by KB Winters
Hennessy.
“Feel better?” I asked Gunnar, hoping we were finished with the brawl.
Gunnar turned to me and nodded. “A little, yeah. You?”
“Same. We good?”
“As gravy, baby.”
He smiled and we stood there, smiling at each other like two people who now understood each other better. He held out his hand, and I accepted it, wrapping my free arm around his shoulder. We hugged it out.
“Cool.”
“Yours,” he asked, nodding towards Hennessy’s shocked face behind the steering wheel that looked too big for her petite frame.
“Something like that.” I watched him climb the stairs and go back inside, letting the screen door smack behind him.
“Stop letting the door slam!” Peaches’ words made me smile, and I took a deep breath before turning to Hennessy, who, it looked like, had decided to stop waiting.
“You here to see me?” I couldn’t shake the concern that snaked around my gut at the fear and worry in her eyes. She was doing a damn good job of trying to hide it, but she still gave away a lot.
Hennessy nodded and raked a hand through her red hair. “I heard about the shooting, and since the roads are finally clear, I figured I’d stop and check on you before I headed out.”
Sure she did. “Thought you’d be long gone by now.”
Sometime in my tone must have rubbed her the wrong way because, at that moment, her demeanor changed. The vulnerability was gone, replaced by brick and ice.
“Me, too, but the damn storm blew through, and I had to wait for the roads to clear.” Her expression was blank and uninterested. “Looks like you’re fine.”
“I’m good,” I said and wiped my face on the back of my sleeve.
Hennessy nodded, and I wished I could read her, because right now she gave nothing away. Was she angry or hurt? Her gaze bounced around the empty space on either side of me and then she nodded and shifted gears.
“I’m glad to see you’re not hurt. Take care of yourself.” She backed up and swung into a half circle, giving a half wave as she drove away.
“Wait,” I called out, but not really loud enough to get her attention, because I had no fucking clue what to say to her. She was asking too much. Her favor was too big. But she deserved an answer, dammit.
“Hennessy!”
It was too late. Her taillights disappeared where the dirt road met the actual road as she left Hardtail Ranch behind for good.
I couldn’t let that happen. I turned and hauled ass toward my bike.
Chapter Nine
Hennessy
What in the hell was I even thinking, coming to Texas?
The question played in my mind at least a dozen times before I was off ranch property. I mean, seriously, did I really think Cruz would swoop in and help me? That he would come in and save the day? It was like I hadn’t grown one fucking day since I was twelve years old. I was still looking at those blue eyes and seeing Captain America, or some other gorgeous Prince Charming when he was anything but.
“It’s fine,” I tried to assure myself as I made my way toward the interstate. Traffic was light enough to avoid clogged, congested lanes but thick enough the cops wouldn’t notice any one driver specifically.
I cranked up my music and pressed down on the gas, focusing my eyes on the patch of road right in front of me as I put as much distance as possible between me and Eugene’s goons. The man was a lowlife criminal with no regard for human life. He didn’t want me, but felt I was what he was owed, and he wouldn’t rest until he got what he wanted.
My rental ate up the road, and the GPS indicated I was on the right path. In eighteen hours, I would arrive in San Diego. That was the first step of my plan, and the only thing I was focused on beyond the cars on the road.
A thump sounded behind me, and I glanced back, hoping I hadn’t been rear ended. Thankfully it wasn’t an accident, but a masked biker whose fist had hit my trunk. My foot pressed harder on the gas to put some distance between me and the angry man who was probably one of the ham-fisted fuckers Eugene hired to find me.
My heart pounded in my chest. Who is this fucker?
I sped up as much as it was safe to, wondering how in the hell they managed to find me so fast. I had no known ties to Opey and immediately I thought of Esme.
“Shit!” Should I call Cruz and let him know his mother could be in danger? Maybe later, when I could think straight. When I wasn’t being chased by some asshole on two wheels.
“Oh fuck.” Another thought occurred to me. What if this had nothing at all to do with Eugene, but instead was wrapped up with Cruz’s sex business, or that shooting at the club?
Didn’t these underworld types all know each other anyway?
Another thump sounded, which said my mind was spending too much time thinking and not enough time paying attention to what the fuck was going on around me. This time the biker had caught up to me, and the thump came from the passenger side of the car. Even though a dark shield kept his features concealed from me, I could tell he was staring right at me. It sent a chill through me when he raised his hand and pointed at me. Oh my God! Was that a finger gun?
I didn’t wait to find out. I punched the gas again, but it was useless. The biker kept up with me every step of the way. Two more smacks and I looked up again, glaring hard at him.
“What. The. Fuck?”
He flipped the visor open and even at highway speed, I knew those familiar blue eyes.
“Pull. Over.” I couldn’t hear him, but I saw the words.
“Cruz? What the fuck?”
He gestured for me to follow him, and I nodded, wondering if I should follow him. What if this was all some elaborate set up? Fuck. What do I do?
Instead of stopping at the first opportunity, I drove for six more miles until we came across a giant, fully lighted truck stop with a diner, rest stop and shopping center. The place was crowded, which was perfect. I found a spot near a camera and waited.
Cruz moved gracefully as he took off his helmet and jumped off the bike, brows dipped low in anger. And confusion.
“I’ve been chasing you for thirty damn miles, woman!” His blue eyes blazed and his damp hair clung to his skin. “Why didn’t you stop?”
“How in the hell was I supposed to know it was you? In case you’ve forgotten, there’s probably a bunch of thugs trying to find me. They might or might not be on bikes. I don’t keep up on criminal driving preferences.”
The words tumbled out of my mouth in shock over the chase and relief that it was over, and oddly turned on at the sight of him hot and sweaty.
“What do you want, Cruz?” He had days, almost a week to make up his mind and call me. He hadn’t, so why was he chasing me down the interstate?
He opened his mouth to speak and froze. A stunned expression crossed his face, almost disbelief. I guessed that he’d chased me for thirty miles and had no idea why.
“Shit. I don’t know.” He flashed a self-deprecating smile that was all kinds of sexy, but I was not in a mood for distraction.
“I’d like to catch up. Let me buy you a meal?” He nodded towards the busy diner with windows that wrapped around the entire building, his smile so enticing it was impossible to turn him down.
“Forty-five minutes. That’s all the time I’ve got to spare.”
He nodded. “Good enough for me.”
I followed him inside the diner with the green and white décor that peppered the booths and tables, the menus, and the uniforms of the waitresses.
“Where are you headed on such a tight schedule?” Cruz asked as he guided me to a booth that overlooked the parking lot. We slid into our seats, staring awkwardly at each other while I came up with an answer.
“West. It’s probably best if I don’t give out specifics.” If there was a chance Eugene’s men were tougher, I couldn’t risk my plan getting out.
Cruz nodded. If he was upset I refused to share my plans with him, he didn’t show it.
“Why me?”
“Because Esme said you were a bad ass. I figured I stood a good chance at surviving this mess if I had a bad ass on my side, too.”
He snorted. “I doubt my mama said bad ass.”
“She did.” She spoke about him with such pride, I half believed he was part superhero, just like she did. “She said ‘My son is a bad ass. He can help you’.”
He blinked and nodded. “Why does this fucker want to marry you?”
“Because I’m what Homer put in the bet, and Eugene won the bet. He always collects his debts, he’s a fucking mobster. I heard he’d taken a really old family heirloom from some dumb fuck that meant nothing to him, simply because he’d won it in the bet. Asshole.”
“You really think marrying me will stop this?” His tone said he was softening, but I knew better than to get my hopes up.
“I figured he’d be forced to come up with something else if I’m already married.” And it wasn’t just that, not anymore. Now I was desperate to avoid the fate at any cost. “Look at this shit.”
I handed Cruz my phone so he could understand why I was so damn determined.
His blue eyes fell down to the screen, brows shot up as he read the texts, letting out a long whistle.
“That motherfucker,” he bit out angrily, which kind of made me warm and tingly that he was so upset on my behalf. “Sorry, I know he’s your old man, but what a fucking waste.”
“Preaching to the choir, Dude.” I wasn’t about to freak out on him for telling the truth about my old man. “So I’m not at all motivated to do shit to help him out. But,” I let out a long breath because the truth was, I’d been kind of grateful Cruz hadn’t called me back.
“But?” His tone was encouraging, but the way he waved his hand along said I was taking my sweet ass time.
“But I really don’t want to bring this shit to a place with a newborn, or any kids really.”
He smiled at me, and I was damn lucky to be sitting down, because the force of that thing was potent as hell. Should be registered as a lethal weapon and I knew he knew it.
“Baby girl, the Reckless Bastards specialize in trouble.” He practically purred the words and leaned in close enough that I could see the threads of dark in his blue eyes. “Especially the special kind of trouble.”
He wiggled his brows to make me laugh, which I did. To stop the tingling between my legs.
“Seriously though, we’ve been through plenty of shit the past couple years, so we’re well versed in it, and all of us have been trained by the good ole’ DoD. If I marry you, all of that protection comes with me.”
I nodded and let his words sink in, unsure what he was getting at, honestly. The arrival of our waitress gave me enough time to get my thoughts and questions together. “DoD?”
“Department of Defense.”
Duh. “That would be great, but are you sure? I know this is a lot to ask of anyone, especially a virtual stranger.”
Cruz shook his head and let out a weary sigh. “If I was sure about any of this, I wouldn’t have had to chase you down the highway to give you an answer.”
That was fair enough, but still.
“You’re not obligated to do this just because our parents are married, Cruz.” I had to make sure he knew that. “They have no idea what’s going on, and there’s no reason they need to.”
“I’m not sure,” he grunted darkly. “But if I can help you, I will.”
“Why?” It wasn’t exactly the most grateful answer I could have given, but I had to know. Everything came with a price tag, and the markup was often steep where men were concerned.
He shrugged. “Because I can. Because it’s what I do. And because you need my help.”
“Thank you, Cruz. Really.” But nothing was that easy in this life. Not ever. “How can I repay you?”
“You do what I say until you’re out of danger.” His gaze was fierce, and I nodded, thinking I might like to follow his orders when and wherever they were given.
“I’ll do my best.”
“No problem. Honey.” At my glare he laughed. “What? I’m testing out pet names to see what I like. Sugar tits.”
I laughed. “You’re ridiculous, but remember, nicknames are a two-way street. Not that we need to keep up any pretense. Once the marriage is legal, that should keep Eugene out of my hair, right?” If that was the case, Cruz could get on with his life without me.
“Right,” he grunted, suddenly seeming angry about the whole damn thing. I didn’t try to understand Cruz but, I would stay out of his way and hope this plan worked.
Chapter Ten
Cruz
“Home sweet home,” I said when she pulled up to my place.
I’d had forty-two miles to reconsider this move, and I changed my mind at least once for every mile of road my bike ate up. This was either the craziest fucking thing I’d ever done or it would secure that spot in heaven my mama was so sure I already earned. It was too late to change my mind now, with Hennessy standing on my porch waiting to come inside.
“Is that gonna be enough stuff?” I said as a tease.
Her gaze followed mine to the leather bag she pulled out of the back with one hand and the canvas bag with the other. Big green eyes sparkled in the moonlight, and she shrugged. “For now, it will be. I don’t imagine I’ll need a variety of clothes.”
Because she wouldn’t be wearing a lot of clothes or because she planned to hole up in my cabin for her stay on the ranch? I didn’t ask the question yet because I wasn’t sure I wanted to know. And I still needed to clear this shit with the MC.
It was a good thing Gunnar was probably still pissed off about the shooting at the club, because he was gonna flip his shit over this news.
“Welcome home,” I told Hennessy and pushed the door open before smacking the light on in the front hall.
She stepped inside and flipped on the lights in each room as she took in every detail, what few there were. I was sure the first thing she noticed was the lack of personal touches. There were two photos in my living room, one of me and my mama, and one of me and my unit. Both of them sat right above my beloved big screen TV.
“Nice place. All yours?”
“Yep. Want it in the divorce?”
Her lips fell into a flat, disapproving line.
“No, it’s just cool that it’s all yours.” She looked around again, nervous and fidgety. When Hennessy dropped her bags I noticed the intent in her eyes and took a step back. She grinned and closed the gap between us. “Thank you, Cruz. Seriously, thank you.” Then she pressed her body up against mine and wrapped her arms around me in a full body hug. Even though she hadn’t meant it to be seductive, my body felt big titties and feminine hips pressed up against me, and he wanted to fuck.
I let my hands settle low on her hips, barely resisting the urge to slide my thumb across the strip of exposed skin at her back. Her round hips filled my hands, and I heard the gentle hitch of her breath. The sound went straight to my cock. “I’m happy I could help.”
“You’re not just helping. You’re saving my life.”
She pressed a platonic kiss to my cheek, but her nipples were suddenly hard and pressed against my chest, and I squeezed her asscheeks harder than I should.
“You’re welcome.” I managed to grunt the words out and stepped back, putting some much-needed distance between me and temptation.
She smiled as if aware of the effect she was having on me. Holy fuck, that pouty-lipped smile that made it seem like she was thinking about taking my cock in her mouth was her sweet smile? Good Lord above, I’d hate to see her put on a sexy smile.
“Really?” Her surprise was, for some reason, even hotter.
“Really,” I grunted out.
She laughed, actually fucking laughed at my distress.
“On an entirely unrelated note, where will I be sleeping?” She bit her lip nervously, almost like she thought I might think the two were related.
“In my room.” Her auburn br
ows shot up in surprise and then came the fire, making those jade eyes into emeralds.
“You take my room, and I’ll take the sofa. It’s a convertible.” It was barely big enough for me but it was comfortable. And close by. To help sell it, I bent and rubbed the back of the red and white sofa I bought because it was on sale and turned into a bed. “No problem. Really.”
“I’m fine sleeping here, Cruz. Probably nicer than some of the beds I’ve slept in.”
“I’m not fine with it, Hennessy.” She took a step back at my tone, and I softened my voice. “I can’t keep you safe if I’m upstairs sound asleep and they break in and shoot you right here.”
Somehow her pale skin went even paler, and she nodded absently, staring at the sofa as if suddenly picturing her dead body lying there.
“Right. Sorry.” She was on the verge of getting emotional and it was intriguing to watch her beat those emotions back down until her walls were firmly back in place. Suddenly I wanted to know everything about her life since I last saw her as a twelve-year-old.
“I’m trying to be grateful by not intruding into your life too much.”
It was a tough admission for her to make, and I appreciated it.
“I said yes, so this isn’t really an intrusion, and if it is, it’s one I’ve welcomed.”
If not with open arms, with protective ones.
“Still,” she insisted with a shrug. “You should be able to sleep in your own bed.”
“Look, Hennessy. I said yes, but this isn’t gonna work if you plan to walk around like you owe me something for the foreseeable future.”
“But—”
“I’m not done.” It was almost funny how quickly she snapped her mouth shut. “We’re doing this. You will be my wife, and I will protect you. Don’t question me about your security or my sincerity, and we won’t have a problem. Got it?”
She licked her lips and nodded. “Yep.”
“Good. You hungry?”
“I could eat. In fact, let me take a quick shower, and I’ll make us dinner.”
My brows shot up. “You cook?”
