Chapter Three

Cash

I MADE MY way downstairs and knocked on my dad's office door which was already slightly open. "Come in."

I walked inside and flopped into one of the chairs across from his desk. "You rang?"

People often said I looked like my dad. I guess I saw it on some level. We were the same height and similar builds, but I was a little on the fairer side. I got that from my mother, Dani.

He frowned. "What's this about Teagan at Elixir?"

I shrugged. "Not my monkeys, not my zoo."

"Did you know Tillie was procurin' fake IDs?"

I said nothing. Just sat there and stared at him because he knew I wasn't a snitch. Never had been and wasn't about to start.

"Cash, how long has this been goin' on?"

I cocked my head. "Are you askin' as my dad or my VP?"

"Jesus fuckin' Christ, just answer the goddamn question."

"Honestly, I don't know how long it's been goin' on. And I didn't know about Teagan's until after the fact."

My dad closed his eyes slowly, then sighed. "Mack's asked you to watch her?"

"He has."

"You're okay with it?"

"Define okay," I retorted.

He tapped his fingertips on his desk. "I can talk to him, get someone else on her."

"Nah, it's fine. I've got time."

"Yeah, but I also know you two butt heads."

"I can handle Teagan Reed, Dad, don't worry. If I need a change, I'll let you know."

"Right. We got a parts delivery comin' in on Monday, so I need you in the shop by noon. That gonna be a problem?"

I was a mechanic who worked at the Dogs' shop attached to the club compound. It had started out as Big Ernie's Auto Body back in the seventies but had been expanded years ago to include a full service shop. Dad didn't do much in the way of fixing cars anymore. He didn't need to, considering the fact that before Hatch was promoted to president, he'd become a silent partner in the cannabis business with Sundance who rode with the Primal Howlers out of Monument, Colorado. This partnership had expanded to more of a club-to-club partnership which meant the Howlers had worked with the Dogs to expand the grow business into Washington and Oregon, so now the auto shop had become more of a passion project which Dad helped to run the back end of. This included ordering parts and counting the money. Hatch still ran that side of the business, Maisie ran the employees, while club members helped with everything in the middle.

"I should be there by ten," I said. "I'm still working on that Mustang."

"Your mom wants to see more of you."

I smiled. "I know. I'll text her and figure out lunch or something. I just have a lot on."

"Need you to make time for her, bud."

"I will," I promised.

"Lecture over," Dad said. "For now."

I chuckled. "Right. I'm gonna grab a beer."

He gave me a chin lift and I made my way out to the kitchen, stalling when I found Teagan laughing at something Razor had just said. "Teagan."

* * *

Teagan

"Cash," I said, mimicking his tone as he walked into the kitchen with a frown. "Whatya doin'?"

"I'm gettin' a beer. What are you doin'? I thought you were heading to bed."

"I got bored, so I thought I'd come down and see what kind of fun I could find." I grinned. "I found Razor."

"Nope," Razor said, raising his hands in surrender. "I'm no fun and you can be sure to tell Mack I said absolutely not. There will be no talk of fun and me and Teagan in the same breath. No offense to you, sweetheart, but no way in hell. I like my spleen right where it is."

"Chicken," I called as he walked out the door.

"Bok, bok, bok," he called back, and I laughed.

"You were supposed to stay upstairs," Cash whispered as he pulled open the fridge.

"You were taking forever," I whispered back.

"I was gone for less than twenty minutes."

"Which is forever."

"Can't live without me, huh?" he asked, opening his beer.

I rolled my eyes. "Don't let it go to your head."

"Why are you down here, T?"

"I told you."

"You could have texted me and I would have told you I was on my way up."

"I was hungry?"

"Teagan," he warned.

"Okay, fine, I was curious."

He chuckled. "Of course you were."

"Are you going to fill me in?"

"Hey, Teagan," Booker said, walking into the kitchen.

"Hi," I squeaked, spinning as Cash's dad walked in. "How are you, Booker?"

"I'm good, sweetheart, how are you?"

"Good, thanks." I turned to face Cash again and gave him a pointed stare before pasting a smile on my face and turning back to Booker.

"Heard about your big night out," Booker said.

I groaned. "My dad's the worst gossip."

Booker laughed. "I've heard that about him."

"Well, hi there, beautiful people," Gloria's tinny voice sounded as she breezed into the room.

I tried not to show my disdain for her as she walked in. Gloria worked at the club shop and had attached herself much like a barnacle to a ship, or a wannabe succubus, moving her way through the single club men, throwing herself at Cash whenever she had the chance. Sweet butt was too kind a word for her, in my opinion.

"Hey, Glo," Booker said.

"Hey," Cash said.

"Hi," I said. "Well, I'm heading to bed. Goodnight."

I hightailed it upstairs like the coward I was, closing myself into my parents room but texting Cash a list of things I wanted him to bring up when he came. I was grateful I didn't have to wait long for his knock at my door.

I pulled it open to find him holding two shopping bags. "Seriously?"

"Well, I told you I was hungry," I said.

"Baby, this isn't hungry, this is a week's worth of groceries for a Mormon family."

"Oh, stop," I admonished. "Just get in here."

He walked inside and set the bags on the bed. "I couldn't find any of your fancy crackers, so you get Ritz."

"Ritz is fine." I peered into one of the bags. "Was there wine?"

"Yeah. Maisie stocked up." He faced me. "But you're not supposed to be drinking."

"My dad needs to take a chill pill."

"You know, if it wasn't wine, I could say it's mine. Everyone knows I don't drink that shit."

"Oh, shit." I bit my lip. "That's actually a really good idea."

He pulled out a bottle of tequila. "Good thing I thought ahead."

I clapped my hands. "This is why you're my favorite."

He slid his hand around my waist. "That's not why I'm your favorite."

"Okay, maybe not." I stood on my tiptoes and kissed him quickly. "But it's one of the reasons."

He grinned.

"What did Gloria the Whoria want?" I asked.

"What is your deal with her?" he asked. "She's nice."

"She's a cunt unless you have a dick."

He frowned. "Seriously?"

"Seriously. I mean, she's nice to you because she wants to be an old lady and wants to fuck you. She's nice to Maisie because if she's not, she's out. She's nice to the other attached women as well, but to me, Daisy, Tillie… not so much."

Cash sighed. "I'll watch out. See what I see."

"You won't see shit," I deduced. "She's too smart for that."

"Well, if she says or does something, let me know."

I hugged him. "I might."

He kissed me gently. "What are we doin' here, Teagan?"

"What do you mean?"

"Two days ago, you bitched about being behind in tortes or some shit and needed to study. But you're here with me, not that I'm complaining, or anything, to be clear… I'm just sayin', don't you need to study?"

I wrinkled my nose and stepped back. "Way to kill the mood, buddy."

"What did you ask me to do, Teagan?"

"Not lecture me."

He crossed his arms. "Not that."

I shrugged. "I don't remember," I lied.

"You asked me to keep you focused."

"Did I?" I settled a hand on my hip and let out a quiet hum. "Weird. That doesn't sound like me at all."

He shook his head. "Look, your education is up to you, baby. But I'm here if you need me to help."

I sighed. "I know. I appreciate it. I just kinda hate it."

"You're not tied to bein' an attorney, Teagan. Talk to your dad. Do something else."

I couldn't stop an inelegant snort. "My mother's a New York Times Bestselling Author a hundred times over, my dad's one of the country's best attorneys. My siblings are all rock stars in their chosen careers, Grayson's probably going to do something fantastic. If I don't do well, I'll be seen as a failure."

He frowned. "Do you really think anyone'll think that?"

"I don't know, but the deal is we can live at home rent-free while we go to school. Otherwise, we have to pay rent or move out."

"Same deal we had, what's your point?"

"I don't want to move out. And I don't have the money to pay rent yet."

"Teagan, take a beat."

I let out a quiet huff. "You're not getting it."

"I am getting it. What you're not getting is that you can talk to your parents about switching majors. It doesn't have to be law, does it?"

"I just don't know what I want to do."

"So?"

I threw my hands in the air in frustration. "So… I'm the only one who doesn't know what they want to do, Cash."

"Baby, that's okay. You don't have to have it all figured out."

"Says the man whose whole life has been mapped out from the moment he was born," I grumbled.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You've just always been… well… you. You know what you want, you do what you want, and no one tells you otherwise."

"Newsflash, baby, you're the female version of me. Well, as far as the rest of the world is concerned."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Which part? The fact the world thinks you're just like me or the real truth that you're the polar opposite?"

"I'm not the polar opposite."

"Close enough." He smiled. "You're Teagan the Tenderhearted Turtle. You have a hard outer shell, but your underbelly's soft as a baby's ass."

I let out a quiet snort. "Is that really how you see me?"

"Abso-fucking-lutely."

I bit my lip as warm fuzzies formed in my stomach. "Sometimes I feel like you and Daisy are the only ones who get me."

"Maybe we're the only two you show your real self to."

"Maybe we're the only two to whom you show your real self," I mimicked, correcting his grammar in a sing-song voice.

Cash laughed, taking my hand, and tugging me to him. "Talk to your parents, Turtle."

"I'll think about it." I sighed, sliding my hands up his back and burying my face in his chest. "Now, shut up and pour me a shot of that plausible deniability."

With one last squeeze, he released me and opened the bottle of tequila.

* * *

Cash

The next morning, I dropped Teagan at home before heading to my sister's condo. I needed to have a conversation with my sister about her putting her safety at risk.

My brother, Archer, met me at her front door and the second she pulled it open, I growled, "What the hell, Ducky? Why the fuck were you at Elixir without us at your back?"

Without warning, my face was suddenly shoved into the wall, and one arm was forced behind my back. "What the fuck do you think you're doing?" a deep voice snarled.

Daisy gasped, Archer pulled out his gun, and I just chuckled.

"Oh my god, Arch, put that away." Daisy turned to the guy behind me, reaching for his arm. "It's okay, Huck, these are—"

Before she could say anything further, cell phones pealed in the silence of the hallway.

I rolled my shoulders. "Get the fuck off me, man."

"No," Huck snapped.

"Hi, Mama," Daisy breathed out as Archer said, "Hey, Pops."

I heard my dad's voice coming through the phone, but Archer walked away while Daisy continued to speak with our mother.

"Hold on, Mom," she said, and then, "Huck, that's my brother, Cash. Can you please let him go?"

He gave me one more shove before releasing me, and I scowled as I pushed off the wall.

"Thank you," Daisy said, then went back to her call. "Okay, Mom, it's all good now. Can I call you back? Yes, Archer's talking to Daddy now." She sighed. "Will you please talk him down off the ledge?" She glanced Huck's way. "Daddy absolutely does not need to come here. No. I have finals next week and I have to study. If he comes down here beating his chest, just like Cash and Archer did, then I'm going to lose my ever-loving shit, and I'll be forced to forget I'm a lady."

I raised an eyebrow as my sister mean mugged me, waiting to see if she backed it up with words.

"Okay, Mama. Thanks." She smiled. "Love you, too. Bye." She hung up and slid her phone into her pocket, then crossed her arms. "Cash, this is Huck. Huck, meet Cash."

We both glared at each other, and Daisy sighed. "Jesus, why can't I just have quiet, meek men in my orbit?"

Archer came jogging up a few seconds later and Daisy turned to him. "Did you talk him down?"

He shrugged. "Not sure."

She threw her hands in the air and let out a frustrated squeak. "Big brothers, get inside. Now." Turning to Huck with a grimace, she said, "Huck, I'm sorry these two idiot-sticks dragged you into our family drama. They're good guys, well, mostly. But I'm sure you have more important things to do than worry about me and my dumbass siblings. I'm so sorry they wasted your time."

I followed my siblings inside, and Daisy turned on us. "Oh my god, if I had time to murder both of you, I would."

"Who's the douche?" I asked.

"First, he's not a douche," she hissed. "And he's Louisa's boyfriend."

Archer groaned. "Fuck, your hot neighbor's got a man?"

"Can we please stop talking about Huck?" she snapped. "Why are you here?"

"Because you went to Elixir without one of us having your back and you took Teagan who's underage," I said, in a ‘duh' tone.

I was admittedly being kind of a dick considering I didn't give Teagan this much grief, but in my defense, Teagan was my woman, not my baby sister, so there was a different dynamic there.

At least, that's what I told myself.

"I didn't take anyone anywhere. She surprised me with a girls' night out for my birthday." Daisy let out a frustrated squeal. "Not that I need to justify my actions to you two dickheads."

"The second you got there, you should have texted one of us," I said.

"Why?" she challenged.

"Because—"

Before I could finish my sentence, someone pounded on Daisy's door and then it opened, revealing our father.

Daisy settled her hands on her hips. "Really, Daddy?"

"Baby girl, some random asshole puts his hands on my kid, you don't think I'm gonna do somethin' about that?"

The hallway was wired for picture and sound, and it went so much further than a doorbell cam. My parents, the club, me and Archer, and Daisy had access to over six cameras outside my sister's building, in the stairwell, elevators, on her floor, and directly outside her door. My father would have known the second Huck made contact with me and was probably on his bike before my face hit the wall.

Daisy threw her hands in the air. "He thought they were threatening me!"

"And why the fuck would some random guy care if your brothers were threatenin' you?"

"First of all, he didn't know they were my brothers and second of all, I would hope that anyone would care if someone, anyone, regardless of who they were, would be concerned if I were being threatened, and that you would also want said anyone to care if I were being threatened, and be happy they did something to stop it," she screeched.

"Well, those were a lot of words there, Ducky," Dad murmured, stroking his beard with an amused expression on his face.

Daisy looked like she was about to cry, and I had no idea why.

"Aw, don't cry, Ducky," Archer said, pulling her in for a hug.

"I'm not crying because I need a hug, Arch," she snapped. "I'm crying because it's my body's way of releasing stress and negative emotions. The kind of emotions that make me want to murder you."

He stepped back slowly, raising his hands in surrender.

"Okay, boys, head out," Dad said. "I've got Ducky."

This was our cue, so we hugged our sister, and Archer and I headed to our bikes in the garage.

"Do you really think Louisa's got a man?" Archer asked.

"Why do you care?" I asked as I swung my leg over my bike.

"Because she's fuckin' hot."

"And not interested in your ass, brother," I pointed out.

"Yet," he said with a lopsided grin.

What we would quickly come to find out was that Huck wasn't Louisa's man, he was her brother, and he was about to rock our sister's world.