Free Club Scars by Mara McBain Page A

and missed.
    “We don’t know if Merrick will even come back to Trinity, but it’s better to be forewarned.  Tech, can you bring a picture of this prick up on your phone?”
    “You could if you weren’t technologically challenged,” Murphy muttered under his breath.  
    Zeke flipped him off and waited for Tech to find a picture.
    “This is a recent picture of John Merrick and here is…actually here is one of John and Governor Merrick together from a fundraiser,” Tech said, passing the phone around the table. “I can forward the picture to your phones if you want. We don’t know that Merrick will come around himself. He might send someone to do his dirty work for him. He might send a lawyer, for example, to offer Kat money in exchange for access to his new grandson.”
    “He can shove his money up his ass,” Crux growled.
    “Tech’s right. We don’t know, but those of you that work in town, keep your eyes open. Crux, keep us updated and let us know if there is anything we can do. You know Ginny designed that plush employee lounge at The Lantern to be nursery friendly. If Kat doesn’t want to be home alone, I’m sure the girls would be glad to fawn over her and the kiddo.”
    “Thanks, brothers,” Crux said simply as the meeting ended. There were slaps on the back and reminders to call if he needed anything all around.
    “Don’t worry, man. We have your back. If that rich prick comes around bothering Kat and the baby, I will be more than happy to liquidate his ass,” Reaper said with an evil gleam in his eye.
    “I’m sure little Alex will appreciate that.”
    “I got your little Alex hanging,” Reaper snapped, cupping his crotch with a sneer.
    Crux laughed, shaking his head.
    “I didn’t say tiny Alex ,” he chuckled. “I was talking about your namesake, Camden Alex Croston.”
    Reaper blinked, forehead furrowing in obvious confusion.
    “Alex, for me?”
    “You’re the only Alex I know.”
    “And Kat signed off on that?”
    “She thought it was a great idea because it was her idea,” Crux said with a derisive snort. “I didn’t like any of the names she was coming up with until she suggested Alex for you, and I said hell yeah.”
    “Well I’ll be fucked.”
    “You’ll need to talk to Lee about that, but it can probably be arranged.”
    “Seriously, man. That’s cool,” Reaper said with a huge grin on his face.
    Crux clasped his hand and brought him in for a back thumping hug.
     
    The house was dark when he rolled into the drive. She’d left the back light on for him. The doorknob didn’t turn. Shaking his head at his stupidity, Crux trudged back to the truck for his keys. She’d actually listened to him. It had to be the baby. Unlocking the door, he relocked it behind him and hung the keys on the hook. Plopping his ass down on the step between the mudroom and kitchen, he unlaced his boots with a sigh. It had been a long day.
    As close as he and Kat were, they generally did their own thing during the day, coming together around dinner time. He didn’t try to keep her under his thumb and she wasn’t one of those women to call or text him a dozen times a day. This feeling of wanting to be at home all the time was a foreign one to him. It was making work days, and even time with his brothers, seem endless.
    Something rubbed against his back and he grimaced as a big black tomcat circled him, stepping into his lap like the damn thing had been invited. Kat had been ambushed outside the grocery store with one of those cardboard box schemes. It was telling that there was never an adult sitting there hawking the free fur-balls. She’d taken one look into big green eyes and decided the little beast belonged in the Croston household. Nothing he’d had to say about it had made any difference. Cursing under his breath, he snatched the cat out of his lap as it kneaded its claws into his crotch. The damn thing gave him a baleful glare and stalked off with a swish of its tail. He had a