The Devil You Know (Ashby Crime Family Romance Book 3)

by KB Winters

  “He is pretty great, isn’t he?” The smile in her voice brought a smile to my face. Just because love didn’t work out for me, didn’t mean I wasn’t happy for Maisie and Virgil. They deserved this happiness, and I would help them get it any way I could.

  “He’s all right, I mean as far as brothers go.”

  Maisie laughed. “Right. The thing is that the appointment is for today. At five.” She groaned before I could even respond. “I know it’s totally last minute, but I told them to call with any opening, and I’ve been looking at their inventory online and it’s pretty badass.”

  “I’ll be there, Maze.”

  “You will? But Virgil said things are crazy busy at Emerald Isle.” I appreciated her worry, but Maisie already had too much on her plate.

  “That’s Jasper’s problem. I’m at Black Stallion where I belong so my schedule can accommodate an impromptu wedding session.” Maybe focusing on the details of Maisie and Virgil’s wedding would ease my own heartbreak, if not erase it altogether.

  “That sounds like a story I need to hear. Hang on a sec.” The sounds of the casino told me Maisie was still at work or maybe at work again, who could tell the difference these days? I took advantage of the moment of peace and slid behind the steering wheel of my car. Even though I was done being Jasper’s stand in, marketing and promotions were still part of my job and the interest in House of Ashby fighters hadn’t died down since the fight.

  “Kat?”

  “Still here, Maze.”

  She laughed. “Sorry about that, one of my high rollers just requested a twelve-course meal around molecular gastronomy, if you can believe it.”

  “I can,” I told her, my tone dry, almost droll.

  “Anyway, tonight at five works for you, right? Also, I’m thinking of inviting Vanessa or would that be too insensitive since she just lost Lance?”

  Leave it to Maisie to think of everyone else while she planned her own damn wedding.

  “Why don’t you ask her and see what she says? Tell her she’s had a wedding and you could use her input. Give her something to do while she grieves.”

  Over the past week I’d learned a valuable lesson in the art of burying one’s heartache in the monotony of work.

  “That’s a really good idea, Kat. Thanks.”

  “No problem. You want me to pick you up from Emerald Isle?”

  “Yes,” Maisie said on a relieved sigh. “GPS said it’ll take twelve minutes to get there so, quarter ‘til five?”

  “Sounds good. See you then.”

  “Perfect. Later, Sis.” The call disconnected and I couldn’t help but smile at the endearment, or the abrupt way she ended the call. Maisie didn’t realize it yet, but she was starting to be a true Ashby.

  Wedding planning was exactly the distraction I needed, but it was just after noon and there was still work to be done, starting at House of Ashby. For some damn reason, the parking lot was packed, but I learned my lesson last time and drove up and down the aisles in search of a spot that was out in the open and visible to the security cameras.

  “Yes!” I got a little too excited about the little red car that backed out of a convenient spot. I pumped my fist while the car filled with fight groupies honked and whooped at the guys standing at the entrance, waving with big goofy grins on their faces. Gotta find my happiness where I can.

  It had been five days and not one fucking word from Terry, which pissed me off. And hurt my feelings. The sadness didn’t come right away because I thought, deep in my heart, that he’d realize he had his head too far up his ass and come to me. But days passed and he didn’t even call or text. Simply put, Terry had dumped me and forgotten me. Easily.

  Now my anger blended with hurt. A fucked up combination that made it easy to work through the pain. So I worked. A lot. Catching up on the things I’d let slide while filling in for fuck face Jasper, which included responding to emails while I marched toward the gleaming glass doors of House of Ashby.

  A publication wanted to interview Rachel Cruz, and several wanted Emmett to do a few speaking engagements on mental toughness. Rachel was a team player and happy to be at the top of her game, but Emmett was another story altogether. The man’s dislike of the public eye was almost pathological.

  I should have been paying attention to where I was going, given everything that was going on with Brendan Rhymer, Mueller and even The Crusaders, but my head was too full of too many other things and my forward momentum was halted by a big wall of muscle.

  “Excuse me,” I said absently without looking up.

  I moved to the right and the wall moved with me. “Ms. Ashby.”

  I looked up at the unfamiliar deep voice that sounded almost shy. I frowned and stopped on the asphalt driveway. “Rob, it’s you.” Ravager, the dude who refused to take a dive for us at the big fight and caused too much shit to measure. “Where have you been?”

  He shrugged. “Look, Ms. Ashby, I’m sorry about all the shit that went down, but I really need to talk to—”

  “Oh shit!” I screamed as a brown van slammed into Ravager’s right side and sent his big body flying through the air. I couldn’t look away as time seemed to slow while his body made its way back to earth with a sickening crack of bones and breaking glass.

  “Rob!” I took two steps toward the big man, splayed out on top of a crushed silver sedan before someone grabbed my hair and yanked me back. Hard.

  “What the…fuck?” Another yank took me to the ground.

  “You should really learn to mind your own fucking business, bitch.” The unfamiliar deep voice struck me dumb for a moment, and when I tried to blink my eyes into focus, the only thing I saw was a big black silencer pointed at my head.

  I rolled away just before the hitman fired the first shot and scrambled to my feet, nearly twisting my ankle on the gravel that kicked up from a pothole somewhere nearby. I got a good look at him, but it did me no good as I took one step back and then another. Cowardly bastard wore a mask.

  “Mind my own business, got it,” I said trying to put real estate between us.

  His smile spread, white and gleaming, behind the black mask covering his nose and mouth. He took aim once again. “Too late for that bitch.” His smile widened and a spark of life lit his eyes as he squeezed the trigger.

  The pain didn’t come right away; the shock came first. It took a moment for me to realize what happened. I looked at those laughing green eyes and then down at my body, at the blood spreading across the midsection of my white pantsuit. The stain grew and grew, and I watched, mesmerized by the way the blood ate up the fabric as another loud pop tore through the air and sent me falling backwards. I landed on my back, but my head throbbed too just as the pain in my abdomen came to life.

  “Oh. Fuck.”

  Those words and the sound of screeching tires were my last memories before darkness consumed me.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Terry

  Emmett was right, wallowing wasn’t a good look for me. Staring at my reflection in the bathroom mirror, I hated the image that stared back. Dark circles under my eyes, blond hair greasy as fuck because I hadn’t left the house in more than a week. Maybe two weeks. I didn’t want to risk running into anyone, especially Kat. Especially Jasper.

  Fuck Jasper.

  That thought came immediately as it always did when I thought of my former best friend and what he had cost me. Every-fucking-thing. I stepped under the hot shower spray to wash away all thoughts of my former life and my former family. Dwelling on that shit wouldn’t solve a damn thing, and I was determined to put it all behind me.

  To forget and move forward.

  The water turned cold before that happened so I stepped out, dried off and threw on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, my uniform lately because I didn’t need to look good if I never left the house. The delivery guys didn’t give a damn what I looked like as long as I tipped well. And I tipped extremely well just to make sure I didn’t end up with pubes or spit in my food.
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  The sound of the doorbell startled me out of my thoughts and I groaned at the intrusion. Emmett had mostly given up on getting me to talk to Kat or to leave the house. Instead, he called twice a day to make sure I hadn’t drunk myself to death. A quick look at my phone put the time at just past two, which meant he was late for his morning call. I now knew who would be on the other side of the door.

  I opened it with a grin. “Came to give me another pep…Sadie? What are you doing here?”

  Hers was the last face I expected to see on my doorstep, but there she was, keen green eyes looking intimidating as hell despite her petite frame. She arched a brow the way she’d always done to keep us boys in line and instinctively, I stepped back. “Come in.”

  She shook her head. “Can’t.”

  That one word sounded odd. Off. Like she’d been crying, which would be pretty fucking terrifying because Sadie hadn’t even cried when we got the news about Colm’s death. Hell, I didn’t think she even cried when she finally learned the truth of what that fucking priest had been up to.

  “Kat’s been shot. Something told me that you’d want to know.”

  Kat’s been shot. It took a moment before the words held any real meaning and when they sank into my dumbfounded brain, I nearly fell to my knees. It was like someone had stabbed me in the heart, kicked me in the balls, and sucker punched me, all at once. Kat was shot but she had to be all right or else Sadie would be falling apart now. Right?

  “Is she okay? Who?” It was the only thing I could focus on, because the thought of Kat lying in a hospital bed, pale and lifeless, was too much to fucking bear.

  “She’s at the hospital. We don’t know who yet, but you better believe I plan to find out. Are you coming, Terry?”

  When Sadie took on that haughty tone, you knew she was pissed off but still, I risked life and limb by shaking my head.

  “No. I’m the last person she needs to see right now, but send me the info you have, and I’ll take care of it.”

  That was what I could do for Kat. I’d find the fucker who shot her and make him pay for daring to destroy her.

  “Thanks, for uh, letting me know.” It sounded fucked up to my own ears, but there was nothing else to say.

  “So that’s it, then? Jasper acts like a fucking baby and you’re done with all of us? Your whole goddamn family? Kat especially?”

  I shrugged. “What can I say? It is what it is, Sadie. If Jasper doesn’t trust me, then I can’t do my job. And we both know Jasper will make her life hell if we stay together.”

  As much as it hurt right now, it taught me a valuable lesson about belonging. I’d never believe I belonged anywhere else ever again. “You should get to Kat, she needs you.”

  Sadie’s delicate shoulders fell but the icy look in her eyes only intensified. “She needs you, Manning. If it matters to you.”

  “It matters, dammit. That’s why I’m going to take care of it. For Kat.”

  “Bullshit. That’s the easy thing to do. To go out and get revenge. Big bad Terry’s going to make him pay. Well, you know what’s hard? Getting your ass to the hospital no matter what Jasper says. Being a man. Being there for Kat. But you and Jasper both want to use your big bad guns instead of your brains.”

  “She needs to get better and she can’t do that if me and Jas are arguing. My guess is she’s still pissed at him too.”

  “She’s still in surgery getting the bullets removed and fighting for her life, so right now she’s not pissed off at anyone. But both of you are doing a damn good job of pissing me off.”

  “Get to the hospital, Sadie.”

  She nodded and made her way to the door. “What a pity. I really thought you were a real man for my Kat. Guess I was wrong.”

  I snorted a bitter laugh. “Lots of that going around lately.”

  “Glitz Memorial Trauma Center, just in case you find your balls and decide to go after the woman you’ve loved your whole fucking life.” She shook her head in disappointment, turning one last time at the door. “Happened just outside House of Ashby.”

  Shit. “Thanks.”

  “Don’t thank me. Show up for Kat.”

  With those parting words, Sadie left me alone with my thoughts, which all centered on Kat. She was hurt and as much as I wanted to go to her, to be with her and see for myself that she was okay, I didn’t have that right. I wasn’t family and I wasn’t a friend. I was the man who had purposely broken her heart and seeing me wouldn’t help her, no matter what Sadie thought.

  There was one thing I could do and that was give Kat the peace of mind to know that the fucker who shot her was no longer walking the streets, was no longer a threat to her safety. To know that the fucker was no longer breathing.

  To do that there was one Ashby I needed to reach out to.

  “Calvin, you think you can get me surveillance from House of Ashby?”

  “Terry? Why the fuck aren’t you at the hospital, man?” His lack of anger said he probably didn’t know about everything that had gone down, especially given the divide between his girl and the rest of the Ashbys. Right now, I didn’t feel like getting into it.

  “This isn’t about me, Cal. It’s for Kat. Can you get me that footage?”

  “Yeah,” he said eventually, sounding worried and exhausted as I was sure the rest of Kat’s family was.

  “Sending it now. Terry?”

  I held my breath and nodded even though the youngest Ashby couldn’t see me and prepared myself for whatever threat he wanted to lob my way. “Yeah?”

  “Make this motherfucker pay.”

  “I plan to Cal. Thanks.” The call ended, and I went to the safe in my home gym, gathering everything I would need to hunt down the motherfucker who did this and make the rest of his short life miserable.

  ***

  Two days later I snuck into the trauma center after hours, desperate to see for myself that Kat was getting better. With a baseball cap pulled down low to hide my face, I walked the halls of the hospital as if I belonged there, the damn maze of corridors making it impossible to find her room number.

  I turned a corner and ran into a petite woman with dark hair. “Oh my goodness, I’m so…Terry, right?”

  I blinked and looked at the woman I instantly recognized as Lance’s widow.

  “Vanessa? What are you doing here? Stupid question,” I said even as she flashed a knowing smile. “How is she?”

  “Still out of it, but the surgery was pretty major. Doctors said she’ll probably wake up tomorrow.”

  My heart stopped. “She hasn’t woken up? Is she in a coma?” I felt panic rise up my throat and fear took hold deep in my gut. Kat had to be all right. She had to.

  “No, but the pain’s been so bad they’ve kept her pretty sedated. Want to see her?”

  I nodded first and then shook my head. “Yes. No. Hell, I don’t know.” A hand dropped on my shoulder and I turned, ready to fuck someone up.

  “Hey man, you can’t…Terry. Oh shit, I almost put you down.” Emmett smiled and clapped me on the back again. “I still might, man. It’s been two fucking days. Where have you been?”

  “Taking care of business, where else?”

  “Here,” he growled. “Kat needed you here, bro.”

  “She doesn’t need me.”

  Emmett let out a bitter laugh. “But yet, here you are. Why?”

  “I needed to see her, to make sure she’s all right.” Emmett refused to call with updates, Sadie too, which meant it was up to me to come here and see for myself.

  With his hand on the small of Vanessa’s back, Emmett nodded for me to follow him. “You can’t go inside but there she is.”

  Took a few hesitant steps forward, heart beating wildly out of control as I prepared myself for what I was about to see. Except nothing could prepare me for the sight of Kat Ashby, normally so lively and bright, dimmed by an ugly hospital gown and flat yellow lighting that took away her life force. The drabness, the bleakness of it all, seemed to diminish all the things t
hat made Kat who she was. It was a shame, and I couldn’t see her like this.

  I wouldn’t.

  “I have to go.”

  “You have to stop running at some point, Terry. That’s what our folks do, not us. You and me, we face our demons head on. We kick them in the balls until they submit.”

  My gaze bounced between him and Vanessa, noticing his protective stance, close almost hovering. “Do we?”

  Vanessa blushed and shook her head, but Emmett nodded. “We do, goddammit. None of the women are to be alone until we figure out who did this,” he said by way of an explanation, but Vanessa’s blush told me everything I needed to know. Em was interested in the pretty widow. Good for him.

  “Right.” I nodded, knowing Ashby protocol because I’d help create it.

  “Good. I’ll see you around.” I leaned in and gave my brother a side hug. “Take good care of Kat, bro.”

  “I will but only until you get your head out of your ass and come back for her.” He flashed a grin, but Emmett was a romantic. He fully expected I’d be back with a big bouquet of roses and probably a poem or some shit.

  “Don’t hold your breath, little brother. Take it easy, Vanessa.” With a half a wave, I tugged the cap lower and strode out of the hospital, satisfied to see Kat was healing. She was fine without me.

  And better off.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Kat

  “Good to see your color returning, Kat.”

  Oliver’s smile beamed wide and bright in the rearview mirror as Ma and Vanessa worked tenderly to make me comfortable for the ride home from the hospital.

  “Color? Is that what this greenish-gray shade is supposed to be?” I was only mostly joking but I’d caught a glimpse of myself under the fluorescent bathroom lights inside the hospital. Now I knew what the expression ‘death warmed over’ meant.

  “It’s good to be outside of a casket, Oliver. Thanks for the lift.”

  “My pleasure.” Oliver turned his gaze back toward the road when I was finally settled in back. Sadie was in the front seat, and we were on the move.