"You belong to someone here?"
"I don't belong to anyone," I bristled.
"Shoot, this is Maze. She's a probate," Cash said, walking up, slamming a hand on Shoot's shoulder and holding out beer bottles for us to take.
"No shit?" Shoot asked me, smile getting wider. "'Bout fucking time you jackasses got progressive," he remarked, giving me a wink as he sipped his beer.
"Says the lone gunman," Cash laughed, shaking his head.
"Hey you find me a skirt who can shoot fifty yards in a dense fog and hit their target, I will happily take them on. I could use some vacation time. Thinking 'bout taking Amelia down to Al'bama in the shit part of winter here."
It started to click then. I'd heard of Shoot, better known as Shooter. He was a hitman for lack of a better term. Amelia must have been his woman. Legend was, he was the most charming man in fifty miles in any direction. Somehow, I believed that. There was obviously just something wrong with me that he had no effect on my mood.
I again blamed Repo.
I chanced a look over to where he was talking to Janie by the picnic tables. Janie looked angry, Repo kind of dead-eyed.
"Maze," Cash called, drawing my attention.
"Yeah?"
"I know you're having a shit time of it here and I'm not gonna disrespect your intelligence by saying it hasn't been planned that way, but I have to say... you're bearing it like no one else would."
"I'm just as deserving as the rest of them," I said, lifting my chin a little.
"I'm not saying I don't agree with you, sweetheart," he said, giving me an almost sad smile. "But I'm not going to be giving you any false hope either. The odds aren't in your favor and you were really close to fucking it up for yourself out front. Not because of that shit with Moose. The fucker had it coming. But if Reign didn't cut you off, I'm pretty sure you would have crossed a line with Repo."
"Why are you telling me this?" I asked, shrugging my shoulders.
"Because if I don't, Lo is going to tie me to the headboard and chop off my balls for not warning you. Now," he said, his smile going a little wicked, "I'm okay with some kinky rope fun, but I'm pretty attached to my balls. I'd like to keep it that way."
At that, I felt my lips curve up slightly. "I didn't really need the warning. I've known how it was from day one," I said, my eye automatically catching the movement of Repo from the picnic tables to the far end of the yard where his cars were situated. Why my eyes always sought him out despite my strong aversion to him lately, I had no idea. They apparently had a mind of their own.
"Oh, pumpkin," Shoot said, bringing my attention back to him and making me realize that Cash had walked away without my noticing.
"What?" I asked, feigning innocence.
"Oh fuck off," he laughed, shaking his head at me. "You want on your boss-man."
"Don't be ridiculous," I said, rolling my eyes for good measure.
"What's the problem?" he asked, ignoring my objection because he saw right through my bullshit. "Take him for a ride. It'll certainly help."
"Help what?" I asked, smiling a little.
"Well, this borderline psychotic attraction you are feeling toward me right now," he said with such a straight face that I felt a laugh get caught in my throat then burst out, making me throw my head back and laugh. "Really helping my ego here, darlin'," he said, smiling.
"Oh, I think your ego can withstand a few knocks, Shoot."
"His ego could withstand a category nine earthquake," a woman's voice said as she walked up, giving Shooter a warm smile. She was short and curvy with long dark hair and deep brown eyes. As soon as she was within arm's length, he hauled her up against his side and gave her cheek a wet, smacking kiss. "I'm Amelia," she supplied unnecessarily.
"Maze," I said, giving her a smile.
"I heard all about you from Janie, Lo, and Summer. Welcome to the girls club. Have you met Alex yet?" she asked, waving a hand across the lawn to where a tall, leggy, brunette with delicate bone structure was standing beside a blond giant with a beard and piercing light blue eyes.
"No," I said, shaking my head. "She's in this... club too?"
"We have to stick together. All these boys around," she said, lowering her eyes at Shooter who leaned over and bit into her earlobe, making her laugh.
"Speaking of," Shoot said, nodding at Wolf. "We have to go make a round. Think about what I said, darlin'."
"Or completely ignore him depending on how ridiculous what he said was," Amelia called over her shoulder as he led her away, one of his hands slipping into her back pocket as she frantically tried to swat it away. To no avail.