“God, you’re perfect.”
I smiled sleepily and snuggled closer to him.
The rough pads of fingers traveled higher. His mouth brushed along my neck.
“I need you again, sweetheart. One more time then you can sleep.”
His fingers found me. My body bowed, desire shooting through me like lightning.
But it wasn’t just one more time. He made love to me again and again during the night. Sometimes he took his time, driving me crazy, memorizing every inch of me. Other times he took me with raw need, fast and hard like he couldn’t get enough. Time didn’t exist. What was coming tomorrow didn’t matter. He let me sleep then wake me, whispering in my ear.
I was used completely and given everything whole-heartedly. Every part of me was touched or kissed, revered by Cash’s mouth and body. I had never felt so loved before but nothing lasts forever. It was the story of my life.
I was sleeping soundly, deeply. In some part of my brain, I realized that Cash was no longer lying beside me. He was sitting up, his body tense, staying close to protect me.
“Wake up, Cat.”
His voice wasn’t gentle like it was during the night. It was hard, the words ground out. Angry and dark.
My eyes flew open. My stomach twisted. The bliss of last night disappeared in a snap. Darkness still shrouded the room but in the doorway there was light.
And Frankie.
He looked at Cash, his gray eyebrows drawn together in a scowl.
“Get up, boy. It’s time to die.”
Chapter Thirty–Five
Cash
I crouched like a feral dog, guarding Cat as Frankie strolled into the room. He wore an army jacket that was patched and tattered. His salt-and-pepper hair was slicked back. I smelled coffee on him that made my stomach rumble and told me that it was probably early morning. Fuck. My time was up. He had plans for today and it had to do with me swinging by a rope. I was screwed.
That might have seemed a pretty lame statement to be making, but there it was. I was screwed. I hadn’t slept a wink last night. I had racked my brain to figure a way out and came up empty. I had no allies in Hilltop except Tate, David, and maybe Adam. The preacher and kid couldn’t fight a militia. Hell, I’m not sure who could.
I glanced over at Cat. No, the reason I hadn’t slept last night was because of her. If I wasn’t touching her, I was watching her sleep and thinking of touching her. If I wasn’t making love to her, I was thinking of making love to her. Knowing I was going to die made me greedy. I couldn’t get enough of her and kept her up all night. I felt guilty as hell when I saw the circles under her eyes but I couldn’t get enough of her. I still couldn’t.
But it was time to die.
Frankie strolled into the room like the cocky bastard he was. Four men followed him in, fanning out in front of the door.
“Have a nice little honeymoon, boy?” Frankie asked with a smirk.
I didn’t answer. Just stayed in front of Cat, feeling savage and bloodthirsty.
He frowned and glanced behind me at her. “She looks tired. Guess you worked her over pretty good. Enjoyed yourself did you, honey?”
“Don’t look at her,” I warned through gritted teeth.
A vein pulsated in the middle of Frankie’s forehead. “You ain’t in no position to be given orders. Not if you want her to live.” He jerked his chin in Cat’s direction. “Answer me, honey.”
I let out another low growl in my throat and eased in front of her some more.
Frankie chuckled, a deep, hoarse sound. “Aww look, fellows, he’s protecting her. Ain’t that sweet?”
As if on cue, the other men chuckled. I checked them out, one by one.
Adam was standing just inside the doorway, looking bored out of his mind. He had his arms crossed over his chest and an it’s-too-early-for-this-shit expression on his face. I wanted to wring his neck for not getting Cat and Tate out of town sooner but I had to trust him. He was Cat’s future. Fuck! To think of the two of them together made something inside me pull and tighten.
I forced the emotion – whatever it was – away and focused on the next man. It was that big asshole, Reed, who had fucked me up and enjoyed every fuckin’ minute of it. He was standing to the left of Frankie, looking like he wanted to add a few more bruises to my collection. Get in line, douchebag. I was still sore and tender, my body still feeling every punch. I felt like I had gotten ran over by a truck. My face was a mess and my arms hurt like hell from being hung by the ceiling. Having sex all night hadn’t helped my broken ribs or battered body but I couldn’t keep my hands off Cat.
Two other guys that looked like they would bend over and take it up the ass for Frankie if he asked, stood to the right. A few more appeared outside the door.
I scowled and glared at each of them from behind my swollen, busted eyes. They could do whatever they wanted with me but if they attempted to touch Cat, I would snap some necks and bust some balls. Just watch me. No one touched what was mine, not as long as there was breath left in my lungs.
I kept one eye on them but turned all my attention back to Frankie. He walked closer, not giving a shit if I looked ready to go postal on his ass or not.
“Come here, sweetie,” he said, looking past me to Cat and motioning with his hand.
She started to scramble back but I stopped her with a hand to her leg. I wanted her as close as possible to protect her. The men would have to go through me first.
Frankie looked down at us and frowned. “Get her up, boys.”
I let out a low sound of warning as two men broke from the group and started toward us. They were big and mean-looking but I was deadly when it came to safeguarding Cat. My muscles bunched, ready to attack. My fists curled against the ground. I felt my adrenaline rise and the murderous urge to hurt someone rushed through me. I was going to protect what was mine or die trying.
The two men paused, seeing the lethal look in my eyes.
Frankie glowered at them. “Pieces of shit. What are you waiting for? Get her! Do it!”
The men watched me with uncertainty but crept forward, the fear of their leader propelling them on.
I curled my lips at them but turned my attention to the one who got a lusty look in his eyes when he glanced at Cat behind me.
He was my first target.
Cat grabbed a fistful of the back of my shirt. “Caaash.”
I changed my mind. I wanted her at a safe distance. I was about to unleash hell on these guys and I wanted her out of harm’s way.
“Get back, Cat,” I muttered, keeping my gaze on the men.
She let me go and scrambled away. I didn’t need to turn around to know there were tears streaming down her face. I was so attuned to her that I knew every move she made and every breath she took. All attempts to stay away from her after she was shot hadn’t taken that ability from me.
I hardened my heart to thoughts of her scared and vulnerable. Ice filled my veins. The man who had held her last night and made love to her was gone. The man that slowly stood up to protect her with his life was cold and deadly.
The guy drooling over Cat wiped a hand across his mouth and stared at her. He was big. More fat than muscle. Double chin. Beady eyes. His attention was on her, not me. Big mistake. When he licked his lips and whispered, “Come to papa,” he signed his own death warrant.
The other man edging toward us was short and stocky but packed with muscle. His arms looked like logs and his neck was as wide as a jock’s on steroids. He only had eyes for me and according to the knuckles he kept on cracking, those were for me too. They would both be easy pickings. But first asshole number one.
I waited for him to get closer. Didn’t move a muscle. Didn’t even blink. This was what hunting was all about. Waiting. Watching. Knowing when to take the shot. It was all about timing and precision and studying your prey.
I kept everyone else in my peripheral vision. Reed, Frankie, Adam.
Frankie stood a safe distance away. He wasn’t stu
pid; he knew I could take him down without much effort. I gave him brownie points for knowing that. Smart man but he was still dead.
Adam stood to the right of the door, his feet spread, his arms crossed over his chest. He watched me with a cool expression. The kind that said he could care less what these men did to me as long as he didn’t have to get his hands dirty or clean up the mess. He was just cold-hearted enough for me to know he would protect Cat and not think twice about what he had to do. I told her last night to stay with him. That he would care for her. It was the fucking hardest thing that I had ever said in my life but I had seen the look in his eyes when he looked at her. He cared for her. He would keep her safe. To think of him stepping in and taking my place tore me apart but he was Cat and Tate’s best hope if Frankie got a rope around my neck.
Fuck. Just thinking of it left me in a cold sweat.
I had to be callous if I was going to get Cat through this. Forget about me. It was her I had to save.
My gaze slid over to the man on my left then to the guy on my right. They were getting closer. Four feet. Three feet. They were almost even with me. Just one more step…
I heard Cat climb to her feet behind me. I knew her shoes were clear across the room and the little dress she wore left nothing to the imagination. It had screwed with my mind earlier but the thought of what these men saw and were thinking when they looked at her just fed the fury in me more.
The man ogling Cat whistled low at her and went to step past me. I saw my opening.
That’s when I became a madman.
My fist snapped out, slamming into the man’s throat. The jab was fast and swift, hitting its target like a bullet. My knuckles connected with his windpipe. The blow was point on. He let out a gurgled gasp and grasped his neck, choking as he stumbled backwards.
I whirled to face the other man. With a fast move, I punched him in the side of the head then threw a quick one-two stab to his ribs.
He was solid but the hits were hard. He doubled over and I turned back to the first guy. Two rapid punches to his nose landed him on the ground in seconds. I was hurting from the beating I took yesterday but I was running on pure adrenaline. Cat was scrambling back and other men were flying into the room. This was my chance. I had to give her time to get out of there.
The man rolled around on his back, crying like a baby with blood bursting from his nose. I was in bloodbath mode. There was no stopping me. I swung to attack the second man when I heard the scream.
“Let me go!”
Cat! Shit!
I started to spin around but the cold press of a gun barrel nudged the back of my skull.
Well, fuck me…
“You done, boy?” Frankie boomed from behind me.
Coldness filled my veins. He had her. I could hear her crying, little sounds that gutted me. I could sense him holding onto her as she tried to get away. My fingers flexed with the need to wrap them around Frankie’s neck or better yet, grab the gun and flip it around.
I stood still, breathing hard, letting the fury pump in my system. Adam strolled over, pulling out his gun at the same time. Stopping an arm’s length from me, he aimed the Glock between my eyes and gave me a look that said to calm the hell down.
“I got him, Frankie,” he said in a cocky voice.
I looked down the barrel at him as Frankie pulled the gun away from the back of my head. I wanted to rip Adam’s head off and feed it to the brainless Hilltop zombies outside but I remained motionless and silent. Whatever he had up his sleeve, I was game if it got Cat out of there.
Frankie’s gruff voice barked out behind me. “Keep a bead on him. If he so much as twitches, empty your chamber in him.”
My back went stiff. My fists clenched at my sides. If someone had told the skinny, gangly boy I was back in high school that the future me would be itching to kill in order to protect the woman I loved, I wouldn’t have believed it. But there I was. Deadly and willing.
My chest rose and fell faster, adrenaline pumping into my veins like a drug-induced high. A soft cry and the sound of small fists hitting a solid body came from behind me. I tried not to go apeshit crazy, thinking of Frankie manhandling Cat.
Adam must have noticed the thin hold I had on my rage. He gave me a small shake of his head that I would have missed if I had blinked. His message was loud and clear. Cat was in trouble and if I didn’t want anything to happen to her, I had to stand down. But when she let out a pained yelp, I was ready to take him out.
Adam tilted his head and raised an eyebrow at me. Don’t be a fuckard, he was pretty much saying. I glowered at him but stood ramrod still as Frankie dragged Cat around me. I was scared to death to look at her because I knew it would tear me up inside.
Tears tracked down her face and fear made her green eyes bright. She looked too skinny in the dress she wore and shit, she looked cold. Her teeth were chattering and her nipples were sticking out for all the world to see. I wanted to cover her up but one wrong move, that dress she was wearing would be covered with my blood or worse.
The two guys I had put on the ground were slowly climbing to their feet. They looked at me with murderous expressions but they could go to hell. I only had eyes for Cat and the man that held her.
She dug in her heels but Frankie was stronger. He yanked her past me roughly, his hand wrapped tight around her upper arm. I could see the red indentions on her flawless skin. She would have bruises from his fingers. Just one more reason to rid the world of Hilltop’s leader.
“Me and your man got an appointment to keep,” he said to her between clenched teeth. “I’ll deal with you and our little arrangement after he’s hanging from a tree.”
“No!” Cat screamed, struggling to get away. She tried yanking her arm out of his grasp and kicked at Frankie’s shins with her bare feet. But he was a strong old man and held onto her tightly. She turned and scraped her nails down the side of his face.
“Uuuuughhh!”
Frankie let go of her and grabbed his right cheek. Red streaks ran from his cheekbone down to his jaw.
“Fuck,” Adam muttered, his gaze flicking to Cat but keeping the gun pointed in my face. He knew as well as I did that she was in trouble.
I started to lunge and grab her before Frankie could retaliate for the scratches with a backhand across her face, but she was already flying toward me.
“Grab her!” Frankie roared, holding his cheek in his palm.
Cat threw herself against me. “Don’t let them do this, Cash! You can’t die!”
I wrapped an arm around her in protection. Men were rushing toward us. I only had seconds. Not enough to say what I wanted to say but it would have to do.
I cupped Cat’s face between my hands and forced her to look up at me. “Remember what I told you. Stay with Adam. Go.”
She shook her head, tears running down her face. “No,” she whispered. “I’m not leaving you. They’ll have to kill me too.”
I swore as someone grabbed my arms from behind and yanked them back, away from Cat. I’m not done! I wanted to scream. I have other things to say to her! Things I never said!
The man behind me started to wrap a piece of rope around my wrists, making my muscles scream and my torn, raw skin burn. It was Reed. Shit. The guy had a thing for dispensing pain.
I didn’t fight him because, hell, the guy was a machine. I wouldn’t put it past him to turn on Cat. He would have no qualms about hitting her but one punch from his meaty fist might kill her. No, I would stand down for her. Anything for her.
As he tied my hands behind my back, I leaned down and kissed her with everything in me.
Saying goodbye for the last time.
She held on to my shirt tightly. I could taste her tears. They were salty on my lips. A part of her I would take with me when I died.
She was torn from me too soon by Adam. He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her away.
“Noooo!” she screeched, fighting him, clawing at his arm as it clamped around her waist and r
eaching for me. God, reaching for me. I got choked-up.
I almost went full-on savage, seeing Adam take her away from me. But I knew it was for the best. I was a dead man walking.
Frankie scowled at all the racket Cat was making.
“Get her out of here,” he snapped, wiping the blood away from the nail marks she had left behind on his cheek. “I’ll deal with her later.”
I set my jaw tight. My tendons pulled in my arms, testing my bindings. Wanting to break loose.
Adam fought to hold Cat. She had always been a fighter and wasn’t going to stop now despite being upset and afraid. She screamed and bucked against him, ramming her elbows into his abdomen and even head-butting him once. He hissed with pain but didn’t loosen his grip on her. When he lifted her up and started carrying her to the door, she let out a shriek and started kicking him fiercely.
I fought the urge to go berserk. Ally or no ally, Adam was taking her from me. Fuck. I couldn’t deal with it. I growled low, deep in my chest, and made a move to step forward but the cold end of a barrel poked against the base of my neck again. Reed. Shit.
“Boss wants a rope around your neck but I’ll put a bullet in it instead,” he rumbled, his voice so deep it was almost inaudible over the sound of Cat’s screams.
I went completely still. My gaze stayed on Cat, praying Adam got her out before something bad happened like Reed pulling the trigger.
She wasn’t going easily. She grabbed the doorframe with both hands as Adam carried her under it.
“Let me go! You can’t kill him. Please! Let me go!” she cried. “I’ll do anything!”
The man who had been salivating over her and received a broken nose from me for it, wiped away a drop of blood from his nostrils and started toward her. “I’ll help him, boss.”
The hackles raised on my neck. I ducked my head like a bull ready to charge.
Standing near me, Frankie raised his gun and pointed it at her. “You move, she dies.”
I was breathing hard, taut with fury. The pull to go to her was strong. The need to protect her was consuming. But I knew her life depended on my actions. If I moved, Frankie wouldn’t hesitate to pull the trigger. And if he did…