“I heard the death bells earlier today, then again when we were in the bar. I want you safe at the house where I can protect you and the others better. Dustin’s at the house with Logan and Holly, but we know Greer’s in town.”
Sutton didn’t question the request. He had once told her he heard death bells when someone he knew died. It wasn’t folklore among mountain people, but a strong belief handed down through generations.
“I don’t mind,” she assured him as they drove toward his house.
He had her call and warn Greer, who answered the phone, obviously drunk, but when she conveyed Tate’s message to be careful, he sobered instantly.
“He want me to come home?”
“No, stay put. I don’t want you giving anyone an easy target! I’m headed home. I’ll stay until you get back tomorrow,” Tate answered. Sutton had put him on speaker phone so Tate could talk to him as he drove.
“Be careful, brother. I don’t know what I would do without you.” Greer’s affection for his brother almost made him seem normal. And then… he blew the kind thought. “I’d have to do all the work without you.”
“See you in the morning.” Tate nodded at her to disconnect the call.
“Your brother is an asshole.”
“He’s not so bad.”
“Yes, he is. He’s the most self-absorbed man I’ve ever met.”
Tate didn’t try to argue back. Even he had to admit she was right.
When they pulled up in front of Tate’s house, the yard flooded with lights from all direction.
“I bet your electricity bill would feed the homeless for a month.”
Tate grinned as he opened the truck door for her. Sutton slid across the bench seat into his waiting arms, and he gently lifted her to the ground.
“Wait until I go to the hardware store and buy some for your yard. I like to know if someone comes snooping around.”
“It has to go off if an animal triggers it.”
“They do all the time. It makes them a better target,” he said unrepentantly.
“We need to have a serious talk about your views on wildlife.”
“I don’t care if they have two or four legs. I’m going to blow anything away that comes near the house.”
Sutton shook her head. She was never going to change his attitude. She was either going to have to deal with it or circumvent. She decided to buy trash cans with lids that locked. If she didn’t, her poor possum was going to be stew meat with the way Tate threatened.
She nodded toward the house. “Dustin’s watching from the window.”
“I know.” Tate kissed her soundly before releasing her.
She walked toward the front porch on her unsteady heels, nearly falling, but Tate caught her, lifting her high into his arms and carrying her the rest of the way.
“I could get used to this,” she teased.
“I’ll always be there to carry you whenever you need me. Even when you don’t, I’ll be there.”
Dustin was still watching them with his shotgun in his hands, ready to protect them if needed.
“The Porters aren’t perfect. You’re mean, stubborn, and would rather shoot someone when you’re mad, but you’re the perfect man for me.” Even as she said it, she couldn’t understand her reasoning.
He arrogantly summed it up with six words. “I’m the only man for you.”
Even a priceless vase had a crack or two.
“Tate, believe me, no one is like you.”
* * *
Tate sat up straight in bed, stumbling from the bed he went to the living room so he wouldn’t wake Sutton. Jerking the curtain back he stared out the window, his shotgun in a tight grip, he had heard the bells for the third time. Death had found his victim.
Chapter 22
Sutton stood in the kitchen, watching Dustin, Tate, and Logan eat breakfast while she drank her coffee.
“Are you sure you don’t need me to help with the dishes?” she asked Holly.
“No, I’m almost finished. This will be much easier after next week. Tate’s having a new kitchen installed.”
She was struck by how pretty Holly was when she smiled. Sutton couldn’t find it in herself to be envious of the woman, though. She was just too nice.
Holly was constantly trying to please the men as if she was unsure of her position in the tight-knit family. She wore a pair of jeans that showed her curvy butt, but she had put on an oversized top as if she was trying to hide the size of her overlarge breasts. Sutton had to admit she envied that problem.
The sound of a pickup outside had Logan jumping up from the table to look out the window.
“It’s Uncle Greer, and he has that stupid Diane with him.” Logan ran back to the table to finish his cereal.
“And so it begins …” Sutton murmured.
“What did you say?”
Sutton nodded toward Logan. “The next generation of Porters.”
Holly laughed. “I’ve thought the same thing myself many times. As long as he turns out more like Dustin and Tate, he’ll be fine.”
“He doesn’t take anything from Greer?”
“Just one thing, and I’m trying to nip it in the bud.”
Greer opened the door, completely taking over the room with his appearance. Diane came in after him, dressed in a pair of shorts that showed the cheeks of her ass and a T-shirt that was completely inappropriate for the cool weather outside.
“You all still eating? We had breakfast at the diner.” Glancing down at the table, Greer surveyed his brothers eating oatmeal doused in fruit. “Mine was better cold than that crap you’re eating.”
Sutton’s hand tightened on her coffee cup at seeing the hurt look on Holly’s face.
“Eating at the diner is what’s putting that spare tire around your waist.” Tate’s harsh voice left no one in the room in doubt that he wasn’t going to tolerate anyone mistreating Holly.
Diane’s arms circled Greer’s waist from behind, her hands splaying open on his flat stomach. “He hasn’t got an ounce of spare flesh. I can vouch for that,” she purred.
Sutton turned to place her empty cup on the counter, swallowing hard when she saw the flash of emotion on Holly’s face that brought dread to her heart. The sweet woman was in love with the worst Porter brother.
Tate’s cell phone broke the uncomfortable silence. Everyone in the room listened as he talked.
“Hey, Rachel …” His voice broke off as he listened to whatever Rachel was saying. “No one saw anything?”
Sutton’s stomach sank.
“Call me if you hear anything else.” Tate disconnected the call, staring at them grimly. “Holly, take Logan into the bedroom and turn on a movie for him.”
“Let’s go, Logan.” Holly ushered the boy out of the room.
As soon as they heard the bedroom door close, Tate told them the awful news. “Mick found Kyle Hayes dead this morning, sitting in his truck in back of Rosie’s bar.”
Kyle Hayes was the younger cousin of Asher and Holt. He was just a young boy when Sutton had left town. He was one of the only Hayeses who had been allowed to attend school in town. She had often seen Kyle trailing after his much older cousins with hero worship in his eyes.
“They’ll be out for blood.”
“Yes, they will.” Tate’s face became even grimmer, frightening Sutton. “I saw him parking his truck as we were leaving. The parking lot was full, so he parked in the back. Rachel said Knox told her he was stabbed to death.”
“Kyle knew how to take care of himself. He had to have known the killer, or he would never have gotten close enough to him to do any damage.” Greer’s face had gone white. “After the fight we had with Asher and Holt in the bar, you know who they’re going to blame.”
“Us,” Tate confirmed everyone’s worst fear.
“Knox can tell them he saw us at Lookout Mountain, and Diane can vouch for Greer being with her,” Sutton spoke up.
“They aren’t going to believe we didn’t have an
ything to do with Kyle’s murder.”
Sutton had the awful feeling Tate was right.
When he stood up and put on his hat, she placed a hand on his arm. “Where are you going?”
“I’m going to go talk to Asher. If I don’t make him believe me, there’s going to be a blood bath.”
“No!” Sutton gripped his arm more tightly. “Let Knox go.”
“He’s not going to believe Knox.” Tate pried her hand off his arm. “I have to go, Sutton.”
“I’ll go,” Greer volunteered.
“No, I want you here. You take care of the family.” Hidden in his words was ‘if I don’t come back’.
“Tate … please, don’t go.”
“Walk outside with me.” He took her hand, pulling her behind him as he went outside. “It’s going to be all right.”
Sutton pointed at his black eye. “They’re not going to believe you. They’re going to still be mad about the fight last night, and with their cousin being dead a few hours later … They just aren’t going to believe you.”
“I’ll make them believe me. They both know one thing about the Porters: we’re not cowards. I stand a better chance convincing them we had nothing to do with Kyle’s death if I stare them in the eye and tell them the truth.”
“Will you at least call Knox and tell him where you’re going?”
“That, I can do.”
“I’m going to be worried sick until you get back.”
“Then keep yourself occupied. Clean the …”
Sutton’s eyes narrowed. “Choose your next words carefully.”
Tate, unlike Greer, wasn’t a stupid man. “Find something you want to do to keep yourself occupied.”
“I’ll call Cheryl and have lunch with her. She’s been calling, and I’ve been putting her off. I can pick up some flood lights while I’m in town.”
“What made you change your mind about the flood lights?”
“The killer. He’s taking everyone out in the dark.”
Tate frowned. “You’re right; all the attacks are happening during a certain time of night.”
Sutton nodded. “He doesn’t want to be seen.”
“Either that or he’s busy during the day.” Tate placed his hand on the nape of her neck, pulling her close. “Borrow Holly’s car to drive into town. I’ll fix yours tonight.”
“So, you’re admitting to disabling my car?”
Tate gave her a quick kiss. “I’m a Porter; I never admit to a thing.”
* * *
Sutton waited patiently for Cheryl at King’s restaurant. There was a large group of women sitting at one of the tables in the bar. Their loud laughter was being ignored by the owner of the restaurant. She understood why when he went to the table and talked to one of the beautiful women. It was obvious by the closeness between them that they were a couple.
Cheryl came rushing in, sitting down across from her. “Sorry I’m late. The store’s busy.”
Another round of laughter had Cheryl looking over at the group of women. Sutton wondered if they were eating as much as they were using the opportunity to gossip.
Cheryl’s shoulders dropped as she gave the waitress her order.
“Something wrong?” Sutton asked after the waitress left.
“Those are the wives of The Last Riders’. The redhead is Evie. She’s the owner’s wife.”
“So? Don’t you get along with them?”
“No.”
“I recognize Lily and Beth Cornett and Winter Simmons. From what I remember about them, I can’t imagine them being hateful toward you.”
Cheryl shrugged, avoiding her gaze. “I was kind of mean to a couple of them when I went through my divorce.”
“I’m sure they understand it was a difficult time for you.”
“I was with Cash.”
Sutton was crushed for Rachel. “He slept with you after he and Rachel were married?”
“No … no. Before.” Cheryl looked miserable at the admission.
“You were with Tate, too.”
“Yes.”
“I’m sitting here with you, and I still consider you my friend.”
“You always were a sucker,” Cheryl said, tears brimming in her eyes.
“No, I discovered good friends are hard to come by.”
Cheryl smiled at her in relief.
They ate their lunch, and it was when they finished and were leaving that Sutton noticed Cheryl wince as she opened the door to the restaurant for them to exit.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I lifted a heavy box at work and must have strained something.”
Sutton stopped dead in her tracks, critically looking Cheryl over.
“Don’t lie to me.” Sutton reached out to touch a barely noticeable bruise on her jawline.
Cheryl took a step back from her touch. “I fell the other night when I drank too much …”
Sutton remembered the excuses all too well. She broached the subject carefully, the way she wished someone had taken the time to do with her.
“Cheryl … I know what it looks like when someone is hurting you.”
Immediately, Cheryl went on the defensive. “Don’t be crazy, Sutton. I’d call the sheriff if someone touched me …”
“I know,” Sutton stressed.
Cheryl didn’t understand what Sutton was trying to tell her until Sutton grabbed her hand, preventing her from continuing to walk.
“I know, Cheryl. I. Know.”
Cheryl stopped, comprehension finally dawning, and she held Sutton’s hand tighter.
“You were abused by your husband?”
“For over ten years,” Sutton admitted without embarrassment. It was Tate who had finally suceeded in convincing her she had been a victim. It was her chance now to pass along the same gift to Cheryl.
“It was my fault. I shouldn’t have been flirting while I was working.”
It sickened Sutton at the excuses men made to hurt women, convincing them they were the cause of their own pain.
“Listen to me, Cheryl. Nothing you did would give him the right to lay a hand on you.”
“I need the job.” Another excuse. Sutton remembered the many she had made for Scott, but she had never given herself one reason for why she should put up with the torture she had tolerated.
“We’re going to go talk to Knox.”
“I have to finish work. Today’s payday. I need the money, Sutton. I’ll go talk to Knox when I get off. At least I’ll have enough money to live off for a couple of weeks.”
“I’ll lend you money until you find another job. I’ll help—”
Cheryl stubbornly shook her head. “I’m getting my money. I worked for it.”
Sutton bit her lip. She didn’t want to push Cheryl too hard, or she could refuse to go to Knox for help.
“Okay. How much longer before you get off?”
“Four hours.”
“Then I’m not leaving your side. I need to pick up some things for my house and Tate’s. Will Jared get suspicious if I hang out that long?”
“No, I always have customers who stay and talk.”
“All right. I hope you have a lot of flood lights.”
“Flood lights? What do you need flood lights for?”
“Tate wants to set them up at my house so he can catch a possum.” She was indirectly telling her that she and Tate were living together.
“Oh.” Cheryl didn’t seem thrilled by the information. “So, you won’t be leaving to go back to Calfironia? When I move in with your friends, you won’t be there?”
Sutton had believed she was upset about Tate living with her; however, it was because she had decided to move and wouldn’t know anyone.
“No, but my boss is driving up next week. I’ll introduce you. I think it would be a good idea for you to go ahead and leave.”
“If I can manage to get my paycheck away from Jared, I might drive back with him,” Cheryl conceded.
Sutton wound her arm through
hers. “I’m not going to leave you alone until after you see Knox.”
“Be careful. Jared’s got a temper.”
Sutton reached out and touched the faint bruise that Cheryl had tried to hide with her makeup.
“Jared’s the one who needs to be careful. The next time he thinks he’s going to touch you, he’s going to find out something I wished I had known.”
“What’s that?”
“You’re not alone.”
Chapter 23
“Is that all for you?” Jared asked when she laid another item on the counter.
“No, not yet. Where’s the rope?”
“Last aisle on the left.”
Sutton took her time looking at the rope, as if it was the most important decision she was ever going to make. She picked up a bright yellow one that looked as if Tate could somehow use it. She frankly had no idea, nor did she about the numerous other items she had pretended to be shopping for. She would have come out cheaper if Cheryl had taken her offer of money.
Sighing, she turned to go back to the register, bumping into Jared who came up behind her.
“That it? We’re about to close.”
“Okay. I think that’s the last of it.” She followed him to the register, paying him after he rang up her purchases.
While Cheryl bagged her purchases, she saw Jared begin to take the receipts out of the cash register.
“Go ahead and lock the door after her,” Jared ordered.
“Cheryl, is there a bathroom I could use?”
“Sure. It’s at the back of the store on the left. It’s next to Jared’s office.”
“I’ll show you. I’m going to my office to count the money. When you’re done locking up, Cheryl, come back and pick up your paycheck.”
“Okay.”
Ignoring the aggravated frown Jared threw her, she followed him to the restroom. She made sure he went into his office before she entered the bathroom, locking the door behind her. Taking out her cell phone, she saw several missed calls, calling Tate she knew he was going to be angry she hadn’t already done so. She was angry at herself, She knew better than to try to take on a monster by herself.
He picked it up on the first ring.
“Tate …”
“Where are you? I got home and found out you weren’t there. Then I went to your house, and you’re not here, either.”