Breaking the Bad Boy (38 page)

“Did Duke show you his wall of pain?” Miri asked Joss.

“The Picasso? Yes, he did. It was surprising,” she said turning to him.

“It was a good thing when he figured out how to focus all that anger,” Miri said.

“Mir,” Buck stopped her and put both palms up to illustrate they were at the dinner table and her conversation was inappropriate.

“No secrets, you said,” she glared at him.

“I know his history, Miri,” Joss said simply. “If he wasn’t such a capable fighter we wouldn’t all be sitting down together enjoying each other’s company.”

“We are uniquely suited to each other, Mir, she gets into trouble, and I get her out,” Buck said and Clint cleared his throat.

“So, how are the plans coming along for the wedding? You went to a jeweler?” He asked and received a glare from his wife. “Look, babe, they are crazy about each other, you need to step back.”

“Why doesn’t anybody call you John?” John asked Buck. Tension at the table ceased and Buck took a deep breath.

“So nobody gets me confused with you,” he smiled at him and John smiled back.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I don’t know why I’m so touchy, Joss. You’re just so pretty and perfect and I’m so short,” Joss laughed. She looked at Graham and shifted him out of her lap and stood up.

“Come with me, Miri.” She walked out of the dining room. Buck looked at Miri.

“She’s not going to hurt you, go,” Buck said and Miri stood up and followed. Graham climbed into Buck’s lap.

Joss stood by the guest room door and when she saw Miri come out of the dining room she turned and went in. When Miri entered the room, Joss was standing with her shirt off and her back turned to the light, exposing her scars. Miri gasped.

“By the time I was twelve I was already three inches taller than my mother, and she made it very clear to me that I was a freak of nature. I tower over most men, and in my profession I have to look professional, and I wear heels. I can count on one hand the number of men I’ve met who are taller than I am when I wear heels.” Miri touched her back; her hand was warm and gentle. “I can count on the other how many men don’t seem to care. But maybe I’m just touchy about it. I am scarred on the inside as well as the outside, Miri, and Buck makes me whole,” she turned to look at Miri. “I love him, and I have killed for him, and I’d do it again in a heartbeat.”

Miri looked into her eyes and Joss saw the very instant she relented. Miri might look like Buck, but she couldn’t hide her emotions at all.

“And just for the record, you’re fucking gorgeous,” Joss said and pulled her shirt back over her head. “I’m just exotic here because there are no six foot blondes. I’m a freak of nature, but your brother loves me so I don’t care.”

“You’re right; you are scarred on the inside. At least these claw marks will fade; whoever sewed you up did a nice job. Was it Duke?”

“No, but he stayed with me in the hospital watching over me the whole time,” Joss said remembering. “Keeping me safe.”

“I’m sorry, Joss, can we start over? I’ll try not to be such a snob,” they both laughed, and then they hugged.

“Miri, there’s one more thing you need to know,” Joss said very seriously. Miri looked nervous.

“This Navajo rug that you have nailed into the wall is probably worth $40,000,” Joss said and left the room.

When they got back to the table Buck was explaining the game of cricket to the kids, they were sitting there with mouths open. Joss and Miri cleared the table and Buck came to the kitchen a minute later with his hands full of plates and pulled Joss into his embrace.

“What did you two do?”

“We made up,” Joss said and Buck pushed her away to look at her face.

“You made out?” He said, surprise on his face and his mouth once again curled at the corners and his eyes got dark. Joss laughed.

“We made up, not out,” she laughed again. “She’s married.”

He kissed her. “I would very much like to take you to bed right now, my lusty Duchess.”

“Mmm, I’d like that, too, but I’m breaking down Miri’s walls. Can you take me to bed in half an hour?”

“I can do that, too,” he said into her neck, biting her there. Joss moaned loudly, caught off guard.

“Emma made brownies,” Miri said bringing in more dishes. Buck growled and reluctantly pulled away from her neck.

“I can’t compete with brownies, can I?” He asked Joss. She shook her head sadly.

“Not if Emma made them,” she said and Miri beamed at her.

Chapter Fourteen

The next day was spent making plans for the wedding. A photographer was hired, a cake was chosen and they both were fitted with traditional wedding clothes. The moccasins to be made for Joss were soft and supple, and she knew she wouldn’t want to take them off on her wedding night. They would come to just below her knee, and were white doeskin with very little adornment, just a few buttons down the outside. It was becoming real.

Buck drove her to the Mexican restaurant the kids chose. “I can’t vouch for the food, but the kids love the place,” he said as he handed her out of the Jeep.

“It’ll be great,” Joss said. They walked in.

“We’re early; you want to wait at the bar?”

“Sure,” she said and they did. The bartender came right to them.

Buck gestured to Joss.

“I’ll have a frozen margarita with salt,” she said and he smiled at her then looked at Buck.

“I’ll have a seltzer with lime,” he said and the bartender nodded and went to get their drinks.

“So you just don’t drink at all?” Joss asked.

Buck considered the question. “I haven’t in a long time, mostly because I’ve had to be sharp and focused. I don’t want to fall out of that habit and be slow when I need to be quick. Do you remember wanting to be off the morphine?” She nodded; she had felt sluggish and vulnerable on it. “I think it’s probably like that to some degree. Anyway, Duchess, you’re enough of a distraction, and I need to keep my wits about me.” She was sitting at the bar and he was standing very close to her. He leaned over slightly and kissed her; she beamed up at him.

The bartender came back with their drinks and Buck paid. Joss licked the salt off the rim and drank.

“Very nice,” she said.

“I was just going to say the same thing; that tongue action went straight to my cock,” her eyes went large.

“That can be arranged, you know?” She smiled at him and he smiled back.

“Pencil me in then, let’s arrange it. Have another sip, too,” they laughed.

“Do you dance?” She asked him.

“Sure, do you want to dance?” He cocked his head to listen to the mariachi music playing in the background.

“Not to this, but I would love to dance with you. Do you have a favorite song?”

“Yes, but I haven’t heard it yet,” he said and she frowned slightly at him.

“Buddhist? Zoroastrian?”

“Athabascan.” They laughed again.

“What are we going to do once we’re married?” Joss asked him.

“What would you like to do? Can you take some time off, come see the world with me? Get away from Sir Gerard for a bit.”

“Will he be a nuisance?”

“Yes.”

“Because of the gold?”

“I think he wants the gold and he wants your brain. I just don’t know which one he wants more,” Buck smiled at her. “Miri’s here.” Joss looked at the door and saw the family looking around for them. Joss raised her arm and caught their attention. They waved back.

“You have been looking at me the whole time, how did you know they were here?” Buck grinned a very sexy grin.

“Trade secret,” he kissed her when she stood up.

“I’m going to the bathroom, I’ll find you,” she said giving him her drink, and they parted. Buck watched three college guys check her out as she passed them on her way. He shook his head. Asshole magnet.

A few minutes later she came out of the bathroom and glanced around the room for the family. She saw Buck with his back to the wall and his shooting arm free, watching for her and she smiled. A man loomed up in front of her and she dodged to the side to avoid him, and he stepped in front of her again. She stopped the dance and looked directly at him smiling awkwardly.

“Excuse me,” she said and tried to get past him again.

“Let me buy you a drink now that you’re done with Tonto,” he said and her mouth fell open.

“What?” She said with disbelief.

“Come on, it’s not fair them snatching up all our women,” he said trying for charming.

“Have you ever considered there might be other reasons you can’t find yourself a woman? Excuse me,” she said and his buddies laughed at him. It seemed to embolden him further and he put his hand around her upper arm. She shrugged to get out of his hold, but he only squeezed harder.

“You really don’t want to bring this shit storm down on yourself,” Joss said. “I don’t want a drink, and you’re hurting my arm.” He let go.

“Honey, there are three of us, and one skinny Indian,” he smiled.

“Don’t discount me.” She wound up and was inches from hitting him in the solar plexus when her hand was caught in mid air.

“Don’t hurt him, Duchess, that’s my job,” Buck said. He looked at the three men at the bar. “Gentlemen,” he said. “I think it would behoove you to not touch the lady.”

“Be who?” The mouthy guy said.

“Mmm, you don’t seem to be the brains of this operation. Anybody else? No? Leave her alone and you may leave in peace. Savvy?”

“Sure, Kemosabe,” he retorted.

Buck smiled at them and took Joss’s hand and led her away. “You are feisty, I’ll give you that.”

“He was unbearably insulting; he needed some manners taught him.”

“Did he hurt your arm?”

“It’s fine,” she said still feeling livid.

He held the chair for her as she sat and he watched the three college students watch him. He gave them a blank stare.

“What was that all about?” Miri asked.

“Oh, there was a guy at the bar who was very eager to buy me a drink,” Joss said.

“We don’t have to eat here, we can go,” Miri said knowing how protective her brother could get, but Graham looked crestfallen.

“It’s fine, what do you guys recommend?” Joss said merrily and the mood changed. They ate and laughed and Joss got to know the kids better which she loved. Winston watched over them with delight.

“I don’t know a lot about archery, maybe you guys could teach me,” she said to them.

“We’re good at it, but really Uncle Eddie is the best, maybe he could teach you. How’s your aim?” Emma asked.

“I’m a pretty good shot, but I think it’s probably completely different.” Joss said thinking about trajectory.

“You shoot guns?” John asked.

“I grew up on a ranch, we were all checked out on firearms pretty early because they were there, and we might need to know how to use them safely. My brother and I would take our rifles and shoot at pop cans for hours. Your Uncle Duke is a very good shot; I don’t even come close to his skill.”

“Have you ever shot a person?” John asked.

“So John, how good is Uncle Eddie with a bow. Does he use a crossbow or a compound bow?” Buck asked interrupting the way the conversation was going. Joss gave him a grateful look and he winked at her.

“Uncle Eddie uses a recurve bow, it’s really cool.” John said.

“That is cool. Is that what you guys use, too?”

“No, it’s too hard, we use a compound bow,” John said.

“It’s late, we should head out,” Miri said.

“Can we take you home, Granddad?” Buck asked.

“Yes, I would like that very much,” Winston said.

“Dr. Natani, is that you?” Someone said from behind Miri.

Buck stood and took Joss’s hand. “We’ll see you back at the house, Clint,” he said helping Joss with her jacket and Clint nodded and let out a long suffering sigh. His wife found a patient of hers; they’d be there for another twenty minutes. Joss kissed the kids goodbye.

They walked out of the restaurant and Buck suddenly stilled and squeezed her hand. He handed her the keys he was holding. She looked at him curiously.

“Get behind me, Duchess,” he said softly.

“Fuck,” she said as he moved her behind him. Winston’s body mimicked Buck’s, and Joss was fascinated in the middle of being horrified. She didn’t see anything out of place in the parking lot and wondered at their sixth sense.

“Behind the fifth car on the left and the fourth on the right,” Winston said quietly.

“Don’t forget the one under the broken light straight ahead,” Buck said and Winston laughed quietly.

“I’m getting old.”

“Okay, keep Joss out of it, Granddad,” Buck said. “She has the keys to the Jeep, but I’d rather you both just stayed here.” He kissed Joss briefly and powerfully on the mouth and turned and walked to the right. The closest guy would be the most eager, the one who manhandled his Duchess. He’d make short work of him and then look to see if the others wanted to come out and play.

Buck started into an easy lope, and slowed down at the last second so the guy who was hiding behind the car couldn’t predict when Buck would be there. He popped out too soon, and Buck stepped back smoothly, away from his slow swing.
Kids didn’t know how to fight anymore,
he thought,
too many computer games, not enough social interaction. It was a shame
, he thought fleetingly.

The guy righted himself and took another swing. Buck sidestepped it and slammed his fist into the kid’s gut, thinking he didn’t want a sore hand on his wedding day, in three days time.

“Your brutish fingers probably bruised her beautiful skin, and for that I should make you bleed. But I’m getting married in a few days, and I’m feeling magnanimous,” he said to the guy who was now doubled over. Buck hit him on the back and he went to his knees with a grunt of pain. In a graceful motion Buck turned and gave a quick look at the one friend who was running at him. The third guy was thinking better of joining the fun. Buck was okay with that.

“Your turn,” he said to the second guy with a wave of his hand. “You didn’t touch her, but you egged your friend on, and then you thought you’d have a little amusement with me. Well, son, here I am. Have at me, I’m just a man.” The second guy hesitated, but decided that Buck was, indeed, just a man, and he roared an epithet and charged. Buck shifted slightly and the guy ended up face down into the hood of a car, stunning himself and setting off the car alarm. Buck looked at the third guy, but only saw his back disappearing quickly around the corner. He turned to the first guy who was still catching his breath on the pavement.

“Are we done here?” Buck asked the first guy. He nodded miserably. “So we’ll just go home, right after you apologize to the lady,” Buck said.