loss he and Desi brought into the bar.
He tried the door handle. Locked.
Raising his hand, he knocked. "Desi?"
Scrambling came from inside and the door clicked and opened. Desi stood in front of him, gasping for breath. He took in her condition and instantly damned himself for leaving her.