Seeing Red(50)

All the practiced serenity he’d been exhibiting for so many years suddenly gave way to something darker. More ruthless.

He swallowed. “Now I see why Megan calls you a grease stain when she thinks no one is listening.”

Spike lunged toward him, growling like a wounded bear as he charged, and Seth didn’t think. He was vaguely aware of Stephen having Chester in a headlock, and of the restaurant manager shouting, “Break it up, or I’ll make sure you get charged for destruction of property.” Seth registered Spike landing an ineffectual punch to his chin, but beyond that, he didn’t feel. Didn’t plan.

He just saw red.





Chapter 16



“You boys better be glad I was on duty tonight. Anyone else would have thrown you in lockup. I know you’re mostly harmless, Seth, but I don’t know nothing about your friend here.” The desk sergeant sighed and her shoulders fell in the same way Seth had seen Carla’s do so many times before. Like mother, like daughter.

Seth rubbed the blooming bruise on his jaw and cringed. That should be fun to explain away at work. “Stephen is Megan’s brother.”

Connie narrowed her eyes at Stephen, and after a few seconds, grunted. “Yeah, I can see it. Nice to meet you. Sorry it had to be under these circumstances, but then again that’s how I met Seth. Meg’s on her way down to rescue one or both of you, I don’t know for sure. Sounded angry, though. Someone’s going to get it tonight, and I’d say you both deserve it.”

Seth and Stephen shared a look.

“How’s that fist of yours?” Stephen asked.

Seth brought his hand in front of his face and studied the swollen knuckles. He balled his fingers into a loose fist, then straightened them. “I don’t think I’ll be wearing shoes with laces for a couple of days.”

“How’s yours?”

“Tolerable.”

Connie snorted but didn’t look up from the paperwork she was scratching information onto. “You should see the other guy, Seth. He looks like he ran face-first into a sledgehammer. You oughta register those fists of yours as deadly weapons.”

Great. Exactly the kind of reputation he wanted.

“I don’t think Mr. Coffman will be making his sound check tonight,” she said.

“That’s par for the course, because Mr. Coffman didn’t make much of anything. Wasn’t much of a father. Wasn’t much of a husband. Wasn’t much of a boyfriend, either, so don’t ask me why I fuckin’ married him.” Meg slammed her wallet on Connie’s desk and turned to look at the inmates. First she glowered at Stephen, who blew out a breath, then Seth.

He wouldn’t dare look away, although the hurt in her expression tore a hole in his heart.

Stephen, brave man, cleared his throat and spoke first. “It’s my fault. You know how he makes me react. Knows exactly what buttons to push, the little shit.” He said that last part in a mumble. “I’m not sorry I started the fight, but I am sorry it was public. You don’t need that attention. I fucked up. Hey, Sarge? Can you charge me so I can get out of here? I gotta catch a flight to Bermuda.”

Bermuda?

“And what, precisely, am I charging you with, Mr. Lawyer?” Connie asked, rolling her head on her neck.

Stephen cleared his throat again and strode to the desk, starting with, “Witnesses said he threw the first punch, so…”

After that, Seth tuned him out because Meg stood in front of him, arms crossed over the chest of her oversize sweatshirt looking very small, hurt, betrayed, and angry.

No, not angry. Furious.

And he had nothing to say for himself, except…

“Where’s Toby?”

She seemed to have to temper her words before she answered, because she swallowed twice and raked her hands through her loose hair. “Sharon has him. Don’t worry. I didn’t tell him you got tossed in the clink.”

Connie clucked her tongue. “Cut him some slack, sweetie. Any of the boys would have done it, including my two. Don’t know what that says about you all, but…”

Meg shook her head and squatted in front of him, resting her forearms on her thighs. “What were you thinking, Seth? Huh?”

He opened his mouth, then closed it. She didn’t know any of it. All the drama would have come crashing down on her without warning. He’d tried to minimize some of it but maybe he’d made it worse. Megan’s current husband had gotten into a public brawl with her rock-star ex-husband. With all the cell phones in the room, there were probably dozens of pictures. That’s exactly the kind of publicity she didn’t want.

“Tell me. Why were you two even with him? What do you have to say for yourself?”