by Jessie Cooke
She groaned. “Fine.” She handed him the box, and he set it on the ground and used his pocketknife to slit open the tape she’d sealed it with. He drew his brows together when he saw the clothes at first. He pulled out the white t-shirt and held it up. It was filthy now, but most notably there were several bullet holes in the center of it. He looked at Kat as he set that aside and pulled out the jeans and then the boots and shorts. Bullet holes had ripped through them all. Mercer cocked an eyebrow as he looked back at her face. He stared at her for a few seconds and as he did, she could almost see when the truth dawned on him.
“Jesus fuck. You took Buzz’s clothes last night?”
“I didn’t do anything he didn’t have coming,” she said.
“And what now? You’re going to tell Dax?”
“I’m sure he didn’t tell on himself.”
Mercer chuckled. “No, he didn’t.” A serious look crossed his face then and he said, “Shit. Dax is up there in the clubhouse right now having a meeting about what to do to Chaos in retaliation for this…Damn.” He shook his head. “Dax will fry Buzz’s ass for lying about this.”
“You think I should keep it to myself?”
Instead of answering her, Mercer bent down and boxed the clothes back up. He handed the box back to her, and she strapped it behind her seat once again. At last he said, “No. I wish I could say I wouldn’t tell Dax either, but Buzz has gone too far this time. People will bleed and die over this.”
Kat was no snitch. She’d driven out to the ranch because she was pissed and she wanted to get away from Dillon. She might have changed her mind about giving Buzz up to Dax if Mercer hadn’t told her Buzz had blamed this on Chaos. That gang was seriously dangerous and so far, since the bar incident, things had been quiet. It would be a shame if anyone lost their life because Buzz was a fucking idiot who couldn’t tell the truth to save his own life. She looked at Mercer and said, “Thanks, Mercer.” He nodded, and she got on her bike and drove up to the clubhouse. The guys at the door greeted her warmly, and she entered the great room. It was practically empty, with just a few of the older guys at the bar. She looked at one of them and said, “Where does Dax hold church?”
The old guy looked her up and down and his eyes fell on the box in her hands. “You have lunch for him?”
Kat smiled. “Yes, this box is for him.”
“They’re out back. It got too crowded in here.”
“Thanks.” Kat took her box and pushed through the back doors. The picnic tables where they’d had the party the week before were packed with brothers, and Dax, Handsome, Hawk, Jimmy, Cody, and Gunner sat at the front table, facing the others. Kat was surprised to see Angel, Tammy, and a redhead that she thought was Cody’s old lady sitting there as well. Most clubs, and even what she knew about the Skulls by their history, didn’t allow the women to be any part of club business. Dax was talking, but when the door slammed behind her, he stopped and an eerie hush fell over them all as they looked at her. Summoning all her willpower, Kat marched up front with Angel’s eyes boring into her.
“Kat, what are you doing here?” Dax asked.
“I have a delivery for you,” she said. She turned toward the crowd of men and searched until she found Buzz. He was staring at her with wide eyes and when she made eye contact with him, he slowly moved his head back and forth. He looked pitifully afraid, but Kat didn’t care. She was tired of full-grown men that refused to take responsibility for their own actions. Actions had consequences. Kat found that out years before.
“I don’t remember us talking about you delivering anything today,” Dax said.
“Oh, we didn’t. I have been waiting by my phone all week for that call you said you’d give me about meeting up to talk about advertising.” Her eyes fell on Angel’s face. Angel’s eyes were narrowed and her nostrils were flaring. “But it never came. That’s okay, though, that’s not why I’m here.” She set the box down in front of Dax and said, “You’re going to want to open that before you continue your meeting.”
Dax was a pro at not showing his emotions. Even when they were younger, Kat could never tell what he was thinking. She could almost feel the daggers his old lady was shooting at her back, but Dax’s face remained impassive as he reached to open the box. She heard a gasp in the crowd behind her when Dax pulled out the t-shirt, and she knew it came from Buzz. Dax furrowed his brow and said, “What is this?”
“Keep looking.” Dax did look annoyed then, but he continued to pull things out of the box. Kat turned to look at Buzz, who had slumped down on the bench he was sitting on.
“Okay, Kat, what is all this?” Dax said again.
“They belong to Buzz. Your brother Buzz tried to force himself on me last night after he lured me into the woods.” Dax’s face did show a brief flash of emotion then…it was anger. But it was gone as quickly as it appeared. He looked at Buzz, whose red face looked guilty as hell. Dax took a deep breath before standing up and saying:
“I think we’re going to have to put the rest of this meeting on hold. You can all go back to work…except you, Buzz.” Dax looked at his executives and said, “Let’s move this meeting into the meeting room inside.” As people started shuffling around and murmuring about what was happening, Dax looked back at Kat and said, “Can you stay for a bit and tell us exactly what happened?”
“Sure.”
Angel was suddenly at Dax’s elbow. “I’m not so sure I’d just take her word for someone’s trying to force themselves on her. You do know she has a history of manipulating the truth to fit her own agenda. She almost ruined my brother with her lies.”
“Get over it, Angel,” Kat said with a glare in the other woman’s direction. “And what agenda do you think I have here?” Angel didn’t answer her, but her eyes cut over to Dax. Kat smiled. “You think I want your man? Trust me, if I didn’t know how devoted he was to you, I’d be all over him. You better appreciate that, because the second he gets tired of you hovering…” Kat licked her lips and said, “I’ll show him what a real woman looks like.”
Later, when Kat tried to remember exactly what happened next, it would all be a blur. She saw a flash of a pink t-shirt and a lot of blonde hair and the next thing she knew, she was on the ground and Angel was pummeling her. Dax was above them and as he wrapped his arms around his old lady’s waist to pull her off, Angel got her hands in Kat’s hair and Kat came up off the ground with them. It felt like she was being scalped by the roots. She screamed and grabbed a handful of Angel’s, pulling her face toward her own and slamming their heads together. She heard Dax yelling at her to stop and she felt strong arms go around her own waist and try to pull her back. Each woman had a firm hold on the other and neither wanted to be the first to let go.
Kat might not have let go until all that pretty, silky hair was in a pile on the ground if she hadn’t realized who had grabbed her from behind. She felt a mouth close to her ear and then she heard his voice. No matter how long it had been, she’d never forget the sound of it. He had a deep, masculine voice, but at the same time, it was soft and sweet and sexy. Just the sound of it sent shock waves through her body after all these years. “Take a breath, Kat. Calm down,” he whispered. Her muscles went slack as if they had a mind of their own and she let go. He was holding her against his chest and her feet were up off the ground. He took a few steps back once she let go of Angel, and set her down on her feet. When she turned around and saw his face the five years between them disappeared. She forgot that he hated her. She reached up to touch him, to make sure he was real, and she whispered his name:
“David…” He took a step backwards so that her touch didn’t reach him, and the pain that she’d felt that day five years earlier hit her in the gut like a ton of bricks. “I…I have to go.” She turned to flee toward the door and Cody stepped in front of her. Dax, who had Angel’s face buried in his shoulder, said:
“Let her go.” Cody moved, and she grabbed for the door. “Kat.” She stopped, but still didn’t turn around. She co
uldn’t bear to see that look in David’s eyes again. “I’ll be out to talk to you about this today. Make sure you’re there.” She nodded, still not turning around, and then she practically ran through the clubhouse and out to her bike on the other side. Her breaths were coming in ragged gulps and she was getting lightheaded, but she didn’t stop until she was outside the gates and a mile down the road. She pulled over then and got off the bike and emptied her stomach into the grass that lined the road.
12
“Here, put this on your hand.” Dax held the ice pack out to Angel, who was sitting in her favorite spot in the hammock on their back porch. She took the ice pack, but didn’t look up at him. He sat down next to her and said, “Why are you pissed off at me, exactly?”
“Because I told you that having her around here would be trouble and you didn’t listen to me.”
Dax bit the inside of his cheek to keep from smiling. “You did throw the first punch.” Angel turned her fiery green eyes on him then.
“Did you hear what she said to me about what she wanted to do to you? Would you just stand there and let someone talk that way about me?”
“No, baby. I wouldn’t.”
“Then stop defending her.”
“I’m not, honest. She shouldn’t have said what she did, but it’s just not like you to provoke someone and it seems like every time she’s around…well, you almost try to piss her off.”
“I can’t stand the sight of her, and I didn’t want David to know she was back in town. I’m so upset that he picked today of all days to come out to the ranch. Of course, that wouldn’t have been a problem if you didn’t give her free rein.”
“Baby, she doesn’t have free rein. She had a legitimate reason to be here today. Buzz has been a wild card ever since we patched him in over a year ago. Now I find out he’s trying to force himself on a woman and then making up some outrageous lie to cover for it. A lie that, if Kat hadn’t cleared it up, would have put a lot of our brothers at risk.”
She sighed. “I agree that Buzz is an asshole. But so is Katrina.”
He did smile then, and that earned him another shot of fire out of her pretty eyes. “I’m sorry, you’re just so damned cute when you’re mad.”
“It’s not going to work this time. My hand is killing me and I think that little bitch pulled a good handful of my hair out. The worst part is David. Did you see the look on his face when he saw her…when she tried to touch him? It breaks my heart. He’s the sensitive one. He should have never had to come face to face with that evil bitch again.”
“Wow. I knew you didn’t like her, but I didn’t know it was so serious. What happened between you two?”
Angel stood up and started pacing as she held the ice pack to her knuckles. Dax waited, knowing she would talk to him when she was ready. Finally, she said, “You know she used to date David, right?” Dax nodded, and she said, “Katrina was his first real girlfriend. He dated other girls in high school and college, but he loved Kat. Personally, I was always skeptical and so was Kyle. But Dad always stuck up for her and he always said if David was happy that’s all that mattered. So, we did our best to accept her.” Again, Dax had to fight a smile. He knew how Angel’s family was when it came to who one of their siblings fell in love with. He’d experienced it first-hand and it wasn’t fun. But he kept his mouth shut and his smile inside and she went on to say, “They dated for two years. I think David planned on asking her to marry him, but he was waiting until he had been on the job for a while and she finished school. I had just finished the academy and I was working patrol in Dorchester. It was my first assignment. Anyways, my partner and I got a call to a liquor store one afternoon. Some kid was trying to shoplift a bottle of whiskey. When we drove up out front, I noticed there was a demonstration going on at the abortion clinic across the street. They looked orderly so we dealt with the kid and then before we left, we went over just to make sure their permits were in order. While we were standing there, talking to the leader of this little church group, guess who walks out of the clinic?”
Dax made a face. “Kat?”
“Yeah, my brother’s little girlfriend. She looked like hell with no make-up on and a pair of baggy sweats. Her hair was all bunched up at the nape of her neck. I honestly almost didn’t recognize her…but when she saw me, her eyes got as big as saucers and she tried to walk away. I called after her and the little tramp kept walking.” She paused there and Dax waited. Finally, when she didn’t go on he said:
“Did she have an abortion?”
“Yeah, and the worst part was that she wasn’t even going to tell David. When I caught up to her, the first thing she had the nerve to say was, ‘Please don’t tell David.’ I was livid. We’re Catholic. David wouldn’t have ever been okay with her having an abortion. So…moving forward in the story…”
Dax chuckled. “Are you skipping over the good parts?”
“If you mean the part where I kicked her ass the first time, then yes.”
“Right after she had surgery? Baby, you’re an animal.”
Angel smacked him on the side of the head. “It was elective surgery and she needed her ass kicked. I had to tell my brother. It was terrible. His heart was broken and I don’t think he believed us at first. He had to hear it again, from her. Kyle questioned whether the baby was even his. David wouldn’t talk to either of us about it again after that night, but it was evident to anyone who knew him that he was devastated. The only thing he ever said about it to me after that was when one day out of the blue—after he’d been thinking about it, I guess—he said, ‘You know, Angel, if I had to choose between thinking Kat cheated and thinking she aborted my baby, I’d rather believe she cheated.’ He was broken, so yes, I despise her for doing that to him. Dax, it took him so long to get over her. Honestly, he’s just been back to himself for maybe a year or so and now she shows back up. If she hurts him again I will…”
Dax grabbed her wrist as she paced by and pulled her down in his lap. “David’s a big boy, baby. I’m sure he doesn’t need you to fight his battles.”
“No, he doesn’t need me to, but this is family and you know what that means to me. You didn’t know him back then, Dax. He was crazy in love with her…God only knows why.” Dax hid his face in her shoulder, but she must have felt him shake as he laughed. “Stop laughing, it’s not funny. I’m telling you, baby, if you let that girl come around here, there’s going to be trouble.”
He pulled his head back and looked at her. “I will do my best to let you know when she’ll be around. She doesn’t usually show up unannounced. Today was an exception. And speaking of…I have to get back; everyone is waiting on me. I have to deal with Buzz.”
Angel nodded. “As much as I can’t stand her, if he did try to force himself on her, I’d feel better not having him around here. We have all these impressionable young girls here, some of who used to be sex workers…”
“I know, baby. I’ll take care of it.”
“Angel!” The sound of Susie’s voice completely changed Angel’s demeanor. Dax could see the tension in her face fade instantly and it was replaced by that healthy glow he loved so much. Angel stood up as Susie ran into the room with her long, messy red hair trailing behind her. Zoe came in behind her as Angel lifted the little girl up in her arms and kissed her cheek. Dax watched them interact, and it made him both happy and a little bit sad. She was such a good mom to Susie, and it was such a shame that she couldn’t have a baby of her own. He wondered if that had something to do with why she despised Kat so much. The idea of someone aborting a baby when she wasn’t able to conceive one had to play into it, he thought.
He stood up and kissed Angel and Susie, said hello to Zoe, and headed back to the clubhouse. He’d much rather be with his family…but duty called. Buzz had to be dealt with, and it wasn’t going to be pleasant.
Kat took a bag of frozen peas out of the freezer and pressed it to the side of her face. It had been five years since she and Angel got physical. She’d forgotten
what a powerful punch the other woman packed. It was even more surprising since she looked like one of the popular girls from a Lifetime movie of the week. With a disgusted sigh, she sat down at the little table in the kitchen of the bar. Her head was throbbing and she was probably going to have a black eye. That would be just great. All the assholes that came in the bar would have something to say about it.
“Hey, Kitty-Kat.” Great, and Dillon was still home. She’d almost hoped he’d already left to get drunk for the night. It was still early though, even for him. “I’m sorry about… Oh no! What happened to you?” He’d gotten close enough to see the bag she was holding to the side of her face.
“I’m fine,” she said, hoping he would leave it alone. Her head couldn’t take much more. Of course, he couldn’t. He sat down across from her and said:
“Talk to me, Kitty-Kat. Who hurt you?”
“It doesn’t matter. I started it. I was asking for it.”
Dillon shook his head. “Why are you so hard on yourself? You know how beautiful you are, right? How smart? How much more capable you are than so many people…especially your old man?”
Kat ran her hand through her hair, pulling slightly at the roots. It was easier to concentrate on physical pain than the pain in her heart…and now Dillon wanted to tug at her emotions too. Sucking in a shaky breath she said, “Thank you. I’m fine.”
“I wish you would talk to me. I wish we had that kind of relationship. I want to be here for you. Was this about me? Something I did?”
She sighed, almost a growl. “No, Dillon! Everything is not about you, believe it or not!”
“Okay, no need to get upset. I’m not a mind reader, I…”
“I saw David, okay? Now you know what’s wrong with me. Will you please just leave me the hell alone?”
