4. Ashley
The sun hadn’t even startedto rise when I tossed the covers back and climbed out of bed. Sleep had completely eluded me last night. I wasn’t sure what made it more difficult to relax: knowing the Savage Bones were out there somewhere or having Thunder sit on the front porch all night long. I’d offered to split shifts with him so he could get some rest, but he’d refused. It didn’t help that we’d searched the whole ranch and hadn’t founded a trace of Scamp. I kept hoping he’d show up, but the more time that went by, the less likely it seemed.
I slid my feet into my fuzzy pink slippers and crept down the stairs. I’d set up the coffee pot last night so Thunder would be able to keep it going and have something to sip on all night long.
The scent of freshly brewed coffee greeted me as I reached the last step. He must have just started a fresh pot. I grabbed a mug from the cupboard while the machine gurgled and coffee dripped into the carafe.
The door to the back porch creaked open, and I jumped at least a foot into the air. My heart zig-zagged through my chest, but it was only Thunder.
“Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you. I figured you wouldn’t be up for another hour or two, at least.” His gaze raced over me, then he looked away.
Shoot. I hadn’t planned on running into him and should have pulled on a robe. Standing there in my satiny tank and short pajama shorts made me feel completely exposed. I wrapped my arms around my chest and willed my heart to stop pounding.
“I couldn’t sleep.” Glancing around the kitchen, I searched for one of Gram’s embroidered aprons or something I could use to cover up.
Thunder shrugged off the hoodie he’d been wearing and handed it to me. “You look cold.”
“I don’t need your sweatshirt, I can?—”
“Just put it on,” he muttered through a clenched jaw. “Please.”
I shrugged my arms into the sleeves, inhaling the musky, earthy scent that clung to the fabric. My nipples tightened. I’d always felt the heat between the two of us, but he’d never expressed much interest. Sure, he’d kept an eye on me after everything went down with Savage Bones and Rae, but Thunder was the kind of man who looked out for everyone. He seemed to take personal responsibility for the entire town and everyone in it. I’d always assumed he was just being nice.
After I’d dated Razor, I’d sworn off men. I’d never been a good judge of character and figured my heart and my nerves could use a break. But once Rae and Priest got together, I started looking at Thunder in a new light. I’d never dated a man more than a couple of years older than me. Maybe that’s what I needed.
Feeling emboldened by the desire coursing through my veins, I stepped closer and rested my hand on his chest. His heart raced, beating against my palm through the thin fabric of his t-shirt.
“Maybe you could warm me up. I owe you a debt for keeping watch all night long.” I stepped even closer and slid my fingers up his chest and around to the back of his neck. Heat raced through me. Up until now, I’d dated boys who pretended to be all grown up, but Thunder was the real deal. Every inch of him was all man, especially the hard inches currently pressing against my belly.
Heat flickered in his dark blue eyes. This close, I could feel the ridge of his cock through the front of his jeans. He leaned in, his lips barely brushing mine. For half a heartbeat, I thought he was going to take me up on my offer. Then his fingers wrapped around mine, and he pulled my hand away from his skin.
“You make a habit out of offering your body in return for people helping you?” His voice came out so low it sounded more like a growl.
I wrenched my fingers free from his as fire flooded my cheeks. “Forget I said anything. I misunderstood.”
He placed his palms flat on the counter on either side of my hips, trapping me in place. “Let’s get one thing clear. You don’t owe me a goddamn thing. Got it?”
Nodding, I tried to duck under his arm, but he blocked me. I stared at the center of his chest, certain I’d never be able to look him in the eye again. I wasn’t everyone’s type. With thick thighs and wide hips my gram referred to as “perfect for childbearing,” there wasn’t a photo filter in existence that could make me look Instagram-worthy.
I’d always been comfortable in my own skin, but Thunder’s rejection stung. “Sorry. It won’t happen again.”
“Ashley…” His fingers curled around my wrist.
“What?” I risked a quick look at his face.
His eyes met mine, then drifted closed. “Never mind.”
I tugged my arm out of his grip and turned my back to him. I should have known better than to try to function before having my first cup of coffee.
Thunder didn’t move until I’d filled my mug and walked over to sit down at the kitchen table. Then he refilled the travel mug he’d brought into the kitchen and leaned against the counter. “What time do you have to be at work today?”
“Seven.” I cupped my mug in both hands, grateful for the distraction. “If you want to take off, I’m sure I’ll be fine now. Dusty’s just down the road if anything happens.”
He moved toward the door. “I’ll drive you to work. I’ve got the morning shift to keep an eye on things in town, so it’s no trouble.”
Taking a number from his playbook, I set my mug down on the table and cleared my throat. “You know, you don’t owe me a damn thing, either.”
His lips curved up in an almost-smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “That’s where you’re wrong, Baby Girl. It’s my job to make sure no one gets hurt while we work on running those heartless bastards out of town. Until the Savage Bones are gone, you’re stuck with me.”
He pulled the door closed behind him, leaving me sitting at the table in his hoodie. Being surrounded by his scent was like being cradled in his arms. I wouldn’t let my mind linger on thoughts of the older, overprotective biker. Not when there were chores to do. With a heavy cloud of regret hanging over my head, I grabbed my coffee and climbed the stairs to get ready for the day ahead.
Once I’d swapped out my barely there pajamas for a pair of old jeans and my own hoodie, I made the rounds. The chickens pecked at the ground as I spread feed and gathered eggs. Next, I put out some fresh hay for the horses and ventured into the small barn to feed the goats, pigs, and two funny alpacas.
Thunder kept an eye on me from a distance. The awkward run-in we’d had earlier still had me feeling embarrassed. The sooner he decided he didn’t have to personally watch my every move, the better off I’d be. I was almost done with my chores and headed to the house when I passed by one of the sheds where Gram stored farm equipment. A soft whimper came from inside.
I shaded my eyes with my hand and moved closer. No telling what Gram had in there. The door of the shed swung open on its hinges. Keeping the doors to the out buildings closed and locked was one of the rules of the ranch that had been drilled into me since I was little.
“Is anyone in there?” I called out as I approached.
“Ashley, wait!” Thunder broke into a jog to catch up to me. “Don’t go in there until I have a chance to make sure it’s safe.”
“It’s just storage,” I called out, already halfway through the doorway.
Thunder barreled in after me. He grabbing me by the waist and spun me around to shield my body with his. We stood together in the dimly lit interior of the shed. The scent of chemicals hung in the air, but the shed was empty.
“I told you to wait.” Thunder reached back and planted a hand on my hip as he steered me toward the door.
The whimpering grew louder.
I wheeled around and followed the noise. Scamp stood in the back corner, his muzzle taped closed and his collar secured to the side of the shed with a piece of rope.
“It’s Scamp.” I broke free from Thunder’s grip and rushed to the dog. “You poor baby.”
“Watch out, and I’ll cut him loose.” Thunder pulled a knife out of his pocket and sawed through the rope.
I fell to my knees next to the dog and wrapped my arms around him. “Who did this to you?”
“The Savage Bones must have tied him up to keep him out of the way. That’s probably why you didn’t hear him the other night when they attacked Ellie. What does your grandmother keep in here?”
“Usually it’s full of tanks of fertilizer. Dusty must have already applied it to the fields, though.” I held Scamp’s head while Thunder carefully sliced through the duct tape holding his muzzle closed. He didn’t appear to be injured, though he was probably dehydrated and hungry from spending the past day and a half in the shed.
“What kind of fertilizer?”
I didn’t see why it mattered what kind of fertilizer, but I didn’t have a problem sharing the information I knew. All I wanted was to get Scamp back up to the house so I could check him over. “It’s nitrogen based. Dusty usually injects it into the soil before planting, then follows up again with another treatment. We use it mainly for the wheat and barley. It’s cost effective and works well, but it’s a pain to handle.”
“I think we might have just figured out why the Savage Bones have taken a special interest in your ranch.” Thunder snapped his knife closed and stood.
“I don’t get it. What are you talking about?” I sank my hand into Scamp’s thick fur at the back of his neck. The more I tried to distract myself from thinking about the Savage Bones, the more the images of Ellie played through my head. My stomach rolled as I remembered stepping out onto the porch and seeing what they’d done to her.
“They’re making meth. If they want to be able to produce any kind of quantity, they’re going to need supplies.”
I put my hand to my forehead, suddenly feeling a little claustrophobic in the shed. “The fertilizer. That’s what they were after. But why kill Ellie if they got what they wanted?”
“That’s what we’re going to find out.” Thunder led me back into the sunlight, and I gulped in a breath of fresh air. “Let’s take the dog back to the house and get Dusty on the phone. I think he knows more than he’s been letting on.”