Hot as Hades (8 page)

Daisy’s stomach rumbled. She’d been so on edge the night before; she hadn’t been able to eat. And the omelet she’d wolfed down this morning had digested a long time ago. With resignation, she hopped out of bed and flicked on the buzzing fluorescent light in the bathroom.

She splashed water on her face and dried off with a scratchy bathroom towel. Then, looked at herself in the mirror, seeing Rose’s face staring back at her. They had similar features. While she had a taller, more athletic build, they both had the same shade of blond hair, identical wide-spaced brown eyes, and little snub noses. Rose had a fuller mouth, which usually turned up in a quirky smile
.

God, I miss you, Ro.

As kids, they’d made up little nicknames for each other: Ro and Daze. They had this little routine they’d do whenever they had leave each other for a long time. They sometimes had to stay separate foster homes, and used it later as well when they finished visitation and Rose had to go back to her adopted family.

 She would say
I love you, Ro
and her sister would reply
I know, Daze.
It made them laugh and helped make the moment a little less sad. Ro was the only person in the world who called her Daze.

What Daisy wouldn’t give to hear her say it again...

Her smile wobbled and tears threatened to fall. But she blinked until they stopped and steeled herself. She hit the light and deliberately backed away from the mirror.

Daisy threw on some clothes and headed down the sidewalk. She didn’t feel like driving around town to find a cheap and greasy fast food dinner. Voodoo might have turned her in to his MC brothers, but he made damned good eggs.

 When she walked inside, she found Captain seated with the redhead and older women she’d seen in the diner earlier. Nodding to them, she sat down at an empty booth. She couldn’t make out all the words, but the women seemed to be plying the biker with questions.

Great Balls of Fire
came on the jukebox and she sang along as she checked her phone. She had an email from Stephanie, which she promptly deleted. If the woman was so worried about her progress finding Rose, she would have called instead of clicked.

As far as Daisy was concerned, Stephanie’s’ relationship with Rose had already been terminated. Her sister just turned nineteen and with her new job, Daisy could afford to take care of her. Rose deserved to be with her own blood, someone who supported her no matter what mistakes she made. When she glanced up, she saw the two women who’d been seated with Captain make their way over to her booth.

“Hello, you must be Daisy, and I’m Eddie Rollins,” the older woman said, sitting in the booth. Her companion also scooted in.

“Eddie, huh?” the redhead asked, frowning. “You made
me
call you Miss Edna for two months.”

The older woman sighed. “Yes, and if I recall, you were also screwing my son at the time. I had to put you in your place.” She smiled brightly at Daisy. “Captain was light on details, but told me you are working with the club.”

 “Yes, I am.” Daisy didn’t elaborate.

 “I’m Elizabeth. It’s a pleasure to meet you,” the redhead said with a gamine grin.

“And what exactly are you doing with the club?” Eddie asked, arching a brow. “I saw you earlier and you looked—”

Daisy cleared her throat. “There’s a reason I was dressed that way and it’s not what you think, but I’m not at liberty to tell you.”

Elizabeth cleared her throat. “Anyway, we’re so glad you’re here, this club needs some serious estrogen.”

She shot a glance at Captain whose expression turned stern. These guys were even more pathological about secrecy than the military. “Oh, I’m not here very long, only for business,” she said vaguely. “Then, I’m starting a post at Fort Bliss.”

“That’s a shame,” Eddie said, tsking. “You’re in the military then?”

 “Just got discharged, ma’m. I’ll be working as a contractor.”

“Oh, God,” Eddie said, pressing a hand to her chest. “Don’t call me ma’am ever again.”

“Sorry, force of habit.” She offered an apologetic smile. She’d been taught to be deferential to any authority figure and Eddie struck her as a woman with a lot of power.

Elizabeth produced a planner from her purse. “So, what are your plans for the next few days? I wanted to reserve a table at the Bloody Hell Tea Room, and I hate going alone.”

“You didn’t ask me,” Eddie grumbled.

“You almost got us kicked for spiking the teacups last time.” Elizabeth turned to her. “So, when’s a good time?”

“Oh, well,” she dodged. “I’ve got a very busy schedule.” She might be working with the Horsemen, but she didn’t want to be sucked into their social circle.

“Come on, it’ll be fun,” Elizabeth tempted. “Besides, once the townies figure out you’re working with the club, they’ll give you a wide berth, so it isn’t like you’ll have any other options.”

She caught the hint of sadness in her tone. Evidently, being the girlfriend of a club member had cost her some relationships.

“You don’t need ‘em, honey. You’ve got your new family,” Eddie said, patting the redhead on the hand.

“Really, thank you for the offer, but my schedule is going to be a little crazy,” Daisy said. “I don’t think they’ll be much time for fun.”

Elizabeth whipped out a piece of paper and wrote out her name and phone number before handing it to Daisy. “Keep this just in case you change your mind.”

Voodoo sauntered over to the table.

“Okay,” Eddie said, clapping her hands together. “We’ll go so you can eat in peace, but don’t think for a minute you’ll be able to dodge our invites for long,” she admonished.

They scooted out of the booth and Eddie gave Voodoo a big hug. He kissed both of her cheeks. “Did I tell you how gorgeous you look tonight?” he asked.

Eddie did a little twirl. “No, but feel free to compliment me all you like.”

“Ah, you look scrumptious, good enough to eat,” Voodoo murmured, his eyes appreciatively sliding over her. With a wink, Eddie strolled back to Captain’s table, Elizabeth trailing behind her.

Daisy didn’t miss the way the president’s eyes narrowed on Voodoo. Hmm? Maybe he had a thing for Eddie?

Voodoo slipped into her booth, then. “Are you hungry,
ma belle?”
Voodoo prompted.

“Don’t try to sweet talk me. You gave Cowboy my key.” She scowled at him.

“I don’t understand your pique,” he countered. “You and I had no agreement. No oath.” He shrugged. “One cannot betray another when they have not reached an accord.”

Dammit
. She really hated it when people she was pissed at had a good argument. “I guess,” she growled.

“However, I made a vow to the Four Horsemen and that can
never
be broken. In the future, it would be wise to assume everyone has a hidden agenda, as well as loyalties. It might save your life.”

Actually? That was some damn good advice. “I will.”

 “Fortunately for you, your current agenda and the Horsemen’s happen to match. You and I are now on the same team.”

“Maybe,” she grudgingly admitted.

He turned his head to the side, assessing her. “I tell you what. I will whip you up some macaroni et
fromage
and all will be forgotten. Yes?”

“
Fromage
?”

“The French term for cheese,” he explained. “I didn’t learn English until I started school. Frankly, I still prefer French.”

She could see why, he had a beautiful accent.
Hmm. Mac and cheese.
Her stomach rumbled at the thought. A little comfort food sounded pretty damn good. Despite her better judgment, she liked Voodoo. She’d seen his scarier side, but he could be thoroughly charming when he wanted to. “Forgiven? Hardly. But you’d be on the road to it.”

Voodoo laughed before heading to the kitchen. He busied himself by boiling macaroni and grating some sharp cheddar. She could see him through the kitchen window and he looked almost serene as he cooked, as though making food offered him some inner peace. She wondered if it felt like an escape from his Horsemen duties.

She envied him that. Her world had been in an uproar since she’d gone to Afghanistan.
No, before that.
Since her mother, Sunny died. Maybe finding Rose would set her life back on track. She could get a fresh start, be the sister she should have been from the beginning.

At least she hoped so.

* * *

Cowboy spotted Daisy seated in the diner through the window lookin’ so pretty she’d make a man plow through a stump.

Even in jeans and a T-shirt, she stunned him. He loved having a glimpse of the real her, stripped of all pretense –no lace, no heels, no makeup. But all woman.

She seemed preoccupied, playing with her phone and eating macaroni and cheese. He eased the door open. Then, he walked up directly behind her. Eddie, Elizabeth, and Captain were seated at another booth and he pressed a finger to his lips, in case they greeted him and spoiled the surprise.

As he neared, he heard a pistol cock.

 She whirled around in the booth and pointed yet another gun at him.
God damn.
She had more guns than any woman he’d ever seen, even Eddie. “Easy there, Annie Oakley. It’s just me.”

Daisy didn’t take any crap, which he loved. She kicked actual, physical ass and it fascinated the hell out of him.

 Made his cock hard as hell, too.

Normally, he wouldn’t be attracted to a tough girl. Melissa had been soft and pliable. Daisy’s badassery should have shriveled his dick. But oddly enough, her aggressiveness turned him on in a really twisted way. Call it a leftover from his schoolyard days, but he loved getting her all riled up, made him want to put gum in her hair or pick a fight, just to see what she would do next.

 “That reminds me,” she said. “Give me my other gun back.”

 “I’m keeping all your guns while you’re working for the club.” He scooted in the booth and held up two fingers, indicating two beers. Fetch, one of the prospects, ran to the industrial fridge to retrieve them.

“What?!” she protested.

“It’s a done deal, Wildcat. When I heard you leave the room, I had a prospect grab the weapons from your duffel.”

“You bastard!” She glared at him, hands fisting at her sides, but she didn’t reach for her gun, so he’d call it a win.

 “Consider it safety precaution. If you aren’t careful, you’ll get us both killed.”

She snorted. “Would you say that if I were a guy?”

“This isn’t some sexist bullshit,” he protested. “I’m not worried you can’t handle yourself with a gun. I think you’d blow a hole in anything that came near you, but a bloodbath brings heat. Heat brings the FBI, and the feds fuckin’ love RICO.”

Fetch set the beers on the table and left.

“I can control my temper,” she said.

“Yeah, you look real calm.”

 “Fuck off.” She took a swig of her beer.

He tried another tactic. “You know, if the Raptors kidnapped someone close to me, someone I cared about? I’d be ready to pump a few rounds in their asses, consequences be damned.”

She paused, seeming to consider his words. “Yeah, I don’t deny I’ve been thinkin’ about it.”

Cowboy nodded sagely. “You wouldn’t intentionally go off on one of the bastards, but it’ll be harder to be level-headed, because you’re too invested in this operation. It hits you where you live. It’s the same kind of reasoning behind why surgeons don’t operate on their own family members. I don’t want your trigger finger making decisions, but I’ll bring a gun, so don’t sweat it.”

She chuckled. “No offense, but you could be a suck shot for all I know.”

“Wildcat, I could split a frog hair four ways if I took a notion.”

Her chin lifted. “Oh yeah? Prove it.”

“I will.”

He gathered up their beer bottles and exited the rear door of the diner, with Daisy right behind him. They stopped when they were both facing the water. They downed the rest of the beer and then she set the bottles up on a fence post, about fifty yards away.

Cowboy stared at the targets for a long moment, measuring the distance and then faced her, never even glancing back at the bottles. He paused to kiss the barrel of his trusty Colt, then shot each bottle, causing them to explode.

Her eyes rounded as she stared at the shattered glass and then back at him.

 “How the hell did you do that?!” she asked, open-mouthed.

He savored the awe in her voice. “I did some trick shootin’ in my rodeo days,” he explained and then he lowered his voice. “You can trust me, Daisy. I would
never
let anything happen to you.” He meant every word.

She narrowed her eyes, pissed as all get out. “You’re a damn good gunman and I’m used to letting other people watch my back. I did it all the time in the military. But let’s get something straight, I take care of myself—always have,
always
will. I don’t need someone to watch over me.”

He had a feeling pain lurked beneath all her bluster, a deep pain, which never quite healed. “Whether you need it or not, I’m going to protect you.”

With that, he swaggered back inside and she trudged after him.

When they reached the booth, he held out a hand. “Give me your piece.”

She gripped the handle, like her life depended on it.

“Come on,” he coaxed and she finally placed it on the table, scowling at him all the while.

Fetch came over with a plate of brown beans and hot biscuits. Voodoo trailed him.

 Cowboy grabbed one, split it open, and then slathered it with a pat of butter, before pouring honey on it, from the plastic bear on the table. He handed half to Daisy. “You need to try this.”

She shook her head.

“Come on, try it,” he coaxed.

Daisy took a bite and then closed her eyes in obvious rapture. Few things in Texas are as good as fresh honey-slathered biscuit. “Damn. That’s good!” she said, turning to Voo.

“Merci,
ma belle
.” Voodoo smiled.

“Voo might not let you order, but his buttermilk biscuits are almost as good as my momma’s,” he said to Daisy, before appreciatively taking a bite