Hard to Fight

by Bella Jewel

  He shrugs. “Justice will come to him.”

  “In the right way, though—”

  His jaw tics. “He killed my sister, Grace.”

  “And if you kill him, you’ll go to prison for life. Is it worth that? Is that what she’d want for you?”

  “Is she around to tell me what she fuckin’ wants?” he barks.

  I stop talking. Right now is clearly not the time to lecture him about not killing the man who took his only family away. I can’t even begin to understand what he’s going through. He’s lived through a nightmare no one understands. My family might drive me crazy, but if they were ever taken away from me, it would destroy everything. His sister was the only person he had. I can’t pretend to understand his pain.

  “I’m sorry,” I whisper.

  He clenches his jaw, then his shoulders slowly relax. “Not your fault, Gracie. I’m sorry.”

  I force a smile and we ride in comfortable silence for a while. I watch as the countryside changes and the trees start getting closer together, thicker, prettier.

  “Tell me about your family,” Raide finally asks.

  I sigh and stare out at the road whizzing by. “My dad is great. He’s the most important person in the world to me. He always understood me. He always supported me. I love my mom and two sisters, but they’re the beauty queen type.”

  “Jesus,” Raide mutters.

  “You’re telling me. From the day my sister Gretchen was born, she was enrolled in every pageant. She’s pretty, the perfect little showcase Barbie doll. Then my other sister, Stacy, decided to get involved, and suddenly Mom’s time was gone. I never fit in. I hated anything pretty. I was always out fishing with my dad, hanging with his friends, and playing with boys instead of girls.”

  Raide chuckles. “I can see that. I’ve seen you take down a fully grown man.”

  I smile for real this time. “I know how to protect myself.”

  “What do you do?”

  I flinch. Shit. I haven’t even thought of an answer to such an obvious question. My mind twists quickly for a lie, and I give him a job typical for most girls my age. “I’m a waitress.” Ugh.

  He raises his brows. “A waitress?”

  “Yeah.”

  “A waitress?”

  I laugh. “Yeah, Raide, a waitress. Is that so surprising?”

  “Absolutely.”

  It’s my turn to raise my brows. “Why?”

  He shrugs. “You ain’t the waitressing type, lady.”

  “There’s a type?”

  He grins and my heart flutters. “Yeah, baby, there’s a type. You ain’t it.”

  “Care to elaborate?” I ask, removing my foot from the open window and turning toward him.

  “Nope, I just know it ain’t you.”

  “Well, it’s what I am.” This guy knows how to read people. That’s scary. “Any reason we’re going away for a few days?” I ask after another long moment of silence.

  “Need time away.”

  “That’s it?”

  “That’s it.”

  I frown. “You don’t seem like the ‘go away for no reason’ kind of man.”

  If I didn’t know better, I’d say his jaw tightened. “I said that’s it,” he says low. “That’s it.”

  Hmmmm. Interesting. I decide to change the subject because he doesn’t look happy.

  “Okay, so tell me where we’re going.”

  “Up into the mountains.”

  My brows shoot up. “The mountains?”

  “Yeah, the Colorado mountains.”

  I let out a whoosh of air. “I’ve lived here my entire life, and yet I’ve never been into the mountains. I’ve seen them, they look amazing, but I just haven’t gone up into them.”

  “You’ve been missin’ out. Prettiest mountains you’ve ever seen.”

  “And we’re going into those mountains because…?”

  He nods. “Got a cabin up there.”

  “You do?” I squeak.

  “Yep. Bought it about six years ago. Spent my free time fixin’ it up. Now I go up there when I can, just to get away.”

  A cabin.

  I bet that’s where he planned on hiding out when the heat started crashing down on him. A cabin. A secluded, hidden cabin. I shudder.

  “It’s a good thing I trust you, Raide. I can trust you, right? Because don’t forget I have a gun.”

  He laughs, and it’s a rich, beautiful sound that makes my skin tingle. “I’m still not sure a tiny thing like you can use a gun safely.”

  “Hey, I’m not tiny,” I protest. “And I use it just fine.”

  “Sure about that?”

  I snort. “Of course I am. Probably better than you!”

  He cocks a brow. “That a challenge?”

  “Sure.”

  He grins and murmurs low, “Accepted. I win, I get you for an entire night.”

  I bite my lower lip.

  “In the bath,” he rasps.

  Oh man.

  “On the table.”

  I shiver.

  “Bent over my couch.”

  “And what exactly is this challenge?” I say, but my voice comes out breathy and lusty.

  “Target shooting. Got a few targets set up on my land.”

  I straighten and smile. “Challenge accepted—I rock at targets.”

  “You haven’t stated what you want if you win.”

  I swallow and stare at him. “I want you to take me on a romantic date.”

  He looks disgusted. “Seriously?”

  “Yes, seriously. No one has ever taken me on a date that was beautiful, like the movies.”

  His top lip curls. “I’m not dancing.”

  I laugh. “Okay, handsome.”

  “Not lighting candles.”

  “Candles are a must.”

  He frowns and mutters, “Fuck me.”

  I can’t hide my grin. “I guess you’d better win, then, huh?”

  He flashes me a quick, sexy look. “Oh baby, I’ll win.”

  Challenge accepted.

  * * *

  We roll into Colorado Springs just after lunchtime. Raide stops at a gas station, and we fill up the tank, grab some sandwiches and shakes, then we’re back on the road. Raide tells me his cabin isn’t far, another hour or so, up into the mountains a little more. I fall asleep as soon as I’m finished with my sandwich and wake up only when we arrive at Raide’s cabin.

  It’s gorgeous, with thick trees, the sounds of running streams, and a breeze that washes my hair back. I close my eyes, breathing it in. Then I get out of the car, stretch, and stare at the cabin in front of me. It’s not huge, but it looks homey—the perfect vacation retreat. I could imagine coming up here to escape the everyday tortures of life.

  Raide comes around the car and takes my hand, pulling me up toward the cabin. He jostles some keys and then shoves one into the lock. With a loud squeak, the door opens. He steps in, fiddles about, and then flicks on the lights.

  I gasp. Oh. Wow.

  I’ve seen some beautiful places in my life, but nothing like this. It’s a cabin in it’s truest form. Exposed logs on the inside as well on the outside, one large living space, windows all around, and a patio running across the front length. There are no walls, the only separation is for a shower and toilet in the far right corner. Everything else is out in the open. The kitchen, the living, the bedroom, the fireplace.

  Oh God. “This is—” I stop to catch my breath. “Amazing.”

  “Took a long time to get it like this,” Raide says, walking in and dumping our bags beside the large bed.

  “You’ve done an amazing job, Raide. It’s perfect. Where do you get the money to do all this? It must cost a lot.”

  I don’t realize how rude my question is until it pops from my mouth. He doesn’t seem offended, he just shrugs. “I worked hard getting a job as soon as I could. I saved every penny, never spent anything on myself. This place, it mattered from the moment I saw it, and so I poured all my savings in
to it.”

  Makes sense. “That’s nice.” I smile softly.

  He walks over, reaching out and hooking his arm around me. He pulls me close, moving his arm down to my waist. He leans down, brushing his lips across my forehead. There he murmurs, “Go and shower or take a bath, and I’ll make some food.”

  “There’s food here?” I breathe.

  “Yeah, lady, got some neighbors. Told them I was comin’, they stocked the fridge.”

  “Doesn’t seem like you’d have neighbors up here.”

  He grins. “They live about twenty minutes west.”

  “Oh.”

  “Shower, yeah?”

  “Yeah.”

  I turn and find the suitcase. I dig through until I find a pair of cotton shorts and a tank, then I go into the bathroom. It’s gorgeous. The walls are of the same wood as the rest of the cabin, the shower is double, and a bath sits right below a beautiful big window. You wouldn’t even have to worry about someone seeing you out here. I strip off and turn the shower on, stepping in and sighing.

  As the water washes over me, I think about Raide and the situation I’ve gotten myself into. It’s risky, but I can’t deny there are feelings building in my heart for him, and I want to help him. I know what my job is, and I know the risk I’m taking, but Raide deserves someone to at least try to help him. I’ve still got a few weeks till the deadline. If I can use some of my contacts, I might be able to get something to help him. Either way, he’s got to go in, but if I find something to prove he’s innocent, he might just be able to get back out and we’ll be closer to getting the right man put away.

  I flick the thoughts from my mind for now and decide to push the guilt away and just enjoy these next few days. It’ll be over before I know it, and I’ll be forced to make a damned hard choice. I take a towel from the rack and turn off the shower. I dry off, get dressed, and then run a brush through my hair. When I’m presentable, I head back out. Raide is standing in the kitchen, whisking what I’m assuming is eggs.

  “A man who cooks—I must say I’m shocked.” I grin.

  Raide’s lips curve up into a sexy half smile. “I’ll have you know I’ve evolved quite well.”

  I giggle. “So you’re not going to throw me over your shoulder and carry me off to your cave?”

  He chuckles while whisking. “It’s not a bad idea, might help to fix that sassy mouth of yours.”

  “I am not sassy,” I gasp, but keep the smile on my face.

  He looks up at me with narrowed eyes. “You’re kidding right?”

  “Of course,” I grin. “I live to be sassy.”

  His lips spread into a bigger smile, which makes my heart pitter-patter. “Were you always sassy?”

  I shrug. “Not always—there was this time when I was in my mother’s stomach that I didn’t get the chance to find my sassy side.”

  He shakes his head. “That answers my question.”

  “We’ve all got to be something, Raide.”

  He tilts his head and studies me. “Yeah, lady, I think you’re right about that.”

  I throw myself onto the bed, stretching out. Suddenly the whisking stops and the floorboards creak. I try to hide my smile as Raide approaches the bed. A moment later he’s over me, hard body flattening mine, elbows beside my head. His amber eyes hold mine for long moments, and then he dips his head and kisses my neck. Oh boy.

  “I thought we were having eggs,” I gasp.

  “Fuck the eggs.”

  Right.

  His lips move down my throat, and my fingers find his biceps and give them a light squeeze. He growls, I whimper, and a throat clears.

  Raide’s off me in a second, and I’m bolting upright, gasping as I lay eyes on a man standing at the door. Oh my God. He could have seen so much worse than us making out. We didn’t even hear him enter. I turn to Raide and see he’s grinning, big and broad.

  “Benny!” he says.

  “Sorry to interrupt, brother. Heard you were here a few days, thought I’d come say hi.”

  Raide starts striding toward him, then stops and adjusts his erection—yes, adjusts it—before completing the distance. I want to curl up and die. My cheeks are burning. It’s clear Raide knows Benny, because the two embrace in a man hug to beat all man hugs, and then both are staring at me.

  “Benny, this is Gracie.”

  Benny nods and I scurry off the bed, rushing over to thrust my hand at him. He shakes it with a crooked grin on his face. “Nice to meet you, sweetheart.”

  Benny is cute. Now that I’m closer, I can see that. He’s got long blond hair that falls around his shoulders. He looks to be in his early thirties, and his eyes are a light hazel and his skin is olive, but not in the natural way, more the ‘I’ve had too much sun’ way. His body is tall and lean, and he’s got a shotgun slung over his shoulder. His big black boots are undone, laces trailing off behind him. It’s clear Benny doesn’t go to town often.

  “Come in, was just makin’ some eggs. You hungry?” Raide says, giving me a lustful look before turning to the kitchen.

  “Clear you were makin’ something, bro,” Benny chuckles.

  My cheeks heat once more.

  Benny slides past me with a grin and flops down onto the couch. He pats a cushion and calls me over.

  Hesitantly, I slink over and sit beside him.

  “Tell me, Gracie, what’d he have to do to get you up here?”

  Raide snorts.

  “I’m sure he’s had plenty of girls up here,” I say.

  Benny laughs. “Nope, he’s a loner. I thought he was swinging for the other team, you know?”

  I giggle.

  “Fuck off, Benny,” Raide grunts.

  “Can’t blame me. There was that time you tried to get me up here.”

  “For a fuckin’ guys weekend,” Raide mutters.

  “Sure, buddy,” Benny laughs, nudging me to let me know he’s just playing around.

  “Well, I must say, it was probably his charm and good looks that got me up here.” I laugh softly, too.

  “Lucky man, he is. Tell me what you do, Grace?”

  I shrug. “Just a waitress.”

  Benny raises his brows. “A waitress? Seriously?”

  Here we go again.

  “That’s what I said,” Raide mumbles from the kitchen.

  “I have no idea why it’s so surprising.”

  “Lady,” Raide calls. “I’ve seen you drop grown men. You ain’t cut out for a waitressing job.”

  “So I’m skilled in self-defense—aren’t most women?”

  “Skilled?” Raide chuckles. “Ben, you should have seen her take down this dude for tryin’ to nab her purse.”

  Benny chuckles. “Think I’d like to see that.”

  I roll my eyes. “What do you do, Benny?”

  His eyes soften and he replies with a gentle voice. “Lost my wife two years ago, been tough since. Been working on my land, fixin’ cars for folks, things like that.”

  My heart breaks. “I’m so sorry.”

  He smiles. “Life happens, sweetheart. Lost her to cancer.”

  I look down at my hands, and my heart twists. Good people. All of them. Raide, Benny, good people.

  “Once again, I’m sorry.”

  “Eggs are up,” Raide says softly from the kitchen.

  Benny leaps up and flashes me a smile that tells me it’s okay, before walking in and scooping up a plate off the counter. I follow behind and stare down at the scrambled eggs and buttered toast Raide has pulled together. We all go and sit at the table, and dig in. It’s really good, surprisingly so. Not that I doubted Raide could cook. Most men can, they just choose not to.

  “This is great,” I say between mouthfuls.

  “Yeah, bud.” Benny nods. “Great.”

  Raide nods back and scoops the fluffy eggs into his mouth. We finish up, and I’m in the middle of washing up when three other people enter the house. There’s an older man, an older woman, and a pretty young blonde. They all embrace R
aide, hugging and slapping backs. I smile from my spot in the kitchen as I watch them interacting.

  “It’s good to see you, son.” The older man grins.

  He looks like Benny, so I’m guessing that he’s his father. His eyes are warm and blue, his hair is salt-and-pepper, and he’s got laughter lines gliding out from his eyes. He’s handsome, even in his older age. The woman beside him is obviously Benny’s mother. She’s petite and small, with a short pixie cut that’s dyed light brown with streaks of blond. Her age shows only around her eyes and mouth; otherwise, she looks radiant and lovely.

  “It’s been too long, Raide,” the woman says, embracing him.

  “Yeah, Benny has been yammering on about missing you for ages now.” The lovely blonde smiles.

  Raide smiles at her, and it’s warm. Super warm. Familiar warm. He puts his arms out and says, “Come here, girl.”

  My heart clenches, it’s irrational and completely stupid but I can’t push it back.The girl beams and throws herself into his arms. He holds her tight, pressing his nose into her neck and whispering something into her ear. She flushes and steps back with that same huge grin when he lets her go. She’s a beautiful woman, really she is. Long blond hair that’s straight as a tack, hazel eyes like Benny’s, and a body to die for.

  “Come here, Grace,” Raide says, stretching his arm out.

  I slowly edge around the counter and walk toward the people, who are all watching me now. I force a smile, hoping like hell it looks genuine. When I reach Raide, he pulls me into his side, and I don’t miss how the blond girl’s mouth tightens. I’m intrigued about the relationship between the two of them, because there’s clearly one there, or there was at one time.

  “This is Grace,” Raide introduces. “Grace, this is Edgar, Lynn, and Mandy.”

  I smile again and give a little wave. “Hi, I’m Grace.”

  He already told them that. Smooth, Grace.

  “Hi, dear.” Lynn smiles. “It’s wonderful to meet you. We didn’t know Raide had company.”

  I flush and shrug lightly. “It was last minute.”

  “It’s nice to see him with company.” Edgar laughs and I smile.

  “Leave him alone, Pops.” Benny chuckles. “It’s not his fault he’s socially stunted.”

  Raide launches his fist out and connects with Benny’s shoulder. Benny makes a grunting sound, but he does it with a smile.