“Fuck no. I did it. I want credit for it.”
“You think the jury will let you off? The Hayeses are related to half of the town, and they all hate the Porters. They’d cheer when they sent you off to prison.”
“Dammit.” Greer tossed his shotgun to Holt. “I’ll be wanting that back.”
Holt tossed him his. “I’ll be wanting mine back.”
Knox turned to look at Cheryl questioningly.
“I didn’t see a thing. I was hiding in the bathroom where I couldn’t see.”
“Sutton?”
“I couldn’t see, either,” Sutton said. She couldn’t feel sorry for the man bleeding out on the floor. He had killed to hide his tracks for no other reason than his pride had been injured when Cheryl had divorced him.
“Everyone else try to say as little as possible. Greer, that means you, too.”
“Dustin, if Greer opens his mouth to say more than yes or no, shoot him.”
“Tate! Dustin isn’t going to shoot his brother.” Sutton could tell from Greer’s rebellious expression he wasn’t going to keep quiet, and from Tate’s grim expression, he knew it, too.
Knox looked out the door. “They’re here,” he warned.
Before anyone could guess his intentions, Tate grabbed Dustin’s rifle and moved to stand behind Greer. Using the butt of the rifle, he knocked Greer in the back of his head, and Greer fell to the ground, out cold.
Sutton stared in shock at the merciless way Tate had dealt with Greer. Even Knox and the Hayeses stared at him speechlessly. The only one not surprised was Dustin.
Tate shrugged, unconcerned his brother was unconscious on the floor. “Problem solved.”
Chapter 24
“How is he?” Tate shut Greer’s bedroom door before answering Holly.
“Go to bed. He’s fine. He’s watching some television. It’ll take more than a crack upside the head to keep Greer down for long. If he tries to get out of bed, I’ll shoot him. That’ll make him stay put for a few days.”
“Does he need anything? I could make him something,” she offered sweetly.
“I wouldn’t go in there if I was you. He’s not in a good mood. I took him some water and gave him a pain killer, so he’ll be fine until morning.”
“The pharmacy was closed, so how did…?” Holly broke out, sniffing the air. Her hands went to her hips. “I told you no smoking that stuff in the house.”
“I only gave him one. I figured he deserved it for taking out Jared.”
“That’s the last thing he needs with a head injury.”
“Tell that to Greer. Logan’s spending the night with his grandmother, because we didn’t want to wake him when we finished at the hospital. It was easier to give in to Greer than him getting upset when I kept telling him no.”
“You should have told me. I don’t have a problem telling him no.”
Tate laughed. “If he wants another, I’ll let you have the fun of telling him,” he promised.
He started to go into his bedroom where Sutton was changing when Holly reached out, forestalling him.
“Tate, if I’m in the way … now that you and Sutton are together … I could move into town.” The sincerity of her offer had him placing his hand over hers.
“Don’t even think about it. You’re not going anywhere. Sutton and I are going to make our home at Pap’s house. It’s close by and gives us time to be alone before we start our family. I don’t think Sutton would want to live with three men in one house, especially if one of those men is Greer,” he teased.
“You’re sure?”
“I’m sure. When Greer is feeling better, he and Dustin can help move me out. I want you to take my bedroom.”
“I can’t do that!” she protested.
“Yes, you can. I’m not giving you a choice. That room you’re sleeping in isn’t big enough for you. Go to bed and get some sleep. All your chicks are home for the night,” he said gently.
Holly was the most caring woman he knew. She was always willing to sacrifice what she wanted if she thought someone else needed it more. She had no blood relatives of her own and was alone, so she clung to them and cared about them. Tate was going to make damn sure she was taken care of. They might not be blood, but she was family.
“Goodnight.”
“Night, Holly.”
Tate went in his bedroom where Sutton was sitting on the side of the bed with a towel wrapped around her, brushing out her hair.
She looked up when he closed the door. “How’s Greer?”
“Mean as ever.”
Sutton’s lips twitched.
Tate walked forward, stopping in front of her. “How are you?”
“Fine. A little shaken up. I don’t know which was worse: finding out Jared killed all those people or that he was only killing them so he could kill Cheryl.”
“He was the only man in town who was stupider than Greer.”
Sutton laughed. Wincing, she touched her split lip. “How do you always manage to make me laugh?”
“I don’t know. It’s probably the hillbilly in me.” He sat down next to her on the bed, taking the brush from her. He brushed her hair back from her neck, placing teasing kisses against the nape.
“I’m sorry I didn’t call you sooner.” She shivered against him. “I should have known better.”
“Mmm-hmmm…” Tate continued kissing her.
“You’re not going to yell at me?”
Tate lifted his head in surprise. “Why would I yell at you?”
“Well … I almost got killed.”
“Sutton, I’m so happy that you’re alive, sitting here beside me, that I can’t find any anger in me. Maybe I can tomorrow, but I doubt it. Porters always run into trouble.”
“I’m not a Porter,” she whispered.
“Not yet.”
“Tate, are you asking me to marry you?”
“No, I’m telling you that, when you’re ready, we’ll go down to the courthouse and get hitched.” With the faintest touch, he kissed the corner or her mouth. “If Jared was still alive, I’d shoot him because I can’t kiss you the way I want. Get in the bed. I need to take a quick shower. I’ll be right back.”
“Okay.”
Tate stood and stretched, smiling down at the woman he loved before turning to take off his clothes. Tears brimmed in his eyes at how close he had come to losing her again.
“Sutton?” He might have been successful hiding the emotion on his face, but his gruff voice gave him away.
“Yes?”
“Promise me something?”
“What?”
“Don’t leave me again … I don’t think I could take it.”
He heard the squeak of the mattress as she got up, and then her arms circled his waist from behind.
He felt her lips press against his back. “I’m not going anywhere. I swear, Tate … I’ll never leave you again.” She laid her cheek against his back. “If I had fought to stay with you when I was seventeen as hard as I fought to stay away …”
He reached behind him, pulling her around to face him then pressing his hands against her shoulders to push her backward until she was against the bedroom wall.
“I heard the death bell when I was at the Hayes’s house, I knew it was meant for you, that was the only the second time in my life I knew who Death was coming for. I should have listened to Pa. He told us all to keep what’s ours. I will never, ever make that mistake again.” He unwrapped the towel from around her, letting it fall to their feet before taking a red nipple in his mouth as his hand slid down to her thigh, lifting it to his hip.
“I thought you were going to take a shower?”
“I will when I’m done.” He lifted her other thigh up to circle his waist.
“The bed’s right there.”
“We’ll get there eventually. We have all night.”
“Yes, we do.”
Tate was done talking. He spread her thighs farther apart to give himself enough room to sink his cock inside of her, his knuckles brushing her clit, giving his woman enough stimulation to ease his entry. He didn’t have to worry; he easily slid inside of her until his balls rested against her.
He braced his forearms on the wall as he began to grind himself into her, her thighs gripping him as the heels of her feet pressed down on his ass. He pumped into her harder as she held on to his shoulder, her nails digging into his flesh. Then he shoved her harder against the wall, trying to go higher, determined to reach every part of her he could, and her gasp had him raising his head from her breast.
“You okay?”
“Harder.”
“If I fuck you any harder, we’re going to go through this wall.”
She giggled. “I can just see Greer’s face if we fell into his bedroom.”
“He’s going to be in a shitty mood tomorrow.”
“I thought the doctor said he would be feeling better tomorrow?”
“It’s not going to be his head hurting.”
Tate laid his head against the wall next to hers, desperately trying to hold back his climax until she came.
“Woman, you’re making me work for it tonight.”
Her pussy clenched on his cock.
“I don’t want it to end … It feels … so good,” she moaned.