Fat Louise (Biker Bitches 2)

“A couple of hours?” Bailey asked, shocked.

“I don’t want to take a chance on them coming back.”

Bailey snapped her mouth closed, picking up a blanket for herself as she lay down. Jane curled her arms around her knees, leaning her forehead on them.

If Killyama were here, Bailey would be too afraid to mistreat me, Jane thought. And Cade would be nicer to me. He would see I’m really not that bad.

She missed her friends yet dreaded seeing them again. They were going to be furious with her for not telling them what she had planned.

She tried unsuccessfully to keep from sniffling, but Cade must have heard. He lowered the glass of whiskey Felix had given him.

“Come here.”

Jane shuffled to his side, and Cade scooted over, giving her enough room to lie down.

“It’s going to be all right,” he said in a low voice.

“No, it’s not. Javier or Carlos’s men are going to catch us and kill us, my sister hates me for making her leave her husband, and if I do survive, my friends are going to kill me for doing this without telling them.”

“We can make it to the border. This isn’t the first time I’ve done this. And your sister is a bitch.”

A loud snort came from Bailey at his words.

“And your friends will understand.”

“If you think I’m a bitch, wait until you meet her friends,” Bailey said snidely, rolling over to give them her back.

“Ignore her. Lie down and get some sleep.”

Jane took his advice, lying down next to him. The night was chilly, and she shivered before moving closer to Cade. He gave an aggravated sigh and rolled to his side, pulling her toward him then placing an arm around her waist. Jane relaxed against him and closed her eyes. It was the first time she had felt safe since she left Jamestown.

Cade stared down at Jane in the morning light, fighting back the surge of protectiveness he felt for the woman. She wasn’t what he had expected. He had anticipated a spoiled daddy’s girl; instead, he had found there wasn’t anything spoiled about her. She had been willing to sacrifice herself for those women being held captive, even giving them the only food they had. With no money, it hadn’t been a smart move on her part. She hadn’t known he planned to stop at Felix’s for supplies, but she had kept the candy bars for herself. He thought about that with a wry smile. He had noticed when they had been stuck in the hotel for two days that she had a sweet tooth.

In her picture, she had been sitting on a couch that hadn’t looked expensive, wearing jeans and a casual T-shirt, unlike the expensive dress her sister had worn. She shied away from any attention shown to her directly, probably the result of being overshadowed by her attention-seeking sister.

Her father was completely wrong about his daughters. Bailey was out for herself and would survive in shark-infested waters. Jane, on the other hand, would let the sharks have her if they were hungry.

Cade let the women sleep for a couple of hours, keeping alert for anyone approaching the house. He woke them around noon, Bailey grumbling and Jane drowsily going to the restroom.

He fixed each of them a bowl of cereal and coffee.

“Eat up. We need to go.” Cade pushed the bowl of cereal toward Bailey. Jane had already eaten half of hers.

“I don’t eat food like this,” Bailey complained.

“Right now, you can’t be choosy. We can’t exactly go in a store or restaurant, since there will most likely be a big reward posted for us. Anyone who catches sight of us could turn us in.” He shoved the bowl back toward her. “Eat.”

“I’ll eat it if you still don’t want it,” Jane offered.

Cade saw Bailey throw her sister a dirty look before picking up her spoon. A slight smile was on Jane’s lips as she finished her own. She had known how her sister would react. Bailey didn’t want Jane to have anything of hers.

“How much longer before we leave? I’m ready to go home. If we are stopped at any roadblocks, I’ll just tell them Raul is my husband. He can convince Javier to let you return to the States,” Bailey said between bites of her food. “I don’t know if he can help with Carlos, though. You might be on your own with him.”

“Thanks.” Cade really disliked this particular sister.

“You want to stay with him?” Jane’s disgusted question raised her sister’s fury.

“I shouldn’t have left in the first place without talking to him. Maybe there was a reason—”

“There was a reason, but you just don’t want to believe it,” snapped Jane.

Bailey’s lips tightened, and she grew quiet.

“I’m sorry, Bailey. I know you care about him, but I know what I saw.”