Chapter Fourteen.
Myka
“Put on something nice; we’re going out,” Falcon said later that evening.
“Oh?”
“Yup, unless you want to duck my mother all night?” Falcon smirked as I shook my head.
He grabbed the handles of the wheelchair and pushed me towards the elevator that would take me to my bedroom.
He’d explained it had been installed for Axel, on the off chance that he might stay.
Although the founder of Rage was steady despite his leg, nobody wanted to overtax him.
I liked the way Axel was the centre of attention and lapped it up. He was a good man with simple desires, and the foremost one was family. His huge appearance with his wild hair and bushy beard was off-putting at first, but there was a solid heart hidden underneath.
Artemis had quizzed me for several hours, and I didn’t know what to make of her.
I’d seen a couple of flashes of steel when she spoke about a few things.
I’d kept waiting for the judgment to hit, but she hadn’t said anything negative.
Instead, Artemis appeared more thoughtful.
But I was relieved to escape the clubhouse; Falcon’s family, while nice, was overwhelming.
I yanked on some clean jeans and a pretty blouse and made a mental note again to learn who’d bought these clothes for me. I would pay them back. Falcon, waiting outside, grabbed the wheelchair handles and began pushing me out. Artemis, Ace, and Axel were in the rec room.
“What you up to?”
“I’m taking Myka for dinner,” Falcon replied.
“Good idea,” Ace said, standing up.
“Alone. It’s a date, and we all know how you and Mom don’t like being disturbed,” Falcon stated pointedly.
Artemis forced a smile. “Not a problem, son.” Her tone promised retribution.
I offered Falcon a worried glance, and he merely grinned at his mother. Artemis sniffed as he wheeled me out. “Jayes, come on, kid,” Falcon called.
“We’ll watch over Jayes!” Artemis snapped.
“Mom, we’re having a family date,” Falcon smirked. Her glare narrowed, and she opened her mouth.
“Artemis.” Ace said one word, and she glared at him, who rolled his eyes.
Artemis offered a fake smile. “We’ll go for dinner tomorrow.” Her tone left no room for argument.
“We’ll see,” Falcon replied and began pushing me out.
“Boy, I wiped your ass!” Artemis retorted. Falcon snorted but kept going.
“She told me to call her grandma,” Jayes whispered loudly.
“What do I say to that?” I asked Falcon.
“Jayes, call my mom whatever you wish. If you don’t want to call her grandma, that’s fine; Artemis will do,” Falcon said, helping me into his truck. He locked Jayes in and grinned as he climbed in, started the engine, and drove off.
“Where are we going?” I inquired.
“There’s a family restaurant the club likes. It has a kid’s soft play area,” Falcon added. “I thought Jayes would enjoy that.”
“Thank you for considering him.”
Falcon reached out and touched my hand. “Always. You come as a pair.”
Yes, we did, something Dawson never acknowledged.
Because Jayes wasn’t a bully like Jed and had actual brains, Dawson didn’t spend time with him.
He called Jayes a mama’s boy and other insulting names.
Jayes desperately wanted Dawson’s approval but never once got it.
And then, about a year ago, Jayes ceased caring.
Dawson’s cruel comments still hurt, but Jayes stopped letting Dawson see it. My little boy sucked them up. A few times Dawson had gone to strike him, but I’d deflected the blows. Jayes had seen them, and I know that bothered him. But I hoped Jayes would forget in time that Dawson had terrified him.
“Thanks,” I repeated. What else could I say? That you’re behaving more like a father to Jayes than Dawson ever did?
“You’re welcome.” Falcon grinned.
I could sense eyes on Falcon and me. Curiosity and nosiness were mixed. Feeling as though I was on display, I wanted to curl up under the table.
Falcon recognised my unease and glared at those staring, which made me laugh as most looked away.
“Can I go?” Jayes asked, his attention firmly latched to the soft play area.
“Sure,” I answered, and Jayes shot off. A smile crossed my face.
Jayes was slowly forgetting his learned behaviour, and that warmed me.
That meant I’d not damaged my son permanently.
People would always label me a failure. But they weren’t the ones receiving the beatings or the constant threats.
It was easy for them to sit on their thrones and judge.
Try walking in my shoes before casting stones.
“What do you fancy?” Falcon asked.
Awkwardly, I gazed at the menu, looking for the cheapest option, and Falcon reached out and plucked it from my hand. “Nope, we aren’t doing that, babe. Pick what you want, hear me?”
I bit my lip, unsure how to answer. “I don’t have the money,” I whispered, dropping my eyes.
“Hey, look at me. If you are Jayes are out with me, you never pay. Money’s not an issue for me. Okay? Myka, order anything that catches your fancy.”
“Lobster tails?” I murmured.
Falcon grinned, and when the waitress came over, he placed our orders and linked his fingers with mine. He was making a statement and wanted everyone watching to see it. That warmed my insides like nothing else ever had.
Falcon
I was still smiling the next morning after my date last night.
Myka had opened up, showing me some of herself.
I now knew Myka loved singing, although she claimed she was tone-deaf.
She also enjoyed reading. Myka had wanted a career as a gardener, but Dawson had forced her to leave college after knocking her up.
Despite having feelers out, nobody had seen Dawson after that sighting at the shop with his father. Billy-Ray had been taken in for questioning but had walked. He’d been so blind drunk, the fool couldn’t remember his name, let alone meeting his son. The whole family was disgusting.
Calamity rotated the prospects in pairs to monitor the Beauregards, but there was no lead yet.
I’d been surprised to learn they owned two acres of land, on which the entire lot of them lived there in trailers.
Myka hadn’t been exaggerating when she said they all stuck together.
So, it didn’t make sense that Dawson had moved away from family.
I reckoned that Dawson had seen it as being above the rest of them.
He’d bought a house, paid a mortgage, and held a decent job.
This was Dawson’s way of thumbing his nose at his low beginnings.
And yet he remained a Beauregard and didn’t appreciate when he had something precious within his grasp.
A knock on the door caught my attention as I picked out my breakfast, and I looked up to find Cates entering.
“Whatever this is, it can wait. Grab a plate,” I ordered.
“Falcon, I’m here officially.”
“Good for you. Want my co-operation? Eat!”
Cates grinned and shook her head. “Fine. I need coffee; I’ve been up since three this morning.”
That early surely meant only one thing. “A body.”
“Yeah.” Cates placed bacon on her plate and began filling it up. I put my breakfast on the table and motioned for her to sit while I fetched drinks. Cates followed me as I set the mugs down and sat opposite me.
“Whose?” I asked, biting into toast.
“Merle Beauregard.”
My hand paused on its way to shoving the sausage into my mouth. That wasn’t who I’d been expecting.
“How?”
“Beaten to death,” Cates stated.
I showed her my hands. “No split knuckles, Sheriff.”
“Noted. However, we know it wasn’t one of you.” Cates bit into her toast.
“Yeah? How? Got us under surveillance?”
“No. Because we’ve got footage of Rawson dumping Merle’s body,” she replied. “This stays between us.”
“What the hell?” I gasped as Calamity came and sat down.
“Did I hear you right?” he asked, snatching a sausage from my plate. I stabbed at him with a fork.
“Go get your breakfast. We’ll hold this conversation for now,” Cates said, smirking as Calamity whipped his hand back with bacon this time.
Calamity forced a smile, standing back up.
He felt this pressure, too. If Rawson was able to kill his cousin, a family member, then Myka and Jayes weren’t safe.
“Spill what you can, Sheriff,” Calamity ordered, returning minutes later.
“Someone reported finding a body in an abandoned building. They’d stated seeing lights in there, and a deputy arrived to investigate. Merle’s body was found. When we checked the area cameras, we caught Rawson’s truck stopping outside.” Cates paused and finished her toast.
“Rawson picks Merle up out of the rear and carries him inside. Three hours later, Rawson leaves with no Merle in tow. We think Merle went in alive. We’ve put an APB out on Rawson as he’s wanted for suspected murder.
This makes me worry that Lawson and Dawson are safe.
We have to say we’re concerned for their lives. ”
“And you’ve no idea why Rawson killed Merle?” Calamity asked.
“We found some evidence that could lead to why,” Cates replied, looking cagey.
Calamity raised an eyebrow.
“There was powder on his clothes and a split baggie of coke. We think Merle was dealing drugs,” Cates admitted.
“Great. Those assholes are up to their stinking necks in shit. If Rawson didn’t blink at killing his cousin, Myka and Jayes are in grave danger. We have to get them out of here,” I remarked, sitting up.
“No. Running won’t resolve this problem. Myka is safer here,” Calamity said.
“Bullshit. We promised to protect her, and she can’t stay here,” I argued.
“These fools may play dumb hicks, but they’re not,” Calamity pointed out. “They’re waiting for this. The Beauregards want you isolated, and then they’ll come for Myka and Jayes.”
“Then I’ll kill them,” I said implacably.