Cash's Fight
Page 10
“Why don’t we go to the diner and get a cup of coffee?” It was really their only other choice at this time of night.
“Because I don’t want coffee; I want a drink! This isn’t the only bar in town.” Cheryl put her car in reverse, pulling out of the parking lot.
“Where are we going?” Cheryl’s erratic behavior had Rachel worried.
“Rosie’s.”
Rachel had never been in the bar on the outskirts of town. Usually, the rougher crowd of Treepoint hung out there. The Last Riders and even her brothers frequented the bar a couple of times a week. Thank God tonight wasn’t one of them.
“Cheryl, I don’t know what you got in a fight with Jared over, but whatever it was, it’s not worth doing something you’ll regret.”
“Don’t worry, Rachel; I don’t plan on doing anything I’ll regret. Did you know my husband has been fucking around on me for years? Or that he had a freaking vasectomy so he wouldn’t get any of them pregnant, me included? He never had any intention of having children with me.”
Rachel could only guess at how devastating it had been for Cheryl to learn her childhood sweetheart could be so treacherous.
“Cheryl, you have been married to Jared for a lot of years, too many to throw it away without taking time to think it over.”
“I plan to think it over with a couple of drinks inside me.”
Rachel wisely remained silent, not wanting her to become further upset while she was driving.
The parking lot at Rosie’s was full of trucks and motorcycles. Cheryl got out of the car before Rachel could change her mind.
Following behind her, Rachel felt self-conscious entering the dark bar when all the men’s eyes turned to them in the doorway. Cheryl’s anger, on the other hand, made her fearless.
Going farther into the bar, she found them an empty table at the back and took a chair. Rachel reluctantly sat down next to her, hoping a quick beer would calm her down enough to get her to leave.
Mick, the bar’s owner who attended Rachel’s church, came to take their order.
“Two beers,” Rachel requested, seeing he wasn’t happy she was there, but he didn’t say anything. He merely nodded, going to the bar for their drinks.
“How could I not have known?”
Rachel patted her hand, trying to infuse her with calming energy, but Cheryl snatched her hand away, reaching for the beer Mick had just placed in front of her.
Rachel reached into her purse for some money to pay him.
After Mick had walked away, a chair scraped back from the table and a large man Rachel didn’t recognize sat down beside Cheryl.
“You seem upset. Anything I can help with?” His obvious leer had Rachel stiffening but drew Cheryl’s interest.
“Hello.” She took a long drink of her beer. “My name is Cheryl.”
Rachel couldn’t help rolling her eyes at the falsely seductive note in Cheryl’s voice and her obvious flirtation.
This wasn’t going to end well. Jared might be an unfaithful bastard, but he would be furious if he knew his wife was flirting with a biker.
However, Rachel could only sit by helplessly as the evening progressed and Cheryl had several more drinks. She had drunk only half of the first one herself and was getting ready to drag Cheryl from the dance floor if she didn’t come back to the table soon.
Someone sat down next to her and Rachel turned, ready to blast them with a frigid glare when she saw it was Cash.
“Your brothers know you’re here?”
“I don’t have to tell my brothers every move I make.”
Cash lifted a sardonic brow.
“They think I’m at the Pink Slipper,” Rachel confessed.
“How did you end up here?”
Rachel jerked her head in Cheryl’s direction. “I’m going to get her to leave when she comes back to the table.”
“I don’t think Nickel is planning on bringing her back to the table.”
Rachel turned, seeing the large biker had his arm around Cheryl and was leading her toward the door.
Rachel jumped to her feet, beating them to the door and blocking their exit.
“Time to go, Cheryl.” Rachel pasted a confident smile onto her lips.
“She’s decided to go back to the clubhouse with me. It’s Friday night.” Nickel placed a possessive arm around her friend’s shoulder.
Rachel didn’t know what difference the day of the week mattered, but she couldn’t let Cheryl leave with him.
“She’s my ride home, and I promised her I wouldn’t let her leave without me,” Rachel tried to reason with the determined man.
The biker looked her over from head to toe. “You’re not my type, but I’m sure one of the other brothers will give you a good time.” Again, he tried to move around her; Rachel didn’t budge, though.
“You’re misunderstanding me. She’s not going to leave without me.”
“You’re not understanding me. I’m taking her back to the clubhouse where I’m going to fuck her like she asked me to. Now move.”
Rachel paled at his demand.
“Leave her alone, Nickel. Go on to the clubhouse. There are plenty of women there to keep you busy.”
“Dammit, Cash.”
“Remember that money you owe me? We’ll call it even.” When the man hesitated then released Cheryl, Rachel hastily moved out of his way to allow him to go out the door.
Cheryl almost fell, but Cash managed to grab her arm, preventing it. Cheryl then transferred her affection to Cash, wrapping her arms around his waist and pressing her breasts against him.
“Where’s your car?” Cash asked, making no move to remove Cheryl’s arms.
“We drove hers.”
Rachel had grabbed both their purses when she left the table. She dug through Cheryl’s as she walked toward her car. Pressing the unlock button, she opened the back car door. Cash sat the woman in the backseat, closing the door before she could ask him if she could go home with him again.
“What are you going to do with her?”
“Take her back to my house. I don’t think her facing Jared in this condition would help their marriage any.”
“I don’t know; Jared likes women any way he can get them.”
Rachel silently agreed but still wasn’t going to take Cheryl back until she sobered up. Looking in the backseat, she saw Cheryl was already passed out. She would wake the whole house up packing her inside.
“I’ll ride home with you and carry her in for you,” Cash offered.
Rachel bit her lip, not knowing what to do next. If her brothers woke up and saw her with a drunk Cheryl, they would throw a fit. If they woke up and saw Cash, there would be a killing.
“No, thanks. I can handle it,” she said firmly.
Cheryl stirred, slamming her hand against the window. “Where did Nickel go?” she yelled.
“Obviously not,” Cash retorted, getting into the driver’s seat of the car. “Give me the keys.” Rachel handed them over after getting in the passenger seat.
“How are you going to get home?” she asked, seeing his truck in the lot.
“I can walk. It’s just a mile back to the bar to pick up my truck. I know those woods like the back of my hand.”
“Because I don’t want coffee; I want a drink! This isn’t the only bar in town.” Cheryl put her car in reverse, pulling out of the parking lot.
“Where are we going?” Cheryl’s erratic behavior had Rachel worried.
“Rosie’s.”
Rachel had never been in the bar on the outskirts of town. Usually, the rougher crowd of Treepoint hung out there. The Last Riders and even her brothers frequented the bar a couple of times a week. Thank God tonight wasn’t one of them.
“Cheryl, I don’t know what you got in a fight with Jared over, but whatever it was, it’s not worth doing something you’ll regret.”
“Don’t worry, Rachel; I don’t plan on doing anything I’ll regret. Did you know my husband has been fucking around on me for years? Or that he had a freaking vasectomy so he wouldn’t get any of them pregnant, me included? He never had any intention of having children with me.”
Rachel could only guess at how devastating it had been for Cheryl to learn her childhood sweetheart could be so treacherous.
“Cheryl, you have been married to Jared for a lot of years, too many to throw it away without taking time to think it over.”
“I plan to think it over with a couple of drinks inside me.”
Rachel wisely remained silent, not wanting her to become further upset while she was driving.
The parking lot at Rosie’s was full of trucks and motorcycles. Cheryl got out of the car before Rachel could change her mind.
Following behind her, Rachel felt self-conscious entering the dark bar when all the men’s eyes turned to them in the doorway. Cheryl’s anger, on the other hand, made her fearless.
Going farther into the bar, she found them an empty table at the back and took a chair. Rachel reluctantly sat down next to her, hoping a quick beer would calm her down enough to get her to leave.
Mick, the bar’s owner who attended Rachel’s church, came to take their order.
“Two beers,” Rachel requested, seeing he wasn’t happy she was there, but he didn’t say anything. He merely nodded, going to the bar for their drinks.
“How could I not have known?”
Rachel patted her hand, trying to infuse her with calming energy, but Cheryl snatched her hand away, reaching for the beer Mick had just placed in front of her.
Rachel reached into her purse for some money to pay him.
After Mick had walked away, a chair scraped back from the table and a large man Rachel didn’t recognize sat down beside Cheryl.
“You seem upset. Anything I can help with?” His obvious leer had Rachel stiffening but drew Cheryl’s interest.
“Hello.” She took a long drink of her beer. “My name is Cheryl.”
Rachel couldn’t help rolling her eyes at the falsely seductive note in Cheryl’s voice and her obvious flirtation.
This wasn’t going to end well. Jared might be an unfaithful bastard, but he would be furious if he knew his wife was flirting with a biker.
However, Rachel could only sit by helplessly as the evening progressed and Cheryl had several more drinks. She had drunk only half of the first one herself and was getting ready to drag Cheryl from the dance floor if she didn’t come back to the table soon.
Someone sat down next to her and Rachel turned, ready to blast them with a frigid glare when she saw it was Cash.
“Your brothers know you’re here?”
“I don’t have to tell my brothers every move I make.”
Cash lifted a sardonic brow.
“They think I’m at the Pink Slipper,” Rachel confessed.
“How did you end up here?”
Rachel jerked her head in Cheryl’s direction. “I’m going to get her to leave when she comes back to the table.”
“I don’t think Nickel is planning on bringing her back to the table.”
Rachel turned, seeing the large biker had his arm around Cheryl and was leading her toward the door.
Rachel jumped to her feet, beating them to the door and blocking their exit.
“Time to go, Cheryl.” Rachel pasted a confident smile onto her lips.
“She’s decided to go back to the clubhouse with me. It’s Friday night.” Nickel placed a possessive arm around her friend’s shoulder.
Rachel didn’t know what difference the day of the week mattered, but she couldn’t let Cheryl leave with him.
“She’s my ride home, and I promised her I wouldn’t let her leave without me,” Rachel tried to reason with the determined man.
The biker looked her over from head to toe. “You’re not my type, but I’m sure one of the other brothers will give you a good time.” Again, he tried to move around her; Rachel didn’t budge, though.
“You’re misunderstanding me. She’s not going to leave without me.”
“You’re not understanding me. I’m taking her back to the clubhouse where I’m going to fuck her like she asked me to. Now move.”
Rachel paled at his demand.
“Leave her alone, Nickel. Go on to the clubhouse. There are plenty of women there to keep you busy.”
“Dammit, Cash.”
“Remember that money you owe me? We’ll call it even.” When the man hesitated then released Cheryl, Rachel hastily moved out of his way to allow him to go out the door.
Cheryl almost fell, but Cash managed to grab her arm, preventing it. Cheryl then transferred her affection to Cash, wrapping her arms around his waist and pressing her breasts against him.
“Where’s your car?” Cash asked, making no move to remove Cheryl’s arms.
“We drove hers.”
Rachel had grabbed both their purses when she left the table. She dug through Cheryl’s as she walked toward her car. Pressing the unlock button, she opened the back car door. Cash sat the woman in the backseat, closing the door before she could ask him if she could go home with him again.
“What are you going to do with her?”
“Take her back to my house. I don’t think her facing Jared in this condition would help their marriage any.”
“I don’t know; Jared likes women any way he can get them.”
Rachel silently agreed but still wasn’t going to take Cheryl back until she sobered up. Looking in the backseat, she saw Cheryl was already passed out. She would wake the whole house up packing her inside.
“I’ll ride home with you and carry her in for you,” Cash offered.
Rachel bit her lip, not knowing what to do next. If her brothers woke up and saw her with a drunk Cheryl, they would throw a fit. If they woke up and saw Cash, there would be a killing.
“No, thanks. I can handle it,” she said firmly.
Cheryl stirred, slamming her hand against the window. “Where did Nickel go?” she yelled.
“Obviously not,” Cash retorted, getting into the driver’s seat of the car. “Give me the keys.” Rachel handed them over after getting in the passenger seat.
“How are you going to get home?” she asked, seeing his truck in the lot.
“I can walk. It’s just a mile back to the bar to pick up my truck. I know those woods like the back of my hand.”
