Hell on Wheels

by Karen Kelley

  The spark of defiance in Bertrice’s eyes died and some of her strength seemed to melt away. “Did it matter?” She smoothed her white dress over her lap, straightening imaginary wrinkles. “No, it never bothered us that we had different mothers.”

  She sighed.

  “I was just as excited about the new baby as everyone else, even though I don’t know how Dad and Annie expected to feed another mouth when they couldn’t put enough food on the table as it was. I was young enough that I didn’t really care that we were poor.”

  Cody glanced toward Josh, wondering where Bertrice was going with all the family history. There was an almost imperceptible lift of his eyebrows, as if to say he was wondering the same thing, but at least Adam’s sister hadn’t kicked them out yet.

  Bertrice took a drink from the glass of water that was on the small table beside her chair, then patted her lips with a linen napkin trimmed in lace.

  “Adam’s mother died when he was two,” she continued. “She caught the flu and it turned into pneumonia. Our father was inconsolable. It was left to me to raise Adam even though I was only twelve. Again, I didn’t care. Where other little girls had dolls, I had the real thing.”

  She closed her eyes for a moment and Cody wondered if Bertrice had dozed off, but a few seconds later, she opened her eyes and began to speak again.

  “I dropped out of school when I was a sophomore. Not that it mattered. I didn’t like school anyway, but Adam did. I knew he’d want to go to college someday. He’d need money, so no one would laugh at his mended clothes.” She smiled. “He did well for himself, but he never forgot about me.”

  “Do you know where he is?” Josh asked.

  She ignored his question and continued. “He didn’t do it, you know. Adam respects life. Even with all my help, he still had to work hard to get where he is. It was always honest work, too. He would never kill another human being. It’s just not in him.”

  “Maybe it was an accident?” Cody supplied.

  She shook her head. “He told me he didn’t, and I believe him.”

  Cody wished for Bertrice’s sake that was true, but from experience, the opposite was the norm. Maybe this time would be different.

  “Until Adam has his day in court, he can’t prove his innocence,” Cody told her.

  Bertrice stared long and hard at them before sighing deeply. “I don’t need all this.” She waved her arm over the room. “I only wanted Adam’s happiness. He’ll never have that as long as he’s on the run, always looking over his shoulder. He deserves better.”

  “Where is he?” Josh prodded.

  “Yesterday there were men here. I didn’t like the looks of one of them. He made me afraid for Adam.” She leaned forward, her eyes narrowing to slits. “Do you swear that he’ll come to no harm?”

  “We’ll do our best.” Josh took her hand in his. “I give you my word that I’ll treat him with as much respect as you do.”

  Bounty hunters knew how to lie, but Cody had a feeling Josh was telling the truth. One look at Bertrice and Cody knew that Adam’s sister believed Josh would do his best to uphold his end of the bargain.

  Her hand slipped from his. “Adam has a vacation home in Mexico. Just a small place. You’ll find him there.” She reached for her notebook and pen, then began to write. When she finished, she handed Josh the paper. “This is where you can find him. Now go, I’m tired.” She turned her head away, effectively dismissing them.

  They left the room. True to her word, Tight Ass was right outside the door and had probably heard every word. She didn’t say anything as they followed her down the stairs. When she opened the front door to let them out, she gave them a warning.

  “Ms. Bertrice might look like she has one foot in the grave, but fair warning, harm one hair on Adam’s head and she’ll make sure you pay.” Without another word, she shut the door behind them.

  “Bitch,” Cody mumbled before trotting down the steps toward the car.

  But hey, it’d been worth putting up with Tight Ass’s attitude to get Adam’s whereabouts. She just hadn’t expected to care about this case. Before meeting Bertrice, her only concern had been proving she was damn good at what she did. She certainly hadn’t wanted to care about Adam’s sister.

  A niggling of guilt pricked her. It had been obvious Bertrice loved her little brother. Damn it, if he was innocent, then why had he run?

  After they were inside the car, Josh turned to her. “So, what do you make of the sister? You think she’s turned a blind eye to little brother’s business activities?”

  She clasped her hands in front of her and stared straight ahead. “Who knows? Sometimes you only think you know a person, then you realize they’re not at all like you thought they were. People are always surprising the hell out of me.”

  There’d been too many surprises in her life. In a flash, she knew Josh had been one of them. She hadn’t expected the sex to be so damn satisfying every time. Just thinking about how they’d spent the night made her want him again.

  Without a doubt, she knew he was going to hurt her. Hell, maybe she was the one who would cause herself the most pain.

  He broke into her thoughts. “We might as well eat and go back to the motel. I don’t like the idea of crossing the border this late.”

  “I don’t like crossing into Mexico at all,” she grumbled. “The Mexican police would love to throw two more bounty hunters in the slammer and keep them there forever and ever.”

  He grinned as he started the car. “Yeah, but they won’t know we’re bounty hunters. As far as they’re concerned, we’re just two tourists out to see the sights. I told you it’d pay if we became partners.”

  She leaned back against the seat and eyed him. “You don’t think we’ll be a little conspicuous? Vests, mace, a couple of guns, knives…?”

  “I have a special compartment beneath the car where we can store everything. No one would even think of looking there. We’ll cross over as typical tourists.” He turned slightly in his seat and faced her. “Not nervous, are you?”

  “Are you crazy? Of course I’m nervous. I’d be a fool if I weren’t. Don’t worry, though. I won’t blow our cover.”

  “Good. Then I only have one question.”

  “And what would that be.”

  “Where do you want to eat?”

  “As long as it doesn’t include beans and rice, I’m game for just about anything.”

  Cody swirled the cheese around her finger, then stuck out her tongue and licked, but left most of the cheese. When she caught him staring, she laughed and opened her mouth, taking her finger inside and sucking it clean.

  “I love pizza. Good choice,” she said.

  “Almost as much as I love watching you eat it.” Damn, she was killing him. Everything she did had a sexual nuance. She probably didn’t mean for her actions to come across as sexy, but they were, and it was tormenting the hell out of him.

  “You’re not eating,” she pointed out. “If we’re going to get an early start, then we’d better get to bed at a decent hour.”

  Cody, bed, and decent. Which word didn’t belong? He finished off the last bite of the pizza, then washed it down with a beer.

  Why had he wanted to partner up with her? Oh, yeah, so he could get her out of his system. Smart move. He needed to have his head examined.

  “You ready?” He couldn’t eat another bite if his life depended on it. All he could think about was getting back to his room and putting a little space between them. Either that or he was going to have sex with her again.

  Which wasn’t such a bad idea, come to think about it, except for the fact that they needed to concentrate on bringing Adam back to the States. Crossing the border could get dangerous and they’d need to keep their wits about them.

  Not that they could do a damn thing about it until morning. Oh, hell, who was he fooling? They both knew what they’d be doing when they were behind closed doors.

  She stood and he followed suit, dropping money on the ta
ble. When she reached into her pocket, he said, “I’ve got it.” She visibly stiffened. Before she could go into another spiel about paying her way, he added, “You can get the next one.”

  She hesitated only briefly. “Okay.”

  They were both silent on the way back to the motel. He wondered if they were thinking the same thing. They hadn’t really spoken about last night. What the hell could they say?

  He parked the car in front of the rooms. She went to hers and he went to his.

  A good night’s sleep, his ass. How could he sleep when all he could think about was Cody lying naked beside him? And it was too damn hot in his room. What was it about the air conditioners in this motel? He fiddled with the thermostat, but the air was still only slightly cooler than it had been a minute ago.

  Finally, he gave up, knowing it would do no good to call maintenance. It was a cheap motel. They wouldn’t really care. He wondered briefly if they’d fixed Cody’s.

  He stripped and grabbed a towel. A cool shower might bring relief in more ways than one. A knock on the door dividing the rooms made his heart catch. Just as quickly, hope died. It was probably nothing. Maybe she wanted to borrow something.

  He started to open the door, remembered he was bare-ass naked, and wrapped the towel around him, tucking it in at the waist, then opened the door.

  All the air left his body. Cody casually leaned against the door, stark naked.

  “I needed a towel,” she said. “Mind if I borrow yours?” She slipped her hand in at the waist and tugged it off. Just as casually, she turned and strolled back into her room.

  “I never said I’d loan it to you.” He trailed after her, liking the way her hips swayed and the sexy little bounce her butt cheeks made with each step she took.

  She cast an innocent look over her shoulder. “So take it away from me. That is, if you can.”

  He always had loved a challenge.

  Chapter 17

  Cody laughed when Josh barreled after her. She feinted to the right, then at the last minute moved in the opposite direction, leaving him with an armful of empty space.

  “Oh, you can do better than that, can’t you? I mean, you are a big, bad bounty hunter.” She waved the towel as if it were a red flag.

  He didn’t disappoint her, and lunged again. She whirled at the last minute, moving just out of his reach, but keeping her eye on him. She loved watching the way he moved. It showed off his body to perfection. He really did have a nice body.

  Firm and hard. Very hard.

  And if this was all the time they had together, then she’d decided to make damn good use of it.

  “So, you like to play games,” he said.

  She’d never had the inclination before now, but yes, her very naughty thoughts amazed even her. She had a feeling playing games with Josh would be a lot of fun.

  “Maybe I do. Does it bother you?” she asked.

  He slowly shook his head. “We’re consenting adults. We can do whatever we want as long as it isn’t illegal. I know lots of games.”

  She caught her breath, her imagination running wild. Before she realized what he was doing, he’d eased up close, then lunged, pulling her into his embrace.

  “You cheated,” she accused him.

  He grinned. “Yeah. That’s the only thing about playing games. I always cheat.”

  Not that she really cared when his mouth lowered to hers. What was it about Josh that could send her over the edge of reason? She wanted to explore every sexual fantasy she’d ever imagined, but only with him.

  She pressed her body closer to his, enjoying the feel of raw strength that she encountered. She splayed her hands across his back, moving them lower until she cupped his butt. Moaning, she pressed closer, rubbing her sex against his erection.

  His hands roamed the length of her back, cupping her bottom. He squeezed and massaged, bringing her even tighter against him.

  She could feel herself getting close to an orgasm. It was too soon. She wanted tonight to be even better than last night, but damn, the friction of his erection against her sex felt really good.

  Through the thin walls came a haunting melody as someone played a CD. The gentle chords wrapped around her. “Let’s dance,” she said forcing herself to move away. Her body undulated to the beat of the music, swaying back and forth, the hypnotic sounds taking control.

  He lay back on the bed, pulled the pillows beneath his head and stared. “You dance…for me.”

  She didn’t need any more encouragement. She’d always liked music and how it could invade her senses. Having Josh watch her made her feel very sexy, very wanton.

  Raising her hands, she threaded her fingers through her hair, bringing the strands up, then letting them tumble back down.

  “I want you,” he said, his hand lightly skimming the length of his penis.

  Her movements wobbled as she watched him stroking himself. She licked her lips, wanting to taste, wanting to take all of him in her mouth.

  “Keep dancing,” he murmured. “I like watching the way you move. I like when you touch yourself.”

  She raised her chin as a burst of defiance swept over her. Why should he be the one dictating what she did? She would do whatever damn well gave her pleasure. Why should he be the one in charge?

  “When you massage your breasts, tugging on your nipples, it drives me insane. Do you realize how much power you wield?”

  Her flare of rebelliousness dissolved as quickly as it had sprung up. It was a heady feeling knowing she could drive Josh over the edge.

  She picked up the oil she’d used that morning and left on her nightstand. Their gazes locked as she slowly removed the lid, squeezing a large amount of the tropical fragrance on her palm before setting the oil back down. She began to move her hips to the music, slowly sliding her hands to her breasts and cupping them in her palms, smearing the liquid over them. She tweaked her nipples, letting her head drop back as sensations of pleasure wrapped her in a snug cocoon.

  Her hands glided over her body, slick from the lotion and heightening her sense of pleasure.

  “Touch your sex,” he rasped out. “Open yourself for me.”

  She raised her head and stared as he continued to slowly stroke himself. His gaze moved with her as she splayed her hands and slid them down her body. He sucked in a breath when she spread her lips and began to massage her clit.

  She moaned. Ah, damn, it felt so good. The building of tension was extraordinary. She’d never felt this hot in any of her sexual experiences.

  “Talk to me. Tell me what you feel.”

  She stared at him through a fog of building passion. “It’s incredible. I’m wet and so damn hot.”

  “Do you want more?”

  “Yes,” she breathed, meeting his gaze unflinching. “I want to feel you inside me. I want you to fuck me. Damn it, I can’t stand any more.” Her body was at such a fever pitch that she didn’t know why she hadn’t collapsed.

  Apparently he sensed how close to the edge she was, because he was there beside her before she was even aware he’d moved. He scooped her up and carried her to the bed, laying her gently on the mattress. His body covered her like a warm blanket on a cold day.

  But it wasn’t cold. Far from it. Her body was on fire for him and it seemed to take too long for him to put on a condom, but when he entered her, it was so worth the wait. She wrapped her legs around him and pulled him in deeper.

  “Raise your hips,” he told her, pulling out.

  Mindlessly, she obeyed, wanting him back inside. He stuffed a pillow beneath her bottom. When he entered the next time, he sank deeper, filled her more. She couldn’t stop the moan that escaped past her lips.

  He paused. “I’m not hurting you, am I?”

  She laughed. It bubbled right out of her. “Only if you stop. Then I would be in a hell of a lot of pain.”

  He grinned. God, she loved the way he smiled. She loved the way their bodies seemed to automatically fit together. She loved the way it felt to hav
e him deep inside her.

  “More,” she said.

  “Greedy, aren’t you.”

  “Damn right.”

  He didn’t deny either one of them any longer as he began to move above her. The heat inside her intensified until she thought she would explode into a fiery blaze of passion. The first wave of her orgasm swept over her and her body began to shudder in ecstasy.

  “I love to watch you in the throes of an orgasm,” he said just before he groaned and became lost in his own release.

  No more than she enjoyed watching him. When he rolled off her, he took her with him. “I think I like playing games with you.” And why shouldn’t she? Never in her life had she felt this satisfied.

  But I won’t care about him, she told herself. It was still only sex. Very adventurous, very fun sex. Who was to say she wouldn’t find the same thing with another man?

  He lightly caressed her back, then pulled her close. “Me, too,” he said so low that at first she wondered if he’d said anything at all.

  She yawned and snuggled close to his side. She’d never slept all night with any other man. She liked the sound of Josh’s heartbeat this close to her ear. It was a comforting sound. Something she could easily get used to.

  Josh cast a sideways glance in Cody’s direction. Both hands were gripping the seat and her skin was a little pale. Damn, she wasn’t kidding when she said she was nervous. He wasn’t even sure if she was breathing.

  “You can stop holding your breath, we’ve crossed the border,” he told her. He never thought he’d see the day she was scared of anything.

  “Was I that obvious?” She glanced in the rearview mirror.

  He chuckled. “Only to me. Don’t worry, we’ll be in and out before you can name all the capitals of the states.”

  She frowned. “I don’t know all the capitals.”

  “Then we might be in trouble,” he said with a straight face.

  She slanted an eyebrow. “You’re a regular fucking comedian.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Just don’t give up your day job.”

  He turned serious. “I know as well as you the dangers of crossing into Mexico. Juarez isn’t one of my favorite places to visit and I damn sure don’t plan on spending the rest of my life in a Mexican jail.”