Love Again (Cowboys & Angels 4)

But tonight was guys’ night. Waylynn said she was exhausted and needed to soak in a hot bath…and a part of me was jealous. My dick was certainly thanking me for the reprieve. Even he needed a night off.

I knocked on Cord’s door. It opened and Cord flashed me a smile. “Right on time, as usual.”

I handed him the normal entry fee of a six-pack of beer, and he motioned me in. After a few steps I glanced to my left and stopped walking.

My eyes closed and I mumbled, “Oh fuck.”

“Well, if it isn’t Jonathon Turner.”

There they were. A lineup of Parker brothers. None of them smiling. I held out my hand as I walked up to each of them.

“How’s it going, Steed?”

He simply nodded. I moved to Trevor. “Trev, how’s it going?”

“I’ve had better days.”

My smile faded, but I knew better than to show fear. “Sorry to hear about that.”

Next came Mitchell. He was no longer a cop, which was not a good thing for me. He had been one of the only Parker brother you could count on to not get crazy because of his job. Well, actually him and Tripp. Now that Mitchell worked on his daddy’s ranch, I had a feeling he had some pent-up steam to let out, and I was the first punching bag available to him.

I turned slightly and saw Tripp. He was leaning against the bar that Cord had on the other side of the living room.

I couldn’t get Cord’s warning about Tripp out of my head, but I forced my feet to take me over to him.

“Tripp, great seeing you again.”

He grunted as he reached for my hand. His handshake was the firmest of all. When he dropped my hand, he let an evil smile play across his face.

“Karen said she saw Waylynn heading into your house.”

Awww, hell. Here we go.

“Yes, that’s true.”

“And according to my sources,” Mitchell added. “She didn’t come out of your house until late afternoon.”

My eyes darted around the room. I noticed for the first time that Cord only had one exit in this damn place. How had I never noticed that before?

“Um, that’s right.”

I looked past the bar to the balcony. It faced Main Street. If I ran, I could call for help. Surely someone would help me…wouldn’t they?

“You want to tell us what she was doing that whole time in your house?” Cord asked, taking a seat in his oversized, brown leather chair.

Glancing around, I focused on Cord. They’d all shit if they knew how many times she’d been back to my house. “Are you sure you want me to answer?”

“You afraid to answer?” Trevor piped in.

“No. If you want to hear how your sister and I spent the day, I’ll tell ya.”

“NO!” all five of them said at once. It was a small victory, and probably one that was going to lead to another black eye and busted lip.

Pushing off the bar, Tripp hit me on the back and headed over to the other sofa. “We’ve got some…things…we need to discuss with you.”

The front door opened, and Wade walked in. I let out the breath I’d been holding.

“Please, tell me you’re my backup?” I said, desperation in my voice. Wade glanced around the room and then back to me.

“Sorry, dude. I’m only here to make sure things don’t…you know.” He shrugged as he pointed to the five men sitting in the living room staring at me like I had a death wish hanging over my head.

“No, Wade. I really don’t know.”

“Go ahead. Fill him in,” Cord said.

Wade took a seat at one of the barstools at Cord’s kitchen island. “I’m here to make sure they don’t go too far with you.” He sliced his hand across his throat.

I swallowed hard and looked back at the balcony. “It might actually be worth the broken leg if I just run and jump right now. Save y’all the trouble.”

Steed laughed. “What fun would that be, Jon?”

With a sigh, I threw my hands up in surrender. “Fine. Let’s do this.” I closed my eyes and scrunched up my face while I waited for the first punch.

“What are you doing, asshole?” Cord asked.

Opening one eye, I looked at him sitting there. “I figured y’all were here to beat my ass, so I was getting ready for it.”

“So, you’d actually let each of us hit you? Why?” Tripp asked.

With a half shrug, I replied, “If that’s what y’all feel like you need to do. There’s nothing you could do or say to make me stop seeing Waylynn, so we might as well get this all said and done with.”

They looked at each other and then back to me.

Trevor stood up and cracked his knuckles. “Alright, then, if that’s how you want to do it, let’s just get to it. You want it in the face, gut, or dick.”