Games of the Heart (38 page)

However he did it, Ryker knew everything that was happening on the west side of Indianapolis, primarily Speedway, The ‘Burg and their satellites. Ryker would know about McGrath and his movements and if he didn’t, he’d find out.

Still, Ryker only traded information for money or markers and only if he was feeling sassy. He was a pain in the ass. And he was not a man you wanted to owe a marker.

Mike thought of the farm he spent time at as a teen. How he liked it. The tranquility of it. The quiet pride the family took in its commonplace beauty. He thought of the times he sat on his balcony and saw Darrin with Fin and Kirb out working that land. And he thought of sandwiches in his bed with Dusty.

And he decided he didn’t mind so much owing Ryker a marker.

* * * * *

“Now I
know
you got balls, doin’ the dirty on Dusty then callin’ my ass.”

This was how Hunter Rivera answered Mike’s call.

Mike didn’t exchange pleasantries. Instead he informed Rivera, “LeBrec phoned her.”

“Uh…
I know.
”

“Pardon?”

“Dude got wasted. Totally. Hammered. Shitfaced. Blotto. Loaded. Wrecked. The dude was so polluted, he was
pickled.
And seein’ as he was in that state, he had no problems sharin’ with anyone who would listen at Schub’s that he’d called his woman while some asshole was in the act of doin’ her and didn’t mind sharin’ that. He also shared how he intended to get his ass up to Indiana to kick this asshole’s ass and take hold of his woman. And seein’ as it was a Friday night, Schub’s was packed, there were a lotta people there to listen.”

Fuck.

Fuck!

Rivera went on, “You got the touch, bro, layin’ her shit out then talkin’ Dusty around in a night, cementin’ that shit by sendin’ her flowers. One day, my woman is plotting your murder. Next day, I get asked why
she
doesn’t get any flowers. I see you got it goin’ on. But fuck, you’re killin’ me. I haven’t bought Jerra flowers since I pissed her off when we were datin’ and fell asleep durin’ some crappy-ass movie she forced me to take her to sayin’ that movie was Hollywood’s version of
us
. How could I fall asleep watching the story of us, she asks. And, bro, if that was us, we are borin’ as shit. Now, I got LeBrec all riled up ‘cause you’re up in Indiana doin’ the nasty and don’t mind takin’ a call. Fuck.”

“He can’t come to Indiana,” Mike informed him.

“What you want me to do? Sit on him?” Rivera asked.

“Shit just got ugly with the farm. Dusty had a hand full dealin’ with a house full of grief and a bitch of a sister. Now the sister has located a buyer for her quarter of the land who likes to build and he likes it a lot. To build, you gotta have land. And it’s a little sketchy how he changes the minds of farmers who’ve held onto their land for five generations including through the farm crisis, convincing them suddenly to up stakes and walk away.”

He knew Rivera got him when he muttered, “Fuck.”

“So the answer to your question is, yeah. You sit on him. You tranq him. You shoot him. I don’t give a fuck what you do. But you keep that asshole away from Dusty.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” Rivera replied. “My mission fails, I’ll keep my ear to the ground and give you a head’s up he’s comin’ your way.”

“Appreciated,” Mike murmured.

“Right, business out of the way, what I say next is not about Jerra. Dusty’s her girl but she’s also mine. Straight up, I saw the devastation you wrought. I won’t explain it but I hope you get it. I don’t wanna see my girl down here in that state again. You get me?”

“It’s history.”

“I need to know you get me.”

“And I think you know from me callin’ you when I know you know all this shit that I do.”

There was silence then a quiet, “I do. Balls of steel, man. Fuck.” Then, not in a mutter, “You get her in your bed permanent-like, you make her happy. Losin’ her to Indiana will be to Jerra like cuttin’ off a limb. And
I
gotta listen to her moan about the pain.”

“Pardon?” Mike asked.

“Heard all about it,” Rivera shared. “She likes your townhome. The rooms are spacious. The kitchen’s nice. Some shit about a dog. Lotsa shit about two great kids. Dusty does dogs and kids but she does not do townhomes. That shit means it isn’t about the townhome but the man in it. Far’s I know, she lived with one man. LeBrec. And he moved his ass into
her
house. She’s extolling the virtues of a townhome, this means one thing.”

Rivera shut up and Mike was silent.

“Oh shit. Fuck me,” River whispered. “Let the cat outta the bag. Now you’re freaked and gonna bolt.”

“No. I absolutely am not,” Mike replied, his voice hard.

Rivera shut up again.

She liked his house. She liked his dog. He already knew she liked his kids.

Fuck, she liked his
house.

When Rivera didn’t speak, Mike did.

“I think we’re done.”

“Head’s up, bro. Kids got spring break comin’ soon. Guess where we’re headed?” Rivera asked.

“To donuts,” Mike answered.

“Bet your ass, man.”

“My advice. Fast for at least a week. You’ll want plenty of room.”

He heard Rivera’s laughter before he heard, “No shit. She brought us a dozen after you dumped her ass. You knew what you lost, didn’t delay in gettin’ it back, you’re both gettin’ it regular,
obviously
, so we expect two.”

“My take, I owe you ten.”

“I like your take better. We’ll swing with that. Later, bro.”

“Later.”

Mike disconnected and stared, unseeing at his desk.

She liked his house.

He shoved his phone in his back pocket as he stood.

He caught Merry’s eyes.

“Lunch,” he muttered.

Merry jerked up his chin.

Mike walked out of the Station and he did it grinning.

* * * * *

Violet Callahan laid in the dark with her cheek against her husband’s shoulder.

“Bare feet?” she whispered and Joe’s arm around her got tight.

He remembered. Then again, no way he’d forget.

“Yeah, got to the house, she was standin’ outside, no jacket, bare feet. Her bitch of a sister was geared up to throw down, men in the yard one look at his face, I knew Haines did not like and still, first thing Haines did was make her go in the house and put on a jacket and shoes.”

Bare feet.

Violet smiled.

Then she asked quietly, “Is she pretty?”

“Fuck yeah.”

Vi’s smile got bigger. “
That
pretty?”

“Oh yeah.”

Vi kept smiling. Then it faded.

“Does he seem happy?” she whispered.

“Got a call from her, listened for a second and he was outta his chair and headin’ to the stairs. Don’t know if that’s happy, buddy. Do know he gives a shit.”

“I suppose that’s good,” she muttered.

“Nothin’ to suppose. It just is.”

Joe was right. It was. She knew it, that feeling. She’d had it three times, men in her life who would listen for a second, know you needed them, drop everything and head straight to the door.

Mike Haines was one of those three men.

Mike had that now. Mike would like having that to give. This was good.

Violet sighed.

Surprisingly, Joe wasn’t done sharing.

“Throw down was over, the bitch sister took a hike, Mike and his woman huddled. They mighta been talkin’ strategy but they did it so close it was a wonder they didn’t fuse.”

Vi smiled again.

This was good too.

Then her smile again died.

“She have trouble?”

“While Mike and his woman talked, so did the boys. I listened. Brace, babe. Shit’s about to get ugly.”

This was bad.

“How ugly?”

“Ugly enough that Mike and his woman want it or not, today, they added four men to their legion.”

Joe was going to take Mike’s back.

Vi’s body melted into her husband.

“You back off,” he ordered.

Vi’s body went stiff.

“What?”

“She knows about you, Mike, me. She was cool with me but Mike laid it out she’s not ready for you. She just lost her brother. Impression I got, she’s hurtin’ and not just knowin’ shit’s goin’ down with her family’s land. You and your girls, you all back off. You wait for me to give the all-clear.”

“She knows?”

“Yep.”

Not good.

“She lost her brother?” Vi whispered.

Joe’s arm grew tight and his voice got low, “Vi –”

“All right. All right. I’ll wait for the all-clear.”

She gave in but she didn’t like it.

Violet was curious, sure.

But she’d also lost a brother. Vi knew how that felt.

“Can we stop talkin’ about Mike Haines?” Joe asked.

She smiled again then whispered, “Okay, Joe.”

His arm got tight again, this time with intent, pulling her closer to him.

“Thinkin’ it’s time to make another baby, Vi.”

She stopped smiling but forced herself to do it. Inside, she still was.

This was because this wasn’t the first time Joe informed her he was thinking about this. Approximately one week after she gave him their daughter Angela, he started sharing these same thoughts.

“Already gave you one, Joe.”

“Want a boy this time.”

Vi rolled her eyes.

“I don’t think my womb produces boys,” she informed him.

“We’re gonna see.”

“Joe –”

He rolled into her, she saw his face and even in the dark she saw the determination.

“We’re gonna see,” he repeated firmly, his voice a rumble.

Yes, they were definitely going to see.

“All right, after my next period, I’ll go off the pill,” she agreed.

“Too late. I dumped what you got in the toilet before comin’ to bed.”

She blinked at him through the dark.

Then she burst out laughing but she stopped abruptly because her husband’s mouth came down on hers hard and, just like Joe, he did not delay in getting busy practicing to make more babies.

Though, truthfully, he needed no practice.

He was already an expert.

First Kiss

“
O
h my God,” I breathed then came.

Mike pulled out and I was no longer on my knees. I was on my back, Mike’s hands behind my knees shoving them high. Then he was on me and
in
me, thrusting hard.

Still coming, I swung my legs in and circled his shoulders with my arms.

He buried his face in my neck and I listened to his noises as I held on tight.

Then he planted himself and I felt his teeth sink into my neck.

Nice
.

I held him. I felt him. I smelled him. I accommodated him. I listened to him breathe.

Then his head came up and his hot, dark eyes looked into mine.

“I love lunch,” I whispered.

Mike grinned.

Then his head dropped and he kissed me.

* * * * *

I was at my wheel, my music on, the barn doors open so I could see the lane and anyone who might be driving down it.

It was Thursday afternoon.

As far as I knew, Debbie was gone.

I definitely knew Dad was ticked.

I’d called Dad and Dad had called Debbie in an attempt to sort her shit out. She’d given him the same song and dance about looking out for the boys. Seeing right through this, Dad became livid.

Needless to say, he and Mom were closing things down and driving up. They were going to be there Monday. Monday night, family meeting with Mike and his kids at the table.

When I called Dad, I came clean therefore Dad received the lowdown. Mike was in my life. I’d helped his daughter bake a birthday cake. Mike was taking my back with Debbie.

Imparting this news, I was prepared for anything. Dad was a Dad. In other words, the kind of Dad who, no matter my age and no matter the guy, that guy would have to prove himself good enough for me.

This had never happened and Dad had met a few of my past guys.

Seeing as I was telling him about one he already knew and the reasons he already knew him, this could go either way.

What I got was a muttered, “Oh, thank Christ.”

Although I was prepared for it to go either way, still, that surprised me.

“What?” I asked.

“Good family. Decent parents. Decent job. Decent house. What I hear, good father. Good friend to your brother. Stupidest thing in a long line of stupid things your sister did was let that boy slip through her fingers. Glad one of my daughters is smart enough not to let a good man get away.”