Ring of Fire (8 page)

“Yeah, Kieran. I know
just
what you mean.”

Nate carried a tray of glasses over to their table and set it down. He passed a beer to Erin, Annika and Kaitlin and one to Dan’s wife who had joined them. He shoved the others over to Sam, Dan and to Connor.

Keeping his voice low, he murmured, “This could be an exciting night, fellows. Seems as though we’re not the only ones celebrating.”

Dan’s expression was tense.

“Yeah, I saw them too. I’m surprised. This is the first time I’ve seen Cougar here since he and Jeb went their separate ways. Whadda you think, Nate? Think they really are on the outs or is it just a subterfuge to confuse us? You know, make us think they’re enemies to keep us heading in two different directions. Like fuckin’ cats chasing our tales?”

“Only one way to find out, Dan.”

Nate smiled at the beefy Lieutenant.

“I’m gonna ask Cougar. He oughta know.”

~~~

Nate made his way across the crowded bar toward Cougar’s table stopping along the way to respond to the various boisterous groups who hollered out to him. Nate had to admit, he enjoyed his star status. More than that he appreciated that his town knew who he was. And what he was. He was their champion. At least that’s how the good people viewed him. The people who didn’t cause trouble for others and took care of the people they loved knew they had nothing to fear from Detective Nate Stryker. But the troublemakers? That was another story. And more than a few heads turned the other way when Nate sauntered by.

Passing by a table of young people, most of them college age, Nate gave them the benefit of the doubt. Hell, it seemed hypocritical to enforce the drinking age when the guys having a beer could easily have been out in the woods with the tweakers. At least these kids had a chance of becoming productive citizens.

He nodded at Tucker Barnes, Cougar’s son, sitting at the end of the table. Tucker had been a Division A high school basketball player. Nate had coached him in a couple of afterschool club teams when Tucker was a kid. Nate had been one of his biggest supporters when Tucker made the high school team. He was surprised when Tucker chose not to accept a scholarship from a college team. When Nate had asked him why not, Tucker had merely shrugged and said, ‘I got more important things on my mind, Coach, then playing games.’ Nate hadn’t pushed him, just hoped it meant the kid was serious about school, not that he’d decided to hook up with his father.

Remembering Jeb’s supposed rationale for kicking out Cougar, Nate paid more attention to Tucker’s looks than he might have. More than anything Tucker was handsome as hell. He had dark, almost black hair that hung carelessly at his collar. His features were fine, chiseled, and his dark eyes flashed with intensity. Guess if you wanted to, you could say his skin was darker than most, that he maybe had a mix of blood—could have been Hispanic, perhaps Indian, somewhere in his genealogy. Nate scoffed. Hell, this was Minnesota at the end of May. Any Minnesotan worth his salt had hit the lakes soaking up the sun boating, fishing or water skiing. Everyone’s skin was three shades darker than what they were born with.

Nate stopped at the college table and talked sports trash for a couple of minutes. After they’d agreed that the Twins were shit as usual, he made his way over to Cougar. The big man was sitting with his men on the other side of the pub. Of their youthful foursome, Cougar had always been the biggest. Now he was a bear of a man. When he saw Nate approaching, Cougar rose to his full six feet five inches, beating Nate by an inch. Unlike Jeb, Cougar hadn’t let himself go soft. He outweighed Nate by at least forty pounds—and most of it looked to be solid muscle, likely tested by hard physical labor, not hours in the gym.

His gang stood when Cougar did. There weren’t any women at this table, just angry-looking men, the chips on their shoulders as obvious as the guns in their boots. Nate ignored the towering band of ne’er-do-wells and nodded to Cougar. Grabbing a chair from a nearby table, Nate flipped it around and straddled the seat. He grinned at the sullen gang and leaned forward, his arms hanging over the back of the chair.

“Don’t mind if I do. Thanks for inviting me. To join you, that is.”

Cougar wasn’t as handsome as his son, but was good-looking in a rugged lumberjack sort of way. His full beard and bushy black eyebrows woven together in a deep scowl added to his Paul Bunyan looks. He glared at his men and swept one big arm in a dismissive gesture.

“Git. Me and Big Dog’s got some catchin’ up to do.”

When his men looked from Nate to their boss and didn’t move, Cougar repeated, “You heard me. Git!”

He yanked out a chair across from Nate and sunk down. His eyes were shale hard, the crease between his prominent brows deep, rigid.

“What do you want, Nate?”

Nate quirked a brow. “Hell, Cougar, like you told that band of junkyard dogs, I came to catch up with my old buddy. To see how you’re doing. I haven’t talked to you for nearly a year. Christ, Cougar, I haven’t even arrested you!”

The big man pressed his lips together in a firm line.

“And you’re not gonna, Nate.”

“Hmm. Well, we’ll see about that, Cougar.”

Nate leaned forward and assumed a casual pose.

“I hear you and Jeb split.”

“Good ole Nate. You never did pussyfoot around. You get right to the point. Where did you hear that?”

Nate shrugged. “Got my sources.”

“One of them happen to live on a couple million dollar spread over on Widow Lake?”

“Apparently you got your sources too, huh, Cougar?”

Cougar glared at him through narrowed eyes.

“Yeah, I heard you and the nigger went out and met with Jeb. I’m surprised that black dude came back with both of his nuts. That why you’re not introducing me to your
colorful
sidekick? Fraid, when it comes down to it, I’m more dangerous than Jeb? More given to action, not just bullshit?”

Nate managed to swallow the bile that rose in his throat at the ugly threat. He forced himself to speak quietly, nonchalantly.

“Tell you what. To correct the record,
Commander
Carter and I met with Jeb. Don’t worry, I’ll be introducing you to Sam soon enough. A little heads up, Cougar. Sam was SWAT in the LAPD for five years and is a nationally ranked MMA fighter. Might want to think about that when you are considering your various actions and the names you ascribe to the men I work with—who also happen to be my friends.”

Cougar shrugged, but Nate didn’t miss his surprised frown or the color that rose up on his bearded cheeks. Good to know that at least the asshole would think twice before he insulted Sam again.

Meantime, Cougar apparently decided offense was better than defense.

“Hadn’t noticed that you’re particularly loyal to your friends, Nate. In fact you’ve gotten downright uppity in your old age. Seem to think that you and the nigg… your
Commander
friend are a better class of people than those you used to know.”

“Not so, Cougar. I’m loyal to the people who are loyal to me. And to the values I hold. I’m not loyal to men who prey on others, make their living on the backs of weaker people and judge a person’s worth by the color of his skin.”

When Cougar didn’t respond, just glowered at him, Nate upped the ante.

“So Jeb threw you out, huh, Cougar? Couldn’t keep up with the Big Man?”

“You trying to get a rise out of me, Nate?”

Nate shrugged. “I’m just reporting what I was told—and what I see. The spread that Jeb’s got? A couple million dollars doesn’t begin to describe those palatial digs. Think about it, Cougar. That prick’s probably bought five million dollars of toys within the last year alone. Where the hell is he getting that kind of money? How come he’s not giving any of it to you? Did you fall out of favor? Not kiss his ass as often as you should’ve?”

Cougar’s voice tightened. “You can stop now, Nate. You don’t need to stir up any more trouble between Jeb and me. We know where we hang.”

“You still hangin’ together? Or are you his faithful his lap dog, yippin’ at his heels, like you always did? Snatching up the shit he leaves in his wake. Got to tell you, buddy. That’s a familiar image. Jeb calling the shots, lying and cheating his way to the bigger prize, while Cougar, the faithful hound dog, runs behind him—trying to keep up.”

Cougar visibly clenched his teeth. His expression hardened. His eyes were narrow slits.

“Can’t believe I used to rise to your bait. Well, I ain’t gonna do it, Nate. You of all people ought to know better. You ought to know that you don’t call the game at halftime. Unless you’re a fair weather fan you sure as hell don’t clear the stands just cuz the score’s a little lopsided. You’re acting like the game is over. Hell, Nate, we’re just starting the third quarter. Best you wait to see what happens in the fourth. Things can turn around damn quick in the game we’re in. Depends on who you’re bringing in as ringers for your side.”

“At least you got that part right, Cougar. More right than I think you know.”

He jerked his chair closer and pinned Cougar with a hard stare.

“Let’s talk about this game we’re all involved in. You’re acting like you and Jeb are on opposing teams. That my friend is where you are seriously fucked up–both you and Jeb. For what it’s worth, you two assholes are definitely on the same side. I don’t know which one of you is going to end up with the most points, or who will be the low scorer. I could care less.

“If you take a clear-eyed look across the court, man, it ain’t Jeb you’re gonna see on the other side. Take a good hard look at who’s leading the opposing team. Cuz you’re looking at him now.”

Nate rose to his feet.

“Cougar, when the game’s over, when that final whistle blows? We both know who the winner is going to be and who the losers are. You know that, dude. You’ve known that all your sorry life, haven’t you?”

Cougar looked shaken, edgy. A band of sweat marred his furrowed brow. He sat back in his chair as though assuming a relaxed pose. But he gripped the arms of his chair hard, his knuckles white with the strain.

“You’re wrong, Nate. After I take Jeb down I’m going after you, bro. I’m gonna take you down, man, piece by piece. I’m gonna fillet you like a fish.”

“We’ll see. See you at the sidelines,
bro
. When I’m accepting the trophy for the good guys and my men are hauling your punk ass off to jail.”

Nate turned to leave then glanced across the room.

“Saw Tucker over there. You got a nice kid, Cougar. Better than you deserve. Smart, too.”

“What do
you
know about him, asshole?”

“I know he lives with his mother. I know that they both gave up on you years ago.”

Nate ignored the angry flush rising on Cougar’s neck.

“You weren’t around so you wouldn’t know but I coached him when he was a kid, a middle-schooler. I saw the promise in him then. I’m wondering why he didn’t go out for basketball at the college. Hell, he could have played center, point guard, any position he wanted. He’s a versatile player, tall and fast.”

Cougar’s face flushed a deeper red, then he sneered. “Maybe he has more
important
things to do, Big Dog.”

“Maybe.”

“I’m warning you, Nate. You stay away from that kid.”

Nate shrugged. “Sure, but it seems like he’s old enough to make up his own mind about the lay of the land.”

Cougar growled, “Yeah, he is. Right now he’s making some big decisions about the direction he’s taking in his life. And for the first time, Nate, he’s gonna be making the right decisions.”

Nate sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Knowing who you are, what you are, Cougar? I’m sure hoping that you’re wrong about that.”

Chapter 8

Nate forced a smile on his face and moseyed back across the room face but couldn’t squash the uneasiness rollicking in his gut. You didn’t have to be a trained cop to feel the danger lurking in the pub. It hung in the air like a curtain of early morning fog on the lake. Unlike the mist that burned off with the heat of the sun, the threat in this room could as likely blow up as burn off. Nate slid onto the chair next to Erin and rubbed his balled up fist against her knee. Her soft smooth skin and the shiver his touch elicited chased away the demons threatening to swamp him.

Wrapping a big arm around Erin, he glanced up and saw Britney Mallory sidling up to their table. The young red-haired miniature Kieran was gazing up at him adoringly, her freckled face flushed pink. Nate saw Sam and Connor exchange a look, rolling their eyes at her obvious infatuation.

“Umm, Nate. Uh, Detective Stryker? Sarah, I mean, Mrs. Jones, asked me to give this to you.”

The young girl handed him a folded piece of paper and stepped back crossing her arms as if uncertain what to do next.

Nate took the note and gave her a quick smile.

“Thanks, Britney. Hey, your dad told me you are going to give the Valedictorian address at next week’s graduation. Congratulations. I’m proud of you. I know you work hard to help your dad out now that your mom’s sick. Working the way you do and studying too? That’s impressive Britney. I know your mom and dad are bursting with pride. You done good, girl.”

The young girl flushed brighter, her eyes widening when she saw the size of the bill he shoved her way.

Nate smiled at her.

“Keep that for yourself, Britney. It’s an early graduation present. Buy something pretty just for you. You got to look good standing up on that stage.”

The young girl didn’t hide her excitement. “Thanks, Nate. With this and the money my grandma gave me, I’m going to be able to buy that dress I didn’t think I could afford.”

Connor reached in his wallet and added another bill to her kitty.

“Knowing you girls, the shoes that match the dress are just as important. But Nate’s right. You need to look good on that stage. Do us all proud, you hear, girl?”

Britney glowed with pleasure. “Thank you Capt. Lang, I mean Connor. I appreciate it.”

She darted back to the bar and excitedly showed her father her stash.

Kieran glanced over at their table, unmistakable moisture in his eyes as he saluted Nate and his cousin.