by Hart, Lea
ATTACHED
CORONADO SERIES
BOOK THREE
LEA HART
DEDICATION
For My Daughters, My Heartbeat
For My Mom, My Champion
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Thank you Jennifer Stimson for being a fabulous editor and making this story perfect.
Thank Julie Cupp at Formatting Fairies for all of her special magic.
Thank you Lisa for being a great beta reader.
Copyright 2014 Lea Hart
All Rights Reserved
This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This e-book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return it and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters and events are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be interpreted as real. Any similarity to real events, locales or people, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and not intended by the author.
CHAPTER ONE
Cary looked up at the cloudless blue sky and noticed a hawk circling overhead and hoped it wasn’t a sign of her impending death. She wondered briefly how many people died in the middle of the desert in June and trusted that she wouldn’t be one of them.
Hearing the distant rumble of engines, she turned and looked down the long ribbon of highway and tried to determine who or what might be coming. She watched a mirage of dust and dirt kick up into the sky as a dozen motorcycles headed her way. The sound grew thunderous as the sound of the engines bounced off the hard asphalt and blew back toward her as they approached and then faded quickly as they flew past. She stood in the middle of the highway and stared at the fading sight of the taillights as they moved away from her. Not one of them slowed down at the sight of her. That seems a little rude, and hard to believe that no one saw me. Letting out a sigh, she plodded on and noticed that the hawk had returned and was again circling overhead. She thought about flipping it off, but decided not to at the last minute. She chose to wave instead, because she figured that karma out here was going to be a bitch. Better to make friends than enemies out here with the local wildlife. She took a slug of water and tried to figure how much farther she needed to go. She could see a building in the distance, but had no idea how long it would take to get there. “Paying closer attention when I was in Girl Scouts might have really paid off right about now.”
********
I hope the men feel bad when they see me and realize that they ignored me earlier. She straightened her dress, took off her hat and walked in with her shoulders squared. Standing in the doorway, she waited to let her eyes adjust to the darkened bar. As her vision improved, she was able to make out the room and noticed that everyone was staring at her. Ignoring the attention, she walked toward the bar and smiled at the first face she could see. She stepped confidently in the direction of the man sitting on the end and gave him a big, friendly smile. “Hello, sir. I find myself stranded with a dead phone. I was wondering if it might be possible to borrow yours to make a call.”
She noticed that the bar had gone deadly quiet as the men studied her from their seats. She took another step forward so she could see the man more clearly. As he came into focus, she found herself staring at an enormous bald man covered in tattoos. She braced herself and looked him directly in the eye as she plastered another big smile on her face. The man blinked as Cary took his hand and began to shake it vigorously. “Hello. I’m Cary Simmons, and my car died down the road. I just need to call Triple-A to tow my car.”
The oversize man appeared to be mesmerized by her and didn’t respond right away. His buddy clapped him on the back. “Snake, are you going to answer the lady?”
“Oh, Mr. Snake, lovely to meet you. You certainly have an impressive set of tattoos. I would love to buy you a drink and hear the story of your art-work while I wait for the tow truck.”
She looked up at him, and he blinked again and finally smiled. Out came the deepest voice that she had ever heard, a true basso profundo. “Have a seat, Ms. Cary, and I’ll give you my phone.”
She rested her small hand on his huge forearm and smiled. “Thank you, Mr. Snake.”
He looked down at her tiny hand on his arm and seemed fascinated by it. He handed her his phone and continued to stare at her. “You’re welcome.”
“Would you mind if I sat down at the table over there? I promise that I won’t try and snitch it. I just need to dig out my wallet and look for my Triple-A card.”
“No, no problem. Go ahead and take your time.”
Cary took the phone and went over to the only unoccupied table in the place and sat down. She felt the attention of the room and decided to ignore it. They probably never had a lot of women in the bar and certainly not teachers. She reminded herself that this was no different than facing a new class of middle schoolers. All those years teaching seventh grade seemed to be paying off. In fact the scrutiny was pretty much the same.
Travis sat in the corner and watched the interaction between the woman and Snake. He shook his head and rubbed his brow. How in the hell did that woman find her way in here? The place was known for its’ rough trade, and women like her never came in. He let out a heavy sigh, because he knew he was going to have to save her. He took a sip of his beer and hoped he could finish it before hearing the inevitable cry for help.
He watched her sit down and place her purse on her lap. She carefully pulled out a packet of wipes and cleaned the table before setting Snake’s phone down. Once she finished, she pulled out her bottle of water, snack container, wallet and hand sanitizer. Travis continued to observe her as she organized her things and took everything out of her wallet in search of something. She appeared to be completely unaware of the entertainment she was providing for the crowd. Once she discovered what she was looking for, she sat up straight and proceeded to use Snake’s phone to make her call. Travis heard her clear voice over the increasing noise of the crowd and was surprised that she used a stern tone with whomever she was speaking with. Once done, she painstakingly repacked her purse and straightened her dress. He felt as if he knew everything about her after watching her for ten minutes. She clearly wasn’t a woman who liked the unknown and probably never did anything without careful planning. Which made her appearance in the bar baffling. She seemed like someone who would have a plan for every contingency.
Cary let her shoulders drop in defeat as she walked toward Snake. It was going to take several hours for a tow truck to arrive, and she was going to be stuck here for the afternoon. Looking around, she noticed lots of interesting people and decided it might not be so bad after all. There was a man in a back booth who was staring at her. Turning in his direction, she stared back. She knew she had no power in this situation, so she decided not to pretend that she did. She looked the man in the eye and gave him a smile before turning back toward Snake. Lightly tapping Snake on the shoulder, she handed him his phone. “Thank you so much for letting me use your phone. I was able to get a hold of Triple-A and they’ll be here in a couple of hours.” Opening her plastic container, she offered him a cookie. “I made these yesterday, and I was wondering if you might like some? They’re my double chocolate chip, oatmeal, walnut cookies.” She looked at him and his friend who was sitting next to him. “Please help yourself.”
Snake elbowed his friend. “Get up, Clay, and give the lady your seat. Can’t you see that she’s had a rough morning?”
Clay scrambled to get u
p, and once he did, Cary noticed he was bigger than Snake. She stretched out her hand. “Hello. I’m Cary. Nice to meet you, Clay. Lovely set of muscles you have. It must take quite a bit of time to maintain them. You must tell me about your routine, because I’ve thought about adding weight training to my fitness regimen.” She lifted her arm and tried to make a muscle. “I need to work on my biceps.”
Clay stared down at her and decided she was the prettiest woman he’d ever seen. She had a nice curvy figure, pretty hazel eyes and a mouth that could make a man forget his name. He might’ve just met the girl of his dreams. A big, open smile crossed his hard, craggy face as he took her hand and helped her up onto the bar-stool and smiled. “Nice to meet you, Ms. Cary. You’re the prettiest thing I’ve seen in a very long time.”
Cary laughed. “Well, Clay, you must not get out very much, because I’m pleasant at best. I appreciate the lovely compliment, though.” She laid her hand on his huge forearm. “You’re quite the charmer. Would you like a cookie?”
Clay shoved the guy sitting next to Cary off his stool so he could sit down next to her. The guy moved along hastily because Clay and Snake were not men you wanted to tangle with.
Cary turned her stool around and looked at Snake and Clay. “You both have been so kind to me. May I buy you a drink?”
Snake spoke up first. “Let me buy you a drink-what would you like?”
“That’s very nice of you. I would love a Diet Coke if they have it.” Max called to the bartender and ordered drinks. Cary grabbed napkins from the dispenser and placed two in front of each man. She set several cookies carefully on each napkin as if she were setting snacks out for small children. “Please enjoy. If you like them, I’ll send you each a care package when I get back home at the end of the summer.” She watched as they both devoured the cookies quickly. Once they were done, she handed them napkins to wipe their hands. “Well, did you like them?” They both nodded and took the napkins she offered and wiped their hands and faces. Nodding her approval, she gathered the trash and got up to look for a trash can.
Travis sat in his booth and observed the whole cookie routine and felt like he was watching a master magician. The woman had woven a spell and used her powers over two of the meanest sons of bitches he’d ever had the pleasure of meeting. They sure could’ve used her on some of the covert ops he’d been on when he was on the Teams. They could’ve just sent her in to speak with Osama and he probably would’ve walked out with a smile on his face. He watched her walk to the end of the bar, and several men openly stared at her. She walked past and hardly seemed to notice the attention. In fact, she smiled at most of them as she made her way to the end of the bar. Finding a trash can, she threw away the napkins, and as she turned around their eyes met. He found himself unable to break the connection and wondered if that’s what Clay and Snake had felt when they’d met her. It felt like she laid her tiger eyes on you and decided if you were worthy or not. Somehow he suddenly wanted to be worthy of her time or attention or something.
Looking down at his beer, he wondered if he’d had more than he remembered, because the thoughts racing around his head were not making any sense.
He watched her turn around and make her way quickly back to Snake and Clay. It was as though she was scared of him and wanted to get away. The world had turned upside down and was now working in reverse, because he was the one who would protect her, not harm her. He watched her hike herself up on the stool and straighten her dress. He decided he could finish his beer before he saved her. She seemed to be in control of the situation for now. At least, that’s what he hoped.
********
Cary was having the time of her life, because Snake and Clay were such fun to talk to. She was acquiring all kinds of useful information. They told her about the best place to get tattoos, and Clay was kind enough to explain his fitness routine. Though she didn’t think prison muscles were in her future, she certainly got some good tips on how to build up her arm muscles. Some other men gathered around and joined in on the conversation. They all had something interesting to share. Crash explained how to pop a lock on a car if she forgot her keys, and also how to start it. They were very much like her class in that they all wanted to share some bit of knowledge. One fellow named Slick started telling a particularly funny story about his latest business venture when Travis came over and joined the group.
As he walked up, he heard Cary laugh and the sound reminded him of bells. It made him feel cheerful, and he realized what a strange feeling that was. He stared at her and tried to figure out what was going on. She looked up, met his gaze and stopped laughing. Snake noticed the change and looked around to see who had made Cary stop laughing. He gave Travis a hard stare before acknowledging him with a nod. Travis tipped his head in Snake’s direction and watched as everyone started talking again.
The conversation resumed quickly, and Travis had the pleasure of watching Cary charm eight of the hardest men he’d met outside of the Teams. She had them completely eating out of her hand as she sat there in her pretty floral sundress. She could’ve easily been sitting in the middle of a garden party instead of a bar in the middle of the high desert. He watched Snake answer his phone and noticed that he looked disappointed.
“Ms. Cary, I’m sorry to say we have to head out because we have a meeting to be at. I had a great time with you today, and I want you to keep in touch. You have my numbers, so I want you to send me updates on your travels this summer.”
Cary got up and gave Snake a hug. “Thank you so much. It’s been so much fun to get to know you.” She looked up and gave him a smile. “I feel like I’ve made a new friend today.” Turning to Clay, she told him the same thing. “Now, remember what I said about sunscreen. Skin cancer is serious business and I don’t want to have to worry about you.” They both nodded their heads and each gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.
Snake hung back as his men started to leave the bar. “Travis is going to sit with you until your tow truck comes. This place can be a little rough, and I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable.” He nodded to Travis and gave him a look that didn’t allow for an argument and received an acknowledgment from him in return.
Cary patted Snake’s arm. “That won’t be necessary. I’m perfectly fine on my own. I’m just going to order some lunch and enjoy my book. No need to worry.” She gave him a little nudge. “I don’t want you to be late on my account. I’ll be fine.”
Snake looked at Travis, nodded and walked out the door.
Cary walked up to the bar, ordered a sandwich and asked for another soda. She returned to the table and completely ignored Travis. I don’t need anyone. I’m perfectly fine on my own. She glanced briefly at him and then sat down at the table.
He watched her go through the same routine with her wipes before she opened her iPad. She checked her e-mail and then proceeded to read her book. He’d been totally dismissed by this woman, and he didn’t care for it. He went over to the table, sat down and waited for her to look up. She finally decided to acknowledge his existence with a raised eyebrow.
“Is there something you need?”
“No, I don’t need anything.”
“Why are you sitting at my table?”
“A friend just asked me to watch out for you, and that’s what I’m doing.”
She waved her hand dismissively. “No need, because I’m perfectly fine.” She looked down at her tablet and started to read her book again. She decided to ignore the big bear of a man who was assigned to watch over her. Her eyes darted over his broad shoulders, and she wondered if he was an outlaw. The man was terribly attractive, but she found herself not wanting to give him the slightest encouragement. Men like him always made fun of women like her, and she didn’t feel like being the object of his pity.
Travis sat back in his chair, crossed his arms over his chest and took the opportunity to study Cary more closely. “Why are you being rude? You just spent two hours talking to a group of men who are considered by most to be one of
the most dangerous motorcycle gangs in the area. You won’t spend five minutes being civil to the person who’s willing to watch out for you?”
She looked up, her hazel eyes shooting daggers at him. “I’m not being rude. How dare you accuse me of something like that? I always have good manners….I shared my cookies with everyone.” She gave him a false smile and spoke with controlled calm. “I’m always friendly and find the best in everyone.” She looked down her nose at him. “I’m not intimidated by your big muscles, so crossing your arms doesn’t impress me.”
He uncrossed his arms, leaned forward and gave her one of his most charming smiles. “So you like big men?”
She sputtered as she tried to come up with a quick sarcastic response. Unfortunately, nothing came out. She lifted her chin as she finally responded. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Travis watched her eyes get small as she stared at him and realized that he might have pushed her too far. He knew she was a land mine but wasn’t sure which direction to take a step in. Maybe a quick apology would head off the incoming explosion. “I’m sorry that I said you were rude.”
She eyed him. “Maybe you’re the one I should be scared of.” She let herself take a good look at him and noted his good looks. Apparently he was capable of a small amount of chivalry. But she wasn’t interested.
Throwing his head back, he let out a big belly laugh. “You have no self-preservation instincts. You walk into a biker bar in the middle of the desert alone and hang out with Snake and his crew for the better part of the afternoon and think you’re safe? I’m the good guy here, not the dangerous one.”
