Blood Money (Bad Money #1) Read online

  He moved in behind her, a soft growl coming from him. "Dammit."

  She pressed the door open and stepped out into the late afternoon, the alley empty save for one man, his body large like Marcus, his look humored at best.

  "This is my club and my place. You're not welcome here, so back the fuck up, because I won't." She might be small, but men were subject to pain just like the rest of the world and she knew exactly where to get him to teach the mother fucker a lesson that he wouldn't soon forget.

  CHAPTER NINE

  Kate

  He was at least six foot eight and weighed more than two hundred and fifty pounds. His head was bald and tattoos ran down his neck, disappearing into his black Metallica t-shirt.

  He smiled, and held up his hands as she reached for her gun, hesitating as a warning to him. He shook his head and took another step toward her as Marcus held up his hand.

  "That's far enough, man. Stay where you are and say what you came to say. She ain't in the mood to be pushed around and I never will be." Marcus crossed his arms over his large chest as Kate moved another step toward the threat.

  "Hold up there, pretty girl." The man spoke, his voice deep and raspy like he had glass for breakfast. "I'm only here to talk. Don't pull your gun on me or my marching orders will shift to something less than pleasant."

  Kate growled and touched the base of her gun, but didn't pull it out. She didn't want a fight, but she was most certainly not backing down from anything related to what was and wasn't happening at her club, in her world.

  "Don't tell me what to do with my gun at my fucking club. Got it?"

  Marcus stepped up beside her and pressed his arm to hers. "What do you want? I've already explained to your boss on the phone that nothing was said to the cops about what happened, namely because we don't know the details. You guys ran off far too fast and we don't know any of you. Nothing else to say really."

  The large man nodded and shifted his dark gaze back to Kate, his eyes moving across her body as if undressing her and imagining all the ways to make her scream. She steeled her resolve, her teeth locking together as she glared at him.

  "We hear you loud and clear, but seeing as Katelyn was the one to talk with the cops about us..."

  "Kate," she barked at him. He had a few more minutes to pussyfoot around before she pulled her gun and waved him off, threat or promise, she wasn't in the mood for being manhandled emotionally by some new two-bit crack dealer’s yard boy.

  He laughed and winked at her. "I like you. So seeing as Kate was the one that talked with the cops, my boss just wanted me to stop by and talk directly with her. We're new here and looking to make friends. Your club is known for being the kind of place our clients hang out in. We can help each other, you know?"

  “I'm not interested. We have suppliers that we deal with and you guys aren't one of them." She shrugged as if he didn't matter, which he didn't.

  "That's not the answer I was looking for, Princess." His smile fell and his stance shifted just a bit.

  "She's right, dude. Tell Victor that if he's looking to score some business he needs to call me. I'm in charge of what does and doesn't make it into Kate's club. We have suppliers and unless you're willing to cut me a good deal, I ain't interested either."

  "I said no." Kate looked toward Marcus and then back to the large bastard before her. "Tell Victor that I didn't say nothing to the cops and I won't. I don't have anything to say. Fuck you and your offer. Get off of my property."

  "Keep your mouth shut, pretty girl. If not, I'll be back and next time I don't get the chance to be this cordial." The man winked and turned his heavy stare back toward Marcus. "We'll be in touch. I think you'll find that my employer is much more willing to make you a powerful and rich man should you decide that's something you want."

  Marcus nodded and turned, motioning for Kate to follow him as the guy left. It wasn't until they were in the darkness of the hall that Kate turned to him.

  "Don't you ever presume to know what is and isn't okay with me. Those mother fuckers gunned down a seventeen-year-old boy outside my club last weekend. I don't want them or their shit near me."

  "Kate... you know the world we live in. Stop acting like the kid didn't get what was coming to him. I'm sorry you knew him and his death affects you, but baby you know I'm right." He reached for her as she jerked away and walked back into her office, moving to her safe and pulling the small bag of weed out.

  "Give it here and I'll roll it for you," Marcus spoke behind her.

  "I hate you." She tossed it to him and sat down in her father's large leather chair. "And I'm starving."

  Marcus sat down across from her and lifted a small box on the edge of her desk, moving the folded up yellow papers to pull out the small rollers. He worked the weed into it, licking the edge as he looked up at her.

  "Relax with this and I'll go grab you something to eat. You want a burger?"

  "Are you not at all concerned with what just happened? There is a new drug lord in town? How is your boss going to take that? He's just as likely to send someone over here to off you if he thinks you're talking about getting in bed with Victor."

  Marcus stood and shrugged, handing her the joint and reaching into his pocket. He pulled out a light and leaned in, the small flame dancing before her.

  "It's part of the job, Kate. I don't scare easily and whoever pays the most is who I'm working for."

  "I don't like it."

  "You've been through a lot lately. Sit back and chill. This week is going to suck and I'll be out for some of it. You need to enjoy your Sunday. Leave these bastards to me and you focus on shaking that cop off your tail. He doesn't seem like he's satisfied with your story. I'm sure it's not the last you've seen of his preppy looking ass."

  "Extra mayo and pickles on my burger. Stop treating me like a child or I'll tie you down and fuck you until your eyes bulge from your big head."

  He chuckled and walked to the door, his voice carrying over his shoulder. "Okay sweet little docile sugar plum."

  She laughed and lifted the smoke to her lips, inhaling deeply. They were in too deep. The life she hated was following her as closely now as it had back then. She needed to get rid of Jon, to lead him down a different trail. The guys who killed his brother wouldn't hesitate to off him too, and her if given the chance.

  Marcus dropped off her food and left for the evening, his offer to stay and help her forget everything denied. Sex wasn't the answer. She wasn't sure what was though. Maybe leaving the city and changing her name? She couldn't leave the club though. It was the first thing she ever owned, part of her view of herself now.

  A long sigh left her as she walked up to her apartment, the afternoon having slid into evening quickly. The club was ready for the onslaught of drunk idiots sure to show up the next evening and she was bone tired. Marcus was right about Adam's death, but it didn't make it any easier to swallow.

  She sat down at her computer and kicked off her shoes, pulling up the information on Adam's death, the cops still stating that they didn't have a suspect for the drive by shooting.

  "Drive by... that's funny. How about concentrated drive by?" She reached over and undid the small burger from the wrapper, taking a bite and cursing as tomato juice ran down her white shirt. She pulled it from her and tossed it across the room to the laundry hamper before turning her attention back to the screen.

  Jon's name was highlighted in the bottom right hand corner as the detective on the case. She clicked it as a picture of him in his dark blue uniform came up. Clean shaved and smiling like he had just won the lottery, she chuckled. He was a good boy for sure. No wonder Adam didn't like him. Looking at his picture she didn't much care for him all of a sudden either. Good thing he didn't look like a good boy at all in person.

  She read through his bio, the police station quick to note that even though Jon shared a last name with the victim on his current case, there was no relation between them.

  "Bullshit." She sat back and finishe
d her burger as she watched him. How fun it would be to toy with him, to see what he was made of. It had been a long time since someone had beckoned her to move away from the pleasure Marcus provided, just to test the proverbial 'what-if'. She rolled her eyes, crumpling the paper and standing to stretch.

  "How about we move past the part where you think I killed your brother and get to the part where you’re fucking me passionately?"

  "No? Don't know how to fuck passionately?"

  "Let me show you, baby." She laughed and walked to the kitchen, still talking to herself. "You're such a dumbass."

  Her dreams were filled with fire and demons from hell as she tried to save Adam over and over, only to lose him each time the dream cycled during the night. She woke several times with a scream on the tip of her tongue, her body aching from thrashing about and covered in sweat.

  She needed the morning to come and pull her from the vicious cycle laid before her, her guilty conscience eating at her although she'd done nothing wrong. It was as if she had set Adam on his path to destruction. The worst part of the dream was watching Jon lose his shit over the death of his brother, the large handsome man falling apart in front of her while she laughed.

  The sound of her alarm was a welcomed reprieve and she slipped from her wet sheets and stumbled to the kitchen, making a pot of coffee and then heading to the shower in hopes of burning the images from her mind.

  The hot water pulled her from her zombification and helped her to wake up to the reality that Adam had died at the hands of a new drug lord. One that wanted to do business with her and Marcus. She could drown in the truth that it was unfair and wrong, or she could put on her big girl panties and respect the world that lived just outside her door.

  They didn't play by the common man's set of rules. They made their own.

  Maybe it was time she did as well.

  Slipping a fitted cream-colored dress over her head, she pulled the small piece of paper from her jewelry box and looked it over once more before putting it back. She would dress up like the innocent girl she was and pay a visit to Adam's brother, turning him in the wrong direction or convincing him to let this go.

  Nothing good could come of it.

  CHAPTER TEN

  Jon

  He couldn't shake the thought of her. The way she spoke with confidence, her presence commanding, her eyes filled with the innocence he wanted to see. Seth deserved a phone call commending him on foreseeing the future. Ten minutes in the woman's presence and Jon wasn't so sure of her guilt. He would have to dig further. His visits to Adam's small tent in the shitty side of town didn't do anything for him. His brother had left a few things, surprisingly enough, one of them being a picture of the beautiful club owner.

  Jon walked to his dresser and picked it up, the small photo torn and dirty, but her smile leaving him intrigued. She had to be more to Adam than a simple friend who helped him through tough times. The photo being in his bunker had told Jon that much. Did he use it to jack off to? Most likely, but Jon would see why.

  Kate was a few years younger in the picture, her smile wide and welcoming, her eyes filled with happiness. No way was she really experiencing it. Most likely high on something, but either way, she was breathtaking. He slid his hand into the front of his boxers and pressed his hardening erection back down.

  "I need to get laid."

  Growling softly, he put the picture down and moved to tug on a pair of jeans. His phone charger was in the car and even though he promised himself he wouldn't get dressed until later that afternoon, scaring the elderly woman in the small house next door with his bulging erection wasn't going to happen. He chuckled at the thought and slipped out into the chilly Monday morning shadows.

  The position of the car caught his attention as he moved toward it. His eyes shifted toward the tires. All four were flat... no coincidence there. He growled and turned to walk to his small garage, the lock still in place, which meant that his bike was good.

  He would search for evidence after getting some food in his stomach, his mood souring at the realization that this case wasn't going to be a clean one. They never were when drugs were involved. He would have to start watching his back as well. These guys were fucking dangerous and didn't care who they took out in the process of getting what they wanted.

  Was Kate involved with them? He would have to ask her.

  "She doesn't need you saving her." He pressed the key fob on his car and got into the front seat to dig out the charger. His phone buzzed in his pocket, causing him to jump and hit his head on the top of the door. He cursed softly and got out, walking back to the house after scanning the street in front of his place.

  "I'm coming over."

  No name. No number.

  He texted back: "Who the fuck is this and how do you know where I live."

  Nothing.

  He growled again and walked back into the house. He was supposed to spend the day in his underwear lounging around and trying to get a little bit of rest before the week from hell started. There was nothing worse than maintaining peace during the Mardi Gras festival. Jon locked the door behind him and walked to the kitchen, pulling out various items to use in making a big breakfast.

  He enjoyed cooking, but rarely got the chance to do it. Monday morning was one of those rare occasions and he made sure to treat himself every week without fail. Whoever was coming could watch him eat... if he invited them in.

  A soft knock at the door sounded as he pushed the button to start his toaster. He reached over and picked up his coffee cup, taking a long sip before walking to the door with it. He could see her silhouette just outside on his porch, her figure giving him no doubt as to who it was there to see him.

  "Kate?" He opened the door and tilted his head to the side. "How did you find out where I lived?"

  She wrapped her arms around her chest, her dress pretty and feminine. Her dark hair sat in thick curls, rolling over her shoulders and framing the beauty of her dark features.

  "I looked you up. Are you going to invite me in?"

  "Depends on what you're here for."

  She huffed softly, a smirk lifting her perfect mouth as she walked into the house. Her shoulder brushed his bare chest, sending goosebumps down his body.

  Like being a horny high school idiot again.

  "Come in?" He shut the door and walked toward the kitchen, his eyes moving along all of the silky tanned skin she left on display. She stopped at the stove and picked up the spatula, working his scrambled eggs around the pan as she looked over at him.

  "They're burning. You shouldn't start eggs unless you know you're free to finish them. Overdone eggs taste like shit."

  "Believe me, I know." He moved toward the coffee pot, reaching up and pulling down a cup as he glanced over at her. "Coffee?"

  "Yeah. Sorry for showing up uninvited. I decided last night after being paid a visit by some really bad mother fuckers that I needed to come by."

  "Someone threatened you?" He was surprised by the emotion that stung him, his chest tightening as anger spawned in the pit of his stomach. He wanted to protect her, which was never a good sign.

  "They tried." She moved along his cabinets, opening each of them until she pulled a plate from the last one and worked his eggs onto it. She finished fixing the plate, adding some of the fruit and bacon he had prepared and handed it to him.

  "What do you mean, they tried?" He handed her the coffee and nodded toward the table. "You want some of this?"

  "No, I'm good." She moved to sit down, the smell of her soap rushing to greet him again. He stifled a growl and lifted his cup to his mouth to burn the smell of strawberries from his senses.

  "How did they try?"

  "They just sent a lackey to scare me, but I don't scare easily. I've lived far too many bad lives to be worried about a new drug dealer on the block."

  "Do you know if he was involved with Adam?"

  "Are you assuming now that I didn't kill your brother?" She reached for a piece of bacon, takin
g it and nibbling at it as she watched him. Her warm brown eyes were filled with far too much living for him not to stare for a moment or two.

  "I want to assume that. I still don't know where I stand on things. That you’re hear tells me that you want me to assume that too."

  "I don't care what you assume. I want you to drop the case. If that means you blame it on me without substantial evidence to lock me up, fine. These guys are evil, detective. They aren't your average run-of-the-mill criminals."

  "It's Jon. You want me to blame this on you and let these fuckers continue to gun down boys in the street?" He huffed, picking up his fork and digging into the steamy goodness on his plate. His eggs were softer than he usually made them, the texture heavenly. He nodded, licking his lips as he glanced over at her. "Good job on the eggs."

  "I love to cook, but don't really have anywhere to do it in my small apartment."

  "You live above the club?"

  "Yeah. I just bought the rest of the building last year and Marcus renovated it for me. Easy to stumble upstairs at four in the morning when you're too beat to do anything else."

  "Seems safer too." He turned his gaze back to his plate, wanting to ask a million questions about her and Marcus, but knowing it wasn't his place to do so.

  "I want my glock back. It's got a faster response rate and I'm not safe right now."

  "I'll send a protection unit to your place."

  "No. It's Mardi Gras week. I don't have time to protect myself and watch out for extra heads. I need my gun. It's not part of the evidence you're collecting, so get it back for me."

  She was right of course, but the idea of her having to have a gun at all sat heavy on him. She shouldn't be put in a situation where her life was at stake, but she had chosen that path, right? Much like his brother, sex and drugs were at the center of her universe and the repercussions of that were loads of bad guys hot on your tail.