Thirty minutes ago, Cass was groaning about the sand sticking to his bare feet while they walked toward the ocean. Now, he was waist deep in the water, laughing so hard he could barely breathe because every two minutes, he’d sneak up behind Lilly and pinch at her thighs lightly, scaring her and making her jump. She had already slapped him twice on his shoulder to no avail. He reached out and grabbed her ankle, pulling her to him. He placed her legs on either side of his waist and wrapped his arms around hers. Shit just got real.
The sexual tension between them went from zero to ten in less than ten seconds. Her sex was pressed against his through the thin materials they had on. Lilly looked down at his lips, her arms around his neck, and she couldn’t help but wonder how the salt water tasted on him. It didn’t take her long to find out either. She lowered her lips to his and this time she slid her tongue through his lips, running it across his bottom lip.
Cass’s hands around her waist searched for some part of her to grip onto. A low, feral moan came from deep in his chest. His hand traveled around her side to her stomach and his fingers slid beneath her swimsuit bottoms easily. His fingers slid across that sweet spot that she’d been dying for him to touch since they were in the store.
Lilly felt like a shark that had just gotten it’s first taste of blood, kissing Cass passionately, continuously. She didn’t want to stop. Didn’t want to come up for air. He was all she needed. Her pussy throbbed. Ached. Wanted.
She rocked her hips against his fingers, needing the friction. Needing the feeling. Her hand traveled down to his hard length that strained against his shorts, begging to be released and who was she to deny that? She undid the Velcro that held it together and he sprang free. Her hand wrapped around him and stroked him from base to tip then back down again.
Cass broke their kiss. His head tilted back. Mouth open. A pleasurable groan falling off his lips. His fingers picking up speed between her legs while she worked her hand tediously up and down, curving as she reached the tip of his cock then slamming down to his base again.
Lilly leaned forward, covering his mouth with hers. Needing him to kiss her. To feel his tongue collide with hers while he pleased her, and she teased him. She was nearing the brink of orgasm. She was so close she could almost taste it. But that wasn’t in the cards today because just when she thought she was going to explode, a man’s voice cut through that pleasure like a scorching knife cutting through butter.
“Cass!”
Lilly and Cass both abruptly stopped and looked toward the unwelcome interruption. Linc was standing on the shore in blue jeans, boots and his cut with an “oh shit” look on his face. Lilly turned her attention to Cass to see his face contorted in anger and confusion, making her understand why Linc looked like he’d seen a ghost.
“What?” Cass yelled back through gritted teeth as he tied his swimming trunks and stood up, walking toward the shore.
“It’s uh—uh Scott. He’s been trying to get in touch with you. Says it’s important.”
Cass walked right past him once they reached the shore, headed toward the bike. He was, no doubt, going to grab his phone. Lilly wasn’t entirely sure what to do, so she stood next to Linc.
“Sorry, Lilly.” Linc’s apology was heartfelt. He wasn’t trying to fuck anything up. Hell, he was the best prospect Lilly had ever seen. Not that that was saying much because she hadn’t been around that long, but none of the other prospects were as dedicated as he was. That much was obvious. In this club or any other one that she’d been around.
“It’s okay. Don’t worry about it, Linc. You did the right thing. If Scott says it’s important, then you did right. I don’t think Cass is pissed at you, I think he just wasn’t happy that he got cock-blocked,” she said light-heartedly.
She watched Cass from where she stood, still just as sexually frustrated as she was when he was toying with her sweet spot. From there, she could see that his arm was strained from bending to hold the phone to his ear. He paced back and forth by the bike, something he had to do so that he could focus. She’d noticed it a few weeks ago. Anytime he got a phone call, if he wasn’t doing something, he had to pace to retain the information from the conversation.
Linc started walking toward the parking lot and Lilly followed. She was shivering. It wasn’t cold, but it was much warmer when she was in the water. Now that the wind was blowing, she was ready to wrap a towel around herself and change into some actual clothes. She almost wanted to pout at the interruption because Linc didn’t only interrupt their potential sexual encounter, he interrupted their day. Lilly knew it was selfish to feel that way, but dammit she couldn’t help it. It had been a long time since she spent a day with Cass, alone.
When they approached Cass in the parking lot, he was still on the phone. Still pacing, too.
“Then make sure they don’t do anything stupid.” Lilly got chills, and this time it wasn’t because of the wind. It was because of the ice in Cass’s voice. He sounded like a stranger to her. His words were curt, and he emphasized on every word, through clenched teeth. He was pissed. Lilly tried not to cower. It wasn’t that she was afraid of him, because that’s the last thing she was. It was because she knew he was livid and she didn’t want to see what was going to happen when he got his hands on whoever they were.
Lilly retrieved her clothes from the bike before rinsing her feet off in the showers. Once her feet were as sand-free as they were going to get, she rushed up the stairs to the bathrooms to change into her clothes.
Changing quickly, she rushed back downstairs to find Cass and Linc talking. Cass was leaned against his bike, Linc against his own.
“You didn’t have to change.”
“We were done on the beach and I was cold.” Lilly rubbed her arms.
“I need to change, too. We have to meet up with Clayton shortly, anyway.”
Cass grabbed his things and went to change, leaving Lilly and Linc standing by the bikes.
Lilly pulled her phone out of the saddlebag and opened her text messages.
Mindy: The guys that kidnapped you, weren’t they part of another club?
Lilly: Yeah, why?
Mindy: Because there’s a few guys from another club in here now.
Lilly: What club?
Mindy: Moccasins.
“Shit.” Lilly muttered.
“What?” Cass asked as he walked up next to her.
“Moccasins are at the bar.”
“Fuck.” Linc and Cass said in unison.
Cass dialed a number in his phone and began pacing again. His hand ran through his hair as he walked in no particular pattern.
Whoever he dialed answered almost instantly.
“Get to the bar. Now.” “I don’t care, just fucking get there.” “Because there are Moccasins in my motherfucking bar!”
That was the end of their conversation. Cass ended the call and slipped his phone inside his cut.
He got on his bike and motioned for Linc to do the same. Lilly didn’t wait for him to give her instructions. Once he was situated, she rested her hand on his shoulder for stability and slung herself onto the back of his bike.
The engine roared to life, followed by Linc’s and they took off in the direction of their hotel. The ride was short and tension-filled. She could feel the anger radiating off Cass. Once they got back to their room, Cass pulled Linc inside with them. Lilly’s phone hadn’t gone off, she knew because she’d constantly checked it the entire way to the hotel. It was in her hand and she had a death grip on it. Waiting anxiously to hear from Mindy.
Before Cass has a chance to say anything, his phone rang. He answered it quickly.
“Yeah?” “Good.” “Okay. Thanks, brother.” “Hey, put a prospect at the bar at all times.” “Alright. Later.”
Lilly exhaled the breath she had been holding when he answered the phone, her focus on Mindy. From the way it sounded, things were okay at home and they didn’t need to worry. She hadn’t paid much attention to Linc, but she looked over to find he looked as relieved as she felt. He must have been worried about Mindy, too.
“Well?” Lilly asked, looking at Cass.
“They took care of it. Nobody did anything stupid and everyone’s okay. They were just snooping around, putting their noses where they don’t belong. Snapper and Old School took care of it and they’re putting Leo and Shorty on alternate shifts at the bar at all times.”
“Damn it. I knew I should’ve went home.” Linc sighed and shook his head.
“You did right by staying, but you can go home if you need to. I know I would if it were Lilly that were there while all this shit was going on.”
“No, I’m going to stay here. Leo and Shorty have it covered,” Linc said.
Lilly sat down at the foot of the bed, letting the guys talk. She zoned out. Her mind was no longer in Gulfport. What were they doing sneaking around the bar? Were these guys like the guys that took Lilly? Ignorant junkies who couldn’t understand directions? Was it Asher’s doing? How could he seem so sincere and still proceed with this war? Her head was everywhere.
The sound of the hotel room door closing pulled Lilly back to the moment. She sat up, looking around. Cass was leaning against the desk, looking down at his phone. He looked up and caught her eyes. “Hi.”
“Hi.”
“What is it?” he asked.
“Nothing really. I’m just trying to figure out why they’re hanging around the bar. What do they want?”
Cass sat down on the bed next to her, pushing a stray strand of hair behind her ear.
“They’re just trying to stir up shit. Don’t let it worry your pretty head, baby.”
Lilly sighed and rested her head in Cass’s lap. He had to be the most comfortable human being she’d ever met. It didn’t matter where at on his body she lay her head, he was always comfortable.
As comfortable as her body was, her mind was nowhere near it. She couldn’t stop thinking about what was going on at home, regardless of Cass’s attempt at reassurance. Something was off, but she wasn’t sure what. Cass had said that they would retaliate, so why would they go into the bar and not cause a scene, at minimum? It wasn’t adding up.
Cass rubbed her shoulder gently. “Psst.”
“Hmm?” Lilly opened one eye to look up at him.
“Why don’t you get ready and we’ll see if Clayton’s ready to go eat. I’m starting to get a little hangry.”
“Okay, baby. Oh! Can you go down to the bike and grab our bags from earlier?”
“Yep. I can.”
It didn’t take Lilly long to get showered. She was now standing in the mirror in her bra and underwear, trying to figure out what to do with her hair. She couldn’t do anything cute with it because her lid would just fuck it up, but she didn’t want it to look like she hadn’t put any effort in at all, either.
She decided to simply blow dry it and put it in a ponytail. Not the best thing, but hey, she didn’t have much of a choice. Now, to figure out what she was going to wear. She popped her head out of the bathroom door.
“Hey, babe?” she called.
“Yeah?”
“Where are we going to eat?”
“To a barbecue joint down the road. They have a live band and it’s an open patio type place. Why?”
“I was just checking so I knew what to wear.”
“Wear whatever is comfortable, baby.”
Lilly smiled at that. He was one of the most indifferent men she’d ever met. Most of the men she had in her life before him would tell her she needed to wear this or that, no matter what she wore was never up to their standards. With Cass, though, whatever she walked out in was always just fine to him.
Good thing, too, because her options for what to wear were limited. She rummaged through the bag Cass had set in the bathroom for her while she was in the shower. Out of the three tops she had, she decided on the blue t-shirt with white writing on it. Lilly didn’t think sweatpants were appropriate to wear to dinner, so the only pair of jeans she had with her was going to have to work.
Lilly blow dried her hair and applied a little bit of make-up. Powder, blush, and mascara. She wasn’t going all out. When she entered the room, she found Cass sprawled across the bed. He was laying on his stomach with his head tilted to the side, shirtless with his jeans and boots still on.
His cell phone was in his hand and he was snoring. Lilly sat down next to him, rubbing his back gently.
“Hey, you.”
“Hi,” he whispered.
“Are you going to wake up so we can go meet your dad?” she asked.
“Yep. I’m up. I just have to put on a shirt and I’m ready.”
He pulled a black Hounds t-shirt from the small black bag beside the bed. He kept it in one of his saddle bags and had multiple t-shirts rolled neatly in it along with socks and jeans. Lilly was astonished that he conserved space so well.
Cass ran his hands under the sink in the bathroom then ran his hands through his hair, smoothing out the few stray pieces that were going in different directions. Minimal effort, but sexy as hell as a result. Lilly wrapped her arms around his waist, tip-toeing to rest her head on his shoulder.
“Can I help you?” he asked, clearly amused.
“Nope. Continue what you were doing. Don’t mind me,” she smiled, meeting his eyes in the mirror.
His arms were lifted just high enough that it made his shirt come up and she could see that V-shaped line of goodness. Her hands lifted the hem of his shirt higher, greedily moving it out of her way so she could run her hands over the firm, hard muscles.
Cass grabbed her hand, holding it in place. “Nuh-uh. We have to leave, baby.”
Lilly sighed. “I know. But damn, it’s hard to keep my hands off you when you look this damn good.”
He laced his fingers through hers and led her out of the bathroom and toward the door. The walked in a comfortable silence to the bike, hand in hand.
The ride to meet Clayton was peaceful. The sun shone in the distance, slowly sinking along the horizon. Sunset on the beach would always be one of the most beautiful sights Lilly had ever seen and each time she saw it, it was like seeing it for the first time all over again.
A light, happy feeling came over her. She was thankful that she got to share these moments with Cass. It almost worried her how much she had come to depend on his presence. He had become so important to her that she found herself making decisions with him in mind.
When they pulled into the parking lot of The Patio, the best barbecue joint in Mississippi, or so they said, Cass parked next to a line of bikes. There was a space roped off for motorcycle parking near the front entrance.
Lilly could hear the band playing when Cass killed the bike. They were playing a cover of Wild Thing by Tone Loc.
Cass hung his helmet on one of the handlebars and Lilly’s on the other.
“Ready?” he asked, seeming more concerned than usual.
“Of course.” Lilly gave him a smile of reassurance and took his hand as he led her through the packed restaurant. If it could even be considered a restaurant. Everything was outside under a large patio. With a metal roof, no walls and a concrete floor with a multitude of tables and chairs for seating. The great thing about April in the south was the unpredictability of the temperature. The weather was beautiful during the day, but after the sun went down, the temperature dropped a bit and it cooled off.
Toward the back of the patio, Lilly spotted that familiar cut. A Hound from Oklahoma sat with his back to them, with Clayton on the other side of him and Linc in between the two. The men were laughing and cutting up when Lilly and Cass approached. Clayton’s eyes lit up when he saw them.
“It’s ‘bout damn time y’all showed up.” Clayton stood up to greet them, pulling Lilly into a hug first then Cass.
Lilly was almost taken aback by his friendly demeanor, only because she wasn’t sure what to expect from him.
“Hey, old man.” Cass patted his father on the back mid-hug.
“Easy, son. I ain’t old. I’m seasoned.”
Cass pulled a chair out for Lilly next to Clayton, then took a seat between her and the other Oklahoma Hound. He has dark black hair and looks to be of Native American descent. His chocolate brown eyes are full of life and humor.
“Lilly, this is Brock. He was like an uncle to me when I was growing up. The cool uncle that lets you get away with literally anything.”
“Nice to meet you, Lilly.”
“You too.”
The only thing that made Lilly believe he was in a motorcycle club was the fact that he wore a cut. Other than that, everything about this man said loving grandfather that took his grandkids fishing every weekend and had never been into trouble a day in his life.
Lilly was slowly learning that looks could be deceiving, though. That, and she was a terrible judge of people. She made a mental note to question her judgement on everything from here on out.
Linc was grinning like a pig eating shit, listening to the stories that Clayton and Brock were telling. Clayton was talking about when he was prospecting and how different shit was back then than it is now, gaining an eye roll from Cass.
“Can I get y’all something?”
Lilly turned her head to find a short, chubby brunette with a nametag that stated her name was Sandy, standing next to her.
“I’ll take a sweet tea, no lemon and…” Lilly trailed off. She hadn’t even looked at the menu.
“Can we have the pulled pork platter? The family sized one with four sides for the table.” Clayton to the rescue with his order.
“And another sweet tea…no lemon,” Cass said, before the waitress waltzed off toward what Lilly could only assume was the kitchen. It was the only part of this place that had walls and a door.
“We were waiting on y’all to get here before we ordered.”
“Thank you. So, what brings yall into town?” Cass asked, directing his question more toward Clayton than Brock.
“Same as you, I suppose. Heard the Highway Sinners were having a big shindig and since they are a brother club of ours, then it’s only right for us to show our faces.”
“Fair enough.”
The waitress returned to their table with Lilly and Cass’s teas and a refill of whatever Clayton had been drinking. She set them down, then scurried back off to the kitchen.
“So, Lilly. What made a pretty girl like you get hooked up with an outlaw like Cass?” Clayton asked, eyeing her curiously.
Lilly almost choked on the sip of tea she was drinking. She coughed and put her hand to her mouth. “Sorry, excuse me.” She cleared her throat then proceeded.
“I guess I just like to live on the wilder side of things in life,” she said smugly, setting her glass down.
Clayton’s serious façade fell away and was replaced by a deep chuckle. “Yeah, you’d have to in order to fit in around here.”
“What about you? What drew you to be an outlaw?” she retorted.
“Oh, you know. Prep school was too boring, so I decided to be everything they taught me not to be.”
Lilly laughed at his light demeanor.
“Alright, Clayton. Quit flirting with my girl,” Cass chimed in.
“What? I ain’t flirting. We just having a friendly conversation.”
“Mm-hmm. I know how friendly you are.”
Lilly was laughing at their exchange. They sounded like two high school boys.
“Friendly I am? Hmmph.”
“Reminds me of when Cass was a kid. He never met a damn stranger and you couldn’t shut him up.” That was the first time Brock engaged in the conversation they were having. He looked as if he had gone back to whatever instance he was referring to. He had a smile on his face as he continued.
“I had only seen him around club for the longest time, but the first time I saw him out in public around other people, it amazed me. Around us, he grew up with us, so we weren’t strangers. I never expected him to act that way with just any Joe Blow off the street, but damn was I wrong.”
Cass hung his head, his fingers intertwined and resting on his forehead. From the looks of it, he had heard this story a thousand times and it wasn’t one he cared to hear again, but didn’t have much of a choice.
“He couldn’t have been any older than four when we took a club ride to the county fair. It was a family thing, so Clayton brought Cass. We were walking around the fair, letting the kids ride rides and eat fried everything when this lady walked toward us. She wasn’t just any lady, either. She was gorgeous. Long blonde hair, rocking body in daisy dukes and cut off tank top.
“Cass walks up to her, smacks her on the ass and tells her to meet him at the clubhouse later. She couldn’t even be mad at him because he was so serious it was priceless.”
Brock finished his story through bouts of laughter at the memory. Lilly was laughing as she looked at Cass, astonished. Not much has changed.
“So, you’re telling me he’s been social and in control since he was four?” she asked.
“Yep. No changing this one, doll. He’s carved in stone.” Brock lay his hand on Cass’s shoulder, shaking him gently. This was the quietest Lilly had ever seen Cass around other people. Normally, being around people, he was in his element. But this? Something about him almost bowed down to these men. It was admirable. He respected the hell out of the two men sitting at that table, that much was evident.
Their waitress returned with two massive platters of food and a stack of paper plates, napkins and utensils. “Y’all enjoy.”
She set their trays down on the table and walked off.
Brock eyed her as she walked away. “Could’ve at least refilled our damn drinks,” he mumbled, more to himself. He didn’t seem like the type to cause a scene or complain.
Clayton passed out plates with napkins and utensils before everyone filled their plates and the chatter at the table died down as they began eating. Lilly understood why The Patio was the best place in south Mississippi to get barbecue when she tasted theirs. The pulled pork was the best pulled pork she’d ever tasted. There was something different going on with the barbecue sauce that was unlike any other.
Everyone dug in, stuffing their faces with the delicious food. Linc had been quiet since Lilly and Cass had shown up, listening and watching more than interacting. Which was a good thing since Cass always said a good prospect has two eyes, two ears and no mouth.
“You three got anything planned tonight?” Clayton asked, bringing a napkin to his mouth and wiping the excess barbecue sauce that threatened to drip from his mustache.
“Nope. Our only plans were to meet you for dinner. After that, we were going to wing it.” Cass shrugged his shoulders when Clayton shot him a questioning look.
“Good. We’re going to the pool hall down the street, then.”
“It’s been a while since we’ve shot, old man.” Cass’s eyes danced with amusement. Lilly was missing something, but she was certain Cass was taunting his father.
“How long?” Lilly asked, the words out of her mouth before she could stop them. Curiosity was getting the best of her. How long had it been since they’d been around one another?
“Five years. That’s a long trip for an old man,” Clayton teased.
Cass chuckled. “Oh, horse shit. You could make that trip with your eyes closed. Unless…I mean unless you really are getting old.”
“Watch it. Old people don’t fight, they shoot.”
Cass put his hands up in surrender, his smile mirroring the one on Clayton’s face. Now that Lilly was looking at them both from almost the same angle, she could see the resemblance. They had the same hairline and color, but Clayton’s had a little more salt than pepper. Their eyes were identical, and they had the same mouth.
They both had an intriguing sense of humor, too. Lilly realized that their “bickering” wasn’t bickering at all. That was normal. That was their way of picking at each other.
Something Lilly noticed that was odd to her was the fact that Cass was always in control, but whenever Clayton said something, it was law. That’s what they were doing, and Cass didn’t question it or contest it. It clicked in her head, then. That’s where Cass got it from, no doubt.
“Did you teach Cass how to shoot pool?” Lilly asked, breaking the comfortable silence.
A sly smirk crossed Clayton’s face. “I don’t know. Cass, did I?” he asked.
Cass huffed. “Yeah, eventually. After he kicked my ass constantly for about three years. He taught me before I was a teenager.”
“No wonder you stomped my ass on the table.”
“You shoot?” Clayton raised a curious brow at Lilly.
“Kinda. I try sometimes.” She shrugged.
“She’s actually not a bad shot.” Cass beamed with pride like Lilly was the trophy he’d just brought home to show his dad from a competitive sport.
“Then I can’t wait to see her shoot.”
Clayton looked around the table and his gaze fell on Linc. “Linc, what’s got you so quiet?”
“Nothing at all. I’m just listening.”
Brock and Clayton shared a look of…understanding? Lilly wasn’t sure, but whatever it was, they seemed to be on the same page about it. Looked like a good thing to her, too, which made her happy for Linc. She could tell he wanted a position in this club more than anything and the fact that two old-timers just shared a look like that about a prospect had to mean he was doing something right.
“I think you’re gonna do just fine here, boy,” Clayton said.
He chuckled before taking another bite of his food. The table got quiet as they finished their meal. Lilly felt a hand on her leg and she looked up to lock eyes with Cass. He smirked at her before turning his attention back to his food without removing his hand. It was a simple gesture, but Lilly found it cute and it gave her butterflies.
Once they were done and the waitress had cleared the table, Clayton paid the bill and they were on the road toward the Sinners’ clubhouse to hang out for a little while and ask about a good place to shoot pool.
“Long time no see,” Micah greeted them when they walked through the door.
It looked different today. Cleaner. Less stripper-filled. There were a few guys around that Lilly could see, but for the most part, it was pretty laid back. Clayton, Cass, Brock, and Micah disappeared down the hall. Micah was saying something about a book he wanted to show them. Lilly had learned quick that if the men were talking, you stayed out of ear shot and minded your own business. Too many ol’ ladies didn’t understand that concept, but to Lilly it made sense. It was their business, and she stayed out of it.
The Sinners’ clubhouse was smaller than theirs in Baton Rouge. The bar was set up in a horse-shoe shape with a set of double doors behind it, leading to what Lilly assumed was the kitchen. The double doors opened, and Raven emerged. From the glimpse Lilly caught, she’d have to say she was right. It was definitely a kitchen. Counter tops filled with trays of food were behind the doors, and Raven was carrying a pot of something that smelled delicious.
“Hey!” Raven exclaimed, almost dropping the pot in her hands.
“Hello, darlin’.” Lilly tried not to laugh at Raven’s excitement.
Raven set the pot down on the bar and ran over to wrap Lilly in a hug. Lilly embraced her and stumbled a bit when the force in Raven’s hug nearly knocked her over. She let out a laugh, pulling back to kiss Raven on the cheek.
“Are you hungry?” Raven asked, walking back behind the bar.
“Oh, god no. We just came from dinner at The Patio.”
“Then I know you’re definitely not hungry! Their food there is so delish!”
“Hey, do you need help carrying anything?” Lilly asked, noticing that Raven was also trying to grab something from behind bar.
“Actually, if you could carry this tray,” Raven held up a tray of finger sandwiches and Lilly swiftly grabbed it from her.
“I’d be happy to,” Lilly beamed, following behind Raven who had started down the hallway that the guys had disappeared down.
The hallway was wide, the walls filled with pictures of the club members. Most photos were signed and framed and from the black and white color and the clothing style, they weren’t new photos. Lilly didn’t recognize any of the men in the photos until they were nearly at the end of the hallway. The final few were of the guys that are here now.
From the looks of it, they were pretty recent too. Lilly followed Raven through a door that opened up into what looked similar to a pool hall. There were multiple pool tables scattered throughout, the floor was a generic carpet that most pool halls hosted, and instead of a liquor bar off to the side, there was an island filled with food, plates, and utensils.
Lilly was starting to understand that this was their version of a game room. She wondered if the clubhouse in Baton Rouge had a game room. She’d been so agitated that she had to be stuck there that she’d barely left her room in the two weeks she was there. She didn’t know what all the Baton Rouge clubhouse entailed and now she was silently kicking herself in the ass for not exploring it.
Around the island, she found Cass, Micah, and Clayton talking and pointing to something in front of them. They were standing on the far side of it, facing the door that Lilly and Raven had just walked through. Almost in unison, the three of them looked up at the women approaching them.
Cass’s signature smile lit up his face as his eyes connected with Lilly’s. For a moment, they were the only two in the room. Lilly felt his eyes on her, down to her core, scorching a trail from her neck to her waist and back up again. It wasn’t until she almost tripped over a chair that she swore wasn’t there before she walked by it that she remembered they weren’t alone.
That earned her a chuckle from the three of them, Cass’s eyes apologetic as he fought to contain the amusement on his face. Lilly felt her cheeks redden as all eyes were focused on her now. Even Raven had stopped and turned to see what had the guys’ attention.
“Watch out for those chairs, they tend to jump out at you,” Clayton teased.
“I saw that! Damn things.” Lilly shook her head in joking disapproval, earning her a smile from Cass.
Raven set the pot down on the table, barely leaving enough room for the sandwich tray. She took it from Lilly and started rearranging the table to better accommodate the array of snacks. The pot she had carried was now in front of Lilly and she saw that it was filled with a cheese dip.
While she was observing the rest of the table, a hand grabbed her arm. She followed it to find Cass standing next to her.
“Hi,” he beamed.
“Hi,” she said, her voice sweet and soft.
“Come here often?” The one line he used all the time still made her smile widen every time he asked.
“Nope. Not here.” She smiled.
“How about over there?” He pointed to the pool tables.
“Nope. Not over there either, but I have come on a pool table before.” She nudged him lightly with her elbow. Cass slid his tongue across his bottom lip before pulling it back in his mouth.
“Mmm, yes you have.”
“Speaking of pool tables…” Lilly trailed off, a grin on her face at the defeated expression on Cass’s.
“About that. We were talking to Micah and he said the best pool tables in town are right here and they’re free.”
“Sounds perfect to me. Let’s flip for the break.”
“No, no, no. How about we lag for the break?” he asked, his eyebrows arched.
Lilly looked at him, confusion etched on her face. “What’s that?”
“It’s where we both take a cue ball and shoot it down the table. Whoever can make it bounce off that rail and roll back toward them, getting as close to the rail they shot from without hitting it, wins. Look, I’ll show you,” he said, already in route to grab a cue off the wall.
He got down to shoot, aimed the cue ball straight at the rail opposite him, and shot. The ball rolled at a low to average speed as it connected with the rail and began rolling back toward him. It stopped at the third diamond from the rail he started with.
“See, if you would’ve shot and your ball would’ve gotten closer to the rail than mine, then you break, and I rack. Get it?” he asked.
Lilly’s gears were turning in her head, wondering how she was going to beat him at his own game. She shook her head yes in understanding and grabbed another cue ball from a nearby table.
She walked to the wall and pulled the heaviest cue they had down and met Cass at the head of the pool table. Before she laid down on the cue to shoot, she kissed Cass on the cheek.
“Good luck,” she grinned.
He smirked at her. “You too, baby.”
They both got down on their cues and Cass counted.
“One...Two...Three.” On three, they both tapped their ball. Lilly’s was moving slightly faster than Cass’s, but she hoped that was a good thing. Her cue hit the rail first and came barreling toward her. There was no way it was going to stop before it hit the rail. She cursed under her breath when her cue hit the rail and bounced off just as Cass’s stopped right past the first diamond from the rail that she wasn’t supposed to hit.
“Rack ‘em, rack girl.”
Lilly and Cass had barely finished one game before they had an audience. Clayton, Micah, Raven and Linc stood by watching. Lilly wasn’t sure when Linc had gotten there or if he’d been there the whole time and she just hadn’t seen him.
They were on the second game. Cass had just broke and made a solid, so now he was working on knocking them in. Lilly waited patiently as Cass made one ball after the other. Finally, he shot his last solid too hard because he put too much English on it, trying to gain more control of where the cue ball would stop.
He left the cue ball in the perfect spot and Lilly spotted a run before she ever stepped up to the table. Their audience was silent, intently watching the game. The only sound in the room was the music playing in the background and the sound of Lilly’s heart hammering in her ear. She wanted this win, and she wanted it bad, but she was nervous and whenever she got nervous, she generally fucked up.
She took her first shot slow and easy and knocked the nine-ball in the side pocket. From there, she picked off the stripes with ease until her last shot.
“You might be in trouble, son,” Clayton piped up from the nearest table that he leaned against.
“Told you, she’s a good shot.” Cass’s voice wasn’t laced with sarcasm, it sounded genuine.
Lilly almost had the game won until now. She sunk the last stripe on the table and the cue ball stopped on the other side of Cass’s last ball, making that six-ball the only thing between her and winning this game.
“Fuck,” she breathed, examining her handiwork.
The only way she was going to get remotely close to that eight ball was to come off the rail and bank it, and banks weren’t her forte. She sighed as she lined up the kick-shot, knowing it was do or die. If she missed, and she likely would, then Cass had the game won.
Her competitive side was rearing its ugly head and she focused intently on making her shot. She got down on her cue again, pointed to the corner pocket she intended to make the eight in, and shot. The cue ball came off the rail and hit the eight-ball dead on, sending it spiraling toward the corner pocket she had called.
“Holy shit!” Cass watched the table in awe.
Just as Lilly felt victorious, the eight-ball stopped. Dead-stopped in the center of the pocket without falling.
“You gotta be fucking kidding me!” Lilly sighed, exasperated. She laughed at the irony.
“Damn, girl. I don’t know how that didn’t go,” Clayton said, scratching his head in confusion.
Cass approached the table and tapped the six-ball in, then lined up on the eight. It went in easily and he came off the rail to ensure that he wouldn’t scratch, but the look on his face was not victorious. He looked more frustrated than she was that she had lost.
“Sorry, love.”
“It’s okay. Even though I lost, that was still a damn good shot, so I’m good with it,” she offered him a smile.
“I agree,” Raven said.
“Me too,” Micah chimed in.
Lilly smiled as she set her cue down. “Always got to kick my ass, don’t you?” she asked, wrapping her arms around Cass’s neck. She resisted the urge to press her body flush against his and crush her lips to his. She was still reeling from the interruption at the beach earlier, her body still aching for Cass’s touch to guide her to the release she had been so close to achieving.
“Not always, just as often as I can,” he smiled, lightly pressing his lips to hers before letting go of her and turning back to the pool table.
“I’ll take a whack at it,” Clayton challenged, eyeing Cass.
“Rack ‘em, then, old man,” Cass teased.
Clayton racked then walked to pick a cue off the wall while Lilly stood by Raven.
“Girl, I didn’t know you could shoot that damn good!”
“Ha, yeah. It’s a thing I learned from bartending in small bars. When it’s slow, there’s only so much cleaning you can do then there’s pool, darts, or boredom. I chose pool,” she shrugged.
“No shit! You bartend? So do I!”
“I knew I liked you for a reason,” Lilly said.
“Me too. Bartending is not for the weak.”
“Ain’t that the damn truth.”
Raven smiled at her before Micah called her to him. Lilly watched them interact and it made her happy to see how happy the two of them were. They sort of acted the way she and Cass did. She watched him lean down and kiss Raven, who smiled subconsciously as she walked off to go do whatever it was he had asked of her.
“All of y’all are fucking mushy,” Linc’s voice sounded behind Lilly. She turned to see a scowl on his face.
She giggled at his outburst. “What’s wrong? Missing our girl?” she asked.
“Yeah. This fucking sucks. I wish she was here, but instead she’s back home working while those fucktards are still out there trying to stir up shit.”
His energy had just changed, and she could feel him making himself uneasy. “Hey, it’s gonna be okay. We’re going to be going home in a few days. Besides, she’s being protected. You know that.” Lilly tried to reassure him, but his scowl remained.
“I know, but still. I just…I’d be a lot more comfortable if I were there with her.”
“You will be soon, Linc.”
Cass hollered a loud “fuck”, gaining him the attention of everyone in the room. Lilly took a few steps in his direction to see what it was that had him aggravated. As she inspected the table, she heard it before she saw it. The cue ball was coming out of the designated slot and there were no stripes left on the table and seven solids.
“You aren’t supposed to scratch on that one,” Lilly said.
“Yeah, I know. Damnit!’
Clayton stood with his arms crossed in the same spot he had when he was watching Cass and Lilly play, with a smug grin on his face. Cass set his cue on the table.
“Good game, old man.” He offered his hand to his father who accepted and shook his hand.
“Still not taking your time when it comes to closing out your game, I see.”
“Old habits die hard,” Cass chuckled.
“Lilly, I think you’re up,” Cass said, walking toward the door that led down the hallway.
Lilly and Clayton played a few games, all of which resulted in him beating her. If she thought Cass shot a good game of pool, she hadn’t seen anything until Clayton had started shooting. No wonder he got to be such a good shot, he learned from a professional.
Linc stood by the island for the duration of their time in the game room and Lilly couldn’t help but notice that something seemed off with him today. He wasn’t himself, probably due to all the bullshit going on back home. He had already confirmed that he had a lot on his mind, but she was still worried about him. She would have to get Cass to check on him later. He would be more apt to open up to his brother, and that was fine with her.
As the night carried on, Highway Sinners began filling the room and Lilly had given up the table and was now standing around the island with some of the guys. They had brought ice chests of beer back here, but there was still liquor at the bar in the front if anyone needed a drink. Lilly had downed two of her regulars and was working on her third when she heard it.
The sound was eerie, and it sent chills up the back of her neck. It was the sound of Linc, screaming in a mixture of anger and agony. Lilly’s head whipped toward him and saw that he was holding his phone in his hand. At first, she had thought someone had swung on him, but now that she was looking, she knew it wasn’t anything of that nature.
Cass was at his side immediately with Clayton right there with him. The look on Cass’s face fell as he looked at Linc’s screen and Clayton wore a look of sympathy as he shook his head. The falter in Cass’s guard was gone as quickly as it had appeared and was replaced with anger. He was livid, and Lilly knew what that meant. Someone was going to pay for whatever it was that had just happened, and she didn’t want to be around to watch.
Cass pulled Micah and his guys to the side before they cleared the game room and went down the long hall way to what could only be their meeting room. All patches and Linc went inside, leaving Lilly and Raven standing in the game room, clueless and unaware of whatever it was that was going on. Lilly could only assume the worst that it was what she thought it was. Something was going on back home. She wanted to know what it was so badly, because now her stomach was twisted in knots as she sat at the bar in the main room of the club house, waiting for them to come out.
Raven fixed Lilly another drink and set it down in front of her.
“Got a smoke?” she asked, realizing she’d left hers on the bike and she wasn’t in the mood to walk outside and go get them.
“Yes ma’am, I do.” Raven pulled one from a green pack behind the bar and handed it to Lilly.
Lilly lit it and exhaled slowly, letting the nicotine touch all those parts of her soul that needed soothing before she took another sip of her drink.
“What do you think happened?” Raven asked, the concern in her eyes making Lilly’s heart twist.
“I’m not sure, but whatever it is…it certainly can’t be good,” Lilly sighed and took another pull from her cigarette.