Rock Chick 06 Reckoning (47 page)

Mace saw me pale and his eyes narrowed on my face.

He dropped his hand from my neck, sat straight and hit the button for the speakerphone.

I stil talked into the handset.

“Mom, you have to take the money.”

“My life’s been a livin’ hel since you left, girl.” I heard Mom over the speakerphone and her voice was sharp and ugly. “You left me to him. Didn’t think for a second about me, what I might go through with you gone. You were always so damned selfish. Then I got the cancer. We don’t hear word one from you for years. Now you think you can swoop in, big time rock star, in the papers, datin’ a famous athlete, make it
all
better.” She dragged out the “al ” with acid sarcasm.

I felt my heart lurch and my stomach clench as my mother delivered her gut kick.

She sounded like Dad.

And she’d seen the papers.

Which meant she knew I was the target of a kil er.

And she didn’t care.

“Mom.”

“He’s on a tear about this money. You ain’t helpin’ things.

I don’t need this. I need to rest.”

“Mom, let me help.”

“You can help by keepin’ your nose outta our business.

You wanted to be gone, Stel a, you’re gone. Let me die in peace.”

“Mom.”

“Don’t cal back and I ain’t tel in’ him that money was from your hotshot boyfriend neither. I got enough to deal with.”

“Please, Mom, listen to me.”

But the phone was dead.

I stared at it, silent.

Mace was not silent, he muttered, voice low, “You have got to be fuckin’ shittin’ me.”

I didn’t look at him. I kept staring at the phone. I was a mixture of mortified and… I didn’t know what.

Final y, I put the handset back in the receiver.

“You… have gotta be… fuckin’
shittin’
me,” Mace repeated and, final y, I looked at him.

Uh-oh.

He was pissed.

“Mace –”

His hands went to the phone, he twisted his torso violently, ripping it out of its socket, the cord flying. He got to violently, ripping it out of its socket, the cord flying. He got to his feet and, using the entirety of his upper body for momentum, he threw it across the room.

It exploded against the wal .

Erm.

Wow.

My eyes moved from the phone back to him. “Mace.” His gaze sliced to mine.

“Those ties have been severed,” Mace said, his voice trembling with fury.

“Mace.”

“You’re not phonin’ that bitch again. I don’t care if she’s dyin’.”

“Mace.”

He exploded, “You’re their fucking
daughter!
Do they
not
know how fucking
precious
you are?” Oh dear.

I wasn’t sure this was about me.

Wel , maybe it was mostly about me but it wasn’t al about me.

I got close to his tense body and put my hands to his neck.

“Mace, look at me.”

His eyes tilted down but his head didn’t. His chest was moving in and out rapidly like he was breathing heavily.

“She cal ed you selfish,” he told me.

“Forget it.”

“Said you didn’t think about her when you left.”

“I heard her,” I whispered.

“She ever think of you when he was abusin’ you?”

“Mace.”

“Answer me, Stel a.”

“No,” I said quickly.

“She ever protect you?”

“No.”

“She used you to protect herself.”

I got closer. “Mace, don’t –”

“She did, didn’t she?”

“Yes,” I said quietly.

“She’s worse than your Dad.”

“She’s not. She’s just weak.”

“Don’t fuckin’ defend her. She’s worse.”

I squeezed his neck. “Okay. She’s worse.” My hands slid up to the sides of his head into the hair behind his ears and I pressed with my fingers until his head tilted down. “Don’t be angry. They’re not worth it.”

“I gave them six thousand dol ars.”

I closed my eyes.

“You know what I’d give to have my fuckin’ phone ring and Caitlin’s voice comin’ at me from the other end?” he asked.

I opened my eyes and saw the demons in his.

Shit.

“What would you give?” I whispered.

“Everything,” he whispered back.

“I love you,” I said softly, jumping the gun, saying it far faster than I planned.

But I couldn’t help it. It just slipped out. I couldn’t have stopped it even if I tried.

Mace stared at me.

So, even though it scared the effing hel out of me, since I’d thrown it out there, I might as wel go with it.

So I did.

“You’re the best thing that ever happened to me in my whole life. My hands could be crushed so I couldn’t play guitar ever again and I wouldn’t care as long as I had you.” Mace continued to stare at me.

I pressed my body to his, got close to his face, looked into his beautiful eyes and made a big mistake.

“It’s not my place to say but, I’m guessing, I was Caitlin, I had a brother like you I wouldn’t have gone through what I went through. I would have known a good life, a happy life, a lucky life. I bet you protected her from your father. I bet you kept her safe. She was lucky, until the end, to have you.”

“Quiet Stel a.”

“It’s true.”

“You don’t know what the fuck you’re talkin’ about.”

“I bet I do,” I whispered.

His hands came to my biceps, his fingers curled around and they did it so tightly, they hurt.

“Quiet,” he growled.

I nodded but I didn’t wince and I didn’t move away, even as his fingers bit deep into my flesh.

We stared at each other, his face tight, I hoped mine was open.

But he didn’t give me anything.

Not even a little thing.

He was closed.

He was gone.

Shit!

Then the door opened.

I looked around Mace as he twisted toward the door.

We saw Vance swing in. His eyes took in the destroyed phone then skimmed across us both but locked on Mace.

Then Vance said, “We got trouble.”

Stella

I fol owed Mace and Vance into the reception area. I nearly ran into Mace’s back because he stopped dead the minute he hit the room. I stepped around him and stared.

Preston Mason was sitting, legs crossed, calm as you please, on the couch.

As if that wasn’t bad enough, Jerky George, the DA, was standing just inside the door next to a somewhat unattractive older woman with a pinched face and bags around the ankles of her hose.

Vance had spirited me into the offices for my lunch with Mace. Shirleen hadn’t been around when I arrived but now she was there. She wasn’t seated behind the reception desk. She was standing and she was looking pissed off.

“You’re jokin’,” Shirleen snapped in the direction of the older woman.

“What the fuck are you doin’ here?” Mace asked and with a quick glance I saw he was talking to his father.

“Mace,” Vance said low.

Preston Mason was staring at me.

“I thought we had an arrangement,” Preston asked me.

“Erm…” I mumbled.

Effing hel !

Caught!

“I asked you what you’re doin’ here,” Mace repeated.

Preston’s eyes moved from me to his son, his hands came from where they were resting in his lap and he flicked them out to his sides, cool and calm.

“I came to talk to you. But I’ve been delighted to have the opportunity to watch this drama unfold.” Preston motioned between Shirleen, George and pinch-faced lady.

That’s when, belatedly, I felt a chil crawl up my spine.

“Shirleen, you okay?” I asked hesitantly.

“No… I… am… not,” Shirleen answered.

Oh dear.

“What’s going on?” I asked.

“Perhaps, Miz Jackson, we can go somewhere private,” the pinch-faced lady suggested.

“Ain’t nothin’ you can’t say in front of my boys.” Shirleen gestured to Mace and Vance.

“You have more people in your audience,” George told Shirleen and Shirleen’s narrowed gaze swung to him.

“Stel a’s my girl. And that one’s a jackass so he don’t count,” Shirleen replied, giving a nod toward Preston Mason.

I nearly laughed but I didn’t.

“Shirleen, take it to Lee’s office. We’l wait until Jules gets here,” Vance put in.

“I’m afraid Mrs. Crowe is likely busy,” George told Vance. “You see, King’s Shelter is having a surprise inspection today.”

Oh hel . That was where Jules worked.

Mace was right about Jerky George and he wasn’t wasting any time in seeking retribution.

“First thing they’l be looking into is your wife’s files on the placement of two street kids with a known felon,” George continued.

“Interesting,” Preston Mason said slowly. “Is she the felon?” he asked curiously, jerking his head toward Shirleen then his eyes locked on Vance. “Or is he talkin’ about you, Crowe? I know
you’re
a felon.” When the pinch-faced lady gasped, Preston nodded to her and went on informatively,

“Grand theft auto.”

Oh no.

This was not happening.

Pinch-faced lady stared at Vance for a few seconds then she breathed, “Juliet Crowe is married to a felon?”

“No,” I snapped. “She’s married to a hot guy.” It was my turn to have pinch-faced lady stare at me then she blinked rapidly and final y turned to Shirleen.

“Miz Jackson, we need to do an immediate intervention,” she explained. “Those boys wil be placed elsewhere while we look into this matter. You should have expected this as you had your home invaded and fired a .44 caliber weapon during said invasion while both boys were in residence.”

“I have a right to protect my home and my boys,” Shirleen retorted.

“I’m sorry but I’m not sure it’s policy to al ow firearms in the homes of foster carers,” pinch-faced lady shot back with saccharine sweetness.

“He shot three times into the livin’ room. The night before, Roam had fal en asleep on the couch watchin’

movies. He could have been hit!” Shirleen clipped.

“You can explain that while we take your report,” pinch-faced lady said. “But those boys are going to need to be moved today.”

“Those boys aren’t goin’
anywhere
,” Shirleen fired back.

I looked across the room and Preston Mason was grinning.

Erm.

No.

Someone had to do something and that someone was going to be me.

“Are you saying Shirleen has to give up her constitutional rights to be a foster carer?” I asked pinch-faced lady.

Pinch-faced lady swung her pinched-face to me. “Who are you?”

“I’m Shirleen Jackson’s friend,” I answered.

Pinch-faced lady’s eyes went to Jerky George and she asked, “Does she deal drugs too?”

Shirleen growled. Preston Mason laughed. I felt both Mace and Vance go stil . My head prepared to explode.

“What did you say?” I hissed, taking a step forward but Mace moved, his arm came around my waist and he halted my progress by hauling me against his body.

“Everyone knows what she is.” Pinch-faced lady pointed at Shirleen.

I leaned toward her, straining at Mace’s arm. “I want you to say it. Out loud. So everyone in this room can bear witness to your slander.”

“Stel a,” Mace spoke low behind me.

“No,” I twisted to look at Mace. “They wanna dig their hole deeper? We should let them. Hel , we should encourage it!” I ended up yel ing.

“Be quiet,” Mace ordered.

I was not going to be quiet.

My mother was just mean to me and Mace heard it and it made him destroy a phone.

My father had been mean to me al my life.

In fact, al my life I’d been rol ing over and letting people deliver gut kick after gut kick.

I was done rol ing over.

I turned around and glared at George. “How stupid are you?” I asked.

His eyes narrowed. “I’m sorry?”

“Have you
not
been reading the paper? Don’t you know that everyone who works in this office is famous? We’re the darlings of Denver. So, if you don’t get your, and her,” I pointed to both of them, “asses outta here, I’m cal ing
The
Denver Post
and I’m tel ing them
all
about you. You won’t have to wait for Lee to wipe the floor with you.
I’ll
do it.” George’s eyes moved to Mace and he demanded,

“Mason, control your woman.”

“Oh no. Not gonna happen,” I cut in shaking my head.

“Lee said you wanted the Governor’s mansion. So when folks go to vote do you want people to remember you as the guy who brought low a good woman, a woman who not only opens her home to runaways but puts herself in the path of bul ets to keep them safe? Oh, I bet the people of Colorado wil just
love
that. Coloradans, by the way, don’t care about their Second Amendment rights. Don’t let that worry you one bit!” I snapped sarcastical y and then went on. “And Jules, a social worker who’s pregnant for God’s sake. She spends her days doing good deeds and you’re making her life miserable. And let’s not forget the rest of the Rock Chicks, living behind alarms and not able to go anywhere without bodyguards. We were just going about our business and then we al got shot at! Shot at! I got hit!” I was now yel ing. “Two of those Rock Chicks are fiancées of cops. Cops who keep the streets safe. I’m sure that’l make you
real
popular. And you could stop it but you didn’t. Al of this as retribution because you didn’t get your way not because you were fighting for right, for justice but because you were standing in the way of it while people’s asses were on the line. How’s that gonna sound? That’s gonna make juicy headlines, George. I’m sure I’l find a reporter who’l eat this up. You’re gonna be fucked. People wil hate you.”