Chapter 28
TWENTY-EIGHT
I need to fuck him.
Right the fuck now.
And as much as I wanted to tear into him right there on the rocks while the tide rolled in, it wasn’t the time or place.
But now it is.
I cut through the winding back roads towards Fredericton, the afternoon sun shining down on us as Cade presses against me with his arms looped low around my waist. Low enough that I can’t even fucking think straight.
His hands shift against my stomach, and the way he leans into me has me groaning against the wind.
I ease the throttle open even more, trying to shorten the distance left to travel, because waiting even one more minute is too long.
I pull into the other lane to pass a sedan crawling along like a fucking half-dead sloth, and pick up even more speed, letting my engine growl and eat up the highway. Cade grips me tighter, and even over the noise of my bike and the wind… I swear I hear him laugh.
Well, fuck.
I might as well just pull over and fuck him right up against my bike on the shoulder of the road at this point.
But we’re close to Mom’s cabin, and that was my plan anyway, to make him come under the trees.
Mom’s still away, either riding some manic high somewhere in the province or locked away in group therapy with grippy socks.
Who knows which. Either way, she’s not here, and the chickens and ducks need feeding anyway, so win–win.
Except when I pull into the driveway, the sight of a shitty Volvo parked beside the cabin cuts that thought clean off as my pulse picks up and I grip my handlebars tighter.
As I roll to a stop and kill the engine, the front door slams open so hard it rattles against the wall.
“No. Oh, fuck no. Get the fuck out of here!”
My jaw clenches so hard I feel like I could crack a fucking tooth, and every muscle in me twitches, begging to break my fury loose.
Cade doesn’t let go of my waist, adjusting slightly in his seat behind me, like he’s unsure what to do.
He just waits while I stare down Maple on the porch, where she stands with her hands planted on her hips, shooting daggers at me with her icy glare.
“And what the fuck are you doing here?” I kick the stand down and tap Cade’s leg for him to climb off.
I keep my eyes on her as he slips from the bike, but when her gaze flicks to him, I push to my feet and swing a leg over as well.
“I asked you a question, Maple.” I hang our helmets on the handlebars and cock an eyebrow at her. “Did another boyfriend send you packing?”
She ignores me and jerks her chin towards Cade. “And who’s this?”
I step in front of him, blocking her view as my fists curl. “Fuck off,” I snarl. “What. Are. You. Doing. Here?”
She rolls her eyes with a huff. “In case you haven’t noticed, Mom’s still away. Someone needs to look after the place.”
I throw my arms wide. “Someone’s right here.”
She lifts one of her dark eyebrows and kicks a pot at her feet with a dead plant in it. I want to say… a tomato plant…
“Doing a great job as always, making sure things don’t die.”
Heat tears through me as anger fills every part of my body, and the only thing left is a fire that has its sights set directly on her.
I step forward, planting both hands on the railings, and look up at her. “Come down here and say that to my face,” I say through gritted teeth.
She crosses her arms and smirks. “I’m good. I can see your tantrum just fine from here.”
Cade steps up beside me just as I’m about to lunge up the stairs.
“Ok,” he says, placing a hand on my arm. He quickly glances between us, then lowers his voice so it’s meant for me, but impossible for her to miss. “Potential energy with nowhere to land always burns itself out.”
Fuck. Me.
I love this man.
Maple stares at him, and for once in her fucking life, she doesn’t have a comeback.
“Cade,” I say, straightening up and gesturing at her with a lazy flick of my hand. “This is my fuckwit sister, Maple.”
Cade just nods at her, while Maple shoots me a scathing look.
“And she was just leaving,” I add.
She scoffs. “No, Alder, I’m fucking not.”
“Ah,” I say, casually slipping my hands into my pockets. “So you don’t have a home to crawl back to. Who was it this time? Let me guess. A supercool drummer dude from a garage band, going to make it big, any day now…”
“Fuck off,” she snaps, then turns her attention to Cade. “Blink twice if you need help. No one in their right mind would willingly show up here with this meathead.”
Cade shrugs and shifts his gaze to meet mine. “Sanity’s not something I come by easily.”
I groan and reach down to adjust my hardening cock. Maple needs to get the fuck out of here—now.
I point a finger at her as I reluctantly turn away from Cade. “Leave, or you’re about to get a show.”
Her face twists in disgust, but she plants her feet and crosses her arms, staying right where she is.
Then, out of nowhere, Wingnut appears behind her and snaps hard at the back of her leg with a loud, violent quack.
A huge smile breaks out on my face as I watch Maple jump with a yelp.
“This fucking duck!” She tries to shoo him away with her foot, but Wingnut launches straight for her toes and clamps onto her sock, making her shriek again.
Fan-fucking-tastic.
He lets out one more furious quack before waddling down the steps, then settles in at Cade’s feet and starts picking at the grass. Cade watches him warily, but doesn’t move.
Such a good fucking boy…
“Need help packing?” I ask Maple, pulling my pack of cigarettes from my pocket and slipping one between my lips.
She stomps down the steps until she’s standing eye to eye with me. “Go fuck somewhere else. I’m here to actually look after the place.”
I light my cigarette and exhale smoke straight into her face. She coughs but doesn’t break her stare.
I huff a laugh and place the cigarette between my lips again. This is taking way too fucking long, and she’s killing the mood. So I blow another stream of smoke in her direction with a shrug.
“Alright. But Mom’s going to be real pissed you killed her—” I glance at the pot on the deck, squinting at the withered leaves, “—string beans?” I wave it off as I take another drag. “Since you’re the one looking after it.”
Maple rolls her eyes and turns to storm back up the steps.
“And I’m taking my duck!” I yell after her as she yanks the door open. “Since you’re just letting everything rot around here.”
She shoots me a look over her shoulder before slamming the door behind her, and I let out a dark laugh.
I totally won that one.
I hold the cigarette between my lips, bend down, and pick up Wingnut. Then I hold him out to Cade. “You’ll have to carry him.”
Cade’s eyes widen as Wingnut quacks loudly and stretches his wings out.
“On… the bike?” Cade asks, glancing between me and the duck with confusion written all over his face.
“Yeah,” I say, thrusting Wingnut into his arms. “He’s done it before. Just shove him in your sweater. He’s cool.”
Cade just stares at Wingnut as he holds him at arm’s length, and his wings flap while he quacks in outrage.
I smile. “He likes you. He’d be biting you by now if not.”
“Oh, great…” he mutters, staring down at the duck as I slide Cade’s helmet over his head and fasten the strap beneath his chin.
Then, with a resigned sigh, he unzips his hoodie. And Wingnut immediately slips into it with a loud quack.
“Lucky fucker,” I murmur to the duck as I swing a leg over my bike and motion for Cade to climb on.
As the engine roars to life beneath me, I flick my cigarette butt at Maple’s car. If only the window were down.
Well… Next closest spot is the clubhouse.
“So… he’s been here before?” Cade asks, watching Wingnut waddle towards the clubhouse doors.
“Yup,” I say, pulling the door open for both of them.
Cade watches Wingnut with a furrowed brow as he enters the clubhouse like it’s his palace, then follows him in.
“No!”
I smile as Caz shoots off the couch, pointing a finger at Wingnut.
“No. No, dude, no.” He backs up fast as Wingnut spreads his wings and lets out a violent quack.
Caz’s wide eyes swing to me. “Why?”
Then Wingnut lunges as he snaps at his legs, and Caz yelps as he leaps back onto the couch.
“That’s why,” I say, as the room breaks into laughter.
The clubhouse is packed this afternoon, and usually that fills me with pride. But today, it pisses me off. I brought him here because it’s closer than his house across town, and I just need to fuck him.
But since we’re here, there’s something else we can deal with.
I grip the back of Cade’s neck and steer him towards the bar, where Kurt leans with his arms crossed, smirking at the show Wingnut and Caz are still putting on.
He straightens as we approach, and his eyes lock on Cade.
“As you can see, dear uncle,” I say, firmly holding the back of Cade’s neck. “Cade is alive and well.”
Cade cuts his eyes to me, and his brows draw together.
“I see that,” Kurt says as he drags his gaze over Cade until it stalls on his throat. Then he looks at me with a cocked eyebrow.
“Hm,” I say, shaking my head. “Not the injuries you think they are. Cade may be bad… but he’s not a fucking rat. Because if he was,” I step behind him and wrap my hand around his throat. “These wouldn’t be the only marks on him.” I pull him tight against my chest, and he tenses.
But he stays right where he is, letting me do what I need to do.
I pull his head to the side to expose his neck, and slide my knife from its sheath. The steel flashes under the dim lights as I press it lightly to the skin on his throat, dragging just enough for goosebumps to appear.
“I’d open him right here,” I say in a low voice, watching the edge of my knife tickle his skin, “and watch him bleed out as he pays the price for even fucking daring to cross me.” Then I snap his head back and bring my mouth to his ear, keeping the knife pressed to his throat.
My words are a whisper meant for him, but loud enough for Kurt.
“You wouldn’t do that to me… or to yourself…
would you, baby?” I shift the blade down to his chest, over his heart, as I curl my free hand around his throat again.
“You wouldn’t make me carve out my own heart by taking yours… would you?”
I lift my eyes to Kurt, who’s watching Cade intently, waiting for him to crack.
And as cool as my man is under pressure, he swallows hard against my grip, and his chest rises and falls quickly against the edge of the knife as he shifts on his feet.
But I need more from him. I squeeze his throat tighter and adjust the knife so the tip is pointed right at his heart.
I need him rattled.
Because I know Cade isn’t the rat. But Kurt needs to believe it the way I do.
“Answer me, baby,” I growl in his ear. “Would you?”
His chest rises and falls, pressing against the knife with each quick inhale.
“No,” he breathes out.
Kurt observes him a beat longer before his gaze flicks to mine, and he nods once.
I release Cade’s throat and slip my knife back into its sheath at my hip as I step around him. I drop my gaze to his throat, taking in the angry, irritated skin, before looking into his eyes. His brows are drawn together, and his cheeks are flushed… but his eyes are bright and alive.
I smile at him, then jerk my chin towards the pool table, where Wingnut is still chasing Caz as the guys try to play. “Go help him.”
His eyes flick between mine for a moment, as his chest lifts with a deep breath… like it’s exactly what he’s been waiting for.
My beautiful, fucked-up doc.
He slowly turns away from me, and Mac holds out a beer for him with a smile. Cade takes it as his gaze skims the room, and it looks like he’s just moving through another stop on an otherwise normal day.
Somehow, he has me falling even more in love with him.
I force myself to look away from him and light a cigarette as I stare right at Kurt.
“Fine,” he says, grabbing a smoke of his own. “You’ve proven your point.” He takes a drag and lets smoke curl from his mouth as he exhales slowly. “But we still need to find this fucking rat.”
I nod, sliding my gaze back to Cade as Cory passes him a pool cue, and Wingnut aggressively flaps his wings at Dom as he walks by.
“Hear from the supplier?” The words taste rotten in my mouth, and I hate that we’re even entertaining this fucking idea.
Kurt shakes his head. “They’re stringing me along, trying to put me off until next week.” He shifts his gaze to me. “And we meet Frank tomorrow.”
“Fuck,” I mutter. “So the Sons could’ve got to them already.”
“Sounds like it,” Kurt sighs.
That thought hangs heavy over me, causing my insides to churn.
I don’t want us involved in guns, so losing this ‘opportunity’ should be a good thing.
But this just means the Sons will be the ones bringing them into our province…
and that’s even worse. Because I know they won’t just traffic them through.
“Well,” I say, flicking ash into the tray, “tomorrow we see what we can pull from Frank to give us clues who this rat is, and where the Sons are at with all this shit.”
Kurt observes me for a moment. “You got your head on straight?”
I bristle, standing up straight as I turn on him. “And what the fuck does that mean?”
He just huffs and rolls his eyes. “It means I know you want to put a bullet through his skull.” He shakes his head and looks right into my eyes.
“And I know you’re heated enough to try to fucking do it.
And as much as I’d love the same thing, we can’t.
You kill Frank, and the Sons come down on us in full force.
Bringing war right to our doorstep that will destroy our home. ”
“I fucking know that,” I snap. Every part of me wants to end Frank, but I know I can’t. I have to think bigger and keep them out instead of destroying them.
I’ll be good… but it fucking hurts.
Kurt nods, then shifts his gaze back out into the room. To Cade. He’s silent for a moment as he watches him and takes a slow drag of his cigarette.
Cade leans over the pool table with calculated ease as he lines up his cue, then sinks a ball clean into the corner pocket.
Mac and Trip shout in celebration and slap his back, while Caz leaps out of Wingnut’s path as the duck lunges for his toes again.
Cade laughs as he stands in the middle of the chaos, just letting it all unfold around him.
Kurt exhales smoke through his nose. “You’re bringing him into something he’s got no business being a part of.”
I just shake my head as I keep my eyes locked on his smile. “Oh… but he does.”