“I’ve seen one of those places,” Cowboy admitted. I snapped my head to him. Blood drained from my face. “Believe me, cher. You had no fault in Michelle being taken. I’ve seen how these things operate. They’re fucking well-oiled machines. The Hangmen are fucking damned, evil to most people. But him? Fucker is on another level.”
“I never knew,” I whispered, picturing Juan’s pretty smile. “I fell for a lie . . . and he has made me pay over and over again.”
“We got you now.” Hush pulled me closer, Cowboy closing in on my other side. “We both got you now.”
I wanted to believe them, but as I closed my eyes, tiredness pulling me under, all I saw was the black rose in the Polaroid, lying on the bed where my back was burned for good. And I knew it wasn’t going to be that simple. “Always mine,” Juan’s voice whispered insistently in my mind. “Forever mine.”
In Juan’s eyes, I was forever his. It wouldn’t matter how much time had passed. Or that I had fallen into the arms of these two men. He would still be coming.
The sense of peace I’d just felt was, in an instant, shattered to smithereens.
“Mi rosa negra,” he whispered into my subconscious, making me determined to cling on to Hush and Cowboy for as long as I was here to have them.
However long that might be.
Chapter Eight
Cowboy
Two weeks later . . .
“Make sure to behave yourselves when we get there.”
I looked at Sia, sitting between me and Hush in the truck, and put my hand over my chest. “Who? Me?”
Hush smirked, his hand on Sia’s thigh. Sia cocked an eyebrow in my direction. “Well, I ain’t gotta worry about Hush. It’s you who can’t keep his mouth shut. Always fucking busy.”
I licked my lips and glanced down in the direction of her pussy. She followed my eyes then slapped my arm. “What?” I faked my surprise as I turned into the ranch where Sia was looking over a horse today. I leaned in close. “Thought you liked it when my mouth was busy.”
“Cowboy!” Sia protested, pretending to be shocked, but still she shot me a fucking knowing look. One that said the bitch loved me all up in her. Hush stared out the window, the brother searching the ranch like a hawk. Smiler and Tank had just done a drive-by of the place. It seemed secure.
“I mean it, Cowboy. Don’t fuck with the vet, okay?”
“He keeps his eyes off you and I won’t.” I looked around Sia to Hush. “Right, Val?”
Brother just shrugged. “He keeps his eyes on the horse and we won’t have any issues.”
“Motherfucking bikers,” Sia muttered to herself, but when she dipped her head, I saw a fucking shit-eating smirk pull on the corner of her mouth. Bitch loved that we’d claimed her now. And fuck had we claimed her. After the first night in her bed, we’d never left. Only time we made ourselves scarce was when the VP came calling. And since that’d only happened twice, we were all good.
Even Hush wasn’t pushing her away anymore. After the first night we’d taken her, I was sure he’d find some excuse to break it off the next morning. Instead I’d woken to him making love to her again, mouth welded to hers. I’d joined in, taking my turn. Figured it would be rude not too.
Although Hush was with her, the brother still hadn’t told her about his past. Hadn’t told her why we went nomad. Nothing. Not even about his scars. Why his eyes were fucking blue.
I liked the way we were. And fuck, I was falling for the bitch. Every day I was around her. Every fucking night I was with her reeled me further and further the fuck in. I saw it in Hush’s eyes too. Every time I caught him staring at her, I saw it as clear as day.
But when I’d confronted him, asked him when he was gonna tell her it all, he just told me to back off and walked away.
I pulled my head back into the game. “Clara told me this asshole is always sniffing around you like a fucking dog in heat.”
“He is not!” Sia shrilled.
“Yeah, well, he better stay back if he knows what’s good for him,” I warned as I brought the truck to a stop. “Just remember, we’re buying into your business, helping it expand. Friends of your brother’s.” I flicked my head to Hush. “I know you like nothing more than letting your mouth go, can barely keep quiet, but remember I’m the one who knows about horses, so just try keeping them lips sealed.” I winked at my best friend; he just rolled his eyes.
We piled out of the truck, and Sia took the lead through the gate to the stalls. Hush and I walked behind. A dark-haired suave motherfucker stood next to the horse I guessed we were here to look at.
“Helen,” he piped up, all fucking smiles. I glanced at my brother and saw his eyes narrow. Good. We were on the same fucking page. “Got here okay?”
Sia nodded and hugged the vet. My skin prickled. Fuck, I was laid-back, nothing much in life bothered me, but seeing that prick’s hands on my bitch really wasn’t sitting well with me. Hush folded his arms over his chest. “Feeling a surge of rage too?” I asked quietly. Hush raised his eyebrow at me. I shrugged, keeping the smug vet bastard in my sights. “Fucking weird thing for me to feel. This is what it’s like to be you?”
Before my brother could speak, Sia turned around and gestured to me and Hush. “Tito, this is Liam and Michael; they’re recent investors in my place. Brought them along today to see how we do things.”
The vet looked surprised, but he quickly regained his huge grin for Sia. I felt like fucking growling, but I held it back. Sia would probably bitch-slap me if I dared. My head tipped to the side in thought. That sounded more fucking appealing
than it should.
“About time, Hel. I’ve told you to expand for a couple of years now.”
Sia gave him a tight smile. The vet, remembering his good-boy manners, reached forward and shook our hands. I wanted to crush the fucker’s fingers, but I thought better of it. We were meant to fly under the radar. “Tito Gomez. I have an animal hospital over in Spicewood. Been helping Helen here these past few years.” His eyes ran down us both. I knew what he was seeing. Big fuck-off brothers, tatted to fuck and could pretty much kill with one hand. “You’re into horses?” he asked, sounding dubious.
“More my thing. Michael here is the money.” I pointed to the mare. “She good stock?” I ran my hand down her leg and lifted her hoof, checking all over her to see if she really was a good buy. I had just straightened when Gomez zeroed in on a tattoo on my arm.
“One-percenter tattoo, isn’t it?” I tensed, feeling Hush move in beside me. “Something to do with bikers, right? One-percenters?” Gomez looked at my face. “You ride?”
My fucking eyes narrowed. I shook my head, playing the damn part. “Nah. Tribute to my granddaddy. He tried that life for a while before settling in the bayou and raising horses.”
“Really?” Gomez queried, then he nodded his head. Looked like he believed the story. He pointed to the mare. “Good solid stock.” He turned to Sia. “She’ll be good for you to train. Recently broken in. Should get a good return, if you sell her for the barrels.”
Sia nodded and moved to the horse. When I looked at Hush, the brother was watching the vet. “I’ll take her,” Sia agreed. She walked off with the owner to talk money. Gomez went with her. Hush and I never let him out of our sight. The asshole had a huge hard-on for Sia, that was for sure. But beyond that, he seemed like a normal guy.