Springer, Jan - Be My Dream Tonight [The Desperadoes 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) (25 page)

“Hey, what happened to my nickname, big guy? I like it better than asshole,” he joked, trying to loosen her up a bit.

But she just glared at him and the anger flashed like lightning in her eyes. “I said we go. Now.”

Okay, Riley. Don’t get too pissed at her.

“So, what’s your problem?” he asked, realizing instantly when the words snapped out of his mouth that he shouldn’t have asked. It was common sense that she wouldn’t like being here. Obviously it brought back bad memories.

“You’re my fucking problem. You’re holding us up. Now come on. Get the lead out,” she snapped.

It was then he noticed the thin sheen of sweat lacing her forehead and the grim set to her otherwise lusciously plump lips.

Okay, he got it. Definitely bad memories for her here. A renewed admiration swept through him for her. Obviously she had plenty of demons she needed to deal with about this place and with the Wolfe Gang, yet she’d come here to help Eve anyway.

Huh, she wasn’t such a bitch after all. Okay, so she was a bitch, but a sexy one at that.

* * * *

With her heart in her throat Eve kept a bead on the single figure that had suddenly appeared a few seconds earlier about thirty feet right in front of her. In the increasing rays of dawn, she could make out the figure of a thin woman. She wore camouflage, and she was crouched low, her rifle pointed directly at the mouth of the cave as she moved toward it.

Shit! She needed to take her out before C.J. and Riley came out. She needed to do it now. But she’d never killed anyone before and her hands were shaking like a leaf.

Good Lord! This was not the time to turn all wimpy. Especially after being so firm with Kayne earlier, insisting she could take care of things here by herself. God, what had she been thinking? This was an actual person she was aiming at and not a target.

Shoot her! Her mind screamed at her.

Cold sweat slipped into her good eye, blinding her. She cursed softly and dug the sweat out, blinking rapidly to clear her sight.

Pull the friggin’ trigger
,
Eve. Nice and slow
.
Pull the fucking trigger
. Her finger didn’t move.

Shit! This was one hell of a time to realize she had issues with killing someone.

She’ll kill C.J. and Riley
, a voice warned.

Oh God, please forgive me
.

A thunderous explosion flashed orange right in front of her, and the woman she’d been aiming at crumpled lifelessly to the ground.

Oh God. Oh God
.

She licked her suddenly very dry lips and kept the shaking rifle upon the figure. Just in case she got up. Just in case.

* * * *

From his perch on a nearby cliff, Wolfe eyed the woman whose hands shook like crazy while she aimed at the lifeless figure lying in front of the back entrance to his cave.

It was Eve. The
Durango
Gang’s slut. Obviously someone had come to her rescue and released her from his lair. It wouldn’t happen a third time, he thought, as he carefully made his way across the rocky incline above her.

This time there wouldn’t be Lane coming to her rescue. That son of a bitch had been taken care of effectively by one of his assassins. And one day when he got his hands on C.J. again, he’d be torturing her just like he used to.

Wolfe grinned as he scrambled along the rocks, keeping his eye on his prey below. Yeah, he’d like torturing this one when he got his hands on her. He enjoyed a woman’s screams. The sounds were like music, turning into a sexual hum as they drifted through his bloodstream. This woman was an emotional, defiant creature, just as C.J. had been in the beginning. He liked his women that way. Feisty and emotional and pregnant. And he’d get this one pregnant fast, just as he’d done with C.J.

* * * *

Eve didn’t see Wolfe until he was right on top of her. And she meant that quite literally. He came out of nowhere, his heavy body knocking into her and sending her flying off her feet right into a nearby tree. The shock of hitting the solid trunk just about knocked her senseless, snapping the air right out of her lungs, leaving her gasping for breath.

But this time, she refused to let go of her rifle when he yanked on it. Instinctively she knew it would be a fight to the death for her this time around. There was no way she would let Wolfe put his hands on her again.

He grinned at her, his yellow teeth flashing as he continued to violently yank on the barrel.

“Now I’ve got you. And I’ll have my gang pick off your lovers one by one. Then you’ll be mine. Forever.” He growled.

Horror raced through her system, and Eve didn’t think twice about his threat to her men and to C.J. There was no way she would let them be hurt. No way.

As Wolfe yanked even harder, Eve instinctively pulled the trigger, the sound an explosion to her ears.

Wolfe cursed. His eyes went wide with shock, and his mouth gaped open. Eve blinked with disbelief as blood blossomed like a fist-sized red flower across his chest. A dribble of red appeared at the side of his lips.

Oh God.

She’d shot him. Good God, she’d shot him! Sickness clawed through her stomach as his eyes glazed over and he stared at her in disbelief.

“You…fuck…ing…bitch…” he managed to gasp. To her horror he fell right down in front of her, his eyes open and unseeing.

It didn’t take Eve a second to crawl away. She needed to keep guard. To protect the others. God, help her, but she wouldn’t screw up and let any of them get hurt because of her.

It felt like an eternity as she stayed in the area, her rifle clutched in her hand, her back against a rock wall as her gaze swung from the mouth of the cave to the trees where Kayne had vanished into earlier to the area above her where Wolfe had jumped down from.

While she stood guard, her heart hammered insanely against her chest and cold perspiration flushed her face.

Her gut was knotted with nausea as she waited and watched. She couldn’t look at the dead body lying prone in front of the cave entrance, nor could she look at Wolfe’s lifeless figure. She swore if she did either, she just may start screaming and never stop.

A lot good she would be to everyone if she lost it. She’d killed someone. Yeah, he’d been a slime bag and done horrible things to C.J., but killing someone just didn’t sit well at all with her. Would she ever get over this sick feeling?

Finally, movement flashed inside the cave, and Eve breathed a sigh of relief when she spied C.J. peeking out. C.J. stiffened when she saw the woman’s body, and Eve’s gut twisted in an agonizing wrenching feeling when her friend disappeared back into the cave again.

Eve wanted to call out and tell her it was all clear. Truth was, though, she didn’t know how many others were still lurking around. So, she remained quiet and waited. Finally C.J. and Riley burst out of the cave, crouched low and their rifles ready. Moments later they rushed into camp, both looking very relieved to see Eve. At that same moment, Kayne and Maddox arrived, and Eve had never felt better having all the people she loved here in one piece.

When everyone saw that Wolfe was dead, they all crowded around her, hugging her and congratulating her on a job well done. Trouble was she didn’t feel proud for killing someone. She felt battered and bruised and tired. All she wanted to do was go back to Trader Jack’s cabin and stay there surrounded by the people she loved. She just wished to go home.

Chapter Ten

Eve’s wish came true a week later. There had been no more interruptions by any of Wolfe’s surviving gang members, that is, if there had been any.

Maddox’s shoulder had been popped back into its position by Riley, and he swore to Eve he’d be fine in a few days. They’d been able to pack the gold out on the horses, tying the full knapsacks to the horses, where upon reaching the wagon, their precious cargo was transferred. Then, they followed the perilous trek, across rocky terrain, breathtaking valleys, and icy-cold river crossings. Thankfully C.J. remained with them. To the guys’ annoyance she’d returned to her nontalkative mode regarding them, opting to eat alone and only joining Eve in conversation when the men where away from camp.

C.J. rode shotgun, making sure they weren’t attacked, and before they reached Trader Jack’s cabin, they secured the gold at the base of a roaring waterfall until they could return when the visitors who were waiting at Trader Jack’s were gone.

C.J. received her share of the gold, and then only a mile from the cabin and without a word, she disappeared once again. Momentarily Eve was devastated that her friend hadn’t said good-bye, but then Eve realized it must mean she would be seeing C.J. again, which of course, lifted her spirits immensely.

They found the four occupants, a man, a woman, and two teenage girls that the man and woman had adopted after finding them living alone in an abandoned farmhouse. The teen girls’ parents had died in the solar flares, but the teenagers appeared quite happy with their adopted parents, and Eve’s heart burst with happiness to have a traditional family seated at the table. The cabin never felt better, having some company, and they all enjoyed a luscious dinner of grizzly bear meat, compliments of Maddox’s hunting skills along with some of Trader Jack’s thriving garden vegetables.

The next morning the makeshift family moved on, stating they were heading to Hell City to join a caravan of wagons that would be heading west over the treacherous Rocky Mountains to British Columbia, where they were going to help repopulate Vancouver.

They were paid generously with a huge piece of smoked venison for loaning them their horses. Smoked venison that Maddox had left in Trader Jack’s smokehouse. They were also given a week’s supply of vegetables.

They had decided not to pay them in gold, in case word got out where it had come from.

When the time was right, it was agreed that Kayne, Riley, and Maddox would distribute most of the gold to the food shelters for the poor that were popping up in
Hell
City
and other towns. It was the main reason the Durango Gang had been started. To help those less fortunate.

And Eve felt she was the most fortunate woman in the world right now as she packed some towels, soap, and extra clothing for everyone as per Riley’s earlier command that she pack for a trip. He’d found a hot spring about a half day’s ride from here, and he wanted them all go out that way for a hot bath in the mineral water and spend the night at a nearby meadow.

The plan was to rest there for another two days before Eve and Kayne would leave to go and pick up their daughter. Riley and Maddox would remain at the cabin, staking their claim that this was their new home and that Trader Jack’s would remain open for business just the way Jack had meant for it to be.

Eve couldn’t be happier with how everything had turned out as they rode their horses along the meandering river’s edge. It was a beautiful late afternoon. Cold, as always, but the sun seemed a bit warmer today, and everything just looked so pretty. They’d followed the meandering creek, passing through thick stands of towering pine trees that seemed to stretch right into the blue sky itself. The ground, soft and plush with an abundance of pine needles, gave off a tart, relaxing scent, and the air smelled fresh and crisp.

While on the trail the world would occasionally open into yellowing meadows devoid of flowers, which made Eve frown. She used to love flowers in her pre-Catastrophe days. Every week, when she’d gone grocery shopping, she’d buy bunches of roses or tulips or daffodils or whatever was in season. But now she was lucky if she saw a flower at all. They passed several blue-green lakes that glittered like emeralds in the far distance.

Eventually they meandered along a steep mountainside, and the slap of icy air had her hunkering down inside her clothing. Her mind turned to the three men who sat astride their horses in front of her, and instantly she felt warm again. They hadn’t made love to her since she’d run away, informing her they wanted her to heal from her injuries before they took her again.

Her face flamed at that thought. She remembered the morning of the day she’d left them. Sex with all three of them as they took turns with her on the couch had been fantastic. She remembered sex with Riley the night before that morning and with Kayne twice that morning. It all had been exquisite. She wanted to experience that pleasure again. Wanted to experience more sexcapades with them. Her memory and her feelings had totally come back now. She didn’t feel like that shy, lost woman who couldn’t remember why she’d ever gotten into a relationship with three men. She really loved them more now than she’d ever thought she could.

“The hot spring is just up ahead, Eve,” Maddox said as the three men suddenly pulled up their horses.

They’d reached a golden, sun-washed meadow where the slow-moving creek cut through the middle like a glistening silver knife blade. Here and there were enormous stumps, and Eve realized someone had tried to clear the area. Then, to her surprise, she noticed a tiny log cabin tucked away behind a small stand of pine trees. Obviously the cut trees had been used to build the structure. There was a small veranda, and two piles of chopped firewood set on each side of a rough-hewn planked door.

“This place belonged to Trader Jack, too. Since it took so long for him to get here, he built it because he figured when he got older, arthritis would make it harder to come and go,” Maddox said softly. They all fell silent at the thought of Trader Jack not getting old, but then Riley broke the disturbing silence.