Down & Dirty 3_A Shameless Southern Nights Novel

by J. H. Croix

  "You should know, you were there."

  He'd left before dawn again, a good thing since Austin had woken up not long after.

  He smirked, tugging on my short ponytail. "I do know, you slept like a log. Snored like a steam engine too."

  I punched him lightly on the arm, my cheeks heating as I wondered if I really had snored. "If I did, it's your fault. You were the one who exhausted me."

  "So I did,” he replied with a chuckle.

  I rolled my eyes and was about to make a sly comment when Austin came barreling back into the room, holding his backpack like a prize. "I'm ready."

  "Great, me too," I said, grabbing a baseball cap from where I'd placed it by my purse earlier. I threaded my ponytail through it. "You wanna help me with lunch?"

  "Just point me toward where the heavy things are and I'll carry them," Jeremy joked, walking to the kitchen to collect the cooler and bag I'd packed this morning.

  The park Jeremy found was about twenty minutes outside of Savannah. It was so peaceful and tranquil, it felt as if we were hours away from civilization. There were a few families camped along the riverbank, and we found our own spot under a big, green tree right next to a part of the river Jeremy proclaimed would be perfect for fishing.

  "You remember how to rig up the rods?" Jeremy asked Austin. Though he nodded, he still seemed unsure. "Let's do it together anyway.”

  Austin nodded again, much more confidently this time. "Let's!”

  Watching them together stole my heart along with my breath. You'd think that after months of witnessing it, I would be used it to it by now. But especially after having been confronted with my ex and reminded of just how crummy people could be, I didn’t take anything for granted, especially not when it came to men.

  He patiently taught Austin the proper names for all of his fishing gear. When Austin caught a small fish, Jeremy looked so proud, you'd have sworn Austin was the first kid ever to have achieved the feat.

  "Good job!" I cheered, taking what must have been at least a hundred photos with Austin and his catch. "Before you run off for number two, let's have lunch."

  "I’m all for that idea," Jeremy said. He secured their lines before coming to join us on the blanket I'd spread out. "This looks delicious."

  "Thanks, couldn't let two such hard-working fishermen starve," I told them, passing around the food I'd made earlier. Lunch consisted of sandwiches, crackers, cold meats and cheeses, along with some fruit and each a candy bar.

  Both Austin and Jeremy ate until they couldn’t eat any more and lay flat on their backs, rubbing their stomachs as they watched clouds roll by. Jeremy's head was on my lap as he dozed off with Austin for a while. I indulged myself reading a paperback I started on months ago, but never had time to finish.

  After his nap, Austin jumped on Jeremy, startling him from his slumber. He giggled and as soon as Jeremy was awake enough to realize where he was, he laughed and launched an all-out tickle war with Austin.

  It was hard to tell who won for all the laughing. Didn't matter anyway. Both of them looked happy and relaxed as they dusted themselves off after and went back to fishing.

  "I'd say that was a success," I said to Jeremy hours later after we'd returned to my apartment, had dinner and put Austin to bed. "He had a blast. I don't think I'm ever going to hear the end of today."

  "I hope not," Jeremy said, pushing my shoulders back until I was lying flat on my bed. We’d been sitting on it while we talked, but it seemed Jeremy was done with talking for now. He lay down beside me and rested his head in his open palm, his other hand trailing along the exposed skin between my shirt and shorts. "For the record, I had a blast today too.”

  His eyes were warm on mine, shining with emotion as our gazes locked. Leaning down, he brushed the softest of kisses to my lips, his hand snaking up my side and coming to a stop on my ribs.

  "So did I," I breathed, unable to look away from his piercing gaze. My room was mostly dark with only one of my faint bedside lamps turned on. In the low light, Jeremy's eyes looked softer, more intense.

  "What’re you thinking?" I whispered, lifting my hand to run the backs of my fingers over his chiseled jaw. The bit of scruff there was rough against my skin, stinging slightly as I ran my fingers against its grain.

  "How lucky I am to have met you,” he said, turning his head to press a kiss to my hand. "How stupidly happy it makes me to do things with you and Austin. Even simple things like fishing and watching you read."

  He lifted his hand to take mine in it, letting his eyes drift to our joined hands as he ran his fingers gently along mine. "What are you thinking?"

  I love you. The words were so close to spilling out that I turned away from his intense gaze before I blurted them out. "More or less the same. Nothing really."

  Jeremy's hand was warm on my chin as he tilted my face back to him. Concern furrowed his brow and he kept fingers on me as if to make sure I wouldn't look away again. I didn't want to look away, not really. I knew how I felt about him, and it was time to tell him.

  "It's not nothing, Marie,” he whispered, his fingers gently stroking my cheek. "Nothing you feel is nothing to me. It's everything. You're everything."

  "You're everything to me too," I told him, winding my fingers into his hair and pulling his mouth down to mine.

  Our kiss started slow and sensual, even as I felt him harden against my leg and slick need built in my core. The only sounds in the room were our breathing, the gentle swish as we undressed each other, and our murmured words.

  When we were finally bare to each other, I looked up at him. He was braced on his elbows above me, every inch of his muscled body against mine. I brushed back a lock of his hair, need spinning inside of me, twining with the emotion coursing through me.

  His lips caught mine again, his tongue tangling in a sensual dance. Like a slow burn, he set my body on fire with each tender touch, each thrust as he filled me.

  I didn't want this exquisite feeling, this connection between us, to end. Yet, it felt too good and I couldn’t withstand the pleasure tightening my core. I let go when I just couldn’t hold on anymore, my climax washing over me in white-hot waves of bliss.

  Jeremy went taut as a bow, arching back as he found his release with a long, low groan. He thrust once more and then his body stilled.

  Rolling us over so he was on his back, he held me close to him. Our breathing was still erratic, our bodies covered with a light sheen of sweat. But the moment felt right to me.

  "I love you, Jeremy," I whispered softly.

  I heard his breath catch, his heart hammering under my ear. Lifting my head to meet his eyes, I saw a giant smile spread on his lips. “I love you too.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Jeremy

  Four days since after I’d finally said aloud how I felt and heard the same from Marie, I was still walking around in something of a daze. I'd been suspecting that I was in love with Marie for a long time. The word slipped out a couple times while I'd been speaking to her, but I hadn't wanted to rush things.

  The entire weekend, I'd been minutes away from telling her. I was just trying to come up with a way to do it. Turned out, you didn't need a big romantic gesture, you just had to say it.

  "Yo, boss!" one of my construction guys called out, pulling me from my thoughts. Never in my life did I think a woman would fill my thoughts so completely, but I couldn't help it. Not when it came to Marie. I was one of those pussy whipped bastards I'd never understood and frankly, I wasn't even embarrassed about it.

  I walked over to where the crew was busy installing a state of the art kitchen for a client, listening as they argued over the tiles that had been delivered. Glancing down, I noticed that these tiles were different from those the client had chosen. "I'll sort it out. Carry on with the rest. We can’t slow down, but the client wanted something else. I’ll take care of it.”

  The guys grumbled. As annoyed as I was with the hold up, those were the breaks in our business. Suppliers often
screwed up our schedules, and it was up to us to make sure that the job still got done on time.

  I called this supplier and wasn't surprised when he denied delivering the wrong tiles. No one liked admitting their mistakes, but I swear our suppliers were allergic to it. Eventually, after a heated conversation and a serious threat to never use them again, the guy promised he'd have the new tiles over by the next day.

  Crisis averted, I promised the guys I'd check in with them again tomorrow and headed back to the office. I was still commuting back and forth from Savannah most days. One of the biggest drawbacks was that I often got back too late to have dinner with Marie and Austin. I still wouldn’t trade it though. Every minute of time I had with them was better than the alternative.

  A familiar SUV was parked in the lot at the construction yard when I got there. The same SUV that had been waiting for me outside the bank and then again outside the courthouse.

  Goons one and two weren't into sitting in the SUV this time. One was walking around the freely accessible part of the yard while the other leaned against the vehicle. Fuck. I was no idiot. I’d known I’d taken a risky gamble when it came to that money.

  I'd barely parked when they rounded on the truck. Lifting my hand in a wave, I hopped out and prayed for patience. Knocking one of these guys out was not the answer, but I was getting really fucking tired of them showing up everywhere.

  "Gentlemen. What can I do for you today?"

  The skinny one of the two, which wasn't saying much since they were both pretty beefy, smirked and blew out a puff of smoke, grinding a cigarette butt into the gravel of the lot. "Funny you should ask. We're here for our money."

  "You need to turn it over to us. We know you have it,” the other guy said.

  Pulling my shoulders back, I lifted a brow at them and shoved my hands in my pockets in the hopes that that would keep me from punching one of them. I didn't take kindly to being threatened, and these two were pushing my limits.

  "That so? I have it, huh?" I let out a low whistle. "Well what do you know? I'm rich and I didn't even know it."

  "You gonna keep fucking us around then?" the skinny one asked, shaking his head. "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

  "If you were me, you wouldn't have to fuck anyone around because you'd be a straight shooter." At least that used to be true about me. "Look, I told you before, I don't know what you're talking about. My father took that money, not me."

  Skinny wasn't buying it, a glint of malice in his eyes as he stepped forward. "Your father might’ve taken it, boy. But he didn't take it into prison with him. We're not giving up. We will get our money back."

  "Good luck with that, really," I said flippantly, hoping that came off as nonchalantly as I intended. The truth was I was getting nervous about the money. I didn’t yet regret taking it—hell, Savannah’s success thus far only reinforced my choice to make sure Marie didn’t have to worry about Wesley—but it didn’t mean I wasn’t worried about the ramifications.

  There was a reason why I hadn't wanted to know at first, and this was it. The knowledge of it was burning inside of me. There was more money waiting. Even if I told myself the money was my family’s to begin with, it didn’t change the path my father had taken and who he’d pissed off along the way.

  These guys hadn't done anything too threatening yet, but their demeanor had changed. Their patience was wearing as thin with me as mine was with them. I needed to think, a plan about how I was either going to derail them, or throw them off my scent.

  Sonny's truck rounded the corner into the lot. I didn't know whether to be relieved he’d shown up unannounced or not. On the one hand, his being here was likely to scare off these two for now and buy me the time I needed to think. On the other hand, I didn't want him to get involved.

  The two men looked up at the truck and then walked back to their SUV, one of them stopping just before sliding in. "This conversation isn't done."

  “I’m sure,” I responded dryly, but the man was already ducking into the SUV.

  They spun out of the lot before Sonny parked. He raised both brows, whistling as he stepped from his truck a minute later and closed the door behind him. "Look at them go. Who the hell was that?"

  "Just some guys checking on a possible job." I fucking hated lying to my brother. It left a bitter taste in my mouth, but it was what had to be done.

  "If you say so." He didn't look convinced, but he also didn't ask anything else about it.

  "What are you doing here anyway?" Unless I'd forgotten about something, I didn't know he'd be dropping by. “Miss me?”

  He hooked his thumbs into the pockets of his jeans, cocking his head. "Nah, just stopping by. Took a chance that my brother might want to make me some coffee since I haven't seen you in a couple weeks. Saw your truck as I passed and turned round. I got a thing later, but I thought coffee first."

  "I'll drink it if you make it," I told him, leading the way to my office.

  Sonny sighed, but there was humor in his unusual eyes. "Some things never change."

  "Some things never will." Being the youngest, Sonny had often gotten saddled with chores. Truth was, I preferred him to make the coffee because he did it better. The Lovett brothers might have been in five different houses now, six if you counted the big house as one of them, but Sonny was still on coffee making duty.

  We managed to catch up a bit before both of us had to leave. I had to make the drive back to Savannah, while Sonny was off to grab a beer with a friend.

  Traffic was light on my way back. I drummed out the beat on the radio on my steering wheel, losing myself to the rhythm and the wide-open road. Life was good for me at the moment, despite the shit with Wesley and those two morons who kept showing up. Marie and I were on the same page about how we felt about each other and knowing that felt better than I'd ever imagined.

  I was almost sorry when I turned onto my street, having enjoyed the drive and time to think. Checking my watch, I saw that it was still early and slammed the door on my usual disappointment when I realized I might still be in time to make it to dinner at Marie's. I had a standing invitation at this point and helped her cook as often as I was on time to do it, so she wasn't always at it alone.

  The street where my temporary place was in Savannah was quiet enough that I immediately noticed two things out of place as soon as I turned onto it. Firstly, the green SUV that had sped out of the parking lot back in Cypress Creek when Sonny arrived at my office was parked across the street from my rental home.

  Secondly, Wesley was there too, sitting in his car right outside my house. Oh hell. Two things I didn’t want to deal with. With a mental shake, I decided better to blow through this than drive off. That would only give the wrong impression.

  Wesley lowered his window when I approached. Though I could see the hatred in his eyes, I remembered my vow to play nice.

  "Hey, man. Good to see you. Need anything?" I could feel three sets of eyes burning into me, Wesley's confused as balls by my behavior, but the other two curious and calculating.

  Wesley took off without a word, shooting me a look that told me he thought I was crazy. I chuckled, deciding to have fun with his obvious distress.

  "One down, two to go," I muttered, wondering how best to deal with the others.

  Surprised to hear their tires squealing, I looked over my shoulder to see them racing off in the same direction Wesley had driven into. Not too weird given that the freeway was also that way, but I had to wonder whether it was entirely coincidental.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Marie

  "Thank you for returning my call, Marie," Savannah said crisply, sounding as absorbed and professional as always.

  "Of course." My heart was pounding in my chest and had been since I'd seen the call I missed from her while I'd been working. Since I couldn't talk privately at work and Austin was in the car with me on the way home, I'd had to wait to phone her back. All the while, I'd been terrified that something had happened with the case. "Hav
e you heard anything from the judge?"

  "Oh no, it's nothing like that,” she replied.

  I breathed in what felt like my first real breath in over an hour, my relief so acute that my knees went numb for a second. Gripping the kitchen counter, I stared out over the sun beyond my small kitchen window and thanked my lucky stars she wasn’t breaking the news to me that they were taking my baby away.

  “I actually wanted to talk to you about our witness list for the trial,” she explained. “It’s early, but it’s always better to be prepared. I know how nerve racking it can be when you get the call with the trial date, so I prefer to get all my prep done as early as possible, while your head is still clear.”

  “O… okay,” I stammered, clutching my phone as I walked over to the stools at the kitchen counter. Anything to do with actually preparing for this case meant I needed to sit down. It was still hard to believe that all of this talk would eventually determine where Austin would end up living. “Witness list, right. What kind of witnesses do you need?”

  “Anyone who can attest to the fact that Austin’s always been with you, that Wesley’s made no effort. We’ll show banking records to prove his lack of child support. It would also be useful if we had witnesses who’ve been there when he was acting untoward, threatened you, that kind of thing.”

  She was just being efficient, but I went numb all over. This was really happening, I was going on trial for Austin’s future.

  “How many people do you need?” I asked, shaky and uncertain. How did I even ask people to do this for us? Calling them up and saying, ‘By the way, remember that time Wesley threatened me?’ seemed like an impossible thing to do.

  “The more people we can line up, the better. It’ll give me more to work with. I’ll weed out who we’ll eventually need to testify with time.”

  Time. Preparation. The realities of the trial were really starting to hit me now, every courtroom drama I’d ever watched coming back to haunt me.