Cooper Construction Series Box Set

by Jen Davis

“My father is a businessman,” she said firmly, “and I’m just another one of his assets. Or at least I was. He’s as pissed as Nathan is right now.” Oh, shit. How could she have forgotten her father’s threat? “It’s the reason I texted you earlier. My dad is gunning for you. He says he’s going to ruin you.” Her words started running together as her fear for him returned. “You’ve got to be careful. He’s furious we’re together again.”

  He smiled.

  What the hell?

  “Then it really is like old times.”

  She swatted his arm. “Not funny. My father is a powerful man. He was already working with the white supremacist freak I told you about. Now it’s personal.”

  Kane blinked lazily and pulled her back to him. “Scarier men than Beau Griffin have tried to take me down. Let him try. With you at my side, I’m fucking invincible.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  Kane

  Kane couldn’t remember the last time he’d been so excited about Christmas. He didn’t have just one, but two invitations to celebrate this year. Neither was with his own family, of course. Nothing had changed about the way the club ignored the holiday.

  He’d meant it when he told Mandy he planned to patch out, but selfishly, he wanted to wait until after Christmas. They wouldn’t be sentimental about it, but he would. He didn’t want to face the holiday knowing he was dead to them. Plus, if he was there to oversee one last exchange with Ace, they’d have at least something to work with before they lost their drug connection. Because he had no doubt, without him, Ace and his products were history.

  So, he kept his head down; he went to work every day and the clubhouse every night to see his mom. As much as she loved him, she’d choose the club when the dust settled. Her devotion to his father lived above all things, and Malcolm would never forgive his defection.

  Mandy didn’t offer a word of complaint. After all the time they’d spent apart, he knew how much she craved his company. God knew, he felt the same way. But she also knew how serious it was to walk away from his brothers. In less than a week, he’d be all hers.

  He worried for her safety, though. She’d filed the restraining order she’d told him about, but her ex, Nathan, was a loose cannon. A quick call to Mike filled her brother in on everything. His old friend hired private security on the spot, and at least two guys had quietly trailed her ever since.

  He didn’t cut himself off from her entirely. In addition to texts and a few private pictures on social media, he’d surprised her with a quick visit and a few amazing kisses at her place Monday after work and more of the same in her parking garage Wednesday morning. He was tempted to crawl in her bed after he finished his club business every night, but after dealing with drugs and guns day in and day out, he felt too tired and dirty to face her.

  Now his last deal with Ace was done. It was Christmas Eve, likely the last night he’d ever spend with his brother. Like all the others, Scott would shun him when he turned in his cut. For all the stupid shit the man said and did lately, he was family, and they had a lifetime of history. Kane loved him, and his heart hurt as he let himself into the clubhouse.

  Scott was shooting pool by himself at the table.

  “Got any room for me over there?”

  His brother’s face lit at the offer, and he gathered the balls together to start a new game. Whatever disagreements they had over the drugs or with Mandy, Scott clearly welcomed the opportunity to hang together. “Wanna break?” He offered Kane his stick.

  “Nah. You’ve always been better at it than me.”

  Scott preened a little before taking his shot. The balls scattered, and the one-ball sank in the corner pocket. “Solids,” his brother announced and proceeded to drop two more balls before missing his third shot.

  Kane tanked his shot on purpose to make his brother grin.

  “Ha, ha. Out of practice, baby bro. Watch and learn. The master is at work.” Afterward, Scott ran the table, his smile growing progressively bigger with every ball he put in the pocket. Once he sunk the eight-ball, he let out a whoop and spun around on his heel. “Come out with me tonight, K. We’ll grab a beer at The Watering Hole.” He wrinkled his nose. “Unless Princess Bitch has you on too tight a leash.”

  He let the dig on Mandy slide. “Sure, brother. First round’s on me.”

  It wasn’t surprising to see the crowd gathered at the bar. If anything, he was shocked his father wasn’t there picking up a piece of Christmas ass. Thank heaven for small favors.

  He bought his brother a beer, which turned into two and eventually three. They shot pool again, played a round of darts. He even paid to play Scott’s favorite song on the jukebox, so they could sing along together. What he wanted to do was explain why he was patching out, to tell him he loved him. To beg him to understand. He knew Scott too well, though, to even try. Instead, he bought yet another round of drinks; he sang more songs, and he laughed at Scott’s lame-ass jokes. Then he let his brother use him as a sounding board for his ideas about a new tattoo.

  “I was thinking a scorpion, man.” Grabbing a pen from Hangman, Scott sketched a design on the top of his hand. “Maybe we could get a matching set this year. Something special for my blood-brother.”

  He doubted Scott would feel the same in a couple of days, but he nodded anyway. “Yeah, man. Sounds great.”

  At closing time, he had to force himself to leave. When he dropped Scott back at the clubhouse, he walked him to the door and pulled him into a tight hug. “I love you, brother.”

  Scott took it in stride, returning the embrace with a drunken smile. “I love you too, man. Thanks for tonight. Most fun I’ve had in ages.”

  He rubbed his chest as his brother let himself in the house. Scott didn’t know this was the last night they’d spend together, but the knowledge burned a hole in Kane’s heart. With one last hug, he’d just told his brother goodbye.

  ***

  Having lunch with Brick and his fiancé provided a welcome distraction from the cloud hanging over Kane’s head. The potluck meal gave him a chance not only to break bread with his only real friend outside of the club but some of the other guys from the construction site too.

  Before they ate, he quietly thanked the man again for his help with Mandy’s ex. They’d talked about it once already this week, but it bore repeating. He owed Brick, Cyrus, and Evan more than he could ever repay.

  Brick waved his words away. “You’ve done plenty for me. I wouldn’t even be here without you. Wouldn’t have my girl, this house. You don’t owe me shit. It was my pleasure dragging his sorry ass off the property. I only regret Evan got a crack at him and I didn’t.”

  He told no one about his plans to leave the club after the holiday; instead, he absorbed the laughter and the love in the room like a sponge. As fun as it was, though, it was only the warm-up for an afternoon at the Cooper house.

  Mandy was already there, working on the food with Cindy. When he’d told her about his invitation from Brick, about the growing friendship they had, she’d insisted he go there first. His arrival at the Coopers’ was supposed to be a surprise; he hoped everyone would consider it a good one.

  Why was he so nervous? He’d known these people for years. He was only there a couple of weeks ago.

  But I wasn’t back with Mandy then.

  Would they be happy to see the man he’d become as a permanent fixture in their family? He’d find out soon enough.

  He took a deep breath and knocked on the door. It swung open before he even let it out. Then Mandy fell into his arms, and nothing mattered but the smell of her hair and the way she whispered his name.

  “Who is it?” Cindy’s voice drifted out from the living room. “Amanda?” She exhaled sharply. “Oh my God, Mike. It’s Kane. Is he…are you…are you guys together?”

  The joy in her voice put to rest any concerns he had about his welcome. When Mandy finally let him go, Cindy practically elbowed her aside to give him a hug of her own. “We’ve been waiting a long time to have yo
u back here, my friend. I hope you’re sure about this because you’re stuck with us now.”

  He hugged her back with the same warmth she bestowed on him. Her grip was strong and after all these years, she still smelled like coconuts.

  “All of you need to get your asses in the house and shut the door,” Mike grumbled. “I’m freezing my nuts off.”

  Flanked by the women, he followed Mike’s voice into the warmth of the house. Mandy’s brother looked transformed from a few weeks earlier. Though he was still in the wheelchair, the casts were off his legs, and he’d put on at least ten pounds. His little girl had her arms locked around his neck. “Looking good, old friend.”

  Mike set his daughter on the floor, and she toddled away on pudgy feet. “I’m living right. It looks like I’ll finally be able to get back to work in a couple of weeks. I’m sure my better half is ready to get me out of the house. If she has to spend much more time with me in close quarters, I may not make it out alive.”

  Cindy tapped the back of his head playfully. “If I wanted you dead, I wouldn’t have wasted so much time nursing you back to health.”

  “Hey, Mom, are we going to eat or what?” Joshua tilted his upper body into the space of the doorframe to the kitchen. “I’m starving.”

  Mandy’s hand nestled tightly in his, Kane walked with the family into the kitchen. He hadn’t eaten too much at Brick’s place, knowing he’d be sharing dinner here. Once the smell of Cindy’s pot roast took over his senses, he knew he’d made the right choice.

  “Mana, up. Mana, up.” Mike’s little girl was tugging on Mandy’s jeans and quickly got scooped into her aunt’s arms.

  His woman looked right at home holding a toddler. Maybe they could talk about having one of their own.

  His heartbeat picked up.

  It could really happen. All those dreams he thought had died were waking up from hibernation.

  The meal was delicious, and the family was everything he remembered from before. Everything but Charlie and Elizabeth Cooper. Still, their picture hung on the wall over the table, giving him the feeling the couple watched over them from wherever they were now.

  It might have been perfect if Joshua would have stopped staring at him every once in a while. He crooked his eyebrow at the boy from across the table. “Do I have spinach in my teeth, or what?” He glanced down at his T-shirt. “Food on my clothes? Twigs in my hair?”

  Joshua smirked. “You thought I was your kid, didn’t you?”

  Cindy slapped her forehead, then ran her hand over her face. “Joshua Charles Cooper, do you have no filter at all?”

  The boy had a lot of nerve. Kane decided he liked it. Shooting back his own crooked smile, he feigned a shudder. “Thank God, I was wrong.”

  A moment of silence passed before Mandy let out an inelegant snort, and the entire table erupted in laughter. A roll flew across the table and bounced off Kane’s head, leaving Mike doubled over in mirth.

  It was the kind of Christmas he had always dreamed about.

  He was still smiling when the phone buzzed in his pocket.

  Malcolm: 911. Family emergency.

  The one call he couldn’t ignore. Family emergency meant shit was hitting the fan. The club needed him. This one last time, he would go.

  “Thank you, guys, for including me in your Christmas dinner, but I need to get home.” He kept his eyes on Mandy as he tilted his head toward the door. “Will you walk me out, babe?”

  She raised her eyebrows but did as he asked. “Everything okay?”

  He shook his head. “Something’s wrong. I need to find out what. But after this, I’m out.” Grabbing his jacket from the hook on the wall near the front door, he pulled a small box from an inside pocket. “Hold on to this. You can open it when I come back to you tonight.”

  Her face lit up, then her lower lip shot out as she shook the box gently. “No. You can’t make me wait. You’re just mean.”

  Leaning forward, he took a quick bite of her bottom lip. “As if I could ever tell you no. Fine, open it, but then I really do have to go.”

  Grinning widely, she ripped off the paper and peered inside the box. A breath escaped her as she pulled out the delicate silver chain. Attached were two entwined hearts. One was silver, engraved with the words I Love You; the other was white gold, marked with the word Forever. “I love it.” Her voice cracked a little at the end. “Will you put it on me?” She lifted her hair and presented him with the back of her neck.

  His big fingers were clumsy handling the tiny clasp, but after two or three tries, he managed to get it fastened. “All done.” He kissed her neck. “Tonight, you can wear it for me and nothing else.”

  When she turned back toward him, her eyes already sparked with heat. “You can count on it.”

  Images of Mandy waiting for him in her bed kept him warm on the icy drive back to the clubhouse. It also kept him from speculating much about whatever crisis had inspired the text calling him home.

  It never even occurred to him the plaintive wail of sirens could be headed to the same destination he was. At least, he didn’t realize it, until he turned the corner onto the clubhouse street and an array of red and blue flashing lights nearly blinded him.

  At least six police cars lit up the night from their haphazard parking spots around the house. Two ambulances were on the lawn, backed up to the walkway outside the front door.

  Mama V knelt in the grass, sobbing, her face tilted up to the sky. His father, shell-shocked, sat cross-legged on the ground beside her. His expression remained blank, even as Kane approached. But when his mom caught sight of him, she let out a keening cry and wrapped her arms around his legs.

  He squatted to her eye level. “What’s happening? Mama, what’s going on?”

  “My baby. My baby,” she cried. It barely even sounded like his mom, her voice broken and raspy.

  He wasn’t getting any answers here. Pulling out of her grip, he moved toward the open front door to the house. He barely made it two steps before a gurney blocked his path. Two EMTs were rushing someone out of the house. He recognized Cue’s bald head instantly. One of the medics called out his vitals.

  All at once, his eyes took in the broken windows. The bullet holes scattered across the front of the house. The blood on his mother’s clothes.

  The EMTs quickly rolled the gurney around him, spiriting Cue Ball to the ambulance and revealing a second crew not far behind. The team in the back moved slower. A sheet covered the body on their gurney.

  “Hey,” he called out. “Who is that?” An officer appeared out of nowhere and grabbed his arm. “Let me go. I need to see who it is.”

  “I’m sorry, sir,” the cop said firmly. “You’re going to need to step back and let the men work.”

  “You don’t understand.” Panic rose. “This is my family.” The second gurney rolled past. “You have to tell me. Who—” He swallowed his next words as the wheels bounced off the sidewalk into the grass, and a man’s hand slid out from beneath the white sheet speckled with blood.

  Twenty-four hours later, the scorpion drawing was still there.

  He sunk to the ground, only a few feet away from the spot where his mother still wept.

  His brother was dead. And he wouldn’t rest until somebody fucking paid for it.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  Amanda

  Amanda ran her fingers along the outline of one of the hearts on her pendant. Wearing the necklace, she couldn’t tell whether it was the one engraved I Love You or Forever. It didn’t matter. Either one alone was enough to make her heart fill to bursting.

  She didn’t bother to hide the wide grin on her face when she returned to the table from walking Kane out. Knowing the entire family was watching, she plucked the spoon out of Mike’s bowl and stuffed a bite of butter pecan ice cream in her mouth. Bliss.

  “What the hell, woman?” Her brother tried to swipe the spoon back. “Get your own.”

  “Oh, give her a break, hon.” Cindy shot her a wink.
“She’s got a reason to celebrate.”

  “Yeah, well, she doesn’t need my ice cream to do it,” he grumbled.

  Joshua waved his hand in the air. “If anyone cares about my opinion, I like the guy. He fits right in with us…kind of weird…definitely a smart-ass.”

  Mike swiped the back of his head. “Watch your language,” he warned, but there was no evidence of any real anger. He lifted the toddler in his lap and handed her over. “Go get your sister ready for bed, and we’ll pretend like this never happened.”

  He waited until Joshua swept Aliyah in his gangly arms and carried her out before he spoke again. “You know I always considered Kane like a member of this family.”

  He wasn’t exaggerating. Even though he never gave her a hard time about it, she knew Mike had suffered when Kane left their inner circle.

  “Tonight was awesome,” he continued. “In some ways, it was like he never left. I’ve got to ask, though. Are you sure about this?” He looked up at the ceiling before meeting her eyes. “A lot of time has passed. He’s been running with his dad’s gang. Those guys are involved in some serious shit. Last I heard, they were running guns. Not to mention, those look like some leftover bruises on his face.”

  She didn’t know the details about their criminal activities, but she didn’t doubt Mike’s word. Kane didn’t like to talk about how the club made its money, even when they dated the first time around, but with what she’d learned about their movement into the drug trade, nothing would surprise her. “He’s patching out.”

  “He told you he was leaving the club?” Mike couldn’t have sounded more dubious.

  It annoyed her. “Actually, yes. He did. Days ago and again tonight. He’s got an emergency to take care of, then he is coming back to me.”

  Cindy scraped the remnants of food off the remaining plates onto an empty platter. “I hope it’s true. If it is, great, but what about the years he’s been part of the crew? Even if he walked into his father’s club with his hands clean, you think they are now? And for God’s sake,” she lowered her voice to a whisper, “I hope you make him get tested before you get freaky. Who knows where he’s been dipping his wick?”