Moaning, Stretch relaxed against Cash, yielding to him and—
A clearing throat froze them.
Sighing, Cash settled Stretch onto the pillow, ignoring the way his entire body seemed to slump, to face Fee. Her expression unreadable, hair hanging in damp tangles, she stared between them. She held her towel loosely, partially covering her tits and barely covering her pussy.
“I’m going to get dressed,” she said, and Cash still couldn’t detect her mood. “I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
An awkward silence fell between them. Turning onto his back, Stretch looked at her. “You didn’t,” he said in a bland voice. “We’re all one now.”
Fee shifted her weight and hesitated before nodding and coming to the bed, sitting next to Stretch. He no longer cried but tears filled his eyes and stained his cheeks. He was in pain, the type that only someone with a longstanding association could fully appreciate. To understand each other, they needed to witness all moods between them. However, Stretch was so vulnerable right now. One wrong word would send him spiraling down.
Stretching out next to him, Fee kissed Stretch’s cheek. “I’m going to get dressed,” she said softly, thumbing his lips. “You need Cash right now, not me, and I’m totally fine with that. You’re not in this alone. We’re not in this alone.” She kissed him again and sat up, starting to stand.
Stretch grabbed her wrist. “Thank you, Fee,” he whispered.
Relief settled into Cash. He wanted to pull Fee to him and kiss her for hours for her understanding. He would. Later.
“Ophelia,” he called, stopping her as she headed to the door that connected their rooms.
She turned to him.
“You’re going to look after him at the funeral just fine.”
“We both will.”
“No, you will,” he corrected.
“What do you mean?” Stretch said. “You aren’t coming?”
“No.”
The look of total rejection on Stretch’s face made Cash grit his teeth.
“You’re going,” Fee ordered. “Stretch needs you there.”
“Tough. I’m not going.”
Fuck, if looks busted balls, Fee would’ve crushed his. It wasn’t that Cash didn’t want to go to support Stretch. He already wanted to deaden motherfuckers thanks to their treatment. One more insult to him and more than Stretch’s asshole father would need burying, especially with his hangover. The next time Cash pulled his gun, he’d shoot a slew of dumb, self-righteous, judgmental fuckheads.
Explaining that to either Fee or Stretch would do no good. They’d both insist it wouldn’t come to such drastic measures. Cash knew otherwise, so he refused to take the chance of blowing motherfuckers away for insults, out of club jurisdiction.
He rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m not good at mourning. Give me a pass and I’ll make it up to both of you. I promise.”
Fee and Stretch exchanged glances. Cash smirked at Fee’s narrowed look. She was her brother’s sister.
“Okay,” Stretch said, breaking the stare-off between Fee and Cash. “I won’t insist. The fact that you came all the way here to support me lets me know how much you care.”
Sashaying to Cash, Fee kissed his jaw. “Yes, he really does care, despite his actions otherwise.” A light slap against his cheek emphasized each word. Eyes twinkling, she turned to Stretch. The motherfucker saw her hits and doubled over with laughter. She giggled. “Don’t worry, Stretch. I got you. If any of those assholes start with you, they’ll have me to deal with.”
“We’ll have breakfast together,” he promised her.
She nodded.
“Are you sure you’re okay with me and Cash being alone together?”
She hugged Stretch. “Positive.”
“What are you going to do while we’re gone?” Stretch asked when they were alone again.
He took Stretch into his arms and rubbed his hard cock against Stretch’s. “Does that really matter right now?” he whispered.
Stretch groaned. “Not in the least.”
“I didn’t think so.”
“Sorry, Louis, we miscalculated the number of people that were coming for your daddy’s service,” Lena told him later that morning, in the vestibule of the church. “We don’t have room for you on our side. You have to sit with the visitors.”
“I beg your pardon?” Fee asked in outrage. “You can’t be serious, Mrs. King.”
“Fee—” Stretch began, tightening his hold on her hand.
“I’m most serious,” Lena said tightly.
“We need to leave,” Fee spat, shooting daggers at his mom. “He doesn’t have to stay and put up with your crap.”