Club Scars (19 page)

“And if she asks me to clarify your threat?”

“I don’t need to school you in the type of tactics that will break a person and make them see reason. Everyone has their weaknesses,” John said softly. “But do ask my daughter how she would enjoy another stay at Oakwood.”

Carson blinked at him and then his eyes narrowed in question but he wisely kept his mouth shut. John dismissed the man with a tilt of his head. It was good that even the mercenary wondered what he was capable of. He waited for the door to click shut before turning to pour a drink.

Swirling the rich liquor in the cut-crystal glass he contemplated his next move. Why did Katrina fight the inevitable so hard? A sneer twisted his thin lips. She reminded him of her mother. Kassandra hadn’t shown her true mettle until she’d become a mother. His submissive trophy wife had grown a spine and claws where her child was concerned. It had been amusing to tempt those claws and a joy to pull them out one by one. Katrina was no different. She would come to heel. It was just a matter of time.

Fourteen

Crux put his arm around Kat’s shoulders as they stepped from the lawyer’s office, pulling her close to shield her from the wind.

“I don’t know if it’s safe to go to sleep tonight as excited as you got over the life insurance,” he muttered into her hair and chuckled when she punched him in the ribs.

“Twenty-five thousand isn’t going to replace you. We better get more,” she said with a laugh.

“I’ll have to tell Bowie you said to pony-up for better benefits.”

“He probably keeps it low so taking his grease monkeys out doesn’t look so inviting to their old ladies.”

“How about I take my old lady out for dinner?”

She looked up at him, uncertainty in her eyes. It ate at him. She sure as hell shouldn’t have to worry if they could afford to grab a burger.

“I have stuff at home to throw together a homemade pizza, but if you want to grab a bite before we pick up Cam we can do that,” she said with a little shrug. “I’ll make the pizza tomorrow night.”

He gave her ass a loving pat before opening the Navigator’s passenger side door. She smiled at him as he stood there holding the door while she got situated. He didn’t try to hide his attraction. Kat was as sexy as they came. Even with a little remaining baby weight, his wife was smoking. Leaning in, he planted a kiss on her smiling lips.

“Love you.”

“I love you, too,” she whispered, her head tilting to the side in a way that let him know he’d surprised her.

Shutting the door, he walked around the front of the SUV. His eyes scanned the street, his mind still on Kat. He wasn’t big on verbal displays of affection. It was something that he’d tried to work on over the years, but it didn’t come natural. Lucky for him Kat seemed to enjoy his physical demonstrations. That wasn’t going to cut it with Cam though. The sudden thought made him frown. With all the worries he’d mulled over during impending fatherhood, that hadn’t been one of them. 

Crux fished his keys out of his pocket and slid into the driver’s seat. The Lincoln turned over smoothly and he checked his mirrors as he pulled out into traffic. Leaving Kat to mess with the heater, he continued to chase the thought around in his head. He’d never known his father, so he had nothing to draw on there. Kat’s father was a sadistic fuck. Bowie had girls. Only Zeke had boys.

Ever the lead dog, the prez had three of them. Rhys and Mox were men now, but Zeke had always treated them with the same gruff, absentminded affection. Garrett was the same. It wasn’t much different than the way Zeke treated his brothers. Gin was the only one that brought out a softness in Zeke. Crux glanced at Kat. Until a month ago, he would’ve said the same of them, but he couldn’t deny the feelings that welled up in him when he looked down at his son. He flinched as Kat’s hand snaked across his thigh.

“What’re you thinking about?”

He thought about shrugging it off but the intensity of her stare warned that wouldn’t fly.

“I was just thinking that I don’t tell you I love you nearly enough and wondering how the hell I’m going to handle it with the little guy.” He turned his eyes back to the road, squinting against the sun’s glare. “At least with you I can show you.”

“There are ways you will show him too.”

He wished he shared the confidence in her voice.  

“Like what?” he asked, stealing another glance at her. “Our parents are gone, shit, or both. The only person I could think to look to for a role model is Zeke and well, he’s –”

“Zeke,” Kat finished for him with a nod. “But actually he’s a good choice. You and Zeke are alike in that yours is a gruff love. You’re always the tough guys. No one messes with what’s yours though. Do you remember that ass clown that stuck the rake handle in the spokes of Rhys’ bicycle because he was riding through the pile of leaves in front of his house?”

Crux snorted but nodded. That had been a long time ago. “The pretty boy had enough road-rash on him he looked like he’d laid down a Harley.”

“Rhys was hurting when he got home. Zeke stood there and told him to man up while Ginny cleaned him up, but then he took Rhys back over to the guy’s house and ended up beating an apology out of that asshole. Zeke loves his boys.”

“Even the pretty one,” Crux said with a lopsided grin.  

“Even Rhys,” Kat agreed with a little laugh. “As close as the club is there are still things that happen behind closed doors. Here’s one that I wouldn’t have imagined, Eva told me that Mox went to Zeke for woman advice when he and Eva got together.”

Crux raised his eyebrows. “I would’ve liked to be a fly on the wall for that conversation,” he said with a shake of his head.

“She told me that some of the stuff Zeke told Mox was blunt, but it made sense and it’s helped them so far.”

“So if anyone messes with my kid I should beat the shit out of them and when he hits puberty I need to have the talk with him. Anything else?” he asked as he pulled into the parking lot behind The Lantern.

Kat smacked his thigh. “Showing our son you love him will sometimes be as simple as throwing a ball in the yard with him, asking him about his day, or showing him how to wrench on his bike.”

“Zeke was always outside doing something with the boys which I thought was cool after working all day.”

“He went to their ballgames, still does with Garrett, and helps coach. You can’t judge Zeke solely on what comes out of his mouth. You know how dry his sense of humor is. I’m telling you, cop or not, you two are more alike than you realize. Gin and I laugh about it all the time.”

He shot her a disgusted look and she winked.

“You’re going to be a fantastic father. You love him already. Besides, Cam’s yours and you take really good care of those that belong to you,” she said, leaning over to give him a quick kiss. “Trust me.”

Kat slipped another forkful of cheesecake past her lips and let her eyes drift closed in bliss. The creamy dessert had a hint of lemon to it and black raspberries drizzled over the top.

“This is sinful, Eva.”

The brunette’s cheeks dimpled as she smiled in shy pride.

“You know I like to try things out before we put them on the Lantern’s menu. Mox is my guinea pig.”

“Such a hardship, eh Moxie?” Crux asked shoving the last bite of his dessert in his mouth.

Mox grinned, opening his hands in acceptance. “I’m willing to sacrifice for her craft.”

The back of Eva’s dainty hand connected with her fiancée’s abs. “Such a martyr. I don’t think I’ve made you suffer too much.”

“I’m a lucky man,” he said, looping an arm around Eva and tugging her close.

Kat smiled at the pure adoration that lit the young woman’s face as she cuddled against her behemoth of a beau. They were such a cute couple. Kat leaned back into the cushions, stuffed. With Gin working, Eva had offered to watch Cam for them while they’d gone to talk to the lawyer. She’d hesitated, but the girl had been so eager Kat hadn’t had the heart to say no. With Ginny downstairs in the pub and Mox at home, Cam had been well protected. Nonetheless, she had been eager to get back to her little man. When they’d popped upstairs to check on him, Eva had been pulling dinner from the oven. One whiff of the baked manicotti and cheesy garlic bread, and there hadn’t been much question if Crux would accept Mox’s invitation to eat with them.

“Everything was great, Eva. Thank you,” Crux said, adding his plate to the stack on the coffee table.

Eva blushed and beamed at the simple praise.

“I’ve wanted to have you guys over forever now.”

“If Eva had her way I’d never get her to myself,” Mox said with a sad shake of his head.

“Maybe that’s a hint, brother,” Crux said with a grin. “You’re just not enough for her.”

“That’s not true! I just like to entertain,” Eva protested, her blush deepening as she looked imploringly up at Mox. He looked skeptical.

“I believe in brotherly love but that’s taking it a little far. I’m not sharing you with them.”

Eva smacked his knee and giggled.

“Sorry, baby. There goes your dream of making Moxie your boy toy,” Crux said with a regretful shake of his head.  

Mox choked on his beer, his pale eyes widening in disbelief. His blush rivaled Eva’s.

Kat burst into laughter, smacking her husband’s arm. “Now Eva will never invite us back!”

“She sure as hell won’t leave you alone with her man.”

“I knew you were a hussy,” Eva said pointing an accusing finger.

“Damn! Why didn’t Gin ever let Aunt Kat babysit?” Mox lamented, a huge grin spreading over his boyish face.

“Probably because she knew better,” Crux said with a wolfish grin. “She knew Kat would corrupt her baby boy.”

“You’re enjoying this
way
too much,” Kat said, laughing at his teasing.

“Not nearly as much as I would’ve enjoyed it,” Mox said with a sexy growl that earned him nasty looks from Crux and Eva alike.

“Oh, no! You started this. You don’t get to be a jealous ass now,” Kat said shaking her head adamantly at her husband.

“What was that you were saying the other day about one for all and all for one?” Eva asked, hugging Mox’s bicep and leaning forward to give Crux a candid once over. A moment later she was face down over her man’s knees.

Mox’s huge hand came down with enough force to make Kat cringe. 

“I was kidding,” Eva yelped.

“We all were. Come on Moxie,” Kat pleaded.

He winked at Kat as he righted Eva in his lap. “You’re damn lucky I have a sense of humor, little girl.”

Eva squirmed, obviously trying to defuse the sting her man’s huge paw had left behind. She pressed her nose against Mox’s chest, hiding her face and muffling her words. “I can’t believe you did that in front of company.”

“They’re not company, baby. Crux and Kat are family. It’s no different than getting your ass smacked in front of Rhys.”

“I doubt any of the old ladies can say they haven’t been face down over their man’s knee at one point or another,” Kat said, trying to ease some of Eva’s embarrassment. “I’ve spent some quality time there myself.”

“Brute,” Eva muttered, but her shoulders shook in silent laughter as Mox tightened his arms in a crushing hug. “I’m glad it’s not just mine,” she finally said when Mox let her turn in his lap.

“Nope. They’re all Neanderthals.”

“Or we’re all just cursed with lippy old ladies that need to be reminded who’s boss,” Crux said with a roll of his shoulders.

“Some of them even like it,” Mox said, kissing the top of Eva’s head.

Kat grinned. “Both valid points. Who wants a namby-pamby metrosexual ninny? I love my bad-ass.”

“Amen,” Eva agreed getting both men to just roll their eyes.

“Listen to them suck up.”

“She might as well warm up now because she’s going to be sucking tonight,” Crux said with a wicked grin. “Another fine way to keep lippy old ladies in line.”

“It’s hard to flap their lips when their mouth’s full,” Mox agreed with a nod.

“And here I thought Mox was such a sweetheart,” Kat said with an eye roll of her own.

“He can be a real sweetheart, but he’s still all man,” Eva said in a long suffering tone that got them all to laugh.