Keeping What's His: Tate (Porter Brothers Trilogy Book 1) (20 page)

Chapter 22

Sutton stood in the kitchen, watching Dustin, Tate, and Logan eat breakfast while she drank her coffee.

“Are you sure you don’t need me to help with the dishes?” she asked Holly.

“No, I’m almost finished. This will be much easier after next week. Tate’s having a new kitchen installed.”

She was struck by how pretty Holly was when she smiled. Sutton couldn’t find it in herself to be envious of the woman, though. She was just too nice.

Holly was constantly trying to please the men as if she was unsure of her position in the tight-knit family. She wore a pair of jeans that showed her curvy butt, but she had put on an oversized top as if she was trying to hide the size of her overlarge breasts. Sutton had to admit she envied that problem.

The sound of a pickup outside had Logan jumping up from the table to look out the window.

“It’s Uncle Greer, and he has that stupid Diane with him.” Logan ran back to the table to finish his cereal.

“And so it begins …” Sutton murmured.

“What did you say?”

Sutton nodded toward Logan. “The next generation of Porters.”

Holly laughed. “I’ve thought the same thing myself many times. As long as he turns out more like Dustin and Tate, he’ll be fine.”

“He doesn’t take anything from Greer?”

“Just one thing, and I’m trying to nip it in the bud.”

Greer opened the door, completely taking over the room with his appearance. Diane came in after him, dressed in a pair of shorts that showed the cheeks of her ass and a T-shirt that was completely inappropriate for the cool weather outside.

“You all still eating? We had breakfast at the diner.” Glancing down at the table, Greer surveyed his brothers eating oatmeal doused in fruit. “Mine was better cold than that crap you’re eating.”

Sutton’s hand tightened on her coffee cup at seeing the hurt look on Holly’s face.

“Eating at the diner is what’s putting that spare tire around your waist.” Tate’s harsh voice left no one in the room in doubt that he wasn’t going to tolerate anyone mistreating Holly.

Diane’s arms circled Greer’s waist from behind, her hands splaying open on his flat stomach. “He hasn’t got an ounce of spare flesh. I can vouch for that,” she purred.

Sutton turned to place her empty cup on the counter, swallowing hard when she saw the flash of emotion on Holly’s face that brought dread to her heart. The sweet woman was in love with the worst Porter brother.

Tate’s cell phone broke the uncomfortable silence. Everyone in the room listened as he talked.

“Hey, Rachel …” His voice broke off as he listened to whatever Rachel was saying. “No one saw anything?”

Sutton’s stomach sank.

“Call me if you hear anything else.” Tate disconnected the call, staring at them grimly. “Holly, take Logan into the bedroom and turn on a movie for him.”

“Let’s go, Logan.” Holly ushered the boy out of the room.

As soon as they heard the bedroom door close, Tate told them the awful news. “Mick found Kyle Hayes dead this morning, sitting in his truck in back of Rosie’s bar.”

Kyle Hayes was the younger cousin of Asher and Holt. He was just a young boy when Sutton had left town. He was one of the only Hayeses who had been allowed to attend school in town. She had often seen Kyle trailing after his much older cousins with hero worship in his eyes.

“They’ll be out for blood.”

“Yes, they will.” Tate’s face became even grimmer, frightening Sutton. “I saw him parking his truck as we were leaving. The parking lot was full, so he parked in the back. Rachel said Knox told her he was stabbed to death.”

“Kyle knew how to take care of himself. He had to have known the killer, or he would never have gotten close enough to him to do any damage.” Greer’s face had gone white. “After the fight we had with Asher and Holt in the bar, you know who they’re going to blame.”

“Us,” Tate confirmed everyone’s worst fear.

“Knox can tell them he saw us at Lookout Mountain, and Diane can vouch for Greer being with her,” Sutton spoke up.

“They aren’t going to believe we didn’t have anything to do with Kyle’s murder.”

Sutton had the awful feeling Tate was right.

When he stood up and put on his hat, she placed a hand on his arm. “Where are you going?”

“I’m going to go talk to Asher. If I don’t make him believe me, there’s going to be a blood bath.”

“No!” Sutton gripped his arm more tightly. “Let Knox go.”

“He’s not going to believe Knox.” Tate pried her hand off his arm. “I have to go, Sutton.”

“I’ll go,” Greer volunteered.

“No, I want you here. You take care of the family.” Hidden in his words was ‘if I don’t come back’.

“Tate … please, don’t go.”

“Walk outside with me.” He took her hand, pulling her behind him as he went outside. “It’s going to be all right.”

Sutton pointed at his black eye. “They’re not going to believe you. They’re going to still be mad about the fight last night, and with their cousin being dead a few hours later … They just aren’t going to believe you.”

“I’ll make them believe me. They both know one thing about the Porters: we’re not cowards. I stand a better chance convincing them we had nothing to do with Kyle’s death if I stare them in the eye and tell them the truth.”

“Will you at least call Knox and tell him where you’re going?”

“That, I can do.”

“I’m going to be worried sick until you get back.”

“Then keep yourself occupied. Clean the …”

Sutton’s eyes narrowed. “Choose your next words carefully.”

Tate, unlike Greer, wasn’t a stupid man. “Find something you want to do to keep yourself occupied.”

“I’ll call Cheryl and have lunch with her. She’s been calling, and I’ve been putting her off. I can pick up some flood lights while I’m in town.”

“What made you change your mind about the flood lights?”

“The killer. He’s taking everyone out in the dark.”

Tate frowned. “You’re right; all the attacks are happening during a certain time of night.”

Sutton nodded. “He doesn’t want to be seen.”

“Either that or he’s busy during the day.” Tate placed his hand on the nape of her neck, pulling her close. “Borrow Holly’s car to drive into town. I’ll fix yours tonight.”

“So, you’re admitting to disabling my car?”

Tate gave her a quick kiss. “I’m a Porter; I never admit to a thing.”

*  *  *

Sutton waited patiently for Cheryl at King’s restaurant. There was a large group of women sitting at one of the tables in the bar. Their loud laughter was being ignored by the owner of the restaurant. She understood why when he went to the table and talked to one of the beautiful women. It was obvious by the closeness between them that they were a couple.

Cheryl came rushing in, sitting down across from her. “Sorry I’m late. The store’s busy.”

Another round of laughter had Cheryl looking over at the group of women. Sutton wondered if they were eating as much as they were using the opportunity to gossip.

Cheryl’s shoulders dropped as she gave the waitress her order.

“Something wrong?” Sutton asked after the waitress left.

“Those are the wives of The Last Riders’. The redhead is Evie. She’s the owner’s wife.”

“So? Don’t you get along with them?”

“No.”

“I recognize Lily and Beth Cornett and Winter Simmons. From what I remember about them, I can’t imagine them being hateful toward you.”

Cheryl shrugged, avoiding her gaze. “I was kind of mean to a couple of them when I went through my divorce.”

“I’m sure they understand it was a difficult time for you.”

“I was with Cash.”

Sutton was crushed for Rachel. “He slept with you after he and Rachel were married?”

“No … no. Before.” Cheryl looked miserable at the admission.

“You were with Tate, too.”

“Yes.”

“I’m sitting here with you, and I still consider you my friend.”

“You always were a sucker,” Cheryl said, tears brimming in her eyes.

“No, I discovered good friends are hard to come by.”

Cheryl smiled at her in relief.

They ate their lunch, and it was when they finished and were leaving that Sutton noticed Cheryl wince as she opened the door to the restaurant for them to exit.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. I lifted a heavy box at work and must have strained something.”

Sutton stopped dead in her tracks, critically looking Cheryl over.

“Don’t lie to me.” Sutton reached out to touch a barely noticeable bruise on her jawline.

Cheryl took a step back from her touch. “I fell the other night when I drank too much …”

Sutton remembered the excuses all too well. She broached the subject carefully, the way she wished someone had taken the time to do with her.

“Cheryl … I know what it looks like when someone is hurting you.”

Immediately, Cheryl went on the defensive. “Don’t be crazy, Sutton. I’d call the sheriff if someone touched me …”

“I know,” Sutton stressed.

Cheryl didn’t understand what Sutton was trying to tell her until Sutton grabbed her hand, preventing her from continuing to walk.

“I know, Cheryl. I.
Know
.”

Cheryl stopped, comprehension finally dawning, and she held Sutton’s hand tighter.

“You were abused by your husband?”

“For over ten years,” Sutton admitted without embarrassment. It was Tate who had finally suceeded in convincing her she had been a victim. It was her chance now to pass along the same gift to Cheryl.

“It was my fault. I shouldn’t have been flirting while I was working.”

It sickened Sutton at the excuses men made to hurt women, convincing them they were the cause of their own pain.

“Listen to me, Cheryl.
Nothing
you did would give him the right to lay a hand on you.”

“I need the job.” Another excuse. Sutton remembered the many she had made for Scott, but she had never given herself one reason for why she should put up with the torture she had tolerated.

“We’re going to go talk to Knox.”

“I have to finish work. Today’s payday. I need the money, Sutton. I’ll go talk to Knox when I get off. At least I’ll have enough money to live off for a couple of weeks.”

“I’ll lend you money until you find another job. I’ll help—”

Cheryl stubbornly shook her head. “I’m getting my money. I worked for it.”

Sutton bit her lip. She didn’t want to push Cheryl too hard, or she could refuse to go to Knox for help.

“Okay. How much longer before you get off?”

“Four hours.”

“Then I’m not leaving your side. I need to pick up some things for my house and Tate’s. Will Jared get suspicious if I hang out that long?”

“No, I always have customers who stay and talk.”

“All right. I hope you have a lot of flood lights.”

“Flood lights? What do you need flood lights for?”

“Tate wants to set them up at my house so he can catch a possum.” She was indirectly telling her that she and Tate were living together.

“Oh.” Cheryl didn’t seem thrilled by the information. “So, you won’t be leaving to go back to Calfironia? When I move in with your friends, you won’t be there?”

Sutton had believed she was upset about Tate living with her; however, it was because she had decided to move and wouldn’t know anyone.

“No, but my boss is driving up next week. I’ll introduce you. I think it would be a good idea for you to go ahead and leave.”

“If I can manage to get my paycheck away from Jared, I might drive back with him,” Cheryl conceded.

Sutton wound her arm through hers. “I’m not going to leave you alone until after you see Knox.”

“Be careful. Jared’s got a temper.”

Sutton reached out and touched the faint bruise that Cheryl had tried to hide with her makeup.

“Jared’s the one who needs to be careful. The next time he thinks he’s going to touch you, he’s going to find out something I wished I had known.”

“What’s that?”

“You’re not alone.”

Chapter 23

“Is that all for you?” Jared asked when she laid another item on the counter.

“No, not yet. Where’s the rope?”

“Last aisle on the left.”

Sutton took her time looking at the rope, as if it was the most important decision she was ever going to make. She picked up a bright yellow one that looked as if Tate could somehow use it. She frankly had no idea, nor did she about the numerous other items she had pretended to be shopping for. She would have come out cheaper if Cheryl had taken her offer of money.

Sighing, she turned to go back to the register, bumping into Jared who came up behind her.

“That it? We’re about to close.”

“Okay. I think that’s the last of it.” She followed him to the register, paying him after he rang up her purchases.

While Cheryl bagged her purchases, she saw Jared begin to take the receipts out of the cash register.

“Go ahead and lock the door after her,” Jared ordered.

“Cheryl, is there a bathroom I could use?”

“Sure. It’s at the back of the store on the left. It’s next to Jared’s office.”

“I’ll show you. I’m going to my office to count the money. When you’re done locking up, Cheryl, come back and pick up your paycheck.”

“Okay.”

Ignoring the aggravated frown Jared threw her, she followed him to the restroom. She made sure he went into his office before she entered the bathroom, locking the door behind her. Taking out her cell phone, she saw several missed calls, calling Tate she knew he was going to be angry she hadn’t already done so. She was angry at herself, She knew better than to try to take on a monster by herself.

He picked it up on the first ring.

“Tate …”

“Where are you? I got home and found out you weren’t there. Then I went to your house, and you’re not here, either.”

She lowered her voice. “I know I’m not at home,” she snapped. “Listen to me. I’ll explain later. I’m still at the hardware store with Cheryl. Could you come and meet me outside? I found out Jared’s been hurting Cheryl, and I’ve talked her into going to Knox when she gets off. I’d feel better if you were here.”

“Get the fuck out of there. I’ll be right there. I’m going to call Knox.”

Tate hung up before she could say anything. She flushed the toilet and washed her hands before opening the door, coming face to face with a furious Jared.

His hand struck out, hitting her in the face and knocking her into the sink. She barely managed to catch herself before she hit her head.

“Jared, have you lost your mind?” Cheryl shoved him out of the way, rushing to help Sutton to her feet.

“You dumb cunt, do you think I’m stupid?” Jared yelled at Cheryl.

“Can I answer that question for you?” Sutton regained her balance from her reeling senses. Her fingers went to the blood running from her split lip.

Jared pulled out a gun his protruding belly had hidden.

“I wish you had told me he had a gun.”

“Everyone in Kentucky has a gun. I didn’t know he was carrying it around on him.” Cheryl edged closer to her for protection. The simple movement empowered Sutton. Her friend thought she was strong enough to get them out of this terrifying position.

“Tate’s on his way.”

“Good. I have a score to settle with him, too. He’s the last one on my list. I would have taken care of him the night I killed Lyle, but I wanted Knox to lock his ass up for a while.”

“
You
killed Lyle? Why?”

“Because, when I killed you, I wanted everyone to believe a crazy shooter was picking his victims at random.”

“You’re right about the crazy!” Cheryl yelled. “Did you kill Helen Stevens and Kyle, and shoot at Rider, too?”

“Yeah. What do you not understand? Mrs. Stevens gave you the advice to divorce me, remember? I heard them talking to you at the diner one day. That old bitch won’t be giving anyone advice anymore. Rider fucked you. I heard someone coming, or I would have gotten him. You saved me the trouble of going after Tate. Now I can kill all three of you and find you in the morning when I open the store, a love triangle gone wrong.”

“No one will believe that!”

“Why not? Everyone in town knows what the Porters are capable of. I’m surprised he’s still breathing after Kyle showed up dead. I’m disappointed in Asher and Holt; I was hoping they would take him out for me.” Jared’s evil gaze showed he had lost all reason. “Move.” He waved them out of the bathroom, pointing the gun at them.

Sutton and Cheryl gingerly stepped around Jared as he backed up, motioning them to his office. They went inside, and he shut the door behind them. He then went to a row of security screens, flicking them on.

“That’s disgusting.” Sutton couldn’t hold back her contempt when she saw one was of the bathroom.

“You want disgusting? Look at this.” Jared opened a drawer, rifling through several tapes before picking one out and putting it in a VCR. The video came up of Cheryl and Tate having sex in a bedroom.

“You put a camera in my bedroom!” Cheryl screeched.

“Shut up! You’re lucky I didn’t put this up on the internet. The only reason I didn’t was because what man would get off watching you?”

“If you watched that tape, then you saw Tate didn’t have a problem, which is more than I can say about you!”

Sutton knew Cheryl was furious and angry, but she needed her not to incite Jared any further. Sutton prayed Knox would be here soon, but with them locked in an office with no windows, she knew the chances of her and Cheryl getting out alive were small.

She sat down in the chair by Jared’s desk and started laughing helplessly.

Jared trained the gun on her. “What in the fuck are you laughing at?”

“I tried to commit suicide six years ago, and I haven’t really cared if I was alive or dead. Now, when I finally do, you’re going to kill me. Don’t you find that hilarious?”

“I don’t.” Cheryl started crying. “Why did you try to kill yourself?”

“Because my husband tried to kill me. He killed my daughter. He shot himself because he was too much of a coward to face what he had done. He was just like Jared.”

“I’m no coward. I’m not going to kill myself. I won’t have to as soon as Tate gets here. I’ll kill all three of you then take off. Diane is cooking dinner for me; she’ll be my alibi.”

The three of them watched as Tate came to the front door, trying to open it. When he couldn’t, all three of them watched as he walked around the building to the backdoor, alone and unarmed.

Jared shot the security screens and ripped the cords out of the wall. “Can’t have Knox looking through the security footage.”

“How are you going to explain those tapes?”

“Evidence for my divorce. I just didn’t throw them away, because I didn’t want to embarrass Cheryl.”

The man seriously believed he was going to be able to lie his way out of a triple murder. Maybe he could since he had gotten away with killing several people in town.

Jared ushered them into the other room where Tate was banging on the back door.

“Open it.” He motioned to Cheryl. “Let him in and don’t open your mouth, or I’ll shoot you where you’re standing.”

Sutton started to scream a warning but Jared grabbed her, placing his hand over her mouth.

Cheryl swung open the door, barely managing to move out of the way as Tate ran inside.

“Shut the door and lock it!” Jared screamed at Cheryl. “Stop, Tate, or I’ll blow your fucking brains out.”

Tate stopped. “Let her go, Jared. Your problems with Cheryl don’t involve me and Sutton.”

“They involve you. I saw you fucking my wife. Maybe I should tie you and Cheryl up, and you can watch me fuck Sutton. How do you think you would like that, Tate? I bet she would, wouldn’t you?” He bent down, swiping his tongue against the length of her neck.

“You’re going to die for that,” Tate promised.

“The ones who are going to die tonight are you and these two whores.” Jared pointed the gun at Tate and squeezed the trigger.

Sutton grabbed his arm, pushing his hand with the gun toward the ceiling.

“Stupid bitch.” Jared flung her away from him. Tate caught her in his arms, holding her close for a brief second, then pushed her behind his back.

“You’re going to have to kill me to get to her,” Tate vowed.

“I have no problem with that.” Again, Jared pointed the gun at Tate, but before he could pull the trigger again, a voice from behind him spoke up.

“I have a problem with you trying to kill my brother. Lay that weapon down, or I’ll blow your motherfucking head off.” Greer moved to stand closer to Jared, placing his rifle against Jared’s skull.

Dustin fanned out to the left, pointing his shotgun at Jared’s stomach. Jared jumped when Dustin and Greer both pumped their shotguns.

“When we get done with these shotguns, you’ll be declared brain dead, and they will be parceling your organs to everyone in Kentucky who needs them.”

“I’d listen, Jared. Put your gun down before I take my shot. I’m getting bored listening to them bragging about how they’re going to take you out.” Knox sidled around them, his weapon pointed at Jared’s face.

Jared’s eyes ping-ponged between the men circling him, then he tossed his gun down onto the floor.

The room filled with gunfire.

“What the fuck!” Tate shoved Sutton into a stack of boxes. One had shards of cardboard sheared off as a bullet struck it.

“Who in the hell’s shooting?” Greer roared as he and Dustin found cover.

Knox grabbed Jared, shoving him toward the door that led outside, but a spray of bullets stopped him.

“Stay where you are, Knox. Jared isn’t going anywhere.”

Tate pushed Sutton down farther, leaning over her to cover her with his body.

“Asher, is that you?” Tate yelled out.

“Stay out of this, Tate. Call your brothers off. Jared is mine. He killed Kyle. After you left, someone called to tell me they saw Kyle and Jared talking in the parking lot last night.”

“That doesn’t mean he killed him,” Tate argued back.

“He did. He bragged about it to me and Cheryl,” Sutton whispered.

Tate changed tactics. “Let me get my woman and brothers out of here, and you can have Jared. You’ll save me the trouble.”

“What about you, Knox?”

“I would have given him to you if you had asked. But that was before you shot at me!” he roared.

“I’m going to suck a shotgun if you all don’t shut up.” Greer stood and, taking aim, shot Jared, who fell to the ground.

“He shot him.” Sutton couldn’t believe Greer had unconcernedly taken Jared’s life in the blink of an eye.

“I’m surprised it took him so long.”

“You son of a bitch! He was ours!” Holt came out from behind a barrel.

“I was tired of waiting for everyone to talk him to death.”

“Greer, you’re under arrest,” Knox snarled.

“Why? I saved Treepoint thousands of dollars in court costs. If you hurry, they may be able to save his organs.”

Sirens came from outside and bullhorns sounded.

“Your deputies are always late,” Greer taunted.

“That’s the state police, you idiot. My deputies are holding the crowd back. I didn’t figure I needed them when I have half the fucking town in here with loaded guns.”

He touched the radio on his shoulder. “Mike, send in the EMTs. Tell everyone to stand down. The threat is over.”

“Sure thing, Sheriff.”

Knox took his hand off the radio. “We have about sixty seconds to get our stories straight. Which one of you wants to take credit for killing him?”

Greer’s chest puffed out. “I did it. I’ll take credit for it.”

Holt stepped forward. “I will. That way, I can claim I was temporarily insane when I found out he killed Kyle. No one on the jury will send me to jail.”

Knox turned to look at Greer. “You good with that?”

“Fuck no. I did it. I want credit for it.”

“You think the jury will let you off? The Hayeses are related to half of the town, and they all hate the Porters. They’d cheer when they sent you off to prison.”

“Dammit.” Greer tossed his shotgun to Holt. “I’ll be wanting that back.”

Holt tossed him his. “I’ll be wanting mine back.”

Knox turned to look at Cheryl questioningly.

“I didn’t see a thing. I was hiding in the bathroom where I couldn’t see.”

“Sutton?”

“I couldn’t see, either,” Sutton said. She couldn’t feel sorry for the man bleeding out on the floor. He had killed to hide his tracks for no other reason than his pride had been injured when Cheryl had divorced him.

“Everyone else try to say as little as possible. Greer, that means you, too.”

“Dustin, if Greer opens his mouth to say more than yes or no, shoot him.”

“Tate! Dustin isn’t going to shoot his brother.” Sutton could tell from Greer’s rebellious expression he wasn’t going to keep quiet, and from Tate’s grim expression, he knew it, too.