Chapter 8 #2
“You all knew what you wanted. All I knew was that I didn’t want to suffocate, and that’s what family did.
That’s what people did. They suffocated me.
They still do. Just thinking about going home sometimes makes me break out in hives.
” He glanced up. “You guys never made me feel that way. I think that’s why when we all met, I just clicked with you.
It was second nature. Natural. No one made me feel too much or asked too much of me. No judgments. We just were.”
“Damn, you’re being philosophical.”
“You asked.” Hayes sighed. “I’m just being real about what being raised the way I was did to me.”
“I get that.” Keaton nodded as if he understood.
But he couldn’t. He had a great family. One that loved and supported him unconditionally.
He had two parents who didn’t judge his life decisions, and a brother and sister who stood by him, no matter what.
Then there was Trinity, the love of his life, who was pregnant.
They were made for each other, and they were about to be married.
And then there was his cousin, Foster. They’d been through some shit together, and they were as thick as thieves. Keaton had his family by blood—and his chosen family.
“Are you thinking about what you want with Chloe?” Keaton asked just as Hayes took another gulp.
He coughed and gagged, pounding his chest. “Jesus, man, no. Not like you’re asking. I like Chloe a lot. That’s obvious. But this thing with us has a beginning, a middle, and an end. I just don’t want it to end, yet.”
“Dawson mentioned you two hit a bump in the road. But you two look like things heated back up.”
“I’m not exactly sure where we stand,” Hayes admitted.
“This case has her rattled. But she’s here.
She’s staying with me. Things are about the same as they’ve been for the last couple of months.
We’ve made no promises to each other than to be in the moment.
My thoughts aren’t so much with what’s going on with me and Chloe as they are with this itch to settle. It’s a strange sensation.”
“That sounds like you want something more from this relationship.”
Hayes rubbed the center of his chest, wishing the tightness would go away. “You’re misreading what I’m getting at.”
“Okay. Then make yourself clear, because you’re either dancing around your feelings for her, or you’re doing that thing you always do and being vague because you talk in circles.” Keaton arched a brow.
“We’ve lived in lots of places. We’ve been stationed all over the world.
Been deployed more than we’ve been stateside.
However, when we arrived here, it was easy for everyone except me to purchase a home.
Dawson pulled the trigger so fast it made my head spin.
You were next. And Fletcher, well, he owned that house long before either of you, but that’s because his parents left it to him.
I knew when we moved here that we weren’t leaving, but the idea of owning a home, even at my age, made me break out in a cold sweat.
But not so much anymore. I’m thinking I want to buy your place. ”
“I’ve heard that before.”
“I’m serious.”
Keaton opened his mouth, but no words came out. He cleared his throat. “It’s yours if you want it.”
“Let’s talk numbers after your wedding.”
Keaton tapped his knuckles on the counter. “I’ll draw up the paperwork. The numbers haven’t changed since I brought it up the last time.”
Before Hayes could utter the word deal , a ruckus broke out on the other side of the patio. He turned and groaned. Stacey stood at a table where Anna and her husband, Mo, were trying to have dinner.
Dawson and Fletcher swiftly zigzagged between the crowd.
“Let’s go find out what that’s all about.” Keaton set his beer down.
“It can’t be good,” Hayes said. “Stacey has been hounding those two for months, and she’s still running bull crap stories about Mo and his involvement in what Paul and his son were doing.
She’s also calling Buddy, Chloe, and Dawson about this murder.
Her reporting of it is dangerous. She’s got everyone in this town on edge. ”
“Dawson looks like he’s on the warpath.” Keaton headed in their direction. “He might need us to diffuse this situation.”
Hayes was one step behind Keaton, his gaze tightly focused between the table with Mo and Anna, and Dawson. The closer Hayes got, the louder the voices got, and it wasn’t good.
“Leave us alone,” Anna said with a low but authoritative tone. “We have nothing to say to you.”
“It would be good for Mo to do an interview,” Stacey said.
“You know, to clear up his side of the story. People in this town, and in the State of Florida, want to know the facts. Otherwise, it’s all rumor and conjecture.
He was convicted of a crime. We know that, but people talk, and they’re saying all sorts of things about what happened. All I want to do?—”
“You want to twist what happened.” Mo flattened his hands on the table.
He shifted his gaze from Anna to Stacey.
His jaw was tight with raw emotion. His eyes were blazing with frustration…
and anger. “I’ve seen how you’ve reported this story.
The things you’ve said about me. About my wife.
About our life. You’ve spread lies. Half-truths.
I’m not allowing you to slander me even more. ”
“Whoa.” Stacey held up her hands as if someone were holding a gun to her head. “I’ve done no such thing. You helped criminals run drugs and guns in and out of Calusa Cove. That’s a fact. You helped kidnap Audra. You held her at gunpoint. You terrorized her. Hit her and?—”
“That’s enough.” Mo stood, knocking his chair over, just as Dawson and Fletcher reached the table.
“Oh, my God. See?” Stacey lifted her hands, showing her palms, and taking a step back.
Her eyes grew wide, as if she were terrified.
“That’s what I’m talking about. Maybe I don’t want to do this interview.
” She glanced over her shoulder, in the other direction from where Hayes and the rest of the guys had come from.
Shit. She had a cameraman, who looked like he’d been filming the entire thing.
“Be quiet, Stacey,” Dawson said, firmly and loudly.
Hayes tapped Dawson on the shoulder, pointing toward Stacey’s crew member.
“Stay right there, Stacey.” Dawson waved his finger under her nose. “Mo, please, sit down, relax, and don’t say another word.” He marched off toward the cameraman, who lowered his equipment.
The man stared at Dawson, taking two steps backward.
Hayes had no idea what Dawson said to the guy, but a few minutes ticked by while the dude opened his camera, flicked a few buttons, and nodded like a bobblehead.
Mo folded his arms across his chest and sucked in a deep breath. Fletcher stood by his side.
Hayes chose to stand between Stacey and the table.
“I’m leaving,” Stacey muttered, turning on her heels.
“Not yet.” Hayes reached out, curling his fingers around her biceps. “The police chief told you to stay put, so you’re not going anywhere.”
“Don’t you man-handle me.” She jerked her arm free. “Did you see this?” she asked a woman sitting at another table. “Did you see what he did to me?”
The woman turned, lowering her head, ignoring Stacey.
Dawson reappeared. “Stacey, I’m not giving you a warning.
Not this time. You’ve gone too far. I’m recommending that Mo and Anna file a harassment charge and a restraining order.
I have enough complaints from them for my office to follow through with that.
” He shifted his gaze. “You two willing to do that?”
“Yes,” Mo said.
“Absolutely.” Anna nodded.
“Wonderful. Let’s head to the station and take care of that now.
” Dawson pointed at Stacey. “You won’t be able to come near Anna or Mo.
If you do, you’ll be arrested. I will be sending a copy of all this to your boss.
You won’t be able to report on them, and I’ll outline what you can and can’t report on, as that case is now closed, to your producer.
I will file every injunction if I have to. Do I make myself clear?”
“You’re a bully, Dawson Ridge.” Stacey swiveled on her heels and marched out into the parking lot with her cameraman in tow.
“Thank you.” Mo stood, stretching out his hand. “Most people in this town have forgiven me for my part in all that. But when she goes and flaps her mouth, it brings it all back, and I was about to do something stupid.”
“She’s worn my patience down to a thread,” Dawson said. “I have no idea why that news station doesn’t fire her ass. Her reporting is sketchy at best.”
“When she was little,” Anna said, “Tripp figured her mouth was gonna land her in jail. He thought she was a hundred times worse than Audra, not because she used foul language. We all could handle Audra’s colorful choice of words, spunky attitude, and sharp wit.
But Stacey used her words to manipulate and get what she wanted.
She would lie, beg, borrow, and steal. She never cared who she hurt, as long as people paid attention. ”
“I don’t remember her being like this in high school,” Fletcher said. “But she went to a private boarding school. She only spent summers here. She always thought she was better than the rest of us. I was shocked to see she’d come back.”
“Only because of that job,” Anna said. “She hates Calusa Cove. She’d rather be in a big city, chasing bigger stories. It’s why she’s trying to milk what Mo did. It did make national news, and she jumped on that gravy train.”
Mo reached across the table. “Babe, I’m so sorry.”
“Honey, we’ve been over this. I understand why and how it happened.” Anna smiled.
“So does the rest of this town.” Dawson patted Mo’s shoulder. “You did what was necessary when it mattered most. I will always be grateful for that. Now, we can take care of that paperwork now, or in the morning. Up to you.”
“I’d rather do it now,” Anna said. “I don’t trust that girl as far as I can spit, and if for some reason we run into her before now and the time we get a chance to sign it, she might still get in our face, and that won’t be good, because it might not be Mo you have to worry about.”
“All right.” Dawson nodded. “Let me go tell Audra what’s happening.”
Hayes followed Dawson back to the table and sat down next to Chloe, taking her hand.
“That Stacey is a piece of work,” Chloe whispered. “Did Buddy tell you she’s called him five times today?”
“What did she want?”
“He only answered once, and she wanted confirmation about the body, the missing finger, and how many other cases we have on this serial killer. She wanted to know if it matched her source. Buddy asked for her source and how many murders she was told we had, because this was the first one. She went on to say that if that were the case, why was the FBI called in so quickly? He gave her a bullshit response about a tactical joint force between State, Calusa Cove, and the FBI because of Calusa Cove’s limited resources when it comes to certain crimes and the fact the chief will be going on his honeymoon. ”
Hayes chuckled. “Stacey will think that’s a line.”
“Oh, she called Buddy on it, but Buddy told her to either give up her source and the information, or they had nothing to say to one another. That was the end of the conversation. She doesn’t have a source, and she’s grasping at straws.”
“How can you be so sure about the source?”
“Because if she did, she’d be reporting it, and she’d be asking different questions, not fishing for information. He won’t take her calls.”
“You don’t know Stacey. She doesn’t operate like most newscasters,” Hayes said.
“She’s asking questions based on the fact the FBI showed up after one body. Other outlets asked the same thing. I’m not worried about her, at least not right now.”
“She’s going to be a thorn in his side.” He lifted Chloe’s hand and kissed the swell of her palm. “Did Buddy say anything important about the case?”
“He sent me some files to go through. I’ll look them over tomorrow. We’re going to meet up later in the day to go through stuff,” Chloe said, all business-like.
“I’ve got to work a double. I tried to find someone to cover, but since I’ll be taking a few days off after that for the wedding, I couldn’t find anyone. Are you going to be okay?”
She smiled. “I’ll manage without you. Is it still okay if I use that wall in your office?”
“Of course.” He kissed her cheek. “I can go through things at the station, and if it’s quiet, you can come there, and we can wargame anything.”
“I wish we had more to go on.”
“Once you get all the forensics and the autopsy back, you’ll have more. The leads, they’ll come.”
“I wish I could be as positive as you are.”
It wasn’t that he had such a great attitude about everything. It was that he believed in her.