That’s why Kendall, Brooks, Johnnie, and Digger remained alive. They’d all committed offenses that only death would repay. Cash suspected Meggie had something to do with that decision, but he couldn’t be certain.
Where Fee was concerned, though, Cash doubted Meggie would stay Outlaw’s retribution.
“Ghost?”
At the sound of Daphne’s voice, he glanced over his shoulder. She lay on her back, the covers pushed to her waist, revealing her breasts. That shock of white-blonde hair and her wide mouth added to her allure.
Usually, Cash enjoyed her—all the Bobs. This time, he couldn’t stop thinking about the look in Fee’s eyes or his conversation with Stretch.
Daphne skated her fingers across his bare back, sending shivers down his spine. “You’re up early.”
“My phone ringing interrupted my beauty sleep.”
She laughed. “You must get a fuck-ton of sleep then.”
“Silver tongued imp.”
“My tongue’s golden.”
“Yeah, babe, it’s more than golden. You could lead a priest to sin.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“Do that. Because it is.”
Facing forward before she responded, he wondered if he should return Josh’s call. How would he feel upon news that something had happened to their father?
Certainly not the panic that had hit him when Josh had called about Georgie’s injuries months ago. Would it be relief? Their father had been emotionally neglectful, but showered all of them with fun and good times.
“Are we staying in the room again today?”
He flipped his phone then caught it in his hands. “No.” Today, the guys were taking their young sons to the park for some type of sappy bonding. “We’re going to give Outlaw something else to focus on besides me and Fee. You.”
“Shit.”
Standing, he turned and smiled at her turned down mouth. “What?”
“Outlaw won’t like you throwing me on him. I’ve tried to get him to fuck me. He won’t. When I went to get the money from him the time you sent me, he looked at me like he wanted to kill me.”
“He’s a ‘family man’,” he said, using air quotations. “He has nothing against you. If Meggie found out, she’d lose her shit.”
Setting his phone aside, he grabbed his jeans and stepped into them.
Daphne stared at the ceiling. “Me and Meggie know each other.”
When she didn’t elaborate, he said, “And?”
She shrugged. “It’s like I said to the girl the other night. It’s us and them. She’s a them.” She sighed. “He’s faithful and loyal to her, and she knows it. She doesn’t like me—I fuck with her a lot.”
“Why?”
“I have my reasons. Besides, I want to be a them, too.”
“Ahh, fuck,” he said with sympathy. She sounded so sad, not like the girl he knew who just went around fucking and sucking at the command of the bikers. “The most you’ll do with Outlaw is suck his cock.”
“Really?” she asked, torn between hope and disbelief.
“Yup.”
“I thought he was your friend.”
“He is. That’s why I want him to have a little fun with you. How could he fault me for anything if he gets a taste of you? He knows my type of woman.”
His usual type. Fee was so far removed from the type of girl Daphne was, it was like night and day. Knowing, seeing, believing, and experiencing were all different. Outlaw would see Cash with a club rat and believe he’d long since moved on from Fee. Then, if all went according to plan, the man would experience the expertise of Daphne’s mouth and know his assumption was correct, allowing Cash to live another day to fuck Fee.
Of course, he couldn’t tell Daphne that, so he’d offer a simple lie.
“He’d see I have his best interest in mind by bringing our best cocksucker for his enjoyment. Therefore, he’d never think I’d fuck around with his sister.”
Daphne snuggled closer to him, giggling. “Best cocksucker, huh? Thanks for the compliment. By the way, if he’s your friend you know he worships his wife. He’s not cheating with me.”
Yeah, Outlaw was quite faithful to Meggie, surprisingly so. Blow jobs were completely different than actual fucking, in Cash’s estimation.
No harm, no foul.
“It’s just a cock suck. Fun. Something for him to think about, other than what I’m doing.”
“More diversionary tactics?”
“More? What the fuck are you talking about? This is one time.”
Guilt rushed across her face, so quickly Cash might’ve imagined it.
“We’ll see,” she murmured. “What do we do until then?”
He pointed to his sound system. “We can listen to music.”
“That’s it?”
“For right now. After we leave the park, I’ll take you back to my place, babe, and make up my lack of attention to you.”
“I’d get more enthusiasm from a fucking dead man.”
Maybe, he was a hypocritical jerk, but each time he thought about Fee and Stretch, and their sense of betrayal, he lost interest in engaging in any type of sex with Daphne. Believing Outlaw would allow another woman to suck his cock might’ve been the act of a desperate man, one who refused to admit to deeper feelings, and thus take a death-flirting ass kicking. “I just have a lot on my mind.”
“You have Outlaw’s sister on your mind,” she guessed.
He stiffened.
“Your secret’s safe with me.”
Shaking his head, he put on his T-shirt then shrugged into his cut. “A thousand bucks if you play along with me and follow my lead.”
“Only money? Or money and dick, too?”
“Both,” he promised, to keep her on his side. “I’m getting breakfast. I’ll be back.”
“I’ll be here.”
Closing the door, Cash went to the main room, finding no signs of Saturday night’s wild party, although it had lasted well into mid-afternoon yesterday.
Digger walked out of the kitchen, plate in one hand, biting into the sausage he held in the other. He sat at the bar. “Ghost.”
“You’re up bright and early.”
“Had to leave Bunny room before the kids woke up.”
She still lived with Meggie and Outlaw, while Digger resided at the club.
“I can’t wait ‘til our house finished and we married.”
“Jesus Christ. All you motherfuckers with marriage.” That’s where Fee’s ideas came from.
“Yeah.” Digger snickered. “All us motherfuckers now domesticated.”
Cash grimaced. Boredom had led his father to make fucked up decisions. In Cash’s eyes, the worst of all of Parnell’s infractions was convincing his wife to bring other people into their bed. To Cash, marriage had a certain sanctity. A line that should never be crossed. Blow jobs were impersonal, nothing to worry about. Parnell went so much farther. If his father knew he couldn’t keep his cock in his pants, then he should never have walked down the aisle.
“Your sister younger than you and got a family,” Digger reminded him. “You seemed really happy for her. I know if Sloane fuck over her, you would want to fuck him up.”
“Georgie is happily married, so I’m not knocking that relationship.” Sloane loved Georgie. That would never change, but they were the exception rather than the rule. If, for some reason, Sloane did fuck over Georgie, then Cash would deal with him. He didn’t want his little sister’s heart broken.
Unfortunately, he didn’t have the same confidence in his own ability to stay faithful.
Sunlight bounced into the room as the door opened. At first, the glare prevented Cash from seeing the identity, then a little ball of energy ran toward him, right before Johnnie appeared.
Rory headed to Digger and tugged on his jeans. “Hello.”
“Hey, lil bro.”
“Mother said my name is Rory.”
“Mother?” Cash echoed, thrown for a loop every
time he heard Rory refer to Kendall in that manner.
Rory’s gray eyes sought out Cash. He nodded. “Yes.”
Johnnie lifted Rory under his arm, smiling at the kid’s squeal. “Dad!”
“Digger calls everyone by a nickname, son,” he explained, sitting the boy on the stool next to the sergeant-at-arms. “He can call you lil bro.”
“Yes, sir.”
Watching them with interest, Digger scraped the potatoes from his plate. “Spend more time with CJ, okay, kid? Toughen your lil ass up.”
“Shut up, fucker,” Johnnie snapped, although he didn’t look too happy at his son’s manners, either.
Fuck, if Cash had been so proper and neat at Rory’s age, his parents would’ve loved it. Even his father. For the longest fucking time he’d wondered if he’d behaved differently would his dad have walked out. Of course, he’d been a child, not understanding the full dynamics.
“I thought you were going to the park,” Cash said to Johnnie, needing their usual plans in place to go through with his ruse.
“We are. I just wanted to stop in. See if you’ve heard anything that might be going on between Megan and Kendall?”
Digger shoved his plate aside. “Fuck.”
Cash shifted his weight. “Don’t tell me those two are at it again.” He almost wished they were, to alleviate the fucking boredom.
“Fucking Kendall, man,” Digger mumbled.
“You know something, Digger,” Johnnie accused.
“Yeah. I know Kendall off the goddamn chain.” Digger got to his feet.
Johnnie scowled.
“Don’t give me that fucking look. You know what I mean.”
Even if Johnnie pretended not to know, Cash sure the fuck did.
Relenting, Johnnie sighed. “What did she do?”
“I can’t tell you. I promised Bunny I wouldn’t repeat what she told me.”
“Fuck, I demand you tell me why my goddamn wife is playing her fucking games again. She pretended everything was fucking fine with her and Megan, but I know Megan was pissed about something. She gave it away.”
“I tell you this, you forget I talked to you. Don’t confront Kendall. She’ll blame Meggie and that’ll be more shit.”
“Just fucking tell me,” Johnnie demanded. “At least Fee’s there to pull them apart.”
“That shit not in her job description.”
No longer half listening to the conversation at the mention of Fee’s name, Cash straightened and looked at Digger. “What do you mean?”
“My cousin works for my wife,” Johnnie said off-handedly, still staring at Digger.
Fee worked for Kendall? That was news to Cash. Why hadn’t she told him? Then, again, when had he given her the chance? Since Outlaw found out about their relationship and Stretch seemed so unhappy with Fee there, Cash had gone out of his way to turn their encounters into hollow fucking.
“Kendall told Meggie Ryder yours.” Digger shook his head, ignoring Johnnie’s open mouth. “She said you and Meggie fucked.”
Cash’s eyes bugged out as much as Johnnie’s.
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me?”
“Why the fuck would I kid about that shit, Johnnie? That’s not joke material.”
Johnnie dropped onto the stool.
“You better not say nothing,” Digger warned. “Meggie agreed to go to the lunch to keep this shit from you and Outlaw. Let them work the shit out.”
“I have to call Fee. Tell her to watch over those two.”
“No, you don’t,” Cash warned. “Why get Fee involved in their bullshit? Those two will go back and forth for as long as we live.”
Both Johnnie and Digger turned to Cash.
“You got a little hostile there, Ghost,” Digger said.
“Fee’s a part of our family.” Johnnie narrowed his eyes. “Why shouldn’t I have her watch over her sister-in-law and cousin by marriage? What’s it to you?”
“Nothing!” Cash cursed his words, but discovering Fee’s employment shocked him. He worried Kendall’s abrasiveness would hurt Fee in some way. “Adding another girl to that cat fight isn’t good. Suppose she takes sides?”
“Fee wouldn’t do that.” Johnnie stared at Cash so hard, he thought he might bore holes into his head. “Stay away from her.”
“I am.” He sounded a little too defensive.
The moment Rory shifted on his seat, Johnnie stood. Cash reminded himself to buy the kid a toy for removing Johnnie’s attention from him.
“If they work it out, I won’t say anything to Kendall yet, Digger.”
“Don’t say nothing to her at all, Johnnie. Bunny would be so fucking mad at me.”
Johnnie lifted Rory and set him on his feet. “Later,” he said, his tone not as light as when he’d walked in.
“Somebody need to talk sense into Kendall, man,” Digger complained. “I like the chick, but, fuck, she got to stop baiting Meggie.”
True, but that was neither here or there. It provided a lot of entertainment for Cash. “I don’t want Fee in the middle of this.”
Digger made a face at him. “Outlaw going to garrote your cock. Keep fucking his little sister.”
He and Digger had come a long way from the day Cash had led him into the club at gunpoint. Still, Cash wouldn’t trust him with information he could use against him.
“Say that lie again and I’ll punch you in your goddamn mouth.”
“Unless you punch me out, I’ll fuck you up.” Digger belched and pounded on his chest. “Where you put your cock up to you. I was just doing a public service warning you. Take it or leave it. I’m trying to save your dick and your horny ass.”
“Duly noted, but unnecessary. I have everything covered.”
He did, too, knowing it was more important than ever to move forward with his plan. Contacting his brother would have to wait. Besides, if something had happened to their father, Josh wouldn’t have called only once.
Stretch grunted, pushing himself onward even as he called himself stupid for walking so far from the club with only his cane to get him back. Usually, he’d park his bike in front of one of the houses and start from there.
This morning, though, he’d awakened with the urge to go for a run. Like he once had. When he’d taken that shit for granted. Now, he’d give anything to have the same mobility.
Hopping to a tree, he leaned against it, breathing heavily. No matter how he punished himself, the pain never went away. As a matter of fact, it got worse.
At the ringing of his phone, he slid to the ground, ignoring the almost immediate chill that seeped through his sweat pants and hit his ass.
“What’s up?” he answered, in no mood for Cash’s games. Hopefully, he was calling as Ghost, and he intended to get some explosives together.
“Meet me at the club. We have to ride out.”
“For?”
“You’ll fucking see. Just get over here.”
“Is this business or personal?”
“A little of both.”
That meant Fee, and Cash putting his bone-headed plan in motion.
“I would come if I could. I need to rest my leg before I walk back to the club, so have fun. See you in the afterlife.” He disconnected the call, not even bothering to hear Cash’s response.
Cash was going to do what the fuck he wanted.
“Stretch?”
Fee’s surprised voice snapped his head up. He hadn’t heard her approach. Caught off-guard, he didn’t have the chance to smooth his features out. Hide his pain. As much as he hurt, he worried his face looked hideous, red and splotchy from his exertion and the scar slashing the left side of his face.
He’d gotten stares and fingers pointed at him. At times, he considered makeup, some type of foundation that blended with his skin tone. Then, he’d remember Cowboy…his father…his cousins and uncles, all men who considered him a freak. Remembering them made him cringe at the idea of makeup. But, then, he’d be faced with Cash and Fee, beast to their beauty.
She cocked her head. “What are you doing sitting out here?”
In the woods, somewhere between the new construction for Bunny and Digger’s place and Johnnie and Kendall’s house.
“Just enjoying the morning,” he lied.
“Right.” Her tone called bullshit.
Stretch gave her a half-smile, her bare legs grabbing his attention. Unlike the other night, today she wore a flowery dress that reached her knees with a pink knit sweater thing. Her hair framed her face.
“You look very pretty,” he blurted, surprised when she flushed, as if she wasn’t used to compliments.
“Thanks.”
“Wait a minute. What are you doing out here?”
“Walking to the club for Meggie, to pick up a blood orange drink. She’s at Kendall’s. Apparently, Kendall forgot to pick up more.”
Unlikely. Kendall was very astute. If she didn’t have a drink Meggie liked it was by design. He couldn’t understand why Fee was playing girl Friday, but it wasn’t his business.
“Why?” Fee asked. “Did you need something?”
He needed a lot. Nothing a pretty girl like her would understand. As much as he wanted to, he couldn’t hold onto his resentment toward Fee for very long. Just seeing the happiness on her face told him what drew Cash to her. It also drew Stretch.
When he didn’t answer, she hesitated and shifted from foot to foot. “Do you want to walk back with me?”
“No.”
Her smile faded at his brusqueness. He refused to lose his pride by telling her he’d been exercising and pushed himself too far.
She took in his outfit and his sneakers, rolling her eyes when she saw his cut.
“Hey, don’t knock my fashion style.”
“No, never. I’m already aware that it would be easier if that piece of leather was sewn to your body, as much as you all wear it.”
“It’s who we are.”
Death Dwellers Motorcycle Club:: Fifteen Bad Boy Biker Books Page 303