Unfiltered & Unhinged

by Payge Galvin

  “You like him,” Mags observed slyly from her seat on the couch. “You only practice avoidance when you like somebody.”

  Cass poked her head into the pass through. “Well, sure. Of course I like him. He’s a good guy.” She stuck her tongue out at Mags. “And stop psychoanalyzing me. I’m not a patient.”

  “You’d make an excellent case study.” She smiled, holding up her hands. “But okay, no more head shrinking.” She stuffed more popcorn into her mouth. “Can I just point out that maybe you should think about keeping this one around?”

  Wiping her hands on a dishtowel, Cass rejoined Mags on the couch. “And why, in your professional opinion, should I do that?”

  Mags looked at her, all teasing gone from her expression. “Because I think he makes you happy. And you haven’t had someone do that for you in a long time.”

  Cass swallowed around the hard lump in her throat. She looked back at the television, relieved when she saw that the commercial break was over. “Hey, show’s starting again,” she said, deflecting attention back to the screen.

  It was easier to watch Dillon Varga sing than to think of being happy with Dev.

  Chapter 7

  Cass heard her phone ring from her bedroom and ran to grab it. “Hello?” She managed to pull on a boot and juggle the phone without dropping either.

  “Hey, Cass?” The voice on the other end sent a frisson of heat through her blood.

  “Hi Dev.” It wasn’t fair that a guy who looked that good could sound so good too. He’d won the genetic lottery on so many levels as to be obscene. Or maybe it was just her. “Something wrong with the work on the bike?”

  “Nope,” he said, and she could hear the smile in his whiskey voice. “It’s actually going along pretty well. Thought you might like to come by and have a look.”

  Cass grinned, a flutter of butterflies taking wing in her stomach. “Sure! I’d love to.”

  “Come on by this afternoon—say five-ish?”

  “Works for me. See you then.”

  ‡

  She stepped off the bus with bags of takeout in her hands and walked the three blocks to the garage. Cass figured it was only polite to bring dinner if he was going to be supplying the entertainment. She couldn’t wait to see how her Superhawk was coming. If she felt like being honest with herself, she also couldn’t wait to see Dev. He’d been more on her mind the last couple of days than she was really comfortable admitting to anyone. Including herself.

  As she hit the garage’s parking lot, Cass heard Dev’s booming laugh before she saw him. He sounded absolutely delighted. It was a big change from the no-nonsense, take-no-crap guy she’d met. Then she heard the childish giggles that followed and realized he had somebody with him. A kid.

  Did Dev have a kid?

  Cass saw Dev chase a little boy—he couldn’t have been more than five or six—out of the garage bay and snatch him up. Dev hauled the kid over his head, making the little boy squeal with laughter. He pretended to drop him and the boy screamed, latching on to Dev’s arm like an over-evolved lamprey. Dev began tickling him, making him howl with laughter.

  Dev stopped when he saw Cass standing there watching them. He set the kid down on his feet. She felt like she’d interrupted something and somehow felt bad about it. “Don’t let me stop you,” she said, staring at the boy, trying to see if he looked like Dev.

  “Who are you?” the kid asked, walking up to her.

  “I’m Cass.” She looked over at Dev to see him grinning at her.

  “I’m Jake.” The little boy had light hair, but Dev’s dark eyes.

  “Nice to meet you.” Did she shake hands? Wave? High-five?

  “Are those bags for me?” Dev burst out laughing at Jake’s question.

  “I guess you can have some,” Cass answered, giving him a smile. This kid knew how to work it; he was giving her just the right amount of puppy eyes to make her feel charitable. “It’s pho.”

  “What’s po?” He cocked his head, staring up at her.

  “Pho,” she repeated. “With an f-sound.” Dev walked up and put a hand on Jake’s shoulder. “It’s soup. And spring rolls. Sort of.”

  “I like rolls!”

  Cass laughed. “Well, come on then and help me eat it!”

  Jake whooped and ran into the garage. She and Dev followed. “So, that’s Jake,” he said by way of explanation.

  “He’s quite the operator.” She handed him one of her plastic bags.

  “Yeah, he drives his mother nuts. But he’s a great kid.” He smiled proudly.

  “Is he, um, yours?”

  Dev grinned, raising an eyebrow. Cass stood there, shifting from foot to foot before he took pity on her. “Jake’s my nephew—my sister’s kid. She needed me to watch him because her useless ex couldn’t pick him up like he was supposed to.” His face clouded with anger, which disappeared as soon as Jake popped his head back out.

  “Come on, guys!” he ordered.

  They made a makeshift picnic on the floor, and Cass set out the soup and all of the condiments. She had containers of soup, meatballs, and the cellophane noodle rolls, wax bags of cilantro, lime wedges, thai basil and chili peppers, and bean sprouts. Jake sat crosslegged on a blanket—criss cross applesauce he called it—and stared at the containers dubiously.

  “What kind of soup is this?”

  “Vietnamese.” She poured him out a bit of the broth. “Try this to see if you like it.”

  He took the bowl and sipped at it. When he didn’t spit it out, Cass doctored her own bowl, adding torn cilantro leaves, the meat, sprouts, a dash of hot sauce and a squeeze of lime. Jake watched her curiously, then looked at Dev, who was fixing his own bowl.

  “Can I try a meatball?”

  “Sure.” Cass plopped one into his soup. “You want to try some cilantro in it? It’s good, I promise.”

  “Is that the green stuff?” At her nod, Jake made a face. “I don’t eat green stuff.”

  Dev chimed in. “It’s true, he doesn’t. Not even green jello.” He nudged Jake with his elbow.

  “This is pretty good,” Jake said around a mouthful of meatball. “I like pho.” He said it like foe, but it was close enough.

  Cass didn’t try to correct him. She’d just taken a bite of a roll when the kid asked, “Miss Cass, are you Uncle Dev’s girlfriend?”

  “Mfl-fmd?” Okay, next time she’d try to speak in English and not in I’m a huge hog with a mouthful of noodle-ese. She swallowed, coughing at the burn in her throat. “Girlfriend?” She slanted a glance at Dev who seemed really interested in the lime he was squeezing. “No, I’m not his girlfriend.”

  “So you don’t kiss or anything gross like that?”

  Dev made a strangled sound around his soup. Cass grinned. “Do I look like someone who’d go around kissing your Uncle Dev?” she answered, shooting Dev an amused look.

  “I like you,” Jake said, grinning. “You’re pretty.”

  Cass ducked her head, pushing a lock of hair behind one ear. “Thanks Jake. I like you too.”

  “Jake? Dev?” A feminine voice called from outside the garage.

  “Mom!” Jake bounded up, running as fast as he could.

  Dev followed more slowly. “Be right back.”

  Cass was grateful for the pocket of time to herself. Jake had been an unexpected, if enjoyable, surprise. Seeing Dev around his nephew was like watching a different person. She liked seeing that side of him—the patience, the joy. She found she wanted to see more of it.

  She took a sip of soup, chewing thoughtfully on a meatball. While he was gone, Cass risked a glance over where her Superhawk had been when she’d dropped it off. He had a cloth draped over it. She stood up, leaving the blanket, and stepped over to the bike. One look couldn’t hurt.

  “No peeking.” Dev’s deep voice was amused.

  “Rats.” She turned her back on the bike to look at him.

  He returned to his food, popping a spring roll into his mouth. “This is really good. Wher
e did you get it?”

  “Pho House,” she answered, walking back to join him. “It’s the best there is around here, but my grandmother’s is still way better.”

  “You grandma is Vietnamese?”

  Cass nodded. “Yep. On my mother’s side.” She added more sprouts to her broth. “I really miss her cooking sometimes.”

  “Did she teach you to cook?” Dev watched her hands as if he was fascinated by what she was doing.

  “Yeah, when we still lived in California, she tried.” Cass picked up her bowl. “We moved here after my mom died. I think it really bothered Dad to be around all those reminders of her.” She shrugged. It had bothered her Dad to be around them too, so he’d lit out for greener pastures as soon as she and Liam turned eighteen. She thought he was somewhere in Florida now.

  “How’d she die?” Dev slid closer to her, his voice hushed.

  “Cancer.” She picked at a cilantro leaf, shredding it in her fingers. “We were fifteen when she died.”

  “We?” He was staring at her a little too closely, like he was trying to memorize her face for later.

  “Me and Liam.” She smiled, remembering back when they were kids. Back when things were easier. The two of them hanging out in Ma-maw’s kitchen, sneaking food that she ‘left out’ and laughing as they ran away. Before Mom had gotten so sick and before Dad had started hitting the bottle. “We’re twins. I took care of him after she died.”

  “Ah,” Dev said, looking like he’d gotten the answer to an important question.

  “Ah?” She dropped the frayed leaves into her soup. “What does ah mean?”

  He shrugged, a slight movement that made shoulder muscles ripple beneath his t-shirt. Cass found herself unable to look away from him. He had on ragged jeans and engineer boots, not the usual garage coveralls.

  Maybe, if she played her cards right, she’d get to see him without clothes in the very near future. The thought made her smile.

  “I was wondering why you’d get in so deep with Wrex.” He polished off the last spring roll. Licking his fingers clean, he gave her a look that made her insides ignite.

  “Liam is my brother. It’s sort of my job to watch out for him.” She watched his mouth absently, fascinated by the movements of his tongue on his fingers. She wondered what else that tongue could do if it were on her body. Cass jerked her mind away from that line of thought before she got herself in trouble.

  “Actually, it’s not.” He shook his head. “You think you’re doing Liam any favors bailing him out all the time?”

  Cass cocked her head at him, holding herself very still. This sounded like it was going to be the same thing she and Mags argued about when it came to Liam. She didn’t know how many times her roommate had chided her about enabling Liam’s stupid behavior by constantly acting as his safety net. It was one of the very few times they ever argued.

  “You have a sister,” Cass pointed out. “You were just watching her kid for her.”

  He began packing up the remainder of the food. “That’s not the same thing and you know it. I’m not putting myself in danger by watching Jake. But you—you’re racing to work off his debt. It could get you killed. And you’re not helping him by cleaning up his messes.”

  “Even if the mess could get him put in the hospital?” She left the or worse unspoken.

  Dev stared into her eyes, expression dark and troubled. “I don’t mean to sound harsh, but sometimes that’s the only way people learn. They’ve got to do it the hard way, or they won’t remember the lesson.” He shrugged, and then handed her the leftovers. “I don’t mean to overstep, but I…I just worry.” He looked surprised at the words he’d just said. He backtracked. “What I mean is you should watch out for yourself, too.”

  Cass hid a smile. “I know what you meant.”

  His words about Liam didn’t put her back up like she’d expected; she’d gotten really defensive with Mags when they’d talked about Liam and her penchant for riding to the rescue. But with Dev, it just felt different. She couldn’t explain why, except that this time she was ready to listen. The events with her motorcycle and Liam’s cavalier attitude towards the trouble they were both in had removed some of the willful blindness from her eyes.

  She took the plastic takeout containers from him, touching his hand as she did so. “Voice of experience?”

  “I have a long and storied history of learning things the hard way. Just ask my sister.” He grinned. “Or better yet, don’t ask my sister. She remembers every stupid thing I did all the way back from when I was in utero, and she loves to bring it up at the most awkward times.”

  Cass stowed the food in the takeout bags and took Dev’s offered hand up. He pulled her to her feet a little too fast causing her to wobble, slightly off balance. She recovered quickly, but he’d wrapped his arms around her waist to steady her. Cass was reluctant to break contact with him, and Dev seemed like he could spend all day holding her in his arms. Neither made any move to step away.

  Dev lowered his head, his lips gently brushing against hers. It was sweet, almost innocent. He held her like she was breakable, his calloused hands sliding around to her back, pulling her into him. Cass molded herself to his body, feeling the strength of his muscles as she leaned into him. Her hands crept up his arms, stopping at his biceps. Her fingers dug in, kneading the skin beneath Dev’s shirt.

  His next kiss was more urgent, his mouth slanting over hers as he yanked her impossibly closer. Cass opened her mouth, her tongue sliding against his, feeling the heat of his lips against her like a brand. It was like that feeling she got listening to her motorcycle roar to life, that thrill in her gut that filled her every time. She nipped at his bottom lip, drawing it into her mouth to suck on it before releasing it again.

  Her hands slid around his neck, latching on so she could pull his head back down to hers when he took a break to catch his breath. Her kisses were demanding, wanting everything he was willing to give her. Dev backed her up against the wall of the garage, his hands sliding beneath her t-shirt to stroke up and down the line of her spine.

  She buried her fingers in his hair, feeling the crisp strands catch against the skin of her hands. Dev’s hands traveled across her stomach as her back hit the wall, skating above the waistband of her jeans. He broke their kiss to bite at the lobe of her ear, sending a shiver of want coursing through her. Then he placed his tongue against her pulse point, lapping lightly, drawing a startled gasp from her. Her fingers clenched in his hair, yanking him back so she could kiss him hungrily.

  His hands came back around to cup her ass, his fingers kneading hard enough to leave bruises through her jeans. She wrapped one leg around his hip, arms twining around his neck to urge him against her. Clothes were a barrier that frustrated her; she wished she could make them just dissolve with the power of her mind.

  As if knowing what she needed—because maybe he needed the same thing—Dev began unbuttoning her blouse. The backs of his knuckles skimmed over the swell of her breasts, making her arch into him. He pressed kisses along the line of her jaw from under her ear all the way to her chin, then dropping down to her throat. His hands urged her up, so Cass wrapped both legs around his hips. Her head fell back against the wall, eyes half-closed as he licked a line of heat up her neck.

  She gasped, hips bucking against him. She needed touch; she needed friction; she needed naked skin pressing against naked skin.

  He made a growling noise in the back of his throat, a sound that thrilled her, shooting quivers through all of her limbs.

  Cass clung to him, amazed that she was able to feel so much, so fast with him.

  His hands dipped down to the button of her jeans. Dev bit at her neck, teeth grazing over her sensitive skin, and she jerked, feeling an answering throb in her core. Her blood felt like she’d been injected with liquid flame. If he didn’t undress her in the next five seconds, she was fairly sure her clothes would simply combust right there.

  The sound of a car backfiring in the street
made her flinch and push him away. Dev dropped his hands from her immediately, springing away like he’d been burned. Cass stood on shaking legs, leaning against the wall for support as her thoughts spun and tumbled through her head. It was just a car, she told herself. It was not a gunshot. It was not a gunshot. There was no body on the floor; there was no blood to clean up.

  Was she the only one having episodes like these? Not for the first time, she wished she could talk to Sugar, but she’d left town weeks ago. Cass had tried calling to check on her when Sugar’s ex-boyfriend, Tommy, had been killed in a drug deal gone bad, but had only gotten her voicemail. She hoped Sugar was okay, wherever she ended up.

  She let out a shaky breath, part disappointed lust, part relief. Her heart was racing and only some of it was due to Dev’s kisses. Hands clenched into fists to hide their shaking, Cass gave Dev a half-hearted smile. He was staring at her strangely, which made her wonder what she must look like.

  “You okay?” he asked, voice hesitant, like he didn’t know if he wanted the answer.

  Cass nodded a little too emphatically. Dial it down a notch there, headcase, she scolded herself. “Yeah, just a little jumpy these days.” That was an understatement. She gave him a bright, if somewhat forced, smile. “So, don’t you have something to show me?”

  He grinned hugely, waggling his eyebrows at her. Cass rolled her eyes. “Really?”

  “You can’t just say a comment like that and expect me to ignore it.” He held out his hand. “Come on. Let me show you what I’ve fixed so far.”

  Chapter 8

  Cass waited at the bus stop, wishing for about the millionth time that she had her motorcycle back. Having to rely on someone else for transportation totally sucked, especially the good folks at Rio Verde’s Department of Transportation. It seemed like half the time the busses she needed were delayed because of a breakdown.