CHAPTER TWELVE
ROWDY WASN’T MOVED by Alice’s statement. Avery was special. Did Alice think that was news to him? Not being obtuse, he’d already come to that realization all on his own. He didn’t know what to do about it, or what it meant to him, but he’d known enough women to see that Avery was very unique.
Not knowing what else to say, he asked, “Where is Marcus?”
Alice’s smile fell. “He’s at home, in bed. Pepper and Logan are with him.”
Rowdy liked how she stressed the word home. It gave him a warm feeling inside, especially since he’d never really had a home of his own. “Everything okay?”
With his thick arm around Alice’s shoulders, Reese said, “She needed to get out, and she won’t leave Marcus when he’s awake, so we waited for him to go to sleep.”
“He sleeps through the night?” Following Reese’s lead, Rowdy went to Avery and put his arm around her. She stiffened up from head to toe, but she didn’t move away.
Probably because she didn’t want to cause a scene.
Course, that hadn’t stopped her from zinging the dirty bar cloth at him.
Reese lifted a brow over Rowdy’s possessive hold, but didn’t comment on it. “We worried about that, but Marcus pretty much just conks out.”
“Maybe he finally feels safe,” Avery offered.
Cold alcohol kept Rowdy’s shirt sticking to his chest. He’d find a creative way to get even...but not tonight.
Tonight he intended only for Avery to sleep.
“Could be.” He knew well how difficult it was to catch any real rest when you couldn’t let down your guard. For him it had become a lifetime habit.
Except when he’d slept with Avery.
“Kids are resilient,” Alice said softly. “He’ll be okay.”
Reese gave her a squeeze. “We’ll see to it.”
Customers came to the bar, so Avery excused herself to pour drinks. Alice put a hand on Rowdy, whispered, “Nice catch,” and then went around and found a seat so she could talk more with Avery.
Now that he and Reese were alone, Rowdy asked, “What’s going on?” He knew it took more than Alice needing a break to have the two of them out so late.
Reese ran a hand over his tired face. “The kid’s mother passed away.”
If Reese wanted him to feel sorry about that, he’d be disappointed. “One less obstacle.”
“Yeah, I know.” Reese looked over to his wife. “I’ve never seen Alice so torn. It’s not in her nature to wish anyone ill, but she was relieved. The shit that kid lived through...”
“I know.” Rowdy’s guts burned every time he thought about it. “What’s that have to do with this late-night visit?”
Reese found a wall to lean on. He looked emotionally spent. “We got the call that she’d died.” He flexed his big fists. “Alice insisted on going to the hospital to see her.”
Rowdy stepped behind the bar to fill a glass with ice and cola. He handed it to Reese. “Morbid streak?”
“That’s not funny.” He downed half the drink. “Alice wanted to tell her that she’d take care of Marcus. I guess...just in case the mom had some latent maternal streak, you know?”
“At least dead people don’t argue.”
“Yeah.” Reese finished off the cola, then held the cool glass to his forehead. “She’s something else, you know?”
Yeah, he did know. “Alice is too caring for her own good.”
“Marcus might argue that point with you.” Reese lowered his arm and pinned Rowdy with his steady gaze. “Alice says the same about you, too.”
Rowdy didn’t want to talk about Alice’s warped perception of his character. “What’s happening with the dad?”
“Basically, he’s screwed. The weapons we found in the truck were stolen and used in other felonies. He had enough drugs for intent to distribute. And given his history, well, let’s just say he won’t be going anywhere anytime soon.”
“They were arraigned?”
“Yeah.” Reese handed over his empty glass. “Thanks.”
“More?” Rowdy offered. “Maybe something stronger?”
He shook his head while eyeing the crowd, mostly making sure no one got too close to his wife.
Reese was big enough that a few people backed away from the bar rather than chance it. “You’re scaring off my customers.”
He didn’t care. “There won’t be any bail for the bozos, which means they’ll be locked up until the completion of their trial.”
“How long will that take?”
“Couple of months, maybe longer, to get before the grand jury where they’ll be formally charged. Could take a year or two before it actually goes to trial.”
“Good. Let them rot.” Rowdy didn’t care what happened to them, as long as they weren’t turned free.
“There’s enough evidence against them that Lieutenant Peterson is thinking of offering them up to the feds. If that happens, they’ll try to make a deal.”
No way. If it came down to it, Rowdy would handle the bastards himself—
Reese straightened and stepped closer to Rowdy. “Get that look out of your eyes right now.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“The hell you don’t.” Reese glanced toward the bar, then lowered his voice even more. “Everything is on track. When we first took them in, they told us to go fuck ourselves.”
“Can I echo that sentiment?”
“If you do, I’ll tell Alice.”
Rowdy clenched his jaw until his temples throbbed.
“Get a grip, Rowdy, and let me tell you how this is going to go down.”
“Spit it out then, damn it.”
For some insane reason, that amused Reese. “Right about now, the seriousness of the situation is starting to sink in on old Darrell and his buddy. With so much evidence against them, only idiots would go to trial.”
“They are idiots.”
“Yeah, sure. But as career criminals, they know they’ll get put away for good if they go that route. By saying we’ll offer them up to the feds, we’ll get them to take a plea deal, which would simplify things and they’ll still get fifteen to twenty years.”
It wasn’t long enough, but then, Rowdy wasn’t sure a lifetime would be long enough to satisfy him.
Reese clapped him on the shoulder. “Lighten up, man. They won’t ever again get near you or the kid, and that’s what matters the most, right?”
The ringing of the phone drew Rowdy’s attention. He turned to see Avery stare at it for three seconds before wiping her hands and cautiously lifting the receiver.
The relaxing of her spine and the relief on her face told him it was only a customer. This time.
Reese said, “What’s that about?”
“What?”
He nodded toward Avery. “She treated that phone like a venomous snake, and you watched her as if waiting for a clue.”
Sometimes detectives were a pain in the ass. “Something’s going on with her, but I don’t know what.”
“Ex-boyfriend, maybe?”
“Maybe.” Rowdy didn’t want to break Avery’s trust, so he didn’t explain that she’d been flying solo for over a year. More likely, the caller was someone she’d met recently, someone who didn’t have the sense to take no for an answer. But just in case, Rowdy told Reese, “We were followed the other day.”
“By who?”
“If I knew that, why would I tell you about it?”
Aggrieved, Reese said, “Because I’m the law and you aren’t?”
That had never stopped Rowdy before. “I saw the car just hanging around, too.” While telling Reese about the incident, he picked up a bar napkin and a pen and jotted down the plate. “Think you could run these for me?”
Reese took the napkin, looked at it and put it in his pocket. “Sure, but in the meantime, watch your back.”
“I always do.” And for the foreseeable future, he’d be watching Avery’s back, as well.
* * *
TWENTY MINUTES BEFORE closing, Avery saw her stepfather walk in, and it was such an incongruous sight that it almost knocked her over. How the hell had he found her?
Rowdy had just given the last call, and the crowd had thinned out.
Avery searched the room, but she didn’t see Fisher anywhere, thank God. Usually, wherever Meyer Sinclair went, Fisher was sniveling close behind. They were friends, but more importantly, they were business partners. Meyer had the stability of history and accumulated resources, and Fisher had fresh success and a very bright future.
She just knew Meyer would want her to come home, and blast it all, she didn’t want to.
Exhaustion couldn’t compete with resentment. When she’d most needed her family to believe her, to support her, they’d sided with Fisher instead.
Why in the world was Meyer Sinclair here now, especially at nearly two in the morning? He looked the same as he had the last time she’d seen him more than a year ago. Wearing a long black wool coat over tailored slacks and a designer sweater, he smoothed his windblown, thinning, brown hair. The cold had left his fair cheeks ruddy. He removed his glasses to clean them.
Avery stood there, watching him, unsure what to do.
After he replaced his glasses, he searched the bar. At first his gaze went right past her, but then shot back. As if he couldn’t take it in, he looked at her, around her, and disapproval showed in every line of his posture. Brows drawn, he started toward her.
No one remained at the bar, thank God, so Avery started out to meet him. If she could keep him near the door, then maybe she could more easily be rid of him. Not that she had anything against Meyer. She didn’t. In fact, she mostly liked him, definitely respected him and knew he adored her mother, which was a plus.
But like everyone else, he’d believed Fisher’s lies, and that meant she wanted to keep him as far away from Rowdy as she possibly—
Rowdy intercepted him. “Can I help you?”
Oh, shoot, shoot, shoot.
Meyer barely gave him notice. “No, thank you.” He made to step forward—and found himself running into Rowdy again.
Avery hastened her step and reached them a breathless five seconds later. Still hoping to send Meyer packing, she wrapped her arms around Rowdy’s biceps and hugged him like a giddy, infatuated girl. “Rowdy, this is my stepfather.” She leaned into him, smiling as if she weren’t still offended over being called a liar. “Meyer, meet Rowdy Yates.”
It was almost ridiculous how big Rowdy looked when compared to Meyer’s shorter stature and lack of physical presence.
She had no idea what her mother saw in the man, other than his obvious wealth and complete adulation.
Meyer dismissed Rowdy, saying, “If you’ll excuse us...”
No, you don’t. Avery clung to Rowdy, but he didn’t even make a pretense of budging.
She gave Meyer a smug smile. Her stepfather had clout wherever he went, and most recognized it by his attitude alone—unless, apparently, he ventured into the wrong part of town, or, more specifically, into Rowdy’s domain.
With any luck, Meyer would see them as a couple and he’d be dissuaded from nagging at her to return to her old life. Of course, she needed Rowdy to play along. In an effort to convince him, she stopped squeezing his arm and instead slipped an arm around his waist, low enough that she wouldn’t hurt his back, which sort of put her hand over his muscled tush.
Brows drawn, his expression flinty, Rowdy glanced down at her...but he didn’t call her bluff. Instead, he reciprocated, his arm around her, his hand on her hip.
Avery was so surprised by that, she faltered. “Meyer.” Her laugh was a little too loud, and way false. “I’m surprised to see you here.”
He took in their familiar embrace and bristled with discomfort. “Is there someplace private we can talk?”
“I don’t know. Are you here alone?”
“You didn’t think I’d bring your mother here, did you?”
No, it wasn’t her mother she was worried about. But she didn’t want to say Fisher’s name. Rowdy already looked like a dog waiting for a bone to chew on. She wanted him as camouflage, but she didn’t want him compelled to defend her.
And wasn’t that nice? Because she knew without a doubt, unlike her mother and stepfather and all her so-called friends from her past life, if she told Rowdy what happened, he’d believe her one hundred percent. She sighed at how wonderful that made her feel.
Taking her silence as more stubbornness—the accusation he often leveled at her—Meyer puckered up in displeasure. “Yes,” he bit out, “I’m quite alone.”
“Then sure, we can talk.” Yet when she started away from Rowdy, he held on.
Yes, she definitely had a tiger by the tail.
“Rowdy,” she coaxed, “do you mind if we use your office?”
“Good idea.” He lifted a hand and beckoned Cannon over. “Finish up here, will you?”
“Sure thing.” Cannon didn’t ask any questions. He just got to work.
“Come on.” Rowdy led the way toward the back office while Avery tried to think of a way to keep him from knowing too much.
Her staid stepfather trailed along.
Rowdy said as they walked, “We were just closing up for the night. A few more minutes and only employees will be here.” He opened his office door. “Can I get you anything to drink? I think there’s coffee left in the break room.”
“That’s not necessary. I won’t be long.” Again Meyer took in his surroundings. It was clear by his sanctimonious expression that he found everything lacking.
That set Avery off again. She had thought to talk to her stepfather privately, to ensure Rowdy didn’t get drawn into her problems. But she’d be damned before she let Meyer slight him in any way.
Giving him her brightest smile, she said, “Thank you, Rowdy.”
Taking the bait, her stepfather cocked a brow. “Yes, thank you.”
Rowdy gestured to a chair. “Grab a seat.” Keeping Avery at his side, he leaned a hip on the desk.
So many times she’d imagined reuniting with her family, but never, not once, had she pictured it taking place in the bar. With everything that had happened, she couldn’t help but feel defensive.
“Why are you here, Meyer?”
Meyer considered the chair, but chose to stand behind it instead, his hands resting loosely on the chair back. “You should come home.”
“No. Anything else?”
“I see you’re still being stubborn.”
“Not at all. I’ve made a new life for myself. There’s nothing back there for me.”
“What about your mother?”
Guilt only made her more defensive. “I’ve called Mother. We’ve talked.” Or more like debated, with her mother insisting she should forgive Fisher for any imagined slights. God, it made her furious all over again.
Meyer frowned, not in anger but with concern. “I suppose she hasn’t told you?”
The way he said that slammed the brakes on her agitation. “Told me what?”
“She didn’t want to worry you, but I felt you should know.”
Alarm straightened her spine. “Know what?”
“Sonya has breast cancer.”
Fear socked Avery like a physical blow.
“The prognosis is good,” Meyer hurried to say. “She had a surgery to remove a small lump and now she’s going through follow-up treatment. They found it early, so the doctor expects her to make a full recovery.”
“She’s never said a word.” No matter Avery’s efforts, the conversations invariably led to her mother asking her to return, and Avery always refusing.
“We only found out recently.” He readjusted his glasses, saying, “Perhaps if you were at home where you belong—”
Oh, God. The way Rowdy stroked her back helped to remind her that she was a different person now. She would not let Meyer bully her, not even for this. “You really want to go into that now?”
Meyer held up a hand. “No. I’m not here to debate the past. My sole mission is to invite you back home for a visit, if nothing else. I think it would give your mother comfort to see you before her next treatment.”
“When is it?”
“Tuesday.”
Avery put a hand to her head. “That’s only a few days away.”
“The treatments leave her weak, sick. She’s starting to lose her hair.” The corner of Meyer’s mouth lifted. “But you know your mother. She’s turned it into a challenge and is already spearheading a fundraiser to get underprivileged women tested.”
Yes, that sounded like her mom.
Rowdy was silent, but he stayed with her, strong, unwavering. If she wanted the time off, he’d give it to her in a heartbeat. A million questions bombarded her brain. “What type of treatments?”
“Chemo and radiation. She’s concerned about finding an appropriate wig when necessary, but I’ve told her she’ll be adorable, regardless.”
Avery had always considered Meyer’s most redeeming quality to be his undying love for her mother. “I’m so very glad she has you, Meyer.”
“She needs you, as well.” Like a broken record, he again played his favorite refrain. “You should move back home.”
Home, with Fisher? She shook her head. “I’m only a half hour away. I can visit as often as she needs me.”
Meyer paced away from the chair.
Rowdy looked at her, his gaze inquiring, but with her stepfather right there, she couldn’t possibly explain.
Meyer jerked around to face her. “Enough, Avery! It’s time to stop being a selfish girl!”
The sudden verbal attack made Avery flinch.
“Careful,” Rowdy said in warning.
Meyer didn’t pay heed. “We should be having this conversation in private! You should be having it with your mother!”
Rowdy straightened from the desk, and Avery knew she had to do something, and fast. “I work until late at night.”
“Every damn day?” Meyer asked.
“Every day except Sunday.”
“It’s absurd!” He slashed a hand through the air. “The only reason you would work in a place like this is to spite us.”
“You’re wrong.” She cared nothing about spite. “I like this place.” Avery took a step ahead of Rowdy. She hated to make the admission in front of him, and at least this way she didn’t have to see his reaction. “I enjoy earning my own money now.”
Meyer ran a hand over the back of his neck. He gestured at Rowdy. “In the same way that you enjoy him?”
That was a slight she couldn’t ignore. She shot forward, saying, “Yes, I enjoy him!”
“Then bring him along.”
Uh-oh. Her thoughts scrambled. She needed a tactical retreat—
Rowdy asked, “When?”
Oh, no, no, no. She glared at Meyer. “You can’t drag him into our family squabbles.”
“If he’s your boyfriend, then I’m sure your mother would enjoy meeting him.”
Rowdy actually choked, then choked some more.
Going stiff, Avery refused to look back at him. She didn’t know if it was the term boyfriend—a description far too lackluster for a man like Rowdy—or the idea that they might be a couple that had him wheezing for air.
“Back off, Meyer.” She understood his ploy. Her mother would do a comparison to Fisher, and while Avery knew Fisher could never measure up, her stepfather thought Rowdy would be lacking.
Bastard.
“Why don’t you want to bring him?” Meyer asked.
The choking stopped, and instead she felt Rowdy’s gaze boring into the back of her head.
Screw it. She’d just have to pray that Fisher wasn’t around, and if he was, well... She glanced back at Rowdy. Fisher wasn’t an idiot. He wouldn’t openly provoke a man like Rowdy Yates, a man who could easily take him apart despite all his bravado and bullying. She’d be safe with Rowdy along, and Rowdy would be safe—if she handled this correctly.
“I’d love to bring him. Thank you.”
“Does tomorrow morning work for you?”
Wow, so soon. Meyer left her little time to sort things out in her mind, little time to find a good explanation for wanting to bring Rowdy along.
With no choice, she turned to face him.
Something...volcanic showed in Rowdy’s light brown eyes. “It works for me if it works for Avery.”
Wow, he said that like a challenge. Did he believe Meyer’s nonsense, that she was somehow ashamed of him? She turned back to Meyer. “Is eleven too early?”
“That’d be fine.”
Rowdy pushed away from the desk, and more than ever, he looked big, hard and imposing. “I need to know something first.”
Avery all but cringed. She didn’t want Rowdy to start digging into her past, asking questions about the situation that had sent her running. She didn’t want to be exposed for a coward, and she didn’t want to take advantage of Rowdy’s natural tendency to protect.
Those worries were put to rest when Rowdy voiced a whole new set of concerns. “Why didn’t you just call?”
“I didn’t have a number, for one thing.” Meyer cut his gaze over her. “When she ran off, she also switched phones.”
“Not to avoid you or Mom.” She again glanced at Rowdy. “I was part of their family phone plan then, but changed to get my own basic plan with calling only.”
“She’s called her mother, but never me,” Meyer said. “And since Sonya didn’t want to bother Avery with this, I couldn’t very well ask for contact information.”
Rowdy crossed his arms over his chest. “So how did you find her here?”
Oh, my God, Avery hadn’t even thought of that. Rising anger had her facing off with her stepfather. “It was you on the bar phone?”
“What?” Meyer looked between them. “What are you talking about?”
“Did you give me breather phone calls?” Did you shoot a damn gun just to scare me? Avery didn’t get far from Rowdy before he drew her back. She was too suspicious to think before speaking, and she asked with accusation, “Have you been watching me?”
Meyer drew up in affront. “Don’t be absurd.”
Far more relaxed that she was, Rowdy asked, “What type of car do you have?”
“I don’t see why that matters, but I drive a BMW.”
Avery didn’t know why it mattered, either, but she appreciated Rowdy’s line of questioning. “So how’d you find me?”
“Oh, please, do you honestly believe your mother would let you leave without knowing where you were? She immediately requested that I hire a private service to track you down.”
“No shit?” Rowdy eyed him up and down. “That sounds costly.”
“Very.”
Avery’s temples started to pound. “Would the private service have called me?”
“I have no idea how they discovered your whereabouts, but I can ask if it’s important.”
Was it? It seemed like a mighty big coincidence for her to get weird calls, and then out of the blue, her stepfather showed up. But she honestly couldn’t see Meyer, or a reputable service, making the weird calls she’d received.
Meyer adjusted his glasses. “Look, all I know is that the people I hired contacted me with this address some months ago. I knew it was a bar, but the name changed or something—”
“That happened when I bought it,” Rowdy told him.
“It’s now named after you?”
Rowdy shrugged. “The name of the place was Avery’s idea.”
“Yes, well, I was dubious about actually finding her here, so I came myself to have it verified.”
“And here I am,” Avery confirmed. “Mission accomplished.”
Fed up and not bothering to hide his irritation, Meyer said, “It’s late and I have a thirty-minute drive to get back home. Why don’t we finish this conversation tomorrow after you’ve reunited with your mother?”
And hopefully there’d be an opportunity for her to get Meyer alone and talk to him without Rowdy listening in. “All right.”
Meyer gave Rowdy a curt glance. “Tomorrow, then.” He headed for the door. “I’ll see myself out.”
The second Meyer was out of sight, Rowdy pinned her with his darkest look.
She started to explain—how, she didn’t know—but Rowdy shook his head. “Let’s lock up here. We can talk at my place.”
And maybe, Avery thought, by then she’d be able to figure out what to tell him.
An hour later, as they prepared for bed, Avery had the fleeting hope that Rowdy had decided not to question her after all.
She was sorely mistaken.
* * *
ROWDY HAD WAITED for the inquisition, choosing instead to concentrate on getting Avery ready for bed. He didn’t know what was going on, but he could see her fatigue, so he chose to prioritize.
Why had she shanghaied him into visiting her parents with her?
All she had to do was tell her stepfather that he wasn’t her boyfriend—what a stupid term. But instead, she’d acted like she was in love with him.
For Meyer’s benefit? Or did she actually care that much for him? He wasn’t sure.
No one had ever taken him home to meet the folks. Hell, the women he usually screwed cared only about a repeat performance. With Avery, everything was ass backward.
Normally he’d have bowed out if anyone had dared to suggest he tag along for a family reunion. But again, Avery wasn’t every other woman. If she wanted him there, she had to have a reason.
Apparently, whatever the reason might be, she didn’t intend to tell him.
He’d given her plenty of time to bring things up herself. Instead, as she’d eaten a bowl of cold cereal in his kitchen, she’d watched him as if expecting him to jump on her.
He’d done enough interrogations to be a little smoother than that.
With Avery, he planned to use kid gloves.
She’d already washed up in his bathroom and brushed her teeth. Her pajamas were not designed to fire lust, but they did all the same. Especially when she knelt on the bed behind him to change his bandages.
“This already looks better,” she said.
Rowdy felt her delicate fingertips graze his skin. “The stitches itch like a mother.”
“I’m sorry.” She blew softly on his skin after reapplying the ointment. “Does that help?”
It gave him a boner, which was no help at all. “Finish up so we can get some sleep.”
She must’ve taken that to mean they wouldn’t talk, because she moved fast, reapplying the gauze and tape, then scrambling around and crawling under the covers. She had them up to her chin, her red hair spread out on the pillowcase, her blue eyes hopeful when Rowdy turned to face her.
Damn, she looked so...endearing.
And just when in the fuck did he think of women in his bed that way? He didn’t.
Standing, Rowdy stripped off his jeans.
Avery made a sound, but he wouldn’t look at her again until he had his head on straight. “I’ll be done in five minutes,” he said on his way into the john. He brushed his teeth and tried to stop thinking about Avery in such melodramatic ways. He was a man who stayed grounded in reality, and the reality was that he wanted her. Period.
Anything else... Well, he wouldn’t think about it. He’d shove it from his brain so that he could concentrate on more important things.
Like whatever secret Avery was trying so hard to hide from him.