Risk (Gentry Boys #2)(81)

“She’s all right. A little on the modest side for you.”

He grinned. “I think she likes me.”

“I doubt it. She doesn’t like anyone.”

“Don’t tell me about women. I can see right through the toughest of them. That damn girl likes me.”

“Fine. She likes you. She loves you. I don’t give a f*ck either way.”

Chase laughed. He was still laughing when Cord walked into the room.

“Done,” Cord said soberly.

Chase stopped laughing. “Thanks.”

“We’ll go down to the place first thing tomorrow. Well, today actually. Next few days might be a little rough for you.” Cord yawned. “You know what? Think I’ll go put in a few hours of sleep.”

Chase sighed and stood up. “Sleep sounds fabulous.” He walked over to me and began making a show of covering me with the blanket.

I snatched it out of his hands and threw it on the floor. My brothers loomed over me, grinning. People always said we looked most alike when we smiled. As I looked at Cord and Chase I could see myself. In that moment I more or less forgave Maggie Gentry. She still had a thousand awful flaws but she had given me two brothers to face the world with. Even though our father hated us and our hometown awaited confirmation that we were the same worthless trash as Benton, we would always have each other.

My brothers went to their rooms and I stretched out on the couch, just because it was easier than making my way to my bedroom. Suddenly I was so tired I could barely move. It couldn’t have been more than a minute later that I fell asleep. It was a wonderful feeling, to be able to sink so deeply and with no fear that I would awaken to a terrible sense of dread. Instead when I awoke, sometime in the early afternoon, Truly was sitting on the couch watching me.

“You’re cute when you drool,” she said and then gave me such an incredible smile I would have done anything on this sorry ass earth that she wanted.

“What are you wearing?” I yawned, reaching for her.

She looked down at herself innocently. “Don’t you remember this little number? I seem to recall you getting acquainted with it once.”

That’s all it took. I was as hard as I was the night I got a good look at her from across the bar. She was wearing the same blue dress. “Come here,” I growled and tried to pull her on top of me.

“Hey,” Saylor complained from the kitchen. “You’ve got company in the room.”

“Well you can leave now,” I told her.

Truly touched my swollen face. She looked down at my bandaged knee. “How are you?”

“Hurting. I’ll feel better if you just lay here and take care of me for a while.”

“Can’t,” she argued. “We’ve got to get going.”

“What are you talking about? Going where?”

“Creed,” Truly whispered, her dark eyes regarding me solemnly. “You still want to travel with me?”

“I’ll go anywhere you go, baby. Especially if you’re wearing that.”

She stood up, holding her purse. “Good. We’re going to Oklahoma then.”

“Oklahoma? Couldn’t we find some place a little more exotic? And you really want to leave right this minute?”

She frowned. “There’s someone I have to see there.”

“Family?”

“Yes. I’ll tell you more on the way. I figure we can crash in Albuquerque for the night and we should be there by noon tomorrow.”

It was a weird idea, dropping everything and driving a good thousand miles when I was all messed up and still trying to get used to the fact that there was no terrible fate hanging over my head anymore. Truly was waiting for me with a shy look on her face. Fuck it all; I couldn’t think of anything better than spending a few days alone with her.

“Let me go shower first,” I said, struggling to get up.

Truly took my arm. “Can you manage?”

I smiled at her, then wrapped my arms around her waist. “Come help me.”





CHAPTER THIRTY THREE


Truly



Creedence needed a lot of ‘help’, first in the shower, and then in his bedroom. I wasn’t complaining though. Afterwards I quietly zipped my dress closed, watching him as he threw some clothes in a bag. He had a big smile on his face, whether from relief over the recent turn of events or just because he’d had three good orgasms in half an hour.

“Thank you,” I said.

He glanced at me. “This time I think you did more for me than I did for you.”

“Not true. And I wasn’t talking about that. I mean thank you for agreeing to come with me.”

He looked surprised. “I want to be with you, Truly. Didn’t I make that clear?”

I smoothed my dress over my legs. “I guess I still need to hear it a few more times before it sinks in.”

Creed hobbled over to me. He was still shirtless. The stitched up gash in his face gave him an altogether ferocious appearance but his eyes were gentle. He kissed my lips and then pulled back slightly. “I want to be with you, baby,” he whispered.

I slipped my arms around him. “I want to be with you too.”

He held me tighter and kissed me more deeply. I wiggled away, laughing. “We’ll never get out of here if we keep this up.”