Misfit(63)
Slipper snickered. “I bet you will.”
Ignoring the taunt, Fee made her way to the table where Cash slid his empty plate away and leaned back, sipping on his beer. He straightened at her approach and turned his face toward her. A bruise bloomed on his swollen jaw and chin. The skin around his eye was discolored, too.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” he snarled, the moment she got into earshot, as if he didn’t look like he’d engaged in a boxing match.
By sheer will, she ignored her inclination to touch his bruises and check the extent of his injuries for herself before soothing away his pain. “What happened to you?”
“Don’t worry about what happened to me. Answer me. What are you doing here?”
Stretch shoveled mashed potatoes into his mouth, chasing the food with rum. “There’s no law that says she can’t come to the club.”
Without invitation, she dropped into the chair closest to her, next to Cash, noting something had changed in the way Stretch acted toward her. “Thank you, Stretch.”
Cash finished his beer, then barreled to his feet. Face paling, he swayed and clutched his gut.
“Are you okay?” she asked, ignoring her eye level with the bulge in his pants. The man was hot, even all bruised up.
“Fine,” he gritted, still intending to leave.
She couldn’t allow him to walk away, and she wouldn’t beg him to tell her about his injuries. She grabbed his wrist. “I need to talk to you.”
His blue eyes burned into her. “What?”
“Sit down,” she ordered. “This is important. It’s about Kendall.”
“Not interested,” he said flatly. “I steer clear of her. She’s a fucking handful and a half. Let Johnnie handle her.”
“What about Kendall?” Stretch asked, the quiet, still waters that ran very deep.
If only she could help him over whatever demons chased him. Her gaze fell to the scar on his face. It was ugly and brutal, but it gave him character, added intensity to his otherwise boyish looks. Most of the time, she barely took note of it. But it was as if she was just meeting him and wanted to drink in every fine detail of his features.
Searching for a way to fix her mouth to admit what she’d done, she rushed through her explanation, then fell silent.
Cash dropped back into his seat, wiping the sweat popping off his brow.
“I’m sorry,” she said when they both continued to stare at her.
“I can’t fucking believe you,” Cash finally said. “Of all the fucking women around here, you chose Kendall to open your fucking mouth to. You did this shit on purpose, to force my hand. It hasn’t worked. All it’s done is pissed me the fuck off.”
“I’m sorry, Cash. I wanted to unburden myself.”
Stretch studied her. “You do realize what you’re doing, don’t you? You let Kendall in on what should’ve been kept between us, and you’re forcing us to withhold this from your brother. If we go to him with Kendall’s intentions, he’ll want to know how we found out.”
“He sure the fuck will,” Cash spat. “He knows we don’t deal with Johnnie’s woman.”
“We’d have to tell him you told us.”
“No, please!” He’d also want to know why she hadn’t come to him with this, thus doing the job he’d hired her to do. “He’d never forgive me.”
“And he’d fucking kill us!” Cash said on a whisper-yell. “He’s fucking serious about having his orders followed.”
“Daphne is one of your girls, Cash,” Stretch told him. “Maybe, you can talk some sense into her.”
“I’ll try my fucking best. Maybe, if I give her enough dick I can convince her to back off.”
Fee fought back tears at his words. He was being unnecessarily cruel. She regretted her mistake, but he didn’t have to throw another woman in her face. Usually, Stretch offered disapproval at Cash’s tactics. This time, he only nodded.
“I’m sorry,” Fee said miserably.
“Sorry isn’t good enough,” Stretch told her, getting to his feet. “This is a huge problem. Kendall is no one’s friend.”
“You both are being unfair. To her and to me. I can almost understand why she’s desperate enough to do this.”
“She’s not desperate,” Cash spat. “She’s calculating.”
Fee jumped up, ready for this day to be over. “Not with me! Her back was just against the wall. I’m so sorry for giving her the ammunition to involve you. Believe me, I’m furious with her for what she’s doing. However, she needs understanding. I need it, too.”