Rush (Carolina Bad Boys, #5)(34)

The combo of hot car plus hot woman made a serious dent in my pants.

I wondered if she’d let me do her on her desk.

Pulling into her spot in the small parking lot set to the side of the shop, I killed the engine then quickly hurried around to open her door, help her out.

“So you do remember how to treat a lady.” Her hands linked around my lower back. “Because after last . . . and your dirty talk . . .”

“You complaining?” I dropped my head, ready to feel those sweet lips against mine when some fucking passerby horned in on the moment by lobbing a gob of spit way too fucking close to my feet.

I looked over with a glare and came face to face with none other than goddamn Diablo.

“Maxwell Rush and Shiloh Lockhart. Two gringos with buckets of money between them. If this ain’t perfect, I don’t know what is.” He sneered.

I was gonna punch that snide look right off his face.

As soon as Shy wasn’t around to witness my visceral rage.

“Get inside the store, baby,” I ordered, pressing her forward.

“You know him?” She glared at Dickablo.

“Wouldn’t put it that way.”

D swaggered forward. “’Course he does. We go way back. I remember that first time he was arrested—”

“Wait.” Shy shoved her hand up. “How do you know my name?”

“Goes like this—”

I grabbed Shy’s elbow before he could give all the details of my criminal history, and led her to the door of her store. “Please. Just go inside and lock the door.”

“Max, I don’t like this.” She pleaded with me, her eyes dark and desperate.

I liked it a helluva lot less, but at least she did as I asked.

When I turned back to Diablo—the Hispanic road-rager holding one hundred K over my head—he wasn’t standing alone. Sketch and Jackson and Squizzy had joined the jerkwad blackmailing me. Complete and utter wasters, tweakoids, speed demons from Satan’s League with sudden targets on their heads, because I was set to blow.

“You wanna do this in the daylight, patron?” I asked cuntface number one. “My time’s not up yet.”

“Just a reminder.” Diablo cracked his knuckles.

I was gonna crack his skull wide open on the pavement.

“I got the fucking message.” Pouncing forward, I right-hooked D, catching him completely off guard.

My blow hit him hard, and he spun away with flesh breaking open across his cheek.

His backup asswipes attacked, but I’d had just enough training from Bo Maverick in dirty tactics to take one in a headlock with an extra special twist of my forearm while I punched another dickhole in his sternum. The third bitch-boy? He was on the receiving end of my boot to his stomach.

The three of them breathless, I pushed them toward Diablo who was still crying about his bloody cheek.

Unchecked fury fueled my system. “You come near Shiloh again and I will fucking tie your tiny nuts around your neck and choke you with them.”

“Just get me the money.” Diablo looked at his fingers, bloody from nursing the gash on his face, like he couldn’t believe I’d attacked him.

And I’d fucking do it again. With a gun next time.

“I’ll get you the money when I’m goddamn good and ready.” I bodily packed all four dickbags onto the street where heavy traffic flowed.

Maybe moving cars could do them in.

Vehicular manslaughter.

That would work.

I slowed my heart attack in the making before rapping on Shy’s shop door a couple minutes later.

She peaked outside before letting me in, and she immediately inspected my bruised fists. “You’re hurt?”

“No.”

“Who was he?” She found tissues and dabbed at my cut knuckles.

“Bad news.” I drew my hands from hers, clenching my fists again. “Just make sure you tell me if you ever see him around again.”

My teeth ground down, and I hadn’t released the pent-up tension, but it wouldn’t do Shy any good to see me lose my cool. I started for the door, a frown marking my brow.

“Max, wait. Are you okay?” she called after me.

I pivoted, guiding her face to mine for a long kiss that ended too quickly. “As long as you are.” Crushing her to me, I asked, “You’re not by yourself in here, are you?”

“Just until April arrives. She’ll be here at nine.”

“Okay. I don’t want you alone today. Call me if you need anything.”

“Are you volunteering to be my shop assistant, Max?” Shy’s eyebrows lifted as she leaned back in my embrace.

Somehow she made me smile.

“Hey. I’m a fucking people person, you know?” I dropped my lips to hers again. “I can even play nice when I have to.”

Backing away, she smiled a secret smile. “Be good today.”

“I’ll be better when I see you tonight.”

“Are you seeing me tonight?”

“Yeah. I am.”

“Okay.”

“See ya later, baby.” I spun her close for a last, lingering kiss.

Shaking off the latest shitstorm, I made my way to Chrome and Steele. The run-in with Diablo and his scrotum-trolls turned my good morning mood sour.