Violet's Guns: Book 9 of Colson Brothers Series

by Reese Madison

  “No Gunner.” I scolded while cutting and rolling.

  “I can find out.” He reached behind the counter and picked up the three receipts. “Smart getting a credit card discount.”

  I froze. “Did you just say something nice??”

  “No. Where’d you get the money for all this?” He knows I spent every dime on school and rent.

  “I did some ink while I was in school.” I didn’t want him to know because he said I wasn’t ready for a flesh canvases.

  “Violet.” He warned.

  “Oh hush. You’re not my father, or my boss.” I sneered at him then wrestled the roll of old carpet out front where I’m making a pile for bulk pick up in a couple days. I want the dumpster divers to pick through it first so I don’t have to pay as much. Plus dumpster diving is fun, far be it for me to take someone’s fun away.

  Gunner finished off the pasta then decided to help me with the rest of the carpet. Once we finished he brushed at his shoulders and thighs, “Now I need a shower.”

  “Go home then.” I suggested on my way to the kitchen to find some wine.

  “My roommates girlfriend is there again. Bitch always annoys the fuck out of me.” He started up the stairs.

  I shook my head knowing full well he’s just looking for an excuse to crash here again tonight. He’s either making sure I’m not losing my shit being back here after all these years, or he’s genuinely annoyed at Kevin’s girlfriend. It’s hard to tell. Then again, it could be a combination of both.

  I locked up and took my wine upstairs to find something to watch on TV until he gets out of my shower. Then I have to wait for the hot water heater to refill. Chivalry is lost on Gunner. Sort of. He always opens doors for women, even me.

  When he walked into the room in just a towel I almost fainted. “Seriously??”

  “What? My clothes are dirty.” He grabbed another bag I hadn’t seen him deposit in the corner by the closet.

  “Why do you have another bag here?”

  “Because your clothes won’t fit me.”

  “Ha ha. Now look. You’re the one that said not to look like we’re too close, and now you’re keeping a bag here?? What the fuck Gunner??”

  “Don’t’ start Violet.” He threw his towel over my head.

  I inhaled his body wash deeply before asking from under the towel. “Are you dressed yet?”

  The bed moved as he flopped down. “Yeah.”

  I took the towel to the bathroom and hung it up. It was a good excuse to splash cold water on my face. I swear he’s just doing this to torture me. Finally I decided a cold shower was in order and locked the door forgetting clean clothes. Whoops.

  So now I’m the one in just a towel parading across the bedroom floor.

  “Hypocrite.”

  “Shut up. At least I’m not doing it on purpose.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  I grabbed my ugliest sweats and turned on him. “Why are you here Gunner?? And don’t feed me that bullshit about Kevin’s girlfriend.”

  “You kicking me out?” He asked smoothly looking up at the ceiling. I don’t think he’s moved since he flopped down before my shower.

  “You know damn well I’d never do that.”

  “Then shut up and go change. You’re missing Squeal of Torture.”

  “I hate you.” I left licking my wounds. Fucker always wins.

  “You weigh a ton.” I pushed him off so I can breathe. He used to do this to me years ago, but now it’s worse. Now I want to know what he tastes like.

  “What time is it?” He rolled back but spooned me instead of using me as his personal body pillow.

  “How would I know?”

  “We have to be at the club by three.” He yawned.

  “It better not be that late. Wait. We?”

  “Slider wants to see you again.”

  I turned under his arm to face him. “No he doesn’t.”

  “No. He doesn’t. Well, he does, but he doesn’t.” He replied keeping his eyes closed.

  “It’s a fucking party isn’t it?” I put my hand over his face like a giant spider. “You guys suck.”

  He licked my palm. “Yup.”

  “Ew!! You’re gross. Let me up so I can pee.” I lied.

  He hugged me to him pulling my leg over his groin. I felt his morning wood pressing against the inside of my thigh.

  “Gunner??”

  “I didn’t do it.”

  I laughed. “You’re an idiot. I’m not sleeping with you.”

  “You always sleep with me. Who else did you sleep with? Who was your first?” He kept his hand behind my knee making sure I can feel the cause of his discomfort.

  “I’m not discussing my sex life with you.” I ran my hand up his front and stopped on his chest. “You can’t handle this Guns. I’d ruin you for all other women.”

  He leaned back giving me a strange look. “Just how promiscuous were you in college?”

  Oh, this is WAY too easy. “Why? Jealous?”

  “I hope you were careful.”

  I rolled my eyes. “You really are an idiot. And easy. Now let go so I can go pee.”

  “You never mentioned your boyfriends.”

  “Gunner, I told you everything. You basically got a play by play whether you liked it or not. I don’t remember you being interested in my sex life anyway. All you ever did was nag me to study harder and do more extra curricular shit.”

  “Somebody had to. You’re lazy.” He lied.

  I pinch, poked, punched, and kneed him until he got me pinned underneath him, which didn’t take more than a couple minutes, and I’m pretty sure he let me get in a few licks.

  I love Gunner’s eyes. They’re a piercing green with flecks of golden brown that stole me the first time we met. Well, met for real anyway. We’d met before, but didn’t know each other beyond a quick introduction when I was too young to notice boys.

  “What do you want to know?” I finally found my breath to ask.

  “How many?”

  “None of your business!!”

  “Tell me.” He insisted.

  “I already did.”

  “No, you didn’t.”

  “Yes I did, you just weren’t listening. Now get off me. Seriously, I have to pee bad now.”

  “Five? Ten?”

  “Gunner?!! Ten??! What do you think I am, a slut?! I’m not going to tell you again. Get off me.” I struggled harder this time.

  He rolled to his back. “Pain in my ass.”

  “Yet you still love me. Imagine that??” I sang then ran before he tans my hide.

  ***

  This woman is going to drive me crazy. Crazier than I already am. “Violet!! Hurry up!!” If we’re late to this party Slider will blame me.

  She bounced down the steps wearing a red and black plaid schoolgirl skirt, thigh-high hooker boots, and a simple white shirt that accented cleavage I’m not sure where she got.

  “You are NOT wearing that.” I grabbed her arm and dragged her giggling ass back up the stairs and all but threw her on the bed. “You did that on purpose.” I started throwing more reasonable clothes at her.

  She’s laughing too hard to reply.

  “Hurry up Violet. Fuck.” I stormed back downstairs to go stick my head in the freezer. I’ve seen that outfit plenty of times on other women, but never on Violet. I downed two shots of whiskey and traded my bike keys for my truck keys. She’s going to be drinking too, might as well call and see if we can have the apartment. Worse comes to worse we’ll crash in my truck.

  She came back down in tight jeans and a slinky tank top still sporting that cleavage I want to bury my face in. “Better?”

  “Behave yourself tonight.” Great, I sound like an old man.

  “No way. I don’t have any tests to study for. No homework to do, and I’m legal to drink. By the way you’re driving.” She informed me with a pointed index finger.

  “No shit Sherlock.” I pushed open the door looking forward to seeing
her ass in those jeans as she passes through. I’m going to hell anyway, might as well secure my first class ticket.

  She might have been gone for the last four years, but she still knows me well. She stopped in the doorway and pushed up on her toes. “Should I just flash you and get it over with?”

  “If you were anyone else I’d say yes. Now move it.”

  She looked all too proud of her beautiful self as she spun on cute little red heels.

  It wasn’t long before I lost her at the party. I tried to sneak off with a little something I’ve had enough times to know she can take care of a certain ache easily enough. Unfortunately my body refused to cooperate this time.

  I kept looking for Violet. Eventually I apologized and sent her away pissed as shit. If I were a better man I’d have at least offered her a hand job so she got something for her efforts, but I’m not, so I didn’t.

  This put me in a shitty mood so I found a corner of the bar and proceeded to enjoy a few beers and the show of hips swaying on the dance floor. None of those hips are doing any more than mildly amusing me.

  Until all of a sudden the right hips showed up to dance. “Shit.” I pinched the top of my nose.

  I watched, and watched, and now I’m the creepy old guy watching the woman I practically raised bump and grind with- “Ah fuck.” I got up and walked outside. How can I get pissed when she’s dancing with one of few people I consider a halfway decent human being??

  Joe punched me in the arm when I stepped out on the side patio. “Problems dumbass?”

  “Fuck you.” I replied. He knows my pain. How? Because he’s not stupid.

  “I’d like to tell you it gets easier when you marry them.” He plucked his daughter from his wife’s hip. “But it only gets worse. Where are you going woman?” He asked Red as she started to walk away.

  Red shed her cut and handed it to him. “I’ve spent all day entertaining your daughter. Your turn. This mama is going to get her dance on and drink.” She wiggled her devious little fingers at his nose. “Toodles!”

  I looked back to Joe. “Why did you get married again?”

  He pointed to Emmy. “There are benefits.”

  “I don’t… see myself as a father.” I changed my wording so Emmy doesn’t think I’m a jerk.

  “Neither did I. Get over it Guns. That bitch has had you since day one. The only one that doesn’t know it is you.” He walked off the patio and set Emmy up on his shoulders.

  I went over to my truck and dropped the tailgate. I’ll just watch from afar. Plus I have a cooler of beer to drown my sorrows that won’t cost me two bucks a pop. Red’s prices are reasonable, but I’m not rich enough for the amount beers I plan to drink tonight.

  I’d just opened a fresh one when I looked up and saw her walking towards me. “Shoot me now.”

  She stole my beer for a long drink then asked as she handed it back, “Why so lonely cowboy?”

  “Bored, not lonely.”

  “I talked to Sal, she said I can have the apartment tonight. You can go home if you want, I won’t need a ride. Go get laid.”

  “I’m not leaving you.” I took down the rest of the beer.

  “I don’t understand Gunner. Why are you hovering?”

  “Go back to your party.”

  “I plan to. Look, I’m going to make this easy for you. Go find someone to spend the night with. I’ll be here, alone, in our old apartment. Don’t worry, I’ll watch my drinking and lock the door. Now go. Stop being bored.”

  “I already tried that.” I chucked the bottle a little too hard and shattered it in the bed of my truck. “Fuck.”

  “Already tried what??” She’s relentless.

  “Getting laid Violet. What the fuck do you think??” She’s pissing me off. What’s new?

  “What happened?” She asked comfortably from her high horse.

  “Why are you asking? It’s none of your fucking business.” Or shouldn’t be.

  “You’re my business. You weren’t having any trouble this morning. What happened?”

  I hate when she looks at me like this. “Go back to your party.”

  “Stop snapping at me. Whatever your problem is, is not my fault. I’m going back to my party, and your party-pooping ass better just stay out here.” She sneered at me then stepped forward and pushed up on her toes to kiss me quickly on the cheek. “Try again, you’re sporting half a chub now.”

  She was gone before I could reply. Sure enough I was half hard. Too bad it faded along with my view of those hips swaying her perfect ass back into the bar.

  4

  My party fizzled out around two in the morning. By two-fifteen I was locked up tight in the apartment and sprawled out on the bed Gunner and I first shared four plus years ago. It doesn’t smell like him so I can’t sleep.

  I rolled over and sat up to turn the TV on.

  All of a sudden someone unlocked the door.

  I grabbed my gun in my purse as a familiar face made me roll my eyes. “You idiot. Good way to get shot.” I moved my purse to the floor.

  Gunner half stumbled in and sat down hard beside me. “You should be asleep.”

  “You should be passed out in the back of your truck with some naked bimbo.”

  “Tomorrow’s gonna suck.” He means the hangover he’ll suffer on a Monday morning.

  “Not for me. I drank lots of water and ate my weight in hot dogs. Then I sweat it all off on the dance floor.” I’m proud of myself for being able to have a few drinks and still maintain.

  He slid down and put his head in my lap facing the TV. “I hate you.”

  I moved his hair off his ear and neck. “You smell like you had a cigar.”

  “I did.” He slid his hand up under my thigh.

  “I thought I told you to sleep in your truck?”

  “You told me to get fucked.”

  I laughed. “I was much nicer about it than that.”

  He closed his eyes and passed the hell out.

  I didn’t. Couldn’t. Gunner has a serious problem. Me. One of us has to be the bigger person here. He’s afraid for his reputation and my safety if we get involved. I can’t seem to resist him.

  It’s time to make a decision. He has to let go. I need to let him go. The only way I’m getting rid of him is to reject him. I can’t reject him. I won’t. It’s not in me to hurt the only person I truly love.

  That means it’s up to him to fix this. In the meantime I’m going to torment the hell out of him. If he’s so dead set on breaking my heart I’m damn sure I’m not going to make it easy on him.

  When the morning news came on I slipped slowly out from under him and left to go home. Unfortunately I forgot he drove, and to get his keys. I called a cab and stole a bottled water from one of many coolers to wait outside the gate.

  Gunner snatched it out of my hand as I leaned against said fence. “Gimme that. What the fuck are you doing out here?” Then he downed the whole bottle.

  “Waiting for a cab. Go back to sleep.”

  “Cancel the cab. Come on.” He grabbed my arm and pulled me back inside the gate. “Don’t ever fucking sneak out on me like that again.” Damn. Judging from his tone he’s pissed. Maybe it’s the hangover.

  “We need to talk about this overprotective hovering thing you’ve got going on here.”

  “You need to get in the fucking truck so I can take you home and go to work.” He ripped open the door.

  I turned looking up for him. “You really don’t-“

  “Will you stop telling me what the fuck to do already?!! Get in the goddamn truck!!” Gunner has never yelled at me like this.

  I blinked and got in the truck. Evidently hung over Gunner is a bigger dick than our regular grumpy Gunner.

  He drove like he was mad. It made me a little seasick. Fortunately my place isn’t far from the club.

  When he hit the brakes a little too hard and slammed the truck in park I turned on him. “You’re being an ass Gunner. What the fuck is your problem??”


  “Go inside Violet.” He sounds tired despite the fact that he slept soundly on my lap.

  “You need to get laid.” I got out and slammed the door on him.

  ***

  Fucking women. Violet’s back for five fucking minutes and I’m already off my fucking nut. Between this hangover, and her consuming any available space for coherent thought, my day went for shit. I cussed too much and left people in the wake of my short temper. All I really want to do is spank a certain violet streaked dark-haired beauty and pass out using her perfect ass for a pillow.

  I tried to go home to Kevin’s and get some sleep but that didn’t work. He’s fucking his latest bimbo who squeaks. And squeaks. And fucking squeaks. Finally I threw my gear on and rode over to where I know I can find sleep.

  Since I paid to install the alarm, and my brother installed it, I pounded out the alarm code and stormed up the stairs to find my woman. She’s been mine since the day she lost her folks. I promised to take care of her. To be her family.

  She turned on the light and sat up. “Seriously?? You didn’t even make it one night!”

  “Shut up. Kevin’s bitch was making too much noise. I couldn’t sleep.” I sat on the edge of her bed and started taking my boots off.

  “How long has he been seeing her?” She laid back down.

  “A few months.”

  “Where’d you go before?”

  “Stop fishing.” I stood and undressed down to my boxers.

  Violet lifted the covers inviting me in. “Turn off the light and get your big ass in here.”

  I flipped the switch and dove in after my favorite pillow. Her body fits perfectly to mine. Her hand folds mine into hers like we were made from the same mold. “I hate the idea of another man holding you.”

  “Then don’t think about it.” She reasoned.

  “Who was your first?” My morbid curiosity is going to get me kicked out of here. Not that she’s big or strong enough to do it.

  “Why do you want to know?”

  “So I can kill him.”

  She laughed silently but shook so I know she’s amused. “Go to sleep Gunner.”

  “Did it hurt?”