Iron Cross: The Dartmouth Cobras #6 (28 page)

“But he
didn’t
. And White’s like, straight straight.”

“Does it matter?” Raif asked as Tyler lifted his head. “Would it change your friendship with White if it were true?”

“No, but she made it sound like something dirty. I mean, after saying Tim was like a dad to him…”

“I agree. And it hurt White, but the team will stand behind him, and he will take it for what it was. An attempt to make a story out of nothing.” Raif hoped he was right. Even more when he saw the hope in Tyler’s eyes. The team had been such an integral part of the boy’s life for so long. He needed to believe in them.

“White and Pisch would make a cute couple. Kinda feel bad for Pisch. I think he’s in love with the big guy.” Tyler grinned and shook his head. “I’m glad things are simple with us.”

“Are they?” Raif straightened and grabbed his sports bag as Tyler retrieved his own. “You’re in a relationship with two women, exploring your attraction to me, and you consider that simple?”

“Compared to some of the shit I see around here? Hell yeah!” Tyler laughed as he shoved the locker room door open wide enough for them both to pass. “Chicklet says it’s okay, so it is. Not complicated.”

Well, that was one way to look at it. Raif smiled at the back of Tyler’s head, relieved that his boy had moved past the unpleasantness so quickly. He seemed to have a talent for it.

Halfway through the parking lot, Tyler’s phone rang. He answered, his whole face lighting up. “Hey, Chicklet! Did you see the game? Yeah, I did good, but then shit happened in the locker room, and you would have so ripped that chick into little pieces…”

The conversation continued as Raif loaded his and Tyler’s bags into the trunk of his car. Kept going as he drove Tyler home. Once they reached the front door of Tyler’s condo, Tyler stopped and held out the phone to Raif.

“She wants to talk to you.”

Raif took the phone and continued into the kitchen as Tyler disappeared into the back of the condo. “Hello?”

“Thank you. Sounds like you took real good care of my boy.” Chicklet sounded tired, but relieved. “From what I made out of his rambling, that could have gone bad.”

“He managed to dismiss his concerns fairly quickly.” Raif looked through the cabinets for a glass, filling it with water and taking a few gulps to get rid of the dryness in his throat, which had suddenly come to him when Chicklet had said “my boy.” Tyler was hers, but Raif had gotten into the habit of thinking of Tyler as his own.

“He’s good at that, but only when someone gives him a damn good reason to.”

“I only hope the team doesn’t prove me wrong.”

“They better not.”

“Enough of the team. You do realize I have been toying with your subs while you’ve been gone?” Raif needed to push Chicklet a little bit to get her honest reaction before he discussed the issues with Laura. They could help the subs together, but only if Chicklet saw him as more than a temporary distraction in her absence. “I expect they will tell you everything, but I’m surprised you’ve let it go on so long.”

“You’ve ‘toyed’ with them? Really, Raif?” She snorted. “I find that hard to believe. Laura has nothing but good things to say about you, and Tyler sounds happy.”

“I’m glad.”

“You’re worried. What’s going on?”

Perceptive. One of the many things Raif liked about Chicklet. He took another gulp of water and took a seat at the kitchen table. “How soon will you return?”

“Tomorrow. Why?”

“We will speak of it then. Tyler asked me to spend the night and have a few drinks with him.” He had to give her something so she wouldn’t worry too much. “Is Laura working tomorrow?”

“No. And she mentioned spending time with Tyler. This has to do with both of them, doesn’t it?”

“Yes. Let’s just say I do not think Laura will mind my being here with Tyler. She would like it even more if Tyler had stayed at my place, but this is Tyler’s home.”

“Has she been nasty to him?”

“Not at all. I’ve seen to that.”

“Shit. Okay, I think I know what you’re getting at. We will talk this over tomorrow, but for tonight…let Laura have my room. Sleep with Tyler in his room. They need some space from one another while I figure this out. I have a bad feeling you’re seeing something I missed.”

“Which isn’t difficult, since I’m on the outside looking in.” Raif glanced toward the light flashing in the hall from the living room as he heard both Tyler and Laura laugh. He could understand how easy it would be to believe this was a peaceful household. To need to believe it even on the bad days. Chicklet hadn’t been gone so long to get a break from her subs. He had a feeling she was eager to come home.

“You’re not on the outside. And I think you know that.” Chicklet sighed. “Tell him…tell them both I love them and I’ll see them in the morning. Get them both to have a few drinks. I’ve made a fucking mess of things. I should have stayed and made sure—”

“You would have if you could. I am here, Chicklet. Nothing will hurt either one of them before you return. Laura shows all the discipline you’ve taught her and has had her job to distract her.”

“No surprise there. But Tyler only got back to the game today. He’d be a wreck if he didn’t have you.”

“True, but your boy speaks of you often, he misses you.”

“Our boy. I don’t think he’s mine alone anymore, Raif.”

“That’s not something that can be decided over the phone, Chicklet.”

She huffed out a laugh. “Maybe not, but knowing it’s true helps. He needs you tonight. I’ll sleep better knowing you’re holding him, that you’ve been looking out for him. And that’s pretty fucked up.”

“I disagree.” He smiled as he leaned back in his chair. “You love him. It’s a relief that I haven’t disappointed you in the way I’ve managed them both.”

“Actually, you’ve done such a fucking good job just talking to you makes me hot. I’m going to fuck you, Raif. What do you think of that? After having you taking care of my subs, all I can think of is holding you down on my bed to fuck the shit out of you.”

Closing his eyes, Raif pictured Chicklet over him, her hands on his wrists, her body rising and
falling as she took him deep inside. He groaned as his dick hardened, wondering if he could get through the night after letting Tyler drink and not look for some relief in his boy’s tight body. “Now is a very bad time to tease me, woman.”

“Mister, it’s the perfect time. You’ve had your fun. I know you won’t touch either of them once they’ve had a few drinks. So get them all loose and relaxed, tuck them into bed, and stroke yourself hard while thinking about all the ways I’m gonna thank you for helping me out.”

“Are you always this cruel?”

“Yep. You gonna do things my way?”

He refused to answer that—she’d found too much pleasure in torturing him already. “Goodnight, Chicklet.”

“G’night, Raif.” The humor left her voice, leaving it sounding strained. “I mean it, eh? Thank you.”

Raif tightened his grip on the phone, wishing Chicklet was with him now so he could hold her. He had a feeling she needed it. “I know you do. And I am here.”

“Good. That’s good.” She cleared her throat and whispered, “Bye.”

He stayed seated for a few moments after hanging up, flipping the phone in his hand. Laughter again from the other room had him less concerned about the two subs than he probably should be. But they would be fine for a little while. The seemingly invincible Domme who loved them so much was a different story. She could joke and flirt as much as she wanted, but he could tell she was suffering from the distance between her and her subs. Especially now.

There wasn’t much he could do to change that, but he would see that the night went the way she wanted it. For the most part anyway. He found her stash of hard liquor in one of the kitchen cabinets and brought a bottle of peach schnapps, and another of Jack Daniel’s, to the living room on a tray with three tumblers and a bucket of ice from the bag in the fridge.

Laura gave him a polite smile, picking up the glass he’d set in front of her on the coffee table as he moved to pour the peach schnapps for her. She reached for the bottle of Jack Daniel’s. “Well, isn’t that sweet of you.”

He couldn’t fault a word she’d said, but the slight drawl to her words had him wondering if she’d really meant to say “Are you fucking kidding me?”

Tyler’s chuckle confirmed his suspicions. He grinned at Raif over the rim of his own glass of JD. “Bless your heart, Sir. So thoughtful of you to consider our little lady’s delicate taste buds.”

After draining and refilling her glass, Laura held it up to Tyler for cheers. “Isn’t he just
lovely
?”

“Absolutely!” Tyler quickly gulped down his whiskey as though it was very important that he keep up with Laura. “Precious man.”

Drinking his whiskey slowly to enjoy the burn, Raif sat on the sofa beside Laura, looking from her to Tyler, who sat on the floor across from them. “You are aware that after spending a few months listening to Perron’s colorful abuse of the English language, I do know when I’m being insulted in the polite ‘Southern’ way. I would proceed with caution, pets.”

“We’re just playing, Raif.” Tyler gave Raif his naughty angel smirk. “You didn’t bring out the alcohol because you want us to behave.”

“This is true.” Raif relaxed into the plush sofa, absently running his fingers over the soft beige microfiber. Much more comfortable than his own leather sofa—he’d look in to buying something similar when he found a more permanent residence.

The thought had Raif going still with his glass tilted to his lips. He couldn’t recall the last time he’d considered
anywhere
being a place he’d consider staying long-term. Not that he’d ever really longed for a place to call “home.” His best memories were of travelling with one of his parents, sleeping in a different bed every night. Not of being left behind at “home” with his grandfather.

He shook his head and threw back the rest of his whiskey. Enough of that. He set his glass down and spent the next hour watching both Laura and Tyler drink way too much. Laura ended up on the floor beside Tyler, her head on his lap and a sleepy smile on her lips. Not once tonight had he seen the woman who’d come to him with a plan to remove Tyler from her home and from her life. She’d been sweet and funny, and Raif had found himself enjoying her company.

But he refused to let his guard down. Not that she posed any threat to Raif, he had no illusions about her. His boy, however, had let her deep into his heart. Tyler stroked her hair as she drifted off to sleep, and the tenderness in his eyes reminded Raif how dangerous Laura truly was.

“I think she’s done for the night,” Tyler whispered, not moving. “I don’t wanna wake her up though.”

“I have her.” Raif stood, bending down to lift Laura up carefully in his arms. He’d much rather make her walk, but Tyler would be angry if Raif suddenly behaved cold toward her. So Raif held her close, hardly breathing as she stirred in her sleep. She pressed her head against the curve of his neck as he carried her. Swaying a little, Tyler led the way to the master bedroom.

After tucking Laura into bed, Raif was able to breathe a little easier. He took hold of Tyler’s wrist and led him out to the hall.

Tyler braced his hand on the wall, blinking as he looked up at Raif, as though he couldn’t see him clearly. “Umm…wanna go to my room? She won’t hear nothing if we close the door.”

“She’ll hear nothing if we leave it open.” Raif hooked his arm around Tyler’s neck, pulling him close to steady him as they made their way to the second bedroom. “I won’t take advantage of you. I’ve made that clear.”

Letting out an irritated huff, Tyler turned to Raif and tugged at the buttons on his shirt. “What about me takin’ advantage of you?”

A gentle shove was all it took to send Tyler sprawling onto the queen-sized bed. Raif laughed as Tyler tried to sit back up, then groaned and simply lay there. Quickly undoing Tyler’s jeans, Raif pulled them off and tossed them into the full hamper beside the door.

“Is real comfy. Come ’ere.” Tyler rolled to his side and reached blindly for Raif, his eyes already closed. “You’re stayin’.”

“I am.” Raif shut off the light, carefully removed his own clothes, then piled them, all neatly folded, on the dresser. In only his boxers, he climbed into the bed, adjusting Tyler like a heavy, warm body pillow. He was grateful to hear Tyler snoring softly within minutes. It meant he could let himself sleep knowing he’d done all that Chicklet had asked. All except for torture himself for her amusement. Holding Tyler all night
challenged all of Raif’s noble intentions.

But he doubted she’d mind. She didn’t need another in her life following her lead.

She needed someone to walk by her side to clear the path for them all.

C
hicklet closed her eyes, sensing her stepmother’s approach as she scrubbed the polished wood of the bar. She already knew what was coming. She’d promised to go home today—
needed
to go home—and Beverly was more than capable of handling everything while Chicklet’s father recovered. Not that there was much left to do beside the day-to-day management of the bar. The whole place had gotten a thorough spring cleaning with Chicklet working alongside the local crew she’d hired, and all the repairs the bar needed were done. The Hard Shell pub shone from the freshly painted green-gated terrace to the two small bathrooms in the back with their new, modern fixtures. The liquor license was renewed, up on the wall behind the bar with the certificate from the inspection they’d passed on Friday.

Coming in and taking over for the week had given Chicklet a sense of accomplishment, because she knew how to get things done and wouldn’t put up with the laid-back attitude of the locals her father dealt with. Fixing the bar had been easy. But it wasn’t enough. The damage done to her father’s heart wasn’t something she could repair through hard work and a “don’t fuck with me” attitude.

He needed to rest. Needed to do everything his doctors told him to. They’d been lucky this time, but how many more chances would they get? This was his second heart attack this year, yet there was no doubt that within the week he’d be back in here, working too hard, not eating properly. Bev did her best, but Dad was a stubborn old man. He would be here now if Chicklet hadn’t threatened to move back home for good.

“I’m sorry you don’t feel like you can trust me anymore, Kelsey.” Bev sighed as she hugged Chicklet tight. Not at all what Chicklet had expected her to say. Bev and her father were the only ones that ever used her real name anymore, and usually when they were either very happy, or very disappointed in her.

She’d avoided disappointing them since her late twenties, and then it had been her decision to carry on the family trade as a bartender rather than become a lawyer, or a teacher, or…well, she’d done a lot of schooling hoping to find a “worthy” profession that would make them happy. Then decided to do what made
her
happy instead. She worked here a couple times a month, had a steady job at Ford Delgado’s bar, and worked part-time at the local kink club. Not very ambitious, but she loved what she did.

This wasn’t Bev being disappointed in
her
though. Her stepmother sounded disappointed in herself. Unusual and unacceptable.

Dropping the rag, Chicklet turned and took hold of Bev’s shoulders. “If I didn’t trust you, I’d never leave you alone to take care of him.”

“But you don’t want to leave.” Bev patted Chicklet’s cheek like she was still the awkward teenage girl who’d dress like a boy and roll around in the dirt, then come home and ask how she could look pretty for the high school dance. “I understand why you came, and why you stayed so long. But he gets it. Seeing you put your life on hold
again
showed him he needs to take better care of himself. There’s no guarantee that he’ll be as strong as he once was, but the good news is whatever he can do to get better, he will do for you.”

“I’m not so sure about that. He doesn’t approve of my life.”

“Oh, stop that. He loves your subs, and the bars you work at are loosely connected to his favorite team. Yes, he dreamed that his only child would do something extraordinary, but now he’s realized you have. You’ve lived, Kelsey. You’ve traveled, you’ve fallen in love, you have everything you need and more.” Bev took Chicklet’s hands between hers, teary-eyed and emotional in the way that had annoyed Chicklet as a girl, but she could respect as a woman. Bev shared her feelings without ever holding anything back. She never hid, and she was so strong despite the intensity of it all. She was real and Chicklet couldn’t say that about many people. So she remained silent as a tear trailed down Bev’s cheek. “We’re very proud of you. And we appreciate you coming to help, but I need you to know there is nothing more important to me than your father. I love him so much and I plan to grow old—
older
with him.”

Glancing over at the abandoned rag, Chicklet sighed. She didn’t like the idea of Bev overdoing it any more than she liked her father doing so. “That’s what you don’t understand. I told you to hire another bartender.”

“We have two.”

“Part-time. That’s not enough.”

“You’re right.” Bev grinned when Chicklet blinked at her. “Do you think your father and I have just been sitting around letting you take care of this place, not considering your speech about us enjoying having paid off the bar and doing well enough to take it easy? He wants to go out on the boat with Sloan’s father as soon as the doctor says it’s okay. I’m not sure about going with him, but just hearing him talk about days off was wonderful. I may stay home and knit blankets. Does Casey like the one I made her for Christmas? I know Amia’s too young to really care about the colors, but I figured she’d like pink and white since Silver dresses her in such pretty clothes—”

“Amia loves it because it’s soft, but to be honest I’m not sure how much longer Silver will get away with those dresses she’s always got the kid in. The little rug rat is rough on her clothes. As for Casey, the blanket’s Cobra colors. She loves it.” Chicklet wished Bev could have been there to see Casey squealing over the black and gold blanket. Her stepmother loved hearing about Becky’s daughter, and she’d become Facebook friends with Silver recently to get every single update about the baby. She’d never have biological grandchildren because she’d been a career-driven stockbroker until her late forties, when she’d met Chicklet’s father. They’d tried to have a baby when Chicklet was a teen, but finally accepted it just wasn’t meant to be. But Bev had taken to adopting the Cobras’ brats, which seemed to ease the longing she’d always had for one of her own. “You must be happy my friends have babies since I won’t give you any. Did you get the new pattern I bought you? For the hoodie—”

More tears spilled down Bev’s cheeks. “No! I don’t need babies! Sweetie, I’ll make you and Laura and Tyler some slippers. I can make slippers for the whole team! I—”

“I know, Mom. Please don’t get upset. I never wanted kids—I’d rather spoil other people’s, then send them home.” Chicklet used her sleeve to dry Bev’s cheeks. “I meant it as a good thing. I used to only hang out with guys, and I skipped the whole biological clock thing. But who knows, Tyler and Laura might eventually want a kid. Maybe I’ll let them have one.”

Bev looked horrified. “Let them? Chicklet, I know there are a lot of things about your…lifestyle that I don’t understand, but that’s not something you have a say in…is it?”

Chicklet had to hug Bev even as she chuckled. “No, it’s not. Not in our relationship, Mom. No worries, I won’t start breeding them just to give you a grandbaby. Kinda ruins my plans for next year’s Christmas present though.
Now
what am I gonna get you and Dad?”

“You’re horrible!” Bev laughed and gave her a gentle shove. “It’s hard to tell if you’re joking sometimes!”

The stairs creaked as Chicklet’s father, Roland Galloway, made his way down the stairs that led up to the apartment above the bar. Chicklet had lived there with him as a child, but it had been converted to a storage-slash-smoking lounge once Bev came into their lives and the couple bought a house together by the ocean. Chicklet watched her father walk toward them, relieved both that he didn’t look so tired anymore and the smell of smoke wasn’t clinging to him. He had an electric pipe in the side pocket of his green silk vest, a smoke-free alternative to help him with the cravings after fifty years of smoking cigars. He’d grumbled after Chicklet and Bev had “stolen” all his cigars, but he seemed to like the pipe.

“Don’t believe a word she says, Bev. Her boy’s got strong genes and she won’t let them go to waste. I have it on good authority that she’s renting him out for stud services. I’ve accepted him as my son-in-law even though our girl won’t ever make an honest man of him.” Dad pulled out a stool in front of the bar and grinned at Chicklet as he sat. His big, bright green eyes sparkled with mirth. “Which means I get to claim his babies and so do you. We’ll have enough of them to build a new hockey team.”

“Remind me
not
to bring Tyler the next time I visit. You’ll scare the hell out of him, Dad.” Chicklet ducked behind the bar to grab her father a bottle of water. The doctor still let him have a cup of coffee every morning, but only if he had water first. Another thing for him to grumble about, but that was just part of his charm. “He’s good with the other Cobras’ munchkins, so who knows what will happen in a few years. Just take care of yourself so you’re around to cuddle them.”

Rolling his eyes, her father took the water bottle, uncapped it, and gulped down half before slamming it on the bar. “It’s 8:30, my girl. Why are you still here? You said goodbye at breakfast.”

Two hours earlier. Chicklet shrugged, looking around the bar for any excuse she could use for not having left yet. “I had a few last-minute things to take care of.”

“Sure you did. Everything is clean, everything works like it should. I have to put up with the McCaffy boy doing my job every single day of the week thanks to you. Do you remember when he stole the puppy from the litter my ol’ Bonnie had under the porch?” He shook his head, his lips twitching in his attempt to frown. He liked pretending John “Grit” McCaffy was a thorn in his side, but he treated the young man like the son he’d never had. “You made me let him keep the mutt so long as he mowed the lawn.”

“Yep. Then I ‘made you’ give him a job here.” Chicklet gave her father a careful hug. He looked good with his thick white beard and more color in his cheeks than had been there just last weekend, but he still felt frail in her arms. He’d always been so sturdy and strong. She couldn’t help wanting to protect him now that he wasn’t. But she wouldn’t dare mention her concern, so she focused on Grit. “He’s been here all week, and he did a damn good job handling the bar at night and the crew during the day.”

“With you looking over his shoulder. He’d make a good sub. Why don’t you take him home with you?”

“Because he’s happy
here
. And he’s got a girl that he’s working hard to impress. I think he needs you to make sure he doesn’t put himself in the poorhouse buying her a huge rock. She’s a sweet little thing, but I don’t know if she’d be happy as a bartender’s wife.” Chicklet fetched herself a bottle of water, keeping her tone casual, but fighting not to laugh as her father’s eyes narrowed.

He
could complain about Grit all he wanted, but anyone else not thinking the boy was the best thing since sliced bread was asking for trouble. “The girl’s a twit! He told you he wants to
marry
her?”

Bev exchanged a look with Chicklet, catching on quick. They both knew Dad was the kind of man who thrived in the papa bear role. Grit was one of his cubs. Putting the boy on the right track would be a good distraction.

“Oh,
everyone
knows of his intentions, Roland. Just last Sunday I heard little Sue’s mother telling everyone that her daughter wouldn’t give him the time of day unless he made something of himself. Thankfully, Chicklet wasn’t there because I
know
she would have told everyone Sue’s been giving him a lot more than that!”

“Gossiping ol’ biddies.” Dad scowled at his empty bottle of water. “I think that boy’s going to be doing a lot of overtime. Gotta knock some sense into him. ‘Make something of himself’? She’d be lucky to have him; boy works harder than anyone I’ve ever known.”

Chicklet folded her arms over her chest. “I agree.”

“Of course you do, manipulative chit. All right, I’ll pretend I don’t know what you two are doing. Bev, get me some coffee, love?” Dad smiled at his wife, then gestured Chicklet to him. “Kiss your daddy and git. I heard you talkin’ to a man last night—wasn’t Tyler. You bring him ’round here if he’s a keeper. See if he’s as easy to scare as your boy.”

A keeper?
Chicklet should have guessed her father had been eavesdropping, he’d always been nosy, but she couldn’t think of anything she might have said that would make him think Raif was important enough for him to meet. Arguing that Raif was just a friend would only convince her father there was something interesting going on. He knew a bit about her lifestyle, but there was no way she was getting into enough detail to clear up what was actually going on.

Not that she was clear enough herself about it to explain anything. So she simply smiled and nodded. “Yeah, Dad. I’ll bring him around some day.”

“Good.” Dad took the coffee Bev brought him with a grateful sigh, sipping it slowly as he eyed Chicklet. “You heard me, girl. Git. And you make sure to call your mother tonight.”

“I will.” Chicklet kissed his cheek, then went to Bev to hug and kiss her as well. There were no long, mushy goodbyes in her little family since they kept in touch and spent so much time together, but this time it was a bit harder to walk out the door and get in her car. A lot could happen in the two weeks before her next visit. But if she thought too much about that, there was no way she’d ever leave.

So she kept her focus on what lay ahead as she drove out of the small town and onto the highway. Raif’s concerns about Tyler and Laura had kept her up last night. She couldn’t help going over every word her subs had exchanged recently, every scene they’d done with her. There had to be a clue of what had gone wrong, but she came up blank. Yes, Laura and Tyler got on each other’s nerves sometimes, but didn’t that happen in every relationship? There were days when she hung out with Sloan after her shift at Ford’s bar because she’d had a bad day and needed some space from both of them. Mornings when she couldn’t wait for Laura to go to work and Tyler to practice because she didn’t want to listen to the nagging about his socks on the floor or the grumbling about Laura using the last of the milk.