“What are you going to do?”
“Nothing for now. I can’t take care of personal shit until the mess with Scorpion is cleared up. As soon as it is, I’ll deal with Brooke. I’ll keep Lily home for now. She’s far enough along that she shouldn’t put up too much of a fuss.”
“Good luck; you’re going to need it.”
“Lily won’t jeopardize our baby; she’ll listen.”
“I’ll ask Rachel if she’ll take over the store,” Cash offered.
“Thanks, brother.”
The men shook hands and parted.
Cash went back inside, staring down at Rachel sleeping. Shade was showing more patience than he would have. That crazy bitch was out to kill Lily, and it was going to take someone just as cold-hearted to stop her.
Chapter 33
Monday morning she wasn’t surprised when Cash asked her if she would manage the church store until after Lily’s baby was born.
“Of course.” Rachel was just as concerned for Lily’s safety as The Last Riders. The store was slow right now anyway.
“Is Knox going to arrest Brooke?”
“No. We have no proof. You didn’t see Brooke take the plants, nor did anyone see her put it into the serving she gave Lily. I looked in her kitchen and around the house, but I couldn’t find a trace of the plant to get a search warrant.”
“She’s going to get off scot-free?” Rachel couldn’t believe Brooke was going to get away with almost killing Mag.
“I wouldn’t say that, only that we can’t prove anything in a court of law. If we pressed for a larger investigation, the only tie to the plant is you.”
Shocked, Rachel’s eyes widened. It was true; she had been the one to uproot the plants and bring them into Mag’s home.
“Don’t worry, Rachel. Brooke will get exactly what she deserves soon.”
“Not soon enough,” Rachel complained, furious that the woman had almost killed Mag? and if Lily hadn’t had a bout of morning sickness, she would have fallen victim to the crazed woman along with her unborn child.
Cash’s arm circled her shoulders. “Want me to give you a ride to work?”
“No, I can drive.” Rachel started to move away, only to find herself hauled back into his arms.
“Make sure you play it cool with Brooke.”
“I will,” Rachel promised. She would be damned if she would let the woman know they were on to her.
“Good. Now give me a kiss,” he demanded.
“Did none of your women ever complain that you’re bossy?”
“No.” His eyes twinkled down into hers. “When I spanked them, they just wanted me to spank them harder.”
Rachel shivered at his words, at the picture it planted in her mind.
“I need to get to work,” she hurriedly changed the subject.
Cash gave her a brief, hard kiss on her lips. “Hurry home.”
She nodded before fleeing.
She was still staying with Mag. Cash had stayed last night with her in her bed, not wanting her gallivanting through the woods after being released from the hospital. Mag would be a few more days in the hospital before they released her.
Rachel had stopped to see her after she had been released. Mag had been beaming with pleasure at the birth of her great-grandchild. Rachel had been unable to break the news that she wasn’t pregnant to the happy woman. Looking to Cash for help, he had shrugged, ignoring the silent plea. Rachel promised herself that, as soon as she was feeling better, she would gently break the news to her.
It was anticlimactic that the day passed without incident. It wasn’t until she was about to close the store and Pastor Patterson stopped by that she found out Brooke had gone home to visit her mother. Only Cash’s warning had her remaining silent to her pastor of the viciousness his wife was capable of.
She closed the store to find Cash leaning against the side of her car, waiting for her. She looked around to make sure no one was around to hear their conversation.
“Brooke isn’t in town. She went to visit her mother.”
“She’s a smart bitch to get out of town,” Cash stated.
“It was everything I could do not to say something to that poor man. He’s completely clueless.”
“But you didn’t?” he asked sharply.
“No.”
“Good. Let Shade handle it.”
Rachel didn’t believe anyone but the police was capable of dealing with Brooke, but if that was the way they wanted to handle it, she would go along with it. For now.
“What are you doing here?” she asked curiously.
“I thought we would have dinner and hang out tonight at the clubhouse.”
Rachel knew if she and Cash were going to have a relationship then, sooner or later, she was going to have to deal with being there.
“All right. I’ll follow you in my car.”
Cash seemed about to argue with her but changed his mind, getting on his bike.
Rachel dreaded the coming evening and had to bolster her courage for the drive to the clubhouse. As she got out of her car, she noticed construction going on at the end of the factory.