Ol’ Sam gave Murphy the stink eye. “I’m an old man, boy. I’ve been here a lot of years. Enough years to know you two come from up in the mountains, and I don’t want nothin’ to do with your lot.”
He might be a slob, and probably a bit nuts, but he wasn’t wrong about that. But I didn’t want to go in there alone, and I didn’t want to miss this chance. I couldn’t risk the old guy having a coronary in his bed tonight while I was searching for the world's only non-threatening-looking Manix to accompany me.
“Sir, I’m just looking for the woman who might be my mother.”
Sam indicated two shabby lawn chairs on his porch. “Sit down, girly. It’s hotter than Satan’s flaming ballsack today.” I went over and sat, and he dropped himself down in the seat next to me with a groan. “You better start at the beginning.”
I bit my lip. “I was, uh, adopted over twenty years ago, and had no idea who my birth parents are. The only lead I have to go on—and it’s a bit of a long shot—is this bar and you.”
Sam nodded. “No doubt in my mind you belong to Leandra. It’s like looking at her twenty years ago, that's for sure.”
“Does she have a last name?” Merrick asked, and I shot him a grateful smile.
Sam scowled in his direction. “Adler. Leandra Adler. Sweet girl. Sassy. She rolled into town one year, asked me for a job, and was the best bartender I ever had. She kept the patrons all in line—some because she took no shit, but mostly because they were all a little in love with her. She had a way about her, Leandra.”
“Does she—”
“Just wait, girl. I’m tellin’ a damn story here.” I mimed zipping my lips, and he continued. “Anyway, the best bartender I ever did have. Don’t know where she came from, but I appreciated her anyway. Paid her good too. Then one of you turned up.” He looked at Merrick and Murphy, curling his lip. “Turned her head, he did. She went from being the best employee I had, to the worst. Always late for shifts. Always tired. None of her old pep. Then, all of a sudden she stopped turning up for work at all. No ‘hey Sam, I’m moving on,’ or ‘Sam, I’m in trouble,’ ’cause I would have helped Leandra in a heartbeat. But there was no nothin’.” He sucked in a deep breath.
“Do you know where she is now?” I asked quietly, my breath burning in my lungs.
Sam looked at me sadly, and that tiny flicker of hope that still burned inside of me flickered out. “Didn’t hear from her for months. Then one Sunday morning, I was heading in to open up for the after-church crowd. Noticed a couple of big trash bags beside the back door. Was getting ready to chew out the new bartender for being lazy, but they just seemed… wrong. When I opened them, I found Leandra. Pieces of her, anyway.”
I bolted out of my seat and threw up over his porch rail. Hands reached out and stroked my back soothingly, but I wanted my Alphas. I’d been vain and stupid to come here without them. My stomach continued to roil, and someone handed me a handkerchief. I wiped my mouth, and stood up. Sucking in a deep breath, I composed myself and looked back at the old man.
Sam now looked older somehow, and he’d already looked ancient before. “I’ve seen some shit, girl, but that will haunt me to my dying day. They launched an investigation, of course, but they couldn’t find any evidence. Just became another cold case, and I paid for her to be buried over at the cemetery on Fifth and Main. Don’t even know if that’s what she would have wanted, but I had bought an extra plot for my wife as a weddin’ present, then she left me for Dan Hickey. Thought I may as well put it to use. If I have to have a grave neighbor, well, Leandra would be the best sort.”
I stood up straighter and wiped my hand across my mouth. “Sorry about that.”
Sam snorted. “Nah, girl. Not the first time someone puked over that rail. Though normally it’s me.” He gave me a gap-toothed smile, and I realized his dentures were still on the porch. I picked them up and handed them back, watching as he just stuffed them back in his mouth.
Well, that was a little gross.
“She’s buried over on the boundary line at the graveyard, if you wanna go visit. No one’s been there for a good while. Guess that’s my bad.” He frowned. “How old did you say you were?”
Now it was my turn to smile sadly. “Twenty-three.”
“She disappeared to have you? Damn it, Leandra. She shoulda known I woulda helped. I mightn’t have had any kids myself—hell, I’m not the paternal sort—but I liked the girl. I wouldn’t have thrown her out on the street for getting knocked up.” He shook his head. “If you ask me, it was one of those guys who killed her.” He pointed to Merrick and Murphy, making Murphy growl near silently, until Merrick elbowed him. “Soon as she started seeing him, she changed. Made herself less. Got real skittish. Once, I saw him putting his hands on her, and me and the boys made to get my fucking shotgun and teach him a lesson, but he was gone by the time I got back. Lucky, since I woulda put a pound of lead in his giant ass.”
I let out a shaky breath, giving Sam a tight smile. “Thank you for answering my questions.” I had no doubt in my mind that he was right. That my father had her killed. Seemed like just his kind of thing, though no one had ever said he was a murderer. Just that he was a fucking psycho. But Lorso had always been wary of him for a reason.
Sam stood, and his whole body creaked. “No worries. I’m sorry I couldn’t have given you the happily ever after you probably wanted.” He frowned again. “What’d she name you?”
I shook my head. “I don’t know. I was adopted as a newborn. My friends call me Kit though.” Well, at least one did.
“Well, Kit. Come back if you ever wanna hear stories about your mama. I have enough of those, at least.” He paused. “Were you raised alright?”
I nodded. “I was happy.”
“That’ll help her rest easier then. I’m glad a little piece of her lived on.” He let out a wobbly breath. “Now, you better get outta here. Jeopardy’s about to start.” He sounded gruff, but I saw the shine in his eyes.
We said our goodbyes, and I promised to come back and visit one day. He looked… lonely, and as the only person who seemed to give a shit about my mother, I almost felt duty-bound to check on him every now and then, which was ridiculous.
But I’d still do it.
Merrick and Murphy stood close to me as we walked back to the car. “Do you want to head over to the cemetery?”
I shook my head. “No. I’ll come back down with my Alphas later.” It felt like something I would need them for, rather than two perfect strangers, no matter how wonderful they’d been.
