Sweet Dreams (Colorado Mountain #2)(139)

“I can’t believe you’d say that to me,” Neeta whispered.

“And I can’t believe I just watched you handle your boy like that,” Betty returned. “Brenda was a good girl. She loved her babies. She’d do anything for them. She’d do anything for you. One thing I know sure as certain, she’d never touch you like that and she’d fight to the death if she knew anyone had done that to you. Right now, I just know, she’s rollin’ in her grave.”

Betty didn’t wait for Neeta to reply. She turned to me.

“Get him inside, hon,” she prompted.

Far faster than before, I scuttled Jonas and me around Neeta and Betty, placing my body in a way that I was using it to shield Jonas from Neeta. Once clear, I rushed the both of us to our loungers. Jonas and I shoved our stuff in the bags I’d packed as I heard Tate talking to both Shambles and Ned. I was hefting a bag over my shoulder when the bag was caught at the handles. I whirled, ready to do battle if it was Neeta, only to see Tate had taken it from me. He grabbed my hand but his eyes were on Jonas. He jerked his head toward Ned and Betty’s, Jonas took off on a dash and Tate dragged me with him as we followed.

Ned was there before us and he let us in. We took turns in their bathroom, me first. I peeled off my suit and tugged on my underwear, jeans shorts and t-shirt even though my body was still clammy with wet. I yanked out my flip flops, shoved my feet in them and exited the bathroom only to have Tate, a hand gentle in his back, shove Jonas in.

“Quick, Bub,” he muttered, his hand on the doorknob.

Jonas nodded and Tate shut the door.

I looked up at him. “You okay?”

“Forget me,” he said, his hand coming to curl around the side of my neck. “Get out to Shambles.”

I nodded, he gave me a squeeze and let me go.

I rushed to Shambles.

* * * * *

Tate, Jonas and I in the Explorer, Shambles following in his VW van, Neeta following Shambles in her Chrysler, pulled into the forecourt of the garage.

Tate stopped close to the office door, Shambles pulled in beside Tate on the driver’s side and Neeta pulled in beside Jonas and me.

Jonas and I hopped down just as Wood and Pop exited one of the bays and Stella walked out of the office.

I quickly moved Jonas to the hood of Tate’s SUV as Tate rounded it, his eyes on Stella.

“Need you to look after Jonas,” he stated and Stella must have read the mood for she asked not one question. She simply nodded, her eyes on Neeta.

“That won’t be necessary since I’m takin’ him home with me,” Neeta announced.

“What’s up, Buck?” Pop asked, ignoring Neeta, as Wood and Pop made it to our group and Shambles hit Tate’s side. Shambles looked impatient. Pop had his eyes glued to Tate. Wood had his gaze on Neeta.

“Man here’s woman is missin’,” Tate told Pop, jerking a thumb at Shambles. “She’s been gone since yesterday. I need to get out and see if I can help.”

“Did you call the cops, bud?” Stella asked Shambles, walking down the steps that led to the office.

“They say forty-eight hours,” Shambles answered her and turned directly to Tate. “Can we go?”

“Yeah,” Tate murmured and said to Stella, “Stell?”

“Don’t worry, Tate,” she answered his unasked question.

“Shee-it,” Pop muttered. “What’s happenin’ ‘round here and they say forty-eight hours? Got their heads in their asses.”

“I’ll come with you,” Wood offered and Tate looked at him, his eyes slicing to Neeta, then back to Wood.

“Maybe you can see to that situation,” he suggested and I held my breath because suddenly all around were tense and I suspected this was because Tate hadn’t asked Wood for anything, not for a long time and not something as important as dealing with Neeta.

“Jonas is safe with me,” Stella stated. “Many eyes…” she trailed off.

“My kid’s goin’ home with me,” Neeta put in, a dog with a bone.

“Girl,” Pop turned to her, “it’s Buck’s weekend.”

“He’s comin’ home with me,” Neeta repeated.

“He’s not,” Tate declared in a way that everyone’s eyes went to him. “And he ain’t comin’ home tomorrow.” He looked at Jonas and ordered, “Go, Bub, into the office.”

“What do you mean he ain’t comin’ home tomorrow?” Neeta snapped.

“Go into the office, Bub, now,” Tate reiterated, Jonas nodded and moved quickly toward the office.

“Tate, goddamn it, what in the f**k do you –?” Neeta started but she stopped and I figured this was because Tate speared her with a look that was so hostile it took her breath away. I figured this because it took mine.

We all waited, the door closed behind Jonas and finally Tate spoke and he did this with his eyes still locked on Neeta.

“I gotta do this with Shambles so I don’t got a lot of time but I’ll tell you this. You think for one f**kin’ second after you handled my boy that way that he’s goin’ anywhere near you, you’re a bigger f**kin’ lunatic than I thought.”

“What’s this?” Pop whispered.

“You wanna tell your Dad what you did?” Tate dared.