Iron Cross: The Dartmouth Cobras #6 (33 page)

“I can’t go home!” Casey shouted, pressing her eyes shut and yawning. “My shoes!”

After two hours, they’d managed to find three dresses for Casey and one for Amia. Socks for both. But even after going through most of the shoe stores in the mall, with overly helpful store assistants bringing out every possible style in her size, they hadn’t found shoes Casey liked.

Becky would tell him not to worry—Casey could get shoes some other time—but he’d be on the road starting tomorrow, and he wanted to make his little girl happy. He looked over at Luke and Tyler helplessly, doubtful either of them could do a damn thing to help.

But he underestimated Luke. His brow furrowed as Luke took off the carrier and handed it to Scott. “Take Amia for a bit. I’ve got this.” Leaving Tyler holding Amia awkwardly against his chest, Luke swooped Casey up in his arms, then onto his shoulders. “Your Uncle Luke will find you the
perfect
shoes, princess.”

As they hurried through the mall, Amia giggling and chattering as though the quick pace made for an awesome ride, Scott’s heart sank. Most of the stores
had already put up their “Closed” signs. Which apparently didn’t bother Luke at all.

He spotted something in a window and plastered a brilliant smile on his lips as he tapped on the glass door, ignoring the sign.

A tired looking middle-aged woman with faded blond hair opened the door. “I’m sorry, sir, but we’re—”

“You work on commission, don’t you, beautiful?” Luke asked, laying on the charm. He glanced back at Scott and Tyler. “We’re about to go on a road trip, and we all need some nice dress shoes.” He leaned closer to her. “It won’t take long. I’m sure you know what’s in style.”

“Of course I do!” The woman laughed, recognition in her eyes as she took them all in. “Oh! You’re the Dartmouth Cobras! My boss has been trying to get one of you in an advertisement. We haven’t been open for long though, so he hasn’t gotten an answer—”

“The answer’s yes if you have those ruby slippers in her size.” Luke pointed in the direction of the storefront. “All three of us at a bargain. I’ll make it happen.”

“You’ve got yourself a deal!” The woman’s face brightened as she motioned them into the store. She hurried into the back and came out with an armful of boxes, blushing when Tyler asked how she knew their sizes. “It’s my job. Let me know if I was right.”

Luke sat with Casey on his lap and cleared his throat
as he glanced at the woman’s name tag. “I’m sure you are, Alice. But the Cobras’ princess comes first.”

“Naturally! Here we go.” Alice took a small pink box from the pile and knelt in front of Luke and Casey as she opened it. “Your friend has good taste, sweetheart. Would you like to try them on?”

Casey’s eyes widened as she gazed down at the red shoes which could have been the very ones Dorothy wore in the Wizard of Oz. She turned and hugged Luke. “I love them! You’re the bestest, Uncle Luke!”

“I try.” Luke hugged her back, then let her down after Alice put the shoes on her. Casey skipped around singing “We’re off to see the wizard” as they tried on the shoes. They had three pairs each chosen when Amia started fussing. Luke paid for everything in cash and signed Alice’s iPhone case with a silver sharpie she’d dug out from behind the cash register. He gave her his manager’s number and promised to get the photo shoot for the store’s ad set up as soon as they got back from the road trip.

Casey was still singing as they left the mall. And Scott decided he loved Luke. He gave him a one-armed hug as they headed back to Silver’s place. Amia was fast asleep.

Halfway there, Tyler’s phone rang. He took it out and swallowed hard.

Scott shot him a questioning look.

“I told Laura to tell Chicklet and Raif I was going to the gym.” Tyler sighed as he answered. “Hey…umm, no. I’m with Luke and Scott. We brought the baby girls to the mall.”

Good man.
Scott wasn’t sure why Tyler would have Laura lying for him, but he had his own fucking problems with honesty in his relationship, so he didn’t want to get involved.

“Yeah, I got some new shoes. I think you’ll like them.” Tyler’s cheeks reddened. “No, no heels—you don’t want me to—oh, thought you were serious! We had a great time with the kids. Me? Hell no, not ready for babies. Probably not ever.” The red faded from his cheeks. “Your dad said
what
?”

Luke snorted, close enough to Tyler to have heard whatever Chicklet said. She talked pretty loud and Luke was nosy.

“I told Laura I was going to the gym, but it was because… Okay, I’m just glad you ain’t mad.” Tyler bit his bottom lip. “I know. And I love you too.”

He hung up, staring at his shoes, not saying a word for a whole block. Casey’s singing was the only sound as they made their way down the quiet street. Finally, Tyler glanced from Scott to Luke.

“I’m not doing this anymore. This week—damn it, I shouldn’t have let my agent tell me we couldn’t hang out. It fuc—”

“Kids around, Tyler.” Luke cut him off before Scott had to. Then he nodded. “But I agree. Today was good and we need to do more stuff like this so people will stop thinking we’re trouble together. How about next week we go do some work at the shelter Seb’s always donating to?”

“Deal.” Tyler exhaled and rubbed the back of his neck. “I feel better now. I should have just told Chicklet where I was going, but it’s all good.”

Scott stared over Tyler’s head at the trees lining the street, still bare and ravaged from the harsh winter, many branches broken from the weight of ice and snow. It was a warm day, but there was still snow sitting stubbornly in patches on the lawns. The air smelled like wet dirt, faintly of the ocean, fresh and lacking the bite of the cold that had surrounded them for so long. But it didn’t feel like spring yet. There was the sensation that the temperature could drop at any moment. Like one last storm could sweep in and kill the fragile green things poking out of the earth and sprouting on the branches.

For some reason, Tyler blowing off the lies like they were nothing irritated Scott. Actually, he knew the goddamn reason. He’d woken up too many times to find Zach’s side of the bed empty. Whenever he asked Zach where he’d been, he’d get a bullshit answer. Apparently, Zach had started smoking regularly again and didn’t want to do it around the house. So he took long walks at 2 a.m. Or first thing in the morning. Or the middle of the day. And what a coincidence, he always forgot his phone.

The last was true at least—though Scott didn’t believe Zach actually forgot his phone on the kitchen table each and every time. He’d
remembered
to change his code so Scott couldn’t check who was calling him at random hours of the day. Not that Scott would confront him with that, because then he’d have to admit he’d been snooping to confirm what he believed to be true. Zach was sneaking around with Zovko.

To make things even messier, Tyler was involved with Zovko now and clearly didn’t suspect a thing. He’d been on Scott’s side in the beginning, but that might change if Scott brought it up. Things with Tyler and Zovko were new and “perfect.” And Tyler would probably make excuses for Zovko, which Scott couldn’t deal with.

No way around it—Tyler was going to get hurt. More so if he did stupid stuff that made problems between himself and Chicklet. Scott couldn’t save his own relationship, but maybe he could make sure Tyler didn’t end up alone when shit hit the fan.

“You love Chicklet, Tyler?” Scott slowed his pace, watching Luke run ahead with Casey to the front door of Silver’s house. Tyler nodded, facing Scott when he stopped. Inclining his head, Scott continued. “Then don’t fucking lie to her. You can say you love her all you want, but if you’re dishonest with her, nothing else matters. Shit happens and love can get you through most of it, but once you lose the trust?” His chest felt like it was caving in, and it wasn’t the weight of the innocent baby strapped to him that made it hard to breathe. It was knowing his own relationship with Zach was broken—maybe beyond repair. And there was nothing he could do to fix it. “There’s nothing left to salvage. What you thought you had is gone.”

“Scott…I haven’t been around, but I’m here now. I want to tell you things with you and Pearce will be okay, but I’m out of the loop.” Tyler squared his shoulders. “He hasn’t been with Raif, I can tell you that.”

“Really? So you know he called Zach before you came over?”

Tyler blinked and shook his head. “He was with Chicklet. They were sleeping when I left.”

“Uh-huh. Well, I guess he woke up. Couldn’t have been long before you headed over.”

“Pearce and Raif were friends before they knew any of us. Doesn’t mean anything.”

“You keep believing that.” Scott continued up the walk, so done with the conversation. Raif was fucking smooth. All Scott could do for Tyler was not say “I told you so” when he finally woke up and saw he was being used. “I don’t.”

L
aura rarely indulged in romance novels, but she had one with a beautiful relationship between two women that she’d picked up on Friday. She hadn’t had a chance to read it until today, but after just a few hours she was almost done.

The heroine in the novel was a nurse, not a cop, but Laura could relate to her because she worked long hours and needed the same stability when she came home. The lover was a waitress and
dominant even though there was no BDSM. Both fictional women had loving families who supported them, which had made Laura wish she’d grown up with the same—but her foster family fit the bill. And Chicklet’s father and stepmother were amazing. The heroine had been artificially inseminated, which had Laura thinking about what going through the process to share a child with Chicklet would be like. Maybe once things settled down, once Tyler moved on with Raif, Laura and Chicklet could make their lives nice and stable.

Once Chicklet read the book, she
might start to see the future they could have just like Laura did. And Chicklet wouldn’t have to worry about Tyler because Raif truly cared for him. Tyler needed to be someone’s sole focus and Raif could give that to him. Everyone would be happy. Everything would be
perfect
.

Her phone rang and she reached over, answering without taking her eyes from the words on the page. She recognized the voice right away and smiled as she spoke. “Hey, Stuart! If your woman’s asking me about her book club again, tell her I’m in. I’m in the middle of—”

“Tallent, I wish it was just that, but I’m calling because…my son is really sick. We’re bringing him to the hospital for more tests. I hate to ask, but I can’t go in today and I got the sarge to okay someone taking over my shift.”

Laura didn’t even think twice; she’d heard about how sick Mick Stuart’s little boy had been, and she could only pray it wasn’t anything serious. If taking over his shift would help, even a little, she would do it. “I’ll let him know I’m coming in. You take care of your boy. And give the tough little man a kiss for me.”

“I will. And I owe you, Tallent.” Stuart sounded drained, but relieved. “I might have to ask for leave, but until then I was scared I’d have to send Lisa to the hospital by herself. And my head wouldn’t be on the job.”

“No worries, I’ve got you.” Laura pushed off the bed and went to the closet to grab her clothes. “I’m hanging up now. Keep me updated.”

“Will do.”

Stuart had cut it close, but Laura kept an eye on the clock as she dressed in her uniform and called the shift sergeant. There’d be no hanging by the water cooler chatting it up with the boys. She’d be in and out, with an officer she’d never worked with before. But Pallet was Stuart’s partner, so he couldn’t be an idiot or she’d have heard about it already. It should be a quiet night.

Schedule all set, Laura went to knock on the master bedroom door. Chicklet opened it, wearing nothing but a sheet. Laura arched a brow at Raif who was grumbling as he lay naked on the bed with his dick rock-hard. Laura had interrupted something.

“I gotta go—won’t be too late.” Laura leaned in for a kiss.

Chicklet stopped her with a finger on her lips. “Ryan told me the other day not to let you work extra hours anymore. Him calling me means you’re seriously overdoing it. Find someone else.”

That sounded too much like an order. Chicklet
never
gave orders when it came to Laura’s job. And now was a really bad time to start. Laura hiked up her chin and took a step back. “I already agreed to take the shift. This isn’t up for negotiation.”

“Laura, please! I know I’ve been gone all week, but I’m back and I missed you. Raif is leaving. It’ll be just me and you.”

“Right, because Tyler going out is fine. You coming back doesn’t interrupt his schedule.” Laura knew she sounded petty, but why was it okay for Tyler to do whatever he wanted? Chicklet had to understand that Laura’s job was important. Saying so shouldn’t even be necessary. “I’m sorry if this upsets you, but I’m going.”

“This has nothing to do with Tyler! Laura, you should have taken a break after dealing with that poor little girl.” Chicklet moved forward, catching Laura’s wrist. “Your brother is worried and that concerns me. You need to let someone else do this. Give yourself time to—”

“This is
my
job. Not all of us have jobs that we can walk away from. You knew I didn’t when you met me. That hasn’t changed.” Laura scowled as Raif sat up on the bed, giving her a hard look. “You have plenty to entertain you. We’ll discuss this later.”

She made it to the door, put on her boots, and hesitated with her hand on the doorknob. She hated leaving like this. Long ago, she should have told Chicklet that she needed more. That she needed to come home to
their
kind of normal. Chicklet working at a bar and smiling at the men and women, listening to their heartaches, giving them advice while knowing she had a woman at home whose only purpose was to make her happy. Laura ending a shift and having a place where everything was predictable. No
boy
around to bring chaos into their lives. Because that chaos was exactly what would ruin everything. The world was only starting to feel comfortable with same-sex couples. Seeing that a lesbian couple could be as monogamous as any other was easier to swallow than seeing a woman who could love both sexes. It was confusing and Laura wasn’t ready to fight the conservatives and the marriage equality conformists. She slammed the door behind her as she realized Chicklet might just hang on to Tyler long enough to make things difficult. He still didn’t bore her.

After receiving her first assignment, Laura felt herself settling comfortably into her routine, even smiling a little as she drove and Pallet chatted nonstop from the passenger seat beside her, filling her travel mug from the thermos he’d brought along. The job today would be easy. The perp was a small-time dealer whom Laura had dealt with before. He stuck to weed and had only done a few months in jail the last time he’d gotten caught. When they served the warrant for his missing his last court date, she’d probably get the same song and dance about how he was paying child support for about ten kids.

Sad that it was true. She’d gone with social workers to remove half those kids from moms who’d gone from puffing a few drags to injecting in the past few months. His grandmother had all five of those babies living with her. The old lady was a blessing. She’d give those kids a future because she’d managed to extract herself from a criminal lifestyle that went back several generations.

At least “Pepper,” whose black hair had gone white after he’d watched a friend gutted in the streets, had stayed small-time. He wasn’t connected to any local gangs that they knew of. He was just too lazy to get a real job.

Laura stepped up to the door of the small, worn-down house on the outskirts of Halifax, and rapped her knuckles on the faded white wooden frame. One of Pepper’s baby mamas would probably answer. She heard a baby squalling inside and hoped Pepper wasn’t high. If he was, his kid would hear him crying and yelling. He hadn’t put up much of a fuss the last time she’d come here, but a year changed a lot. Pallet seemed like a relaxed cop, but one could never tell if the man at your shoulder had a hair trigger until the first time a perp got up in their face.

Pallet shifted in place, glancing over at the sheet-covered window, his jaw ticking in irritation as they continued to wait for someone to come to the door. “You think the baby’s inside by itself?”

“No, Pepper’s a…well, can’t say a good father, but he’s decent. And I think he’s still with the mother of his youngest.” Laura knocked on the door again, this time a bit harder, calling out as the baby went silent. “Pepper, this is Officer Tallent with the Halifax Police Department. If you do not answer the door, we will enter to verify the welfare of the child.”

Beside her, Pallet pulled out his handheld to radio in for backup. She exchanged a look with him, then jerked her head toward the side of the house to let him know she’d take the back. She unclipped her weapon and drew it out, cursing Pepper under her breath for bringing this to a dangerous level. Training had her moving silently along the side of the house, tense and alert, but she kept her finger well away from the trigger. Pepper’s eldest boys were nine and seven, and they were terrified of the
police. She didn’t think Pepper would leave them alone with the baby, but it would explain why no one had answered. And no way would she risk shooting a kid.

With careful, slow sidesteps, she made her way along the brick wall, her weapon held steady, her breaths measured as she listened for any movement in the backyard. Pallet shouted one last warning before kicking in the door. The baby let out a sharp cry of fear.

As Laura rounded the back of the house, someone flew at her. Knocked her off her feet. The sun broke through the clouds and flashed off metal. A knife. Pinned to the damp earth, Laura latched on to Pepper’s wrist as he rose to a crouch over her and lifted the huge butcher knife. His eyes were wild. He would kill her.

She brought her gun up to his chest as the knife came down. The blade slashed her forearm. She pulled the trigger.
Crack!
Deafening, tearing through the air. Through his body. He jerked. Fell on her and shuddered. Grew heavier and heavier. He still had the knife. Her gun was stuck between them, still in her hand, the handle slippery with his blood. Twisting, she freed her hand, blocking the knife coming at her face. The knife fell into the dirt with a thunk. Pepper exhaled, his breath wet, rattling. He lowered his head to her shoulder. Went still.

Sticky and hot, on her body, her hand
s, the blood was everywhere. She gasped and her eyes teared as she searched for the strength to push him off her. To call out for help. The air was smothering her, smelling and tasting of copper. Of blood. So much fucking blood.

“Officer down! Fuck, Tallent, talk to me!” The weight left her and there was Pallet, hovering over her, staring at her chest. He put his hands on her stomach, looking for a hole in her bulletproof vest. Checked her ribs for the same. “Shit, keep your eyes open, I’ve got you, girl. Damn it, you’re bleeding out.”

“Not…” Laura shook her head, her own voice sounding strange. Distant. Her hearing was shot. “Not mine.”

“Where did he get you?” Pallet was shaking. He glanced over his shoulder. “Where the fuck are they?” He grabbed his handheld, smearing blood on his cheek as he shouted into it. “Officer down! We need backup!”

Sirens, far away—or maybe not because the fading light was splashed with flashing red and blue light. People were shouting and spilling into the backyard. Uniforms, plain-clothes officers she recognized, all with guns drawn. They didn’t know the danger had passed. She had to tell them.

She tried to sit up, but only managed to roll to her side a little before Pallet shook his head and leaned closer, speaking slowly. “Don’t move until the EMTs get here. You have to tell me where you’re hurt, Tallent.”

“I’m not—”

“How many suspects, Pallet?” One voice broke through the noise, sharp and strong and close. Ryan, her brother, appearing beside her and pushing Pallet’s hands away. He let out an angry sound when Pallet refused to move. “How many?”

“One.” Pallet reached over and put his fingers on Pepper’s throat. After a minute, his eyes went hard. “He’s dead.”

“Suspect down!” Ryan slid his arm under Laura as she tried to sit again, bracing her back against his bent leg. “Is all this blood his, Laura?”

“Yeah. I shot him.” Laura frowned as she looked over at Pepper, lying still in the dirt. She’d shot him, but…he had a knife. She struggled to get to her feet, not liking that her brother had his back to the man. “He came out with a knife. He still has it—” She winced as Ryan grabbed her wrist and pain sliced down her arm.

His eyes narrowed as he carefully turned her arm. “Fuck, he got you good.” He nodded and an EMT came to her other side. A bandage was pressed to the long gash on her arm. “Can you stand?”

She nodded, swaying a little as the EMT and Ryan helped her to her feet. She couldn’t stop looking at Pepper, but she wasn’t sure if it was because he was dead or because he might not be. People were moving around him, securing the area. There were too many people. And some of them were staring at her, their eyes filled with…relief? Pity?

She stared at the ground as she let Ryan lead her to the front of the house. There were police units, ambulances, and fire trucks crowding the street. They were bringing her to one of the ambulances.

Which would have made sense if Pepper
had
stabbed her. But he didn’t. He was dead because he’d gotten desperate, and it had been him or her. She hadn’t wanted that to happen. She stopped short before they reached the ambulance. She was alive. Able to walk. She wouldn’t lie on a stretcher and get treated like she was worse off than she was.

Pepper was dead.

He was dead and his baby was still in the house. She pulled away from the men. “The baby—”

“A neighbor came over and took the kid. She was standing on the street pointing to the backyard when we pulled in. Kid’s fine.” Ryan pointed at the ambulance. “You’re not. Let’s go.”

“No, I need to go home.”
Oh God, what if Chicklet heard about this?
Laura wouldn’t let her Mistress worry. “You didn’t call her, did you? You call her and she worries and I’ll fucking hate you forever if you did that to her, Ryan!”