by Marika Ray
“I know. That’s what made it so fun,” he finally said, reaching across the table for my hand. I folded my arms across my chest instead.
Yedda breezed by in a cloud of cat hair, calling out happy birthday to me before stopping at Poppy’s table and swiping a ten-dollar bill out of her hand.
“Told you that girl is as stubborn as they come!” Yedda cackled and then shot me a wink.
I turned back to Titus, fearing there might be smoke coming out my ears at the idea of people I’d grown up around betting on when I’d fall for Titus. “What. The. Fuck?”
Titus stood quickly, dropping several twenty-dollar bills on the table and forcibly removing me from my chair. He held my hand tight and pulled me out the door, knowing I was one comment away from blowing my top. I trusted Titus to guide me, twisting my neck to shoot glares at the table of meddlers betting on my love life. They hooted and hollered like uncivilized old ladies, only making me angrier.
I hadn’t even gotten to make a wish and blow out my candle. Nor eat any of the delicious cake. When we’d hit the parking lot, our server came running out of the restaurant to hand Titus the cake in a to-go bag. Thank God for small mercies.
“Thank you!” I called after her.
At least there would be cake.
Titus put the cake in the truck and then lifted me up by the waist. He shook his head. “In your advanced age, I should get you a step stool.”
I smacked his arm and he went back to laughing. When he climbed in the driver’s side, I could only shake my head. “Are you telling me there’s been a town-wide bet for ten years about you and me and we didn’t even know about it? Damn. What else is going on that I should know about but don’t know about because people are hiding things from me?”
Titus paused before starting up the truck. “I’m sure they weren’t doing it to hurt you, Lia. Sometimes surprises can be fun.”
I frowned, studying him closely. “Sounds an awful lot like you have something you haven’t told me about.”
Titus shot me a look that nearly melted my panties. “Only secret I have is what I’m going to do with this cake and your naked body when we get back to your place, sweetheart.”
I had chocolate cake and a promise of a naked Titus in my near future.
And just like that, I was done asking questions and being mad.
19
Titus
Twenty-nine days of bliss.
I’d already lost track of all the orgasms I’d given Amelia. The number of strands I’d lost after she yanked on my hair and rolled her eyes back in her head. The number of times I’d told her how much I loved her. The number of encounters where she started off with a smart mouth and ended up sugary sweet once my lips touched her skin.
I was fuckin’ obsessed.
Which was why I was up early on a Saturday morning heading into town to grab a box of donuts and a gallon of coffee. Contrary to what I’d told her earlier, I had a secret project to work on, and I couldn’t do that while sleeping the day away. Besides, Hell Hotel was packed this weekend from all the tourists wanting to visit our apple orchards in the beautiful fall weather. Amelia would have her hands full and I’d only be in the way. Amelia irritated and stressed wasn’t something I wanted to stick around for if I could help it.
The roundabout into town was backed up due to Peggy Sue taking another one of her infamous trips around the founder’s statue. The crazy lady thought spending her morning circling the inside lane of the roundabout was a decent way to whittle away her last years on this green earth. Poppy had stopped her government-issued postal service truck in the outer lane to yell at Peggy Sue, thus backing up traffic all the way into town. Only problem was she could only get in half a sentence before Peggy Sue drove on by and Poppy had to wait for the next revolution to finish her thought. Welcome to Hell, where nothing was easy nor made sense to a logical mind.
I rolled my window down to catch the riveting action. If I was stuck in traffic, I might as well be entertained.
“You’re causing quite a—” Poppy started, pausing as Peggy Sue drove out of earshot. When the front bumper of her huge car came back around, Poppy kept going. “—scene, Peggy Sue! Stop it this instant!”
I tapped a thumb on my steering wheel and wished I’d had a cup of coffee at home before driving into town. Could have really used it—and a gallon of patience—right about then.
A honk had me looking in my rearview mirror. Bobby, the booking officer at Bain’s prison, climbed out of his car and hitched his pants up to unhealthy levels before striding over to assess the situation. I rolled my eyes. The addition of Bobby wouldn’t help a damn thing. Entertaining, yes. Helpful, no.
Apparently Peggy Sue had the same thought because even though Bobby was now walking in her lane, she didn’t bother to brake. In fact, seemed to me she floored it, that old Lincoln’s engine revving high. Poppy fluttered her arms in the air, her mouth gaping open, but no sound coming out. A pigeon flew above her right into the statue in the middle of the roundabout, too distracted by the sight of an elderly woman with neon green hair trying to take flight to bother with looking where he was going. Feathers rained down on the hood of the Lincoln, the same hood that almost clipped Bobby as it came around, narrowly missing the man by the grace of an overworked angel.
I started a slow golf clap, completely awed by the moves Bobby still had in him. I’ve never seen a guy with that size belly move so quick in my life. Bobby spun at the applause, his eyes still comically wide from his near-death experience. He bowed, sweeping his hat off his head in a flourish. Peggy Sue came around again and this time, she clipped his hand, sending his hat flying in the air. Poppy pounced, catching it for him and handing it back with a saucy wink that had me flashing back to what I’d witnessed at the beach with Amelia a few weeks back.
Had Poppy been in that sea cave with Bobby?
The mental images were disturbing, I must confess. Not at all something a guy could take on an empty stomach. Although maybe I was just being an ageist asshole. Men and women of all ages had a right to enjoy their sexuality and far be it from me to shame them for getting it on in a sea cave if that’s what they both wanted. Seemed I’d be wanting a nice soft mattress by the time I reached their years in life, but that was just me.
Peggy Sue, for whatever reason, straightened out of the roundabout and headed into town, probably happy with the mess she’d left in her wake. One mangled bird, three cars backed up, an unhappy postal worker, and a scared-out-of-his-mind Bobby. Not bad work for seven in the morning on a Saturday.
Poppy quickly hopped in her work truck and went on her way, the rest of us following as traffic got going again. I fist-bumped Bobby as I passed him. I had new respect for that guy. He had moves all right.
By the time I hit Coffee, my stomach growled its displeasure over the late start and I was on the cusp of being hangry. Yedda flew past me as I climbed out of the truck, the cat hair flying off her as usual and leaving me in a thick cloud. I watched her dart across the street without a care for cars, hustling like I’d never seen before from Hazel’s granny. Huh. What was going on with the townsfolk of Hell today?
I was scratching my head as I entered Coffee, my brain full of thoughts of crazy citizens and how soon I could get Amelia naked again, which was why I missed the dark head of hair a few people in front of me in line. It was the voice that dragged my attention back to the present. A deep, grating drawl that belonged to the guy my fist ached to meet again.
Daire was back in town.
My feet moved before my brain knew what I was up to, a surge of testosterone ruling out any sense of not making a scene in public. The fucker stood there with his arms crossed over his chest, dress pants and a button-down dress shirt like he was some kind of slick salesman from the big city. He needed to learn we didn’t take kindly to his method of use and abuse in this town. We may not have fancy clothing, but we took care of each other.
“What the hell are you doing here?” I demanded, tapp
ing him on the shoulder.
He spun around, one dark eyebrow lifting. Had to admit, he looked good. Strong, dark hair slicked back like an Italian mafia man, a jawline that’d make the ladies swoon. Which just pissed me off more. I knew why Amelia would fall for this guy. He was the Fifty Shades of Grey dude had he been from a crime family in Italy and hit the iron on the regular.
“Jackson.” He nodded and turned back around, dismissing me.
Oh, fuck no.
This time, the tap on the shoulder wasn’t polite. It was more like I spun his ass around forcefully, making Mrs. Trudowsky behind us gasp and move farther away. Smart lady.
“What’s your problem, Jackson?” he spat at me.
All eyes in the coffee shop were now on us, the tension palpable as we stared each other down. Lukas, Lenora’s little brother, came from around the counter to stand next to me. I appreciated the unquestioned support.
“You’re not welcome here in Hell. Go back to where you came from, Daire.” I kept my voice firm but fair. Gave him a chance to get out before I made him leave. I was feeling quite charitable despite the hunger gnawing at my gut.
He huffed out a laugh. “Tell that to your mayor. I got a meeting with him in thirty minutes.”
An overwhelming sense of foreboding washed over me. Meeting with the mayor? That could only spell trouble if the two of them were in cahoots. Amelia’s warning earlier about there being something fishy about the mayor took hold in my brain. I took a step closer, my chest now invading his personal space. He may be a little broader, but I was still taller. And it felt really good to look down at him.
“Thing is, the mayor doesn’t decide things around here. So whatever plans you have in mind, you might as well just forget about it. Ain’t happening.”
The little bell above the front door of the shop rang out in the silence. I didn’t bother turning, but I did hear a commotion behind me. People began to whisper and Daire’s gaze darted behind me. That’s when the evil took over his features.
“He and I got plans for a new hotel in town. I’m sure no one would be sad to see that fleabag Hell Hotel put out of business. I’d be helping your little town, Jackson.”
“Like hell you will!” Amelia’s shout rang out behind me.
I turned around to see her standing by the door like an avenging angel. Her hands were on her hips, her brown eyes flashing and her gaze locked on Daire. She marched forward, Yedda and Poppy flanking her backside like an elderly Charlie’s Angels trio.
I stepped in between them when she didn’t look like she had any intention of stopping. There was no way I was letting Daire get that close to her ever again. Who knew what the asshole was capable of?
“You know building my own hotel has been my dream since I was little. How dare you come back to my hometown and take away my dream just because your fragile little boy ego can’t handle a girl breaking up with you?” Whooee, Amelia was on a roll.
“LDE,” Yedda muttered to no one in particular. Poppy nodded like that made perfect sense.
“Where’s Waldo when you need him?” Poppy whispered back.
I frowned, not understanding the LDE reference, but then again, when did I ever understand Poppy or Yedda?
“I know you’re tangled up in something with the mayor and I will stop you. Mark my words.” Amelia’s jaw clenched tight and for a quick second I almost felt sorry for Daire. He didn’t seem to understand riling up Amelia was a very bad idea. If he wanted to keep his life and limbs, he shouldn’t poke the bear.
Daire smirked and reached toward Amelia. Everything went in slow motion from then on. I saw his meaty hand reaching for my woman and I couldn’t let that happen. I knocked his hand away and he turned to me with his black eyes raging. I saw his arm cock back and knew to duck, but then Amelia pushed her way into the mix, not realizing what was happening. Lukas made a desperate grab to pull her back, but he was no match for a pissed-off Amelia. I had to get her out of the way of Daire’s flying arm. There was no way I’d let that asshole hurt her again. Not on my watch. Which meant there wasn’t time for me to duck after pulling Amelia behind me. His fist hit me square in the jaw.
The sound of bone crunching bone brought everything back to real time.
Lukas put a steadying hand on my back so I didn’t go down from the punch. Yedda screamed and Amelia gasped. The room went fuzzy, but I chose the middle of the three Daires in my vision and got right up in his face.
“You ever touch Amelia again or put one single frown on her face, I’ll make you wish you never stepped foot in Hell. Am I clear?”
Daire didn’t look as scared from my warning as I wished, but he did back up and edge toward the door. Poppy sprang into action, whacking Daire repeatedly with her loaded mail bag while Yedda yelled about calling the cops and pressing charges. He had to back out of the shop entirely, his hands up in self-defense. Amelia started barking orders at the townsfolk standing by. Someone came from behind the counter with a bag of ice and held it out to me.
Pain laced up the side of my face, barely registering with the rage I felt toward the guy I’d mistakenly befriended over a year ago. I deserved to feel this pain. I was the one who’d introduced Daire to Amelia and then brought him into this town.
Once everyone had calmed down, the shop went back to making coffee and serving pastries, though I felt their gazes still flickering over to us between whispered gossip. Amelia finally calmed down enough to just stare at me. Her expression was unreadable, which bothered me more than the ache in my jaw. I knew all her expressions and yet this one was new. Contemplative maybe?
“Are you okay?” I asked gently. Seeing her ex must have been a shock.
She blinked and I realized she didn’t look too concerned about my face. Well, now my feelings were bruised right along with my jaw. Wasn’t the first time I’d taken a punch and probably wouldn’t be the last, but as my girlfriend, she could at least express the slightest bit of concern for my well-being.
“I’m not sure,” she answered after a long pause. “Can I speak to you back at the hotel? In private?”
“Ah, fuck,” I muttered.
I’d taken a punch to the face to keep her safe and somehow I felt like I was headed to the principal’s office.
Before I could reply, Chief Waldo came into the shop and caused everyone to stop talking again. He made a beeline for me, his bushy eyebrows drawn together. Great. I’d caused a commotion and now even Mr. Waldo probably thought the Jackson boys were all the same.
“Heard you had some trouble,” he said without preamble.
“Good morning, Dad. Lovely to see you too,” Amelia said dryly.
He turned his gaze to her, sweeping her from head to toe, probably checking for injuries. “A man gets punched before coffee on a Saturday morning, I figure we can skip the pleasantries.”
“I’m fine, Mr. Waldo. Just asked Daire to leave and he didn’t like that so much.”
“Call me Jim, son.” He took a quick glance at his watch. “Glad to hear you’re okay. If you want to press charges, come by the station.”
“I don’t know. I mean, Poppy did more damage swinging her mail bag around.” I shrugged good-naturedly.
The chief harrumphed. “Be that as it may, I’ve got my eye on him.”
“Thank you, Dad.” Amelia leaned over to kiss his cheek.
He patted her back and headed out.
Amelia stood there staring at me and then tilted her head to the door. Oh yeah, guess we were going to talk in private. This morning just kept getting better and better.
Lukas interrupted my death march behind Amelia’s ramrod-straight back.
“Here. Thought you could use the usual.” Lukas slapped me on the shoulder and went back behind the counter, leaving me with a box of donuts and a coffee to go.
Man, I loved that guy.
The hotel was close enough to walk, which we did in silence. I was too busy getting caffeine and sugar in my veins from the gift from Lukas, and Amelia was too busy s
tewing in her own head. Maybe drawing her out slowly with questions and concern for her emotional well-being would have been the best course of action, but I needed my brain firing on all cylinders before I could deal with a mad Amelia. To be fair, I did offer the box of donuts to her, but she shook her head and clenched her jaw even harder.
She didn’t stop when we got to the hotel, just marched right up the stairs to her room, not saying a word until the door closed behind me. I dropped the box of donuts on the little table by her recliner and braced myself for the storm.
“What’s going on in that head of yours?” I asked quietly.
She inhaled nice and slow, filling her lungs as my stomach dropped. Then she unleashed at full volume. “What the hell do you think you were doing confronting him like that? He’s only here in town as a way to pay me back, which means it’s for me to handle. Not you. Stay out of the way from now on and you won’t get hurt. He’s not someone to fuck around with, T. You don’t just threaten a guy like that and expect him to walk away. You’re just asking for trouble.”
I couldn’t believe my ears. Was she pissed that I defended her? Mad that I’d stood up to the bully from out of town? My stomach quit its drop and got in on the fight.
Taking a step toward her, I fired back. “There is no way in hell I’m gonna sit quiet while that asshole terrorizes you or anyone else in the town I grew up in. You’re right. He is a bully. And you only stop a bully by standing up to him and coming together as a group to set him straight. You may think this is only about him getting back at you, but you mess with one Hellion, you mess with them all. That’s just how this town works, Amelia.”
She shook her head, dark hair flying all around. “No. Nope. I’m not going to let anyone else get harmed. This is about me and Daire.”
I took a huge step forward, her face only a few inches from my chest. “No. There is no you and Daire. There’s you and me and this town we love against Daire.”
Her cheeks went pink and I could have sworn I saw flames dancing in her brown eyes. “I don’t need your help, Titus!”