Hard Money (Bad Money #3) Read online

  "There's my girl. Come here." He reached for her, and she walked toward him, leaning in and hugging him carefully.

  "What the fuck happened? You haven't told me anything." She sat down on the bed beside him before glancing over at Zak and nodding her hello. He responded in kind.

  "Billy Turner happened." Marcus reached out and palmed her knee, rubbing softly. "You all right? What happened with Jon?"

  "Nothing. He's a fucking idiot. I don't want to talk about him. I want to talk about why there's blood all over the hallway outside my office." She moved up to tug at the covers around him. "Is it yours or someone else's?"

  Marcus grasped her hand and moved a little to look around her. "Can we have a minute? Please?"

  Zak got up and walked to the door. "Come on, brother. I'll buy you a cup of coffee."

  Victor hesitated on the other side of the bed, but finally nodded and walked to the door without another word.

  Kate waited until he was gone to pull her hand from Marcus's grasp. "I'm worried sick about you."

  He tugged the covers down and pulled at the gauze, revealing a nasty tear in his skin that was stitched up.

  "Goddammit. That was too close, Marcus." She reached up and brushed her fingers over the gauze on the side of his handsome face. "Did they hit you?"

  "Yeah, but I'm fine. Honestly." He took her hand and moved it over his stomach down to cup him over the covers. "I'm horny for you, but other than that... I'll live."

  She squeezed his package and pulled her hand from him, brushing her fingers down his face as she leaned in for a long kiss. They didn't need to talk about loving each other or wanting more than they would ever allow themselves to have, but she was going to show him regardless - every day.

  He groaned softly and slipped his strong fingers into her hair, tugging at it softly as he made love to her mouth, exploring her. The need to crawl up in his lap left her panting softly, but it wasn't at all about sex for her. It was about joining together as one with him, about belonging to someone so strong and good hearted, someone that loved her.

  She pressed her forehead to his as they both panted. "Don't ever leave me."

  "Never, Katie. You couldn't force me out." He kissed her again once more. "We need to take Billy out. Now."

  "The cops will get him." She sat back and licked her lips as she let her eyes move across the impossibly beautiful planes of Marcus's face. If he weren't such a nefarious villain, he would belong on the front of GQ.

  "No, baby. He's after you. I'm not waiting around until the cops get off their dead asses and do something right. Fuck that," he growled softly and slid his fingers up her thigh to latch onto her hip. "We go after him. Or rather, I do."

  "Victor can help us too." She got up and reached for her phone as it buzzed. The number was all too familiar, but a surprise nonetheless.

  "Who's that?" Marcus reached for her as she moved back to the bed.

  "Jon." She sat down next to Marcus. "Victor needs me to go to New York with him, but says I need a bodyguard with me."

  "I should be out in three days. Just wait, and I'll go with you. I'm not comfortable with you going without me." He squeezed her hand as his blue eyes moved across her face.

  "You're not my daddy, remember?" She moved closer, brushing her lips by his again.

  "I could be, if you wanted me to." He nipped at her as he reached around and squeezed her butt. "Go lock the door. I wanna fuck."

  "Me too, but you just got out of surgery. It's not happening." She kissed him again and got up. "I'll be fine."

  "Take Jon with you, Kate. He can protect you. He'd die trying."

  "I guess that's one way to get rid of him." She chuckled darkly.

  "You'd die if something happened to that asshole." Marcus dropped his hands into his lap and watched her intently.

  "No, I wouldn't, but if something happened to you..." Her eyes filled with tears.

  "Nope. None of that please." Marcus smiled and pointed to the door. "Get out of here and think about taking Jon. It would make me feel better. I'm serious, Kate."

  "I thought you hated the bastard."

  "I did until I woke up a few minutes ago."

  "If he hadn't taken me, you wouldn't be laid up. We could have taken Billy out together." Kate put her hand on her hip as the door opened behind her.

  "No. Billy's much too cunning for that. If Jon hadn't taken you, then God only knows what would have happened. I owe him one. Period." Marcus turned his attention to Victor, who moved up beside her. "Tell her to take Jon. Make it a requirement."

  "I already have." Victor glanced down as Kate growled softly, turned and walked out the door.

  Having two bossy men in her life was far too much. Bringing Jon back into the fray was overkill. Besides... he was a good guy, and good guys didn't survive in her world. Jon had made that more than clear with his actions, and his words.

  She could take care of herself.

  No way she was asking him for a damn thing.

  Chapter 6

  Jon

  Jon finished up with his mother and had no doubt that he would be starving a few hours later. Why his mother wanted to eat dinner at four in the afternoon was beyond him. She'd been like that his whole life though. No changing her now.

  He got in the car and drove toward the club, wanting to get his bike back from Kate. He needed to talk to her too. Glancing over to the passenger's side seat, he let his eyes move across Adam's drawing.

  Did Kate know that his brother had so much beauty trapped inside of him? What did it mean?

  "Probably nothing." He picked up his phone and dialed her number, waiting as it went to voice mail. "I'm headed to get my bike. I assume you're at the club, if not, just let me know where I can get it. I hope you're okay."

  He dropped the phone in the seat next to Adam's stuff. She wasn't okay. He was sure of that, but she wasn't going to be calling on him for help anytime soon. The conclusion he'd come to at his mother's house that he was going to get off the fence and join her side of the fight - good or bad - was a solid move. He felt some semblance of peace over it. It was selfish, no doubt. He wanted redemption for losing Adam, but more than anything, he wanted Kate.

  "Good luck there." He pulled up to the club and parked on the side of the street, locking the cop car just in case some dumb ass kids decided dicking with the PO-PO was a good idea. He'd call and have someone pick the car up. He wanted his bike, and needed the release it provided.

  The bike was around back, locked on a chain to the door of the club. He let out a long sigh and walked back to the car, pulling a set of bolt-cutters from the trunk and walking to the back to get the bike undone.

  "Hey!" The back door to the club opened about the time he finished getting his bike free. The blond guy that stuck his head out the opening looked familiar.

  "Hey yourself. This is my fucking bike." Jon moved back to put the bolt-cutters back in the car and turned to see the lanky guy blocking his way to the bike. A dark crimson trail ran from the door through the alley, and Jon stopped for a minute, letting his eyes move across it. "What the hell?"

  "Why the fuck would your bike be tied to the back of my boss’s club?" The guy lifted his eyebrow.

  "Because she stole it from me." Jon moved past the guy without too much effort. "Back off. It's been a bitch of a day, and I would love to take some aggression out."

  "You don't scare me, dude. Don't touch that fucking bike until I clear this." The guy pulled out his cell as Jon got on the bike. "Marcus. Some dude is at the back of the club trying to steal a motorcycle that's chained up back here. Is it yours?"

  Jon ran his fingers through his hair and counted to ten in his head. The dumb ass was almost out of time by the time he extended his phone toward Jon. "Marcus wants to talk to you. He's my boss’s..."

  "Partner. Lover. Best friend. I know who the fuck Marcus is." Jon grabbed the phone and barked into it, "What?"

  "Hey dude. Bring that bike up to St. Joe's."

 
Jon's blood ran cold. "What? Why? Is something wrong with Kate?"

  "No, you bitch. I got shot today. Come up here."

  "Oh fuck. You all right? What happened?" Jon's shoulders relaxed. He cared about Marcus more than he wanted to admit, but the thug sounded fine.

  "Yeah. Get up here, and I'll explain. Kate's good, by the way. She just left here."

  "All right. I'm coming." Jon handed the phone back to the kid and took off as the guy raised his hands as if to stop him.

  Who would have shot Marcus?

  Jon couldn't help but think about how well-placed his intervention with Kate was. It wasn't for the right reasons, but it would seem someone was watching out for them. Jon could only assume that Marcus was shot at the club. It had to be his blood in the alleyway.

  Knowing that Kate was safe and Marcus was well enough to call left Jon taking his time to get to the hospital. The visit with his mother rushed through his head, and he chewed on how wrong he had been to assume she didn't care about Adam. Everyone had their own way of grieving over shit. He needed to stop making fucked up assumptions and start giving people more room to move when he was around. Kate in particular.

  She wasn't fucking Victor because she wanted to. He knew that for sure.

  Jon pulled up to the hospital and groaned as his stomach turned. The thought of his woman with anyone but Marcus left him wanting to lose his lunch. Why Marcus was different was beyond him. Maybe because he knew the sex was an extension of their feelings for each other. It was fucked up, but to them, it was just another expression of their taking care of each other for so long. He understood it. Sort of.

  Jon locked the bike up and walked into the E.R., unsure of where to go. He stopped by the desk near the opening and spoke to a pretty blond nurse, asking for Marcus's room number and telling her that he was his brother.

  She gave up the information easily, and Jon turned, ignoring the suggestive way the woman smiled at him. He wasn't interested. No one mattered but Kate. That was the problem. It would be easier just to relocate, take his mom with him and run, or would it? He would never get over how much he wanted Kate. He shook off his wayward thoughts and focused on the resolve he'd accepted. He was in for the long haul. Period.

  Knocking on the door, Jon waited until he got the invitation to come in.

  Marcus was laid up in a hospital bed, his big ass filling up most of it. Jon's heart softened slightly as he walked toward the other man. He extended his hand to take Marcus's and shook it.

  "Damn, dude. Who'd you piss off?" Jon released his hand and moved back, dropping down on the couch next to the bed. They had far more differences than likenesses, but the guy was quickly growing on him.

  With few friends in the world, he was quite sure that Marcus was going to be one of them. They shared too much not to - Kate in particular.

  "You could say that." Marcus ran his big hand over his bald head. "Billy Turner."

  Jon sat up, his whole body stiffening at the mention of the name. "What? Why the fuck didn't you say so. We need to get somebody on this."

  Marcus lifted his hand. "I'm talking to an off-duty cop. If I wanted to report this shit, I would have called it in. Your people are going to do nothing but run him off. Then I'll have to go find him again. I'm glad he's here. I'm going to take him out as soon as I get close enough to."

  "Marcus. This guy is death incarnate. He shot you today. Don't be a dumb ass." Jon stood up, unable to sit for a minute more. He needed to pace the floor.

  "He's predictable if nothing else. I need your help to take him out." Marcus paused, and Jon stopped walking and jammed his hands into his pockets. "Tell me you'll at least think about it."

  "Yeah. I'm on suspension over some shit with Adam's case. I'd be willing to at least talk about helping you with Billy. I haven't studied his file because-"

  "I know everything we need to know." Marcus sat up, groaning deep in his chest.

  "All right. I'm not sure I'm good with killing someone in cold blood, but I'll help you find him at least."

  "He's after Kate." Marcus's expression tightened.

  Jon took a shallow breath. Of course the bastard was after Kate. Who wasn't?

  "That changes things." Jon moved a step closer to the bed. "Did he tell you he was after her?"

  "Yeah. He's the one that got her started on this life. I'm the one that got her out of it. He's not thrilled with me for taking the best thing he ever had away from him." Marcus shrugged. "He's looking to bring me back into his operation."

  "How the fuck does he have an operation? He's a wanted man, and last I checked, Victor isn't giving up any power." Jon moved to sit back down on the edge of the couch.

  "He's unconventional, Jon. He'll figure it out."

  "How did you get Kate out of working for him all those years ago?" Something told Jon that he didn't really want to know, but he couldn't help but ask. Whatever happened forged Marcus and Kate together tightly, so much so that Jon felt a pang of jealousy around them at times.

  "Same thing she did for you with Victor. I gave him anything he wanted from me for years." Marcus crossed his arms over his chest. "But my payment was killing, stealing - just depravity. Kate's is sex."

  Jon's heart almost stopped in his chest. "Kate did what?"

  Marcus tilted his head to the side. "You're sure a dumb mother fucker for looking so smart."

  "Fuck you. Kate promised Victor sex in exchange for letting me go?"

  Marcus nodded. "Full access to her beautiful body."

  Jon pressed his hand to his mouth as his dinner rose up in his throat again. Her words back at the police station rolled through his mind. He didn't have a clue of what she'd given up for him, for all of them.

  Everything. She'd given up everything.

  "Fuck," Jon whispered, suddenly needing to wrap her up tightly and apologize with a thousand kisses. "I had no clue."

  "Yeah, don't tell her that I told you that shit. She'd not want you knowing." Marcus tugged at the covers. "You do realize that you belong with us, right?"

  "How so?" Jon pressed his teeth to his bottom lip. He knew good and damn well that he belonged next to Marcus and Kate. He'd never felt more sure of it than the first night in the club with them. As if he were destined to play some major role in both of their lives.

  "We're going to get rid of Billy, Jon. Then it's Victor's turn. When it's all said and done, it would just be us. Kate's slipping back into her old life, and I love it. There's freedom there. I know there's more to your story than you're sharing, bro. You fit. I know you do."

  "Yeah, I've been running from that part of myself for so long though." Jon leaned back, letting his eyes glass over as memories assaulted him. "It started when my dad died. I wasn't ready for it. I left a good life and dove head first into the darkest hole I could find. Adam followed after me. I was almost through training school when it happened. Just took a really long leave of absence."

  "Sometimes life throws that shit at us. Believe me. I know all too well."

  Jon nodded, hearing the truth in Marcus's voice. "I don't know if you knew Benton Jefferies, but he was Billy's mentor."

  "I've heard of him, but I'm from New York originally. I came down here because of Billy." Marcus ran his hands down his thick arms.

  "Yeah. I didn't know Billy. He was after my time. I... I dove in deep. Deeper than you and Kate are in right now." Jon wiped his hand across his face. "Anyway, I've been in the slums, and I've been far worse of a man than I would let many people know about. If Billy is after Kate, then I'm in. Let's take his ass out."

  "And Victor?"

  "Fine. Whatever. Let's just free the two of you and then we can get back to living life."

  "You really think that's possible?" Marcus chuckled darkly.

  "No, but leave me with my bottomless hope, all right?"

  "Will do, brother." Marcus picked up his phone. "One more thing and then get the fuck out so I can sleep."

  Jon stood up. "What's that?"

  "K
ate has to go to New York in a few days with Victor. He wants her to take a bodyguard. I want you to go in my place. I'll still be here healing."

  Jon nodded. "And she's okay with that?"

  "Fuck no. Your first job is to convince her. Then go protect her. Can you do that?"

  "I don't know, Marcus. Let me think about it." Jon ran his fingers through his hair. "Every time I'm around her, I act like a total lunatic. It's fucked up."

  "You're in love, dude. We all do that shit." Marcus shrugged.

  "And you're not upset that I'm in love with your girl?"

  "Are you upset that I'm in love with yours?" Marcus smirked sardonically.

  "Oddly enough, no." Jon walked to the door, not quite sure how to feel about the conversation.

  "Jon, not everything is black or white. There's a shaded color in the middle sometimes. You and I are living there."

  "I'm not sure I belong in that shaded area. I do really good on one side or the other. The middle confuses me."

  "I get it, but you have to be tired of standing at the door and peering through the glass. Open the door and come in. Not all black is bad, or white is good. Stop labeling situations and just fucking live based on your gut."

  Jon nodded, and walked out of the room, feeling better, resolved, whole.

  He'd go to New York if Kate wanted him to. He might go even if she didn't.

  Chapter 7

  Kate

  Kate closed her eyes and forced her breathing to deepen as Victor drove them back to his place. She wasn't in the mood to talk, and didn't need to argue any more about Jon going to New York. The last thing she planned to do was call and ask him for help. If Victor or Marcus wanted the cop to go with her, then they could call his ass.

  Sadness rolled through her at her mixed feelings toward him. How badly she had wanted things to work out with him, but they hadn't. He'd been absent in her neediest moments. That said something about his character, about her ability to depend on him.

  Or maybe it just showed how scared he was.

  Too scared to go after Adam. Too scared to protect her.