Page 3 of Ghost

Once we got back to the clubhouse, Goose and I went straight to the kitchen and started pilfering through the fridge. Goose made a plate of leftover spaghetti while I made one of my famous grilled cheese and pickle sandwiches. I grabbed us both a beer, and we’d just sat down at the table when I heard a woman’s voice snap, “This is ridiculous!”

“Yeah, well. It is what it is,” Prez growled back.

“Don’t give me that ‘it is what it is’mess! You know how I hate that!” I knew then it was Kay who was pitching a fit. She was the only one around who had the nerve to speak to our president with such a defiant tone. “I just want to know how long you’re planning on keeping me here.”

“I can’t answer that.”

“What do you mean? This is my life we’re talking about.”

“Yeah, and I’m doing what I can to protect it.” Prez’s tone was unwavering as he told her, “So, you’re staying put.”

“You can’t force me to stay here.”

“I can, and I will.”

Prez entered the kitchen, and Kay quickly followed. She crossed her arms tightly over her chest, and her fiery eyes glared at Preacher. “You can’t be serious!”

“I get that you aren’t happy with this whole situation, and I gotta tell ya, I’m not all that thrilled about it either, but it’s not safe for you to leave.”

“So, what? I’m just supposed to sit around here and wait for you to decide when it’s okay for me to leave?”

“That’s exactly what you’re supposed to do.”

“But I want to go home. I want to get back to my life.”

“And what are you going to do when one of Carmine’s targets comes after you?”

“Who’s to say that they will?” Kay cocked her brow. “They may not even think to look for me.”

“Oh, they will. No doubt about it.” Standing his ground, Prez stepped forward and towered over her as he added, “It’s only a matter of time before these guys figure out what Carmine was up to, and when they do, they will be out for blood. When they can’t find him, they’ll come looking for you, and they will make you pay in ways you can’t begin to imagine.”

I watched as Preacher’s jaw tightened, the tension in the room was palpable. I knew Preacher well enough to see the struggle behind his eyes—the conflict between his protective instincts and the remnants of whatever had once been between him and Kay. But I knew that Preacher wouldn’t bend on this, not when Kay’s life was on the line.

“I hate this.” Tears filled her eyes. “It’s so unfair.”

“Yeah, it is, but we’re working on it. I know how hard it is for you, but you’re going to have to be patient and let us do what we need to do.”

“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”

“Not even a little.”

“Well, that goes for both of us.”

With that, she spun on her heel and stormed off, leaving Preacher standing there, his expression unreadable. His shoulders slumped slightly, the weight of the situation weighing on him. I took a long pull off my beer and shook my head. I’d seen this kind of thing before—two people too stubborn to admit they cared.

It was a dangerous game—one that could lead to more than just hurt feelings. As the door to Kay’s room slammed shut in the distance, I let out a breath and muttered, “I feel a little tension in the air.”

“You can say that again.” Goose looked over to Prez as he asked, “So, whatcha gonna do?”

“Nothing that she’s gonna like.” Prez walked over and sat down across from us. “She doesn’t get that she can’t go back to her old life. Carmine made sure of that, so we’re gonna have to keep her here or set her up with a whole new life somewhere else. And if we do that, there’s no coming back.”

“Wouldn’t it be easier to just give up Carmine?”

“Yeah, it would, but I gave my word to Antonia, and I’m not going back on it.”

Antonia had recently become Memphis’s ol’ lady, but before that, she was his stepsister. They’d always had a connection, but it took Memphis almost dying for them to admit their true feelings. Antonia was there for him during his recovery and helped him get back on his feet, and Prez felt indebted to her for helping his son walk again.

We all were, so when her father got himself into trouble, Prez assured her that he would help. And he had. He’d managed to get him out of the country and under the radar, but he was still trying to figure out what to do about Kay—Memphis’s mother.

---