Dirty Money (Bad Money #2) (5 page)

CHAPTER NINE

Jon

He wasn't sure if it was easier to talk about Adam with Kate crying in the back of the room or without her there at all. He finished up his part and sat down next to his dry-eyed mother, wanting to run from the room before he screamed. Nothing made sense and yet he knew without a doubt that he was on the precipice of a watershed moment. He could let her go and Victor would release him, or he could offer her whatever life they could create together and they could run.

He stood and walked out of the church, everyone's eyes seeming to follow him. They could think what they wanted. Adam would have pushed him from his seat if he had still been alive. His little brother was as ballsy as him and yet Jon had lost himself somewhere in the last few days. He had almost been willing to turn his back on the only remaining thing he wanted - Kate.

Shifting to look around the parking lot, he spotted her car. She wasn't in it or near it, so she had to be walking the grounds. Hopefully she was waiting on him. He moved quickly toward the large cemetery that sat just beside the church. Her dark hair caught his attention just before the flowing ruffles of her pretty white dress did. She was a vision to behold and everything he needed to make his heart whole - to help him heal. He would lay his offer before her and if she denied him... he would accept it. She had so much at stake in their present situation and he couldn't be the one to make that call for her. He would stomach her response and do whatever he could to make her life easier.

If she said no, then he would turn a blind eye to her business when he was reinstated on the force. He would live in the shadows and protect her whether she wanted him to or not. She didn't have to know.

He paused a few feet from her, clearing his throat as to not scare her by approaching too fast.

She stood and turned, the surprise on her face giving him a bit of comfort. She wore little make-up, but truthfully she didn't need any. Kate was classically beautiful and belonged on a centerfold magazine next to an old-timey car.

"The service is already over?" She reached out and brushed her hand along the top of the tombstone. Something about her love of his brother left him wanting to save her all the more.

"No. I saw you leave and realized that I needed to come after you. I was hoping that you hadn't left yet."

"No, but I'm leaving shortly. I think your silence has said more than enough over the last week or so." She smiled sadly and glanced off in the distance as the wind picked up. It blew her hair around her shoulders and it took everything inside of him to remain still and not go to her. He wanted to pull her to him and kiss the hell out of her, mark her as his once again.

"I'm sorry. I've been struggling with where all of this is going."

"I know. I'm sorry too. It should have been a routine murder case and nothing should have happened between us. I want us to move toward pretending that's exactly what happened. The future only holds more pain and suffering for us if we try to make something more of this fling that seemed to hold so much promise." Her eyes filled with tears and he knew she was lying.

She wanted them to work out as much as he did. Why couldn't he press forward and force her to admit it?

Because he couldn't admit it himself. What would he offer her? To hold her after she made love to Victor? To help her create a future where they could have kids and live in a loving relationship together with a white picket fence? Neither was soon to happen.

So you just leave her to deal with everything alone?

Jon started to speak, but Kate stopped him and nodded at someone behind him.

"Your mother is coming this way. At least I think she's your mom."

He turned and walked toward his mom, offering her his hand. "Mom, this is Kate. She's a friend of mine and Adam’s."

His mother moved toward Kate and extended her hand, the smile on her face was tight and unfriendly. "Nice to meet you dear. I'm sorry you had to witness this. It's simply what happens to us when we refuse to relent to the goodness offered to us by God."

"And what if God only offers darkness to some? Is that maybe what happened to Adam?" Kate's question was shocking, but her tone soft, almost angelic. The expression on her face spoke of curiosity. She needed to know why God would damn her again and again. Jon held his tongue, knowing his mother would want to answer.

"Child, you have it all wrong. God doesn't damn anyone. He rebukes and brings you back to him over and over again. If you continue to sin, the rebuke just begins to look more like punishment. Adam was lost and he's now been found." She smiled and glanced toward Jon. "Are you going to invite your pretty friend to come to lunch with us?"

"Of course." Jon glanced up at Kate, knowing good and well that she would never come. Too much uncertainty and hurt sat between them. "Do you want to come with us? We have plenty of tuna sandwiches."

She smiled, but it hardly lifted her lips. "No, but thank you. I need to get to work. I just wanted to pay my respect and see Adam off."

"Well, nice to meet you dear. Thank you for supporting Jon. He's a good boy. One of the last left." His mother pulled him down and kissed his cheek before turning and leaving.

Jon watched her leave, trying to think of what to say to her. He couldn't leave things broken between them. If she didn't want anything more between them then he would try to respect that, but she needed to know. Turning to face her, he took the last few steps between them and reached out as another tear rolled down her cheek.

"Tell me you want this between us, Kate. Tell me we can make it work and I'll try." He swallowed hard as she reached up and pressed her hand over his, trapping his palm against her cheek.

"It will never work. You're free and I'm not." She kissed his palm just before closing her eyes.

He pulled his bottom lip into his mouth, trying hard not to let himself fall apart. She was too much.

"Then run with me. Let's leave tonight. We'll take the bike and fucking get out of here. We can go anywhere you want. We can change our names and our careers and just live together. We'll get married and have kids, grow old together."

She opened her eyes and released his hold, the light in her eyes that he saw the first night having dimmed significantly. He could save her. He had to try.

"No. This is my life. It's just finally caught up to me. No one should have to deal with it but me. Adam would have released you from his struggles too had he been given the chance. One of the greatest things about love is that it strengthens you when you have nothing left." She reached up and wiped at her tears before forcing a smile. "Victor has his claws in me and I'm willing to fight alongside him right now. We've agreed to a lifestyle that doesn't fit the picture you've painted."

"We can change it." Jon moved another step toward her and took her face in his hands. "We can make it right. Just come with me."

"Kiss me and say goodbye."

"No. I'm coming tonight to this meeting. I'm still a part of this." He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers as she slid her arms around his waist, pulling him close. He reveled in it, needing her so much more than she seemed to need him. He couldn't let it go - couldn't turn away from her, but would she leave him any choice?

She pulled back from the kiss, the moment far too short for him.

"This place is peaceful," she said, moving back and glancing around, the change in her scaring him.

"Don't do this."

"The parts of me that I wanted to resurrect a few years back, the good stuff... it hurts too much to hold onto it." A soft sob left her and he reached for her again, only to be swatted back. "I'm not the woman you think I am. Hope of a new life is dying inside of me. I almost want to bury it here in the sand so that it can rest in the truth."

"Kate."

"I've always been a monster, Jon. Nothing has changed. I just wanted it to." She wrapped her arms around herself and moved toward the parking lot. "Goodbye, cop."

He turned and ran his hands through his hair as a million things sprung to mind. He could stop her, but what could he promise her that wasn't as shallow as his promise to be in her life for a long time? Every sweet word he had whispered against her skin as they made love had been unfulfilled. He should simply be lucky that she didn't hate him.

She never turned around, but made it to her car moments later and drove off.

Jon stood there for a few more minutes, his chest aching with indecision. He had no doubt that Marcus and Kate would make it through the hell they had facing them, but what did it say about him that he wouldn't be there to help them? This was the story of his brother's fall all over again.

How could he end up being the one thing he feared the most?

It was what his old man had been his whole childhood before he died.

A coward.

CHAPTER TEN

Marcus

Marcus swung by the club just before midnight, knowing that Kate would be ready early. She stood out front, her back against the wall, long dark hair hanging around her shoulders. Her tight blue dress and heels made her look like a well-dressed hooker. She was making a statement with her appearance and it was one he wasn't interested in digging into. She was crawling back into herself and he honestly couldn't blame her. He moved the mustang to stop just in front of her and rolled down the window.

"You for sale, baby?"

"You don't have enough money." She leaned over into the open window and smirked before getting into the car.

"Damn you look fine."

"Somewhere between business and pleasure?"

"Exactly." Marcus pulled out into the street, trying hard to avoid the large crowd of drunk idiots that milled about them. "Is Jon meeting us there?"

"No clue. I saw him earlier at Adam's funeral and we said our goodbyes." She buckled her seatbelt and glanced over at him. "Did you stop by last night? I remember seeing Victor and trying some new form of ecstasy, but I have a faint memory of seeing you."

"Nope. You texted me to stop by sometime. I figured that meant today or whenever. My shifts start tomorrow and it's been a little crazy." He let out a shallow breath, wanting to tell her that he had spent the night fucking her. She had to know that someone did. Did she think it was Victor or Jon? He should just tell her. She was smart enough to figure it out if she hadn't already. Knowing her it was a test.

"How did the meeting go with Victor yesterday? I assume not too great seeing that he showed up on my doorstep."

"It was fine. He's a dick and seems to think I'm his lackey, which isn't going to fly for long."

"He thinks I'm his whore, so don't feel too bad."

"Yeah, I'm not down with that either. As soon as we get things on the street running smoothly between us, I'll start working to right all of this shit." Marcus reached over and took her hand, pulling it into her lap and intertwining their fingers.

"What's this for?" Kate glanced down at her lap and back toward him.

"It's to say that I'm sorry."

"For what?" She rubbed her thumb over his before leaning her head back and letting out a long sigh.

"For letting you get involved with the cop. I'm sorry. I should have kicked his ass the minute I realized he was interested. I just thought maybe he would be one of the good guys."

"He is, Marcus. It's me who isn't good enough."

"Fuck that. You're the best woman in the world, Kate. He's got too many fucking hang-ups for all of the shit we're about to get into. He needs to be released before he gets us killed. I'm going to talk to Victor about it."

"I did last night. He's going to release him."

"What? Just like that?"

"Yeah... just like that. I don't think he wanted Jon in the first place. He's a distraction to all of us and he'll only get in the way. I'll be working on finding us a good rat to plant on the police force. It's not going to be Jon."

"Is he still going to be a cop?"

"I don't know, but if he is, I'm sure Victor will work to have him turn his head every time we come around." Kate shrugged and turned to look out the window.

Marcus let the conversation go. She obviously wasn't in the mood to discuss it anymore and something had happened. What had she had to do with Victor, or what did she promise, to get him to release Jon? Men like Victor just didn't simply let go of a viable asset without getting something greater in return.

Certainly she hadn't promised herself in full... right?

Two hefty men walked toward the car as Marcus pulled in front of the large mansion. He glanced at Kate, who seemed to be more concerned with her seatbelt than the press of his stare. She seemed to be lost in another world. It had to be the funeral and letting Jon go. Surely there was nothing else he was missing.

"You want me to do the talking tonight?" He reached over and brushed his fingertips over her arm. He wanted to pull her close to him and promise her more than he was capable of giving her, but it wasn't his style and she wouldn't accept it either way.

"No. I got this. I need to step up and have him and you realize that I am very much capable of being a far greater monster than either of you." She smiled tightly and got out of the car.

"Kate." Marcus got out and moved toward her as she walked to the front door. He was dressed again in slacks and a button down, hating every fucking minute of it. He worked the streets for a reason and the main one being that he could wear more comfortable clothing.

"Don't. I'm every bit capable of running this ring. Support me like you always have and I'll move aside as soon as I can and give the operation to you." She glanced over at him and he could have sworn he saw truth in her eyes. She knew about last night. She had to have.

He nodded, not wanting to push her any more. Pressing his fingers carefully to her lower back, he moved with her toward the large red-brick house. As long as Victor didn't require them to live with him, Marcus would be good. Seth had tried to pull that shit when he first took over, but Marcus had talked him out of it. A lack of trust would always cause the biggest bully to look for a means of watching over his subjects. This dick was no different.

The door opened as they approached and Victor smiled. "Good to see you both. Jon is already here, so this should be a rather quick meeting."

"I don't see the point in Jon being here seeing that you've decided to give him his walking papers." Kate moved into the house and walked toward the hall as if she had been to Victor's home a million times.

Had she? Was she keeping information from him? No. This is what Victor wanted, to plant seeds of doubt between all of them. Why wouldn't he? It was brilliant and helped to break down the bond that he wasn't yet a part of.

"Just a final farewell. Something to keep him completely away from us as we move forward." Victor winked at Marcus.

"Why don't I like the sound of that?" Marcus asked and moved toward the only open door in the hallway as Kate disappeared into it. Jon stood by the fireplace in the office, his appearance haggard. He had been drinking again no doubt.

"Take a seat and let's make this quick." Victor nodded to the two couches in the center of the room before taking Kate's hand in his. Marcus moved to the far couch before seeking Kate's expression. Why would she be willing to hold Victor's hand? Had part of the decision to let Jon go meant that Kate would be fully available to the asshole now?

She sat beside him, her expressionless face causing Marcus's stomach to tighten. Victor sat close to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and brushing his fingers along the exposed skin of her shapely arm.

"Let's talk quickly. I have plans tonight." Victor turned his gaze to Jon. "Come. Sit."

"I'd rather not." Jon's voice was deadpan, the angry red vein pulsing on the side of his neck making it more than obvious that the cop was barely holding on.

"There is a new shipment coming into port in LA later this week. We will be there to receive it. I have a few business meetings in the city, but most of the events will be more entertaining in style." He looked toward Kate, who turned and gave him her attention. "You'll be attending as my wife and will need to be by my side as I need you to."

"Do you think that's really necessary? I've never known a room of dealers to be swayed one way or the other simply because of the appearance of a relationship." Kate stood, moving from him and walking toward the liquor cabinet near Jon.

Marcus watched the poor cop stiffen, his eyes following her every move.

He needed to get him out of here.

"Is Jon going with us?" Marcus asked and crossed his hands over his stomach, clasping them and relaxing as best he could with the tension in the room.

"No." Jon stood and moved toward the couch as Victor expressed the same response.

"Actually, Jon won't be needed anymore. We'll simply look for another rat on the force." Victor shrugged and stood up, walking toward Kate. He paused behind her and slid his hands around her waist, leaning over to whisper something against her hair.

Marcus moved to the edge of his seat as the hair stood up on the back of his neck.

Why was he so concerned with whether the cop could handle anything happening between Kate and Victor?

He should have been concerned about his damn self.