“Can I have another hotdog, please?”
Rachel ruffled her nephew’s hair while reaching onto the platter to hand him another.
“Rachel, it’s his third one,” Holly reprimanded her.
Rachel could never say no to him; she spoiled him shamelessly.
“Last one, I promise.” Rachel winked at Logan, giving Holly a hotdog to pacify her. Holly threw her a mock dirty look, taking the hot dog to go sit at one of the patio tables they had set up around the pool. Her brothers had hung fairy lights around the area, and with all the food and birthday balloons, the area looked very festive.
“What did you get in trouble for this time?” Lily asked, picking up a hotdog for herself.
“Giving Logan too many hotdogs. It’s a good thing she hasn’t noticed how many cupcakes I’ve let him sneak.”
As Lily laughed, taking a bite of her hotdog, a loud giggle drew Rachel’s attention. Greer and Diane were swimming in the pool. Rachel hadn’t been happy that he was seeing the woman often, nor that he had invited her to the party.
“I see Greer has a new girlfriend,” Lily stated as they watched the couple play in the pool.
Several of the guests had brought swimsuits, many of them members of The Last Riders. Rachel had been shocked when she had looked up from the grill to see Cash sitting on the edge of the pool next to Rider. She thought he would avoid the party with her brothers present. Bliss, Jewell, Stori, and Nickel were swimming.
Another squeal drew her attention back to Greer and Diane.
“It’s the longest he’s seen someone.” Rachel stared at her brother and the woman whose bikini top was tiny and completely out of place for the occasion. The Last Rider women were in more conservative swimsuits and were acting appropriately while Diane was acting like a drunken slut. To give Greer credit, he was trying unsuccessfully to calm her down.
Rachel reached into the cooler, pulling out a soda for herself.
“Want something to drink?” Rachel offered.
Lily looked into the cooler. “Lemonade would be great.”
After Rachel handed her the lemonade, she and Lily took a seat and sat chatting until their conversation was interrupted by raised voices. Rachel winced when she heard Holly’s angry voice. She and Greer were at the edge of the pool. Rachel could guess she was giving him hell over his behavior with Diane. Everyone was watching their fight.
“I better go break this up,” Rachel excused herself, rising from the table and hurrying to avert a full-scale fight between the two. Holly was constantly on Greer because of his behavior in front of Logan, and Greer would become angry often, saying hurtful things to her.
“I don’t need your advice on how to act!”
“Obviously, you do!” Holly argued back.
“If you would get that stick out of your ass, you might have some fun of your own and quit worrying about what I’m doing,” snarled Greer.
“I don’t give a darn what you’re doing. Just don’t do it in front of Logan.” Holly had lowered her voice, but it didn’t quiet Greer down.
“Don’t give me that holier-than-thou attitude. I’m not the one—”
“Greer,” Rachel loudly whispered. “Shut up.” Rachel wanted to smack her brother at the hurt look on Holly’s face.
“You deal with her. I’m done listening to her sanctimonious bullshit.” Greer jumped back into the pool, spraying both of them with water.
“He may be your brother, but I hate him.” Holly’s low voice was filled with tears.
“He’s always been a hothead. I’m sorry, Holly; he didn’t mean it.”
“Yes, he did. He hates me for keeping Logan a secret.”
“We all know you did it to protect him,” Rachel soothed, reaching out to place her hand on her arm.
The guests were all gathering at the large table set up with the birthday cake. Mrs. Langley was staring in awe at the huge cake. Beth motioned for her.
“I need to go. They’re getting ready to cut the cake.”
“Go. I’m fine.”
Rachel’s smile slipped when she heard another argument going on behind her.
“What now?” Confused, she turned to see Cash still sitting by the pool. However, Diane had managed to climb up and sit next to him, pressing her breasts against his arm and placing her hand on his bare thigh, just below his shorts.
Greer’s temper was already running hot from his argument with Holly; therefore, seeing his girlfriend plastered against Cash was like pouring gasoline on the flame. Their cutting remarks had Rachel turning pale.
“Greer!” Rachel pleaded.
“Back off, Rachel. He started it.”
“How did I start it? I was sitting here, minding my own business,” Cash said angrily.
“You never could keep your hands off another man’s woman. What is it with you; can’t you find one of your own?” Greer climbed out of the pool to glare down at Cash and Diane.
To give Cash credit, he didn’t get to his feet; instead, he stared back impassively at Greer’s tantrum.
“I know it’s hard, Greer, but be smart. Go have a piece of cake and leave me alone.”
Tate and Dustin came out from the house. Rachel silently groaned to herself as they came closer to see what had Greer’s voice raised loud enough to be heard inside.
“You just can’t leave women alone, can you, Cash? Like father, like son.”
Rachel sucked in her breath as Cash got to his feet and The Last Riders began to fall in behind him.
“This is a birthday party! Let’s go eat some ice cream and cool down.” Rachel desperately tried to head off the fight she could see coming.
“Shut up, Rachel,” Greer snarled at her attempt.
“Don’t talk to her that way,” Cash growled.
“I can talk to my sister any way I want to.”
“Talk to her that way again and I will—”
“What are you going to do? Rachel is none of your business. She’s the only woman in this town of ours you haven’t fucked.”
“Wanna bet?” Cash grinned. “I fucked her under your own roof,” Cash bragged.
Rachel thought she would pass out at Cash’s gloating. The horrified looks on her brothers’ faces as they turned to her had Rachel taking a step back. When she was unable to deny his statement, all hell broke loose.
“You son of a bitch!” Greer threw himself at Cash, nearly knocking him into the pool, but Rider managed to grab his arm and steady him. Greer’s fists flew out, one nailing Cash in the stomach. A free-for-all almost started as her other brothers moved forward, but The Last Riders managed to surround Cash.
Rachel stood with her hand to her mouth as her brothers screamed obscenities at the bikers.
“This is how you repay us for saving Lily’s life? You motherfuckers can go to Hell!” Tate tried to go for Shade, who went stiff at his damning insult.
“We are paying you back. We’re not beating the shit out of you right now! Back off.” Shade’s brusque order was ignored.
Rachel made an attempt to stop her brothers one more time, grabbing Tate by his arm when he moved toward Shade. “Tate! Stop. Please!”
“Don’t fuckin touch me.” Tate shoved her from him, jerking his arm away. Rachel stumbled, but Tate caught her, pulling her to his side, his furious eyes glaring down at her in disgust.
“Get Logan and Holly, Dustin. We’re leaving.” Tate jerked her toward the patio doors as Dustin and Greer followed.
Rachel started crying, humiliated. Mrs. Langley and half the town had gathered to cut the cake and were now staring at her as her brothers dragged her from the party. They had all heard what Cash had said, and Rachel could read their filthy thoughts as Tate pushed her inside the house where Holly and Logan were inside the kitchen.
“We’re leaving,” Dustin said, picking Logan up in his arms.
“But we have to help clean up,” Holly protested.
“She has plenty of help. Let’s go.” Tate’s harsh expression had Holly
hastily closing her mouth.
She didn’t say another word, following closely behind the angry group. Rachel tried to break away, but Tate picked her up, tossing her in his truck.
“Greer, bring her car,” Tate ordered.
“Where are your keys?” Tate asked her, getting in the truck behind the wheel.
Rachel just wanted to go home. She reached into the pocket of her dress then, angrily rolling the window down, she threw the keys at Greer. As soon as the keys were in Greer’s hands, Tate pulled out of the driveway. Rachel expected angry yells all the way home; instead, the freezing silence had her shivering.