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  She scoffed and shook her head, planting her fists firmly on her hips. “You never knew me well enough to know one way or the other, Cruz.”

  She was right. I hadn’t really tried to get to know her. She was too girly, too nerdy, and too eager to please. I didn’t know how to handle her back then.

  “Okay, I’ll give you that. Now tell me what’s going on?”

  While she decided whether or not to trust me, I took in the details I hadn’t noticed, the ones that were so subtle that her curves overshadowed them. A freckle on her collarbone and on the dip of her top lip. The way her nipples pebbled as the breeze kicked up. That slight dimple that appeared at the top of her cheek when she nibbled on her bottom lip. The worry hidden behind layers in her green eyes. And the fear was unmistakable.

  The longer she contemplated, the more I began to worry. What could Hennessy, this beautiful young woman, have gotten herself tangled up in? Of course, I knew women got themselves into all kinds of trouble, usually because of a man, but I wasn’t getting that vibe.

  “I haven’t seen you in almost fifteen years. Whatever it is must be pretty important if you tracked me down.”

  Those words seemed to have gotten through to her because she let out a heaving sigh that contained the weight of the world on it. She looked past me, right over my shoulder, avoiding my gaze no matter where I stood.

  “I guess that’s fair. And true.”

  I soaked in the sight of her again. Hennessy Oliver had gone from gangly to curvy. She now had a slim waist and a big ass, and nice round titties, perfect to suck on.

  They would be, anyway. If she didn’t need help. If she wasn’t in trouble.

  I didn’t fuck around with damsels in distress. Too much trouble.

  “I did come here to ask for your help, but that was based on faulty information.”

  “Hazel ain’t my woman.”

  She rolled her eyes. “I never said she was. I was talking about the baby. I can’t and I won’t…look Cruz, don’t worry about me. Pretend this little blip never even happened and before you know it, I’ll be a distant memory again.”

  Her words weren’t bitter or angry, they were so fucking matter of fact, they pissed me off.

  When she walked away, I reached out and grabbed her. She tried, giving it her damnedest to yank out of my grasp, but I was too strong.

  “Talk to me.”

  “Let. Me. Go.”

  I released her with a smile. There was the fire I remembered. She and Sissy fought like crazy over every little thing. Hennessy wanted to grow up too fast, and her mom had been dead set against it. “Talk.”

  She nodded and folded her arms, but this time I kept my gaze on her face. I needed to see if she was being straight with me.

  “You remember my dad, Homer?”

  I nodded. “Hard to forget.” I remembered that useless piece of shit. Even as a kid I knew how worthless that guy was. “What did he do now?”

  Sissy left his sorry ass because he was a degenerate gambler. He gambled on any and every fucking thing you could bet on in this world, and usually he bet the wrong way. No, not usually.

  Always.

  “Right,” she said with a grimace. “Well, he’s in trouble. Again.” Hennessy paused for so long, running a hand through her hair while she figured out how much of this story she wanted to share.

  “Gambling trouble, I presume?”

  She snorted. “I can’t believe you remember.” Her cheeks turned a bright red, and even though I was in serious mode, I couldn’t help but wonder how pink her skin would be all over when she blushed.

  “Anyway, it’s been hard for him to get a game. He’s been on a long losing streak if you let him tell the story, but the truth is he’s got a knack for betting on the wrong horse, if you know what I’m sayin’.”

  I nodded, a smile touching my lips at her frank way of talking.

  “How much does he owe?” Money was no problem. I could get my hands on enough to help—but not for Homer.

  “Doesn’t matter.” Hennessy shook her head and let out long drawn out sigh. “The marker was me. It was me from the beginning, which means no amount of money will get me out of this.”

  She shook her head, angry as hell if those flared nostrils and the fire in her eyes were anything to go by.

  “Who…fuck, who won you, Hennessy?”

  My hands closed into fists, and I promised that no matter what came out of her mouth next, I would track that mother fuckin’ Homer down and give him the ass whooping he desperately needed.

  “You remember Buddy McArthur?”

  I nodded. “The fucker who always bragged that his dad was mobbed up?”

  “Turns out he was right. Only it’s not his father Mickey who’s in charge. It’s Mickey’s old man, Eugene McArthur, who’s in charge of things. He’s seventy-five and he’s in the market for wife number four. Yours truly.”

  Holy fuck. “Homer sold you to a fucking mob boss?” It was…holy fucking shit. It was unthinkable.

  “Yep. Not exactly father of the year, I know. That’s why I ran.” She was doing a damn good job of keeping a good attitude about it all, but I could see the signs of anger and tension around her lush lips and the way she kept her hands balled in fists.

  “That and the fact that if I don’t marry that old fucker in a week, he’s gonna kill Homer.”

  “Shit.” I sounded like a broken fucking record. But this shit was about as fucked up as the Farnsworth shit. Maybe worse.

  Hennessy blinked, and I knew what was coming. I braced myself for it. Like most guys, I fell apart at the sight of a woman crying. She blinked furiously to hold the tears back and only a few brave ones slipped down her cheeks.

  “I’m so mad at him, Cruz. So fucking mad, and he’s an idiot and a stupid fuck, but I can’t let him get killed.” She swiped angrily at her tears and turned away, showing me her profile.

  This was so fucked up. So fucking fucked up that I didn’t know what to say or what to do. Hennessy’s shoulders slumped forward and she let out a silent, gasping cry before shaking off her sadness and her anger. She gave her eyes one final swipe and flashed a shaky smile. She was strong. Too strong for her own damn good and I knew what I had to do.

  “How can I help?”

  Chapter Five

  Hennessy

  “You could marry me,” I told him. It wasn’t the most elegant proposal, and it definitely wasn’t romantic, but this wasn’t about elegance or romance. It was cold, hard reality.

  Cruz looked shocked. Hell, he looked shook. Those sky blue eyes looked at me like I’d lost some of my marbles. Maybe I had. Desperation has a way of making even the smartest person a little bit dumb.

  “Say that again?” His words fell out when he dropped his jaw.

  I couldn’t help the smile and wondered when the last time this guy was at a loss for words? Confusion was his main emotion, but he also had a healthy mix of disbelief and mistrust, both of which I understood.

  “I said, you could marry me.”

  I held my hands up to stop whatever he’d been about to say, mostly because I was terrified he would kick me off the ranch, and I’d be back to where I was…ten minutes ago.

  “Hear me out, Cruz. Please. Hear me out before you say no.”

  His pink tongue darted out and swiped across his bottom lip. It went from one side to the other before slicking over the top lip, leaving me temporarily mesmerized. Cruz brought himself up to his full height, just over six feet, and shoved his thick beefy hands into his pockets. He gave a short nod of agreement, and though my heart misinterpreted it and lifted in hope, the rest of me knew he was only agreeing to hear me out.

  “Follow me,” he said.

  We walked in silence for a few minutes, back towards the ranch and past the big white mansion. “What do you call this thing anyway?”

  He grinned at me, and I swear, my leg buckled for a moment at that sexy smile.

  “I call it the Big House, but Gunnar says that soun
ds too much like prison, which of course means I keep calling it that. Holden calls it the main house, and everyone else flips between the two. Impressed?”

  I nodded. “It’s nice. Seems like a lot of house, but it’s beautiful. Sounds like a lot of people live here.”

  “Well, here and on the ranch. In the bunkhouse. But yeah, we congregate there for meals and shit. I’ll explain.”

  It was a house for a family, a happy family.

  “It’s big as shit, but it’s come in handy lately.”

  His words were ominous, and I really wanted to know what they were about, but one thing at a time. If Cruz really was open to the idea, that had to be my priority.

  “Gunnar and Peaches live there with Stone, who you met, and Gunnar’s kid sister, Maisie. She’s just a kid too. Martha is the cook and housekeeper along with one of her daughters. The rest of us live off-site.”

  That was a lot of information, and I nodded as I processed everything. “Off-site from the big house or the ranch?”

  “The big house, mostly.” We rounded a red brick structure that looked like an old schoolhouse, but through the uncovered windows I could see a few sets of bunk beds and twin beds.

  “Wheeler is still bunking in here most nights, but he spends more and more time with his woman.”

  “She doesn’t live here?”

  “Nope. She works at the hospital.”

  At the back of the red brick building we came to a sturdy looking cedar bench. It was made up of just six, maybe seven pieces and it was beautiful.

  “Wheeler built this with Slayer’s help,” he said as he sat on the bench and patted the seat beside him.

  “Who planted the garden?” Flowers had just started to bloom on one side and vegetables on the other. The clear greenhouse was vibrant with the color of new plants. Relaxing.

  “Wheeler.” There was laughter and respect in his voice that I wanted to know more about.

  “Did it for Annabelle. He fell hard for the Doc.” The words lingered in the silence between us, and I looked at the tomatoes that were little more than small green orbs. For a second I wondered what it would be like to have someone plant tomatoes for me.

  “So, how’d you end up here?”

  He shrugged. “After the Army I didn’t have a plan. Didn’t really want one if I’m being honest. I went from being under my dad’s roof to the drill sergeant’s to sleeping in tents in hell. I found this place by accident, and I’ve been here ever since.”

  That was a nice story but there was a lot missing from it, but again, that was a conversation for another time.

  “Are you seeing someone? Married already?”

  His silence was deafening on the topic, and usually that was a man’s way of trying to find a nice way to tell you to screw off.

  “No.” He huffed out a laugh and shook his head, his gaze focusing in on the tiny white rosebud that would bloom at any moment. “I’m single.”

  “No baby mama or ex-wife hoping to get back together with you?”

  Cruz cocked a dirty blond brow at me, his blue eyes sparkling with humor. “None at all.”

  That was good, at least. It meant his hesitation had to do with something else.

  “All right, Cruz. Tell me to go away or tell me what you’re thinking.”

  He gave me another one of those looks that said he either wanted to strangle me or undress me. I did my best to control the shiver that ripped through me.

  “I’m thinking that you must be out of your damn mind.” He blew out a breath and raked both hands through his thick hair that was badly in need of a haircut. “Worse, I must be out of my mind for even considering it.”

  I understood that emotion all too well.

  “Don’t feel obligated to say yes, Cruz. You have a life here, and it wasn’t right of me to come here and mess it all up.”

  “So why did you?”

  Ouch. I shrugged. “I knew you were in the military, so I asked Esme how to get in touch with you. I saw some articles and photos of you on the internet, kicking ass, and taking names. I figured if you couldn’t help me, then I’d fake my death and live off the grid until I’m dead.”

  “Not a very elaborate plan.”

  “I’m not a very elaborate girl. As soon as Homer told me what he’d done, I went home and packed a bag, emptied out my bank account, and hit the road. I was in Denver by the time I realized I needed a better plan than driving across the country. And without a plan, I’d run out of money real fast.”

  “Mama told you to find me?”

  “To be fair, I asked if she knew how I could find you, and well, you know how your mom is. She’s so kind and she gives such good hugs that I ended up telling her most of it and she insisted I find you.” I blew out a breath, thinking of the way Esme had gathered me in her arms and told me it would all work out.

  “If you say no, I’ll just tell her that I changed my mind.”

  “Why would you do that?”

  “Because this isn’t your problem. I have to ask, but you don’t have to say yes.”

  “Right, and have your death on my hands? I don’t think so, sweetheart.”

  That wasn’t a happy proclamation, but I guessed I shouldn’t have expected anything else.

  “If you say no, none of this is on you, Cruz.”

  I stood and turned to look down at him. “I figured if I was already married, then Eugene might let Homer work off the debt. But halfway here I realized how stupid that was.”

  I didn’t want to say the next part, because I wasn’t sure if it would offend him or not, so I took a deep breath and searched for the words.

  “What changed your mind?”

  “Honestly? Those twin old ladies at the B&B said you and your friends were bad asses. Good in a pinch. I figured the old fuckwad might be hesitant to make an enemy out of a motorcycle club.”

  His lips twitched. “That wasn’t so hard to say, was it?”

  “I didn’t know what to call it, and I didn’t want to piss you off in case there’s a chance you’re thinking about it.”

  “And if I wasn’t?”

  I shrugged. “Then pissing you off won’t matter because you won’t help, and I probably will never see you again.”

  His smile returned, and I wished I was still sitting because, holy hell, it was a potent thing, his smile.

  “Makes sense. Too bad you’re not thinking of one important thing.”

  “What’s that?”

  I’d thought of nothing but this proposal, and what I’d be willing to give up or do, to make it happen.

  “We’re strangers. We were kids when we knew each other, and, as you pointed out, we didn’t know each other at all. Fifteen years have passed since then.”

  He was right. “Okay.” It was a valid point, and I wouldn’t beg him to help, even though I really fucking wanted to. “Thanks for listening, I guess.”

  He growled, and I took a step back, not out of fear, but because distance was key right now.

  “You understand my hesitation, don’t you? Some random chick shows up and asks me to marry her to protect her from a mob boss. How do I know you’re not lying? How do I know you’re not already married to this old man and looking for a young idiot to kill him so you can make off with his cash?”

  There was a darkness, maybe it was anger, I didn’t know, burning in his eyes, and I took another step back.

  “Right. Okay. If you change your mind, I’ll be at Opey Saloon & Lodging until morning when you’re ready to talk.”

  He nodded, and I turned to leave. “I’m not sure I’ll ever be ready, Hennessy.”

  Even though he couldn’t see me, I nodded as I walked away. It was a big ask. I knew it, so his rejection wasn’t all that surprising.

  It hurt like hell and made my life more difficult, but it wasn’t surprising. I barely knew the guy.

  Chapter Six

  Cruz

  “Oh yeah. Lick that asshole!” A blonde woman was kneeling behind a ripped redheaded dude wit
h his ass cheeks spread apart, her tongue deep in that dark crevice while he fucked one girl and ate the asshole of the one getting her pussy licked by the girl he was fucking. It was a strange, erotic centipede of fucking. I wasn’t gonna lie, my gaze was riveted to that shit.

  The dude was so in the fucking moment, unashamed to ask for what he wanted even though at least a dozen people watched, more than half of them men with their cocks out and in their hands. Stroking hungrily, at the women or the ginger. I didn’t fucking know, and I didn’t particularly care. We all had our kinks and without them, The Barn Door wouldn’t exist.

  “I’m. Gonna. Oh, God, I’m gonna….come!” The blonde who was getting her asshole and pussy licked at the same time shouted over and over, letting everyone on the whole fucking floor know that her orgasm was imminent. The dude slid his middle finger into her slick, rosy asshole, pumping in and out while she fucked the brunette’s face hard and fast.

  “Oh, fuck!” His roar tore through the air, causing a few gasps to go up over the room, as the blonde on her knees shoved her tongue deep in his asshole while she massaged his balls. His hips jerked as he came on a growl, pumping hard into the brunette until he was empty. Then the blonde collapsed on top of the brunette, with the dude on top of her.

  “Fuck!” His body trembled and vibrated with pleasure, a smile crossed his face.

  Aside from the heavy breathing on the bed, there was even more in the gallery as men and women, and a few couples, worked themselves into a frenzy just watching the sexy foursome. It was all in a day’s work. When all three turned their attention to the blonde, who was still on her knees, each of them looking hungry and horny all over again, I walked away to check on the other rooms.

  A perk of the job was that I got to watch all kinds of people get their freak on, fuck how they wanted to fuck. It was kind of a rush, watching people fuck who fucked like no one was watching. They went all in and they did it all in the name of pleasure. This place wasn’t just work for me. It was the perfect way to get my dick wet with all kinds of freaks who didn’t want anything more than a few fucks.

  But dammit, my mind was back to Hennessy. Again. She’d been on my mind since she left the ranch two days ago. She was probably halfway to Timbuktu by now. I hadn’t made up my mind about helping her, though, I guess by not reaching out, I had subconsciously made up my mind.