by Jae Hood
“No, I’m not a Montgomery. But I do work for them. You honestly don’t know about the boundary rules being broken? And I didn’t say the Monroe family broke the boundary rules. Think back, about two years ago.” Drew raised an eyebrow in my direction.
The group of Mayhaw kids surrounding us turned to stare at me. I was overcome with simultaneous relief and embarrassment—relief because our rendezvous in Birchwood remained a secret, and embarrassment because I’d thought for the past two years no one, outside my family, knew what had happened between my mother and Davis.
“Is that her? Is that Rue Monroe?” A sinister smile curled on Drew’s lips.
“What do you want with her?” Brodie’s face burned red, his fists clenched at his sides. “Rue’s not her mother’s keeper. She had nothing to do with what her mother did. And it was the Montgomerys who broke the boundary rule, not the Monroe family.”
“Who broke what rule doesn’t matter. The fact remains that the rules were broken, which is what brings me here tonight.” Drew’s mischievous stare never wavered from my face. “I’m here on Tanner Montgomery’s behalf.”
At the mention of Tanner’s name, my heart flipped inside my chest.
“Tanner Montgomery?” Brodie wrinkled his brow. “What the hell does he want?”
“He wants to give y’all a heads up. He’s coming to town soon, and he wants to remind y’all that all the rules are off the table now. The rules have been off the table for a while. You can’t do shit about him being in Mayhaw.”
“He’s coming to Mayhaw? Is that some sort of threat? What are you, a Montgomery gopher?” Peyton’s body betrayed his enraged voice. My cousin shook like a leaf.
“I’d rather be a Montgomery gopher than be associated with a Monroe any day,” Drew said. “You people, you’re nobody. Amos’ still pedaling dime-bag weed when the Montgomerys have moved on to far greater things.”
“What does he want in Mayhaw? What business does he have here?” Brodie demanded, causing Drew and Chance to laugh.
“I’m not sure, but the rumor is he has a hankering to meet the daughter of the man who murdered his father,” Drew replied, sneering.
Drew and Chance snickered and Brodie muttered a low curse. My heart lurched in my chest, sweat beading on my forehead.
“Is he planning on hurting me?” I asked.
“Hurting you? No, I have a feeling his intentions for you are completely dishonorable, but they have nothing to do with hurting you.” Drew snorted at his own words, and Chance soon joined in.
The two of them shared a good laugh at my expense. Drew’s innuendo hung in the air, and my mouth fell open in shock.
“You son of a bitch. You tell Tanner Montgomery to stay away from Rue!” Brodie screamed. He launched himself at Drew, smashing his beefy fist into the side of Drew’s face.
All hell broke loose as guys from both sides of the lot ran forward cussing and screaming. Their bodies slammed into one another and they were lost in a sea of swinging arms and legs. I lurched forward, but was quickly held back by Josie, Mia, and even Lucy, who, of course, had exited the Jeep against my wishes. I screamed for the fight to stop, struggling to get away.
Through the fighting, screaming, and dust billowing around from the massive scuffle in front of us, my attention was somehow drawn to an old, black muscle car. The body style told me it was a seventies model Mustang. The surface was sleek and shone in the moonlight. It was beautiful, and whoever owned it took good care of it, perhaps rebuilding the car himself. Only people with money and time owned a car like the one across the lot.
Jerking away from the girls, I stalked in the direction of the Mustang. I weaved between the scuffling gang of teens who paid me little attention.
“Get out of there and face me, you jerk.” I pounded on the glass with each word. “You wanna see me? Well, here I am. Get out and face me like a man.”
I didn’t expect him to actually get out of the car, so when he did I stumbled back in shock. The door swung open and there he stood in all his sexy, angry glory. All six-plus feet of him smirked down at me as he slammed the door behind him. The courage I had built up while crossing the lot dwindled away with each step he took forward.
I glanced over one shoulder at the lot, hoping someone noticed the two of us standing there, but no one paid us any attention. The girls couldn’t be seen through the mass of fighting, angry boys, and the boys were only concerned with slugging and swearing, kicking and spitting.
Tanner continued to stalk forward. “We need to talk, Moon Goddess. Or should I call you Rue?”
I turned to run, but he grabbed me, pulling me against his chest and cupping his hand over my mouth before I could scream. Terror gripped me, images of my father resting in a casket triggering a new fear. He dragged me backward toward the old wooden building. I kicked up dust and attempted to hit him, but he was too strong. Like a rag doll, I went limp, but he dragged me along like I weighed nothing. Pulling me behind the building, he hid us from the outside world.
As soon as the two of us were hidden from view he released me, gently pushing me against the rugged wooden boards of the aged train station. I stared up at him in fear, terrified of what he had planned for me. But he no longer looked angry. Tanner rubbed his forehead, an internal struggle wrinkling his brow.
“Why? Why did you lie to me about who you were?” His quiet voice was barely audible over the rumble of thunder in the distance.
“To avoid this.” I gestured between us. “Being seen together isn’t safe for either of us.”
I pressed my back against the building as he stalked closer to me. He placed his hands flat on either side of the wall beside me, enclosing me, his lips twisting into a smile.
“You were protecting us? Protecting me.”
I scoffed, crossing my arms over my chest. “Protecting myself.”
“You said being seen together isn’t safe for either of us.”
“You misunderstood.” I tried to shove past him, no longer afraid but irritated by his smugness.
He placed his hands on my shoulders, pinning me against the building. The smile faded and he bit his lip, releasing it slowly from between his teeth. “When did you realize who I was, huh? Did you know when you walked out of the party that night? Did you know before I stepped onto that pier?”
His absurd words caught me off guard and I dropped my arms, shaking my head. “No, I didn’t know who you were. How could I when we’d only met one time as kids? If it weren’t for this stupid tattoo …” I grabbed his arm and flipped it over, scowling at the word.
“You wanna know what I think?” Tanner cupped my cheek and I froze, whether from shock or fear, I wasn’t sure. “I think you knew exactly who I was when you saw me at that party. And you ran, knowing I’d follow.”
I knocked his hand away, my stomach queasy from his accusation. “You think I tricked you? Like you tricked me tonight, kidnapping my cousin and luring me down here? I didn’t know you were a Montgomery until I saw your tattoo. And I didn’t know which Montgomery you were until you asked me to stop crying. It’s the same thing you told me after my father’s funeral. If I’d known it was you—”
“If you knew it was me, what? You wouldn’t have let me kiss you on that pier? You would have ignored me?”
“Yes,” I whispered, turning my head away from his. “I wish I’d never seen that tattoo. You would just be some random guy at a random party.”
Chuckling darkly, he dropped one hand from the building. He clutched my chin with his long fingers and turned my face toward his.
His grin faded and he squeezed my chin. “Well, that’s completely unacceptable.”
I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath and preparing to fight with all I had, to run, kick, scream my way out. What I didn’t expect was the rush of his hot breath and his soft lips pressing against mine. For a numbing handful of seconds I kissed him back, my hands gripping his waist and drifting to his lower back. My fingers brushed against something hard. A
familiar object rested under his shirt, tucked in the back waistband of his jeans. I pulled away, breathless and angry and sad.
Before he could blink, I held the gun against his neck, pressing the muzzle into his carotid artery. At first I believed the shaking of the gun came from my anger, from my disappointment, but it wasn’t. Blood pumped and throbbed violently in his neck, the vibrations rattling my hands.
“You almost had me,” I said, cocking the gun. “Almost.”
“Give me the gun.”
“Why? So you can use it to kill me?”
Tanner’s eyes narrowed. “I carry the gun for protection, nothing else. I’d never hurt you.”
I laughed, pressing the muzzle deeper into his neck, forcing him to turn and back up against the building. “You tricked me into showing up tonight, you forced me out of my family’s sight, and you’re packing heat. Now you’re telling me you’d never hurt me. Too late. You already have.”
I took a step back and his shoulders sagged in relief. He held his hands up, palms forward. “Keep the gun, but don’t run away. Not again.”
I paused, holding the gun steady in my hands. “What did you mean earlier, when you said I ran knowing you would follow? How would I know you would follow me?”
Tanner gave me a weak smile. “What idiot wouldn’t follow you?”
My heart sped up despite myself. “You’re insane.”
He chuckled. “Possibly. I’m standing here getting turned on by a girl pointing my father’s gun at my face. I’ve betrayed everyone—my family and my entire existence—to find you.”
“You found me. Congratulations.” I took another step back and he followed, unwavered by the gun, his gaze locked on mine. “Mission complete. Now go back to Birchwood.”
“I knew who you were from the second I saw you at that party,” he confessed, ignoring my sarcasm. “At least, I thought it was you. You were sitting on that bar wearing that ridiculous wig. You were staring back at me, and I prayed you were that same girl I met when I was a kid. When I saw your tattoo and found out where you worked, I knew you were Rue Monroe.”
“Aw, how romantic,” I said, glaring. “You better stop moving unless you want Brodie or Peyton to see you.”
At the edge of the building, I stopped walking, but he didn’t. He stood in front of me, unfazed by the gun. “Don’t you get it? I don’t care if they see me. There’s only one thing I care about.” He reached out and touched my face. “You. I’ve thought about you every day since the first time we met. Did you ever think about me?”
Butterflies tickled my belly, making me feel like a silly little girl. “Stop talking.”
“Not until you start listening. Did you?”
“Did I what?”
“Think about me.”
“Yes,” I replied. “I thought of you. Thought of you, but now I feel stupid for wasting my time on someone who only wants me dead.”
Tanner’s brows bunched together, and he shook his head. “I said I’d never hurt you.”
“What you did tonight was dangerous. If the wrong person finds out, we’ll both end up in a body bag.”
“I did what I had to do to bring you to me,” he told me in a low, threatening tone. “Josie was never in any danger. They wouldn’t have hurt her. I wouldn’t have let them.”
“You’re not worried about my family seeing us together? If they find out, they’ll kill you dead.”
“Dead,” he said. “Dead is how I felt every day before seeing you at that party.”
His words caused my heart to twist in my chest. How long had I felt the same way? Since my father died? Since my mother left?
The mist swirling around us transformed into light drizzle. Small raindrops fell from his messy hair, running down his face and neck, soaking his shirt. My sister’s muffled voice somewhere in the distance snapped me back to reality.
“That’s my sister,” I said. “I should go check on her.”
“When will I see you again?”
I huffed at his persistence. “Never. Even if I wanted to, which I don’t, my uncle told me he’d kill me if he ever found out I was messing around with a Montgomery.”
“Which uncle? Amos? I swear on all that’s holy I’ll shoot him myself if he so much as touches you.”
“Speaking of shooting, you know, I’m kind of fond of this gun.” I unloaded the magazine and tossed the bullets on the ground. “I think I’ll keep it.”
“That gun belonged to my father.”
“I know. You said so earlier. Means a lot to you, I guess, huh?” I tucked the gun in the waistband of my shorts beneath my shirt. “I guess we’ll see.”
Without waiting for a response, I darted around the building, never looking back. My shoes slipped across the muddy parking lot and I skidded a few times, but somehow managed to not bust my ass.
The boys continued to scuffle, covered in mud and blood, but it was my sister who drew my attention. She was in a face-off with Chance, the same boy she claimed was her soul mate. Josie and Mia stood by her side and I joined the girls, breathless from running through the thick, sticky red clay.
“Stay back, you chicken clucker!” Lucy screamed, hitting Chance in his chest with her fist as he stood there with a bemused grin.
“Chicken clucker?” he asked, his face alight with amusement. “Have you been watching old South Park re-runs? I think you mean chicken fu—”
“Cracker!” she barked, her face red with anger.
I shook my head. Lucy had completely lost it and was about to show her crazy to the world.
“Cracker?” He gave her an odd look. “Uh, you’re as white as I am.”
“Cracker Jack! Cracker Barrel!” she screamed, hitting him in the chest once more.
“Cracker Barrel? The country restaurant?” His forehead wrinkled in confusion.
“That’s it, you cracker-eating redneck,” she hollered, darting to Brodie’s truck. Lucy hopped in the bed and bent down with nothing but her skinny butt in the air. She began digging around in the back as we all stared at her.
“You better run.” Mia laughed, crossing her arms across her chest. “Lucy has officially boarded the crazy train.”
Lucy popped up from the bed of the truck screaming like a maniac. She sprang from the tailgate and face-planted in the mud, and we all cringed. Then she hopped up like a tiny ninja, covered in red, wet Mississippi clay. Brodie’s baseball bat was clutched in her hands.
“You ruined my new shirt!” she yelled, staring down at her mud-stained blouse. “Now you’re gonna pay, you freaking Montgomery wannabe!”
Lucy kicked off her flats and shot forward. Chance began screaming, narrowly missing her swings each time. He darted around gracefully while laughing.
“You’re insanely weird, but adorable.” Chance grinned, dodging a swing to the ribs.
“Arghhhhhh!” With a face as red as candied beets, she clipped him with the bat.
He recoiled but kept running. She chased him into the crowd of fighting boys and disappeared in the thick of it all.
Sirens whined in the distance, followed by flashing red and blue lights. Everyone in the parking lot froze, the brawl completely forgotten. Then we all scrambled to our vehicles. I slid behind the wheel of my Jeep, looking around frantically for my sister. Brodie held her in his arms, dragging her kicking and screaming across the muddy parking lot. Still threatening Chance’s life, she continued to swing the baseball bat. The bat flew back, hitting Brodie’s right temple and he screamed, releasing her to rub his sore head. She shot forward again, but it was Peyton who caught her this time, dragging her back to Brodie’s truck.
Chance gave her one last grin before running across the lot to a certain black muscle car. He disappeared inside the passenger door. Tanner stood there leaning against the car, gazing at me through the whipping rain.
“Let’s go,” I said to Mia, somehow breaking away from his haunting stare.
I was happy to leave before Tanner. I didn’t like the thought of watc
hing him leave.
Cars flooded across the parking lot and onto the long, wet road. A cop car was forced into the ditch by the rowdy teenagers who swerved too close to his car. Mia laughed and blew the cop a kiss as I drove past him. The cop was none other than Levi Bridges, the son of the local sheriff, Buck Bridges.
Levi was just a few years older than I was, and I hadn’t seen him in years. I didn’t even know he’d become a cop. I swallowed hard, hoping he didn’t find out what happened that night and report back to Amos. Everyone in town knew Amos had the police department in the palm of his hand.
What I didn’t know was that Levi would, in fact, report back to Amos, and Amos would show me exactly why I should stay away from Tanner Montgomery.
Chapter 8
“Josie, come out front, please,” Lucy called from the register.
Josie muttered below her breath and abandoned the wedding cake the two of us were decorating. She had been working on placing shells of icing around the bottom tier. I swirled fleur-de-leurs on the top tier.
It’d been a few days since the incident at the train station and I hadn’t heard a peep from Tanner. Maybe he’d taken my weakened pleas to heart. Maybe he’d given up on me. I’d spent every night tangled in sweaty sheets. I could think of nothing apart from his face, his words, and his body pressed so dishonorably against mine. The only thing I had going for me was the fact no one had witnessed Tanner’s presence at the train station that night, and they certainly hadn’t seen him pull me behind the building. The only person in my family who knew he had been there was me, and I wasn’t telling anyone.
My family couldn’t talk about anything but what happened that night. Brodie and Peyton were ready to kick ass first and take names later.
Josie was angry and scared by the incident. She was also worried about Bryce. She’d admitted that much, but she didn’t have to confess her concerns to me. I could tell how nervous she was by the anxious expression on her face. She wondered why he hadn’t been there the night of the fight. Had he found out who she really was? Was he upset about it? I felt worthless listening to her fret because I didn’t have the answers she sought.