Dirty Money (Bad Money #2)

by Ali Parker

  The door slammed as Jon left and Kate let out a soft sigh, pulling from Victor.

  "No. I need you." He pulled her against him, leaning back and sliding his fingers deep inside of her. She groaned and turned to watch his face. He was so handsome. Like the devil himself.

  "Stop. You don't have to do this, Victor. She belongs to us. He's gone. Fuck." Marcus walked to the window and looked out, his hand rolling over his bald head over and over again.

  The room became hazy as fire burned deep in her belly, the fucking drug horrible. She pulled away from him only to turn and move to his lap, straddling him. Kate pressed her fingers into his throat and jerked his face up to hers.

  "If you ever drug me after this night again, I will kill you. I will slip into your bed and fuck you senseless, and when you think all is well, I will stab you over and over and over until there is nothing left."

  "There's my girl." Victor pulled her down and kissed her hard, turning her and pinning her to the couch. Kate fought against him, biting at his lip each time he pressed it to hers. The firm press of his large body felt so good that she had to fight at the need to strip him bare. "Do you want me to give you relief?"

  "No. Get off of me." She pushed at him, wanting so badly for him to strip her bare and invite Marcus to join them. The desire to dive into depravity rolled over her in thick waves. He moved, reaching up to touch his lip as he laughed.

  "Good show. I think we've effectively ridden ourselves of the cop." Victor walked to the liquor cabinet and laughed again.

  Kate sat up and let out a shaky breath, the ecstasy leaving her dizzy. It wasn't nearly the large dose he had given her the first time, but it was enough to force her to become more docile and far needier.

  She needed Jon.

  Standing, she picked up her drink and finished it. "We're done here. Get me home?"

  Marcus turned and glanced over his shoulder. "Was that all a show for Jon?"

  "Something like that." She glanced toward Victor. "Leave him alone for good now."

  Victor turned and lifted his glass in the air. "Anything for you. Come to me again soon. Alone. I want to finish what you've started. I'll burn until we do."

  Kate turned and walked toward the door as she fixed her skirt. She and Victor would make a dangerous pair, the two of them able to feed off of the other no matter the situation or circumstance. She had known good and damn well that the meeting that night was all about getting rid of Jon. The trip was a valid reason to bring them all in, but Victor wanted to psychologically kick the cop from their lives and he had.

  Now to force down the need to call Jon and apologize for all she had done. It would do neither of them good and if she knew herself, she would end up naked and sweaty beneath him, needing him to let his aggression out on her body.

  Just one more time.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Marcus

  Marcus walked her to the car, his thoughts lost on who the fuck it was he was standing next to. Kate wasn't acting anything like the girl he knew. Was she drugged again? How dare she let Victor put his damn hands on her like she was some sort of whore? A soft growl left him as he moved from her and walked around the car.

  He needed to punch something, to put his hand through a wall or two. He didn't dare look at her over the top of the car, though he could feel her eyes on him. Not happening. He was too close to snapping and letting her take the brunt of the emotions that beat against him.

  Getting into the car, he sat back and closed his eyes, wanting so bad to scream into the emptiness, to scream at her. He didn't like the cop too much himself, but Kate's actions had been vile - horribly cruel. It was something he would have done to some bitch in his younger years to remind her she wasn't anything but an occasional fuck. Kate would never have acted so heinously.

  A soft sob left her as he turned on the car and pulled out of the driveway. Marcus glanced over as her hands pressed to her face. The scream that filled the car shook him to his core.

  "Thank God. I honestly thought the fucking world was flipping upside down." He reached over and slid his hand behind her back as she sobbed loudly. Something deep inside of him softened and he tugged the wheel, pulling the car onto the side of the road beside a long row of large houses.

  "Come here." Marcus tugged at her arms until she moved toward him. He leaned over into her seat as best he could and wrapped his arms around her. She pressed her face against his shoulder and bled her heart out. It wasn't her at all in Victor's arms, but some hardened version of herself. Had he forced her to do that? To make a fool of herself in front of them? Nothing could have been more demeaning for Kate.

  "I hate myself," she whispered and tightened her hold on him.

  "No you don't. You had to do what you had to do, Kate. We're not given the luxury of sweetly sending messages to people to back up. You had to stab Jon in the heart good, right?" Marcus moved back a little, needing her to validate his thoughts. She wasn't the heartless cunt he thought her to be a moment ago. She was still Katie, still his girl.

  She moved back into her seat and let out a shaky breath as she wiped at her eyes. Mascara smeared across her cheeks and damn if he didn't want to get out of the car and take away any of the worries he could for her. He needed to rein himself in. She didn't belong to Jon or Victor and she sure as fuck didn't belong to him.

  He wanted her too. It had been too many years he found himself wanting her. He would have to push back a little or he would find himself on his knees in front of her, begging her to love him.

  Fuck that.

  "I had to make sure he was hurt enough to never want anything to do with me again, Marcus." She leaned down and picked up a napkin off the floor, lifting it to her pretty face and blowing hard. "He and I had started to fall in love, at least I think we did. Victor said he would trade Jon for me."

  "But he already had you and me as well." Marcus reached over and grasped her thigh softly.

  "He has us in theory. He wants me fully, but like any man, he's only saying that until he believes that he has me. Then he'll be done and onto his next victory." Kate shrugged and blew her nose again.

  "You'll never be his as long as I'm alive. You hear me? I would never put up with that shit. Ever."

  Kate turned and reached out, brushing her hand along his face. "I love you. Take me home so I can get in a hot bath and wash the feeling of his hands off of me."

  "Don't let him touch you like that again. I'll kill him."

  "Not if I get to him first." Her smile seemed forced, but Marcus let her have the last word. She removed her hand from him and sat back, turning to look out the window as the world went on unsuspectingly.

  He turned on some soft rock music and took her free hand in his, lifting it to his mouth and kissing her fingers as they drove back to the center of the party in the French Quarter.

  Jon had to be crushed completely. Marcus almost felt like his soul was ripped from his chest and pounded to a million pieces in front of him. The cop was lost on Kate, stuck on how to stop loving her when it was seemingly impossible. The fucker had gotten a hold of Kate's police records with most likely not much effort.

  If he was walking away from everything then why would he need to read her shit first? It made no sense.

  Anger burned deep in Marcus's belly as he turned down Bourbon Street. It was almost three in the morning and yet the streets were still packed. He honked at a few idiots before pulling in front of the club.

  "You want me to park and come up for a while?" He hoped like hell she wouldn't want him to. He wasn't sure he could handle much more time around her as raw as he was. A bottle of jack and a long shower called his name.

  "No. I need a hot bath and bed. Catch up with me tomorrow."

  "You sure?" He reached for her, pulling her to him as his fingers snaked into her hair. "I can come up and take care of you. Help you forget everything."

  "I know you can, but I wouldn't ask that of you." She leaned forward and pressed her lips to his, the kiss
sweet and yet firm. She breathed in deeply and brushed her fingers along his neck. It was a softness she had never shown him. He didn't want to see a minute more of it or it might change things between them. He was fighting against those feelings as it was.

  Kate shifted back and moved toward the door. "You working tomorrow?"

  "Yes. I'll be here in the early afternoon for inventory. Let's lock down the timing of this trip to LA so we can get the place covered."

  "Sounds good. Thank you."

  "For what?"

  "For being you." She got out of the car and walked through the crowd to the door to her apartment.

  Marcus watched closely, almost wanting someone to mess with her. The need to fuck someone or something up tore at him terribly. There was no way he could go home just yet. He was going to find out what the cop wanted with the file and get it back. Kate already had enough baggage, she didn't need anything else coming out of left field.

  Marcus planned to make sure that it didn't.

  Jon's house was dark when Marcus pulled up, but that didn't mean much. Parking the car, Marcus got out and walked to the front door, turning to look around the street to ensure that no one was watching him. He knocked twice and got no response. Either Jon was asleep or not interested in company. Marcus leaned over and pulled out a credit card, popping the lock quickly. He walked in and closed the door behind him, stopping long enough to let his eyes become acclimated to the room.

  Knowing the cop, he was in a drunken stupor. Had he always been that way or only when things got tough?

  "Jon? You up, man?"

  "I'm in the kitchen, you fucker. Be lucky you called out. I was going to shoot the minute you turned the corner."

  Marcus moved toward the sound of the cop's voice, pausing and sticking his head around into what appeared to be the kitchen. It was too hard to tell with the resounding darkness. Marcus reached over and flipped on a light, Jon cursing him as he covered his eyes.

  He seemed to still be in his clothes from their meeting at Victor's. He held a small glass in his hand with a bottle of jack open on the table beside him.

  "Drinking isn't going to help." Marcus moved to the counter and looked for a glass.

  "Third cabinet to the right of the sink. Top shelf," Jon muttered before lifting his glass to his lips again.

  Marcus got himself a glass and walked toward the table, picking up the bottle and filling his glass half full. He topped Jon's off and lifted his glass to the other man.

  "To new beginnings."

  "I don't want a new beginning. I want to know what the fuck happened tonight? Where did the girl go that I fell in love with? Who was that bitch with Victor?"

  Marcus tilted his head back, letting the entirety of the cup drain down his throat. It burned like a bitch, but brought him more to life than he had been in weeks.

  "That's the girl I found on the streets years ago. She's simply doing what she must."

  "Fuck that." Jon took a long swallow of his drink. "She didn't have to sit in his fucking lap, Marcus. He petted her fucking pussy over and over in front of us."

  Marcus reached for the bottle, not even sure why he was there all of a sudden. "I don't want to talk about it."

  "Then what do you want to talk about? Why the fuck are you here? You don't even like me, remember?"

  "Shut up." Marcus let out a long breath. "You were supposed to be the good guy that moved her from the best I could give her to a whole fucking lot better, but you didn't. You tucked tail and ran like a fucking sissy girl."

  "Oh. So you're angry and need someone to blame. How about you blame yourself? You already said it was your greed that did this."

  "It was. I hate myself more than I hate you." Marcus finished the glass and picked up the bottle, taking a long swig. He passed it to Jon, who set it back down on the table.

  "Do you love her?" Jon asked.

  Marcus sucked his bottom lip into his mouth and pressed his teeth to it until he tasted blood. Why had he come here? To beat Jon to a bloody pulp? To confess his sins?

  "Yes. I love her in more ways than you could ever fathom. That's irrelevant. I'm a piece of shit and she deserves better."

  "She deserves someone like me? One of the good guys?" Jon pushed the glass away from him and crossed his arms over his chest.

  "You were one of the good guys. I'm honestly not sure what the fuck you are now." Marcus nodded to the file. "Why do you have that?"

  "I needed to know who I was falling in love with. To understand better if there was any hope of redemption in her."

  "And? What did you figure out from a stale file that's slanted to show her as a villain?"

  "That she knows more than she said she did about Seth. That she's had a terrible start in life and lastly, that someone has the most important parts of her past locked up. Is it you?" Jon leaned forward, his blood-shot eyes staring hard at Marcus.

  "No clue what you're talking about. I'm taking the file with me. She doesn't deserve to keep reliving this shit."

  "Have it. It's useless and to be honest with you, she deserves a lot worse." Jon let out a long breath as Marcus stood and snatched the file from the table.

  "You don't know shit about her, Jon. Stay the fuck away. You failed at whatever you were hoping to do. Move on to the next pretty girl that needs saving because this one is off your radar."

  "I agree. Best of luck with whatever you think you're going to do to save her. I'd start with figuring out who took parts of her file from the police vaults. There's more to the story than you think. Don't be the lackey Victor's turning you into."

  Marcus didn't hesitate in slamming his fist into the side of Jon's chin. The cop flipped back in his chair and hit the ground hard, a loud groan leaving him. Marcus picked up the bottle and poured it out, shaking it to ensure some of it landed on Jon.

  "Fuck you, Jon. You failed your brother and you failed Kate too. Go disappear somewhere because if I see you again, I'm going to make sure you know exactly how much I hate cops."

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Jon

  Jon laid on the floor, closing his eyes and enjoying the pain that radiated from the side of his face. Marcus had a solid punch, his strength something Jon was grateful to witness. The big guy would take care of Kate and most likely be the one to take Victor out of his position before too long. Marcus loved the beautiful club owner, much like Jon suspected.

  The sound of the door slamming in the living room caused him to relax, a laugh bubbling up and spilling from his lips. How had things gotten this bad?

  Only a week ago he and Kate stood wrapped around each other in her club, willing to figure out everything together. Love seemed capable of binding them together, of making them stronger, but now there was nothing left.

  Jon rolled onto his hands and knees, taking a moment to regain his bearings. He didn't want to vomit on the kitchen floor for fear of passing back out in it. He had sworn off alcohol years ago, never wanting to be this drunk again. He carefully stood, his legs shaking underneath him.

  Marcus was right. He had failed Kate. No wonder she ran into Victor's arms. He could protect her and would. But why let him touch her so intimately in front of him and Marcus? Was she trying to destroy him?

  "She knew what the fuck she was doing." He pulled his phone out of his pocket and started to call for a cab before deciding against it. Seeing her would only make matters worse for both of them.

  He walked toward the front door, slipping in the liquor on the floor and falling against one of the walls in the kitchen. He grabbed the door frame and pressed his forehead to the wall, taking a shaky breath and realizing that life would never be the same. He had almost allowed himself to fall fully in love with her.

  He offered her a future, a life with kids and love in it. She had declined, laughing at him as if he wasn't worth her time.

  Fury rose up in him and he screamed, hitting his fist against the wall above him. He needed to see her, to hurt her once more. She had ripped the future out
from under him at the funeral home, the bitch not even willing to give him a free pass for ignoring her. He was hurting and his goddamn brother's missing body was just found recently. What did she expect from him? A fucking tower of strength and calm at all times?

  "I'm just human, you stupid bitch."

  He pulled himself up and grabbed his keys before walking out of the house and into the cool early morning air. He shouldn't drive so fucked up, but he couldn't stop himself. She needed to know just how much he would grow to hate her. How his brother ever saw anything in her was beyond him.

  "Where was the girl from the graveyard tonight? Did she really die there? Did she mean to punish me in front of Marcus with Victor? To humiliate me?" He pressed his fist to his mouth as bile rose up in his chest. Pausing by the side of the garage, he let the contents of his stomach go, bending over and heaving until he had nothing left.

  Jon wiped his mouth and unlocked the garage before moving in quickly and getting on his bike. He needed to get on the road before he changed his mind.

  "No more being a coward. She needs to know what she's done to me. I'm going to watch her every move from now on. She'll pay for this. She knew Seth, which means she had some part in Adam's death."

  Had she been duping him the whole time? Fuck, everyone else had.

  He pulled the bike out into the road and let out a long breath before slipping on his helmet and heading to downtown. He would just keep his speed under control and everything would be fine. He would make it to her, or die trying. The latter sounded like a better deal at the moment.

  Jon had sobered up slightly, but not enough by the time he reached her. Parking his bike across the street, he worked quickly to tie it up. The place was rather empty, but the sun had already begun to rise in the distance too. The smell that rose up from the street surrounding him caused his stomach to turn again. This place was as filthy as the people who lived in it.