Penn, Jenny - Rachel's Seduction [Cattleman's Club] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)

by Rachel's Seduction (lit)

  “So bad,” Heather echoed.

  “I do not.” There went Hailey’s ears, bright red and a clear sign she had lied.

  “You’re a stone’s throw away from being like Marie down at the grocery store.” Rachel’s gaze cut to Heather. Both women gave a dramatic sigh as they fell back, speaking in unison.

  “Oh, Kyle.”

  “Oh.” Hailey’s head hit the table as she whined into the wooden surface. “I don’t want to have it this bad. Not if he doesn’t have it this bad.”

  “Oh, honey, he does.” Heather patted her on the back. “It’s just he’s a Cattleman. Their whole thing is to control their wants.”

  Rolling her chin to the side, she gave Heather a one-eyed glare. “That really doesn’t help.”

  Rachel snickered, completely understanding Hailey’s position. “Nothing helps. Take it from me, Hailey, resist.”

  “Rachel,” Heather snapped at her, shooting her one of those disapproving looks she’d mastered on her son. She really hated that expression. It made her squirm even though Heather wasn’t her mom.

  “I’m just saying,” Rachel muttered. “We’re fighting a war here. Look at me. I’m trying to establish my career as creditable reporter, and I have a man at home who thinks the most dangerous thing I should do with my life is bake cookies.”

  Actually, Killian probably wouldn’t want her to have too many cookies. They contained too much sugar. It was like dating a nutritionist, only Killian didn’t practice what he preached. Neither deputy did. They wanted her to content herself with stories about beauty pageants while they went out every night and worked one of the most dangerous jobs she could think of.

  The hypocrisy infuriated Rachel, but it was somewhat all her fault. She’d let them have control from the beginning. That had been a bad move. “You see, it’s all my fault. I didn’t run the bonfire story, and now they think they can just boss me all around. Well, I don’t think so. I’m getting smart, and I’m not telling those bullies anything about my next project.”

  “Well, that’s a mighty fine tantrum in the making.” Heather saluted her with her glass. “’Course, I don’t think that’s going to help you when they find out what you and Kitty have been up to these past couple of weeks.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Kitty and I have barely spoken in over a week.” Rachel could have left it there, but if she couldn’t be honest with her friends, who could she talk to? “It’s kind of hard to get the time to see Kitty when Killian and Adam don’t approve of her.”

  At least Rachel had timed that confession right, catching Heather in mid-gulp. Coughing into her cup, Heather struggled to breathe as she bent over the table. It took her a moment, but Rachel waited through it, sure that Heather had a comeback burning in her throat.

  “Finally,” Heather straightened up, “something I agree with your boyfriends on.”

  “Will you stop calling them that?” God, Heather could be so aggravating. “They’re not my boyfriends.”

  “But they are right,” Heather shot back. “Or is Kitty not pressuring you to go along with her idiotic scheme to go undercover in a whorehouse?”

  “I don’t feel pressured.” That was the truth. Rachel was tempted by the idea all on her own. Not the undercover part, that kind of scared her, but the idea of breaking that kind of story… “At least not by Kitty. Adam and Killian, now that’s another story.”

  “How’s that?” Heather asked. “I didn’t even think they knew the real details of Kitty’s idea.”

  “Of course not,” she said, but it had been a close. Fortunately, staying away from the sheriff and keeping her investigation quiet, as in completely silent, had fooled the two deputies into thinking the matter had been settled.

  “Why are you smiling like that?” Heather studied her for a moment and then broke into her own grin. “Oh, don’t tell me. You’ve already started pursuing this crazy investigation. I thought you decided on your birthday to let it go.”

  Then the next morning, after reading their Cattlemen files, Rachel had changed her mind. Reading the details of their sordid pasts had hurt as much as she known it would, but it had also stiffened up her spine. Those pages had confirmed what her gut had told her these past few weeks. Her men needed variety.

  They didn’t have a type or a specification when it came to requesting pets, except that they never repeated themselves. Asian, African, white, Latina, short, tall, big boobs, heavy set, or shy, they’d gotten so desperate for diversity that Killian had actually put in a request to pick by state. Killian wanted to nail all fifty, while Adam appeared to be working on the alphabet.

  Rachel guessed they could check off Alabama and the letter R now. Soon they’d be onto Georgia and the letter S. They’d move on, and she’d be left devastated but not destroyed. Rachel wouldn’t let them have total control over her life.

  “A woman has to do what a woman has to do.”

  Heather snorted at that piece of bullshitted wisdom. “And does that include hiding your research into a prostitution ring?”

  “Well, duh.” Rachel snorted, about to tack on something more obnoxious, but Hailey cut her off.

  “And just how long do you think you can hide your investigation into a prostitution ring?” Rachel hadn’t even thought Hailey was listening given her googly gaze had been stuck on Kyle. Apparently, she’d picked up enough to smirk over Rachel’s predicament. “Hmm?”

  “Long enough to get my story,” Rachel shot back, feeling hounded. She knew she was treading into dangerous waters, but that’s where journalists went. “Besides, I have a little help.”

  “Kitty Anne isn’t going to save you from Killian and Adam.” Heather snorted.

  “I’m not talking about Kitty Anne.” Rachel couldn’t help that smug smile pulling at her lips. Being one step ahead of the pack fed her confidence. As long as she stayed there, she might be able to escape Killian and Adam’s wrath.

  Ideally, they’d break up with her first, so she could avoid whatever punishment they deemed fit for this deception. Of course, this kind of betrayal might very well be the thing that broke them up. Rachel had considered that before she contacted Deputy Watts over in Enterprise, but she wouldn’t let it be a reason to stop her investigation.

  She needed help. If they weren’t willing to help her, then she had every right to find somebody who would. Besides, Deputy Watts was married with five kids, so neither Adam nor Killian could accuse her of anything other than maintaining a professional association with the man. If that bothered Adam and Killian, then so would her working at the newspaper, given half the staff was male.

  All of those perfectly reasoned points didn’t stop her stomach from tightening at Heather’s snicker. Leaning to her side, she tapped Hailey on the shoulder before nodding at Rachel. “What do you think Killian and Adam are going to do to her when that story hits the paper?”

  “I don’t know.” Hailey shook her head, going along with the game. “But I’m thinking we’re not going to be seeing much of her after.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean Killian and Adam are cops, Rachel.” Hailey grinned, unable to help the mirth that bubbled into her tone. “I’m thinking you’re going to be wearing metal cuffs once they find out about your little project.”

  Hailey had no idea. Being cuffed would be the least of her problems if Killian and Adam decided to take the argument to the bedroom. Rachel knew that possibility existed, but it only angered her. She didn’t like being manipulated with sex.

  “And that’s my point,” she shot back. “What am I supposed to do? Just give over because they’re bigger and stronger?”

  “And there are two of them,” Hailey tacked on. “At least I only have to deal with one.”

  That caught Rachel off guard, breaking her annoyance with the conversation as Hailey’s stupidity hit her. Hailey talked as if Kyle didn’t have a partner, but everybody knew he did. Cole Jackson wasn’t the kind of man women forgot and certainly
not the kind a wise one would dismiss. His reputation would have made Casanova jealous.

  Rachel could have held back her laughter at Hailey’s absurdity if Heather hadn’t started chuckling. She was just about to thank Hailey for making her realize somebody had it worse when the main door shoved open with a shout.

  Wild catcalls and howls rolled into the bar as a group of boys piled in, stumbling with the effects of obvious inebriation. Seven…eight…nine of them, Rachel could already imagine what Killian would have to say about this situation. Time to get out before she got in trouble.

  “Well, ladies,” Heather sighed, “I think that’s the end of the night.”

  Chapter 26

  “This is all your fault.”

  Adam snorted at that, not even bothering to look in Killian’s direction. Thursday night and so far the shift had been dead quiet. Killian and he had pulled their cars into the little clearing that flattened out at the top of a rolling curve. Killian had his radar pointed south and Adam north.

  Maybe they’d get lucky and a drunk driver would come along. That would give Killian something to do besides bitch at Adam. Lord knew if something didn’t happen soon, Adam might just have to assault his partner just to distract him off his merry-go-round moaning.

  “If you hadn’t dragged her off to the bedroom then we would have had time to sit down to a proper dinner and hear about this idiot idea of hers before we had to run out the door.”

  Adam rolled his eyes at that. “You started it. I wasn’t the one who burned the fries.”

  “And I would have finished it in the kitchen with enough time left for dinner,” Killian retorted instantly, cocky and annoyed at the same time. He wasn’t wrong, though. It shouldn’t have taken Adam the half hour it did to find satisfaction.

  Hell, he hadn’t found any, anyway. A week and half of shallow releases had made him desperate and itchy to finally find ease. It was all Rachel’s fault. The damn woman refused to say she loved him again. Instinctively, Adam knew that’s what he needed, but no matter how hard he pushed her, the words never whispered out of her lips.

  Adam didn’t understand why she denied him. Rachel had said it before. She had said it and meant it because he’d felt it. For the first time in all of his life, Adam had felt loved. He had felt the warm perfection he’d always imagined, but what Adam hadn’t counted on was how cold and empty the world would be without it.

  “I’ll tell you one thing, that woman better be at home, safe and sound, like I told her, or there is going to be hell to pay.” Killian grunted before eyeing the laptop mounted on the console of his dash. “You know we could get one of those security systems installed. They have cameras now, so you can check on things through the net.”

  At least he wasn’t the only one acting weird lately. “You want to spy on Rachel?”

  “Don’t be stupid.” Killian shot him a glare. “We work a lot of nights, and it would be nice to know she was safe when we weren’t around.”

  “Yeah, I don’t think Rachel’s going to buy that excuse.”

  Actually, Adam could see her getting a little annoyed with them. Hell, two weeks ago he’d have said that Rachel would have Killian’s balls, but things had changed since her birthday. Instead of lashing out at Killian’s ever-growing domination, Rachel meekly appeared to accept every new rule and edict.

  That wasn’t her and Adam knew it. What he didn’t know was why she’d changed. He guessed that she might be worried about losing them, thinking she had to be just what they wanted to hold on to them. It worried him because he couldn’t help but wonder if she was keeping back her confession of love for fear of scaring them off.

  “Maybe we should go ahead and tell her we love her?”

  “What?” Killian’s head snapped around to take in Adam as if he expected to find a second head spontaneously growing out of Adam’s shoulder. “Where the hell did that come from?”

  “I’m just saying, if you tell her you love her, she might let you put a security system in.” That sounded lame to even Adam’s ears, but it was all he could think of in the pinch. He sure as hell couldn’t admit to his real worries with Killian still looking at him like he’d just confessed to wanting to wear a dress.

  “That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard. I’m really beginning to wonder about you, man.” Killian shook his head shamefully at Adam. “After all that grief you gave me about the weak thing and now you’re suggesting this?”

  “‘You make me weak’ was a really dumbass thing to say at that moment.” Adam would never back down on that point. “But now she’s said it, so—”

  “So what? You think because she said it it’s now safe to say it ourselves? That’s just dumb because you know what happens after you tell women those three little words. They change.

  “Trust me, I’ve seen it more times than I can count. A woman does herself up all nice and plays it sweet with a man until she knows she has him trapped, and then she starts with her little comments about how you should do this or that. She begins to get picky about your friends and make plans for you without asking. She—”

  “—treats a man the way you’ve been treating Rachel?”

  That had Killian going real still, his tone dropping dangerously. “Are you calling me a woman?”

  “You’re acting like one.”

  “Fine then,” Killian snapped. “Go on and tell the girl you love her. Just don’t come whining to me when you screw everything up.”

  Not about to sit quietly in the face of that accusation, Adam gave as good as he was getting. “Why would I do that? So you can tell me how to make it worse?”

  “Me?” Killian looked honestly taken aback. “Am I not the one who got the girl to say, ‘I love you,’ huh? Am I not the one who has been leading us toward domestic bliss? Isn’t that what you wanted?”

  “Domestic bliss?” Adam snorted at that phrase. “Why don’t you go write a damn poem, because you might actually be better at that than wooing a woman.”

  “I’m not the one using the word ‘woo.’” Killian snickered. “And I stand by what I said. My ideas are working.”

  “Oh, really?” Adam didn’t know how his friend could be so dense at times, but Killian honestly thought everything was going well. Everything but one little issue and Adam latched on to it. “So you don’t think your sudden need to dictate every little thing to her and control every moment of her life is the reason our woman suddenly has a hankering to go off to…what was it you said about the bar?”

  “Bars can be a dangerous place for a woman without a man.” Now Killian was lecturing him, but Adam didn’t need a keeper. He didn’t think Rachel did, either.

  “Yeah, she could poke an eye out with a pool stick.”

  Adam’s easily dismissal only had Killian digging in. “Dart accidents can be serious.”

  Adam couldn’t argue that without bringing up one of Killian’s favorite grudges—the time Adam had accidently stabbed his friend. Still, he wouldn’t be cowed. “Or maybe that one beer she always drinks will go right to her head and she’ll end up dancing on the tables naked.”

  He shouldn’t have provided Killian with any more support for his paranoia because obviously his friend didn’t get the joke. “Drinks left alone can lead to drugging and rape.”

  “She could be starting a bar fight right now.”

  “People die in bar fights, Adam.”

  “You’re turning into a born-again prude,” Adam complained. “Maybe Rachel just wants to have some fun.”

  “And you’re not taking her out to the club, so don’t even get that dirty idea started.”

  Killian must have had ESP because he’d blocked the direction Adam had intended to turn the conversation. It irked Adam that Killian wouldn’t even talk about the idea because he knew once he had Rachel out there, he could get her to confess again. Better yet, this time the whole club would hear her. Then everybody would know and the damn itch in his gut would surely die down.

  “I’m not
kidding.” Killian filled the silence, obviously worried over Adam’s failure to agree. “You know damn well where that will lead.”

  “To hell of a lot of fun?” As far as Adam was concerned, having a girlfriend who would enjoy the Cattleman’s Club benefits ranked as a miracle. Killian did not share his sentiment or Adam’s sense of humor.

  “Go on and laugh it up, funny man, but this is going to blow up all over us. See, she’s just beginning, and you remember what it was like in the beginning. You can never get enough.”

  “Man, what a curse, a horny girlfriend who likes it rough. I’m going to write a complaint to Santa.”

  “See, it’s that attitude,” Killian leveled a finger over the gap between their cruisers, “that’s going to ruin everything. Sure, you’ll get your collar on her first, but how long do you think it’s going to be before some buck tries to challenge that authority? And don’t even think that’s not going to happen.”

  Adam wouldn’t fool himself into thinking Killian didn’t have a point. He knew damn good and straight that they’d done the same thing in their single days to enough club members to have a long list of eager Cattlemen waiting to bring them down. Rachel could easily become very popular, but she wouldn’t let herself.

  While Killian obsessed over what they’d unleashed with her birthday surprise, Adam marveled at what he’d gained. Rachel wasn’t a club girl. This wasn’t just a wild fling or some experiential vacation for her. Like Killian had originally assured him, she was a good girl.

  Good girls didn’t give themselves that completely with total trust to men unless she’d already given them her heart. Adam just wished she’d admit it. If it took taking her out to the club to get his confession, then so be it.

  “Rachel isn’t going to stray. Any man who gets into her bed will be a man we put there.”

  “Don’t even think about taking things to that level.” Killian looked about as panicked as Adam ever had seen. “The last thing we need to be showing her is that one dick is as good as the next. What the hell do you think will happen then?”