He debated taking his Harley back to Greensboro. He’d spent too much time in a cage already, not to mention the Suburban was burned, but Tony would be suspicious of anyone on a bike, too, so he decided to take the Chevy because it gave him some options the bike didn’t.
Hammer, Goon and Blade rode as escorts for the lumbering SUV as they pounded north for Greensboro. As they motored, Royal’s mind wandered. He thought about the conversation he’d just had with Stella. Was he pressing too hard? He didn’t think so. He thought he’d made it clear at the beginning that while he wanted to keep Katrina he understood it would take time to win the trust of his daughter and her mother.
What bothered him more was her idea he would have to choose between the Kings and having her and Katrina as a family. He hoped she didn’t force him to make that choice because he wasn’t sure what he’d do. He wouldn’t leave Katrina behind, but could he choose Stella over the Kings? He pushed that thought aside. He would deal with that if he had to, but he was sure if Stella gave the Kings half a chance she would realize they were no different than she was. Once she was accepted they would become her extended family and they would be there to help her when he was out of town. Having that safety net for Stella and Katrina was big and would be one less thing he had to worry about when he wasn’t around.
They rolled into Greensboro about midnight and spread out, hitting the motels in the area looking for Tony’s truck. It should be easy to spot considering it had run down a small tree only twelve hours earlier, but they found nothing.
“Nothing?” Royal asked Hammer, the last to report in.
“Nothing.”
“Shit. Maybe he’s already run, but his phone was hitting the tower at six this afternoon, and he still has to move the safe. I was sure he was going to spend the night. Okay, meet me at the Shell on Elm-Eugene. We’ll figure out next move from there.” While he waited on Hammer, he called Goon and Blade, giving them the same instructions.
Goon was the first to arrive, quickly followed by Blade and then Hammer. “Now what?” Blade asked as they took the opportunity to fill their bikes.
“I don’t know,” Royal admitted. “I believe he’s still here, somewhere. That safe is like a stone around his neck. I can’t see him abandoning it, but it’s not the easiest thing to move either. It’s not like he can just throw it into the pickup and go.”
“So where is he?” Goon asked.
“Unless he left the safe, he’s here, but he’s hidden his truck because he knew we’d come looking for him.” Royal rubbed his face. He was exhausted. Three days with little sleep was taking its toll. “Let’s pack it in for the night and hit it again in the morning. It’ll be a long shot, but if we tour all the storage places in the area, we might get lucky. Working by himself, it’s going to take him time to load the safe.”
***
Royal and his men started early the next morning, but after taking another tour of the motels, and all the nearby storage facilities, they turned up nothing.
“I’m calling it,” Royal said into his phone. “We’re just spinning our wheels here. Monday I’ll get another location report on his phone and we’ll try again. Let’s meet at the Lowes where we missed him.” He then called Blade and Hammer and gave them the same news. Until they had a lead, there was no point in burning what little money the club had. Goon was the last to arrive by a good margin.
“Where you been?” Blade asked.
“I thought I saw him. Right truck, right bent front end, but North Carolina plates and wrong driver.”
“We can’t catch a break,” Hammer said.
“We’ll get him. You guys know the drill. It’s all about digging until we get a hit.”
“Can’t you call that cell phone lady and get another update?” Hammer asked.
“I could, but I don’t want to go to the well too often. If she gets caught she’ll be fired at best, and go to jail at worst, and I don’t want to lose that resource. I’ll get another report Monday. That will give him time to settle someplace new if he’s going to.”
Hammer nodded. Royal knew his shit, and he always got his man, eventually, but it was damned frustrating to have been so close, close enough they actually had their hands on him, only to lose him. “Okay. I’m not trying to tell you how to do your job.”
Royal grinned. “Don’t worry about it. You know I want to hear any ideas you guys have. Sometimes they’re just crazy enough to work.”
***
“Hey, babe. We’re on our way back to Greenfield. We couldn’t locate Tony so we’re going to take a break over the weekend and see where he lands Monday. I’d like to see you and Katrina tomorrow if I could. Love you. Bye.”
Royal canceled the call and smiled. The “love you” had popped out without thought and he wondered how Stella would react to hearing it. He mentally shrugged and returned his attention to the road.
He was exiting the interstate in Greenfield when his phone rang, the name on the display making him smile. “Hey.”
“I’d like that. Are you back yet?”
“I’m in Greenfield, but not home yet. Want me to have dinner waiting when you get off?”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“I want to. You still like Chinese?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll have it waiting when you get home, and no heavy topics this time, I promise. Are you excited this is your last night at the diner?”
He could hear the smile in her voice. “You have no idea.”
“I think I can guess.”
“No, I bet you can’t, but that’s fine. My break is almost over so I have to go.”
“I’ll see you about eight. You still like Kung Pao Chicken and Chow Mein?”
“Yes. I’m impressed you remember.”
He grinned, surprised he remembered it himself and shrugged, even though she couldn’t see him. “Don’t be late.”
***
Gabriel was emptying two takeout boxes onto plates, dividing their contents between the dishes, when he heard the door open. “Perfect timing,” he said as he sat the food on the table.
“It smells great. I’m starved.”
“I just got home with it,” he said as he pulled her chair out and she settled.
“Home?”
He grinned as he took his own seat. “Slip of the tongue. I should have said I just got here with it.”
“Uh-huh,” she smiled as she dug into her meal. “I could get used to this, arriving home and having dinner ready.”
He refused to take the bait. She knew where he stood and he wasn’t going to beat that horse tonight. “Would it be okay if I either stuck around or came back later to say goodnight to Katrina?”
“She’ll be asleep when she gets here.”
“I know. It’s not for her, it’s for me. I can leave right after.”
“Like you did the last time?” she asked, but smiled to soften the words.
“As I recall, it was you who asked me to stay. I was going to leave.”
“Okay, you’re right, it was me.” She paused as she stuck another fork of noodles into her mouth and chewed. “Would you like to stay tonight?”
“Yes.” He thought about giving her an out, but decided she was a big girl and if she didn’t want him to stay, she wouldn’t have asked.
“I think I would like that, too. Katrina hasn’t seen you since Monday morning and she asked about you yesterday. She wanted to know if you were going to take her to the zoo this weekend.”
Having his daughter ask about him, even if it was only to take her to the zoo, warmed him in a way the food couldn’t. “Nothing I can do about Tony until I get the phone report on Monday anyway, so sure, I can do that. Would Mommy like to tag along, too, or would she like a break? I can take her Sunday and you can have the day to yourself.”
As much as she hated to admit it, that sounded wonderful. “Would you mind?”
“Of course not, if she’ll go without you being there. Now that you’re not having to work two jobs anymore, any chance of getting your hours changed so you can be off Saturday, too?”
“Not likely. We get a lot of custom baking orders on Saturday. It’s okay. Being off Monday is helpful sometimes. That’s when I can take care of business.”
Gabriel nodded in understanding. “Maybe have a trial run tomorrow? You can sleep in and I can get up with her? I can fix eggs now.”
She chased up the last of the noodles on her plate and popped them into her mouth. “Okay. I guess I have to start trusting you sometime, and I’ll be here if you get into trouble.”
“I think I can handle a three year old little girl.”
Stella giggled. “I’ll remind you that you said that.” She glanced at the clock on the microwave. “I have to get ready.”
He made shooing motions with his hands. “I’ve got this.”
“You’re spoiling me,” she said as she gave him a quick kiss.
“I’m trying.”
***
“Would you like me to leave while you’re at work?” he asked when she reappeared.
“No. If you’re staying the night, why leave?”
“Would you mind if I went home and got a few things to leave here?”
“What things?”
It was clear she was thinking he was talking about moving in and grinned at her tone. “A toothbrush and razor. I’m tired of brushing my teeth with my finger. The razor is so I can shave before...you know.”
She visibly relaxed. “No, that’s fine. I actually like the idea of the razor. You gave me whisker burns down there the last time.”
He chuckled. “Sorry about that. You seemed to enjoy it, though.”
“Oh, I did. It was the next morning that was the issue. It was worth it, though.”
“I’ll bring a change of clothes, too, so I’ll be presentable in the morning.”
She nodded. “Fine.” She stepped in close and gave him a quick kiss. “I’m sorry if I come off as a bitch. It just feels like everything is moving so fast. First’s it’s a toothbrush, then next it’s your clothes, then your furniture.”
He chuckled again. “No worries there. I have no furniture.” He looked at her and his grin faded. “I want you, Stella, but I only want you when you’re ready. If you think I’m pushing too hard, tell me, okay? Don’t pull back. This has to work for both of us, for Katrina’s sake.”
She nodded. “I’ll make you a deal: I’ll be patient with you if you’ll be patient with me.”
“Deal!” he said instantly. “Go. I’d hate for you to be fired for being late on your last day at work.”
She giggled. “Me too. And you’re going to let me sleep in the morning?”
“If Katrina will let me.”
She grinned at him then pulled his head down to bring her lips close to his ear. “Then you’d better be here when I get home with her. If I don’t have to get up in the morning, I want you to be up tonight.”
***
He felt like a stalker, checking the parking lot every thirty seconds to see if Stella had arrived. She was late arriving home, and he was beginning to worry. She’d managed on her own for four years, and he felt silly worrying about her, but he couldn’t help it. He was peeking out of the blinds when he saw headlights approaching, her blue Civic pulling to a stop in her spot. He relaxed with a sigh and shook his head. She was only fifteen minutes late, but he didn’t like her being out alone so late at night.
When she started for the building, Katrina in her arms, he turned from the window and opened the door, waited for her to arrive, then shut it behind her.
“Thanks,” she whispered as she moved down the hall and turned into Katrina’s room, stepping out and closing Katrina’s door a moment later. “Were you watching for me?” she asked when she returned to the family room.
“Why do you ask?”
“I was just wondering. You knew when to open the door.”
He grinned sheepishly. “You caught me. I was starting to worry.”
She grinned and gave him a light pat on the cheek, noticing the lack of stubble. “That’s sweet. My car needed gas and I had to talk to Grammy a minute.”
“How was your last night at work?”
“Busy. Friday nights are always busy.”
“Well, you won’t have to deal with it anymore, and you can catch up on your sleep in the morning. Do you want anything or are you ready for bed?”
She grinned at him. “Both.”
He chuckled as she turned away and sashayed her way down the hall as he watched her ass move, the swing of her hips making him stiffen in anticipation.