by Rachel Cross
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”
That must be Matt.
The man grabbed Billingsly’s shoulder and yanked him off the steps and into the driveway.
“Who the hell are you?”
“Her dad.”
“That slut got me fired,” Billingsly roared, taking a swing at Matt. Matt deflected the swing, and somehow used the punch to catch the other man off balance. Kate watched her dad send Billingsly sailing to land on all fours on the driveway with a yelp of pain.
Billingsly slowly got up, cradling his hands. “How dare you.”
Matt moved forward menacingly. Billingsly raced down the driveway, toward his red Mercedes parked along the curb.
“Come back and you’ll regret it,” Matt called after him.
He turned to face her and shook his head.
“Friend of yours?” he asked, mockingly.
Her stomach heaved. Here she was, face to face with her mother’s abuser. No, her rapist. “No.”
Matt Gibson gave her a level look “You got him fired?”
“It’s really none of your business.” The adrenaline was dissipating and nausea rose up.
His hazel gaze narrowed, lips thinned. “Has he hurt you before?”
Kate frowned. Really? This man, this man was offended by physical abuse? If she didn’t know what she knew she might buy into his act, the way Emma obviously had. Nope. Rescuing her from Craig Billingsly didn’t change anything.
“What do you want?”
He smiled, but it was unpleasant. “To have a nice Thanksgiving with my daughters.”
They turned at the sound of a car pulling into the driveway.
Kate left Matt to stride over to the driver’s side of the car.
She tried to force the quaver from her voice. “Em?”
Emma avoided eye contact as she got out of the car. “Hey, Kate.” She looked past Kate and gave Matt a huge smile. “Dad.”
“Let me help you unload the groceries,” he said.
Emma tossed him the keys, then turned to Kate. Flipping her hair, she narrowed her eyes. “What brings you here?”
“The alarm in the main house has been malfunctioning.”
“Oh.”
Matt pulled a grocery bag out of the back seat. “That, and angry ex-boyfriends.”
Emma gasped. “What?”
“Craig Billingsly was here, mad of course; the hospital fired him and — ”
“Oh, Kate.” There was genuine concern on Emma’s face. “Are you okay? What happened?”
Matt answered quickly, “He was starting to rough her up, but I put him in his place.”
Emma drew in a quick breath. Kate gave him a dirty look over her shoulder.
“Are you all right, Kate?”
“I’m fine.”
Emma looked her up and down, then turned to Matt. “And you, Dad?”
“I’m fine, sweetheart. We handled it man to man. He won’t be bothering your sister again.”
Kate gritted her teeth. Taking a step forward she held out her hand “Emma — ”
“You should go, Kate. We have a lot to get done before tomorrow. I’m making a couple of sides.”
Kate stood and bit her lip. Matt had already moved up the path to the cottage.
“See? See what a good guy he is? Geez, Kate. You never could stand to be wrong. Why do you have to be so stubborn? He loves us,” Emma hissed.
“Has he returned the money yet?” She regretted the words as soon as they were out of her mouth. Emma’s face hardened, and she scooted around the car taking an armful of groceries from the trunk.
“Leave, Kate. If it was up to me, I’d have Thanksgiving here with just Dad. He’s the one who wants to see you and Alec. God knows why. If you’re mean to him tomorrow, we’ll go.”
Kate watched her retreating back, lips twisting. Damn Emma and damn Billingsly for making Matt look like a hero.
She climbed into her car and set out for the police station.
A few minutes later, Kate parked on the street near the white stucco county building that housed the police department and jail. She sent Alec a brief text, letting him know where she was and why.
Taking a deep breath, she got out of the car, locked it, and marched down the side walk and up the steps.
Kate put her shoulders back and walked over to the young male officer manning the front desk.
“Hi there. I’m Kate Gibson.”
“Hi.” The uniformed man replied, giving her the once-over, his smile appreciative.
“Is Lieutenant Stevenson in?”
“No, he’s out on a call. Something I can help you with?”
Kate bit her lip.
“Kate.”
She looked up to see the chief of police heading down the hall toward her.
“Hiya, Chief.”
He examined her, his gaze shrewd. “What’s happened?”
“Billingsly caught up with me at the Jonnard’s when I was there checking out a security alarm.”
The chief stood up straighter. “Get Stevenson on the radio.” He barked to the officer at the desk. “Are you all right?”
Kate nodded, glancing at her arms. The area where he’d grabbed her was red. With her fair skin, she’d have fingertip-shaped bruises in no time. “Craig shook me. Matt was there and stepped in to defend me.”
The chief’s eyes bulged. He made a sound between a snort and a grunt.
“Good. Then we have a witness.”
“Oh, yeah. Matt saw the whole thing.”
“I’ll interview you, send Stevenson out to interview your father. On second thought, I’ll interview you and then your dad, while my officers look for Billingsly. We’ll be able to lock him up. I’ll make sure the DA sets the bail high enough that he’s not able to get out.” He looked at the officer across the desk and jerked his head in Kate’s direction. “Did you get all that?”
“Yes, sir.”
Kate uttered a small sigh of relief. The holidays would be better if Billingsly was safely locked up.
The chief took her arm and escorted her to his office.
Five minutes later, Alec burst through the door.
The chief’s eyebrows vanished into his hairline.
“Kate.” He reached out and took her out of the chair into a rough embrace. Then just as quickly, leaned away, examining her carefully.
“Are you all right?” Alec asked.
Heat rose up, sweeping her neck and into her cheeks under the watchful gaze of the chief. “I’m fine, Alec.”
Alec looked over to the chief. “What do you need?”
The other man tilted his head and stood. “I’ve taken her statement. Now I’m going to take Matt Gibson’s — ”
Alec’s shoulders went back and he took a step forward. “You need to pick up Billingsly.”
“I have officers on that, young man.”
Alec visibly relaxed. “Then I’m taking her home.”
The chief’s lips quirked. “I was just going to recommend that very thing.”
Chapter 25
Thanksgiving morning, Alec adjusted the station on the stereo in his living room, coffee in hand. He and Kate were battling over the music this morning. She kept putting on Christmas music. Thanksgiving was too damn early for Christmas music. His cell rang. It was about time his investigator called.
“Whatcha got?”
“Nothing good, man. This dude is bad news.”
“Yeah?” He gave a short laugh. “I’m gonna need more than that to cover your grand a day plus expenses.”
The man chortled, a noise that turned into the cough of a chronic smoker.
“I’ll send the report, but you said urgent, so I’ve got som
e information for you.”
While the man briefed Alec, Kate entered the room. She hugged him from behind, resting her cheek on his back.
He pulled her around and held her to the front of his body.
She looked up with a frown and nodded toward the stereo.
“Send me the full report. Okay?” Alec said into the phone.
“I’m pretty sure you want this info — ”
“Yeah, yeah, just send it to me.”
“I’m not getting great reception — ”
“You’ll figure it out. And thanks for doing this.”
“No problem.”
He disconnected the call.
“Alec, the chief just called. They picked up Billingsly in San Diego,” Kate said.
“Great.”
By mid-morning, Kate was a wreck despite his best efforts to soothe her. He joined her in the kitchen.
Now that Alec and Kate were together, her father would be constantly trying to get into their lives and extort money. He knew it, he accepted it. He had a lot of experience dealing with men like Matt Gibson. Every other musician he dealt with seemed to encounter some kind of blackmailer or extortionist at some point in their career. It was familiar territory.
One way to get the man out of their lives was to pay him. Trouble was, guys like Matt never just had one score. Alec had learned that as soon as he became a successful musician. Instead, they would be back again and again and with more threats. He always recommended against payoffs. Once a client went down that road, it never ended.
Emma and Matt were expected around noon for turkey and all the trimmings. Alec’s efforts to bring in a catered meal had been met with patent disbelief a few days earlier. Apparently Kate always prepared and cooked the turkey. And Emma always made a few sides. That’s the way the Gibsons did Thanksgiving. Diana usually made a few desserts, Kate had said, giving him a meaningful look.
Alec surprised himself by offering to make a pumpkin pie, thus marking his foray into dessert making, or cooking of any kind, for that matter. He was domesticated.
He gave a short laugh.
“What’s funny?” Kate looked over at him from her spot by the oven.
“You. Domesticating me,” he replied, still grinning and eyeing his pie with pleasure where it sat on the counter, awaiting Cool Whip.
“Oh, that.” She gave him an answering smile. “Hey, do you have a carving knife?”
“I’m sure I do … ”
“An electric carver?”
“Nah.” Alec rifled through the drawers, bringing out a plastic sealed package “I have this baby. Never used it.”
“Geez. What is that? Looks like something the SEALS would use!”
He read from the packaging. “Says here it’s the King of the Kitchen Knife.”
She rolled her eyes. “Yes, but will it carve turkey?”
“Nine inches, baby. The king carves up anything.”
She laughed.
He put the knife down and fit the front of his body to the back of hers. “I’ve got your blade right here … ” He pushed against her.
She laughed again and butted him away. “Go away, King, Master, whatever, I’m busy. Open that thing for me and leave it on the island, then I have something else for you to do.”
She glanced back from where she was basting the turkey and quirked an eyebrow.
Alec laid a loving hand on her back. He would never get tired of her beautiful shape. He looked down at himself ruefully. Amazing. She could turn him on with just a few minutes of horseplay. She glanced at the front of his jeans and giggled.
Alec knew the normalcy wouldn’t last; her body had been stiff with tension and anxiety most of the morning. Damn Emma, anyway.
He’d had to talk Kate out of going to her house to check on Emma on an hourly basis yesterday. And since her encounter with Matt yesterday, she’d waffled between feelings of rage toward Matt and fear for Emma. He hadn’t seen the need to add additional worry to her plate, but he had similar concerns. In the meantime he was willing to let it play out.
When the doorbell rang close to noon, Kate jumped. Alec gave her a long look.
“I’m fine,” she said, smoothing her hair with shaking hands.
He watched her take a deep breath and bite her lip, before meeting his eyes.
“Yeah, right.” He opened the door, Kate on his heels.
Zack leapt around them. Alec’s smile died when he saw Emma, pale and shaking, eyes swollen, struggling to keep the facsimile of a smile on her face and the containers in her hands from tipping.
Matt stood behind her, eyes glittering with malice and something else: intoxication? It was hard to tell. Though he had seen pictures, he was a bit taken aback by the man’s resemblance to Kate and Emma.
The introductions completed, Alec invited them in, nose twitching. Someone had been drinking early or late, or both.
Zack seemed to take an immediate dislike to Matt. He growled and Matt made a kicking motion with his foot.
“Kate,” Alec said, evenly. “Can you please put Zack on the patio?”
Kate did as he asked, wordlessly leading the dog by his collar.
“Emma, let me take that from you.”
Emma and Matt stepped in and Alec took two Tupperware containers from her trembling hands. Matt held up a plastic bag with bottles of what looked like booze.
“Anyone for a drink?” Matt asked, giving Alec a nasty grin. Alec ignored him, turned and headed down the hall and took the food to the kitchen.
“So. Nice place. Very nice place. What’s a place like this worth nowadays?” Matt asked.
Alec had no doubt Matt knew the history of the house, including what he paid for it, annual taxes, and what it was currently worth. Inwardly rolling his eyes, he made a noncommittal response about the housing market in the area.
“Why don’t you pour a drink and take it into the living room?” Alec suggested. “Kate and I have a few last minute things to get out of the way, then we’ll join you.”
They had barely left the room when Kate hissed, furious, “Alec, she’s — ” He covered her lips with a finger.
“Babe. I know she’s really upset. Obviously something happened. If it was bad enough, she would’ve called or texted. He’s started to show her what a slime he is. Don’t give her the opportunity to defend him. We need to let this play out, so she can see what he’s like.”
Kate’s shoulders slumped and her eyes wrinkled at the corners.
“Buck up, love.” He squeezed her hand. “I’d give anything to protect you from all of this, but I can’t. If we’re going to be rid of him, we need him to show Emma his true colors.”
“I hate him,” she whispered.
He drew her to him.
His phone vibrated in his pocket. He took it out and glanced at the screen. Finally, the email from his investigator. Excusing himself, he walked to the far corner of the kitchen and examined the message. Then read it again.
His investigator had discovered an outstanding felony warrant for Matt Gibson. It was serious enough to have him extradited back to Nevada. No wonder he had come for a visit; things were too hot for him at home. Call the Cielito police now or later? If he called now, given how Matt had rescued Kate the day before, Emma might blame them. It was a tough decision, but he was leaning toward giving the police a heads up a little later.
While the three of them drank iced tea, ate appetizers, and watched football, Matt put down the bourbon like it was last call. His urbane exterior developed significant cracks as he steadily consumed alcohol.
“So, Kate, why didn’t you contact me when your mother died?” Matt asked, his smile acid.
“It never entered my mind.”
“I’m sure Marilyn gave you an earful about me
.”
Kate’s body stiffened. He gave her knee a squeeze, watching Matt carefully.
The alcohol was making Matt more aggressive by the minute.
Alec watched Kate struggle valiantly with her temper. “Actually, Matt, she never said anything about you.”
“You’re lying!” he roared.
Emma and Kate jumped.
Alec intervened. “Matt, stop baiting them.”
He turned an ugly look on Alec. “Screw you. Speaking of screwing, what’s a man of your age doing with my little girl? It’s obscene.”
Emma flushed.
He didn’t think Kate’s body could become any more brittle, but it did.
“Hardly,” Alec replied, mildly.
Emma stood. “I’m going to the bathroom.”
“Let me show you where it is.” Kate leaped to her feet.
“Yes, please.”
Matt gave Emma a suspicious, narrow-eyed look.
Alec watched the two women walk out of the living room.
• • •
Kate led the way to the bathroom, stopping just outside. Emma grabbed her arm, tugged her inside and locked the door.
Emma collapsed on the toilet, her large hazel eyes haunted.
“Oh, Kate,” she moaned.
Kate crouched in front of her, holding her hands. “What on earth is going on?”
Emma burst into noisy sobs.
“Shhhh.” She knelt and patted her sister’s back, gently. “Just tell me.”
“Kate, I, he’s … he’s stealing from the main house.”
Kate looked at her, brows knitted together. “Come again?”
“He’s stealing.” She took a gasping breath. “I don’t know how many times he’s been in there, or why the alarm isn’t triggering.”
Kate’s eyes widened. “My God.” She fell back on her heels, stunned.
“I went in his room, your room, while he was showering this morning. I … I was just going to see if he had any dirty laundry in his bag and wash it for him … and I saw a bunch of things, Kate. He’s got all these black duffel bags, filled with silver and other stuff.” Her voice rose. “You know that sports memorabilia collection Mr. Jonnard had in the study? Most of it was in a duffel bag. There were frames and … and … I … I don’t know how he could’ve gotten it, Kate, but inside his suitcase I found your ring of keys — ”
