Chapter 9 Colton #2
Cash walks with purpose, knowing the exact way as if he’s done it a thousand times before. I scan the ground for anything hidden, like a hole for a body, or a shovel.
“I swear to fucking god, Benjamin Cash, if you brought me out here to murder my ass I will come back and haunt you for forever because what the fuck, man.”
Cash full belly laughs. “If I wanted to kill you, I’d never bring you somewhere people go with your bike or phone. That’s basic serial killer one-oh-one.”
“You’ve thought about that before?” I ask.
“Everyone has.”
“Normal people don’t, Cash.”
The trees thin suddenly, firelight and smoke slicing through the once dark, empty spaces. The bonfire roars at the center of the field, cinderblocks stacked around it to keep the flames from spreading. Four-wheelers and coolers are scattered all around, music pounding like a heartbeat.
We head to the nearest coolers for a beer. Cash greets friends left and right, flashing a smile at a couple of girls by the fire, and I ignore the whispers that follow us, because they would never have the nerve to say it to my face, especially not with Cash beside me.
And then I see her—Molly—wearing a pale yellow dress, laughter spilling from her cherry red lips. Sweet, innocent, and most importantly, Rhett’s.
An idea sparks in my head as I watch her with her friends, taking photos and videos for social media. Half a dozen people have phones out, and I wonder if he could still ignore me when I’ve got my hands on something that’s his.
She won’t be his for long, though.
I shiver in anticipation of watching him come unglued on me. Maybe then he will finally come to his fucking senses.
“Is that Molly?” I ask for confirmation.
“Yeah, looks like it. She likes going out with her girls when she can.” Cash shrugs, handing me a beer.
One of the other girls who was standing by the fire saunters over, swishing her hips, trying to attract Cash’s attention.
Silently moving away, now that Cash is preoccupied, I sip my beer and walk over to the fire where Molly is talking with one of her friends.
Objectively, I know she’s a pretty girl, but she has something that’s not hers. She just doesn’t know it yet.
I inch closer, sipping my beer, eyes on the fire, before she spots me out of the corner of her eye.
Come on, pretty girl. Take the bait.
She giggles at something her friend says and nods. Then her friend walks off to get another drink, leaving us alone.
There it is—my chance.
Rhett took too long, and I’m done with his games. I deserve attention, and he won’t give it to me, but I bet pretty little Molly will.
“You must be Colton, right?” Her sweet voice grates on my nerves.
Come to me, Rhett Thornwood. Or I’m going to take your girl.
“Just Colt, and I’ve heard all about you, Miss Molly.” I let my twang slip out a little more.
She blushes faintly. “Hopefully all good things.”
“I’ve heard you’re real patient,” I murmur. “You’d have to be.”
She gives me a puzzled look, and I do everything in my power to keep from rolling my eyes. Switching tactics, my hand finds her lower back, and I guide her over to a couple empty camp chairs so we can sit by the fire instead of standing.
She sits, and I scoot my chair closer to hers, our knees knocking against each other.
“So, tell me about yourself, Molly. You’re a teacher here, in town?”
She rambles on and on about how she’s been a teacher for a couple years now and loves her class and kids; I’m only half listening.
Scanning the crowd, I find her friend watching us with a curious look on her face.
I also try to find Cash, too, so he doesn’t come over to ruin this before I get what I need.
Placing her soft hand in mine, I focus back on her.
“What about you? I have no clue what you do other than that you work on the farm with Rhett. You don’t seem like the farm type,” she teases, gesturing to my clothes.
She says his name as if she has the right to, but he’s not hers—-hasn’t been since the hallway. My grip on her hand tightens briefly before I loosen my grip again, rubbing circles on the back of her hand.
“You don’t know what I seem like,” I mutter under my breath before taking a swig of my beer to clear my throat. “I'm in my last year of undergrad to become a vet. The farm is for experience with the animals—for my internship requirements.”
She leans in a little, closing the distance between us, surprise flickering across her face. “A vet? That’s actually kind of…hot.”
I smirk. “I get that a lot, honestly,” I say, chuckling a bit.
She laughs softly. “I’m sorry. That was a bit strong. I guess the whiskey has me a little more relaxed…”
“It’s always good to let loose every once in a while, sweetheart.” I wink at her playfully.
“You’re a lot more charming than I thought you would be, to be honest,” she says quietly, her eyes shifting down toward the ground.
I catch her friend in my peripheral vision. She’s been hovering since Molly and I sat down, beer in hand, trying to look casual and failing at it.
C’mon, Molly. Let’s give her something good enough to post on Snapchat.
I shift closer to Molly, angling us just enough toward the firelight that the shot will be good. Not obvious, but just enough. The friend’s phone tilts almost imperceptibly in our direction, and I feel the corner of my mouth pull.
There it is.
Placing my fingers under her chin, I lean in close, getting into her personal space. “Maybe I’m not charming at all. Maybe I just know how to give you what you’re missing.”
Her eyes drop to my lips, and she’s so focused on the distance between us that she doesn’t notice the flash go off to her left.
But I do.
A hand clamps down on my shoulder, rough, squeezing in warning, and I know exactly who it is.
Guess my time is up.
Taking my time to stand, I lean in closer, so that my lips almost touch the shell of Molly’s ear. “It was nice talking to you, Molly.” I look down and wink before turning to face an incredibly annoyed Cash. I give no reaction, though, crossing my arms over my chest.
I’m not fucking sorry. Why would I be? I’ve done nothing wrong.
“Walk. Now.” He jerks his head in the direction of the tree line to the left, where there aren’t as many people.
Excitement buzzes under my skin as I itch for the fight I know I’m going to get with both Thornwood brothers.
Picturing the look on Rhett’s face when he sees that photo is too good. Will he be mad? What will upset him more? The way my hand was on her face possessively, or maybe it’ll be the way she was eyeing me like I’m the first meal she’s had in a long time and she’s starving.
It’s not my fault he starved her of affection. She deserves more than what he’s been giving her; I can see that plain as day. I just have no interest in being the one who gives it to her. I want my man, and he won’t move, so I moved for him.
Maybe he’ll be relieved. I did him a favor.
The girl clearly would have bent if I’d had five more minutes with her, and while there’s a piece of tonight I’m not proud of, I want Rhett Thornwood and I’m done waiting.
After we get to a more secluded area, he goes to speak but stops himself. Then says, “What the fuck was that, Colt?”
“That was talking, Cash. I know you jump at everything that moves, but some of us actually just talk to women.”
His jaw ticks, not taking the bait. “You know exactly who she is, Colt.”
“Enlighten me.”
“Don’t. I’m not stupid, and neither are you. You saw them together at the bonfire. So skip the part where you pretend you didn’t know and tell me what you’re actually doing.”
“Okay, fine. She told me she just broke up with him.” The lie rolls off my tongue easily. She didn’t fucking mention him, actually. Which is another huge problem. Rhett doesn’t deserve a girl who would throw herself at some random guy just because he isn’t around.
“You’re lying.”
“Am I?”
“She’d never say that.”
I raise my brow, giving him a smug look. “That’s cute. You clearly didn’t hear our conversation, though, because apparently I’m charming.”
He grabs a fist full of my shirt, slamming my back into a tree. The bark bites into my skin through my shirt, and the sting temporarily eases the buzzing just underneath. His composure cracks just a little more.
That’s it, Thornwood. Swing.
Keeping my hands steady at my side, I crack a grin.
Cash tilts his head. “You’re not interested in Molly. Not even a little. Which means the only reason you went over there was to start something. So, who are you starting it with? And if you say Rhett, then I will actually bruise that pretty fucking face of yours.”
I hold his stare and keep my face easy, unbothered. “I appreciate that you think I’m pretty, but I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Sure you don’t.” He studies me for a long moment. “You don’t get to make her collateral damage in something she doesn’t even know is happening. She’s a good person, Colt. She hasn’t done a damn thing to you. So, stay the fuck away from her.”
“Or what, Cash?” I egg him on one final time.
Take the fucking bait, Cash. Come on. Just take it.
Silence stretches between us, but the feeling of his fist meeting my skin never comes. Instead, I get a look that’s somewhere between pity and annoyance as he lets me go.
“I think you already know that answer, Colt.” Shaking his head, he stalks back over to where a bunch of guys are gathering around a keg.
Watching him walk away, I flex my fingers, trying to will away the buzz under my skin that wants violence.
That was boring. I can only hope the next Thornwood won’t disappoint.
Deciding to not let that conversation ruin my evening, I make my way back to the party after seeing a couple of guys I went to school with. As I make my way over to say hey, I pass an unattended four-wheeler with a bottle of Jack sitting in the driver’s seat.
Finders keepers.
Grabbing it discreetly from the seat, I keep walking and open the bottle, taking a long swig.
The burn does nothing to take the edge off, though. Taking another sip, I realize I could down the whole bottle right now, and it still wouldn’t help.
The only thing that probably could is tucked in bed, pretending I don’t exist.