15. Edu

15

EDU

"Why did you agree to that?" I hissed as I pulled her to the side.

"What did you want me to do?"

"Tell her no!" I snapped. "You can't stay with me."

"Fine, I'll check into the motel in town. It's not a big deal."

I flinched back at her suggestion. "The motel? Are you kidding me? That thing is falling apart."

"Then what would you suggest I do? I can't exactly go home when my grandparents are staying the night there!"

I ran my hand over my head, trying to come up with a good solution. There had to be a way to get her out of this without making me look like an asshole. "Maybe I could just say that I want to be alone tonight."

"Sure, you do that and tell me how it goes."

"Fine, but you're staying on the couch."

"I've got no problem with that," she said angrily, turning on her heel and marching over to the table with chips and dip.

"Great, now I'm the asshole."

"Did you really just tell her she had to sleep on the couch?" Brock chuckled.

I glanced over my shoulder and sighed. "You heard that? "

"You're lucky her grandparents didn't hear that. Why did you agree to this, anyway?"

"Fuck if I know. A moment of sheer stupidity? It was mostly Fox's doing."

"Well, next time, just walk away. You're not exactly the type to save the damsel in distress."

I knew that, but it grated on me that he did too. I could save a pretty woman. I just didn't want her falling for me when the day was done.

"You're not really going to make her sleep on the couch, are you?"

I fully faced him, getting pissed with every second that passed. "What would you suggest I do? She's not sleeping in my bed."

His eyebrows shot up at my hostility. "You know, you could be a gentleman and take the couch."

"And have my feet hanging off all night? My back would be breaking by the morning."

He nodded, hiding a grin. "Yeah, we wouldn't want you to be hurt. Just her."

"I didn't say that."

"You didn't have to. Look, just share the bed with her. It's not a big deal. Just because she's in your bed doesn't mean anything has to happen."

"I know that." I scratched the back of my head as I tried to figure out how that would work. "I just don't exactly know how to keep my hands to myself when a woman is sharing my bed."

"Well, you could start by not touching her. That always seems to help."

"Have you seen her?" I growled.

"Yeah, I still don't get that one. You don't want her. You do want her. Which way is it?"

"I can think she's hot without wanting to sleep with her," I growled.

"Yeah, but you never actually adhere to that. If you see a woman who's even mildly hot, you sleep with her. In fact, I've never seen you turn down the opportunity for free sex with any woman. You're like?— "

"Alright!" I snapped. "I get it. You have a very low opinion of me."

"I didn't say that."

"Your words more than conveyed your feelings on the subject."

He held up both hands, shaking his head slightly. "Pardon me for thinking maybe you should give this one a try."

"Never gonna happen," I muttered as I walked away.

I needed a break and headed toward the burnt-up office, but didn't make it far before the whole gathering went silent. Turning and scanning the crowd, I saw what had everyone going still.

Cash walked through the crowd, his face twisted in anger from what I could only assume was the merriment of everyone gathered. His nostrils flared as he looked at each one of us, and then his eyes settled on Harper and her grandparents. They were unwanted guests when he was going through a hard time.

An irrational urge to protect Harper washed over me and I rushed through the crowd to get to her. Stepping up beside her, I stared Cash down as his eyes took her in.

"Cash," I said warily. "This is Harper."

Knowing what he did about me, the surprise on his face wasn't all that…well, surprising. But it quickly disappeared as the anger he was feeling took over once again.

What really shocked me was how her grandfather stepped forward and saluted Cash. It was as if he had a sixth sense of who Cash was and what the death he'd heard about meant to my boss.

"Colonel Reynolds," he saluted. "I heard about your loss, and I'm terribly sorry. If there's anything I can do, please let me know."

It didn't break Cash, but it was damn close. The slight shimmer of tears in his eyes was the only giveaway that the kindness of Harper's grandfather might be his undoing. But then he stiffened and gave a tight nod. "I hope you enjoy yourself."

He turned on his heel and headed through the crowd, not saying a word to anyone else. This was all my fault. I rushed after him, catching him before he could get in his truck and drive off.

"Cash!"

He glanced over his shoulder, barely acknowledging me. "What?"

"I'm…I'm sorry about the?— "

"I fucking told you to do it."

"Yeah, but you didn't mean it, did you?"

At my heated words, he turned on me. "And why would you think that?"

"Because you don't actually want to let go of your anger."

A bark of laughter left his throat, but it quickly morphed into rage. "Would you let go of your anger?" he snapped. "If you'd seen and done what I had, would you walk away?"

"There's nothing more we can do. The government has taken over the case. If we interfere, it's only going to cause problems."

"Who said anything about interfering?"

I hated that look in his eyes. He was going to do something fucking stupid, and he wasn't going to tell anyone what those plans were. "Cash, if you go rogue, you're gonna get yourself killed."

"Wow, you really don't think much of my skills."

"I think you're hurting right now, and that anger you're feeling is going to cloud your judgment."

He shook his head slightly, pretending he wasn't planning a fucking thing. "Don't worry about it. I've got nothing planned."

"Yet," I corrected.

He sighed as if the weight of the world was on his shoulders. I didn't like the look in his eyes or the way he seemed to space off when I was talking to him. He wasn't fucking listening because he already knew whatever I asked of him would go unanswered.

"Enjoy the party, Edu. You never know how much time you have left to enjoy shit like this."

He yanked the truck door open, but I called out to him one last time. "Promise me something right now."

He was half in the truck when he stopped, not really turning to face me.

"Swear to me that if you do anything, you'll fucking tell me about it. I'll go with you."

"You don't want to do that."

Which meant it was a fucking suicide mission.

"I'll be there," I promised. "Rafe might not have been my brother, but you are. You're my fucking family," I admitted. I didn't share shit like this often, but what we had built at OPS was more than I could ever have dreamed of having. And I wouldn't give that up for anything. So, if he was about to go do something stupid, I would be there with him, fighting alongside him. No matter the cost.

He nodded slightly before getting in his truck and driving away. I wasn't sure if I got through to him or if he would actually tell me what was going on, but I'd be keeping a closer eye on him over the next few weeks. One way or another, I'd find out what was going on with him and do whatever it took to keep him from falling off the cliff.

"My grandparents just left for the night," Harper said, looking exhausted.

I flinched at the ache growing in my chest at the sight of her looking tired. This wasn't normal. I shouldn't feel this way over a woman I barely knew, and I definitely didn't like it.

Glancing around, I saw the party was still raging. No one was calling it a night anytime soon. "If you want to go back to my place, you can."

The shocked look on her face threw me for a loop. "Go to your house without you there?"

"Yeah," I said warily. "Why?"

"It's just…you don't even know me."

"It's not like I have anything there you can steal."

"I'm not a thief," she huffed in annoyance, "but I might snoop through your stuff."

"Isn't that something you should keep to yourself?"

"I told you, I'm not a very good liar. The minute you looked at me, I would blurt it out anyway. But I'm not taking you up on your offer. I'm only around your friends for one night. I want to see what all the fuss is about."

She wandered off to the bar, leaving me shaking my head. I had hoped to get rid of her, not give her eyes on me and my friends. Walking over to her, I tried another route.

"You know, it's really just going to be stories of war and killing. Fox will probably go into a few tales of how he tortured someone," I winced. "It can get very…descriptive."

Instead of the reaction I was hoping for, her eyes lit up and she grabbed me by the arms. "Seriously? Grandpa would never tell me anything. This is so cool."

"Can I make you a drink?" Rae asked.

My head snapped to face her behind the bar and I sent her a seething glare. "She's not drinking."

"I most definitely am." She leaned forward conspiratorially. "Do you know how to make a Mango-Rita?"

"I just happen to have everything needed," Rae smirked. Her eyes flicked to mine and I knew in that instant, I was screwed. "So, your brother Oliver is a mechanic in town. You know, Duke is always looking for someone good to help him out."

Fuck. She was going there, intertwining our lives in the simplest way. "He likes his job."

"He actually hates it," Harper informed me. "His boss has been taking advantage of him for years. You know, just the other day, I was telling him that he should apply at the shop over here."

"I could put in a good word for him."

"Actually, men prefer it when women don't get involved," I snapped.

Rae cocked her head at me, fully understanding my meaning. "But this is for Harper. She's practically family."

I gritted my teeth. "I wouldn't say that."

Harper snorted. "Neither would I. A few fantasies do not make a relationship. Although, the last one I had was very interesting." She burned bright red and muttered. "I probably shouldn't have said that."

Well, fuck. Now I really wanted to know what this dream was about.

"Edu, why don't you get Duke for me."

"What, now?" Right when things were getting interesting?

Her eyes twinkled with amusement as she nodded at me. "I think he's at the shop. You don't mind running over there while I keep Harper company, do you? "

I really fucking did. I already heard one of her dreams. And I had a feeling this one was ten fucking times better.

"Why don't you just fucking call him?"

"His phone died earlier. That's why he went back. To put it on the charger."

"Then call him on the office phone."

"I would, but the line is out. Repair work," she chuckled. "Isn't it funny how things work out like that?"

Really fucking funny. I usually liked Rae, but right now, I wouldn't mind taking her out on a job and making sure she had a few issues. My fists clenched tight as I nodded. "Sure," I bit out. "I can grab him for you."

"Thanks. You're a doll," she grinned.

Turning on my heel, I marched across the lawn and past the burnt building. I could have taken the truck over there, but that would make me look eager to return. And while I really fucking wanted to hear the story, I also didn't want to appear like I wanted to be near Harper. Again, I didn't want to give her any ideas.

By the time I yanked open the door to the garage office, I was fucking fuming. Duke looked up from his desk and raised an eyebrow. "Problems?"

"Your wife needs you."

He must have caught the bite in my tone when I said wife because he started chuckling, tossing his pen on the desk. "What did she do this time?"

"She's trying to set me up with Harper."

"The woman you brought as your fake fiancée? Gee, I can't imagine what would give her the idea to do that."

"Are you suggesting I had this coming?"

"Well, I wouldn't suggest it was purely coincidental."

"I was just doing her a favor."

"And sticking your foot in it along the way. You fucked yourself over." He sighed heavily. "So, what does she want, and how do I figure into it?"

"Harper has a brother. He just happens to be a mechanic and she thought you might be interested in a little help. "

"And I'm guessing you don't want me to hire him."

"The last fucking thing I need is for her to have a connection to us."

"Are you worried her brother is going to get involved?"

I shook my head. "No, but I'm really fucking worried she's going to think she can visit anytime she wants. And then I'll run into her and it'll be really fucking hard to stay away from her. And before you say anything, yes, she's fucking hot and I'm attracted to her. But she has these crazy fantasies and daydreams about me in the middle of the check-out line."

"I feel like I'm missing some vital information."

"It doesn't matter. All you need to know is that I don't want him working here."

"I'm sure it's not a problem. The kid probably doesn't have any experience, anyway."

"He works at the garage in town."

This made Duke sit up straight in a flash. "Wait…how old is this kid?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. Late twenties, early thirties."

"Red hair?"

I thought about it and nodded. "Slightly red. Why?"

He jumped to his feet, holding his hands out apologetically. "I'm really fucking sorry about this."

"No—"

"Sorry, but I've been trying to snatch that kid for over a year now."

"Duke, you're supposed to have my back."

"And under any other circumstances, I would. But this kid is fucking amazing."

"Better than you?"

He tsked. "Nobody's better than me. But he's reliable, and that's hard to find around here."

He went to walk around the desk, but I moved in front of him. "You have Bowie."

He shifted left, going the other way. "Business has picked up since working with OPS. Sorry, I need the help."

I stepped in front of him again. "I'll give you a hundred bucks."

He laughed outright at my proposal. "Yeah, like that'll entice me. "

He tried to shove me aside, but I grabbed him by the neck and slammed him face-first into the desk. "Don't make me do this, Duke."

I gasped in a sharp breath as his fist hit me right in the groin. "Cheap shot," I hissed out.

He spun and shoved me back a step, then planted his boot in my chest. I went flying back into a shelf, knocking everything to the ground. My lip was split and my balls were killing me. I stood tall, wiping the blood from my lip. "This means war."