Page 101 of Roses Are Dead
“And the cancer?”
At Jackson’s question, Kate sucked in a gasp and looked down.
I watched her carefully. There was something they’d talked about already. Jackson played a mean game and was a difficult read, but Kate was an open book. “They’re looking for another donor. Carl’s in the wind.”
“No, he ain’t.” Jackson’s fingers tapped out his thoughts on Kate’s shoulder.
“You heard from him?”
A grunt. “I’d barely gotten my ladies home and he called my fucking business phone.”
That was downright suicidal. “Where is he? I’ll take care of it.”
He met my eyes. “No. He upped the amount. It’s twenty-five now. I told him to speak that amount to my face so I could gut him.”
Over an unsecured line. “And?”
His nostrils flared. “I want him dead. But I saw that oldest girl in the doorway and want her mom alive more.” His fingers tightened on Kate’s shoulder. “I’m sending the hospital’s info to the national prayer chain. The club could use some good press. When she’s better, we can kill that asshole for laughing at me.”
Well, that was one way to fix things.
“Is Wolf on board?”
Jackson’s frown deepened. “Nope. He’s still concerned about keeping our asses out of trouble. And that’s his job. So, I can’t do jack shit about that.” He slipped his arm free and leaned forward clasping his hands together between his knees. “Your woman played mine. She used bullets I couldn’t dodge. Cancer and kids. Fucking low ass…” His fingers tightened so much the knuckles went white.
Kate put a hand on her husband’s back. Her eyes met mine. “There’s a lot more to her than meets the eye, isn’t there?”
Unfortunately, yes. I nodded.
Her eyes bored into mine. “My husband does not want Zoe involved with anything dangerous. And I am one-hundred percent in agreement with him. However, I don’t think Rose is as bad as he thinks. So, I need your insight. Is Zoe at risk?”
Jackson fixed on me to read my body language. My hesitation alone was enough of an answer. “Yeah. All of you are. Carl is…”
“He’s a fucking nutcase.” Jackson finished for me. “And your girl?”
“Rose is strong. She’s dealt with his crazy before.”
“That’s not a good thing, Bear.”
Jackson was right. I glanced up in time to see him slip a hand over to Kate’s knee and squeeze it.
And maybe I wasn’t seeing the whole picture? Kate knew crazy. Her ex was fifty times worse than Carl because he’d had power. Carl just had crazy going for him. Well, that and the people he sold to. Which in a small way was an army.
“She thinks she can talk Carl into donating bone marrow for his sister. He’s already given blood.”
Jackson sat back. A look of horror, if that’s what it was, made him pale. The grooves of age, wind, and cares stood out bolder without his usual smirk. “You can’t let her think like that.”
Kate’s mouth tightened. “She’s going to, though. She’s going to try to bargain with him.”
Jackson faced his wife. Whatever he saw there made him spin to face me. “You have to lock her down. Whatever it takes.”
“I know.”
“She’s going to hate you for that.” Kate thought deeper. “She’s going to hate all of us for that.”
Unless we found a donor.
Then I could kill Carl and save everyone a lot of worry.
