Cash Money (Bad Money #4) (9 page)

Chapter 16

Kate

"Bastard." She threw the phone across the room and finished changing for a night at the club. There was no reason in fighting Marcus. He would win. He always did. He was doing just like he'd done all those years ago - shutting her out. Protecting himself from the inevitable.

"What if it's you?" she screamed into the empty room around her before picking up a vase of half dead flowers and launching them across the room. "What if I choose you?"

Anger burned through the center of her as she gripped the edge of her dresser and pulled, heaving with all of her strength to pull it over.

"What if it's always been you, goddammit?" She was screaming as tears burned her eyes. There was no choice in the future. It was being made for her. It wasn't her path to choose, her right to decide. It never had been. Marcus had the final say.

"Well, fuck you for it, then." She flipped the kitchen table over before dropping to the couch and letting the horror of the last eight years blow over her. Sobs that wracked her entire body pumped through her, pulling her to the floor and leaving her panting for air.

Jon was a good man, and the right choice, but every part of her whispered the truth.

Marcus was her soul mate. The man had pulled her from the belly of hell, and would do it again, and again, and again. He would always be the one.

Too bad he didn't feel the same.

Lying on the floor, she cried herself to sleep, and didn't budge until the middle of the next morning.

*

A groan left her as she pulled herself up the next morning. Resolution settled inside of her. She wasn't going to force anything where Jon and Marcus was concerned. The focus would be getting her club back on track and taking out Billy through nefarious means or by working with the cops, either way.

She fixed her hair and put on a little make-up before locking up and walking to a sandwich shop with a great patio and homemade lemonade. She got a table by herself and sat out in the sun, basking in the freedom that whatever happened wasn't truly up to her. Words were empty, and actions were damning. There was no way to win and live to tell about it.

"I thought I might find you here." Marcus's voice surprised her.

"What are you doing back so soon?" She lifted her sunglasses and stared her oldest friend in the face.

"Can I sit down, or are you waiting on someone?" He smirked and pulled out the chair.

"Of course you can." She picked up her lemonade and took a long drink while she watched him. "Did you take the red-eye?"

"Yeah. I figured I needed to get home and help you with everything." He brushed his hand down his thick chest. "You look good. Hot."

She chuckled. "You're a little bias, or you used to be." Adverting her eyes from him, she watched the pigeons out in the street dance around as a small boy tossed breadcrumbs all around them.

"Kate."

"No. Hush. I'm enjoying the serenity of the moment. I'm going to clean up the club and work on inventory this afternoon, review a few more resumes, and then work the front door tonight." She looked back over at him. "I'm not ready to part with this life just yet. You are, which is okay, but I can't. I need to pretend like tomorrow is going to be similar to yesterday. All right?"

He nodded and picked up the straw she wasn't using. He unwrapped it and nibbled on it as he turned and looked away from her, giving her a chance to study him. The thick muscles of his neck and back bunched as he turned and handed the boy a packet of crackers.

"Get closer. They don't bite, little man." Marcus chuckled and glanced back at her. "Jon's back on the force. We're going to use their help to shut down Billy. I have an ace in the hole from Chicago too, but I need your help."

"You'll always have my help, Marcus. Just tell me where to be and what to wear." She glanced up at the waitress who delivered her sandwich. "Thanks."

"You're not eating all of that, right? It'll go straight to your ass." He lifted his eyebrow and reached for a few of her chips.

"I thought you like big asses." She took a bite of her sandwich and tried to dislodge the pain building at the base of her throat.

"I like your ass, however it comes." He winked and picked up the other half of the sandwich. "There's a huge ball tomorrow night for the Easter weekend. The one they do every year at the Marriott. I need to get Billy there. Can you help me with that?"

"Yes. I'll call him and tell him that I have the information he wants on the drugs in New York, but that I want to be around others when I tell him." She shrugged. Seemed simple enough. Billy liked to outwit the average man, so being at the party and going unnoticed was most likely a hard-on that he wouldn't be able to forgo.

"You'll be with me and Jon the whole night though. No leaving our sides. All right?" He took a big bite of the sandwich and watched her.

"Who did you see in Chicago?" She leaned back in her chair, wanting the truth more than the comfort of not staring the inevitable in the face.

"A mafia group up there that's looking for some help. They need someone to run their narcotics ring, and it seems like a good deal." He licked at his lips. "You and Jon can run the club. You know you can. I'm just getting in the fucking way at this point."

"That’s fine, but I'm not keeping the drug cartel afloat down here. I don't want it." She took another bite of her sandwich, hoping like hell that she could hold herself together through the conversation that was sure to come.

"I know that. I don't want you to. Let it die down, and I'm sure these guys up north will reach in and snag the business from their hub up there." He picked up a napkin and wiped his mouth after shoving the rest of the sandwich in.

"And you're going up there alone?" She reached for her drink as her stomach turned upside down.

"Do you want to go with me?" He reached for her hand, covering his with hers. "To just belong to me? Is that what you want? All these years of us keeping our distance and working to protect each other from this moment? You want the story to end with us in what? A relationship? A marriage?"

She pulled her hand from his slowly and forced a sarcastic smile. "Of course not. I just wondered whether Zak was going with you."

"Oh." Marcus smirked. "Well, shit. You let me look like a dick going on about us. Bitch."

She shrugged and asked for the check. "And what if I did want to go with you? What if I decided that our friendship was the most comfortable thing in my life?"

"You hate this life. Even
I'm
not enough for you to consider continuing to live in it. It's not just drugs, Kate. I wish it were, but it's death and violence. It's all part of the gig."

"I can be violent." Tears burned her eyes as she took a shallow breath.

"Don't do this, baby." He moved toward her and pulled her from her chair and into his lap as he wrapped her in his arms. "Jon's the right choice, Katie. I'll always be in your life. You know that. This isn't what you want. It never, ever has been. I wanted so much more for you, and yet here we are again all because of my dicked up choices."

She nodded and pressed her face against his neck, breathing in the smell of coming home.

"Right. Okay." She moved back and ran her hands over the strong muscles of his jaw. "One more night."

"Yes. I need one more night with you." He leaned in, pulling her down for a long kiss. It wasn't a kiss that offered comfort or heat, but a parting one. One that bled sorrow and hurt too deep to ignore.

Kate pulled back and stood up. "You're on the schedule tonight. Don't be late you bastard. Buy our lunch while you're at it."

She turned and walked through the crowd as tears dripped down her face.

"And there you have it," she whispered before jogging across the street and tapping the code on the side of the wall to enter the club.

"Boss? That you?" Jeffery called out from the bar top.

"Yeah. I'm here. We'll all be here tonight." She wiped at her tears. "One last time. One last ride."

Chapter 17

Kate

Everything went smoothly until the sounds of fighting on the dance floor pulled her from the front door and forced her to get into the middle of the fray. A group of girls were squaring off for a fight.

"Oh no the fuck you didn't. He's my man." A tall girl with pink hair screamed at another girl who was far too small to be messing with the big bitch.

"Hey." Kate got in between them. "That's enough. Cut it out or take your asses outside."

"Back off, bitch," the girl to her left barked at her and swung.

Kate moved back and ducked before swinging herself and hitting the girl square in the chin. She turned to the other girl with her hands lifted as if ready to continue the punishment.

"Um, no. Thank you." The girl backed up and half tripped over herself. One of the guys working the bar with Jeffery came over and pulled the first girl off of the floor.

"Anyone else?" Kate glanced around the room. "Hold your liquor or get the fuck out."

"You got this?" Marcus stopped by the floor and lifted his eyebrow at her.

"Yeah. It's all good." She moved past him, rubbing her shoulder by his chest. "Where's Jon? He was supposed to be here an hour ago."

"You want me to call him?" Marcus followed her into the storage room.

"No. Yes. I don't fucking know." She turned around and pressed her hands against the large box in front of her. "I want to be into this place, but I can't. I hate the music. The people. The smells. The fucking fighting and bullshit every night."

Marcus moved around to stand in front of her and slid his hands over her shoulders and down her arms. "Then get out of it. Sell it to Jeffery."

And what? Come with you? Ask me to come with you.

"Has he mentioned wanting it?" She reached out and untucked Marcus's shirt, wanting to feel his flesh against her fingers.

"No, but I know that he loves this place." Marcus brushed his hands up to cup her neck and forced her to look up at him. "You need a hit?"

"Yes. Get me one." She ran her hands under his shirt, brushing it by his tightened nipples and over the thickness of his chest. "Then fuck me."

"Anything you want." He leaned down and licked at her mouth. "I couldn't stop thinking about you last night. I wanted so badly for someone else to catch my eye, for someone else to matter, but even with you pissed and hating me, I was hard as a rock just hearing your voice."

"Fuck you." She tugged at his shirt, pulling it off of him. "I can't do this without a hit. I won't. I don't wanna know it's you."

He nodded as pain raced across his handsome features.

Good I hope it hurts like hell.

"I'll be right back with something." He nipped at her mouth and walked out, leaving her standing there, panting, needy, aching.

Kate moved to the last row of boxes and walked to the farthest wall in the storeroom before pressing her back against it and working to catch her breath.

One last time.

"Where are you, baby?" Marcus's voice was low and filled with lust. "You hiding from me, Katie."

She laughed, unable to help herself. "Lock the door, Marcus."

"Already done, lover." He walked down the aisle and extended the joint to her. "Toke up. I wanna play rough."

"Good." She pulled the tainted burn deep into her lungs and pressed the back of her head to the wall as she closed her eyes and enjoyed the feeling of him ripping at her clothes, undressing her with precision and gripping her flesh tightly.

"Turn around and lift your ass for me." He bit her ear as she let out a cry and turned around. After hitting the joint once more, she handed it to him over her shoulder and pressed her hands to the wall, sliding them up until her breasts were pressed firmly to it.

"God, you're fine, Katie. The hottest woman I've ever seen in my life." He moved up and ran something over her back, up her spine and over her shoulders. Silk.

She let out a soft sigh as he blindfolded her and the room went black.
Perfect.

"Do you want Jon with us? He'll be here soon. I'll have him come offer you comfort after I fuck you up good." His dark chuckle left goosebumps running across her flesh.

"No," she whispered and pressed her ass against him, rubbing along the ridges of his zipper. "Shut up making promises and come on. Enjoy yourself, Marcus. Never again."

"Idle threats, baby girl." His strong hands moved up her tummy and cupped her breasts as his teeth grazed by the back of her shoulder. "Tell me where you want my cock, Kate."

"Inside of me. As far as you can go." She exhaled and pushed back as every cell in her body lit up. The high provided by the drug was nothing compared to the brute behind her, touching her, teasing her.

"Such a good girl, Kate." His kisses and tongue dragged down her back and over the curve of her ass before his mouth pressed to her center, his hands forcing her legs open wider as he sucked hard and played for keeps.

Pleasure danced along her nerve endings, and her moans filled the room as Marcus's fingers dug into the back of her thighs, and his moans skittered across her clit.

"Come and let me taste you." He lifted up and shook his face from side to side as she bent down and rocked against him, screaming her orgasm as the world burst into a myriad of color. She couldn't get her panting under control as a slight tremor shook her legs.

"More," Marcus grumbled against her swollen flesh, kissing at her slowly, softly.

"Fuck me," she groaned and pulled away from him.

"Yeah." He moved from her as she clung to the wall, never having felt so vulnerable. The sound of him pulling his pants off delighted her, thrilled the deepest parts of her, and left her mind bouncing with ideas.

The sharp slap to her ass was delicious, and she cried out as he gripped her hips and pressed himself into her.

"You should see how fucking hot this is, Kate. Your little pussy takes me so well, so beautifully, baby." He pushed in farther, and warmth filled her as his body stretched her open and demanded obedience.

His thumb brushed by her ass, and she cried out again. "Yes."

His strong hand gripped her shoulder as he worked himself out of her in long, deep thrusts, forcing her to take more of him each time.

"Push back and take what you want." He rubbed softly against her tightness, urging her to take his thumb as far as she could. Pleasure burst across her stomach as she screamed and jerked against him.

"Goddammit, Kate. I don't want to come yet." He moved his hand from her shoulder to grip her hair as he fucked her harder, deeper. The delicious sounds of their sex combined with the smell of lust infiltrating the air left her lost to him as she always had been.

"Don't. Not yet." She took a quick breath and pressed her hands to the wall before arching her back and bouncing on his cock, working him hard and fast.

"Not fair." His fingers tightened around her hair as he jerked her head to the right and pressed his mouth to her neck, mumbling his adoration. "There's no one like you, Kate. No one ever, baby. There never will be."

Pain ripped through her chest and a sob left her. "Don't talk. Not another word."

"I need you to know that I love you. This is about you more than it is me. Please see that. Please." He smacked her ass again before reaching down and gripping her hips.

She pressed her hands to the wall as emotions built inside of her. So many. Too many. Swirling around and assaulting her.

The power of his thrusts lifted her off the ground slightly, but she held on, needing to feel him lose control with her once more.

His arms wrapped around her, squeezing the air from her lungs as he cried out and came. She joined him, letting him use her for anything he needed to feel pleasure, warmth, love.

"Fuck," he groaned and set her down before pulling out of her and turning her to wrap her in a tight hug.

She pulled the blindfold from her eyes and pressed herself against him, kissing at his neck and face. So many things needed to be said, but she couldn't verbalize any of them. He was being the bigger man, the stronger person, and where she hated him for it, he'd always been the one to pick her up when she fell.

Why would now be any different?

"So fucking delicious." He brushed his lips by hers. "I'm going to get to the front. You need my help getting dressed or need a bottle of water?"

"No. Get the fuck outta here and stop babying me. I need air." She pushed at his chest and watched him get dressed as she held herself tightly together.

He chuckled and worked to pull his pants on. His thick erection had gone down hardly any, and the idea of taking him upstairs for a long night together teased her. It would be bliss, but she'd not emotionally survive it. The thread inside of her was once again unraveling. Quickly.

"All right. I'll see you up front. Fucking hot, Katie." He winked at her and walked out, leaving her standing there.

She dressed quickly, and grabbed a bottle of vodka before walking to the back door of the club and pushing hard. The alleyway appeared empty and the chilly night's air was exactly what she needed on her skin.

A good life with Jon and plenty of love and lust? Wholeness and serenity? Goodness and peace?

Or a violent life with Marcus with more passion than anyone should have access to? Love that could span the brinks of time, but always coming in second to his career, to his darkness?

"Someone looks a little occupied." Billy moved down the alley as Kate froze in place.

She had time to get back into the club before he could grab her, but the tight hand that clamped down on the back of her neck said that it wasn't him she needed to be worried about.

"Kate. Nice to see you again, pretty girl. I owe you one for the warm welcome at Cafe Dumont." Reni gave her a tight smile.

"About that... I sure am sorry." She gave him a cheeky grin and pulled from him before setting down the bottle. "I'll meet you in the club if you want to talk. I'm not standing in this alley. People die out here. I'm not in the mood to meet my end just yet."

"Kate. Enough of the tough girl bullshit. You owe me information on the supplier in New York."

"I've been busy. I'll get it." She shrugged, trying to slow her racing heart.

"No, you won't, but the same pathetic thug that keeps giving his life up for yours will." Billy laughed and nodded to Reni. "Grab her. Let's go."

Reni wrapped his arms around Kate and clamped something over her mouth as she kicked and screamed.

"Does she know?" Reni asked as he pushed her against the wall roughly, knocking the air from her lungs.

She had no choice but to breathe in deeply, staining her lungs with the chloroform.

"No, but you should tell her. That's as good as a kick in the balls." Billy turned and walked away from them as Kate continued to struggle.

"Marcus sold his soul to the devil for you. Did you know that? Your freedom for his slavery. Oh fuck... the things Billy made him do as repayment. Makes me wanna cry in the corner when I think about all of it."

Kate screamed past the napkin as the truth set in. Marcus hadn't said no to joining her all those years back. He'd given up the right to say yes.

"No! No!" She screamed over and over until the drug pulled her down toward the warm darkness.

"That's a good girl. He'll come for you, Katie. He always does, right?"

Tears dripped down her face as she let herself go. This was the one time she prayed like hell that he wouldn't. Neither him, nor Jon. They'd be walking into their deaths. All because of her.

It was always because of her.