“Notice anything funny?” Viper’s voice was muffled by the t-shirt he had removed to stem the blood flowing from his nose.
“We’re the only ones arrested,” Cash confirmed.
“We wanted to know how far they had taken over this town; our question just got answered.”
“Stud’s not going to be happy.”
“I’m not, either. I think they were scouting Treepoint to see how easy it would be to take over.” Viper lowered the now-bloody shirt.
“They’ll control the main road through the mountain,” Cash surmised.
Viper nodded. “And all the side roads that lead through both towns.”
“Fuck, Viper. If they pulled something really big, it would take an army to get to them.”
“I think that’s what they’re planning on.”
The men stared at each other grimly.
Cash got sick to his stomach. To want a getaway of this magnitude, they were planning on doing a job that would have massive fatalities, and then even more lives would be lost trying to get them off the land that provided them plenty of cover from attack.
“I’ll make some calls.” Cash was already thinking of several buddies in Homeland Security.
“I will, too,” Lucky chimed in, flexing his hand with the bruised knuckles. “But I’m not becoming a minister again.”
“How about a nun?” Cash joked.
“Fuck you.” Lucky leaned his head back against the grey wall.
The men started coming up with ideas for Lucky’s next undercover assignment, but when Train’s idea landed him face down on the floor, they quit laughing. Lucky, satisfied he had shut everyone down, sat back down.
“Motherfuckers, if you don’t shut up, I’ll tell the women those yahoos beat your asses.”
The cell went quiet. Lucky never made promises he didn’t keep.
* * *
Cash let himself in his grandmother’s house. It was two in the morning before Diamond had been able to get them out of jail. He was tired while at the same time wired. He knew his brothers were going back to the clubhouse with beds that would have women waiting for them while the one waiting here for him was cold and empty.
He stumbled over a table leg as he walked through the living room. “Shit!”
His grandmother was constantly getting new furniture from flea markets. How she maneuvered her wheelchair through the cramped space boggled his mind; he couldn’t walk through it without constantly bumping into something.
“Who’s there?” a feminine voice sounded from the hallway along with the unmistakable sound of a gun being cocked.
“Who the fuck do you think it is?” Cash grunted, bumping into a chair.
“Cash?”
He was standing in front of her, seeing the gun in her hand.
“Put the gun up, Rachel.”
“What are you doing coming in so late?”
Cash could see her in the dim light coming from her opened bedroom door. She was wearing a thin nightgown that came to the tops of her thighs, the low neckline showing the pale flesh of her breasts.
“I went for a ride.”
“So I smell.” She wrinkled her nose, taking a step away from him. “It’s so late I’m surprised you didn’t stay the night at the clubhouse or at least take a shower.”
Cash couldn’t help but grin, not missing the dart she threw at him for staying last night at the clubhouse.
“I wasn’t out fucking. The brothers and I took a ride to Jamestown.” He reached out, running a finger across the tops of her breasts. The gun, which she had lowered, rose again, pointing at his chest.
“You don’t have permission to touch me. Do it again, and I’ll blow your left nut off,” Rachel threatened.
Cash lost his grin. “I don’t like having a gun pointed at me, and I sure as shit don’t like you threatening to blow off my dick.”
“I didn’t threaten to blow off your dick, just one of those balls you’re so proud of. I’m a good shot; I wouldn’t miss.”
“My hand isn’t going to miss if you don’t cut back on some of that sass you’ve been throwing in my direction.”
“What’s the matter, Cash? Can’t take a woman who doesn’t want to drop her panties when she sees you?”
“That wouldn’t be you; you dropped yours fast enough the first time I tried. Don’t put yourself on a nonexistent pedestal. Your sweet pussy was one of the best I’ve ever had.”
When Rachel reached out to hit him with the gun, Cash jerked it out of her hand while maneuvering her backwards into her bedroom, shutting the door with his foot. He laid the rifle down on the dresser.
“I warned you last night that, if you want to hit out at me, you better be prepared for what comes back at you.”
“You’re the biggest ass I know.” Rachel struggled against him. “Let me go, you goon, or I’ll scream loud enough to wake up Mag.”
“You do, and I’ll tell her you’re coming on my dick and to go back to bed,” Cash said, enjoying the feel of her body against him.
He pinned her against the bedroom wall with one of his legs between hers as she hit at his chest with her fists. When he pressed his knee against her pussy, she quit struggling, stiffening against him.
“Get out, Cash.” Her cold voice had his arms dropping away from her as he took a step back. She took a shuddering breath, and Cash angrily narrowed his eyes on her.
“Don’t act like I was going to rape you, Rachel.” Her face paled. “I don’t play like that. Never have, never will. Don’t twist it around in your head; you wanted me to fuck you that night.”
Rachel’s shoulders stiffened. “I didn’t suggest you did. It might not have been my proudest moment, but I accept full responsibility for being an idiot.”
Cash tilted his head to the side, studying her expression. “Why were you an idiot?”
“Because I shouldn’t have wanted you. I know what kind of man you are, and I still let myself have you.”
Cash gave a sensuous smile. Stepping closer, he braced his hand on the wall next to her head. “You don’t know what kind of man I am, Rachel. You couldn’t possibly know. If you did, you wouldn’t keep insulting me.” His voice turned seductive. “I’m not my father. When I want something, I take it.”
“Shut up, Cash.” Rachel started to push off the wall but was pressed back against it.
“What? I’m not allowed to talk about it? We all know your mother and my father were in love. If my father hadn’t fucked up and cheated on her, then she would never have married your father.”
“She loved my father,” Rachel said forcefully.
Cash shook his head. “She loved my father and turned to his best fr
iend when she found out dear old Dad had knocked up the town whore. Both of them regretted their mistakes for the rest of their lives. When Dad realized he wasn’t getting your mom back, he married my mother. Together, they became sanctimonious idiots every Sunday while I had to watch. I, on the other hand, don’t plan on regretting the best mistake of my life.”
Her expression became confused. “The best mistake of your life?”
“You were the best mistake of my life,” he confirmed. “I’ve been attracted to you for a long time, but to tell you the truth, your brothers didn’t make you worth the effort, and I sure as fuck wasn’t anxious to follow in my father’s footsteps to try to romance you.”
“You wouldn’t know romance if it came up behind you and bit you on the ass.”
Cash burst out laughing. “I know romance, and I can prove it.”
“There’s no need. I’m not interested.”
“I think you’re the one who has trouble dealing with romance, not me,” he mocked her frightened expression.
“You think romance is wham, bam, and telling everyone in town you fucked the girl.” Her tart reply had him laughing again.
“No, that was stupidity. I let your brothers piss me off into opening my big mouth. I’m not sorry, though.” Cash saw the wounded look in her eyes and continued, “It was a hard way for your brothers to find out about us, like ripping a band-aid off, but now they know.” He shrugged.
“There isn’t an us!”
“There will be. Right now, you’re still mad, but I can wait until you cool down. At least a little longer,” he qualified his words.
“You’re the most egotistical man to ever exist.”
“Not really, just confident. If I can get in your panties once, I can do it again.” Cash stared down into her eyes.
Her face flushed red, and her bottom lip trembled as she shook her head at him.
Cash softened his voice. “You’re mad as hell at me, but you still want me.”
“No, I don’t,” she denied.
“Yes, you do. I can prove it.” As his lips swooped down on hers, Rachel pressed her hands against his chest. Cash’s tongue licked her lips, but didn’t try to enter her mouth; instead, he learned the contours of her lips as his other hand reached out to slide against her neck to hold her in place. His thumb traced the delicate lines of her face as he gradually increased the pressure against her lips, sliding his tongue inside to explore the warmth of her mouth. He went from seductive to demanding, breaching the defenses she had built against him, trying to turn the fire of her hatred to one of passion.