“Said you don’t want things to change… It’s too late for that. Shoulda thought about that before you slipped into Easy’s bed.” He blew out an audible breath. “Know you don’t wanna go back to your mom’s. Know why, too.”
He knew why? How? “Who told you?”
“Don’t matter who told me. Knew your mother long before you were even a thought. Know she only had you to keep her new man when he was ready to leave her crazy ass. Know she did it again with your younger brother, too. That bitch trapped your father, then guilted him into stayin’. That ain’t a reason to have a fuckin’ kid, forget two. Ain’t a secret she really didn’t want either of you and if anyone can understand how the fuck that feels, it’s me, Tess. She don’t give a fuck about you or your younger brother, but here’s the thing… We do. Trip does. He took you in ‘cause you’re family. Now you’re spittin’ in his goddamn face by sneakin’ out and encouragin’ one of our brothers to break a rule.”
“If you don’t say anything, no one will know. Easy will be safe. Things will go back to how it was.”
“How it was…” Cage huffed out a breath. “All you had to do, woman, was find someone off this goddamn farm. That easy. Just not that Easy.”
“And all you had to do was not stick your dick in some innocent Amish girl. You couldn’t resist that, either.”
Cage went completely solid for a split second, then took a step back, both hands curling at his side. He spun on his heels and strode to the other side of the deck, keeping his back to her.
Shit, shit, shit. She was supposed to stay calm and smooth things out, not make them worse.
But once again, she and her big mouth fucked things up.
She could be a pro at that. Just like her damn mother.
“Shit happens, Cage. You out of anyone should know that. Mistakes are made—”
He spun around, pointed at the house and growled, “Get the fuck in the house. I don’t wanna hear or see you right now. I’m done with you.”
“Cage…”
“Get the fuck in the house, Tessa. I need fuckin’ time to wrap my fuckin’ head around all of this and what you’re askin’ me to do.”
Tessa closed her eyes and took two long, deep breaths of the early morning air to try to slow her pulse. Then she tried to swallow the lump lodged in her throat along with the urge to pack her shit and run away.
She’d done that once already and now she had nowhere else to run to. She’d be out there on her own with nothing.
Could she make it on her own? Yes. Would it be easy? Hell no. Did she want to give up what she had here in Manning Grove, on the farm, and as part of the Fury?
Just that thought made her stomach churn again.
“Sorry,” she whispered as she headed to the glass sliding door.
As she slid it open, she heard from behind her, “You’re sayin’ that to the wrong fuckin’ person. And I’m damn sure he’s gonna be sorry, too. ‘Cause take it from me, no pussy’s worth comin’ close to dyin’ over. Even yours, Tessa.”
After choosing which pocket he was going to drop the eight ball into, Easy leaned over the pool table, lined up his shot and took it.
Bullseye.
Bones should know better than to put a Benjamin on the line when it came to a game of pool with him. Most nights Easy had nothing better to do than drink beer, smoke a fatty and practice. Afterward, maybe watch a bit of porn.
Normally he’d throw doing a sweet butt on that list, too, but he’d been avoiding them recently. Unfortunately, they all knew it.
Words had been said to him from each and every one of them. Including Billie. The problem was, if the wrong person heard them complaining, it could raise questions and possible issues.
During the first two weeks or so of Tess climbing in his bed in the middle of the night, he hadn’t avoided them. Things had remained the same to keep a bit of normalcy. Because he certainly hadn’t been expecting it to go on this long.
At the time, Tess had been just a bonus. Similar to scarfing down a piece of warm apple pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream even after stuffing yourself full of Thanksgiving dinner.
Then one night when he was zoned-out and kicking it in front of the fireplace, Amber settled her ass on the bus bench next to him, leaned in, grabbed his package and squeezed. He had snagged her wrist, removed her hand, and made up a lame excuse that even she didn’t buy.
No one would.
But at the time it was the best he could come up with.