"What happens when you have to take them both?"
"It hasn't happened yet." He straightened his beard. "I need to get a car. Jess is starting driver's training at school soon. She can use it once she has her license, and I can take it if both kids are with me."
"You can always borrow my Toyota if something comes up," she said.
"Appreciate it." He kissed her. "Are you warm enough?"
She slid her hands along his ribs and around his back. "You can keep me warm."
"Gonna make you hot tonight." He patted her ass.
She stiffened. He looked down at her. She focused her gaze behind him.
"What's wrong?"
"Your friends are coming," she said.
He turned around. Roddy had worked for him for four years, and through him, he'd met Curley several times, shared a beer or two, but until the other day, he hadn't needed their offer of help.
"How's your son?" Curley stopped and shook Wyatt's hand.
"Sticking around." He widened his stance and waited to hear why they sought him out when he was ready to go home.
Curley glanced at Joey, dipped his chin, and then met Wyatt's gaze. "We should talk sometime."
"Now is good." He pulled Joey closer. "You can talk in front of her."
Curley shook his head. Joey leaned into him and whispered, "I'll go stand by the door of the bar and wait."
He watched her walk off. As soon as she was out of earshot, he said, "I don't appreciate you chasing off my woman. This better be important."
"It's about Dean Miller."
His jaw tightened. "Talk."
There was no space in his life for his kids' former stepdad. Now that Claudia was dead, Dean could disappear from Missoula, and he'd be happy.
"Tarkio received some news that Miller is dealing crack." Curley put his boot on the curb. "Dirty shit, that has caused three overdoses."
"Around here?" he asked, having not heard of anyone dying from an overdose.
"Federal Prison. We have some members behind bars. Words going around that Miller is running scared because he's got a target on his back. You should know that, considering you were concerned that he still makes contact with your kids."
"If he's got guys coming after him for selling dirty...good. No loss to me, no loss to my kids," he said.
His only concern was that Dean would try and contact his kids when he wasn't around. If he had to escort them to and from school and hire someone to watch them when school was out in two weeks, he would.
"Word is his wife had used from the same batch that caused the deaths, and her car didn't go off the road on its own. There were people around when she went into cardiac arrest. Miller panicked and set the car up on that blind corner by the dam and sent it into the water." Curley paused. "Was there an autopsy?"
He shook his head. "Not that I know. I was told she missed the corner and crashed. Nobody found her for hours until people in a passing car noticed some metal sticking above the surface of the water and stopped to investigate. By the time I heard, she'd already been sent over to the funeral home."
Curley smacked Wyatt on the shoulder. "You can use the information however you want, to keep your kids safe."
"Appreciate it." He watched Roddy and Curley walk back to the bar.
Joey strolled across the parking lot to him. He tried to process what they'd told him, but for his kids' sakes, they were better off believing their mom had died in a car accident. They'd suffered off and on through their mom's drug addictions in the past, there was no use bringing it up again. The fact was she was dead and they'd lost their mom. The truth would only kill anything positive they had stored in their memories.
He'd always suspected Dean was the one who fed Claudia's habit. Hearing he might also have killed her with dirty crack and got rid of the body after she'd died hadn't surprised him.
He looked at Joey. "Are you ready to go?"
She flapped her hand. "It didn't dawn on me until I was in front of the bar that I was standing there in a mini skirt with a motorcycle helmet on. I'm such a dork. I'm glad nobody came out while I was there."
"You're my dork." He patted her hip. "Let's get out of here."
As soon as he pulled out of the parking lot, it hit him that Curley kept some of the information from him. There was no reason to give him the details on Claudia. She was dead. He was already fighting to keep Dean away from his kids.
The only thing that made sense on why Tarkio would clue him in was because they were the ones going after Dean.
Fuck.
Chapter 15Joey
WYATT SOAPED JOEY'S body, lingering on her breasts. She rubbed her hands together, gathering suds, and reached down and wrapped her fingers around his cock.
He hardened instantly and groaned.
"Like?" She moved closer.
He tweaked her nipples. "I don't want you to date anyone else."
Her hand stilled on him. "I don't know about that."
"What's there to think about?"
"Well, you don't want me to see anyone, but what about you?" She gazed up at him. "I don't want you with other women."
He sank his hands into her hair, pulling her up to capture her lips. The heat from his mouth made its demands. He possessed her, owned her, and ruined her for any other man. He was much more than she'd expected and had every quality she wanted in a lover.
She teased him with her tongue.
He stroked her mouth, nibbled on her lip, and peppered her with kisses. She rubbed her body against him. The warm water beating at her back almost too much stimulation with what he was doing to the front of her.
Wyatt pulled back and let the water wash all the soap from her body. Then, he changed
