Menace

by Laramie Briscoe

And they never will again.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

  Karina

  “Can you cut this off of me?” I ask Mason after he’s laid me down in our bed.

  His eyes flash to the hospital bracelet I’m wearing, and I can tell it annoys him as much as it annoys me. I don’t like the reminder of what went down earlier today and honestly could do without anything ever reminding me again. After the hospital had pronounced me and the baby, which after some testing they told me they think is a girl, were okay, Mason had brought us home.

  “I’m so sorry this happened to you,” he whispers as he cuts it off, rubbing at the irritation the plastic edges had left on my skin.

  “Look at me.” I give him my most stern teacher’s voice. “This wasn’t your fault. He was an unhinged psychopath who thought he’d get away with potentially killing kids. This isn’t you, Mason. This is him.”

  “You could have died,” he argues.

  Grabbing his chin with my fingers, I force him to meet my eyes. “You could have too. What if he’d turned the gun on y’all? What if he’d decided to go down in a blaze of glory? Suicide by cop and he’d gotten one of you?”

  “We wear vests,” he argues again.

  Rolling my eyes, I sigh. I’m refusing to let him take the blame for this. None of this has been because of who he is, it’s been the work of someone who wasn’t balanced. I will make him see this if it’s the last thing I do.

  “You don’t wear vests on your legs, which have a pretty crucial artery running through it. Not to mention your damn head. You’re not going to win in this case, big guy, so you might as well just give it to me. What happened today was unfortunate, but it could have happened to anyone. I’m glad and lucky that we’re all okay, he’s going to go away for a long time, and now hopefully you’ll have some sort of reprieve before moonshine shows up again.”

  He realizes he can’t argue with me on these points, I can tell by the way his eyes soften. “I don’t want to get your blood pressure up by arguing, so I won’t.” He tucks a piece of my hair behind my ear.

  Wrapping my arms around his waist, I make a proposition in his ear. “I don’t know about you, but after he touched me, I feel dirty. I need a shower, and I need you to get my blood pressure up in a totally different way.”

  He answers me in the most delicious way. A deep moan in my ear, followed by the best words ever. “Let me take care of you, Rina.”

  * * *

  “You relaxed?” he asks after the shower, as I’m lying on my side in the bed. He’s behind me, big hands all over my body, and as he gently pushes into me, I moan.

  “As relaxed as I’m ever gonna be.” I grasp the comforter in my fingers, holding on tightly as he pushes and pulls out of me.

  Unlike our normal crazy and chaotic couplings, this one is slow. He takes his time, showing me with our bodies how much he loves me, how scared he’d been for me. His hands move up and down my flesh, almost in a reverent way. This time there’s no gasping, and even no talking between us. All I need him to do is let me know I’m alive. All I need is to feel his love and know I’ll never have to live without it.

  “Love you so fuckin’ much,” he whispers in my ear as his finger sinks down to where we’re joined.

  “Love you too,” I whisper back just as softly as we work toward our goal. His other hands glides over my stomach, where our child is safely held.

  “Nothing means more to me than this.” His voice is so low I almost can’t hear him, but I know he’s worshiping me. Worshipping us. “Don’t know what I would do if I didn’t have you with me.”

  “Don’t think about that, never think about it.” I push against him, clawing at the covers as we push toward the end together.

  “Lost years off my life.” He buries his face in my neck. “When I saw him walk you out, for a brief minute I thought maybe you wouldn’t go home with me today.”

  “No way was I let him going to take me out.” The promise is in my voice.

  We strain against each other, both fighting for the orgasm that will prove that we’re still here. That Isaac Cartwright didn’t break us. I move one of my hands down, to where it rests over his. Together we hold my stomach as he pushes against my back. There’s something about him wrapping me up in his warmth, his feet braced under mine, his arm up over my head. I’m completely surrounded by my man. My man. The one who makes my heart pump, the one who makes me want him more than I’ve ever wanted anything, and the one who showed me what true love is.

  “I’m gonna come, Mason.” I bring my hand up to cup my breast, he lays his hand over top of mine, directing me on how to hard to squeeze, and as I feel the end start to break through, he moves that same hand down to where our bodies are joined.

  As he spills inside of me, we both groan as my orgasm hits hard. Together our bodies jump, and we do it in a choreographed dance. As his chest heaves against my back, I think about how different this day could have been and pray for many more years with this man. A lifetime will never be enough, but less than one? That would have been criminal.

  And in this moment, I know, Mason Harrison? He’s my life. The one I’ve been searching for and the reason I was hurt, but not heartbroken. Had I not been hurt, I wouldn’t have moved here, and I never would have found the love of my life.

  Breathless, I mouth a thank you and close my eyes, resting in the shelter that is his arms. The place that has now become my home.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

  Karina

  April

  “Are you ready?” I ask my two guys as they both shuffle into the kitchen, both wearing suits. “Damn, don’t y’all look good?”

  “I need help with this tie, Dad.” Caleb holds his tie up in his hands.

  Mason mentions for him to bring it over. “Who does this for you when you’re at school? You wear a suit to the game.”

  “My roommate, Slater,” he answers. “He’s there on a baseball scholarship. We’re keeping each other out of trouble.”

  “Well, at least someone’s there to keep you under control.” I run my hand over my stomach, grimacing. Baby girl is dropping and my hips feel it like no other.

  “You okay?” Mason asks as he eyes me.

  “I’m fine,” I assure him. “High heels may not have been the best idea, but I want to look like my old self today. Especially on Easter.” I curl my lip up. “But I may have to change into flats.”

  Mason finishes up Caleb’s tie. “Someone told me that you might have to, and they also gave me a heads up on a pair of shoes you wanted.” He winks at me as he walks back to our bedroom.

  “What did he do?” I look at Caleb for answers.

  “Don’t look at me, I have zero idea on this one, Kari.”

  Having a seat at the kitchen table, I feel anything but pretty as my belly presses against the black fabric of my dress. For Easter, I wanted to dress in something Spring-ish, but maternity fashion leaves a lot to be desired, and I didn’t want to spend a fortune on a dress I’d only wear once. Even though I feel kind of cute in this little black dress, those high heels were my splash of color, and now I’ll just look frumpy, even if my hair is curled and my makeup is on point. Mason comes out of the bedroom, holding a wrapped box.

  “What’s this?” I roll it around in my hands as I look up at him.

  “Your Easter gift, Mama. I think you’ll like it.”

  Ripping into the wrapping paper, I try to feel excitement as I open the box, but truthfully, I’m just tired. I know this day is an important one in the South, and I’m glad I have my family with me, but I’m bummed. I can’t lie, I’m totally bummed. Inside the box is a label I’m familiar with, and I sit up a little straighter, a smile plays at the corners of my mouth. “You didn’t!”

  “You can thank Leigh for this.” He kneels down in front of me. “She said that toward the end of her pregnancy, she just wanted a little color and sparkle in her life. Then she sent me a link to these.”

  My fingers fumble as I push the tissue p
aper back and then I squeal as I see the pink sparkles of the shoes in front of me. “I can’t believe you went on the Kate Spade website and ordered these.” I lean forward with difficulty and kiss him soundly on the mouth.

  “Anything that will put that smile on your face, baby. Hand them over, and I’ll tie them for you.”

  Be still my heart. This man is more than I ever could have asked for. “This is a great splash of color and makes me feel as if I’m not so frumpy.”

  “You’re anything but frumpy, Rina. I’ve never seen a woman look more beautiful than you.” He reaches up, running a hand over my belly. “You’re sexy, hot, everything I’ve ever wanted in a woman, and if it takes a pair of crazy looking shoes to bring a smile to your face right now, then that’s what it takes. Stand up and see how they feel.”

  He helps me, by holding out his hands for me, and as I let my weight shift onto my feet, I groan. “They feel so much better than those heels. I love these.” I look down, barely able to see them, but the sunlight coming through the kitchen window catches the material and sparkles show on both Caleb and Mason. “You don’t know how happy this makes me.”

  “Anything to make you happy, Rina, anything.”

  “Not to be outdone.” Caleb hands me a box.

  “What did you do?”

  “Well I can tell you it’s not ninety-dollar shoes because I’m a broke college student, but I did pick this up the other day.” His tone is dry as he looks at Mason.

  “Neither one of you had to do anything,” I protest.

  “Rina.” Mason laughs. “You made us Easter baskets. I’m thirty-six years old and he’s nineteen. I mean, you obviously love the holiday.”

  “I love any holiday.” My tone is smart as I pucker my lips at him. “You know this about me already.”

  Opening the box, I squeal as I see the pink shirt Caleb’s purchased for me. It says Hatching in May with an Easter egg on it. “This is the cutest thing ever, thank you so much.” I pull him into my arms.

  “Okay.” I wipe my eyes, emotional as hell about everything. “Let’s go to church and then meet the rest of the MTF for Easter dinner. We gotta get this show on the road if we’re gonna make it.”

  As a family we walk to the Jeep, and Mason easily helps me inside. As I buckle in and watch Mason walk around the front, I glance back, seeing Caleb take his seat.

  The moment is perfect, as we drive to the church. My husband, my son, and my soon-to-be-born daughter are all together as a family. When I moved to Laurel Springs, I never dreamed this could happen, but as we travel across town, I think, like I do a lot these days, just how lucky I am.

  EPILOGUE

  Menace

  May

  There have been four days that have been the most important in my life. When Caleb was born, I joined the Moonshine Task Force, married Karina, and now this moment. When our daughter entered the world.

  “Caleb should be here in the next fifteen minutes.” I read the text I just got from him so Karina knows what’s going on. “There was a wreck on I-65 and he got stuck in the traffic coming home. I told him we won’t let anyone else meet her until he does.”

  Karina looks up at me, smiling. “Sounds good, I want him to be the first.”

  This woman, looking at me the way she is, has blown my mind today. After waking up at three a.m. with her water breaking, she went through seven hours of active labor, refusing to call anyone until it was time to start pushing. She didn’t want anyone to have to wait around on her. By the time I called Caleb, I knew he wouldn’t be here in time, but I figured that saved us all from some major embarrassment. I’m a hundred percent positive he didn’t want to be in the same room as the person he sees as his mom with her legs spread for everyone to see what was going on between them. I had wanted to be able to concentrate on her, make sure things were fine, and there were no complications before we’d let Caleb know. Hell, more than anything, I wanted to make sure it wasn’t a false alarm. We’d had one of those last week, and he’d sleepily made the drive at two in the morning, only to end up sleeping in his bedroom at our house.

  “You look beautiful,” I whisper as I lean into her, kissing her on the lips.

  “I’m sure I look like a hot mess, Mason, but I love you for acting like I don’t.”

  In between us, my daughter makes a noise, bringing my attention to her. Fuck, I’d thought Caleb was small when he was born. His little sister was smaller, by a full pound, but Jesus she has a set of lungs on her. One day she’ll either be a cheerleader or a singer, with the way she can scream.

  “She looks so much like you,” Rina comments as she runs her fingers along the smooth face, scrunched up at the moment.

  “Hopefully she’ll grow out of that,” I joke as I reach down, running my own finger along her skin. “Honestly, she looks like Caleb, I’ll have to get some of his baby pictures out and let you see. They’re definitely related.”

  “He’ll fall in love with her,” she predicts, holding our daughter close, rubbing her nose along the blanket she’s swaddled in. “I know he will. He’s going to be the most amazing big brother the world has ever seen. Nobody will be able to touch her.”

  “That’s the way it should be, and if he can’t take care of it, I will.” I feel myself getting irritated; just thinking someone could hurt this little girl of mine.

  “Calm down, big guy. She’s a whopping hour old. I think you can hold off on having to harm someone as they come to the front door for a date. You have a few years before that happens.”

  I grab her hand, bringing it to my lips for a kiss, a show of appreciation for all she’s given me. When I moved to Laurel Springs, never in a million years did I imagine this would be my life. Fuck, when we met in January of last year I’d never imagined this could be how I’m living. I’d assumed I would be eating microwave meals and trying to figure out how to fill my free time with Caleb gone. Instead, I’m doing things I wasn’t able to do the first time around, I’m experiencing all new life situations, and I’m living the way I want to.

  “I’m almost scared to hold her,” I admit. “She’s smaller than Ransom, too.”

  “Yeah, but I’m sure she’ll want her daddy to hold her as soon as possible.”

  Daddy. A word I thought I’d never hear again. One I assumed I was done with. Fact is I’m not done, and I can’t wait to experience what this round will be like with a girl. Quickly I take my shirt off so she and I can do skin-to-skin, just like she and Karina had done. Grabbing her up from Karina’s arms, I hold her close, knowing she can feel my heartbeat coming through the distance between us.

  Immediately, the smell takes me back to the first time I held Caleb. I remember how unsure I was, how scared I was. I realize I’m not scared this time, that I’m completely prepared for what’s coming my way. This child I’ll enjoy, this child will have those fucking cute cupcakes when it’s her birthday because she has a mother who loves her. One who loves me, and one who stuck around, who will stick around, even when times get tough. “I love you.” I lean down, kissing her small nose.

  There’s a knock at the door, and when Caleb enters, he’s carrying flowers and a pink teddy bear. “I bought this for her as soon as you found out it was a girl,” he explains as he approaches the bed, setting the flowers on the bedside table for Karina. “For you, Kari. You look amazing for just giving birth.” He leans in, hugging her, but his eyes never stray from his sister’s face.

  “You wanna hold her?” I ask him, motioning to the rocking chair in the corner.

  “She’s so little.” His voice is as awestruck as mine had felt the first moment I saw her.

  “You’ll be fine,” I reassure him.

  He makes his way over to the rocking chair, having a seat, and I carefully place my daughter in his arms. In that moment Caleb does fall in love with his baby sister. It’s written plainly across his face. The look of complete and total devotion fills a spot in my heart I didn’t even know was empty.

  From her spo
t on the bed, I see Karina take a picture of the moment in front of her. Our eyes meet, and as two parents I don’t think we can be more pleased with what’s transpiring in front of us. Caleb is counting her toes, making sure they’re all there.

  “Ten fingers, ten toes, gorgeous eyes, and hair like Kari’s. I think you’re just about perfect, Kelsea.” He grins to her and as he tucks the blanket a little tighter around her, I watch her reach up and grab his finger. He doesn’t stop speaking. “I’ll protect you with everything I have. I’ve waited a long time to have a sibling, and I’ll make sure you never have to worry about anything. You’ll never worry if you have a friend, because I’ll only be a phone call away. You’ll never worry if you need a confidant because I’ll never judge. And by God, you will have the most amazing cupcakes for your birthday, I will personally see to it.”

  The group of us laugh, knowing what those words mean to him. He looks up at us smiling, and I take a seat on the bed next to Karina.

  “You good?” she asks as she leans in to my side. I wrap my arm around her waist, pulling her to me. My heart is so full as I look at the picture in front of me. I know eventually her parents will show up, my mom will make an appearance, and I’ll make an effort with my dad by sending him a picture. None of that matters more than the other three people in the room with me. Regardless of anything that’s happened. My wife, my son, my daughter – they are my family. They are my legacy, and no one will ever be able to take that away from me. Secure in that knowledge, I’m happy as I look out over my family

  As the door to the room opens and the guys from the MTF pour in, their own kids with them, I kiss her, giving her a smile. “No babe, I’m great.”

  And as everyone starts cooing over Kelsea, welcoming Caleb back, and congratulating us on a job well done, I know without a doubt it will never get much better than this.”

  The teenage fuckup, the single dad, and the loner of the crew – none of those labels apply any more.