Chapter Fourteen

Moon

Business at the shop still hadn’t returned to normal so I closed up early, feeling out of sorts and not wanting to face an empty house. Times like this reminded me how important it was to have a life for myself outside of work and Beau. I’d been fooling myself these past few years, preaching the benefits of a work/life balance, while hiding in my own stressful world of being a single mother and small business owner. I failed miserably at that balance, so today I decided to work on it by making an unscheduled visit to Jana.

I felt nervous standing on her doorstep and waiting for her to answer. What if she was busy? What if she didn’t want to be bothered and felt obligated to entertain me? I’d just talked myself out of my foolishness when the door opened to reveal a very pregnant Jana. Smiling. “Moon, hey.”

I froze at her tone. “Did I come at a bad time? I just wanted to check on you, see how things were going.”

“No, you’re right on time,” she said in a tone I couldn’t quite pinpoint, but I followed her through the house and out to the backyard where Rocky and Teddy sat on blankets while the babies played in the sun.

“Oh! I didn’t mean to crash your party, Jana.” Mortified, which was something I hadn’t felt since leaving the suffocating arms of my family, I stopped before the cement turned to grass. “I’ll catch up with you another time.”

“You damn well won’t. Get your butt over there and sit down with the others who just wanted to check in,” she said with a smile that took the sting off her words. “If I was a suspicious sort, I’d think you all planned this.”

“Certainly not. I closed up early and thought it was the perfect time to catch up with a friend.”

“If that’s the case then you know you aren’t intruding and you’re just being weird.”

I laughed. “I’m always weird.”

“I know. Come on.”

I joined the women on the blankets laid out to accommodate curious babies and toddlers. Charlie, Jana’s first born, climbed into my lap and began playing with my colorful necklaces hanging low enough for his curious hands. I laughed and tickled him playfully. “Hey Charlie, good to see you too.”

He giggled and his attention turned to the string of turquoise around my neck. First he played and tugged on them but inevitably they found their way inside his mouth.

“Mommy,” he said around the beads and held them up for Jana’s inspection.

“Sorry about that,” Jana said with a smile and a sympathetic expression.

“Don’t worry about it, I made it myself with nontoxic paints and topcoats. It’s just a bit wet and I’m used to it. When Beau was a baby he was fascinated by my colorful outfits and jewelry, so I began to wear more of it just for him. Except for earrings. I stopped wearing them because he kept pulling them out of my ears.”

“You did?” Teddy seemed impressed by my handmade jewelry, which surprised me. This was the same beautiful woman who always dressed like she just stepped off the runway. Today she wore casual denim capri pants and a soft green tunic and looked like she just came from a photo shoot.

If Teddy hadn’t been so down to earth I’m sure I would have felt intimidated. As it was, I explained how I shared my creativity with Beau.

“I’ve always loved art and when Beau was young it was a good activity to do together. You should see some of the pieces he’s made for me over the years.”

I laughed to myself as I remembered. They were crooked or cracked and over-painted but I loved them and wore them. But I thought, enough about me. I turned to my hostess. “How are you feeling Jana?”

“Yeah, Jana,” both Rocky and Teddy said at the same time, drawing a laugh from me.

“I’m fine,” she sighed like a woman sick to death of answering that particular question. “The doctors are keeping a close eye on me until the wound is completely healed, in case the unexpected occurs. But I’m fine.”

“Good,” Rocky said with a hint of fatigue in her voice. “Because I have something else to talk about. Lasso. He’s so stressed out but he won’t say what’s going on other than ‘some shit,’ which doesn’t exactly say anything to me about what specifically is going on.”

She let out a long sigh when she finished and flashed a sheepish smile. “Sorry.”

“I’m just glad it’s not just me.” Teddy leaned back on her hands, head tilted towards the sky. “Golden Boy has definitely been stressed and we both know it’s not the shop or money issues. If it was, the handsome bastard would tell me all about it.” She rolled her eyes for good measure but there was an affectionate lilt to her voice. “Something is going on. Definitely.”

I didn’t know what to say because I shouldn’t know anything about this problem, but I did. Only it wasn’t my problem to talk about. I knew one thing for certain, though, Cross was an immensely private guy and would not appreciate the women worrying over a problem he’d barely shared with his guys. So I stayed silent. “Isn’t that the nature of…things?”

“That doesn’t mean we have to like it,” Rocky shot back with a defensive tone.

“Right. Well I should get going.” I’d only been there a little over an hour but I’d rather be alone than sit through this tension. “It was good to see all of you.” I waved and stood, bending to help Jana when she tried to get up quickly.

“Don’t go on my account,” Rocky said, her expression half apologetic.

“I’m not. I have to pick up Beau.” I left the turquoise necklace with Charlie, who was too mesmerized to do little more than wave goodbye. I turned and walked away, practicing my deep breathing exercises as I made my way to Jana’s sunny yellow front door.

“You don’t have to go, you know.”

Jana had caught up with me. “I know I don’t have to but I should.”

“You’re one of us.”

I wasn’t but I appreciated her saying so. “No, I’m not Jana and that’s fine. You and I are friends, so I hope you know you can talk to me about anything, but I do know that Club business isn’t any of my business and honestly I’m not sure I should hear it.”

“Why not?” The question was genuine, evidenced by the confusion written on Jana’s face but just as quickly that confusion turned to suspicion and I realized my mistake.

And shrugged it off. “Just seems like the less I know about it, the better.” That much was true. All the information I’d gotten about the Reckless Bastards was happenstance, nothing I needed to know about because I didn’t have a personal connection to them.

“But you knew enough to call Cross about the trampy girl in your store, right?”

Shock must have shown on my face because Jana grinned and leaned against the back of the sofa. “Max isn’t quite as tight lipped as the others because he knows I won’t tell or go off half-cocked angry at someone in the Club. And because he doesn’t want me to worry.”

“I knew the big guy was a sweetheart.”

“Yeah, he’s great,” she said dismissively. “You called Cross?”

“No, I texted him. And I did that because her questions were clumsy and she admitted she just came by to see where the shooting happened. It was nothing but it occurred to me he might want to know.” And again, based on Jana’s expression of know-it-all happiness, I knew I’d said too much.

“But you knew his number to text him?”

I nodded. “He feels responsible about the shooting and has been checking in, that’s all Jana.” She was blissfully in love and therefore saw it everywhere she looked.

“Maybe. Maybe not. But you could be good for each other. You could soften his edges, and he could be a man strong enough for you to lean on.”

I barked out a laugh. “I lean on myself, Jana.” And a professional if it came to that, but I didn’t let it. Not often, anyway.

“You can’t do that forever,” she said softly and raised her hands. “I’m not saying anything more on the subject, I swear. Except that Cross could use a woman like you in his corner.”

“I doubt that.” Cross was an island. A man fully self-contained who didn’t need or want anyone or anything but his club. The Reckless Bastards were all that mattered to him, leaving any woman who fell for him on her own. He didn’t want me, other than for a few nights, or anyone else for that matter. “You see love everywhere and I love that about you.”

“And you are an excellent subject changer,” Jana said, accepting my hug before shoving me out the door. “Talk soon!”

I waved as I made my way back to my car while hoping it wasn’t too soon because I had a feeling Jana wasn’t ready to give up on her matchmaking.

***

“Mom, where is your mom and daddy?”

Beau’s question had literally and figuratively knocked me right on my butt. In fairness, I was twisted up under a cubbyhole trying to retrieve a paintbrush when he asked his question, sending me tipping over onto the gleaming wood floors. “It’s where are they honey, and they are where they live. In New York.” This wasn’t the first time he’d ever asked about my parents or his father but somehow, he still caught me by surprise. “Why do you ask?”

He shrugged. “Just wondering. Sylvester is spending the weekend with his grandparents.”

I knew the time would come eventually when Beau wanted to know more about his family, but I always assumed it would be questions about his father. Those questions didn’t have many answers but these did. “You know your mom is a bit weird right?”

He giggled and nodded his head, blue eyes lit with amusement. “Yeah but a good weird.”

“Thanks, but your grandma and grandpa didn’t think so. They wanted me to be one way and I just didn’t fit. Eventually we all just thought it would be better if we lived separately.” That was the redacted, PG version of what happened, but in a nutshell, it was the truth.

“So I won’t ever get to see them?”

And there was the rub. I couldn’t keep Beau from them if he wanted to meet them, but I was terrified that my father would reject my little boy the same way he’d rejected me. “I wouldn’t say never, but I haven’t spoken to them since before you were born.” Not for lack of trying on my part.

“Okay, Mom. But you’ll try?”

“For you, I will do more than try, Beau.” It was a promise I’d made while Beau was still in the womb, and I had no plans to break it.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Got it!” I held up the paintbrush triumphantly and Beau clapped.

His eyes went wide, though, and he looked past me through the newly replaced front window and my blood ran cold. The sounds of someone trying to open the locked door drew my attention and I turned around.

“Go to the back, Beau.”

“But, Mom I’m not—”

“Now, Beau. We’ll finish up later.” He nodded and hurried to the back, giving me a moment to collect myself before I went to the door.

“Can I help you?” It wasn’t very professional of me to ask through the unopened door. But I didn’t know this man and through the glass I saw he was a white guy with white-blond cornrows and a vest that looked similar to Cross’s. Only not.

“Yeah, you can open the door lady.” He pulled on the door again, impatient now.

“I will. Tomorrow when the shop opens.”

His icy eyes seared through me, somehow hot and angry. “I need to get in now.”

“Why?”

“Because I do lady, now open the goddamn door!” He began to kick the glass with his boot, soft at first but it grew harder and harder just to show me he could.

“One second,” I told him calmly and walked over the counter where the cash register sat, unused for days, and grabbed the handgun I kept there. I’d never had occasion to use it because, despite its name, Mayhem was a pretty quiet place to live. If you didn’t count the odd drive-by shooting. I returned with the gun in my hand but hidden behind my long, bright skirt.

“What’s your name?”

“Craig,” he shouted, finally no longer kicking my door.

“Craig what?”

He glared but I glared back, knowing I had the upper hand. I hadn’t been to the gun range in more than a year but this was a stand your ground state and I was only two feet from the door.

“Well?”

“Craig Jefferson.”

“And what do you want, Craig Jefferson?”

“I want you to open the fucking door before I kick it in.”

My first thought was this is perfect, but then I remembered, Beau was in the back. Alone. If something happened to me this dirtbag would probably hurt my baby just because he could. I turned the lock and stepped back quickly, which was smart because the jerk was inside my shop in seconds.

“What do you want?” I asked, this time more forcefully.

He took two steps forward and I lifted the gun, forcing him to put his hands in the air with a greasy smile. “Hey, lady, I just want to talk.”

“You threatened me and my shop. Start talking or I’ll be telling the police a different story when they get here.” And because I’d always wanted to, I pulled back the slide and put a bullet in the chamber. “Start talking Craig Jefferson.”

“I’m looking for a friend.”

I scoffed. “I’m sure we don’t travel in the same circles.”

“Maybe not but I need to find him.”

“I already told you, I don’t know your friend.”

“Think. Hard.” His expression turned hard, menacing.

I slid my finger to the trigger and curled it around it. Wordlessly. The threat was clear. “I gave you my answer. Take it and leave.”

“Damn!” Craig licked his lips and gave my body a long, thorough perusal. “Now I see why Cross is keeping you all to himself.”

I laughed. “If Cross is guilty of anything, it’s being too stubborn to realize that dirtbags like you don’t even register on my radar.” I laughed again because I figured being bat-shit crazy on top of armed was even scarier. Right?

“You don’t scare easy for a dirty hippie. That’s okay, I can make you real scared.”

“It’s really scared, but that’s not the point. I get it, you’re a bad scary guy. The thing is, I don’t care. I could shoot you right now and not even your mother would care. But I’d care, so please don’t make me shoot you.”

“You’ve got a kid back there.” His spine straightened and I aimed the gun higher in response, making him smile.

“Which is the only thing making me think that killing you right now is a good option.” And that was the honest truth.

The wooden chimes sounded on the door, drawing my attention and Craig’s so I pulled my finger from the trigger and lowered the gun. Half way because the thing about being from a rich east coast family was…hunting. Detective Haynes walked in with his irritating partner. And Cross. “Did I have an appointment scheduled?”

“Is that thing legal?” Dodds barked out.

“Of course it is, but seeing as I didn’t invite you into my shop, which is closed by the way, maybe you want to tell me why you’re here?”

“We have news.” Detective Haynes stepped forward so he was face to face with Craig. “But first I need to know what I just walked in on.”

“Easy. Mr. Craig Jefferson here kicked my door and then he threatened me, so I grabbed my legal handgun and let him in where he started questioning me about a friend of his, who I’m sure I don’t know.”

“This friend have a name?” Dodds again, so eager to play with the grownups.

I looked to Craig and then all eyes were on him. “Vigo.”

“Thought so,” Cross said from the back, eyeing Haynes with a hard expression before he walked over to me.

Detective Haynes sucked in a deep breath and blew it out, his tired eyes on me. “We believe Vigo was the one who shot up your shop.”

“Vigo who?” I asked. “I’m sure I’d remember someone with a name that unique.”

“Vigo Rizzoli,” Dodds shouted. “Where were you last week from late Thursday night to early Friday morning?”

So something had happened to this guy, Vigo. I could answer their questions but Dodds was a jerk and I had a feeling the man with his hand resting on my back might know what happened to the guy who’d nearly killed Jana. “Sounds like I should consult my attorney before answering that question. If that’s all gentleman, the shop is closed today for a reason.”

Haynes sighed again and glared at his partner. “We do have questions, Ms. Vanderbilt.”

“I see that, but my attorney will insist on being present for the kind of questions you have, Detective.” I almost felt bad for Haynes but just like he had a job to do, I had a responsibility to protect myself and my son.

“Here’s my card. Have your attorney call to set up a time. We need to talk.”

“Or you could just tell us now and we’ll be gone,” Dodds offered with a grimace that was probably meant to be a smile.

“Maybe next time you’ll be a little nicer to the citizens you get paid to serve. Have a nice day and please, don’t come back here harassing me, not even if you need art supplies.” My shoulders sank in relief when the three men left and Cross locked the door behind them.

“Exciting day?”

A tired laugh burst out of me. “A bit dramatic for my taste. What brings you by?”

He smirked and grabbed one of my curls, twirling it around his finger. “I came to tell you about Vigo and ran into the cops outside. Were you really gonna shoot White Boy Craig?”

Another laugh burst out of me at the absurdity of that name. I guess a woman named Moon had no room to talk, but still. “I didn’t want to, but I would have if I needed to.”

“I’ll just bet you would. Where’s—?”

“Mom! Is everything all right?”

I gasped and went to Beau, nearly falling backwards because I forgot Cross was attached to me by the curl. He released me and I sprang forward, wrapping my arms around my little boy. “Everything is fine, Beau. Just fine.”

“Mommmm, too tight.”

“Sorry.” I stepped back and that gave him the time he needed to peek around me to Cross.

“Mr. Cross!” He darted around me and came to a near skidding stop, right in front of Cross. And then he wrapped his arms around him. “Hi.”

“Hey, kid. How’s it going?”

“Okay. How’s your scars?” He reached up to touch Cross’s lip and when he grinned in return, I felt things I shouldn’t have.

“Better. How’s your breathing?”

“Better. You want to have dinner with us?” Finally realizing he wasn’t the adult in this family, Beau turned to me with wide, pleading eyes. “Right Mom?”

“Sure. Cross is welcome to join us for dinner but only if he’s available. Remember?”

“Right. Are you available for dinner?” Beau asked in an almost grown-up way.

Cross couldn’t stifle the laughter this time. “Let me check my schedule and I’ll let you know. Think I can have a couple minutes to talk with your mom?”

Beau nodded and walked away, almost certainly to the book he had tucked away in the back.

“You’re good with him.” He was better than good, and Beau ate up his attention, starved for it since he’d never had much male influence beyond a teacher here and there.

“He’s a cool kid.”

Cross was the best. Maybe too good.

“So this Vigo character is dead?”

“Yep. Car accident.” I arched my brows when he flashed one of those heart-stopping grins at me and I felt my knees buckle. “That’s the truth.”

“Works for me. I assume you have an alibi?”

“Don’t need one because I didn’t do anything. I just wanted you to know he won’t be bothering you again.”

Cross really was sweet even though I knew he’d balk at the word.

“You don’t have to come for dinner if you don’t want to. I’ll explain to Beau.”

“Are you taking back my invite?” His mouth spread into a grin that I didn’t just want to kiss, I wanted to devour it.

But that wasn’t why he was here. “It’s not my invitation to rescind, Cross. I’m just saying that you don’t have to feel obligated.”

“I don’t. I’m hungry and glad that I’m getting a home cooked meal.” He patted that flat and hard stomach that I knew was covered equal parts in muscle and body art.

“You’ll have to set the table, though.”

“I can handle it, Moon.”

Not once since I legally changed my name had it sounded so good on another person’s lips. Especially those lips. “Then let’s go do it. Dinner. I mean. Let’s go eat dinner.”

“I’m game, either way, baby.” His smile looked like it came straight from the devil himself.

And I may—or may not—have melted on my way to get Beau.