No Holding Back
SHIVERS WRACKED HER body as she watched him drink. Curled in the corner, waiting, dreading the inevitable—even breathing was difficult with so much fear crowding in around her. She wanted to cry but knew it wouldn’t help. She wanted to let in the hysteria, but she hadn’t quite accepted her fate...not yet.
She couldn’t.
Outside the room, two other men stood guard. They’d told her she’d be forced to do this up to ten times a night, and she wasn’t sure she’d even survive this first time.
She wanted to go home.
She wanted to curl up and die.
Mostly she wanted to fight—but how?
Amused by her fear, the man watched her while tossing back another shot. He enjoyed her terror—and that amplified everything she felt.
What to do, what to do, what to do?
Her gaze frantically searched the second-story room. One small window, opened to let in a breeze, led to a sheer drop onto a gravel lot. Would she survive going out that window? At the moment, did it really matter?
The man stood near the door. He’d slid a metal bar into place, locking her in, ensuring she couldn’t get past him. But also ensuring no one else could get in. Not until he’d finished.
He’d paid for two hours but now didn’t seem in any rush to get started.
To the right of the door, a tiny table held a bottle of whiskey and a single glass. To the left, an empty wooden coat tree stood as a place for him to hang his clothes.
A bare mattress on a small bed occupied a wall.
Nothing else.
Only her fear, the reality, the terror, her hatred, the cruelty...her will to survive.
When his loose lips stretched into a smug grin, she braced herself—and noticed that he stumbled a little as he stepped toward her.
Her heart punched painfully. Slowly, she slid up the wall to her feet. An invisible fist squeezed her throat, but she sidled sideways, toward that barred door.
Toward the little table.
From the hallway, loud music played. Whatever happened in this room, they didn’t want to be bothered with it.
She kept her gaze locked on his, her hands clammy with sweat, so afraid that her limbs felt sluggish.
“Thinking to run?” he asked, his grin widening with anticipation.
“I... I was hoping I could have a drink, too?”
“You want to numb yourself? No, I don’t think so.”
He wanted her afraid. He wanted her to feel every awful second of this degradation. With a lot of effort, she tamped down the need to vomit and managed to ask, “Then...should I pour you another?”
Snorting, he propped a shoulder to the wall. “Want to get me drunk, huh? Sure, go ahead and try it, but you’ll see, I know how to hold my liquor.” Tipping his head, he narrowed his eyes and the grin turned into a sneer. “Alcohol makes me mean.”
Refusing to dwell on that possibility, she forced a nod, reaching for the bottle anyway, letting him see how badly she trembled. She filled the small glass, then lifted it...while keeping the bottle in her other hand.
The obnoxious brute paid no attention; he focused on watching her quake as she came to him, the glass held out as a feeble offering.
Instead of taking it, he caught her wrist in a painful grip, jerking her toward him, laughing as she cried out.
She swung the bottle with all her might.
STERLING JERKED AWAKE with a start, her heart racing and her throat aching with the need to scream.
She didn’t. She never did—no matter what. Silence kept her safer than a scream ever could.
In just seconds, she absorbed the low light of the bar, the ancient rock and roll playing on the jukebox, the clamor of a few dozen voices talking low to one another.
God. She swallowed heavily, looking around at the familiar sights. Her gaze landed on the bartender.
He watched her. Always.
Nothing got by that man.
He could pretend to be an average guy, he could wear the trappings of a simple bar owner, but she knew better. He hid something, maybe something as monumental as her own secrets, but she wouldn’t ask. The Tipsy Wolverine bar was her haven from the road. She could sleep in her truck, and sometimes did, but she didn’t truly rest.
Here, in the little Podunk bar in the small mountain town of Ridge Trail, Colorado, she knew no one would bother her.
Because of him.
Again her eyes sought him out. She guessed him at six feet five. Really big, but solid head to toes. Posture erect. Awareness keen. He wore his glossy dark hair neatly trimmed, precisely styled...but it was those piercing blue eyes that really caught and held her attention.
His gaze had veered away from her, but that didn’t make him unaware. Sterling pegged him as ex-military, or maybe something deadlier. He was too damn physically fit to be anyone ordinary.
Her nostrils flared a little as she looked him over. In the seedy area of town where locals slumped in their seats and laughed too loudly, he was always...mannered. Contained. Professional but not in the way of a suited businessman.
More like a guy who knew he could handle himself in any situation. A guy who easily kicked ass, took names and did so without a scratch. Those thick shoulders... Studying his body left a funny warmth in Sterling’s stomach, sending her interested gaze to his pronounced biceps, watching the fluid bunch and flex of them with the smallest movement. His pullover shirt fit his wide chest perfectly, showing sculpted pecs and, letting her attention drift downward, a flat, firm middle.
Lord, the man was put together fine. Add in a lean jaw, a strong but straight nose, and those cool blue eyes fringed by dark lashes, and she assumed he broke hearts on a daily basis.
Not her heart. She wasn’t susceptible to that kind of stuff. She could take in the exceptional view and stay detached. She could.
Only...this time she had to really concentrate to make it true.
His gaze locked to hers, catching her perusal, and his firm lips quirked in a small “you’re not immune” smile.
It made her mouth go dry.
He couldn’t know that, could he? Yet he looked as if he’d just read her every admiring thought.
Feeling oddly exposed, she held up her glass, realized it was still full and hastily mouthed, “Coffee?”
With a nod, he moved away to a service counter behind the bar. Less than half a minute later, he strode over in his casual yet confident way with a steaming cup.
He knew how she took it, with one sugar and a splash of creamer. He knew because he missed nothing. Ever.
Setting it before her, he asked, “Done with this?” indicating the shot she’d ordered—and hadn’t touched.
Usually, to justify her lengthy naps, she bought a couple of drinks. This time, exhausted to the bone, she hadn’t lasted long enough.
“Thanks.” Sterling sipped her coffee.
That he didn’t move away set her heart tripping. Defiant, she glanced up and caught a slight frown carved from what appeared to be concern. She was good at reading people—except for him. Most of the time she didn’t know what he was thinking, and she didn’t like that.
Suspicion prickled. “What?”
Heavy lashes lowering, he thought a moment before meeting her gaze again. “I’m worried that anything I say might put you off.”
Sterling stiffened with accusation. “What do you have to say?”
“Such a lethal tone,” he teased—as if they knew each other well. “You don’t have to order drinks just to be in here. You want a place to kick up your feet—”
Abruptly, she dropped her feet from the seat of the chair across from her. She unconsciously braced herself—to act, to react, to protect herself if necessary.
“Or to rest without being disturbed,” he continued, ignoring her tension. “You’re always welcome.” As if he knew her innate worry, as if he could see her automatic response to his nearness, he took a step back. “No questions asked, and no drink order necessary.”
Before she could come up with a reply, he walked away.
For twenty minutes, Sterling remained, but he didn’t look at her again.
Not until she walked out. He watched her then. Hell yeah, he did. She felt his gaze burning over her like a physical touch. Like interest. It left her with heightened awareness.
Of him.
Damn, damn, damn.
CADE WANTED TO kick his own ass.
She’d been coming into the bar for months now. She hadn’t yet given her name, but he knew it all the same. He made a point of knowing everyone in the bar, whether they were important to his operation or not.
Sterling Parson. Star for short.
Privately, he called her Trouble.
At a few inches shy of six feet, her body toned, she walked with a self-possessed air that he recognized as more attitude than ability. She wore that swagger like a warning that all but shouted Back off.
Her long wavy brown hair was usually in a ponytail, occasionally in a braid and sometimes stuffed under a trucker’s cap.
Despite the loose shirts she wore with straight-legged jeans and mean lace-up black boots in an effort to disguise her body, she’d be hard to miss. For sure no one in his bar had missed her.
The woman was unique in so many ways. Bold but somehow vulnerable. Composed, yet temperate. Beautiful...but only to a discerning eye, because she did all she could to blend in.
The big rig she drove had SP Trucking emblazoned on the side, yet she was far from the usual trucker they got as customers.
The day she’d first walked in, heads had swiveled, eyes had widened and interest had perked—but after Cade swept his gaze around the room, everyone had gotten the message.
The lady was off-limits.
Cade hadn’t bothered to explain to anyone. He never did...except occasionally to family. Then only when pressed.
From the moment he’d first spotted Sterling, he’d sensed the emotional wounds she hid, knew she had secrets galore and understood she needed a place to rest.
She needed him.
Star didn’t know that yet, but no problem. In his bar, in this shit neighborhood, he’d look out for her anyway—same as he did for anyone in need.
Moving to the window, he watched her leave. Her long stride carried her across the well-lit gravel lot, not in haste but with an excess of energy. He couldn’t imagine her meandering. The woman knew one speed: full steam ahead.
After unlocking the door, she climbed into her rig with practiced ease. Head tipped back, she rested a moment before squaring her shoulders and firing the engine. She idled for a bit, maybe checking her gauges, then eased off the clutch and smoothly rolled out to the road. Cade watched until he couldn’t see her taillights anymore.
Where she’d go, he didn’t yet know—but he wanted to. He wanted to introduce himself, ask questions, maybe offer assistance.
Her preferences on that were obvious.
Except that tonight she’d watched him a little more.
Actually, she often noticed him, in a cautious, distrustful way. And she always came back.
Sometimes she’d sleep for an hour, sometimes longer. Tonight, she’d dozed for two hours before jerking awake in alarm.
A bad dream?
Or a bad memory?
If she kept to her usual pattern, she’d be back tomorrow night on her return trip. Maybe, just maybe, he’d find a chink in her armor. He glanced at the little table she always chose.
Tomorrow, he’d offer her something different.
AFTER TOO MUCH driving, sitting through endless traffic in Colorado’s summer heat and going without enough rest, Sterling returned to the bar. Aching from her eyebrows to her toes, it was a relief to pull in to the lot a littler earlier than usual.
She’d thought about finding another place to rest. Bars and truck stops riddled this side of the Rockies. Before discovering the Tipsy Wolverine, she’d often crashed in a different location each time, but here... For some reason she was mostly comfortable here. Mostly.
It was the bartender, she knew. He didn’t say much, didn’t thump his chest like an ape—because he didn’t have to. His commanding presence let everyone know that he was the one in charge.
She knew it. In that bar, no one could hurt her because he wouldn’t let them.
Sterling shook her head. It was a crazy conclusion, but she trusted her instincts. So far, they’d served her well.
Grabbing her discarded jacket, she climbed out of the truck. Higher in the mountains, the chill could seep into her bones, but here in the valley, it had to be in the midnineties. The temperature in Colorado was all about elevation. The higher you went, the colder it got. She’d learned that her button-up shirt would be fine in the valley, but if the road climbed—and it sometimes did—she needed warmer clothes. The air-conditioning in the bar often chilled her, too, especially when she napped.
Her long sloppy ponytail bounced and her heavy boots crunched on gravel when she strode across the lot. Some strange sensation sizzled inside her.
She refused to acknowledge it as anticipation.
The minute she walked through the door, she knew something was different. Two men, regulars that she recognized, sat at her customary table. That hadn’t happened since her third visit months ago. The table was usually saved for her. Without pausing, she continued into the dim room, giving a casual glance around.
No, it wasn’t extra crowded.
Yes, there were other tables available.
So why, then...
The bartender stepped in front of her, his nearly six and a half feet of muscle drawing her to a sudden stop. “Could I have a word?”
Almost plowing into him sent her heart shooting into her throat. She was tall enough that few men made her feel small, but this one towered over her.
Damn it, she hadn’t even noticed him approach before he was just...there, standing too close, crowding her with his size and strength. In a nanosecond, her body jolted into defense mode.
She hid her unease even as she considered her options of fight or flight.
And damn him, he knew it. She saw it in the way his gaze sharpened, how his mouth softened.
In sympathy?
Screw that. Sterling took a step back, ready to retreat. Not like fighting was an actual option.
Raising his hands, his expression impassive, he said, “At the bar would be fine, if you have just a minute. I’m still on the clock.”
Her gaze skipped to her table, and seconds ago she’d anticipated resting her bones in that well-worn seat. Now some of her exhaustion had lifted.
“I can move them if you want me to,” he offered quietly. “After I’ve explained.”
She had no interest in conversing with him, being drawn to him in any way. Familiarity worried her, yet curiosity won out. To cover her caution, she offered a casual shrug and indicated he should lead the way.
No way did she want him at her back.
He gifted her with that brief smile again.
Such a nice mouth, she couldn’t help noticing. Not that she cared. Nice or not, she refused involvement.
He turned and headed for the bar.
Drawing in a bracing breath, she followed. Nice back, too. And forearms. And his backside in those jeans...
Sterling frowned at herself and vowed none of it mattered.
No one else sat at the far end of the scarred, polished wood counter, and once she’d taken the last stool, he circled around.
“Coffee? Cola?”
“Coke is fine.”
“I can throw you together a sandwich if you want.”
In most cases, she refused food when offered to her, but here, from him, it seemed okay—especially with her stomach grumbling. “Sure, thanks.”
He went through a half door that led to the kitchen behind the bar and returned a minute later with a ham and cheese sandwich and chips. After setting the food before her, he filled a glass with ice and poured her a Coke.
Sterling realized he must have coordinated this little meet and greet, because one of his workers took over filling orders without being asked.
Obviously he was up to something—but what?
Watching her a little too closely, he leaned a hip against the bar. “You don’t miss much, do you?”
Her gaze shot to his. She had a mouthful and had to chew and swallow before she could answer. “Should I?”
“No, but few people are as aware as you are.” He opened his own cola, drinking straight from the bottle. “My name is Cade McKenzie, by the way.”
“I didn’t ask.”
“I know. But I thought if you knew more about me, you’d—”
“What?” Panic, maybe anger, sharpened her tone. “Loosen up? Like you more? Get friendly?”
“Stop distrusting me.”
Had her wariness been so noticeable? Apparently. “I’m eating your sandwich. What is that if not trust?”
Her reasoning made him grin, showing straight white teeth, and good God, when he did that, he was too damn gorgeous. The amusement softened his granite edge, made him feel approachable.
And damn it, it sparked something deep inside her.
She concentrated on her sandwich.
“My brother owns a gym in town,” he continued. “You’ve probably noticed him in here a few times.”
Of course she had. The family resemblance was unmistakable. “He’s younger, different-colored eyes.”
Nodding at this additional sign of her awareness, he explained, “Different mothers, but we were raised together. I have a sister, too. She’s the baby at twenty-six.”
“Does she look like you, as well?” She hadn’t seen any women at the bar that she’d have pegged as a relation.
“Similar features, only more feminine. Same-colored eyes as my brother, but her hair is lighter than ours.”
It struck Sterling that she was chatting. Casually, easily. When had she last done that? The shock of it put her on edge. “I didn’t ask for a family rundown.”
“I know. Other than your usual table and an occasional drink, all you ask for is to be left alone.”
“Yet here we are.” Not that she could entirely blame him for that. She’d chosen to accept the food, the conversation. Nothing would come of it, though. Not more familiarity. Not friendship.
Definitely nothing beyond that.
He leveled that electric-blue stare on her. “I wanted to show you that I have roots here, that I’m not a threat in any way.”
Refusing to lower her guard, she asked, “But why?” She didn’t trust goodwill. A motive generally followed close behind.
“Because you’re a good customer, a regular, and I get that you want your space—no problem with that—but I thought I could help.”
Slowly, she ate another bite of the sandwich while considering him. The urge to walk away was strong.
Oddly enough, an equally compelling urge had her asking, “Help how?” Then she thought to add, “With what?”
He propped his elbows on the bar, leaning toward her as he eased into his topic. “So your table... I can keep it open for you if that’s what you want. That isn’t a problem. But since you usually catch a nap, I wanted to offer my office.”
One of the chips caught in her throat, making her cough.
Thankfully, he didn’t reach around to pat her on the back. He seemed to know touching her would be a very bad move.
Instead, he nudged her glass toward her.
It took three gulps before she could catch her breath, then she gasped, “Your office?”
A big old no to that. Not in a million years.
“It locks from the inside, so you wouldn’t have to worry about customers stumbling in on you.”
Would she have to worry about him?
“I have a key,” he said, using his uncanny mind-reading superpower. “But you could hold on to it while you’re in there.”
The offer so surprised her that she couldn’t find the right words to refuse him. She settled on shaking her head. “No thanks.” She preferred to be out in the open. Not that the public option always equaled safety—she’d learned that the hard way. But at least this space was familiar to her. She’d memorized it in detail and knew the exits, the number of tables to the door, that the big front window was tempered glass and that Cade McKenzie kept a few weapons behind the bar—but generally wouldn’t need them to restore order if it came to that.
That line of thinking took her attention to his hands. Big hands. Hands that would feel like sledgehammers if he made a fist.
No, he didn’t need a weapon. He was a weapon.
Not deterred by her refusal, he continued explaining. “I only use the office before we open and after we close. Besides my desk and chair, there’s a love seat, a few throw pillows. A private landline.” His gaze searched hers. “You’d be more comfortable.”
Suddenly, it struck Sterling as funny. Here they were tiptoeing around the obvious: she knew he wasn’t just a bartender. And somehow he knew she wasn’t just a trucker.
Grinning, she sat back and studied him.
“That’s nice,” he said.
Taken off guard, she asked, “What?”
“Your smile.”
Stymied by that, it took her a second to regroup. “Look, I haven’t even given you my name.”
“I’m aware.”
“But you know it anyway, don’t you?” She expected him to lie, and when he did, she’d have solid reason not to trust him. She’d pay for her food, walk out and drive away—never to return.
Doing his own thorough study, he let his gaze move over her face as if cataloging each feature...and liking what he saw. “I can’t go into details, or explain, but yes, I know your name.”
Her heart skipped a beat. He’d admitted it! What did that mean for their association? Part of her shivered with alarm, but another part, a part she’d like to deny, suffered the strangest sort of...relief.
If someone actually knew her, then she was no longer alone. She existed. She mattered.
Sterling shook her head. Maybe he wasn’t as good as she assumed.
Caught between conflicting emotions, she narrowed her eyes. “Fine. Let’s hear it.”
Straightening, Cade did a quick check to ensure no one listened to them, then casually dropped his research bombshell. “Sterling Parson, but you used to go by Star. You’re twenty-nine, got your commercial driver’s license when you were barely twenty-two, worked for Brown Transportation for a while, then bought your own rig when you were twenty-six.”
Her jaw literally dropped. Dear God, he knew so much. Too much. She’d been right to fear him—no, damn it. Not fear. Just good old caution, the same caution she used with everyone. The caution that kept her alive. He wasn’t different, wasn’t special, and she couldn’t—
“My sister,” he offered with grave seriousness, interrupting her private castigation. “She’s a research whiz, and I was curious.”
“About me?”
“About you,” he concurred.
No apology, but an explanation? “You had no right,” she whispered through stiff lips.
For a moment he looked away while using one long, blunt finger to trace a bead of condensation on his cola bottle. “You can call it second nature.” He rolled a thick shoulder. “Or instinct.” Tension ratcheted up when he looked into her eyes, making them both a little breathless. His voice sounded like a soft growl when he added, “I felt it was important to know.”
Dazed, confused and, damn him, disappointed, Sterling shook her head. “Now I have to find a new place to go.”
His focus never wavered from hers. “Whatever you’re up to, Star, you’ll be safer here. Give yourself a minute to think before you react, and you’ll admit it.”
“What?” she asked with a sneer. “You don’t know what I’m doing? You don’t know why? How...incomplete of you.”
“I tried not to overstep too much.”
That made her laugh, but not with any humor.
“You’re drawing attention when I assume you’d rather not. No,” he said when alarm stiffened her neck, “not from anyone dangerous. Actually, all the customers have been curious about you at one time or another. I don’t think any of us have ever heard you laugh.”
“You can’t know who’s dangerous and who isn’t.” More than most, she’d learned that it was sometimes impossible to tell.
Softly, he insisted, “Yes, I can. I know everyone who comes here. You can trust me on that.”
She snorted. She wouldn’t trust anyone ever again.
“Right now there are only locals, a few truckers and a few vacationers, but it’s still better not to be noticed, right? In case anyone comes around asking questions?”
Regret froze her to the spot, leaving her a little sick to her stomach, full of angst. And yearning.
God, she had so much yearning.
This bar had begun to feel like...home? How absurd. It wasn’t in any way special, and it wasn’t even in a good part of town. It was just a place where she could relax, and she hated to lose it.
The location was ideal for her, being only thirty minutes from I-25 with plenty of places to hide in between, and closer still to other venues known for seedier practices.
She didn’t want to give it up, but what choice did she have now?
Cade made a small sound of frustration, there and gone. “Your table is empty now,” he pointed out.
Yes, she was aware of that. Standing, she pulled out some cash to toss on the counter, but Cade stopped her with a shake of his head.
“This one was on the house. Go get some rest—and think about my offer.”
She really didn’t feel like leaving yet. Now that she’d eaten, lethargy gripped her. Finally she nodded. “All right, I’ll think about it.”
“Thanks, Star. I appreciate it.”
“As you pointed out, I used to go by that name. Now I’m more comfortable with Sterling.”
“I don’t think you’re ever really comfortable, so let’s not nitpick on the name yet.”
Teasing again? The man had a dimple. How unfair! He was always so attractive, but now with satisfaction in his gaze and his sexy mouth curved? Devastating.
She didn’t understand him. She didn’t understand herself with him, either. Rather than let him see her confusion, she headed to the table, ignoring the curious glances from the regulars who knew it was unusual for her to chat up anyone.
Despite her new caution, the feeling of security remained. Within minutes of sitting down, she dozed off.
CADE KNEW THE second she nodded off. She sat facing the rest of the bar, her long legs stretched out to the chair opposite her, her arms folded over her chest. Uncaring what anyone thought, she slumped in the seat, more reclining than otherwise, let her head rest back against the wall and closed her eyes. Long lashes sent feathery shadows over her cheekbones.
He admired her nose, narrow with the slightest arch in the bridge; he considered it perfect for her face. Not too cute, not too big or small. Like her attitude, each feature of her face and body was unique.
Her breathing deepened and slowed, but she didn’t snore. Didn’t go completely lax, either. Hell, he doubted she ever did.
So much churning wariness probably kept her constantly on edge. He knew it affected him that way. He rarely slept soundly, but then, he didn’t need much sleep.
With any luck, she’d doze right up until closing time at midnight. Since being a bartender wasn’t really his vocation, he didn’t keep usual hours for the bar. Most in the area were open until 2:00 a.m., but he shut down at midnight and didn’t open again until 4:00 p.m. That gave him plenty of time for other pursuits, and when the two overlapped, he had reliable staff to cover for him at the bar.
They were only an hour from closing when two strangers entered. The frisson of awareness that settled in his gut told him they were about to have problems.
Instinctively, his gaze shifted to Star.
He found her sitting upright, alert, her eyes narrowed dangerously. Well, hell.
He’d never known a woman so acutely aware of her surroundings. In that, she matched him.
Didn’t mean he wanted her getting elbow deep in danger, especially not when that danger just walked into his bar.
Subtly, he drifted his gaze between her and the men—hoping she’d ignore them, that she’d go back to sleep.
Should have known better.
While he watched in frustration, she pulled the tie from her hair and let it tumble down over one shoulder.
Fuck me sideways.
He’d always known the difference a woman’s hair could make to her appearance. But on Star? This softer look had a near-physical impact on him. The woman had gorgeous hair. Longer than he’d realized, and a rich brown streaked with gold by the sun. He watched as she tunneled her fingers in close to her scalp and fluffed it.
He would have liked to do that for her. Hands curled loosely, he could almost feel that silky mass.
When her slender fingers flicked open three buttons on her shirt, he locked his jaw—not that she noticed. Keeping her focus on the newcomers, she parted the shirt until a fair amount of cleavage showed, then tied the shirttails at her waist.
It took her less than thirty seconds to go from plain and reserved to a total bombshell. The “hands off” signals were gone, and instead her demeanor screamed “up for grabs.”
Why? What the hell was she planning?
When she stood, he cursed silently, reading her intent.
She didn’t spare him a glance. No, she’d forgotten all about him, and that nettled, because she’d been his first thought when he saw the two men.
The second she stood, she caught their attention. Wearing a flirty smile, she sauntered toward them.
Cade seriously wanted to demolish them both simply for the way they looked at her.
When she reached the bigger of the two men, she asked, “Got a cigarette?”
The guy sized her up in an insultingly thorough way, then pulled the pack from his front T-shirt pocket, shook one loose and offered it to her.
Maintaining eye contact, she leaned down and slowly slipped a cigarette free.
Both men looked down her shirt.
The second guy asked, “Light?”
“I have my own outside, but thank you.” She sashayed out the door, and it wasn’t just the two new guys watching her. Every man in the place had his fascinated gaze glued to her ass.
Shit. Cade quickly, but casually, directed others to cover the bar. Pretending he needed a break, he went down the hall and into the private office he’d offered for her use. After relocking the door, he went to the single window in the room, opened it and hoisted himself up and out. It was an awkward fit for a man his size, but he’d practiced before, ensuring he had multiple exits if it ever became necessary.
He considered watching Star’s back very necessary.
Circling around the bar on silent feet, he listened. Her boots crunched on the gravel, guiding him. She didn’t go to her rig, but then, maybe she didn’t want them to know which truck was hers.
Smart—except that they could ask anyone in the bar about her, and that would be one of the first things they learned.
Cade leaned around the corner, still hidden by shadows but able to see her. She hadn’t lit the cigarette, but she kept it dangling between her lips.
What are you up to?
She glanced several times at the entrance, and when the doors finally opened, she made a show of frustration.
The one who’d offered a light smiled. “Couldn’t find your lighter after all?”
She shook her head, sending that wealth of thick hair to move around her breasts. Wearing a sexy pout, she asked, “Did you bring one out with you?”
He produced the lighter, then teased her with, “Say please.”
Taking the cigarette from her lips, she gave him a tight smile. “Really? Because there are twenty men inside who would be glad to give me a light—without stipulations.”
“Seems to me you don’t like them, or you’d have gone to them for the cigarette.”
Her lips curled. “You think you know what I like?”
“I know you’d like more than a smoke.”
At that, she laughed, a rich, husky sound that set Cade’s teeth on edge. She played a dangerous game, and he hoped like hell she didn’t push too hard.
“Maybe you’re right.” The finger she stroked along her cleavage drew the man’s heated stare. “What’s your name?”
“You can call me Smith.”
She laughed. “Well, Smith, how much are you willing to give?”
Not for a second did Cade believe she meant to sell herself. No, she had a bigger game in mind, and it made him scared for her.
Cade knew Smith—what a crock—because he and his brother had kept tabs on the man for more than a month. They knew Smith was involved in plenty of shady deals, but he was just muscle, not brains. Someone else called the shots. Someone with more power.
Cade wanted them all.
With her impetuous rush to get involved, Star jeopardized his well-made plans. Never mind that she didn’t know he had plans...
“Tell you what.” The guy reached to a back pocket and pulled out his wallet.
Finally, she looked a little nervous, but still, she didn’t back down. Honest to God, she raised her chin.
Luckily—because Cade didn’t want to blow his cover—the guy offered a card instead of cash. “You want to make a big score, come by Misfits tomorrow night. I have a buddy in need of cheering up and you’d be just the ticket.”
Restoring that cocky attitude, she glanced at the card, then shoved it into her own pocket. “What time?”
“Ah, so you don’t mind the idea of being his...entertainment?”
She shrugged but asked, “Is he a total pig?”
“Most of the women don’t complain.”
Most of the women don’t complain. Meaning some did...but it didn’t matter? When Smith’s friend finished with them, were they even able to complain?
Breathing slow and deep kept Cade from reacting. Somehow he’d ensure Star’s safety, and eventually he’d bury Smith.
For a split second, she went blank—fear? anger?—before curling her mouth in another credible smile. “I take it you’ve given him other gifts?”
“He’s partial to those with long legs and big tits.”
With every beat of his heart, Cade wanted her away from the bastard, but he didn’t intrude. Not yet.
Toying with a long curl, Star pretended the crude language and dark insinuation didn’t bother her. “How much are we talking?”
Taken by surprise, Smith reached out, wrapping his fingers in her hair. “Enough, okay? Don’t push me. Just be there at nine.”
She didn’t flinch, didn’t show any pain and didn’t back down. She actually moved closer to Smith. Too damn close. “Oh, I’ll be there. And I’ll expect you to make it worth my while.”
He leaned forward, clearly intending to kiss her, and suddenly she freed herself—minus a few dozen strands of hair. “You pay first, sugar. I don’t give out freebies.” Before Smith could figure out what to do, she walked away.
To her credit, she went back into the bar and relative safety. But how safe would she be when she left?
Keeping an eye on the door she went through, Smith dug out his cell phone and pressed in a number. The light from the screen emphasized his twisted smile. “Hey,” Smith said, when the call was answered. “Prep the back room, okay? I have a new one coming out tomorrow.” He laughed. “Yeah, you’ll like her. She fits your preferences to a tee.” He listened, shook his head. “No, I’m sure she’s not, but I’ll follow her tonight just to be safe. One thing, and it’s nonnegotiable.” He waited, then said, “Once you’re done with her, I’m next in line.”
Don’t miss No Holding Back by Lori Foster, available February 2021.
Copyright © 2021 by Lori Foster
Keep reading for an excerpt from The Rancher by Joanne Rock.