Cash

by Tess Oliver

  “It’s not the Ridgewater brothers I’m worried about. It’s those three Banyon brothers and their connections. They’ve all done time for various crimes, and Zeke has been in for murder. I don’t think any of them would think twice about killing someone if there was a profit at the end of it. I’m going to talk to Clint tonight. He’s finally up and about after the beating that asshole biker gave him,” Seton said.

  “You mean that asshole who was standing up for our sister?” Bodhi asked.

  Dad’s big figure walked past the window. “We’re finished with this business after this next job. Seton, you’re a grown man and you need to make your own decisions, but I hope you make the right one. Otherwise, we’re all going to end up in jail or dead.”

  It had been a horrifying conversation to overhear, but his last sentence sent an icy chill through me. The conversation was still puzzling enough that I had no idea what they were up to, but from the pieces I’d heard, none of it was good. I only hoped Dad was telling the truth when he said it would be over soon.

  “Let’s go down to the boat,” Dad said. “We need to check that engine. It sounded like a sick dog last night when we were coming in. We don’t need it breaking down in the middle of all this.” Loud footsteps thundered through the house. I dashed around the side so they wouldn’t see me. Twister came around from the backyard and greeted me. I waited until they were halfway down the street and then went inside.

  I headed straight to the garage. I stepped inside and noticed immediately that the duct taped box was gone. So much for my detective skills. I’d missed my opportunity to find out what they’d been hiding.

  The phone rang and I raced inside to answer it.

  “Esme,” Mom said. “Did your dad tell you I called?”

  He hadn’t, of course, but that never went over well with her. “Yeah, Mom, he did, but I just got back from work. I haven’t had time to call you. What’s up?”

  She paused and a long sniffle came through the phone. It wasn’t unusual for her to call and spend the entire conversation sobbing into the phone. At first it had been really hard on me, but eventually, I’d grown to expect it. I had no idea how to help my mom. She needed to help herself, but that just never happened. I’d slowly given up hope that it would.

  “I was just thinking about the goodie tree. Are you still going to go out there to decorate it like we used to?”

  My throat tightened as her profound sadness seeped through the phone. The goodie tree, a tree decorated with edible treats for the animals that lived in the forest right past the cove had been a tradition we’d started when I was five. I’d been doing it alone since she’d left.

  “I am, Mom. I do it every year. I think the animals would come marching to town to find me if I didn’t.”

  She laughed and the sound of it was even sadder than her sobs. “Someday, I’m going to get well and come back there to hang those popcorn strings with you.” This call with the promise to clean up and join me had now become a tradition as well.

  “I’m looking forward to that, Mom.”

  She sobbed again. “All right, sweetie. I know you’re busy. I’ll let you go.”

  “Bye, Mom. I love you.” I hung up. Twister nudged his nose against my hand. I walked over to the cupboard and pulled out his treats. Then I sat at the kitchen table and wrapped my arms around myself and wondered how so much in my life had gone so wrong.

  Chapter 17

  Cash

  Two of the mechanics were sitting out front of Wickley’s Motorcycle Shop when I pulled up. They watched with interest as I pulled the fenders from the saddle bags on my Harley.

  “You must be the guy helping Bentley with the Two Cam.” The guy had a long ponytail and a bandana tied around his head.

  “Yep. Either of you guys Wickley?”

  “Straight through the garage and in the office,” he answered.

  “Great.” I tucked the fenders under my arm and reached for the door. The one guy whose back was turned to me twisted around. His handlebar moustache hung past his chin. “Is it true you rode with the Nevada Bedlam?”

  It was definitely not a question I’d expected. “Yeah, I did.” I went inside.

  Wickley had a full head of white hair and tattoos running along both arms that looked faded from time. He clicked the computer mouse and then pulled his chair up. “So, you’re Cash Tremaine?”

  “Yes. And I’ve got the 1928 fenders.”

  “Just put them here on the desk.”

  “You rode with Mick Campbell in Bedlam?” He obviously noticed the surprise in my face. “Word travels fast around here. I customized a few bikes for Mick. He’s a good man.”

  “Yeah, he is. Small world, I guess.”

  “Bentley mentioned that you might be looking for a more permanent job around here.”

  I smiled to myself. If the man wasn’t fixing up my love life, he was looking after my job prospects. “I don’t know if I’m staying around yet. I’m sort of just riding around the country and hoping something will stick.”

  “I get it. I bring it up only because Mike, the guy out there with the record breaking moustache, is moving to Florida. I’m going to need another pair of skilled hands around the shop.” He looked sort of sheepishly at me. “After Ben and I talked, I called Mick. He said you were one of the favored bike mechanics for the club. Hope you don’t mind. Wasn’t tryin’ to be nosy.”

  “No, that’s all right. If that’s all then I’ve got to get back to Ben’s.”

  Wickley stood and we shook hands. I looked around. He had a nice place, three big stalls and a paint booth, tools and parts lining every wall and plenty of bikes at various stages of restoration. “Impressive garage. I’ll definitely give it some thought.”

  “Great. Tell Ben I’ll have the fenders for him next week. Glad to see he’s decided to get to work on that little gem. That 1928 could be worth hundred grand or more if it’s done right.”

  I nodded. “That’s what I would have guessed. I’m sure we’ll talk again.”

  Chapter 18

  Cash

  I stood huddled with my hood drawn up over my head and my hands stuffed into my pockets. Rain had spit down on the pier and the moored boats for the first twenty minutes, but now, a white, opaque mist had settled over the water and the dock. More than one person leaving the restaurant had walked a little faster once they’d spotted me standing in the shadows. I’d stayed near the building just to catch some of the heat drifting out of the restaurant and avoid the rain, but I wondered if I should have waited on the bench at the end of the dock.

  Esme finally walked out. She spotted me instantly. “I thought that was you skulking in the dark.” She walked up and kissed me. “Thanks for waiting here. It’s nice not having to walk home alone.”

  “I’m going to make a habit of this.”

  She took my arm, and we headed to her house. “You know, Mr. Tremaine, I managed to stay alive all this time without my gigantic and intimidating friend to protect me.”

  “I know you did, Esme.” I stopped her. “But let me do this, all right. It makes me feel necessary, a feeling that is kind of foreign to me.”

  She reached up and pressed her palm against my face. Even the slightest touch from her had a profound impact on me. “And having someone care enough to come walk me home is foreign to me. I’m sorry if I sounded like an ungrateful brat.”

  I pushed some curls off her face. “You look tired, darlin’. You sure you still want to go to the lighthouse?”

  “Yes,” she said without hesitation. She wrapped her arms around me and pressed her face against my chest. “But first, call me that again.”

  I put my hand against her head. “I’ve been waiting all damn day to have you in my arms, darlin’.”

  She sighed. “Hearing you call me that makes my knees go straight to jelly.” She peered up at me. “I’ve got blankets and a flashlight in the jeep. You don’t have to wait any longer.”

  ***

  Clouds had
made the night darker than most. The deserted lighthouse stared eerily down at us as I pulled the jeep up behind it. Esme leaned down and looked up at the building. “I’ve never been in here on a stormy night. No moon and no starlight makes it seem a little spooky.”

  “I’m less worried about spooky than I am about climbing that crazy flight of stairs with just a flashlight.”

  “And we’ll have to keep it low so no one notices the light. Otherwise, my secret will be exposed, and we’ll have no quiet place to huddle under blankets.” She reached back for the blanket and flashlight and we climbed out of the jeep. There were voices and music coming from the lightkeeper’s cabin. “The storm must have brought them in early.” Even in the darkness, I could see her expression change.

  “What’s wrong?”

  She shook her head. “Let’s get in and under this blanket. I’ll tell you then. For now, I’m freezing my tush off.” She led the way.

  “Let’s hurry then because I do not want that tush to be lost. It is an extremely fine one.”

  “And having a tush makes it much easier to wear jeans.” She popped the lock open, and we slid into our highly unusual hiding place.

  I stared up at the top. The staircase looked like a giant, twisted skeleton arm leading through a long arm. There was a slim amount of light shining through the series of small windows and the glass panes enclosing the lantern room.

  “I guess that dim light is coming from all the holiday decorations in town,” I said.

  “Must be. Shit, I hope there’s no blackout while we’re in here. Otherwise, we won’t be able to see our noses.” She flicked on the flashlight and pointed it at the floor. A large glowing circle surrounded our feet. I took hold of the blanket.

  “I hadn’t even thought about the fact that a moving light would alert people that we were in here.”

  She took a deep breath and put her foot on the first step. “I’ve climbed this stairwell dozens of times, but tonight, it looks a little intimidating.”

  “We could leave,” I suggested. “I’d be completely bummed, but—”

  “No way. This little trip to the lighthouse was all I could think about during my shift.” She began the ascent and I followed, keeping my focus on where I placed my feet.

  By the time we reached the top, the air temperature had dropped several degrees. A sliver of moonlight had found its way through the cloud cover, and it glowed silver on the black stretch of water below. The town was a carpet of twinkling lights. “This is pretty fucking awesome up here,” I said.

  “It would be more awesome with heat, but I have to agree, the view on a night like this is one in a million.”

  I hopped up on the empty platform. “Come here and get under the blanket. I’ll try my best to work up some good body heat. In fact, it should be easy with you tucked in next to me.”

  She hoisted herself up and scooted in close. I pulled the quilted blanket around us.

  “I brought the biggest and warmest blanket I could find.” She pressed closer to my body. “But nothing beats being pressed against you. You are like a volcano, a big manly volcano.”

  I laughed. “That’s a new one. I’ve been called many things but never a volcano.”

  She lifted her hand and blew. “I can see my breath. But this is amazing, sitting up here above the world, away from it all, tucked under your arm.”

  “I have to agree. I’m really starting to like this place.” I tugged the blanket in closer. “So what were you going to tell me?”

  “It’s nothing I want to bother you with.”

  “Esme, I want to know.”

  She curled her arms around herself, but I wasn’t completely sure it was from the cold. “After you dropped me off this morning, I overheard my dad and brothers talking in the kitchen. It’s obvious that they’ve gotten themselves tangled up in something highly illegal and dangerous. Now, it seems, they’re looking for a way out. But it’s not Clint they’re worried about. They were talking about some brothers, the Banyon brothers. One of them is called Zeke. Apparently he’s been in jail for murder at some point. I think he’s the big ugly guy who was with Clint and Jacob the other night. Remember the box I told you about?”

  “Yeah.”

  “It was gone already, so I have no idea what was in it. It seemed too small to be guns.”

  “Drugs probably.”

  “That’s what I think. It seems my family is in some deep shit. I want to smack my dad as much as I want to protect him.”

  “I’ve got to tell you, Esme, none of that sounds good. I’ve known my share of drug dealers and gun smugglers. Profit is their only goal. They’ll take out anyone who turns on them or tries to stop them.”

  She curled against me. “I don’t know what to do.”

  “You need to stay the hell away from all of them.”

  She straightened and looked over at me. “I live in the same house. How can I stay away?”

  “Yeah, that’s a big problem. I have a friend, Luke Barringer, he’s a special agent with the DEA. I could give him a call and see if he’s ever heard of these Banyon guys. He might know something about them.”

  “I don’t know, that might be trouble for my dad and brothers.”

  “Nah, he’ll keep it on the down low if I tell him to. But it might tell us just how much shit your dad has stepped into.”

  She stared out at the ocean. “Maybe that’s a good idea. I just can’t believe my dad has allowed this to happen.” She relaxed against me again. “Enough about that. It’s ruining my mood. If you’re not busy tomorrow night, I’ve got something to do. When I was a kid, my mom and I used to make popcorn strings and bird seed ornaments for a tree out at the edge of town. We got the idea from a picture book she used to read me when I was little. On Christmas Eve, the family in the book packed up cocoa and blankets and then they drove to the forest at the end of town to decorate a tree with edibles for the animals.” She grew quiet. “I kept the tradition going even after my mom left. Would you like to come with me?”

  “Of course I’ll have to check my calendar, but I think I can make it.”

  “Good.” She snuggled against me. “I’m trying to figure out just how much colder it would be if I got naked under this blanket.”

  “I would like to offer every ounce of my body heat as a way to encourage this experiment.”

  She peered up at me. “You do realize that if I strip, you must follow my lead. And I say we move fast so we can wrap up tightly in the blanket and work on some friction. I understand it’s the best way to build a fire.”

  “All of that makes perfect sense to me. Let’s do this,” I said.

  The chill on my skin and the fact that we were racing to get naked brought on a round of laughter that made it that much harder to get undressed. Esme’s jeans got stuck on her shoes, and she moved her legs as if she were on a bicycle to get them off.

  “You do seem to have a mental block about taking shoes off before you take off pants.” I yanked my sweatshirt and t-shirt over my head with one movement.

  “I think it’s because I’m usually barefoot at home.”

  I hopped off the platform completely naked.

  “Holy shit,” she said quietly. “The sight of you naked makes this even more difficult.”

  I held back a grin. “Let me help before you pitch yourself off of there.” I wrenched off her shoes and took hold of the cuffs of her jeans. “Hold on, sugar peanut.” She grabbed the edge of the platform, and I yanked the jeans free with one strong pull. Her panties got caught up in the force of the pull, and they flew off with the jeans.

  Our laughter died down, and we stared at each other. In the wavering light of the flashlight, I gazed at her.

  “I’ve never had anyone look at me the way you look at me, Cash.” There was a slight tremble in her voice.

  I stepped forward and put my hand against her face. “I can’t look at you any other way. I’m still trying to figure out how I deserved this.” I leaned over and kissed her b
riefly. “And you know what else?”

  “What’s that?”

  “It’s cold as fuck standing on this cement floor.”

  She lifted the blanket up and I crawled beneath it. We rolled ourselves into it. I pulled her into my arms as we relaxed back on the platform.

  She pressed her silky back against my chest. I dropped my arm around her.

  “The view is five star. The rest of the accommodations— not so hot,” she said.

  I moved her mass of hair out of the way and ran a trail of kisses along her neck and shoulders. “I think we can manage.”

  She wriggled against me, and I pushed my hardened cock against the cleft of her perfectly shaped ass.

  Her breasts were round and warm in my hand. “I’ve been thinking about touching these nipples all day.” I traced a circle around her ear with my tongue as I teased her nipple between my thumb and forefinger. The coldness of the lantern room faded away, and heat sizzled between our bodies.

  I reached back for the condom I’d left on the edge of the platform and put it on. I dragged my fingers along her belly and tucked them between her legs.

  “Hot and wet, darlin’, the way I like you.” My fingers pushed between the folds and found her taut clit. She opened her legs to accommodate my hand. From behind, I thrust my cock deep inside her pussy. Her sweet moan of pleasure whispered away in the tall room, but not before making my cock even harder.

  I massaged her clit. She moved against my hand as I rocked against her from behind. She pushed her ass harder against me to feel the full impact each time.

  “Oh, Cash,” she said breathlessly. Hearing her say my name as I buried myself deep inside her nearly made me come. She reached down and held my hand against her pussy, assuring me she was close too. We crashed together in perfect unison, driving each other to that place where nothing else mattered, just the union of my cock with her pussy and the slick heat that dripped between us.