Such a feeling coming from someone else seemed foreign and yet nice. She’d never called a town or city her own, and she realized that, in the short amount of time she’d stayed in Pitnam, she’d made friends. A lot of friends.
They accepted her.
“Listen up.” Rain braced both his hands on the bar and leaned forward. “Most of you will stay here. First riders already have their instructions. No one leaves unless Torque makes the call. Period. Got it?”
Everyone nodded, a few agreed vocally, and Tori raised her arm to get Rain’s attention, not wanting him to go off on his own if he thought the situation was this serious. Torque leaned over. “He’ll be fine. Let him concentrate.”
She lowered her hand. “You don’t know what I was going to say.”
“Yeah, I do.” Torque grinned.
“I think we should call the police. Let them know Rain is meeting with a gang member.”
“Gang? More like a criminal or an asshole.” Torque shook his head, wiping the grin from his face and becoming serious. “Rain can handle him. Trust your man, girly.”
She sniffed, insulted. “I just don’t see why someone, even you, can’t go with him.”
“Because men like Sanchez view a meeting as a threat. If two of us show up, he’ll bring three men. Then we’ll have to call for backup, because if he has three we can see, we know he has five where we can’t see. We gave him our word. It’ll be Rain only.” He shrugged.
“How do you know Sanchez isn’t lying?”
“We don’t.” He looked away.
“Figures.” She stood, needing to try one more time to convince Rain to take someone with him or call the whole thing off.
Rain talked quietly with a man she didn’t recognize, but who had a wicked tattoo of a snake curling around his neck in a noose. She shivered and leaned against Rain’s side, pleased when he put his arm around her and pulled her tight. Even when his attention was focused on others, he seemed aware of where she was every minute.
“Babe, this is Smith. His woman, Shannon, wants to meet you, so give her some time tonight, huh?” Rain kissed the top of her head.
“I’d love to meet her.” She smiled at Smith.
“We’re set, then. Be good while I’m gone,” said Rain.
“What do you think I’m going to do? Start a bar fight?”
He laughed, squeezing her shoulders. “You’re trouble, bozo.”
She turned in his embrace, stopping him from leaving. “Listen to me for a minute.”
“I’m hearing you fine, babe. You’re concerned. I get that. It’s cute.” He smoothed her hair off her cheek. “I’m not going to do anything to jeopardize what we’ve found. I’m coming back. I’m making sure you’re safe. Whatever fascination Sanchez has with you ends tonight. I won’t have anyone putting you in danger or causing you to worry about walking outside by yourself.”
“But — ”
“No more. I need to go.” He kissed her hard. “Tonight when we’re home, I want you in my shirt.”
Her insides curled. “I can do that.”
“You’re good?”
She nodded. “Yeah.”
Everything happened fast. Rain motioned Torque, Slade, and Ronny over to him. Taylor and Gladys flanked Tori, drawing her over to two tables they’d shoved together. She nodded at their questions, smiled at those who stopped by to tell her not to worry, and barely connected her gaze with Rain’s as he walked out the front door.
During those precious seconds, he’d healed her heart. She believed love was in her future and no longer an emotion meant for other people. He made it possible for her to reach out and hold on tight to her dreams. That the excuses her dad had forced her to believe were from a man who spoke through a sickness.
What Rain told her was the truth. She rubbed her arm, chilled in the air-conditioned room. She could risk loving someone, and the blood in her veins had no power to ruin him.
“Honey, you need to eat.” Taylor pushed a plate in front of her.
She glanced down at the burger and fries. “I can’t eat.”
“Don’t give me that.” Taylor motioned behind Tori. “This is your family. We all have each other’s backs. Rain will be fine, and it’s our job to make sure you hold it together.”
She sighed. “I get you, but I can’t stop thinking of him by himself. These … Lagsturns set fire to the cabin. They left a note advising me to break my connection with Rain. What if they go farther?”
“Talk to Pauline.” Taylor snagged a woman with dark complexion and bright red lipstick. “She’s Orca’s woman.”
Pauline sat down across from her and eyed Tori and, with the way her lip curled, Tori wondered if she lacked whatever Pauline was looking for in her. “Orca’s talked about you.”
She folded her hands in her lap. “I’m sorry. I’m not sure who Orca is … ”
“Works at Shift’s Garage.” Pauline snatched a fry off Tori’s plate. “He overheard you giving advice to Pete.”
“Ah. Pete. The manager at Shift’s Garage.” She remembered him, because his wife had left him when he cheated on her, and he’d asked for advice on how to win her back. She picked up a fry and popped it into her mouth.
“That’s him.” Pauline rotated halfway around in the chair and waved at Gladys. “Can I get a knife here?”
She stared in fascination as Pauline proceeded to take the utensil from Gladys, cut the hamburger in half, and help herself to Tori’s food. Shocked speechless, she could only pick up the other half and start eating before Pauline polished the plate clean.
“Got a job prospect for you.” Pauline wiped her mouth with the napkin.
“Excuse me?”
“Are you going to drink that?” Pauline pointed at the glass of water.
She shook her head. “Go ahead.”
“Thanks.” Pauline sipped, sighed, and leaned forward. “I own the Pitman Daily.”
“O … kay.” She chewed the last bite of hamburger and brushed her hands off.
“You want a job — I have one for you. Once a week, you’ll get your own column.” Pauline opened her purse, removed a tube of lipstick, and applied it without using a mirror. A skill that impressed Tori, because she could never apply anything to her mouth without one.
“To advertise the Coffee Shack?”
Pauline laughed. “No, for your love advice. You can take letters from readers and answer them in print. We could call it ‘Tori Talks Tough Love’ or ‘Love Letters from a Lady’ … whatever you want.”
“You’re kidding?”
Pauline paused. “Do I look like I joke around?”
Despite the professional hairstyle, the perfect makeup, and the scarlet blouse hugging her ample curves, Pauline gave her the impression that she could take down half the people in the room without breaking a fingernail. In fact, the woman was downright scary and aggressive.
“I’m not a writer. I talk. A lot.”
Pauline shrugged. “Details. We’ll work them out. How about lunch on Tuesday?”
She glanced at her empty plate, wondering if Pauline had a plan to mooch off her plate again. “Okay, but you’re buying.”
Laughter erupted, transforming Pauline’s stern face. “Oh, this is going to work out great. See you Tuesday. I’ll call with a time.”
Then Tori watched as Pauline left the table and disappeared into the crowd around the pool table. Dazed at the turn of events, she absorbed what the job offer meant to her. It was one thing to run her mobile coffee shack. She could work anywhere she parked with the right permits. No ties, no friendships, no responsibility to others — she only had to keep a roof over her head and food in her stomach.
In the matter of nine days, she’d moved in with Rain, had a thrown-together family watching her back and prepared to keep her safe, and more friends than she’d ever had. Now she had an opportunity to get a real job and set down roots.
It scared her to death.
It also excited her.
Staying around meant more time with Rain, and she wanted a future with him. She checked her phone. Rain had said he wouldn’t call, but she wanted to make sure. She couldn’t wait to tell him about Pauline.
A love advice column? Her? She smiled as she slipped the phone into her pocket. She could help a lot of people find love in their life, including herself.
A loud whistle filled the bar. She jerked, searching for where the noise came from. Everyone seemed to freeze at the same time.
Torque was the first one to move. “Let’s ride out.”
Something had gone wrong. Deep down in her soul, she knew Rain needed help. Her heart raced. She jumped out of her chair. Rain had said for everyone to stay inside the bar.
The men rushed to the door. She stepped forward to follow them, and Taylor grabbed her arm.
“Not you.” Taylor gave her a shake. “Stay here, and we’ll wait to hear what’s going on together.”
“But something happened.” She slapped at Taylor’s hands. “Rain needs help.”
“The guys can handle it.” Taylor motioned for Gladys. “Get some tequila.”
“I don’t want to drink.” She reluctantly followed Taylor back to the table. “We need to call the police.”
“We do things differently here.” Gladys plunked a bottle down on the table. “You’ll wait just the way Rain told you to. That’s an order.”
Oh, my God. She couldn’t handle this kind of life. Gang wars, threats, ordering her around. She needed to know if Rain was all right.
Chapter Twenty-Four
The hotel room vibrated with pent-up emotions. Anger rolled over Rain, and he suspected overconfidence flowed out of Sanchez’s pores, stinking the area. Rain stood with his arms to his sides, his fingers relaxed, prepared at any moment to lose the non-threatening stance and pounce.
“I’ll only ask once.” He lowered his voice. “Stand down or leave town.”
The Lagsturns leader’s position, sitting in the lounge chair beside the window in the single hotel room, had remained the same since Rain entered the room. Sanchez sat with his elbows out, his fingers twined and relaxed on his stomach, and his ankle thrown over the opposite leg’s knee. As much as he hated waiting, Rain stood patiently.
“Amigo, the Lagsturns have stayed cool and enjoyed your small town.” Sanchez’ smile relaxed, but his eyes remained cold and hard. “We’re not ready to move on. I’m sure you understand.”
“No, I don’t.” Rain stepped closer, and continued. “I won’t have you harassing my woman. I would’ve thought you’d learned after siccing Crystal on me.”
Sanchez waved him off. “The bitch is gone. A mistake on my part, and I grew tired of her. It’s time for someone new to ride on the back of my bike.”
Tightness grabbed at his chest. “So you’ve set your eye on my woman?”
“Tori?” Sanchez’s brows rose. “She’s a beautiful woman. I imagine she’s caught everyone’s eye.”
He glared, itching to punch the asshole in the face. “Stay. Away.”
It wasn’t a surprise that Sanchez knew Tori’s name. She’d made a splash in town when she parked her shack in his lot, but hearing Sanchez speak her name filled him with disgust. He wasn’t good enough to mention Tori, much less sully her life.
Sanchez slowly pushed himself to his feet. “Once again, I respect your boundaries. As you can see, we’re guests in your territory. We’ll follow your laws.”
“The way you did when you set the cabin on fire? When you threatened my woman?” He widened his stance.
Sanchez approached him, close enough to touch. “You’re looking in the wrong direction. That wasn’t the Lagsturns. I’d advise you to take better care of her. Or you might find that you lose her in the end.”
“Is that a threat?”
Sanchez shrugged, his upper lip curled, and he sighed. “Of course not, amigo.”
“One step over the line, and we’ll escort you across the Columbia River,” Rain said.
Sanchez nodded. “Fair enough.”
There were no polite handshakes exchanged between them, only a stare-down until Rain determined he’d had enough. He walked to the door.
“You might want to inform Tori you’ve claimed her, amigo. If my woman talked to other men with such a soft tongue as she does, I’d keep a tighter hold on her. She has that adorable innocence that makes men like me want to protect her. Not to mention she’s not hard to listen to … ”
Rage had Rain storming out the door, down the stairway, and out the hotel. Slade met him in the parking lot. No questions asked, no answers given. He’d postpone informing his men until he went back to Cactus Cove and made sure Tori remained safe.
Shit. Sanchez had already had contact with Tori. His skin crawled. A drop of doubt came with Sanchez’s warning. Could Tori be setting Rain up the same way Crystal had played him for a fool?
He trusted Sanchez about as much as he would a cougar in the area. Sneaky bastard would lie to his face and piss on him if he thought he could get away with it. Done fooling around after his mistake with Crystal, he wouldn’t let Sanchez get that close to Tori.
First, he wanted to find out if Tori was telling the truth. She’d arrived in town the same day as the Lagsturns. Either she was a good actress, or he was letting Sanchez rattle his chain.
He hit the throttle and sprayed gravel as he rode through town. The blood in his fingers ceased to flow. He’d let himself fall for her.
While he’d thought happily ever after, he should’ve had his guard up. He flew into the parking lot. He hoped with everything he possessed she’d stayed clear of Sanchez, and what they had was pure. It’d hurt more than he was willing to admit how much she’d come to mean to him.
The thought of Sanchez listening to the words coming from Tori’s mouth, soaking up every beautiful thought that came out of her head, cut deep.
She’s mine.
Aware of Torque following him through the front door, he scanned the room, spotted Tori, and pointed to the hallway. “Office. Now.”
Her boots were the only sound filling the room as she quickly obeyed him. She stared at him, her eyes big and her body stiff. She jumped and hurried after him to the office. He shoved open the door, entered before her, waited until she was inside, and shut them both in.
“Talk.” He loomed over her.
“Are you okay?” She went to him and put her hands on his chest. “What happened?”
He steeled himself. “Why’d you come to Pitnam?”
“Wh-what?”
“Answer,” he said, hoping he could believe whatever she told him.
“’Cause I needed to put gas in the truck, and the exit was close.” She clutched his vest. “What does this have to do with your meeting with Sanchez?”