“Um…why don’t you bring him by so I can meet him?” Nester’s heart thundered. If he could get Dublin to Pyke’s house, then Pyke could end this.
Nester would just have to get his mother away so she wouldn’t know what was going on. He could maybe take her into the backyard and pretend to show her around. She liked being treated royally, and Nester would lay it on thick if that meant killing Dublin.
God, I really am turning into a killer.
“I don’t think so,” Norma Jean said. “You don’t meet a guy and then automatically introduce him to your family. Are you trying to get me to scare him off?”
Crap, well, it had been worth a try. “Right. You’re right. Can you at least tell me where he’s taking you?”
“The Canteen,” Norma Jean said with a touch of excitement in her voice. “Dublin said it’s a real fancy place. Do you know how long it’s been since I’ve been anywhere fancy? God knows your father never took me anywhere.”
Nester gritted his teeth to stop the slew of curses that wanted to escape. Even so, he kept his mouth shut so she wouldn’t hang up on him. He still needed to know what day and time. It wasn’t the perfect plan, but at least the cops, and FBI, would know where to find the piece of shit.
“So, when is the big date?”
“What is with the inquisition, Nessie? Since when are you interested in my life? You’ve never been this nosy before.”
That’s because I’ve never been trying to entrap a thug.
“Maybe it’s about time we set our difference aside and had a real connection.” The sad truth was, Nester would love nothing more. What child didn’t crave a relationship with his mother? Even as old as Norma Jean was, Nester still believed people could change.
It was highly unlikely, but a guy could still wish.
“Connection?” she scoffed. “Stop making it sound like you want to hook up with me.”
“Mom!” Nester really was going to be sick. He felt his face catch fire as he groaned. “Only you would think that way. You knew exactly what I meant, because we’ve never been able to connect.”
“That’s not my fault. You spent all your time with your father, never including me in your plans. Do you know how that made me feel?”
Nester had to stop and think. Had he and his dad intentionally left her out of their plans? He racked his brain, but he couldn’t recall either him or his father asking her to join them.
In fact, Nester couldn’t recall any time when his dad had thought to ask her. It had never occurred to him before, but why had his father left her behind? Why had he subtly made her out to be the villain? Why had Nester blindly followed his dad’s actions and words? He didn’t want to believe his father had intentionally done those things, but the proof was there, talking to him and making him think deeply about his upbringing.
“Is that why you did everything you could to stop us from hanging out?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about, and I have to go. I have errands to run, and I don’t have time for this.”
Norma Jean, the only person Nester knew that didn’t have time for a pleasant conversation. It actually hadn’t gone that bad, which surprised him. “Make sure you call me before you go on your date.”
“Probably not.” She hung up, but Nester had detected tears in her voice. Fuck, now he needed to really think about the past, and if he and his father had made her the way she was.
As he got up to change the sheets on the bed, he heard the back door slide open. Was Pyke back already? Nester hurried into the kitchen and came to a hard stop when he saw Dublin standing there, a gun in his hand and a malicious grin on his face.
“Hello, Nester. It seems we have a few things to discuss.”
* * * *
This had to be a joke, right? There was no way Nester was staring at the man who wanted him dead. Not in his own home, not while doing laundry. And where in the hell were his babysitters? How had Dublin gotten past them? Pyke had told him that the deputies watching over the house were shifters. Hadn’t they smelled Dublin before he even reached the back door?
Clearly not.
Now Nester stood there ready to wet himself. He was not about to die in tight gym shorts and a ratty T-shirt he’d found in the bottom of Pyke’s closet. The only reason Nester had put it on was because the material had smelled like Pyke’s masculine scent. It helped him not to miss his mate so much while Pyke was gone.
Kind of like when a baby settled its crying when it smelled its mother. Not that Nester was comparing himself to a baby or Pyke as his mother. God forbid. That was not a pleasant thought, but the shirt had the same calming effect regardless.
Not anymore, though.
“I don’t think there’s anything for us to talk about.” Nester inched backward. If he could make it to the front door without getting shot, he might be able to run outside and find the deputies to help him.
“Hand over your phone.” Dublin took a few steps toward him, but his gun wasn’t directly aimed at Nester. It was pointed toward the floor, as if Dublin wasn’t worried about Nester overtaking him.
“It’s in the b-bedroom.” Nester looked toward the hallway. If Dublin trapped him down there, no way could Nester escape.
He took another step back.
“Have you shown that video to anyone else?”
“No.” Nester wasn’t foolish enough to admit anyone else had seen it, let alone the fact that the sheriff had sent it to the FBI. It was obvious Dublin had no idea the feds were after him, which might give Nester time to figure out what to do.
If Nester had said yes, he was pretty certain the guy would have shot him right then.
“Give me your phone and I’ll see for myself. If you’re lying, you’re dying.” Dublin’s grin was downright chilling. “Then again, you’re dying anyway since I know you can’t pay Scott’s debt.”
“What if I could?” Stall him for as long as possible. He waved his hand. “Look at the house I live in. My boyfriend will wipe out what Scott owes you, and then we never have to see each other again.”
“I’m afraid it’s too late for that.”
Dublin moved forward, driving Nester to backpedal. He wanted to keep as much distance between them as possible. If Dublin got his hands on him, it was over.
“Why?” Nester forced himself not to look over his shoulder and give away his thoughts. “I would think you’d want money more than my death.”
Scott was the cause of this, but Nester knew why he had been vulnerable to his ex’s bullshit in the first place. He’d been lonely after his father’s death, and his mother hadn’t been there for him. Nester had clung to the first person to show interest and latched onto Scott, even though he’d known deep down that Scott was no good.
“What Scott owed me is a drop in the bucket compared to my wealth. You’re more of an example to anyone who thinks to double cross me.”
“I’m a freaking lesson?” Nester gaped at him. “Are you fucking serious? I would think your ruthless reputation would be enough of a deterrent.”
“You can’t let your foot off the pedal in my line of work. Give a guy a pass and everyone else thinks they can get one, too.”