Casey licked her dry lips. “When Mugg left, she became more demanding, threatening to move Cole in with her, so I went to her house without calling.”
“You found out that her and Mason were together again, didn’t you?”
“Yes; I’m so sorry, Max. When Mugg came back a few weeks later, I knew he didn’t know Renee had cheated on him, that she was still cheating on him. I wanted to say something—I really like Mugg—but my hands were tied. Renee’s money demands were becoming worse. She said that if Mugg left her again she would move Cole in with her and she would take Mason back. I even received a letter that Renee had given the rehabilitation home notice that Cole would be leaving, but I couldn’t let that happen. I couldn’t let Mason near Cole. Cole’s frightened of him.”
Max remained silent, not giving Casey any clue as to what he was thinking. She felt guilty that she had hidden Renee’s ugly schemes from Mugg.
“That’s when I called Fisk and offered to find evidence on the Predators. He had tried months before to get my help, but I refused until Renee went to visit Cole and let Mason go with her after I told her I wouldn’t give them any more money. I wrote her a check the next day and called Fisk.”
“How did you come up with the money for Mugg’s bike?”
“I took out a short term loan then paid it off when you gave me the money back. I thought about asking Mugg for help but the Predators would never betray one of their own. I didn’t know where to turn, but I had to protect Cole, so ultimately, I had to stick with my plan. I had to keep Mason away, and the only way to do that was put him in prison by showing his involvement with the Predators, because Fisk agreed to put us in witness protection if I did.”
“What made you change your mind? I found out you have a photographic memory, so why didn’t you just give Fisk the information he wanted?”
“I was going to… but I couldn’t.”
“Why?” Max tightened his arm around her shoulders, not letting her evade his question.
“Because of you,” Casey admitted.
Max kissed her, his hand going to her neck and holding her in place.
“I didn’t want to love you,” she admitted. “I broke up with Jayce because I swore to myself I would never cheat like my mother, but when you didn’t seem interested, I told myself I could go through with my plan and use Stump. I was getting ready to go home when you broke us apart.”
“I wanted to fuck you and punch him for touching you.”
“How did you find us?”
Max rubbed his cheek against hers. “Jackal. He remembered the necklace you were wearing, and after searching through thousands of starfish necklaces, he finally found one on eBay that was the exact necklace. He contacted the seller and asked where the necklace had been purchased, and they pointed us at a boutique here, so we flew down and asked if they recognized a picture of you. The manager recognized you, she said you and Cole come in a couple of times a week.”
Casey’s fingers touched the delicate necklace. “Cole bought it for me. The rehabilitation home provides jobs for special needs, and he saved his money for our vacation and then bought it for me while we were here. Marta buys some of the shells Cole finds, those he can bear part with.”
“I can see why you ran here. It’s very peaceful. We’ll bring my kids down here when I take my vacation.”
“I can’t go back, Max. Renee’s probably already brought charges against me for kidnapping.”
“No, she hasn’t. Ice talked her into signing Cole’s guardianship over to me. She’s going to move in with her sister in South Texas. Mugg kicked her out and is divorcing her ass. You won’t be seeing that bitch again.”
Casey arched away. She didn’t care about where Renee went; her concern was for Cole. Before she could voice her worries, however, Max continued.
“Settle down. I’ll leave all the decisions to you. Do you think Renee will fuck with you when Cole’s guardianship is in my name?”
“No, she’s not that stupid,” Casey agreed, settling back against him.
“Mason won’t be bothering you, either.”
“He’s not a Predator anymore?”
“Mason betrayed Mugg, so he was dealt with. After we found out about Cole… Let’s just say Mason is the one in a rehabilitation center now. He’s never going to come hurt you or Cole again. Hell, he can’t even wipe his own ass.”
Casey could tell Max had been careful about his words, and she felt as though a huge weight was taken off her. “I had to protect him, Max. He always protected me. He was the type of person who couldn’t let someone weaker than him be hurt. He’s really special.”
“He’s a lot like his sister.” With that, Max was done talking. He kissed her as the waves began lapping at their feet.
“I love you, Casey. I’m going to take care of you and Cole.” He pressed her down on the sand, and her arms circled his broad shoulders. “I missed that.” Max buried his face in the curve of her neck.
“What?” Casey murmured.
“You, in my arms.”
“I missed it, too,” she confessed. “But I missed something more.”
“What?”
“Your smile. I missed you smiling at me.”
“Casey? Whatcha doing?”
Casey looked up to see Cole standing over them with the Predators watching from the porch.
“We’re kissing.”
“It doesn’t look like much fun.”
Casey laughed lightheartedly as Max got to his feet then reached down to give her his hand which she took.
“I know something you would like more. How about we find some more shells that we can take home with us?”
“Home?”
“Max wants us to move in with him, if that’s okay with you?”
Cole studied Max, a worried frown on his face.
“I’ll teach you to ride a motorcycle,” Max blatantly tried to bribe him.
“No, you won’t.” But it was too late. Cole’s face was filled with excitement.
“Come on, Cole, you can help me find a big shell.”
Casey let it go for now. She would put a stop to it before Max actually tried to teach him.
They searched the beach for all the shells they could find, and even the other Predators joined in. She watched as the badass bikers took off their leather jackets and showed their finds to Cole, looking at his in return. Casey felt a lump in her throat from observing their gentleness with him.
Her dreams with Cole had been destroyed all those years ago. It was time for them to begin a new one… with Max.
Chapter 26
“Look at me, Casey!”
Nervously, she had to force herself to give a carefree wave as Max drove Cole around the parking lot. She could barely see him through the bikers riding their motorcycles. The bike rally had brought hundreds for the cause to raise funds for adults with special needs. It had been Max’s idea to start a job training program in Queen City like the one which had benefited Cole so much. The Predators were giving rides on their bikes to the ones brave enough to try.
“Don’t look so worried. He’s in good hands,” Vida teased.
“You found out that her and Mason were together again, didn’t you?”
“Yes; I’m so sorry, Max. When Mugg came back a few weeks later, I knew he didn’t know Renee had cheated on him, that she was still cheating on him. I wanted to say something—I really like Mugg—but my hands were tied. Renee’s money demands were becoming worse. She said that if Mugg left her again she would move Cole in with her and she would take Mason back. I even received a letter that Renee had given the rehabilitation home notice that Cole would be leaving, but I couldn’t let that happen. I couldn’t let Mason near Cole. Cole’s frightened of him.”
Max remained silent, not giving Casey any clue as to what he was thinking. She felt guilty that she had hidden Renee’s ugly schemes from Mugg.
“That’s when I called Fisk and offered to find evidence on the Predators. He had tried months before to get my help, but I refused until Renee went to visit Cole and let Mason go with her after I told her I wouldn’t give them any more money. I wrote her a check the next day and called Fisk.”
“How did you come up with the money for Mugg’s bike?”
“I took out a short term loan then paid it off when you gave me the money back. I thought about asking Mugg for help but the Predators would never betray one of their own. I didn’t know where to turn, but I had to protect Cole, so ultimately, I had to stick with my plan. I had to keep Mason away, and the only way to do that was put him in prison by showing his involvement with the Predators, because Fisk agreed to put us in witness protection if I did.”
“What made you change your mind? I found out you have a photographic memory, so why didn’t you just give Fisk the information he wanted?”
“I was going to… but I couldn’t.”
“Why?” Max tightened his arm around her shoulders, not letting her evade his question.
“Because of you,” Casey admitted.
Max kissed her, his hand going to her neck and holding her in place.
“I didn’t want to love you,” she admitted. “I broke up with Jayce because I swore to myself I would never cheat like my mother, but when you didn’t seem interested, I told myself I could go through with my plan and use Stump. I was getting ready to go home when you broke us apart.”
“I wanted to fuck you and punch him for touching you.”
“How did you find us?”
Max rubbed his cheek against hers. “Jackal. He remembered the necklace you were wearing, and after searching through thousands of starfish necklaces, he finally found one on eBay that was the exact necklace. He contacted the seller and asked where the necklace had been purchased, and they pointed us at a boutique here, so we flew down and asked if they recognized a picture of you. The manager recognized you, she said you and Cole come in a couple of times a week.”
Casey’s fingers touched the delicate necklace. “Cole bought it for me. The rehabilitation home provides jobs for special needs, and he saved his money for our vacation and then bought it for me while we were here. Marta buys some of the shells Cole finds, those he can bear part with.”
“I can see why you ran here. It’s very peaceful. We’ll bring my kids down here when I take my vacation.”
“I can’t go back, Max. Renee’s probably already brought charges against me for kidnapping.”
“No, she hasn’t. Ice talked her into signing Cole’s guardianship over to me. She’s going to move in with her sister in South Texas. Mugg kicked her out and is divorcing her ass. You won’t be seeing that bitch again.”
Casey arched away. She didn’t care about where Renee went; her concern was for Cole. Before she could voice her worries, however, Max continued.
“Settle down. I’ll leave all the decisions to you. Do you think Renee will fuck with you when Cole’s guardianship is in my name?”
“No, she’s not that stupid,” Casey agreed, settling back against him.
“Mason won’t be bothering you, either.”
“He’s not a Predator anymore?”
“Mason betrayed Mugg, so he was dealt with. After we found out about Cole… Let’s just say Mason is the one in a rehabilitation center now. He’s never going to come hurt you or Cole again. Hell, he can’t even wipe his own ass.”
Casey could tell Max had been careful about his words, and she felt as though a huge weight was taken off her. “I had to protect him, Max. He always protected me. He was the type of person who couldn’t let someone weaker than him be hurt. He’s really special.”
“He’s a lot like his sister.” With that, Max was done talking. He kissed her as the waves began lapping at their feet.
“I love you, Casey. I’m going to take care of you and Cole.” He pressed her down on the sand, and her arms circled his broad shoulders. “I missed that.” Max buried his face in the curve of her neck.
“What?” Casey murmured.
“You, in my arms.”
“I missed it, too,” she confessed. “But I missed something more.”
“What?”
“Your smile. I missed you smiling at me.”
“Casey? Whatcha doing?”
Casey looked up to see Cole standing over them with the Predators watching from the porch.
“We’re kissing.”
“It doesn’t look like much fun.”
Casey laughed lightheartedly as Max got to his feet then reached down to give her his hand which she took.
“I know something you would like more. How about we find some more shells that we can take home with us?”
“Home?”
“Max wants us to move in with him, if that’s okay with you?”
Cole studied Max, a worried frown on his face.
“I’ll teach you to ride a motorcycle,” Max blatantly tried to bribe him.
“No, you won’t.” But it was too late. Cole’s face was filled with excitement.
“Come on, Cole, you can help me find a big shell.”
Casey let it go for now. She would put a stop to it before Max actually tried to teach him.
They searched the beach for all the shells they could find, and even the other Predators joined in. She watched as the badass bikers took off their leather jackets and showed their finds to Cole, looking at his in return. Casey felt a lump in her throat from observing their gentleness with him.
Her dreams with Cole had been destroyed all those years ago. It was time for them to begin a new one… with Max.
Chapter 26
“Look at me, Casey!”
Nervously, she had to force herself to give a carefree wave as Max drove Cole around the parking lot. She could barely see him through the bikers riding their motorcycles. The bike rally had brought hundreds for the cause to raise funds for adults with special needs. It had been Max’s idea to start a job training program in Queen City like the one which had benefited Cole so much. The Predators were giving rides on their bikes to the ones brave enough to try.
“Don’t look so worried. He’s in good hands,” Vida teased.
