Club Scars

by Mara McBain

  Scooping Cam out of his basinet, she cuddled him close for a moment before turning to the changing pad. While she knew her father’s opinion of Crux couldn’t get any lower, what had prompted the drug search? Had it been simple stereotyping, bad information or just an initial jab to rock them on their feet? How long had the private investigator been watching them? What in the hell did the man want? Why now? How could he think she would allow him anywhere near her son after the atrocities of her childhood?

  She made quick work of stripping off the little one’s soiled pajamas as her mind whirled. Cam’s penis made him valuable in John Merrick’s eyes. He wanted an heir, someone to continue his legacy. Bile burned her throat at the thought. She searched Cam’s features, praying not to find anything marking him a Merrick. The thought of this tiny innocent being subjected to a tenth of the mental, emotional, or physical abuse that name brought with it made her hands shake as she wiped him down.

  She closed her eyes, memories of her father, uncle, and grandfather tumbled over one another. The Merrick men were monsters. The sadistic bastards thrived on control, pain and misery. Biting her lip, Kat blinked back tears. For all the good it had done, her mother had done everything she could to shelter her before disappearing shortly after her twelfth birthday. The nightmares had started then, both waking and sleeping. She would never believe her father’s explanation that Kassandra had abandoned them. She had gone so far as to call the police and report her mother missing. That decision had triggered her first visit to the loony bin. She remembered thinking at the time that it couldn’t get any worse. She’d been wrong.

  Tucking Cam into a clean sleeper, she zipped him up. Her boy stared back at her, his big eyes content now that he was dry and the center of attention. She stroked the soft fleece, her lips curving in the slightest smile at the cartoonish dragon that emblazoned the pajamas. It didn’t look anything like the ferocious Lords emblem he’d wear one day but there was something about dragons that made her feel safe.

  “Everything is going to be okay, little man,” she whispered, tracing the serpent. “Your daddy and his brothers are not ones to mess with when you get them riled. You’re safe under the dragon’s wings.”

  “Are you okay?”

  Kat jumped, spinning to face her husband with a hand over her pounding heart. He regarded her silently from the doorway. She nodded.

  “I’m fine. His PJs were a little wet,” she said, turning back to pick Cam up.

  Crux smiled when she crossed the room and held his son out in invitation. His hands were sure and gentle as he took the hand-off. Cradling Cam in one arm, he gazed down at him. The love in his eyes made a lump swell in her throat. Tracing the dragon on the little boy’s belly he said, “Your mom’s right, little man. Lords will die for the family, and just the same we’ll kill if it’s necessary. Just like your pretty mommy, you’re mine.” He reached out and drew Kat against his side. Lips pressed against her temple he murmured. “And I protect what’s mine.”

  Ten

  The old Ford lurched hard, popping out of gear and sloshing hot coffee in his crotch. Jerked from his morning daze, Crux hissed and struggled to steer the dead vehicle to the side of the road. Bringing the beast to a halt, he groped around for something to sop the hot joe pooling between his thighs before he boiled his balls.

  “Son-of-a-bitch!”

  Lifting his ass off the seat, he stuffed the wadded flannel shirt under his thigh, mopping at the vinyl. Shaking his head, he pushed down on the clutch and turned the key. Nothing. He tried it again with the same result. Muttering under his breath, he popped the hood, flipped on the four-ways and climbed out of the truck, slamming the door behind him. Cursing, he shook his leg, grimacing at the wet cling of his jeans. Fishing a flashlight out of his toolbox, he propped the hood and started going through the mental check-list.

  A vehicle slowed and he squinted against the glare of the headlights. Recognizing Reaper’s Wrangler, he stepped over as it stopped.

  “That’s a fine advertisement for our number one grease monkey,” his buddy said with a shit-eating grin.

  “Screw you. Give me a fucking ride and we’ll come back and get the piece of shit with the wrecker.”

  “So get your ass in here and quit letting all the heat out.”

  “Give me a second,” Crux growled, shutting the door and turning back to the truck. Slamming the hood down, he leaned into the cab to pull his keys and grab his thermos. Halfway to the Jeep, he turned and walked back to lock his tool box.

  Reaper rolled his eyes and popped the clutch when he finally slid into the passenger seat.

  “You’re slower than a fucking woman,” he muttered.

  Crux caught the door with his boot and then yanked it shut. He glared at his brother as he settled in. “How much caffeine have you had this morning, Zippy?”

  “Not nearly enough,” Reaper said, taking a swig from his travel mug. “But I woke up to a hell of a good morning hummer.”

  “What’d she do or what’d she want?”

  “Nothing. Believe it or not the hot little bitch just likes to suck dick.”

  “Any dick or yours in particular?”

  The Jeep swerved as Reaper reached over to smack him in the head. He blocked it and a wild game of feint and parry ensued. A car horn sounded and Reap grabbed the wheel again just in time to wrench it back into his lane. Both men flipped the other driver off and laughed.

  “My dick is the only dick she gets. Besides, you know Lee was the big V when we hooked up,” Reap said, stopping at the light. “The only experience the girl had was her sick ass brother and one of his punk friends forcing her get them hard so they could cum on her face like porn stars. I’d love to get my hands on that perverted little fucker.”

  Crux raised a brow in surprise. There weren’t many fuckers sicker than Reap. This protective streak was a new development but the added ethics threatened to blow his mind. It was way too damn early in the morning for this shit.

  Leaving his lunch sitting, Crux walked under his truck up on the lift. They’d picked the piece of shit up with the wrecker on first break and put it inside to warm up and drip off. His gaze ran over the undercarriage. He looked down at the drain pan and shook his head.

  “Jesus, Bro. This is something we expect from the bitches,” Reaper said with a sad shake of his head.

  His fingers tightened around the large breaker bar as he fought the urge to bend it around his brother’s head. Fury rolled off him. He ground his teeth. The fucking engine was seized. Not a damn drop of oil left in the son-of-a-bitch.

  “She might not be pretty, but this bitch doesn’t blow oil. I rebuilt the engine myself.”

  “I know. I was just blowing you shit,” Reaper said around a mouthful of tenderloin sandwich.

  “Someone drained the oil.”

  Reaper’s eyes narrowed as he finished chewing his food. He swallowed hard. “You’re sure?”

  Crux kicked the empty drain pan toward him. “Not a fucking drop.”

  Licking his lips, Reaper eyed the empty pan. “Do you lock your garage?”

  “I don’t keep the truck in the garage.”

  “I know that, dumbass. I was asking about the Navigator in case Kat goes out today.”

  “Jesus!” Crux snarled and wiped his hands on a rag before digging for his phone. He punched in his wife’s number and waited. She sounded surprised when she answered.

  “Hey, baby. What’s up?”

  “Don’t drive the Navigator today.”

  “I was just getting ready to go up to The Lantern.”

  “Is it running?”

  “Yes,” she said hesitantly.

  “Shut the son-of-a-bitch down.”

  “What’s go—”

  “Now!” Crux bellowed.

  He held his breath as he listened to Kat run for the garage. Pinching the bridge of his nose he let his breath out slowly as he heard her kill the engine and the jingle of the keys.

  “Okay. It’s off. Now
do you want to tell me what’s going on?”

  “Lock the garage. Get back in the house with Cam and lock the doors.”

  “You’re scaring the shit out of me. What’s going on?” she asked, but he could hear the garage door grinding down in the background.

  The backdoor slammed and she fumbled the phone. He could picture her pushing against the wood with her foot and shoulder to get the deadbolt to slide home. He needed to replace the damn thing with something more secure. Cam’s voice rose in the background.

  “Is he okay?”

  “He’s fine. Just a little warm all bundled up,” Kat answered, her voice softening as she fussed with the baby. “Sorry buddy. Change of plans. Let’s get you out of there.”

  “Someone drained the oil out of the truck.”

  There was silence on the other end of the line as she processed that and got the baby settled.

  “Is the engine okay?”

  “No. I didn’t catch it in morning autopilot mode. The engine seized,” he said with a sigh. He pinched the bridge of his nose. If he’d just looked at the damn gauges.

  “Shit.”

  “Yeah, I know.”

  “I didn’t mean it like that,” she said.

  “I know. I’m kicking my own ass.”

  “Well, the good news is I’m married to the best damn mechanic around.”

  A smile tugged at his lips. “Thanks, baby. Sorry to ruin your plans.”

  “Don’t worry about us. We’ll hunker down here at home until you can check out the Navigator.”

  He shook his head. That was his strong old lady. No panic. No bullshit. He didn’t deserve her. “I’ll hitch a ride with Reap and I’ll check it over tonight. I love you.”

  “I love you too. Shepherd’s pie for dinner.”

  “I’ll be there, beautiful. Later.”

  Shaking his head again, he pocketed his phone. He picked up his lunch and hitched a hip on a stack of tires. Reaper smirked at him.

  “Don’t give me any shit.”

  “I wouldn’t dream of it, lover boy.”

  He chucked a fry in Reap’s direction, but couldn’t deny that he owed him for thinking about the Navigator. “Thanks. I was so pissed off about the truck I didn’t think about the Lincoln.”

  Reaper shrugged his thanks off, popping the fry in his mouth. “You think it’s related to the bullshit with Kat’s father?”

  “Who the fuck knows? I can’t think of anyone else who would have an issue with me.”

  “Yeah, because you’re so damn loveable,” Reaper said with a snort. “What about the college boy?”

  Crux’s eyebrows shot up and he choked on his sandwich. Pounding a fist on his chest he mulled over the question. Would the little bastard have the balls to go after him? It didn’t take a degree from a top mechanic’s school to drain an oil pan, but it was a simple sabotage. Merrick had used the system and his connections to this point. He wasn’t the type to get his hands dirty, even by proxy.

  “What, did you eat your Wheaties this morning or something?”

  Reap grinned. “Must have been the blow job.”

  “Tell Lee to suck up more often,” Crux said with a chuckle.

  Reaper’s smirk promised the topic would come up. They both groaned as the buzzer blared declaring lunch over. Walking to the break room they pitched their carryout boxes, grabbed coffee refills and headed back to work.

  “What’s the diagnosis on your truck?”

  “Seizure by sabotage,” Crux muttered, stopping to looking up as his boss and brother joined him.

  Bowie’s brows drew together and he glanced over at the truck. “You’re sure?”

  “I rebuilt that engine myself. It was tight. There wasn’t a drop left in it when I got it in here and pulled the plug.”

  “Suspects?”

  “Either Merrick’s minions or the college boy.”

  Bowie dragged a hand down his long face and tugged on his auburn goatee. His lips pursed in thought. “Why don’t you let me talk to the kid?”

  “Afraid I might do more than rough him up this time?” Crux asked with a sneer.

  “Kat needs you right now and I don’t want to have to look for another grease monkey.”

  “Aw, I didn’t know you cared,” Crux said, grinning and dodging the huge fist Bowie aimed at his shoulder. He was thankful Big Red pulled the unexpected uppercut into his midsection.

  “I’ll take care of it,” Bowie said slapping his shoulder and backhanding his abs before walking away.

  Taking a deep breath, he rubbed a hand over his stomach before turning back to work. Damn lefties.

  Kat chewed on her thumbnail and stared out the window watching Crux and Zeke examine the area beside the garage where her old man’s truck usually sat.

  “He gets cuter every day.”

  “Stop ogling my hubby.”

  Ginny laughed and stroked the back of her finger over Cam’s chubby cheek. “Lean, sinister, devilishly sexy, sure, but cute isn’t a word I normally associate with Crux.”

  “And here he thinks you don’t love him,” Kat said with a teasing grin.

  “Crux knows he’s a sexy beast, but you know how sensitive Zeke is about his mug and how jealous he can be. I can’t be drooling over his club brothers.”

  Kat shoved off the window frame with a laugh and wandered over to check on dinner. She’d been surprised when Crux had called her back to suggest she invite Gin and Zeke over for dinner. Now she knew why. There had been a method to his madness. She peeked in the oven. Shepherd’s Pie wouldn’t have been her first choice to serve company, but Gin and Zeke were family. With a fresh salad and rolls it would work.

  “What did you bring for desert?” she asked Gin, already reaching for the box from The Lantern.

  “We had the mixed berry cobbler that Crux likes today. I tucked a half gallon of ice cream in your freezer when you were changing the little man.”

  “Mmm, smells delicious. I hope Zeke doesn’t mind working for his supper.”

  “You know he’d do anything for a brother and it’s so seldom that Crux will ask for his help. He’s just glad when Crux doesn’t lump him with the rest of law enforcement.” Ginny said with a dismissive wave.

  “He respects Zeke as more than a brother. I’m telling you, my old man is seriously pissed off. I actually hope this had to do with my father because Crux will kill that college punk.”

  “First his tatas and then his truck; I think that would skip straight to strike three for junior,” Ginny said with grimace.

  “Don’t encourage him. I don’t want to raise that kid by myself.”

  The back door opened, interrupting the girl’s laughter. Ginny turned her back to the door, sheltering Cam from the cold. She jumped when Zeke came up behind her and cupped her breasts to warm his hands.

  “Heathen!” she hissed. “I’m holding a baby here.”

  “I see that. I’m sure Cam won’t mind if I use them since he isn’t,” Zeke said with a chuckle and nuzzled the side of her neck.

  She shivered, hunching her shoulders at the press of his cold nose. “Beast,” she muttered, but couldn’t contain a smile as his teasing turned to kisses along her nape and behind her ear.

  “I’d be careful, brother. Our queen looks pretty comfortable holding that little one. She’ll be getting all broody on you,” Crux said with a big grin.

  “I gave her three. That’s all she’s getting.”

  “You never did give me my little girl,” Ginny reminded him.

  “I gave you Rhys; the pretty one’s as close as you’re getting, woman.”

  They all laughed at the comfortable old joke and Ginny passed Cam off to Crux so she could help set the table.

  “Anything?” she asked Zeke.

  “A scrape on the concrete pad where they pulled the container out and a few drips, probably from the funnel. The ground is too hard right now to give up any footprints. Nothing worth filing a police report on and he just has liability on the thing so in
surance won’t help him out regardless.”

  “We appreciate you taking a look,” Kat said.

  “Anything for a brother. I wish I could do more. Seems I’m saying that a lot lately,” he said with an apologetic roll of his shoulder.

  “Yeah, well we knew going in that the law side of things wasn’t going to be real helpful when it comes to the Merricks,” Crux said bitterly.

  Kat gave Crux a reproachful look but closed her mouth when Zeke waved her off.

  “We talked about this the other night and I agree with Crux. This is a case where the upper ranks are going to close and shield the piece of shit because his brother is our esteemed governor. It doesn’t matter what is right or wrong, they’re only looking at the politics. They aren’t going to want a whiff of scandal surrounding the family with next year being an election year.”

  “As black and white as the law is about most things you’d think they’d be above this shit, but it’s everywhere,” Ginny said with a sigh.

  “As long as there are palms that can be greased and appointed positions, politics are going to play a role. It’s why you’ll never see my ass any further up the ladder. I don’t play by their rules,” Zeke said with a shake of his head. “If there is one thing I learned in the Marines it’s that rules are a nice frame but sometimes you have to think outside the box if you want to survive.”

  “Enough talk about politics. Let’s sit down and eat while Cam lets us,” Kat said, waving them toward the table and reaching for her son.

  “I’ve got him,” Crux said, and stepped through to the living room to ease the baby into his portable crib.

  A wide yawn split Crux’s face as he wandered back into the kitchen in search of his wife. He frowned watching her take dirty dishes out of the dishwasher. She caught his eye.

  “Gin was trying to help. She loaded the dishwasher. I didn’t want to tell her that it’s not working. You know how she is.”