Bounty (Colorado Mountain 7)

He and Jussy were almost to the door and he had just enough of his shit together to push her back gently, but not enough not to put some serious pressure behind the grip he took on Chace’s shoulder to tell the man to get the fuck out of the way.

Chace’s head jerked to the side at the contact but he read Deke and got the fuck out of the way.

That was when Deke was confronted with Jussy’s near-twin, the male variety, a boy who refused to become a man who looked a fuckuva lot like a young Johnny Lonesome.

He took that in in half a second before he got right in Maverick Lonesome’s space and used his bulk—this mainly being his chest, he didn’t lift his hands—to shove the shitheel back.

“Hey! Fucking shit! What the fuck?” Maverick shouted.

Deke kept bumping him back then lifted one hand to plant it in his chest and give him a shove that sent him sailing four feet.

Only then did he turn and growl to Chace, “She stays inside.”

“Deke—” Jussy started, already one step out the door and still on the move.

That’s all she got out. Chace pulled her back through the door and shut it behind her.

“Seriously, dude, what the fuck?” Maverick clipped and Deke turned his attention to the kid.

He heard the door open behind him, tensed, felt it wasn’t Jussy just as he heard her protesting deeper inside the house, and knew someone he didn’t mind joining them was joining them.

Other than that, he didn’t take his attention off Lonesome.

“First, you’re gonna tell me why you’re here,” Deke informed him. “I’m good with what I hear, you’ll get to talk to your sister. I’m not, you’ll get in your car and drive away.”

“Who the fuck are you?” Maverick asked, his gaze skidding from Deke to whoever had joined them.

From the fear that instantly glinted in his eyes, Deke guessed it was Ty, definitely. Decker, probably. Tate, undoubtedly, because Tate would always be at Deke’s back. Also Twyla, because, she’d deny it to her dying breath, but the woman would take a bullet for any of them. And with the length of the kid’s sweep, Deke figured, maybe Ham.

“I walked out of that house, kid,” Deke reminded him. “That house bein’ your sister’s. Not me that’s gotta explain what I’m doin’ here.”

He pulled himself up, giving himself the impression he didn’t have to look so far up to keep Deke’s gaze.

“I’m only talkin’ to Jus,” he stated.

“Think I covered that,” Deke told him.

His face screwed up. “I don’t even know who you are, so I’m not sayin’ dick to you.”

Deke heard the door open again, he tensed again, but he didn’t hear Jussy’s voice so he sought patience and kept at the kid.

“Like I said, you are not gettin’ anywhere near your sister unless I got an understanding what you’re doin’ here and I’m down with you gettin’ to her. She’s havin’ a good night. You been shovelin’ shit at her, what I can tell from what she tells me, since you came out bawlin’. But the shit you’ve been shovelin’ since you all lost your old man is not on. And no way in fuck I’m gonna let you upset her more than you already have just showin’, no notice. You tell me what you’re doin’ here, I’ll tell her, she decides if she wants you in her space.”

Maverick opened his mouth but Deke leaned in, the kid’s eyes widened, but his mouth shut.

“I’m not repeating myself and I’m not negotiating. It goes like that, no choice, or you got men who’ll walk you to your car. You put up a fight, man who opened the door is a cop. He’ll have Carnal officers escorting you off the property and do not,” he leaned deeper, “fuckin’ test me. You fuck with Jussy, you resist attempts to remove you, your ass is in a goddamned cell.”

He stared in Deke’s eyes several beats, swallowing, his Adam’s apple bobbing, then his gaze shifted to the side and his face went hard.

Deke’s body got even tighter when he felt a light hand on his forearm.

He looked down and saw Joss standing there.

Her face was harder than the kid’s, brittle, the anger in her profile so intense, just looking at her Deke tasted it in his mouth.

“Do as you’re told, son,” she said quiet, her voice as brittle as her face.

“Not talkin’ to you at all,” he spat. “And I sure as fuck am not your son.”

She nodded, curled her hand firmer on Deke’s forearm and pulled at it like she was telling him to step aside.

He didn’t move.

She did, looking over her shoulder at whoever was standing behind them.

“The man who lives in this house doesn’t want this boy here. I think it’s time he’s shown to his car,” she said.

Deke felt the men move and he started to move with them but Joss kept her grip fixed on him.

He looked down at her, but before he could say shit, she did.

“Jussy will not like you being involved in what those boys might have to do,” she said softly. “That kid’s a stubborn ass. Let your friends play that out.” She tipped her head to the drive. “You go talk to Chace. He’s in with Rod and some of the girls, got Jussy in her music room.” She got closer and went up on her toes. “And she’s watching, Deke.”

He nodded, indicating her message was clear, but he didn’t go in.

He looked to the folks hustling Maverick to his car and saw he was right, Tate, Ty, Decker, Twyla and Ham.

“Fuck you!” Maverick shouted, pushing off on Tate.