Chapter 14
Chapter Fourteen
As days and nights passed, Cree and Kennedy grew closer.
Kisses were stolen as coffee was poured in the morning.
At night, while she read paperbacks she’d purchased at the store, Cree would watch TV with his head in her lap.
They still argued like the devil most days, but at night, they always ended up wrapped up in each other.
They hadn’t talked about what would happen when they left the safety of the reservation. They had no idea if the men searching for her had given up, or if they were still out there somewhere.
Nothing Cree found on the internet about any missing persons or murders had anything to do with Kennedy’s boss or his associates. A few random posts on Kennedy’s social media asking her to contact work was all he’d found. He wondered if her boss thought she was stupid enough to respond.
Cree knew firsthand that problems did not solve themselves. People like Kennedy’s boss didn’t allow things like being seen killing a man go unchecked. No, they stepped back and waited for things to cool down, then they struck hard and fast.
That thought had Cree worrying more every day they remained at the reservation, especially after the scene at the gas station days before.
Cree walked out of the store after paying for gas to find a truckload of locals harassing Kennedy. He recognized one of the men as Roddy Little Elk, a cousin of the girl from Pine Ridge Reservation. What was the likelihood they’d run into one of her family members at Red Lake?
Shoving the guy away from Kennedy, Cree ducked as Roddy took a swing at him. Dodging left, then right, Cree’s fists connected with the guy’s sternum in a one-two punch. The sound of Kennedy screaming distracted him long enough for Roddy to tackle him to the ground.
Rolling across the ground, ice and snow crunched beneath the two men as they shot elbows at one another. Blood spewed from Roddy’s nose from Cree slamming an elbow into it. Tossing the guy off him, Cree scrambled to his feet as another guy tried shoving Kennedy into their truck.
Cree swept his feet, causing the guy to go down on his knees. Grabbing for Kennedy, he pulled her away from the truck as police cars pulled into the parking lot.
Maliki rushed toward his cousin. “Cree, are you two okay?”
“Yeah, but this asshole,” Cree kicked the guy still on his knees, “tried kidnapping my ol’ lady.”
“What about Little Elk?” Maliki asked as another officer took control of the man groaning at Cree’s feet.
“He was in on it,” Cree answered as he kept Kennedy tight to him, her face tucked against his chest.
“Running Wolf disrespected my cousin,” Roddy yelled as he was put into cuffs.
“And you thought grabbing his woman was punishment for that?” Maliki asked as Roddy struggled against the other officer.
“An eye for an eye.”
It wasn’t the first time Roddy and his buddies had been arrested for some bullshit or another. Nodding to the other officer, Maliki told him to take them to the jail. “If you’re both okay, I’ll go take care of those idiots.”
“Thanks.” Cree kissed Kennedy on the head. “Let’s get back to the house.” He felt her nod against him.
If he could be tracked across the country through the reservations, what was keeping Kennedy from being tracked as well?
She’d been seen with him, and that posed its own problem.
The likelihood of the other girl’s father giving up Kennedy was definite if he found out she was being hunted.
Those thoughts had his overprotective side kicking into high gear.
At least Maliki hadn’t called her by name.
“Cree?”
“Hmmm?”
“Why did that guy at the gas station think you disrespected his cousin?”
He wondered when they’d get to that. “This is gonna sound bad, but I slept with her when I was down at the Pine Ridge Reservation. That was the same day I came to find you.”
“Did you do something you shouldn’t have?”
“Hell no. I guess she was pissed I kicked her out of my tent.” He wouldn’t tell her what had gone down between him and the woman. There was no reason Kennedy needed to hear the details of that escapade.
A knock at the door stopped the conversation.
Cree slid his hand under the sofa cushion, pulling the gun hidden under it.
Climbing off the sofa, he racked the first round.
They weren’t expecting company, so he looked at Kennedy and nodded toward the back of the house.
“Go to the bedroom and stay there until I tell you it’s safe. ”
He waited until she had closed the door before opening the front door. Peering outside, he saw the sheriff and some tribal officials standing on the porch. “Running Wolf, we need to talk,” the tribal chief said.
Moving back, he opened the door wider. “Come in.”
When everyone was standing in the living room, he put the gun on a shelf. “What brings you here so late in the evening?”
“Roddy Little Elk is saying you disgraced his cousin.”
“This again?”
“He’s not letting up on it.”
“Didn’t screw the woman, but I did watch her fuck herself.
” His words were crude and could be taken as disrespectful.
Cree didn’t care—he was pissed that he was being hassled over some iskwew.
“She shouldn’t climb into a man’s bed naked and wait for him to come into that bed if she isn’t willing to go the distance. ”
“Did she want to go the distance, as you call it?”
“To a certain extent. And before you ask, when she said stop, I stopped. Then I threw her out of the tent.” Scrubbing a hand over his face, Cree didn’t have time for this shit. “So, what’s this visit about, Sheriff.”
“Her cousins are gunning for you, son.”
“I’m not worried about them.”
“What if I tell you the family wants you to marry the girl?”
The bedroom door flew open, showing a pissed-off Kennedy moving fast across the floor.
The audible cracking sound of a hand slapping a face resounded in the small living room.
Kennedy stared at Cree. “You asshole.” Turning to face the other men in the room, she put on a look of disgust. “Cree won’t be marrying anyone because his cheating ass is already married to me.
” Kennedy turned back to Cree, forcing tears to crest her lashes. “I thought I knew you.”
She raised her hand to slap him again, but he grabbed her wrist, stopping the contact. “Go to the bedroom. We’ll talk about this later,” he growled at her. Letting go of her wrist, he watched her rush back into the other room and slam the door.
Directing his attention back to the other men in the room, he refused to rub the spot where Kennedy had slapped him. “Like I was saying, I didn’t disgrace Bedoya.” He held out his hands.
“Maybe talk to Bedoya Little Elk.”
“You want me to talk to another woman about what happened in my tent?” Cree looked at the closed door and pointed toward the bedroom. “Did you not see how pissed that female is? She won’t have it. She might ask you to scalp me instead.”
“She needs to be careful what she asks for.”
Cree crossed his arms over his broad chest, staring at the older men in his living room. “I’m already married, so I don’t know what you want me to do.”
“They won’t believe you’re married to that white woman.”
“What do you suggest for resolving this issue?”
“Remarry your woman in a traditional blanket ceremony. Here on the reservation, under the full moon in three days.”
“We won’t be here that long.”
“Yes, you will.”
Before he could argue, everyone filed out of the house, leaving Cree standing there speechless and fuming.
When the door closed, he turned to go after Kennedy.
She was about to get her ass spanked for slapping him.
Opening the door, he found her sitting in the middle of the bed.
“Sorry about slapping you. I wanted my being upset to seem real.”
“You were two seconds from getting your ass spanked.”
“Will spanking me make you feel better?”
“No, but it would turn you on, which would get me hard as fuck.” He saw the look, understood what it meant. His hand itched. Instead of moving toward her, Cree realized his mood was the wrong one for such play. “Maybe later, after I calm down.”
“Cree.”
“Kennedy,” he mimicked her.
“What would get them off your back?”
Cree thought about the question. “Proof we’re married.”
“What does that entail?”
“They want us to do a blanket ceremony to prove it.”
“I’ll do the ceremony so you won’t have to marry the woman.”
“I couldn’t ask you to do that.”
“You wouldn’t be. I’m offering.” Kennedy picked at a string on the blanket. “I owe you as much.”
Was that why she’d been fucking him, because she owed him? “I’m gonna sit on the porch for a while so I can clear my head.” Turning away, Cree walked out, not stopping until he was outside.
Sitting on the front porch, he tried figuring out how he would get himself and Kennedy out of this fucking situation when his phone rang. Looking down, he saw it was Teller and swore because he couldn’t catch a break. “Yeah?”
“Cree.”
“How can I help you, Teller? Don’t say pick up another brother’s little sister because my answer is no.”
Teller chuckled. “I wanted to check on things while I had a second.”
“It’s going.”
“I can hear what you’re not saying, so tell me what’s going on.”
“What would you like to know? That I crossed the line and I’m now fucking Player’s little sister?
Who, by the way, is not little. She’s a full-grown damn woman.
How about the fact that the tribal chief has decided I need to marry a native girl I fucked back in South Dakota?
And that her family from Pine Ridge is here causing trouble?
But Kennedy told them that we’re married, and now, they want us to have a tribal ceremony to marry us for proof.
” When Cree stopped talking, all he heard was silence.
“How’s things in Montreal?” he asked, changing the subject.
Teller didn’t know what to say. If Cree was indeed screwing Player’s sister, who the brother hadn’t seen since she was five, it would be a shitshow. “Don’t fuck with me, Cree.”
“Oh, I’m straight up telling the truth, brother.” Why would he fucking lie?
“Cree, I’m serious, don’t fuck with me.”
“Teller, what part are you having the issue with?”
“You fucking Player’s sister.” Looking around to make sure no one overheard the comment, Teller continued. “Player hasn’t seen her since she was five. In his mind, she’s still that little girl.”
“If you were trapped in a cabin in a snowstorm, you might think about it too.” That wasn’t the reason he was sleeping with Kennedy—he was one hundred percent into the female.
“He’s gonna slit your throat,” Teller told Cree flatly.
“I’ll give him the chance.” Cree watched the snow as it fell harder. They would never get out of this place. “What’s happening back home? Fill me in.”
Teller forgot Cree had been with Kennedy for weeks. “Vicious and Sway got married.”
“Fuck. When did that happen?”
“A few days ago. When do you think you’ll be back?”
“I don’t know. We’re still in Minnesota. Don’t worry, I reached out to the chapter in Minneapolis and let them know we’re here.”
Teller knew a little about the reservations. They were sovereign nations within the States. Cree didn’t have to let anyone know he was on the reservation. “You didn’t have to do that, but I do appreciate it. Is there anything I can do to help your situation?”
He chuckled. “Figure out how to keep me from having my throat slit by Player.”
“Listen, if you want me to send someone down, I can. Becks is about to head out. He can come that way and lend you a hand with Player’s sister.”
“You can keep that fucker away from her,” Cree said firmly.
Teller thought Cree had been joking about having slept with Player’s sister, but the brother was dead serious. Sounded to him like his friend had fallen for the girl. “I’m just saying, if you can’t handle things . . .”
“I can handle Kennedy.” Talking to Teller had Cree thinking more clearly until he caught sight of the curtain move. Kennedy had been eavesdropping. “I gotta go, Teller.”
He heard Teller laugh as he hung up. “Now to deal with my ol’ lady.” The comment brought him up short. “Shit!”