Before I knew it, Cash had grabbed Jack by the collar and hauled him off the barstool. I was still on Jack’s lap, so I nearly fell on my butt. When Jack stood, Cash pulled his arm back and punched him in the jaw. The dull thud of bone hitting bone made me cringe. Jack’s head snapped back and a little dribble of blood ran down the side of his mouth.
If Jack had been a lesser man, I think he would’ve been out cold on the floor. Jack’s lip was red and had already started to swell but he didn’t even seem to notice. Must have been the whole Green Beret thing. He simply smiled. Blood stained his teeth, and he had a dangerous glint in his eye. Jack winked at me before punching Cash right back. Shocked, I just sat down by Jesse and we watched, mouths gaping, as Cash wiped his own blood off of his lip.
Most of the people in the bar hadn’t seen what had happened yet. The two men had been so fast. Jack rolled his neck and shoulders, sat back down and held out my jacket. I slipped it on and he pulled me against his chest and wrapped his arms around me.
“Come on, Babe. Let’s get you home,” He whispered seductively into my hair.
Once second Jack was next to me at the bar, while Cash stood looking at his own blood on his fingers, and the next Jack was up against the wall. Cash held him up by his neck with one arm. The muscles on his arm and shoulders were corded and flexing but didn’t seem to be straining as he held the 200 pound man up. His eyes were glowed so brightly they seemed to cast shadows.
It was clear that Jack was shocked, simply by the fact he didn’t immediately start to fight back, but stood staring wide-eyed at the game warden. Eventually he tried to pry Cash’s hand off of his throat, but even using both hands he couldn’t get free. Finally, he tried kicking out, but by then he’d already lost a lot of blood flow to his head and his efforts were feeble.
“You don’t touch her,” Cash gritted through his teeth. “She’s mine.”
I ran over and pulled on his arm. Jack looked like he was about ready to pass out for lack of oxygen. Cash glared at him, still holding him up. I tried everything I could to move Cash. I pulled his arm down with all my weight, cursing under my breath, but he was like marble. Finally, seeing people noticing us, I turned and slapped Cash hard across his face.
When he turned his eyes to me I took a step back and whimpered. The out of control rage was visible and he didn’t loosen his grip one bit. Jack’s eyes started to roll back. Even though I was terrified that he was going to kill my good friend in front of me, I was incredibly turned on. A wave of heat rolled through me, and I felt the moisture pool between my legs. Cash took a deep breath and the light behind his eyes glowed brighter.
“Alright, warden,” said Buster as he laid down his ‘peacemaker’ on the bar. “I’m sure Jack did something stupid, and probably deserves gettin’ the life squeezed out of him, but I don’t want a dead man in my bar.”
Cash glanced over at Buster’s knowing expression, his eyes flicking over to the Louisville Slugger on the bar that looked like it’d had better days. He nodded and let Jack slide down the wall to the floor, unconscious. Cash’s eyes still glowed and he was breathing heavily. I knelt down to check on Jack.
“You’re out of your freakin’ mind!” I hissed up at him. Jack was breathing, but he had passed out and would have one hell of a headache when he came to. “You nearly killed my friend!”
That seemed to achieve what my curses and slap didn’t manage and I saw him shudder, relaxing. I glared at him. I wanted him so badly it was painful. So not fair.
I waved over Tyler. “I need you to get some boys and help me get Jack into his truck.” I pulled the keys to his white GMC Sierra out of his jacket pocket. Ty nodded and walked away, off to recruit some cowboys to help with the heavy lifting. I saw Cash grit his teeth when he understood my intentions.
“You just stay the hell away from us; do you hear me Cash Newcomb? Stay away!” He just stood there continuing to glower at me as the boys hoisted Jack out of the bar. I ran over to Jack’s truck and opened up the back door. They manhandled Jack into the back like a sack of potatoes but he was safe, although still unconscious.
I overheard one of the boys say something about not ever messing with the warden if he could overpower a Beret like Jack. I, myself, wondered how it was possible. Even though Cash was tall and muscular he was still leaner than Jack. Jack had had extensive combat training as a Beret while I couldn’t imagine game wardens had too much experience in that regard. Still wondering, I waved at Jesse and hopped in the driver’s seat of Jack’s truck.
“Oh no you don’t!” said my favorite voice in the entire world. Cash’s hand was on my arm sending flames of need through me. He pulled me out of the truck. I ripped my arm out his grasp, still feeling the heat from his touch, and the inertia almost made me spin into the truck door. “You are way too drunk to be driving right now. Scoot over, I’ll drive you home.” I saw him glance into the back seat and he clenched his jaw. A muscle in his cheek flexed and I wanted to kiss it. Remember why we’re leaving.
“The hell you say!” I yelled. “Jesse’s not around, but I’m sure she’d come out so you could punch my other BFF in the face.” I tried to climb back into the seat, but he grabbed my waist and held me against him. I struggled to free myself, but he’d gone all marble again. He leaned down and smelled my hair before replying.
“Your other BFF?” He said softly while I tried to ignore the building fire inside me. His hands were toying with a strand of my hair while he looked at me through hooded eyes. I think those would qualify as ‘bedroom’ eyes, my libido sighed. I had to focus again on being angry.
“I’ve known Jack all my life, you jealous asshole. He was even my cousin once. We’re just friends, and he was just messing with you when you assaulted a war vet, and nearly killed him. Congratulations, I hope you’re proud. Now let me go!”
He didn’t budge as I writhed around trying to get loose. I felt the ridges of his abs with my hands as I tried to push away. The growing bulge in his Wranglers made it difficult to want to get away. Whoa Nellie…
“And what do you even care if I am with someone else?” I said rather more breathlessly and less venomously than I had wanted. “Are you that childish? You don’t want me, but you don’t want the other boys to play with me either?” I hissed as he squeezed his grip tighter on my hips. That’s going to leave a mark.
“I never said I didn’t want you.” His voice was low and harsh. “I want you so badly, staying away from you this past week has been physically painful.”
I snorted, wondering if he’d told all the other girls the same line. He narrowed his gorgeous blue eyes and said with a gravelly voice. “Yes, I want you. I want to take you right here against the side of this truck.”
The desire I’d been feeling this whole time spiked. My body went hot all over, probably amplified by all of the booze I’d had. He leaned down and kissed my neck. Delicious tingles of electricity flowed from his lips as he made his way down and across my collarbone.
“All I’d have to do is lift this wonderful skirt of yours and I could take you right now.” He lifted up his head and looked me straight in the eyes. They were glowing. “You would like it.”
I’m sure I would have loved it, but right then Jack started stirring and I realized I was supposed to be furious. Cash released me and I leaned heavily against the side of the truck, breathing like I was a chain smoker walking up stairs. I need to leave now, I thought, before I do something stupid. Part of me was just in the mood for something stupid but I’d never live it down if I were caught doing it in the parking lot. Raymond was a small town.
“I’m going to drive home now.” I said, a little more shakily than I had wanted.
Cash just chuckled, that deep, sexy sound that I felt to my toes. I tried to climb back into the driver’s seat and he allowed it, still staring at me. I closed the door but since the window was down he leaned in the cab of the truck.
“I wanted to tell you how damn sexy you look tonight, before—” His ey
es flicked to Jack in the back seat. “I fully intended to stay away from you, but looking like you are—”
His voice drifted off as he looked me over again, his eyes resting on the pink lace of my bra.
Why did I have to be in love with this impossible man? I thought to myself, or thought I did, but I guess I was a little drunker than I had thought. Cash’s eyebrow’s shot up and a slow grin grew on his face. Before he could say something that would make me take my pistol out and shoot him, I started the engine and peeled out of the parking lot.
I looked in my rear view mirror to see if he was still watching, but he was gone.
Chapter Thirteen
I drove back home nice and slow, not wanting to get us killed after Jack had survived Cash’s attempt on his life. It wasn’t very far from the bar to my trailer but I still took care, even though watching the man I was crazy in love with try to murder my best friend was pretty sobering. And surprisingly sexy.
I pulled down my driveway and I realized that maybe I should have let Cash drive. Jack was pretty much useless, although he was starting to come around. I didn’t know how I was going to get the big man from the truck to my guest bedroom. I wasn’t exactly a small woman, but moving 200 pounds of dead weight would to be tricky.
I put the truck into park and allowed it to idle for a minute while I tried to figure out how this was going to work. I looked down at the steering wheel. How did I get myself into these situations? Of course the man I love would have anger management issues. You have a few of those yourself, said that stupid snarky voice. Remember the shotgun?
I looked up. Sitting in front of my door was my wolf. I stared at him for a minute. Of course there was a wolf sitting on my front porch. This is just my life right now. Wolves, dead guys, crazy men, shithead cousins; it’s how I roll. I turned to look at Jack in the back seat when he groaned.
“Good morning sunshine! Are you back with us?” I chirped in a syrupy voice and he winced. I guess I could be a little nicer...
He groaned again, this time with feeling, and put his hands on his head. I saw the small abrasion on the knuckles on his right hand.
“Your boy is psycho, Shells.” His voice was rough and sounded painful. “What the hell was that all about?” He grunted and sat up.
I helped him out of the back of the truck. Jack held his head in one hand and leaned back against the GMC. I chose to ignore what he said, opting instead to put my shoulder under his arm and help him walk to my trailer. I had forgotten about my wolf.
“Shit!” he yelped as he pushed me behind him and about made us both fall down the steps. “That’s a wolf! Why is there a fricken’ wolf on your porch, Shells?” I laughed.
Maybe I was venting the stress, or maybe it was the fact my Green Beret buddy’s voice had jumped a couple octaves, but the whole situation struck me as hilarious. I had tears running down my face before I could stop laughing long enough to glance up at Jack.
He gawked at me like I’d lost my mind. You’re in love with a glowy-eyed psycho, maybe you are crazy. With that sobering thought, I pushed past Jack, opened my front door and let in Wolfie. The wolf strode in the trailer like he owned the place and Jack followed warily, his jaw slack. I pointed Jack towards the guest bedroom and walked with the wolf on my heels into mine.
I slipped my jean skirt off and noticed the wolf sitting and watching me intently. I put one hand on my bare hip, bent over and shook a finger at him. “Now, now, Wolfie. You’re supposed to be a gentleman and avert your eyes when a lady gets naked.” He just sat for a moment, staring at me, before he jumped up on my bed, circled a couple times, and lay down. He continued watching me as I changed into my pajamas and climbed into bed next to him.
“That’s one freaky ass mutt you got there, Shells.” Jack leaned against my doorframe sipping a cup of coffee. My head pounded and I felt a little nauseous. Downing half a bottle of Jack will do that to you. I moaned and pulled my pillow over my head, burrowing further down into the covers.
“Jack, you’ve known me for how long now?” I asked, my voice muffled by the pillow. When he replied, I could hear the smile in his voice. Gloating bastard.
“Well, my dad married your mom’s cousin when I was six, so...twenty years?”
“And in all that time, you still don’t know me well enough to have a mug of coffee for me if you’re going to wake me up before nine in the morning?” I started off calm, but by the end I was whining. He stood there chuckling.
“I figured if I brought you coffee you’d stay in bed longer. This way you have to drag your gorgeous butt out of bed.”
I sighed at the truth of his words and the self-satisfaction in his voice and tried to sit up. That’s when I noticed Wolfie was still on my bed glaring at Jack. He started a low growl when Jack came over to give me a hand out. Jack jumped back with a hiss and withdrew his hand.
“Seriously, Shells! That is the biggest damn Malamute I’ve ever seen in my life. Isn’t it too hot here for this kind of dog?”
I ran my hand down the wolf’s back to smooth down his hackles. I don’t know how, but he’d become protective of me. I smiled and scratched his ears and he seemed to calm down. Jack shook his head and walked back into the kitchen. I gave the wolf one more good scratch and slipped out of the bed.
“Come on, Fang,” I said, more for Jack’s benefit than anything. I didn’t know if he was really buying the whole ‘wolf is a sled dog’ thing.
‘Fang’ didn’t seem to mind the moniker though; he stepped gracefully off my bed and padded behind me to the kitchen. Jack sat at the kitchen table eyeing me with suspicion as I pretended to make sweet, sweet love to the coffee maker.
“With those kind of moves, Shells, I’m shocked you don’t have a man.” I spun and glared at him. He flashed me a cocky grin and took a sip of my coffee.
“I thought I had a man, for your information. But apparently I was too much woman for him and he couldn’t handle.”
Jack chokeed on his coffee. I smiled, found myself a clean mug and poured myself some French roast. Fang head butted my leg, demanding attention. I absently started petting him and sat next to Jack.
“And I thought you two were getting along so well last night.” Jack’s wry expression was hilarious, so I barked out a laugh. He punched me in the arm. “Ow! Didn’t you get your punches out of your system last night, slugger?” He pinched me instead.
“Yeah, that was a fun time. I think a couple of my teeth are loose. I’ll send the dentist’s bill to The Incredible Hulk. What’s the deal with that guy anyway?”
“So, what, the guy has to be a super hero to get the drop on you, Mr. Green Beret? Is that it?” My voice dripped in sarcasm and I elbowed him in the ribs. He glared. So sensitive.
“Nice deflection. Seriously, what’s going on with you and that warden? He seemed pretty protective of you.”
I squirmed a bit in my chair. Just thinking about Cash was getting me hot. He was so gorgeous the night before, despite him trying to kill Jack. The fact he was so jealous and protective made me squeal a little in my head. It means he likes me, doesn’t it? Fang put his head in my lap, so I kept scratching his ears.
“Well, I’ve actually only known him for a couple weeks. I thought we had some chemistry. I mean, he’s so hot, it hurts me a little. I thought he liked me too. He kept coming by here like he wanted to see me, but now that I think about it, it was probably just about the dead guy. Long story short, I wanted to get busy with him and he practically ran out of the trailer screaming like his hair was on fire.”
Jack looked at me with such a deadpan expression, I glanced down to see if one of the ladies had slipped out of my cami.
“Dead guy? What dead guy?”
I waived my hand dismissively. “I found a dead pot grower while I was out checking fence. Oh, and I shot the other pot grower who probably shot the dead guy. And he tried to set the ranch on fire. Oh yeah and there’s probably pot growing on my property somewhere. Plus, my cousin’s are contesting gran
dpa’s will and trying to take the ranch away from me. So, yeah, busy month.”
Jack’s eyes had gotten wider and wider until he was staring at me, mouth open and eyebrows disappearing up his forehead. “Holy shit, Shelby.”
I shrugged like it wasn’t a big deal, even though lately I’d felt like breaking out in tears.
“It’s okay. I’ve got guns. I’ve taken care of myself pretty well so far. I’m not going to lie though, I do feel better with you here.” Fang got up and walked to the door. He looked at me so pointedly, I figured he wanted to go outside. “Smart boy!” I said as I opened the door and watched him run into the trees. I shrugged, walked inside and poured myself another mug of coffee.
“Where is Malamonster off to?” asked Jack as I sat back down next to him. “And where’s Reggie? He’s still around, isn’t he?” I laughed at Jack’s perversion of Malamute.
“I prefer ‘mutemoth’, and yes, Reggie is still around, although I’m surprised he didn’t come in last night. He’s normally pretty lazy and sticks close to the house.”
I frowned and got up to go outside. Usually if he got locked out at night he slept on the porch, but I hadn’t seen him when I let Fang out. I walked a circuit around the trailer and didn’t see any sign of him.
“Hey, Jack? I’m gonna go to the barn and see if Reggie’s in there,” I yelled through the door.
I was beginning to worry. Reg wasn’t as young as he used to be and he wouldn’t be able to fight off a couple coyotes. I practically ran in my bunny slippers to the barn, and when I got inside, I sighed in relief. There he was, lying on his side in the hay.
“There you are, you bad boy. You scared me!” He didn’t get up when I stooped to pet him, so I fed the animals and let him sleep a little longer. When I was finished, I started to leave, but turned around when he didn’t follow.
“Come on Reggie, let’s go. I’ll make you an egg.”
When he didn’t get up at the offer of an egg, which he was crazy about, I worried. I knelt down and put my hand on his side. He was still breathing, but barely, and he wasn’t opening his eyes. There was also a puddle of vomit on the side of him that I hadn’t seen. No, not Reggie! I can’t lose Reggie right now.
Hunter Moon (Lupine Moon Series) Page 10
