Defending Serenty (7 page)

“What are you thinking?”

“You know, Hunter, we could help each other
here.”

“How?” he asks suspiciously.

I shrug one shoulder. “I could skip tearing
apart every piece of property you own for a sixty mile radius and
you can tell me everything you know about Tim Monroe.”

He turns to Trace with a cold furious look
that makes my stomach knot. “You said this wasn’t going to be a
problem.”

“This has jack shit to do with him,” I snap.
“You and I have been working around to this conversation for
weeks.”

He glares down at me. “I don’t know anything
about a missing car and good luck getting those warrants.”

I won’t even try and we both know it. Even if
I find the right property and convince a judge, he’ll have the
place clean. I won’t find shit. Worse, I think I’ve just made an
enemy of Hunter Wallace and that could cause me no end of
headaches. Still, I have to try.

“Look, Hunter, I know you’re basically a good
guy.” Not on the right side of the law but whatever. “Tim is not.
He’s dirty as hell and he’s a snake. He can’t be good for anyone
else’s business around here.”

It’s a good argument. He remains stubbornly
silent though. By this point I realize we’ve drawn a crowd. Lake,
Ryder, and Walker are all standing around him. They are a big
imposing bunch and they’re intentionally trying to intimidate me.
It’s not working. Well, much. I sigh and throw my hands up in the
air. I know I’m not getting anywhere, but I glare at Walker and
Trace before I leave. Neither one of them say a word and their
silence makes it pretty damned clear where they stand. Not with me.
I’m surprised how much that hurts.

“You have my number if you change your mind,”
I say.

“I won’t.”

Unfortunately, I believe him.

Trace

I watch Serenity leave and wonder how much
shit I’m in. I’m gonna have to work to get back into her bed and
I’ve also managed to piss off Hunter even though her confronting
him doesn’t have a fucking thing to do with me. Why the hell did
she do that? It’s also clear there’s a lot going on I don’t know
about. With her and with my friends. Is she dating Monroe or
investigating him? And I haven’t heard a damned thing about the car
either.

“What the fuck is going on?” I ask.

“Your girlfriend needs to get out of my
business,” Hunter snarls.

I’m taken aback at both his tone and calling
her my girlfriend.

“Tell her to back off, Trace,” he continues.
“She doesn’t have much time left. No point in causing problems
now.”

“Much time left for what?” That sounds
threatening and I don’t like it one damned bit.

“She’s quitting her job. She didn’t tell
you?”

I shake my head. I’m the one who needed to
know that. Why had she told Hunter first? I look at Walker who
shrugs. He didn’t know she’d made that decision either. But. I
narrow my eyes. I bet he knows what’s up with her and Monroe.

“And Tim Monroe?”

Everyone tenses up especially Hunter.

“I’m pretty sure she’s investigating him.
She’s right. He’s dirty as hell.”

I’m not surprised. Tim Monroe is a rich
asshole, always has been. I was twenty when I went to prison and
Monroe is my age. My friends and I stayed away from drugs, too
messy, and Tim had filled the void. I’m sure that hasn’t
changed.

“Tell me something I don’t know,
brother.”

Hunter looks around. The clock has slid past
ten and the gym is filling up. “Not here,” he says, and we all trek
into the office.

“Talk,” I order my little brother once the
door closes behind us. “Tell me about Monroe.”

I hope Walker won’t shut me down like Hunter
has. He sighs, goes to the mini-fridge and pulls out a beer. I cock
my eyebrows. At ten in the morning? His expression is grim and he
salutes me with the bottle.

“You might want one too.”

I don’t think so but I’m getting worried. How
deep in the shit is Serenity?

“Monroe’s dirty,” Walker says.

I snort. “Tell me something I don’t know,
little brother.”

He smiles slightly. Everyone else is
suspiciously quiet. This is not good.

“No one can catch him at anything illegal and
most of the good people of Madison think he walks on water. He’s
running drugs. I don’t know how big his operation is. Not my
thing.”

I’m not really surprised at this revelation
and notice Hunter isn’t either.

“Tell me something I
don’t
know, I
said.”

“Okay. About a week and a half ago, a couple
of kids found ten thousand dollars cash down on the riverbank near
Mrs. Baker’s dock.”

That’s a lot of cash to find floating around
in Madison. I reach for Walker’s beer and take a long drink.

“Got your attention, huh?”

I nod once. “Go on.”

He shrugs. “There really isn’t more. That’s
the problem. We live on a quiet little cove, but there’s been a lot
of unexplained night activity. You know that already. The money. A
lot more drug activity than usual.”

He pauses. “Then there’s Monroe and his
squeaky clean image. We all know that’s a crock. His dad almost
bankrupted them before good ole Tim took over and turned their
business around in a year. He started out building warehouses down
on the bay. He’s building condos on the beach now.”

“Not much to go on there.”

Walker fidgets, and I know there is more.
Something I’m really not going to like hearing.

“Remember Magee?”

“Shrimpy little kid used to hang out with
Monroe?”

Walker snorts. “Yeah. Well, he went to work
for Monroe, on one of his construction crews. Couple of weeks ago,
he called Lynn and told her he needed to talk to her about Monroe’s
business. Set up a secret meeting and everything. He never showed
up. No one’s seen him since, actually.”

Great. Walker’s story has just gone from
weird lights and found money--harmless enough--to missing people.
Lowlife people, but still. What the hell is Serenity getting mixed
up in?

I turn to Hunter and he shakes his head.
“This isn’t our business.”

“She is my business,” I say softly, knowing
I’m probably burning every bridge in town. Hunter swears under his
breath then looks me in the eye.

“I know what this woman means to you, Trace,
and if I could help I would. Get her to back off. It’s not just
herself she’s putting in danger by pushing this.”

I remember something Walker said to me
earlier. “Honor?” I ask.

“I want her kept out of this,” he snaps.
“Lynn’s made her own choices.”

What the fuck is going on? I know it’s not my
business but… “Monroe is using her against you, isn’t he? Why?”

He glowers and I don’t think he’s going to
answer but he surprises me. “He knows I don’t like what he does. As
long as I don’t rat on him, he’ll leave us alone. But even if I was
willing to take that risk, I won’t risk her life.”

I’m pissed on his behalf. “He’s threatened
her? Aren’t they family?”

“Second cousins. She’s Lynn’s cousin, you
know. Their mothers were sisters.”

I vaguely remember this. It should have
registered earlier. If Monroe is as dangerous as they all seem to
think I might be able to use that connection to get Serenity to
drop it.

“And yeah,” Hunter continues. “He’s made it
clear he considers her fair game. Family doesn’t mean shit to
him.”

Hunter clearly isn’t going to do anything
that might put her in the line of fire. And he expects me to
somehow get Serenity to back down. The woman is stubborn as hell. I
don’t know if it’s possible but I’m going to try.

“How deep is Monroe?” I ask.

If he saved his family business in a year
he’s hooked up with someone with deep pockets. Hunter shakes his
head.

“I don’t know much. I think he might be
involved with one of the Mexican cartels. If they think Monroe is
close to getting busted they’ll clean house and everyone connected
with him will be fair game. Shut her down, Trace.”

Oh fuck. This is not good. I weigh my
options. They pretty much suck. My chances of getting her to back
off are nil and none. But I can’t help her either. Hunter is right.
If Monroe is in with a cartel there’s no way out. If Serenity
succeeds in bringing Monroe down, they’ll go after her just for the
fun of it. So what do I do? Do I stick my neck out for this woman
who didn’t do the same for me? Or do I walk away. Walking is the
only smart thing to do but I’m not sure I can. She has a hold me
that not even ten years in prison can break. And--I look around the
room--these guys are my family. They’re the ones who stood by me
when she disappeared.

I look at Hunter and I don’t like what I see.
I recognize it. I’ve seen it on my own face. He’s wrapped up in
this woman, Honor, and he’ll do whatever he thinks he has to to
protect her. He doesn’t care much what that will do to me or
Serenity either. He rubs his hand over his face and mutters, “shit,
Trace.”

And I’m so feeling that sentiment.

“I’ll talk to her,” I say, “but I doubt it
will do any good.”

“Try,” he says.

I nod. “I will.”

Though we both know I’ll be wasting my
breath.

Chapter Five

Serenity

It’s after six and I’m pulling into my
driveway when Honor finally calls me back.

“Hey! What the fuck is up with you and Hunter
Wallace?” I snap.

There’s a long silence. Too long. I check the
phone but we’re still connected. “Honor?”

“There’s nothing going on. He’s asked me out
but I know what he is and I’m not interested.”

Liar, liar. She’s interested all right. She’s
just chicken. And listen to me casting stones. She’s right and I
know it and I’m just not sure I give a shit anymore.

“Why?” she asks.

“He demanded I meet him at his gym this
morning to ask where the hell you are.”

And that was a complete cluster fuck. I tap
my fingers on the steering wheel and stare at Trace as he steps out
on to my front porch. I need better locks. He can obviously get
past mine.

“What did you tell him?”

“That you’re out of town on business. Is that
a lie?”

I suddenly wonder if that’s an excuse she
gave us so she could avoid Hunter. Dude, she doesn’t have to do
that with me. I get it more than anyone else does.

“No, it really is a business trip. Let it go,
Lynn. It’s not happening so no worries.”

She sounds firm and resolute and who am I to
argue? Especially with Trace standing a few yards away, arms
crossed over his chest and looking supremely pissed off.

“When will you be home?” I ask her.

“The twenty-seventh. Grace will still be town
so we’ll all get together, ‘kay?”

“Sure. No problem. I’ll see you then.”

We say our goodbyes and taking a deep breath,
I get out of the car. He doesn’t say a word as I pass him and walk
into the house. He’s cooked again. It smells divine. Who is this
guy and what has he done with Trace Graham? I head straight to the
kitchen and to the stove, lifting the lid on a pot of marina sauce
and breathing the scent in. Incredible. Why is he taking care of
me? Is it just about the sex? When I look at him I don’t have a
clue. He’s just so…detached. It irritates me no end.

“You need to stop breaking into my house,” I
snap. He just cocks an eyebrow.

“We both have to eat, Serenity. And you know
as well as I do, at some point tonight we’re gonna end up in bed
together.”

I feel a little lightheaded at the image that
statement evokes and firm my resolve. He’s so damned cocky. Am I
that big a pushover? Or just that far gone? I remember the scene at
the gym this morning and the way he stood against me. I didn’t
expect him to take my side but he could have at least stayed
neutral. And that is a damned good reminder of why I shouldn’t be
fucking him. I shouldn’t care about what he does or doesn’t do or
how he treats me when other people are around. But damn it. I
do.

“Oh you’re gonna have do some groveling
before you get back in my bed,” I snap.

He doesn’t say a word as I pour a drink and
light a cigarette but I see the distaste on his face. I guess he’s
had ten years to kick the habit. He probably thinks I’m weak and
have no willpower. The hell with him. While I watch he fills a pot
with water, puts it on the stove and turns the heat to high.
There’s a box of spaghetti waiting on the counter but he doesn’t
touch it.

“You’re playing with fire, baby,” he says,
and I
hate
that I melt at that endearment.

“Am I? Let me guess. Hunter talked to you and
you got sent to call me off, right?” I ask bitterly. This is such
bullshit.

“You’re a small town cop,” he says. “If you
think something is really wrong here why aren’t you bringing in the
experts?”

That cuts. He thinks I’m not capable? Or
qualified? I watch him. No, that’s not it. He’s trying to misdirect
me. To distract me. I’m not falling for it.

“How’s your training going?” I ask. “New
Year’s in Panama City, right? That’s not long off.”

Ten days. I can’t believe it’s that close and
that far. He gives me a look I can’t decipher but he doesn’t change
the subject.

“Yeah. And the training is going well.” Then
he grins. “Are you coming?”

It’s not an outrageous question. I’ve been
before, a very long time ago, and it’s obvious he remembers. I’m
not sure I can stomach it anymore. I barely could then. And I’ll
still be wearing this badge on December thirty first. I shake my
head.

“No. It would probably be best if I
don’t.”

“It’s in another state. And you’re resigning,
remember?” He doesn’t sound happy about that. “Why didn’t you tell
me before Hunter?”

Ah, I get it now. He’s pissed he didn’t hear
first. I shrug. “We were talking. It came up.”