by Jamie Begley
Seeing she was finished eating, he tried to save the date he was sure she was anxious to get over. He felt like he was bombing the only chance he had with her.
“Let’s go into the lounge for a drink.” Cash paid their ticket before they moved into the lounge area where King had made the atmosphere more intimate with a bar and dance floor. The booths were more romantic and the lights more subtle.
This time, when Rachel slid in the booth, he slid in beside her, leaving her no choice except to move over to allow him to sit next to her. She cast him a startled look as she scooted as far away as the seat would allow.
Cash ordered them both beers as they sat, listening to the music. He was about to ask her to dance when a familiar voice waylaid him.
“May I join you?” King sat down across from them without waiting for their reply. While his darkly amused gaze studied them, Cash threw him a quelling look.
“Hello, Rachel. It’s good to see you again.”
“It’s nice to see you again, King.” Rachel’s blush showed her embarrassment. “How are you liking Treepoint?”
King’s harsh face softened. “Unexpectedly well. I’m enjoying being married and looking forward to my first grandchild. The restaurant is doing well; it keeps me out of Evie’s hair.”
“She hasn’t managed to get you on a bike yet?”
“Occasionally. I won’t let her ride with me until I get more experienced.” Cash and Shade had both been riding with King to teach him the skills needed to be a safe. He was proving to be a good rider; his reflexes and strength were making him a natural.
“I don’t imagine there isn’t much you can’t accomplish.” Rachel’s compliment had Cash’s hand tightening on his beer bottle.
“Evie wouldn’t agree with that statement,” he said wryly. “She thinks I’m a clutz around the house.”
Rachel’s laughter bubbled over at his expression; Cash couldn’t remember the last time she had laughed in his presence. This date was going even further down the crapper with King’s appearance.
“Evie is in the kitchen. If you want to go say hi, it’s just through that door,” King directed.
“I think I will. Lily said she went over to Willa’s to check up on her last night. She hasn’t been answering my calls.”
After Cash stood up, letting her out of the booth, he resumed his seat, throwing King a disgruntled look.
“Don’t look at me that way. I don’t know what you’re doing, but that poor girl seems miserable.”
Cash’s shoulders slumped. “I agree.” He ran his hand through his hair, messing up the neat appearance. “I don’t know where I’m fucking up.”
“Perhaps because you’re not being yourself, so she can’t be,” King advised.
Cash went quiet, thinking about his words.
“Listen, I don’t know what’s going on between you two, but I do know that isn’t the same woman who I met flirting with me at the diner, nor is she the woman I saw saving my ass when Lily and I were trapped by Digger.”
“I hurt her with my big mouth. I don’t think she can get over it. She’s so mad at her brothers she hasn’t moved back home.”
“I don’t believe you’re going to change her mind by pretending to be someone else. She’s going to sense your insincerity,” King stated as they both saw Rachel’s approach. “Each woman is different. Evie got over being mad at me after a couple of months, other women don’t ever forgive. What you have to decide is how much you actually give a shit.”
King changed the subject as Rachel reached the table. “Find out what you needed to know?”
“Yes, thank you. I’m going to stop by tomorrow and see how she’s doing myself,” Rachel answered, sliding in on the other side of the booth that King had vacated, even though Cash had risen to his feet to let her back in. Clenching his teeth, he sat back down.
She was thwarting every attempt he was making to draw closer to her. Cash studied her worried eyes as she took a sip of her beer.
“Something wrong?” he questioned her.
“I’m just worried about Willa. Evie said she was acting strange when she was there yesterday. I’ll feel better once I’ve had a chance to talk to her.”
“Let’s dance. That will take your mind off her.” Cash got to his feet, taking her hand and ignoring her faint murmur of protest as he led her to the dance floor. He had deliberately waited until a slow song was played.
Circling her small waist, he pulled her close to his body. Her hands went to his chest, trying to keep a small amount of room between them.
“I’m not a very good dancer.”
“That’s okay. Just relax and move to the music.” It took several minutes, but gradually, Cash felt her body relax against his. His hand pressed her tighter against him, her arms sliding up around his shoulders.
Cash had to think hard to control the erection she was beginning to arouse. He wanted a fresh start with her, to take it slow and court her the way she deserved. Shade had done it with Lily; he could do the same with Rachel.
They danced to another couple of songs together before they returned to the table. As they passed a table, a group of women caught his attention. The women were familiar; he had partied with them a few times with Rider.
His hope that they would let him pass by without acknowledging him was doomed just as the thought entered his mind.
“Cash!” a loud squeal drew several eyes, including Rachel’s, who was walking in front of him. The woman got out of her chair, grabbing his hand. “Thank, God. I thought it was going to be a boring night.”
“Hi, Lynn, ladies.” Cash put his hands around Rachel’s waist to keep her moving, but her feet had come to a sudden stop.
Fuck! I’m screwed, he thought.
“Come on, Cash. There’s no one here who can dance as good as you. Dance with us.”
“Sorry, Lynn, not tonight. I’m with someone.”
“When has that stopped you?” The giggles from the table grated on his nerves
Rachel was rooted to the spot. Cash’s hands on her waist exerted pressure to move her forward, but she refused to budge.
“The more, the merrier, you always say. She might as well get used to sharing you now. We all did.” Lynn’s eyes went to Rachel and her mouth drooped. “I don’t know how much fun she’ll be, but we’ll be gentle.”
Cash didn’t have to try to get Rachel to move again; she took off like a shot. The night had gone from bad to worse. Cash followed, trying to keep up with Rachel as she fled the restaurant. She had to wait for him to unlock the truck door to slide in. Her stiff posture as he climbed into the truck showed she didn’t want to hear anything he had to say. Cash’s experience with women made him wise enough to know at least that much.
“Take me home.” Her order had his own anger rising. Hell, she knew he wasn’t a fucking virgin. He might have resolved to be patient with her, but her stony silence had him rethinking his own wisdom of whether this was the right time for them. She was younger than him, had a terrible temper, and was jealous-natured. All three qualities were ones he didn’t like in a woman.
“Rachel—”
“I think you need to take me home, Cash.” He expected anger in her voice, not the resignation he heard. “You can come back and meet them after you drop me off.”
“You’re overreacting.” He narrowed his eyes on her cold expression before starting the truck, driving back to Mag’s house.
“My last name is Porter. You know my family and what kind of person I am. Do you really think I would ever share anything that was mine?”
“I’m not asking you to share, but Treepoint is a small town and we’re not going to be able to avoid women I’ve been with. Are you going to ride my case every time?”
“No, because I’m not going to put myself in this position again.” Cash brought the truck to a stop in front of Mag’s house. “Go back to those women; they can show you a better time than I will.”
“You’re telling me to go fuck
someone else?”
“I’m telling you, I don’t care.”
“If you want to test me, write it down. Don’t tell me you don’t care about me and to go fuck another woman. I’ll fail, Rachel, every time.”
Chapter 25
Rachel stood on the porch, watching the taillights of Cash’s truck disappear. She had let her mouth get away from her again. She refused to let herself regret what she had done, however.
She could tell from the onset of the night that she wasn’t Cash’s type; she never would be. You couldn’t fit a square peg into a round hole no matter how hard you worked at it. The truth was, she was a country bumpkin while Cash played games that were more experienced than she was capable of handling. They would end up fighting over her possessiveness and hating each other. She couldn’t go through another heartbreak over Cash; she had already spent too many wasted years mooning over him.
She went into the house, changed into her nightgown, and climbed into her bed. She desperately needed the warmth of her mother’s arms, yearning for the reassurance she had done the right thing.
Rachel spent the rest of the night wondering if he had gone back to King’s place or to the clubhouse. She didn’t know why it mattered; each held his choice of women.
* * *
Cash sat at the bar of The Last Riders’ clubhouse, nursing his drink while watching Train play with Bliss’s nipple. Her lace vest left nothing to the imagination; you could see her daisy-chain tat on her bared breast.
“I need to go talk to Nickel for a minute. When I come back, you going to suck my dick for me?” Train questioned, pinching her nipple even tighter.
“I’ll be waiting.” Bliss ran her hand over Train’s dick before he slid from the stool. “Hurry back.”
“Give me five.” Train patted her butt before moving away.
When he left, Bliss leaned forward, running her tongue over Cash’s bottom lip. Her hands curled into his t-shirt, pulling him closer.
“What about you, Cash? Want me to suck your dick, or do you want to fuck me while I suck him off?” Her tongue laved his bottom lip suggestively.
Cash saw the greedy excitement in her eyes; Bliss loved doing two men at once.
“No, thanks. I’m good.” Cash tilted his head to the side, taking his mouth away from hers only to see Lily’s furious eyes as she came into the room from the kitchen, Shade hot on her tail.
Lily stormed up to him, ignoring Bliss. The fire shooting out of her purple eyes showed exactly why Shade had fallen for her.
“Beth told me you were over here when she came home. I can’t believe you took Rachel out then came back here to get… get…”
“Laid?” Shade said helpfully. His wife threw him a quelling look, which he responded to with a raised brow. Lily took a step away from Shade, giving him her back.
“After everything she did for you, I thought you were smarter.” Lily suddenly lost her fury, her expression changing to something Cash couldn’t explain. “Beth and I owe a debt of gratitude to you, Cash. If you hadn’t sent Shade’s father here to Treepoint, then we may never have met Razer and Shade. You showed compassion and concern for Beth when you saw she was being mistreated at church. I just don’t understand how the same man could treat Rachel the way you have.”
“Lily, I wasn’t—” Cash began.
“She sat beside your bedside from the moment she heard you were hurt. Did you even know that?”
“No.” Cash got to his feet, something telling him he needed to brace himself for what he was about to hear.
“Well, she did,” Lily said empathically. “The doctors didn’t think you were going to make it. She had already tried to help you the way she does her clients, but it hadn’t worked. She told Shade her gift wasn’t powerful enough to help you. I think whatever she does comes from inside her. I can’t explain it. The times she helped me, it’s like a part of her went inside of me to give me strength. When she touches you, you feel the strength of her love and caring. I think, when you and her brothers hurt her at the party, it damaged that part of her. After the doctor told us all that you weren’t going to make it, I went back to your room to talk to her because I could tell she was upset by what the doctor had told us.”
Lily paused, taking a shuddering breath. “She didn’t even know I was in the room. God, I don’t even know what I witnessed, Cash. What I saw was a man dying, but then she touched you. When she started touching your body, I could feel a presence in the room. I saw you gradually begin to move, and then she passed out.
“I ran to get a nurse, and when we came back, she was sitting in the chair and you were coming to. The nurse started helping you while I took her to Mag’s house. She was in bad shape; she was shaking and freezing. I stayed with her and saw what she suffered through for helping your ungrateful ass!”
Lily waved her hand at Bliss. “She certainly doesn’t deserve for you to be two-timing her. She was so nervous about going out with you tonight. She does everything for everyone and doesn’t ask for anything in return.”
“Why didn’t anyone tell me she had been in my hospital room?” Cash asked hoarsely, remembering the cold hand he had tried to hold, mistaking her nervousness as coldness. He was ashamed of himself for not seeing through her façade.
He was the one who had all the experience, thinking he was too old for her, while he had been the one to act immature when she didn’t fawn all over him like other women.
“Rachel asked us not to; that was her price for helping you,” Shade answered, pulling Lily back against his chest.
“Do you know where she was when she disappeared?” Cash’s suspicions were aroused. Lily had drawn closer to Rachel than he had realized.
Lily remained mutinously silent.
“I wasn’t going to touch Bliss or any of the other women. I was pissed off, but I cooled down before I got here.”
“I promised I wouldn’t tell.” Her bravado was wavering at his explanation.
“Please, Lily. I need to know.” Cash played on Lily’s soft heart.
“I can’t break my promise, but if you figure it out for yourself, that’s not my fault, is it?”
“No.” Cash’s lips twitched in amusement.
“Rachel was in high school, but wasn’t in high school,” she hinted.
“I don’t understand—” Cash began.
“I do,” Winter broke in. She laid down the cards she had been playing in the game against Viper and Crash. “Rachel took accelerated courses in high school. By her sophomore year, she was taking college classes. She stayed at the high school because Tate had worked it out with me so she could still stay with her own age group.
“By the time the students her age were graduating, she had a Bachelor’s in Biology. I believe, for the last four years, she’s gotten her Master’s and is now almost finished writing her thesis for her doctorate in Aquaculture. I’m willing to bet she was able to find housing in the dorms at the university.” She shrugged at Lily’s accusing look. “I didn’t promise her. I figured it out.”
“So, both you and Lily knew where she was?” Viper carefully laid his own cards down on the table.
“We talked about it. It wasn’t rocket science for anyone who knew her.” Winter’s snide tone had Viper, Cash, and Shade all turning red.
“Then why didn’t Tate know?”
“Because she didn’t tell him she was working on her doctorate. Seems that was why Greer had gotten busted selling weed to that undercover cop; they were trying to sell extra to pay for her tuition. She’d told them she had dropped out; she didn’t want them to go to jail to pay for her education,” Winter answered.
“So, how’s she been paying for it?” Viper questioned.
“Her parents left each of them a plot of land. She sold hers,” Diamond spoke up from Knox’s lap on the couch. “I handled the paperwork. After the clients left, she went to the restroom, and I heard her crying. She told me that property had been in her family for generations.”
“It has. Who bought it?” Cash asked.
“Drake Hall,” Diamond answered.
“So, let me get this straight. While we were all looking for her and her brothers were worried sick, none of you told?” Viper glared at his wife, then each of his men’s insubordinate wives.
“It took us a while to figure it out. We didn’t think they deserved to know,” Winter explained cautiously, seeing the furious look Viper was sending her. The women began to sense the undercurrent of their husbands’ angers.
“Do you have my tat on you?” Viper growled out through gritted teeth.
“Yes, but women should stick together.” Winter tried to soothe her husband with her explanation; she failed.
“So should Last Riders,” Viper snapped. “Did Beth know, too?”
Winter snapped her mouth shut.
“I’ll take that as a yes. All four of you will be pulling from the punishment bag next week.” The women wisely remained silent, staring at their husbands in trepidation.
“And I’ll deal with you upstairs.” His eyes on Winter were promising retribution.
Cash struggled to contain his emotions at what he had found out. He wanted to rush back to his grandmother’s house, but he knew Rachel needed time for her emotions to settle. Come tomorrow, she isn’t going to know what hit her, he promised himself.
“Thanks, Lily.” He reached out to cup her cheek. “I sent Shade’s dad here, not only because of Beth, but you, too. I lost every bit of faith I had because of Saul Cornett. He might have adopted you, but he was a sick son of a bitch. It was only a matter of time before he hurt you, and I couldn’t stomach watching Beth be hurt one more time.”
Lily grasped his wrist. “You changed our lives. Thank you.”
His eyes went over her shoulder to Shade’s closed expression.
“You’re welcome.” Bending down, he brushed his lips against her cheek. “Now, go on home. I promise Rachel won’t know you talked to me.”
“Okay,” Lily said happily.
“I’ll be there in a minute. Don’t go to sleep; we need to have a little chat before you do.” Shade’s deep voice wiped the smile from her face.