Tangled in Trouble (Cloverleaf Meadows #3)

PROLOGUE

The chair crashes to the floor as I launch to my feet and stab a sharp fingernail at the asshole beside me. “You’re on my shit list.”

Jaxon chuckles. “A coin flip never fails.”

I roll my eyes. “Not for you.”

“Just get it over with. The boss will reward you.”

“With another bullshit job,” I spit. I’ll believe his promise of a raise when I see it.

“That’s the name of the grifter game, Franks. You’re just waiting for the next big hustle to land in your lap. Might as well earn a little extra on these side gigs until it arrives,” he says.

Which is sad but true. Our days are spent obeying James Keller’s command.

We’ve been blindly following his orders since I was old enough to remember.

He runs the crew with a harsh, unforgiving fist. If I refuse to do as he says, I’ll probably get kicked out onto the streets.

Honestly, the moments when I wonder if I’d be better off are happening more often. Much like now.

“Walker,” I sigh and turn to my brother. “Will you do it?”

“Busy.” And by that he means snorting whatever drug is chopped up in front of him.

Disgust slithers through my stomach like a venomous snake. “You and your nose could use a break.”

Walker’s bleary eyes struggle to focus on me. “Oh, yeah? Well, I think you could be more useful. Get on your knees for a few rich fucks and make us some real money.”

“I’m not a whore,” I seethe.

My brother scoffs. “Not yet.”

A permanent escape from this hell beckons to my dwindling spirit, but it’s futile. I can’t see beyond the rancid shack we’re forced to share. “Why do I even bother?”

Jax nods at the excess powder on the mirror. “You could get a hobby to dull your senses. Eventually, you’ll stop caring about the details.”

That suggestion turns my stomach. “I’d rather deal with Bianca Benson.”

“Get on with it then and quit your bitchin’,” Walker mutters before bending for another bump.

My middle fingers lift to bid them farewell. “So much for being family. I hate both of you.”

I kick at the horse stall like an unruly mare, pissed that I’m the one stuck on this assignment. Bianca is a spoiled rich girl who caught the wrong type of attention. Once the boss discovered that she’s important to his son, the sparkly rodeo princess got a target placed on her back.

A long sigh passes through my lips. Colton is another complication entirely. Why the boss insists on dragging my cousin back into the crew after he abandoned us seems ridiculous. Even for a shady group of misfits such as ourselves. But I don’t make the rules. I’m just expected to follow them.

My eyes narrow to showcase my annoyance for the woman in front me. I still can’t believe I’m the one confronting her. At a kid’s therapy camp, no less. The boss better keep his word and pay up.

Bianca returns my glare, as if this pampered brat has anything to complain about. Her attitude has been nothing but a headache. Why my cousin cares about her beats me.

I shrug, rolling her hostility off my shoulders. “You’ll want to hear what I have to say.”

The youngest Benson snorts like a champion sire asked to breed with a Shetland pony. “I don’t see how that’s possible.”

That makes two of us, but I have a job to do. “A little birdie told us that you’re having trouble leaving town on your own. We can help you escape.”

“Ohhhh,” Bianca laughs. “The cowboy criminals want to make me disappear. Convenient.”

“Is that what you’re calling us?” I flip my hair at the endearing title, trying it on for size. “I’ll have shirts made.”

“That’ll have you dressed more appropriately at a family-friendly facility.” Her gaze scours over me in disdain, as if I’m manure stuck to the soles of her expensive boots.

It doesn’t bother me that much. I’m used to this judgment from the likes of her. “Bitchy, huh? Makes sense.”

“Excuse me?” Bianca bristles and straightens her short stature.

“Don’t get your thong in a twist,” I huff. “That’s just what Colton sees in you.”

“Guess he has a type,” she launches in return.

And the friendly portion of our chat is over.

Fire licks at my skin, preparing to deliver a real message. Talk is too cheap for her expensive taste. A single step slices the distance between us in half. I wonder how hard she’ll cry if I pull her hair a little bit. The thought almost makes me smile.

But then a blur of motion launches at me. I don’t have time to react other than to brace for impact. Fuck, I’m caught off-guard. That never happens. It allowed Bianca’s reinforcements to pummel me. She deserves more credit, but I won’t be the one to admit that.

My body flexes into a weapon as I assess the situation. Except this attack feels… gentle? That can’t be right. A glance down steals the breath from my lungs.

There’s a small child latched onto my legs. I think she’s hugging me. My eyes widen while I slowly lift my hands. Shit, am I surrendering? My heart is pounding too fast. It feels like I’ve been compromised.

I’ve stared down the barrel of a gun more times than I care to count but never flinched.

An unexpected hug from this little girl is what’s going to do me in.

Instinct tells me to push her away, but that seems unnecessarily cruel.

Even for me. My empty gut churns on a feast of nerves. I don’t know what to do.

Another person arrives on the scene, but I can’t look away from this tiny human. She’s gazing at me with such adoration. It’s unsettling but pleasant. Warmth threatens to cradle my frozen heart.

Her pretty face nuzzles my leather pants. “She’s a superhero, Daddy.”

Daddy? Her father must be nearby. Why isn’t he detaching her from me? I’m a stranger, not to mention extremely dangerous.

In my peripheral, I watch a very tall man look me over. “She’s something.”

My breath sputters. What the fuck is happening?

The little girl clings to me like we’re family. Or maybe she’s stuck. There’s a gooey residue on her cheeks and fingers. My upper lip curls. That’s going to leave a stain.

Which must not be permanent enough damage for this small child. She blinks at me, revealing her genuine soul and intentions. “Will you be my mommy?”

Something strange happens to my stomach. Almost like it flips over onto itself. I might be sick. She’s asking me to be her mommy? Is this a joke?

But nobody is laughing. My heart pounds faster as I wait for someone else to react. Nothing happens other than her tiny arms proving their mighty strength. Maybe I’m being tested. I definitely can’t hang around for another shot to be fired.

With more care than I’ve ever given in my life, I pluck the kid off me. A squeak from my biker boots announces my retreat. My shoulders hike around my ears while I disappear into the cheerful crowd. Dammit, I’m never one to flee.

Defeat tries to weigh me down as I rush toward my Harley. Forget the raise. The boss can find someone else to handle that level of dirty work.