by Lexi Blake
Yes, he did, and that was why Nathan Wright wouldn’t be here two years from now. He would get some time under his belt and move on. His family money might be gone, but she doubted his connections were. Nate would move on, and she would be alone again. She didn’t think she could handle it. Everywhere she looked, the road led out of Bliss.
She sat back up. If she was really leaving Bliss, maybe she should go out with a bang. Nathan Wright wasn’t the only one who could scratch an itch.
“I don’t like that look.” Jen stared at her. “I see that look a lot in the mirror, and it always gets me in trouble.”
Trouble sounded like fun. Maybe it was time for everyone’s favorite aunt, who never cursed or threw a fit, to cause a little scandal of her own. She’d spent thirty-one years easing the lives of the people around her, smoothing the way for temperamental Max, listening to Rye’s love problems, being the girl on Stefan’s arm at family events because he didn’t “do” long-term relationships. And that was just the boys she grew up with. She was the one Stella called when her fry cook decided French fries and burgers didn’t soothe the inner artist in his soul. She was the one who listened to Mel’s latest alien theories. She was the one who sat through the Repertory Theater’s dress rehearsals and gave notes and went to every artist in Bliss’s gallery show. And who listened to her? What would they listen to, even if they were willing?
She was Callie Sheppard, doormat of Bliss.
“Seriously, sweetie, whatever you’re thinking, don’t.” Jen got up, picking up her clothes as Callie rose to her feet. She followed behind her as Callie turned toward the cabin. “The naked thing is really a great way of thumbing your nose at society. You should stick to that.”
She glanced back. “I’m not thumbing my nose at society. I like the way it feels. And whatever I’m about to do tonight isn’t about society. It’s about me. It’s about…” It was time to be a little vulgar. “It’s about getting laid. Callie Sheppard is on the prowl. What do you know about that bar on the far side of the mountain?”
Jen turned a bit green. “Are you talking about Hell on Wheels? The biker bar? Tell me you’re talking about another bar. You want to know what I know about that bar? I know you shouldn’t go there because we’ll never come out alive. I say we because I can’t let you go alone.”
It would be nice to have company, but she didn’t want Jen to feel obligated. “Don’t be silly. How bad could it be?”
She walked into her cabin and hoped she could find some slutty clothes because she intended to find out.
Chapter Six
The sun was starting to go down over the tops of the mountains when the door to the cabin came open. Zane turned from the back window, surprised at the sight of Nate coming home from work early.
“I’m fine.” Nate slurred every syllable as he stumbled through the door.
Zane felt his eyes widen. There was a tall, angular man trying to help Nate. The man looked to be in his fifties and had a strange hat on his head. It was a trucker hat with tin foil coming out the edges. Now that he looked at it, Nate’s Stetson had foil peeking out of it as well.
“What the hell is going on?” Zane asked.
The tall man took a step back. Zane was used to it. He knew what he looked like.
The older man squinted and then slapped Nate on the back. “It’s okay. He seems human.”
Nate smiled beatifically. Damn, he was drunk and still in his uniform. What was going on? “He’s not human. That’s Zane, Mel. Don’t worry about the frown. He’s a brooder. It’s his thing. I wish he got paid for it. If he got paid for brooding, we would be millionaires and that would solve so many problems. Zane, we need to put that on your résumé. Brooding.”
Mel nodded, as though that made sense somehow. He looked back and forth between him and Nate, seeming to form some sort of opinion. “Well, now I’ve always found it best that couples acknowledge their differences. He’s seems nice enough, Sheriff.”
“What?” Zane was having trouble following the conversation.
Nate stumbled to the green 1970s refugee couch. It had come with the cabin and opened into one of the most uncomfortable beds Zane had ever tried to nap on. Nate didn’t seem to have the same muscular issues with the couch that Zane had. He pulled his hat off his head and settled it over his face. He didn’t bother to get rid of the foil liner, just let it lay there, covering his mug like a burrito wrapper.
Zane looked to the thin guy. “What is wrong with him? Has he been drinking on the job?”
It wasn’t like Nate. Nate was freaking Captain America. Nate was upstanding and by the book.
Nate looked up from his place on the couch. His fingers fumbled when he tried to lift his hat, and both the Stetson and its tinfoil inner lining rolled away. “Hell, no. I do not drink on the job. I am completely off duty. That’s what happens when a hot honey steals your squad car. I’m gonna spank her for that. Stef is right about the discipline thing. Girl needs some discipline. But I ain’t been drinking. I’ve been doing community service. I gotta start fitting into the community. Callie told me to.”
Zane felt his gut clench. Callie? Was Callie the hot honey who needed discipline? And why was Nate talking about it?
Mel was pulling on the quilt that lay on top of the couch. He placed it over Nate, who settled back down with a loopy grin on his face. Mel picked up the hat and made sure the foil was secure. “Don’t you worry about the sheriff now. We got it all fixed up. He needs to wear his hat when he’s out, and it’ll be fine. You see, he got probed.”
Nate seemed to think that was hilarious and started laughing, his knees drawing up. “I’ve been probed. Hell, I almost got to probe her. Got so fucking close. It would have felt really good to probe her.”
“I gave him my special tonic. He’ll feel better tomorrow. I drove by the station and got his keys and his phone, but he shouldn’t be driving yet. Because of the cure. Takes a while. You’ll see, he’ll be all better in the morning.” Mel was nodding.
He didn’t think so. He was pretty sure Nate would be in a shit-ass mood tomorrow, probably sooner. Nate had never been able to hold his liquor, but he never stayed drunk for long. He always sobered up fast. And what did he mean by probing her? Was he talking about Callie? “What’s in this tonic? Whiskey?”
Mel nodded. “So you’ve had it before? I make it myself. It keeps the aliens at bay. They can’t metabolize it, so they stay away.”
“Got to get rid of the aliens so I can concentrate on Callie. Can’t let her quit. She’s a good secretary.” Nate sighed like a man who knew what he wanted. “She’s still so pretty, Zane. Her breasts feel so good. And she can kiss. Damn, for a girl so innocent, she tastes like sin. I’m gonna marry her.”
Zane felt the pounding in his head start. He looked down at his best friend in the world. Every time he’d asked about Callie Sheppard, Nate had shrugged him off, telling him that if he wanted to know he should go see for himself. Bastard. Now he understood the game Nate had been playing. He’d had her all to himself for two weeks. No wonder he spent so much time at the station. Callie was there.
“God, you have no idea how sweet she is.”
No, he didn’t, and he never fucking would because Nate had taken her without giving him a chance. Not that he had one. His hand went to his face, where the scar ran from the base of his skull all the way down to his jaw. He could still feel the knife splitting his skin. He’d thought nothing could hurt as much as that knife.
He’d been wrong.
Betrayal bit through him. They’d made the decision about Callie together a long time ago. Now Nate was going to change his mind and Zane hadn’t even had a chance. He couldn’t stay here. His hands were on the keys before he really knew what he was doing.
“Hey, where ya going?” Nate was trying to get up but got caught in the quilt. “We need to talk. You might say it’s crazy, but I been thinking about something.”
Yeah, Zane bet he’d been thinking about something. He’d been
thinking about Callie and how he could steal her. He had zero interest in Nate’s thoughts. He turned to Mel, who still looked ridiculous with tin foil covering his head. “You should call his deputy and tell him the sheriff is indisposed.”
“Zane, where ya going?” Nate struggled to get up.
“I need a beer.” He was out the door in a heartbeat and headed for Hell on Wheels. A beer? He would probably drink a dozen, and it wouldn’t help.
An hour later, he knew he’d been right. He was only into his second beer, and it didn’t even begin to obliterate the image of Nate and Callie. Who was he kidding? And could he really blame Nate?
Fuck, yeah, his inner asshole said. Inner Asshole usually warred with Reasonable Guy. This time Reasonable Guy was perfectly silent. Reasonable Guy agreed with him. Turned out Reasonable Guy had a thing for Callie Sheppard, too.
And what the hell had he meant about the brooding? Inner Asshole was spewing some serious venom. Who the hell did Nate think he was? They had agreed that she was off limits long ago. They had agreed that she deserved better. Maybe Nate had simply decided he was better.
Maybe Nate had decided he was sick of putting up with Zane’s shit and was ready to move on.
He slumped forward, his elbows on the somewhat dirty bar. He called for beer number three. The low light of the dive bar revealed the other patrons. Leather and denim seemed to be the dress code, though some of the women wore bikini tops under their vests. Zane made a quick roll call of the MCs in attendance. The Animals, the Wasters, and the Colorado Horde were there in decent numbers. Zane could tell from the three-piece patches they wore on their leather vests. There were a couple he didn’t recognize, but he wasn’t worried. If someone figured out who he was, they would kill him quick.
Now the Barbarians, that was another story.
In the background, Zane heard the small door to the prefab building swing open but turned back to his beer. The big bartender swung a fresh mug of whatever was cheapest in front of him.
The man shook his head, his eyes narrowing. “Damn it, there’s trouble.”
Zane looked up, following the line of the bartender’s sight. Two newcomers stood in the doorway, two women who looked to be a bit lost. Zane struggled to see them through the smoke. There was one with dark hair and a banging body, and a thinner, taller one with lighter hair piled in a bun on her head. He liked the short one. She had long, thick hair and round breasts. Yeah, he could do that one. Maybe he would try since it wasn’t going to happen with Callie. It wasn’t like he was married or anything. If she didn’t mind ugly sons of bitches, he’d give the girl a ride.
Or he’d fix her car. That had to explain it. The two women were so out of place, they had to have had car trouble. The hot one was dressed in a yellow sundress. It exposed an expanse of creamy, ivory skin and made her look like a little piece of the sun, walking through the clouds. The other girl had given it a better shot. She had on a denim mini and a tank top, but still looked out of place due to the innocent air surrounding her. There wasn’t a place for innocence in here.
Zane sighed. Everyone was staring at the out of place women. If he was half as heartless as he pretended to be, he would leave right now. Inner Asshole wanted to do exactly that. He wasn’t responsible for a couple of chicks who likely wouldn’t give him the time of day under normal circumstances. But Reasonable Guy finally woke up, and Zane knew he was going to protect those ladies. They were going to get in trouble. Already he could sense the sharks beginning to circle. A couple of the men by the pool tables were watching them, obviously planning their moves. They weren’t the kind to take a polite no for an answer.
That old familiar tightening in his gut began. The adrenaline started to flow freely. Yeah, maybe a good fight was what he needed. He could pretend it was Nate he was punching the shit out of.
“This is the worst idea, ever,” the woman in the denim mini was saying as they sort of floated through the cloudy bar. Maybe one of them had a lick of sense.
“Oh, I think it’s charming, once you get past the smell,” the other one said. She approached the bar, and Zane got a good look at her face.
He turned as quickly as he could, praying she didn’t see him. Fuck. What was Callie doing here? The adrenaline was still flooding his system, but he turned from fight to full-on flight mode. Both Inner Asshole and Reasonable Guy were in full agreement. It was time to run and as fast as he could.
He started to push back the stool but stopped. If he ran, she would be alone in here with those sharks. She was about to be in serious trouble. Damn it. He couldn’t do it.
He pulled his cell out. This was Nate’s job. She was Nate’s girl.
Get to Hell on Wheels. Callie and a friend have decided to have a girls’ night out.
He threw in a text to Stefan Talbot just in case. As pissed as he was, he wasn’t about to let Callie get hurt because she didn’t belong to him. He would watch over her until the others got here.
Then he would run.
“I would like a…I don’t drink very much. Maybe a Cosmo. Those always look good on TV.” Callie’s voice was bright and optimistic.
“I got beer and tequila. I can get you a whiskey, but that’s about it.” The bartender did not seem amused.
“We’ll take the tequila.” Callie’s friend nodded and wiped off her barstool before sitting down.
Zane watched her through the sooty mirror behind the bar. Damn, she was gorgeous. Should he wait for Nate or Stef? Or man up and do what needed to be done? He wanted to toss Callie over his shoulder and haul her out of this bar.
“You are being surprisingly negative, Jen.” Callie pushed a pair of glasses up her nose. “Why can’t you see it as an adventure? We’re like Thelma and Louise.”
“Thelma and Louise died, Cal.”
Callie shook her head. “Nope. I choose to believe they made it across the Grand Canyon in their convertible. Why do people keep trying to get me to see the dark side of life?”
The bartender set two shot glasses in front of them and poured out the gold liquid. He set down a shaker of salt and two lime wedges. Zane had a sudden vision of himself doing body shots off Callie. He would suck salt off her nipples, shoot tequila from her navel, and who needed a lime when her pussy tasted so good? Damn it, his jeans were getting awfully tight.
The girls bit down on the lime, completing their first round. Callie’s friend Jen seemed more acquainted with the procedure. “Is that what Sheriff Dickhead did today?”
Now Zane was listening closely. He leaned in so he could hear over the loud jukebox playing classic rock.
Callie motioned for another. She turned to her friend. “Sheriff Wright made a heavy pass at me, which I politely turned down. That’s all.”
Zane wanted to fist pump, but it might call attention to him. So Nate wasn’t in so good with their former lover. Nice. Maybe he still had a chance.
Then he caught sight of himself in the mirror and remembered the real reason he hadn’t gone after her. Scars. He was made of them now.
“You turned down that hunk of man? What are you thinking? I know he’s a jerk, but he’s a completely hot jerk. Seriously, you drag me out here tonight because you want to get laid, but you turned down the perfectly safe hot guy? What is wrong with you?”
They were already on their third shot. What were they thinking? Who was going to drive them home? And he thought Callie had been smart to turn down Nate since he was a backstabbing, half-woman stealing dickhead. Goddamn it, half of Callie was his.
“Wow, that works fast.” She rejected a fourth shot with a wave of her hand. “I turned down the sheriff because I have some self-respect. The sheriff has made his opinion of me plain. He doesn’t like me or my town, so I will not sleep with him whether I want to or not. However, the episode pointed out the fact that I have been lax in dealing with certain bodily needs.”
“You’re horny.”
Jen seemed good at stating things plainly. Zane could appreciate that. And Callie
wasn’t the only one who was horny. God, if he wasn’t afraid she would run the minute she got a look at the left side of his face, he would shove her up against the wall and take care of them both.
“I am seeking a bit of physical affection, that’s all.”
Jen sighed. “Then let me call Stef. He knows people, people who would be nice to you.”
Callie’s hands came down on the bar, slapping angrily. “No. I am not so pathetic that I need Stef to find someone willing to sleep with me again. Not again. I know I’m not the world’s most beautiful woman, but I’m not hideous, either.” She turned to him. “How about you? You looking for a date?”
Zane wondered if the floor would magically open up and swallow him whole.
“Wow.” Jen was staring at him in the mirror. Her face was a wide-open book. “That is amazing.”
He put his head down and started getting off the barstool. There was no way he would stand around and take their pity. He could watch over them from afar.
“Well, that figures.” Callie’s hands were on his arm.
He turned because there was nothing to do now. She’d recognized him. He looked at her, drinking in her face for the first time in years. Whatever she was thinking, it wasn’t that she felt sorry for him.
Her pretty face was frowning at him. “I go out to find someone who might want me, and I run into you. That’s perfect.” She turned back to the bartender. “I changed my mind. Hit me again.”
At least now he could do something. “You give her another drop of liquor, and I swear I’ll tear you up when you least expect it. You understand me?”
The bartender took a step back. Zane was satisfied with the way the man turned a little white. He pulled the tequila bottle back. “Sorry, sweetheart. Bar’s closed for you. I don’t think I want to see what that ugly son of a bitch could do.”
“That is not a nice thing to say!” Callie pushed her empty shot glass toward the bartender. “I am not tipping you anything above the normal twenty percent. You’re rude to your customers. What kind of service professional are you?” She turned back to him, crossing her arms over her chest. “Please feel free to flee. I promise I won’t chase after you.” She gave him an imperious wave of her hand.
