“Look who’s up,” Gabriel said, glancing up from the book he was reading to Katrina.
“Mommy!” Katrina cried, climbing off Gabriel’s lap and running to her mother. “Gabriel fixed me pancakes!”
“He did?” she asked in mock surprise.
“Uh-huh. He messed up the first ones.”
Gabriel chuckled. “I thought we weren’t going to tell Mommy that,” he said as he put the book aside and rose from the couch.
Katrina giggled and twisted back and forth. “I forgot.”
“It’s okay.” He bent down and gave Stella a kiss, grinning as Katrina stared at him wide eyed, and he wondered if that was the first time she’d seen anyone kiss her mother. “How’d you sleep?”
“Terrific. A solid seven hours. That’s like sleeping for days for me.”
“You want me to make you something while you get ready? I can manage pancakes and eggs now.”
“I helped!” Katrina volunteered.
“You did?” Stella asked, her voice dripping with surprise.
“She sure did. She knew which bottle had the batter. The rest I figured out on my own. You’re almost out of batter by the way. I got the first couple to brown and had to eat them myself. The last pancake was a little skimpy.”
She yawned and scratched. She had a bit over an hour to get ready and get to work. “No. I’ll grab something at work.” She looked at him then tugged him down for another quick kiss. “But thank you for getting up with her. Getting an extra couple of hours was a wonderful gift this morning.”
“She’s busy, but she’s a good kid.” He watched Katrina as she crawled back into the chair and picked up her book. “You did a great job. I’m sorry I missed it.” When her face crumpled he grimaced. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. I only meant I’m sorry you had to do it alone. It had to have been hard.”
His comment stung because he was right. “Sometimes. I was wrong to deprive you of that. Can you forgive me?”
“Already done,” he said with a smile, then his grin turned more mischievous. “On the upside, no poopy diapers.”
She grinned then turned away to shower and get ready. “Yeah. I would give a lot to watch you try to change a dirty diaper just once.”
***
“Come on, Monkey. You ready to go see Grammy?”
“Can Gabriel take me to the zoo? I want to see the giraffes.”
“Tomorrow, kiddo,” Gabriel said. “Remember? You and me.”
“I want to go today!”
“Mommy has to work today,” Gabriel said, thinking that would be the end of it.
“Today!”
The both chuckled. “I see where I stand,” Stella said.
“Tomorrow, okay?” Gabriel said. “Mommy has things to do while we’re at the zoo.”
“Today!”
Gabriel looked at her. “How about we don’t go at all?” he asked quietly. Katrina was a sweetheart, but she wasn’t going to call the shots with him.
She looked at him as if she was trying to decide if she argued more she might get her way, then looked down. “Mommy can come with us tomorrow?”
“If she wants, but she has something else to do,” Gabriel said cheerfully.
“Can we see the bridge, too?”
“If you want.”
“Okay. Tomorrow.”
Gabriel grinned. “I thought that was what you meant,” he said then leaned in and gave Stella a quick kiss before he knelt down. “Can I have a kiss?” he asked Katrina, tapping himself on the cheek with a finger.
She gave him a hug, wrapping her tiny arms around his neck then gave him a kiss. He picked her up. “I’ll carry her to the car.”
Stella nodded and picked up her purse as she smiled to herself. Gabriel was going to make Katrina a great father. He was easy going, but she couldn’t push him around, and he already had the daddy voice down pat, taking the steam out of her arguing with a look and a question.
As he clomped down the stairs with Katrina, she locked the doors, and wondered how things might have been different had she called him when she found out she was pregnant.
***
“I’m sorry, but we paid Tony! He’s the one who stiffed you, not us.” Doc looked up as Royal stepped into the club house. “I understand that,” he continued, “but I have a receipt right here in my hands that says we paid in full for both the electrical and plumbing work. I’m not paying for it twice, but if you know where Tony is, I’ll be happy to explain it to him on your behalf.” Doc paused as he listened. “Yeah, you’re not the only person he screwed. If we find him, I’ll let you know.” He paused again. “Okay. As soon as I know something, you’ll know.”
He hung up the phone and tossed in on a sheet of plywood resting on a pair of sawhorses. “That was the plumber. Tony stiffed him. The electrical guy, too.”
“And they wanted their money from us?”
“I can’t blame them for trying, but their beef is with Tony, not us.”
“Any luck finding someone to take over the job?”
“Sure. The other two guys who bid the job are willing to do it. But how are we going to pay them?”
“Yeah, I know. All we have is the left over expense money I drew out, and I may need that Monday. The collection fee should arrive this week and that will help. I’ll get the club’s half as soon it hits my account.”
“It’ll be a start. If Charleston ever finds out about this, we’re never going to hear the end of it, you know that?”
“Why would they find out? I’ll take another crack at him Monday, and I won’t miss this time.”
Doc shook his head. “It’s not your fault. If it’s anyone’s, it’s mine. I’m the one who was all hot to trot to get the safe and get it in the clubhouse.”
“It’s Tony’s fault,” Royal said firmly. “That asshole fucked us but good. When I find him, I’m going to return the favor.”
“Don’t do anything that will cost you your license. We’ve got guys for that. We need you and the income you generate until we can get the club on its feet.”
“Don’t worry, I won’t.” He shook his head. “What I can’t figure out is how he moved that damn thing. It weighs almost two tons.”
“Same way we did, probably. Used a hoist.”
“But how did he roll it? There were four if us shoving that bitch around, and it was still a load.”
Doc gave his head a jerk and started walking away. Royal followed until Doc pointed at the floor where there was an anchor mounted, an anchor that had no reason to be there, and wasn’t there before.
“Son of a bitch!”
“Yeah,” Doc said with a nod. “He obviously thought this all out. Drove an anchor in the floor, picked the safe up on the hoist, winched it right to the door. Hooked the winch to the truck and drug it right to it. He’s a clever shit, I’ll give him that.”
“I’ll give him your regards when I catch his ass.”
Doc grinned. “Please do.”
Stella wadded her apron and stuffed it into a plastic bag to be washed when she got home. She couldn’t believe it. For the first time in a year she didn’t have to work again until Tuesday morning at eleven. Two whole days off. She already had her weekend planned. She was going to cuddle with Gabriel tonight and try her best to resist his seduction attempts. Gabriel and Katrina were going to go to the zoo tomorrow and she was going to stay home and do nothing.
She grinned as she thought about the next part. When they got back, she was going to drop Katrina off at Grammy’s for the night and then she was going to have Gabriel fuck her Sunday night, Monday morning, and probably Monday afternoon, too, and she was going to get loud if she wanted too because she wouldn’t have to worry about waking Katrina.
One thing she was going to do, for sure, was find out how many times Mr. Gabriel Prince could come in a twelve-hour period, and how long he could keep it up. In short, they were going to fuck until they were both walking bow-legged.
She waved to Kelli as she stepped out of the store, grinning as she imagined the fun she was going to have this weekend. For so long sex was something she needed, a means to take the edge off and keep her sane. Now that Gabriel was back in her life, she was looking forward to making love to him, to feel his touch, to have him please her and then be pleased in return.
She walked to her car, her steps light as she imagined the feel of his lips, wondering if they shouldn’t have a quick romp tonight simply to take the edge off. She grinned as she approached at her car. She used to go two, sometimes three weeks, before the pressure built up and she needed relief. Now she could barely make it twenty-four hours.
“Still want to come away with me?” Tony said.
She whirled as he stepped up to her. “Tony! What are you doing here? I thought you were in Greensboro!”
“I was, but that was before you sent the Hell’s Angels wannabes to find me. Why? Why did you set me up?”
“I—I—I didn’t! I don’t know what you’re talking about. I arrived at the Lowes just like you said, but you never showed.”
“Uh-huh. No call to find out where I was, why I was late? Funny, though, the goon squad was waiting on me. I wonder how they knew where to find me. It was like someone told them.”
“What are you going to do?” she asked, trying to edge along her car so she could run.
“I want to know why you set me up. Why’d you get involved? This had nothing to do with you.”
She shook her head. “I didn’t, I swear!”
“Don’t lie to me!” he barked softly. “Why’d you do it?”
“You stole their money, Tony. Why? They won’t let it rest. But Gabriel promised me if you give the money back, they won’t kill you. I was trying to help you! I did it to protect you!”
“Don’t give me that shit! I would have taken care of you, but then you had to go and fuck everything up.”
“I did, I swear! He promised if you gave the money back he wouldn’t kill you. Give them the money back, Tony! Please!”
“I’m in too deep for that.”
“No! I’m trying to help you! You can trust Gabriel! Just give the money back!”
“You want to help me? I think you can.”
She jerked on her arm, trying to free it from his grasp. “Let go of me!”
“Get in the truck,” he said, pushing her along.”
“No! Let go of me!” she cried. Nobody was in the parking lot, but there were plenty of cars around. If she could stall him for a moment longer, someone would step out of the store and she could shout for help.
“Don’t make me hurt you,” he said and she felt something hard press into her side. “I don’t want to make your little girl an orphan, but don’t press me, Stella.”
Her knees went weak with fear as he hustled her to his truck. The front was bent and the grill was knocked out, as if he’d hit something. “You said you loved me,” she whimpered, fear clouding her thoughts.
“That was before you fucked me. But now I see it. Gabriel came to you and you just rolled onto your back for him. It wasn’t enough to fuck me, to tear my heart out, you had to twist the knife. Did you volunteer to help them of did he have to ask first? Get in!” he said, opening his door and shoving her inside.
“I did it for you, Tony!” she cried, tears streaming down her face. “I did it for you! I made them promise not to hurt you! Please, Tony, don’t hurt me! I have Katrina! Please!”
He looked over at her as he started the truck. “Shut up! If you behave yourself I won’t hurt you. But you’re going to have to call off the dogs.”
“Yes! Anything you say!” she agreed, willing to say anything so he wouldn’t hurt her and would turn her loose. “Where are we going?”
“I have some business in High Point. You get them to let me leave with the money and I’ll turn you loose without laying a finger on you. If you don’t…” He looked at her and shrugged.
***
They were forty minutes outside of Greenfield when her phone rang. “Don’t answer it,” he ordered. He held his hand out. “Give me your phone.” She pouted as she dug pulled her phone out and handed it to him. He turned it off then dropped it into his shirt pocket.
“Why, Tony? Tell me why you did it.”
“Why do you care. It’s done, and you obviously never cared about me.”
“I never lied to you,” she protested.
“No, you never did.” He looked at her and sagged slightly. “I’m about to lose everything. I’m over extended and the bank is going to take my business, my house, everything. The Kings brought in this safe full of money. I decided to take the chance. Of course, if I knew you were fucking one of the members behind my back, I wouldn’t have called you. Which one is he? What’s his name?”
“Gabriel Prince.”
“No, his nickname, club name, whatever.”
“Oh. Uh, Royal, I think.”
He nodded. “I should have guessed.”
They rode in silence for a time.
“They’ll never stop looking for you, you know that?”
“I know, and that’s where you come in,” he said, refusing to meet her eyes.