“Cass!”
Someone was yelling outside the door and knocking. Lilly sat up, sleep-deprived and groggy. She looked at her phone. Five fucking thirty. Are you kidding me?
She reached over and nudged a snoring Cass.
“Baby.”
Cass bolted upright next to her, looking around and taking in his surroundings before he looked at her inquisitively. Then another knock on the door came.
“Cass, come on man.”
Cass pulled on the jeans that lay on the floor next to the bed before opening the door. Scott was standing there, bright eyed and bushy-tailed. Lilly looked at the two men in confusion, but they couldn’t see her face in the darkness of the room.
“Why are you so happy to be awake before six o’clock in the morning?” she asked, her voice scratchy and laced with sleep.
“He’s always up with the fuckin’ chickens,” Cass sighed.
“I am, but I’m happy about it because it’s time to ride.”
Lilly rolled her eyes and rolled over, pulling the comforter almost completely over her head.
“Oh no, what do you think you’re doing?” Scott asked.
“Uh, sleeping.”
“Cass didn’t tell you?”
Cass walked into the bathroom adjoining to their room and flicked the light on. Lilly shielded her face from the bright lights that now shone directly on her.
“Evidently not.”
Cass’s laughter echoed from the bathroom. Lilly pulled the blanket down and gave him a deadpan look.
“What?” she asked.
“We’re going on a pack ride today and that means you too.”
Lilly sighed and let out a few obscenities before she looked at Scott who was on the verge of laughing from the doorway.
“Well close the damn door.”
Scott pulled the door closed and Lilly got up. She went straight to the shower, then brushed her teeth while Cass stayed out of her way. She wasn’t good at mornings and Cass was slowly learning that. She finished in the bathroom and looked through the closet. She decided on a black Hounds support shirt and pair of dark blue jeans with her favorite flip-flops.
Lilly knew she’d get shit over her choice of footwear, but she didn’t care. They were her feet. If they got shredded to hell and back, then it was her problem, not theirs. Once she was completely ready, she walked downstairs. Cass and Scott were sitting at the bar with Old School and Snapper, all four of them chipper and happy as hell to be awake. It almost made Lilly disgusted with their pleasantness. She sat down in the nearest barstool to the stairs and furthest from the group of happy bikers.
Linc was behind the bar, as usual, and it made her wonder if he ever slept. He was happy too. She couldn’t figure it out, but something was definitely wrong with these men. No one should be so damn happy to be awake.
Lilly pulled a cigarette out of her pack and lit it.
“Want some coffee?” Linc asked.
“Only if you have milk or creamer and about a pound of sugar back there.”
“Got you covered.” He walked to the other end of the bar and grabbed a coffee mug, poured coffee, then set it on the bar in front of Lilly before walking off.
He returned with a small, plastic container full of sugar and a cup of milk.
“Thanks.”
Lilly poured half of the cup of milk in until her coffee was a light tan color, then she loaded it with sugar. How people drank it black was beyond her. Coffee was disgusting, but she did like a little bit of it with her sugar and milk.
She sat there in silence, sipping her coffee and smoking her cigarette while the guys laughed and joked at the other end of the bar. Once she finished her cigarette and downed the rest of her coffee, she was a little bit more awake and thought she could handle being around the guys now.
She walked down to their end of the bar and wrapped her arms around Cass’s shoulders.
“Well good morning, love.” He reached up and rubbed her arm affectionately, running his fingers lightly back and forth on her arm.
“Good morning.” She rested her head on his while the men continued talking about their plans for the day. From what Old School was saying, they were supposed to be riding to Mississippi, but for what, she wasn’t sure.
An all-day ride didn’t sound bad, especially not after everything that had occurred over the last few weeks. Freedom and an open road sounded so much better than being stuck inside. Now that she was awake, she was starting to get excited.
“Let’s stop and grab a belly bomb before we hit the road. We can eat when we get there,” Cass said, moving Lilly’s arm from around him so he could stand up. He headed out the door and everyone else followed.
“A belly bomb?” she questioned, raising one eyebrow at Cass as she was buckling her helmet.
“Yeah, something small to put in our belly so we can hold off before we eat an actual meal.” He shrugged his shoulders, returning her questioning look.
“Oh. Well, okay then. Sign me up!”
It didn’t take long for everyone to put helmets on and be ready to hit the road. They all lined up, bikes pointed in the direction of adventure and mischief. Cass and Scott were in the front, followed by Old School, Snapper, and Gater in the back.
Cass pulled out onto the street and Lilly leaned back on the sissy bar that was placed there just for her, or at least that’s what Cass said last week when he put it on. The thought made her smile and it was comfortable, so that was a plus.
For people that have never ridden a motorcycle, whether it be actually riding or simply on the back, Lilly felt a sense of sympathy for them. They would never know how the wind feels blowing in their face without anything to block it out or how everything smells different when you’re out in the open air. She was falling in love with Cass all over again and the only thing he was doing was riding and being himself.
She smiled as she stretched her arms out, like she was flying and let her head hang back. She was soaking up the sun and the fresh air and the rumble of the motorcycles around her.
Cass pulled into a truck stop by the interstate and killed his bike.
“You want something to snack on before we get on the road?” he asked as she steadied herself with his shoulder.
“Hell yeah. I’m starving.” She smiled and grabbed his hand, dragging him along beside her.
The truck stop had fried chicken, meat pies, and stuffed taquito looking things. Lilly decided on a taquito looking thing and a bottled water. Cass got fried chicken and an energy drink. They grabbed their things and waited outside for the guys to get their stuff.
Lilly sat on the back of the bike and used Cass’s seat as her table while she scarfed down the taquito things that turned out to be delicious. She was amazed at how good food out of a truck stop could be.
Cass annihilated the two chicken legs he got and stood next to her while she finished her belly bomb. The guys all came out of the store laughing and Lilly watched as they talked and ate. After they were through, it was time to get on the road.
Lilly didn’t know it until then that her favorite part of riding was getting on the interstate, or taking off in general. On the on-ramp, Cass slammed the throttle and the gravity of it made Lilly’s stomach somersault, but not in an I’m-gonna-puke kinda somersault, more of a holy-shit-this-is-amazing kinda somersault.
The interstate wasn’t crowded, and that was odd for a Sunday morning. Lilly figured most people would be going to church, or at least getting ready to. The ride through Louisiana was peaceful and quiet aside from the roar of the engines. Lilly watched as Cass rode, he paid attention to everything. It was like his head was on a swivel and it had to turn every two point eight seconds. He was constantly looking at what was going on around him on both sides of the interstate, although nothing was going on.
Scott didn’t look around everywhere. He looked like a man driving a nice, comfortable Cadillac. He was leaned back slightly with his feet on the foot pegs, wind blowing back his beard and eyes dead ahead.
Lilly wondered what he might be thinking. He had to have thoughts. Cass’s head turned again, catching her attention. She had to quit looking every time his head turned because there wasn’t anything that he was looking at other than everything. She was fully convinced that if a squirrel moved in a tree that they were passing, he’d see it.
They rode on the interstate until they reached the Slidell exit. Cass and Scott led the guys to a gas station right off the interstate where eight or ten bikes were parked at. She knew by the patches on the front of the men’s cuts who they were. Hounds.
Lilly recognized Shorty and Leo, with Lucy and Carrie riding bitch, and a few of the other men looked familiar but she didn’t know who they were, and they all had a lady riding with them. She looked over the faces of men, and one in particular caught her attention. Linc was there, but that wasn’t the face that had stopped her looking. Mindy was riding on the back of Linc’s bike.
She didn’t have time to go ask Mindy what she was doing here before they were taking off again. Evidently, they only stopped to grab the guys and the one woman that got out of a car and onto Scott’s bike. Must be one of his pincushions.
She was the only woman Lilly got a good look at since Scott was side by side with them while they rode. She was slim, not too much make-up caked on her face, and she wasn’t dressed like a slut.
Lilly looked in the mirror of Cass’s bike and could see glimpses of Carrie and Lucy, both leaned back and enjoying the ride. Old School’s beard had split in half from the wind and was nearly touching his ears. Lilly laughed at the sight, it wasn’t often you saw a beard split in half.
The day was pretty, sun shining and warm. Lilly noticed that Cass and Scott weren’t riding as fast as they normally would, and Lilly assumed it was because he was leading a pack of bikes. The sound of engines rumbling was comforting and made Lilly feel at home as they rode down the interstate.
Once they crossed the Mississippi state line, Lilly leaned up to Cass’s ear.
“Where are we going?” she asked.
“Benefit in Gulfport for another MC,” he yelled back.
Cass said Gulfport but what Lilly heard was beach. She couldn’t recall the last time she’d been to the beach and now she was starting to get excited. She was also excited to be around another club, especially one that wasn’t part of the problem at home.
She sighed in relief and rested her head on Cass’s shoulder for the remainder of the ride, soaking up the sun and Cass’s presence. Cass and Scott led them off the first Gulfport exit, and they rode through town until they got to Beach Boulevard. After a left on Beach Boulevard, Lilly knew where they were going. There was a huge park on the right-hand side of the road and the parking lot was full of bikes. It was a sight to see, so many different bikes and clubs.
There must have been a thousand bikes out there. Cass and Scott managed to find an open area big enough for everyone to park. Lilly stepped off the bike, stretching her legs and hoping her ass woke up from sitting so damn long.
Thin, feminine arms wrapped around Lilly’s waist and a chin rested on her shoulder. She turned her head to find Mindy looking back at her with a grin on her face.
“Things worked out okay between you two last night, I see.”
Mindy’s grin turned into a full-on smile. “I like him so far, so let’s see where this goes. Besides, how could I turn down a road trip on a motorcycle with my best friend?”
Lilly turned around and hugged her. “You couldn’t, which is why you’re here.”
“Hey ladies, come on.” Cass beckoned her to walk with the rest of the guys that she didn’t notice had already started walking toward the large crowd of people and away from the beach that was so close on the other side of the parking lot.
There were people everywhere and the music coming from the stage was loud but sounded phenomenal. It was a cover-band, that she knew for sure, because they were singing a country song, but their sound was spot on. She walked faster to catch up with everyone else, Mindy at her side.
“There’s so many people.” Mindy looked around in amazement.
“I know. I wonder what the benefit is for.”
“Linc didn’t say, but it must be something special. Look at all this.” Mindy motioned to the vendors that were set up throughout the massive, open park. There were booths of all sorts of varieties. From where Lilly stood, she could see multiple food booths, a leather store booth, and one set up with women selling T-shirts. There was a cage toward the middle of the park that had a few people inside of it and a dunking booth next to it.
Cass walked up to the girls with two daiquiris in hand.
"Here, I figured y’all could use a drink."
Lilly smiled and took them from him. "Thanks, baby."
"Thanks, boss." Mindy grabbed hers from Lilly's hand and took a sip.
"What's that cage for?" Lilly asked.
Cass looked in the direction Lilly had pointed then turned back to her. "No clue."
He turned and walked off, in the direction of the cage. Standing outside of it was a woman in cut-off shorts and a halter top. She had something on her hip and was holding something else in her hand. Beads, maybe? It was hard to tell from where she stood.
Cass walked up to her and they talked for a bit before Cass pointed in Lilly and Mindy's direction. He reached into his pocket and pulled out cash, handed it to the woman, then walked off.
"What do you think he's doing?" Mindy asked, looking at the woman who was now walking in their direction.
"I have no fucking clue."
"Hi ladies!" The woman approached them with a huge grin on her face. Lilly could see now that she had handcuffs in her hand and a toy gun on her hip.
"Hello." Lilly smiled.
"I hate to do this, but it's kinda what I'm here for. You're under arrest." The woman grabbed Lilly's wrists and pulled them behind her back.
"In order to get out of jail, someone has to pay double what that guy paid to put you in."
Lilly could feel her cheeks turning bright red and she glared at Cass who was standing with Scott and Old School, all three of them laughing as the woman pushed Lilly toward the metal cage in the center of the park.
Mindy walked beside them. "How much did he pay to put her in?" Mindy asked.
"Two hundred dollars."
Lilly looked at the woman in astonishment. "He paid two hundred fucking dollars to put me in here?" Her voice rose a few octaves when she spoke.
The woman laughed. "Yes ma'am."
Mindy looked at Lilly with pity in her eyes. "Sorry, love. I can't get you out. I don't have any cash on me." She shrugged her shoulders before she went to stand by Linc, who had just joined the crowd Cass was with.
Traitor.
The woman put Lilly inside the metal cage and locked it behind her. Looking around, she took in the people inside. Two men and a woman that she didn't recognize stood inside. The two men wore a cut with a patch on the back that she had never seen before. According to their patch, they were the Highway Sinners out of Gulfport, Mississippi. The center patch was a single, one-piece patch with a skull in the center on a black background with a circle of yellow chain surrounding it.
"How much is your bail?" The taller of the two men asked. Lilly looked up into a pair of the brightest green eyes she'd ever seen. His cut said he was the Vice President.
"Four hundred."
"Goddamn, who put you in here?"
"That big fucker with the shit eating grin on his face," Lilly said, pointing at Cass. He was looking over at her from the vendor booth he was standing at, a huge smile on his face.
"Is that your ol' man?"
Lilly thought about how she should answer that question. He was hers in every sense of the word.
"Yep." She smiled.
"You must be Lilly, then."
Lilly looked at him confused. "I am."
"I'm Micah. Cass and the Hounds are good friends of ours. We're the ones putting on this benefit. I've heard a lot about you."
"Nice to meet you."
Micah looked over at Cass and shook his head before he turned back to Lilly.
"I can't believe he put up two hundred dollars to put you in here. He must've wanted you in a cage pretty fucking bad."
Lilly shrugged her shoulders. "Apparently."
The other woman inside the cage walked up behind Micah and wrapped her arm around his waist. "Lilly, this is my girlfriend Raven. Raven, this is Cass's ol' lady Lilly." Micah moved to the side and Raven stepped up next to him.
She had long black hair like Lilly's, dark blue eyes, and an hourglass figure. She was Lilly's height, but the heels she had on put her a few inches taller. She was still smaller than Micah, though. He had to be at least six-foot-four. Even though they had a significant height difference, they fit together.
"Hey, Raven." Lilly smiled at her.
"What do ya'll say we get out of here?" Raven asked.
"Ya'll might be able to, but I don't have any cash on me. I'm stuck here," Lilly said.
Raven reached into Micah's back pocket and pulled out his wallet. She opened it, taking a stack of hundreds out and counting them.
"No, babe. It looks like your bail just got posted." Raven looked up at Micah who had a smirk on his face as Raven turned on her heel and walked to the gate. She handed the woman the wad of cash before she signaled to Micah and Lilly.
"Come on!"
Lilly and Micah walked out of the gate behind Raven as the jailer closed it back up. Cass was still watching from across the park.
"Thank you," Lilly said, to both Micah and Raven.
"It's for a good cause and if Cass put you in there then I had to get back at him by getting you out. Though, I'm not sure who the real winner is being as I'm out a couple hundred dollars, and his ol' lady is still going home with him." Micah laughed.
"She could come home with us." Raven's eyes sparkled as she looked at Micah in question.
"She's Cass's ol' lady, baby. You know the rules. No club ol' ladies." Micah's tone was soft, caring even. They seemed perfect for one another.
"Fine," Raven said, poking her bottom lip out. She turned her attention back to Lilly.
"But I would definitely take you home if you weren't an ol' lady already." Lilly searched for anything in Raven's expression that would give away some insight into whether she was joking or not, but by the way she was looking at her, she was most definitely not joking.
"I..." Lilly started, but a pair of large, rough hands wrapped around her waist, stopping her mid-sentence.
"Hey baby." Cass's voice in her ears immediately made her shoulders relax.
"Hi, love." Lilly could hear the smile in her own voice. This man made her so happy, even if he hadn't been around much lately, he was still the only person she wanted holding her at night. This one. The one with his arms around her.
Cass kissed her head and then rested his chin on her shoulder.
"I see you met Micah and Raven."
"I did. Thanks to you." She knocked her head into his, softly.
"You're welcome. Micah's been a friend of mine for a long time and the Highway Sinners are a brother club to us. He's done a lot for not only me, but the club as well."
"Thanks, brother." Micah beamed with pride at Cass's words. Even Raven had a sense of pride in her eyes.
Lilly saw more everyday of how much of a family the club was, not only inside the Lucifer's Hounds, but with other clubs as well. This lifestyle was family. People just got the wrong impression.
"Come see, I've got some friends I want to introduce you to." Cass tugged at her waist.
Micah and Raven smiled at them before walking off to talk to some of the other people standing around while Cass directed Lilly toward the group of people he had been hanging around while she was in "jail". When they reached the group, Mindy peered at Lilly over Linc's shoulder.
"Don't hate me. I'm broke. Tell my boss I need a raise," she joked.
"Babe, you heard her. She needs a raise." Lilly looked at Cass, waiting for his response.
"She can have a raise if you make a deal with me."
"What's that?"
"Move in with me. Completely. In my house, not the club house."
Lilly's jaw went slack as she stared at him, speechless. Her mind was trying to process everything. He wanted her to move in with him away from the club house. Did that mean her "punishment" was over? Was she able to return to her normal life, now? So many questions formed in her head and fuck was he giving her whiplash. But it’d be a lie if she said it didn’t make her happy.
"Yes." She agreed with him before asking these questions because that's where her heart was. Her heart was with him, whether that was at the club house, his house, a bar, their house, or across the country. She'd go anywhere and do anything for Cass.
His thousand-watt smile sent butterflies hammering the inside of her stomach. And that's why. That smile, right there. Cass pulled her to him and pressed his lips firmly to hers, sending those familiar electric blue sparks tingling through her.
When Lilly opened her eyes and regained her senses, Mindy was still peering over Linc's shoulder, a look of bemusement on her face.
"Damn, it was that easy? Hey boss, I need another raise!" Her energy made Lilly's heart happy. She was elated to see her best friend with a newfound luminance.
"Hey, easy now. That was just a way for me to get her to move in with me. Besides, I figure you deserve a raise and she deserves to be out of the clubhouse and have a place to call home. That, and I'm selfish and want her to share my home with me." Lilly's cheeks hurt from the smile that threatened to stretch off her face if she didn't keep it under control.
A man in a Lucifer's Hounds cut walked up, but Lilly was certain she had never seen him around before. His nametag said his name was Clayton and he was the Sergeant at Arms. Cass's eyes lit up when he saw Clayton and he greeted him with a hug.
"Whatcha say, old man?" Cass asked, his tone light and happy.
"Had to come see what y’all were up to down here." Clayton's voice was deep, and he looked to be in his mid to late fifties. He had amber-colored eyes and the wrinkles at his eyes were most definitely from a lifetime of smiles and laughter. He didn't have your typical rough exterior like most of the older men that had been around clubs. Either he was harmless and always happy, or he wasn't harmless and always happy.
"Oh, man. Not a whole lot. Just out supporting these guys."
Clayton turned his attention to Lilly, who was still standing next to Cass.
"I'm Clayton, Cass's father." Clayton smiled, holding his hand out for Lilly to shake.
Lilly's heart hammered, her nerves kicking into over drive because she was meeting someone in Cass's family. "Hi, I'm Lilly." She shook his hand.
"She's pretty, son. I'd go to war for her, too."
Cass's face dropped, and he eyed his father suspiciously. "Let's take a walk." Cass's tone wasn't harsh or rude, it was curious. Clayton nodded at Mindy, Linc, and Lilly before walking off with Cass.
Mindy looked at Lilly. "Cass's dad is a Hound?" She asked.
"Evidently so," Lilly said.
She looked at the two men walking away. Clayton had about a foot on Cass in height, but they shared the same broad shoulders. She could see his back patch now. His bottom rocker was Oklahoma City. No wonder she had never seen him before. Lilly pondered a minute before she turned to Linc.
"Did you know his dad was a Hound from Oklahoma City?"
"Nope." Linc's answer was monotone. Flat. He wouldn't tell her even if he did. Lilly rolled her eyes. Stupid brother code. Ugh.
Mindy eyed Linc suspiciously, but didn’t say anything. They stood there for a moment before Linc was called to go do something by Snapper, leaving Lilly and Mindy alone.
“Are you thirsty? That daiquiri didn’t last long, and I could use another one.” Mindy held up her empty cup.
“Hell yeah. I wish they served liquor around here, though,” Lilly huffed.
Mindy walked off to the nearest daiquiri stand while Lilly stood and waited. She looked around the park, taking in all the sights. The sun was bright, and the people were plenty.
While Lilly had stared off into space, Carrie and Lucy snuck up on her. One minute she was alone, the next, they were right beside her.
"Hey sunshine!" Carrie's enthusiasm never failed to make Lilly smile.
"Hey love!" Lilly wrapped her up in a hug before turning to hug Lucy.
"What have ya'll been doing?" Lilly eyed them suspiciously.
Lucy snickered and that's when Lilly noticed her eyes. They were red and glazed over. She looked at Carrie to find the same thing. "You found weed, didn’t you?"
Carrie nodded her head quickly, her excitement evident in her expression. "Yep. Want some?"
"Hell yeah," Lilly said as Mindy approached with two daiquiris in hand.
"Damn, if I would've known ya'll were here I would've grabbed two more."
"That's okay, love. We have something for you, anyway." Carrie grinned as she pulled a small baggie out of the pocket of her vest. Mindy looked down and smiled.
"I don't know if my boss is gonna approve of that."
"That's why we're walking over to the beach." Carrie pointed toward the empty beach across the parking lot. Mindy looked over in the direction Carrie pointed and a mischievous smirk pulled at the corner of her mouth.
"Let's go, what you waitin’ on?" Mindy asked, walking ahead of them,
Lilly couldn't think of a time in the four years that she and Mindy had been friends that she'd ever seen her smoke anything other than a cigarette. She smiled internally at the fact that she was getting to smoke with her best friend for the first time. Hell, it had probably been just that long since the last time Lilly smoked. It wasn't her thing, but what would it hurt to live on the edge a little bit.
The walk to the beach was short and from the looks of it, no one noticed they were even gone. Lilly was sure she would have to hear about leaving without saying anything to Cass later. Carrie and Lucy were chatting along the way, but Lilly zoned out. Her head was stuck in the clouds, or more-so, the sand. The beach was stunning and as she breathed in the welcoming scent, she couldn’t help but smile. The waves crashed along the shoreline and the salt-filled air infiltrated her senses. She wanted to run, full sprint, toward the water, but she fought the urge.
Mindy was in the middle of a conversation with Lucy and Carrie when they reached a spot far enough away.
“That sunset is gorgeous.” Mindy looked out at the horizon, causing everyone else to look out at the big, orange blob that appeared to be slowly submerging itself into the ocean.
The hues of orange and red glimmered atop the water and the view was breathtaking. No one else was around and Lilly decided this was a good spot, so she sat down. The sand was cool underneath her and although the sand was her least favorite part, she didn’t mind it so much.
Carrie sat down next to her and rested her head on Lilly’s shoulder. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the baggie with luscious green weed in it then pulled a small pipe from her other pocket. Mindy and Lucy took notice and sat down around them.
“Here.” Carrie handed her the pipe that she just loaded. Lilly sighed then took a deep breath. She grabbed the pipe from Carrie and, before she could talk herself out of it, brought it to her lips and took a hit. The burn was a familiar one as the smoke permeated her lungs. Hello, old friend.
She held it in for as long as she could before she attempted to slowly let it out without coughing. She failed miserably, though, and coughed just as she blew out the last bit of smoke that was left. She raised it again and took another hit before passing it to Mindy.
Mindy grinned as she took it from Lilly and did the same. Lilly could feel her buzz starting to kick in already and she couldn’t fight the smile that instantly plastered her face. She had a love-hate relationship with being high. She loved the way it made her feel heavy yet relaxed, but she hated how she generally got so tired after smoking.
Mindy exhaled her second hit and passed it back to Carrie. Carrie took one hit then handed it to Lucy, who politely declined. Evidently this wasn’t a normal occurrence for Lucy and she seemed rather high as it was.
“I really fucking needed that,” Lilly said, looking at Carrie.
“You good or you want some more?” she asked, holding the pipe out to her.
Lilly waved her hand in dismissal. “Oh, no. I’m really good. If I smoke anymore, I’ll be sleeping right here.”
Mindy giggled, catching Lilly’s attention. “What?”
“I can picture Cass trying to get you off the beach and onto the bike, high as hell, and let me tell you…in my head, that’s some funny shit.”
“Definitely funny shit. He’d be so pissed!” Lilly laughed.
“What do your guys think of yall smoking?” Lilly asked, looking at Carrie and Lucy.
“Mine doesn’t give a damn. We dabble in shit all the time.” Carrie’s answer took her by surprise. She didn’t realize how much things went on around her that she wasn’t aware of.
“Mine doesn’t care either.”
After hearing their answers, Lilly wondered how Cass felt about it. They had never talked about that kind of thing. She didn’t know if he dabbled in anything or if he was against it. He couldn’t disapprove that much considering his lifestyle, could he?
The thought alone made her question whether she had just disrespected him or not. Pondering, she pulled her pack of cigarettes out of her pocket and lit one. Her mouth was already drier than the desert in a drought and she knew a cigarette wouldn’t help, but damn she wanted one.
“Can I have one of those?” Mindy asked, extending her hand to her best friend.
“Of course.” Lilly set one in her hand along with her lighter.
The four of them sat on the beach in that exact spot until the sun was gone, and darkness started to take over. They talked about their lives and Lilly learned that Carrie and Lucy had only been around the Hounds for six months. That’s why their husbands were still prospects and didn’t have a full patch yet. They were still proving themselves.
Chatter from men grew louder and Lilly looked up to find that a group of men was approaching them. She couldn’t make their faces out, but she could hear Cass’s voice amongst them.
“Hey, you!” she beamed as she stood up to greet Cass. Her arms wrapped around his neck and she pulled him into her. He didn’t hesitate and placed a kiss on her lips ever so gently. The smile that she wore before only amplified as his lips touched hers. Her buzz was still intact, but she felt great. Giddy more than anything.
Carrie, Lucy and Mindy all stood up to find that Leo, Shorty, and Linc accompanied Cass.
* * *
“You found me,” Lilly said through half-squinted eyes. “You were never lost, baby. Prospects.” He waved his hand at the three prospects that stood behind him. It was then Lilly realized that they hadn’t snuck off at all. They had been watched. Although they weren’t followed, they were watched.
Lilly rolled her eyes. “How could I forget?” Her voice was laced with light sarcasm.
Cass chuckled and pulled her tighter to him, kissing her again. This time, it wasn’t light. His lips flush against hers at first, then his tongue invading her mouth, inviting hers to dance. As soon as his tongue connected with hers, she felt the rush of electricity directly to her core. It was overwhelming and for a moment, she forgot where she was...what she was doing...who she was with...because the only thing her brain could process was the whirlwind of lust and desire for this man. Her man.
Chatter around them sucked Lilly back to the present moment. She pulled away enough to catch her breath. Cass’s lips twitched at the sides, giving her that signature smirk that made her weak in the knees. Lilly's smile mirrored Cass's before he kissed her forehead and turned her around. His arms wrapped around her affectionately and he rested his chin on her shoulder.
"I love you." His declaration was unexpected, but welcoming.
"And I love you," Lilly said, turning her head toward him to kiss his cheek. There was a giddy feeling reverberating inside her, making her heart full and happy.
"What do you say we spend the next few days here? Maybe we could grab a hotel or stay with the Highway Sinners."
Lilly's head snapped toward him in surprise. "Really? I would abso-fuckin-lutely love that!"
Cass's eyes danced with amusement at her excitement. "Me too. I'll let the guys know."