Springer, Jan - Be My Dream Tonight [The Desperadoes 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) (17 page)

C.J. couldn’t help but wince inwardly at the man’s name being said out loud, let alone coming from sweet Eve’s lips.

“I wish I could have saved you a trip to his hideout. Unfortunately he’s still using it,” C.J. confessed. She’d wanted to lie to Eve and tell her Wolfe didn’t use that cave where Eve had been brought after she’d been kidnapped. She didn’t want Eve going back there. It held bad memories. But C.J. also knew if Wolfe had spent the gold, he wouldn’t be using that cave anymore. He’d be living high off the hog somewhere. He’d be hiring people to farm for him, serve him, and who knew what else. Instead, he appeared to be keeping a low profile.

She knew the way Wolfe thought. Aside from being a sadist, he was greedy. He would be waiting until the gold increased in value. And it would, too. Within years it would probably be the only valid currency in the world. Then he would be able to do anything he wanted to, including hiring the top guns to hunt down C.J. and Eve. He had been hunting them off and on since they’d escaped. He’d put his hounds after them, but C.J. and Eve had always managed to stay two steps ahead of him. She knew one of these days their luck would run out. He wanted his son back, despite C.J. knowing it could have belonged to any number of the men she’d been forced to sleep with. Getting her hands on some of that gold would help her to hide herself and her son from Wolfe.

Eve wanted some of that gold, too. Protection money, she called it. C.J. had been prepared to put her life on the line to go in there alone and get that gold for her. But when Eve started having flashbacks about her old life, C.J. realized it was best for Eve to follow those memories, and she’d put her plans for checking on that gold on the back burner.

That is, until she’d decided she would go back in and see if that gold really was still there.

“The gold is still in the cave,” C.J. acknowledged.

She’d expected Eve to be grateful. Maybe even deliriously happy to hear the news. She wasn’t.

Eve glared angrily at her.

“You’re an idiot,” she snapped.

C.J.’s tummy hollowed out in disappointment.

This time her friend’s cheeks fused red with anger instead of embarrassment. “I told you to stay totally out of it. For your son’s sake, in case—”

“Listen to me. If I stayed out of it and stayed back at the cabin, not knowing what you or your men were walking into when I know the layout and the guards’ routines, then you could call me an idiot, okay?”

Eve sighed heavily. Good. Perhaps she’d understood her point that they needed her. Besides, she hadn’t felt comfortable staying at the cabin knowing that Eve might drop by unexpectedly and bring her entourage of hunky men with her. She just couldn’t stand to be around men, and worse, she couldn’t stand the idea that Eve would trust one, let alone three, to show them where their cabin was located. She’d been so damned uneasy, she’d decided to leave and check out that damned cave.

Once safely inside, she’d been tempted to grab some of those gold bars and get the hell out. But she also knew Wolfe admired those bars every day. If even one went missing, he’d be on alert.

“You could have been killed, C.J., or worse, caught. He could have tortured you into telling him everything. And you know you would have talked. You’ve told me what he does. The methods he uses…”

Oh bummer. Eve was acting like a mother hen again, despite C.J. being five years her senior. She couldn’t help but smile and feel warm and happy inside at her friend’s concern for her safety. She ripped her gaze away from her pissed-off friend to survey the windmill twirling like a bitch right there in front of them. Cables ran from the windmill down along the rocks and toward the cabin. If it was in working order, Eve would have electricity in the cabin. She would ask, but truthfully, she didn’t want to know. She’d gotten used to life without the conveniences, and preferred not to know if a hot bathtub might be available down there for her.

She found herself looking longingly at the lush green grass growing up along the rocks. Her horse was back on the other side of the hill, chomping on some scraggly yellow stuff. She hadn’t seen grass this green, vivacious color or so healthy since before the freaking Catastrophe. It seemed as if the Catastrophe had overlooked this jewel of a place. She just wished it had overlooked her own family as well. Pain speared into her heart at thinking about them, and she twisted her thoughts back to Eve, who was snapping her fingers in front of C.J.’s face.

“Once again, I’ve lost your attention,” Eve complained. “You don’t need to worry. They won’t come up here. I asked Kayne not to follow.”

C.J. switched her gaze down to the cabin as alarm whipped through her like a storm. For a few moments she’d forgotten about them. For a few moments she’d been totally relaxed in Eve’s company. She noticed her three men were still standing there on the porch.

“You’ve got them trained like dogs.”

Eve frowned, obviously not liking her teasing.

“That is not nice. They are men, not dogs. And I trust them with my life. With our lives.”

“Good for you,” she bit out. She couldn’t keep the sarcasm out of her voice as she suddenly wished she could trust someone again. And here Eve trusted three men. Not just one.

“Okay, so you’re pissed off at me.” Eve chuckled. “Maybe I should just flash you my boobs again to get your attention back to what we were discussing earlier?”

C.J. rolled her eyes, ripped her gaze from those three men, and focused back on Eve.

“I came here to tell you about Wolfe and the gold. Not look at your breasts.”

Eve grinned. “Got your attention and I didn’t even flash you. So, you told me about the gold. I still don’t know about the guards’ routines or about Wolfe.”

“And you won’t, either.”

Eve visibly stiffened. “Why not?”

“Because, I’ll tell you when we get closer to the hideout.”

Her friend’s eyes sparkled with hope. “You’re coming with us?”

“I don’t travel with men. I’ll meet up with you when you get close to the hideout.”

“Oh come on. Stay here with us. It’s warm inside the cabin. They won’t hurt you. I promise.”

C.J. stepped away from the tree she’d been leaning against and forced herself to throw Eve a reassuring smile.

“I like the cold. Now go back down to them. I’ll meet up with you again.”

“Just make sure it’s not the same kind of announcement like this time around, okay? They’re pretty ticked at you. I think they think you’re crazy.”

C.J. laughed and reached for her rifle where she’d propped it against the trunk of a nearby pine tree. “Good. Let them think it. Then they’ll be nice and scared of me the next time I show up, and we won’t have a repeat performance of today’s scene.”

Suddenly Eve got that little-lost-girl look that always tugged at her heartstrings. It was the same look she’d gotten when they’d parted ways just the other day. Guilt slammed into C.J., and she wasn’t surprised at Eve’s next question.

“Are you sure you won’t stay?”

“I’m sure.” She patted her rifle. “This is my man. He’s the only thing I need to keep me warm at night and protected. Now go on back down there and have yourself a nice evening with your ticked-off men.”

Eve bit her bottom lip, then nodded assent.

This time there was no good-bye hug from her friend. This time Eve just waved and turned to walk back down to her three lovers. C.J. knew what Eve would do. She’d walk a few steps before turning around and asking her once again to stay. But before that could happen, C.J. knew she’d already be gone.

* * * *

As Eve drew nearer to the cabin, she couldn’t help but notice the scowls on their faces.

“You didn’t invite her for breakfast?” Maddox called out.

“She declined my offer of staying over.”

If she didn’t know any better, she could see disappointment flare in his eyes.

“Good,” Kayne growled, turned his broad back on her, and went inside.

“So, there’s no chance at payback?” Maddox grinned as Riley elbowed him in the ribs.

“That’s Eve’s friend. Talk nice.”

“Yeah, talk nice about my friend, guys, or you’ll have me to answer to. Now, I’m famished. What’s for breakfast?”

Both Riley and Mad’s faces brightened. Obviously they’d forgotten breakfast was long overdue.

“Ma’am, we are at your service. Step into our restaurant,” Riley said, and as she ascended the stairs, she had to be quick to clutch her blanket tight as each man took hold of one of her elbows and led her into the house.

Chapter Seven

“We’ll pull out first thing in the morning,” Kayne told all of them. He’d sat here quietly as the other three had been enjoying a leisurely breakfast while Eve reported on the conversation she’d had with her friend, and he used that term
friend
very loosely. He couldn’t understand for the life of him why she continued to call that woman a friend. She’d pointed a fucking gun at her and threatened to pull the trigger, and now Eve was saying the woman had reported the gold was still in the exact same place as when they’d left Wolfe’s hideout. He, for one, didn’t buy that woman’s story.

“I’d hoped we could stay here a few more days,” Maddox quickly said. “I’ve found Mason jars, a pressure cooker, and I can make some preserves from some of those root vegetables that Trader Jack has in his root cellar. I do make a mean beet preserve.”

“And I thought I could scout around the area for a hot spring,” Riley chimed in. “According to an old topographical map I found in the living room, there’s a hot spring around here somewhere. A hot bath sounds damn nice, and we can save our electricity here for cooking instead of heating up water for the tub.”

Irritation snapped through Kayne. “Shut up, you guys sound like a bunch of women. We ride out in the morning, and that’s final.”

Silence penetrated his anger as they all stared at him. He ignored them and picked up his fork in order to finish the eggs and scones on his plate.

“And if I say no?” Eve’s strong voice made his fork pause halfway to his mouth. Bold bitch, wasn’t she?

His gaze snapped to hers. “Now why would you say no to me, Eve?” He injected the raw sensuality into his voice, ensuring her that she knew defying him was out of the question. If she’d take the time to remember, her defying him turned him on very badly.

“I’ll decide when we go,” she continued, seemingly totally oblivious of his order that they were leaving in the morning. She gazed at him, her pretty mouth upturned into a sweet smile, and damned if she wasn’t batting her eyelashes sexily at him.

“You have no idea where this place is, and you can’t go without me, can you now?” She flashed a truly teasing smile that made his heart go pitter-patter and his cock grow into a steel bar. And it hurt. In a really nice, uncontrolled kind of way. And there was only one way he’d get his relief…fucking Eve.

Beside him Maddox’s and Riley’s bodies tightened with awareness. They’d always enjoyed showdowns and sparring between himself and Eve.

“We can torture the whereabouts of the hideout out of you, Eve,” he taunted.

Excitement flared in her eyes. “I’m afraid that would take too long,” she said coolly, but he could hear the aroused quiver underlying her controlled voice. Could see the fire of anticipation whispering over her facial features. It was in the way her nostrils flared and the exquisite rise to the edges of her sensually shaped lips. His heart beat even harder. Yeah, he wanted to fuck that defiant, teasing attitude right out of her and turn her into the sensual, whimpering woman who craved nothing but pleasure from the three of them.

Their sex toy
. He blinked as he remembered her earlier question down by the creek. She’d wanted to know if that’s all she’d been to them. A sex toy.

Fuck. He should tell her she was so much more than that. So much more. He resisted the urge to reach out, grab her by the wrist, hoist her sweet little ass right up onto the breakfast table, rip off her leggings, and start fucking her right here in front of Mad and Riley.

In the old days, he would have done just that. But now, a little less impulsiveness and sex and some strategic planning might make this gold heist a success.

“I haven’t agreed yet on you even being there when we go in for the gold,” Kayne said slowly.

Her eyes flared in red-hot anger, and her fists clenched on the tabletop. Yeah, he’d succeeded in pissing her off. Good.

“But I know where the hideout is. I’ll go in alone if I have to.”

“Easy, colt. I want you to prove to me that you can really handle that rifle.”

“I showed you the other night,” she said defiantly.

“I want to see more,” he demanded.

“Fine,” she answered between gritted teeth. “I’m ready. I’ll get changed and meet you down by the creek. I’ll show you exactly how good I am.”

He wanted to tell her that she was more than good, but Kayne bit back his sexual retort.

The chair squeaked as she pushed it back and stood, clutching that damned distracting blanket tighter around her. The teasing little bitch had been flashing her breasts at them during breakfast. He’d make sure she was taught a lesson in not teasing them unless she wanted to endure the consequences. But another time. Business before pleasure.