“At least she’s thinkin’ of me while fuckin’ you.”
“Yeah, she’s really into gay porn. You know, when one man’s churnin’ butter in another man’s ass. She figured you became an expert at that with all the time you did inside.”
“It ain’t gay when you’re doin’ the churnin’,” Rook said.
“Guess your butt buddy told you that.”
“He told me a lot of things.”
Cage had whacked his arm, shook his head and walked away, throwing over his shoulder, “All whispered romantically into your ear in the dead of night.”
Rook snorted at the memory from the other day, but that snort quickly disappeared as he now watched the Chihuahua eyeing him suspiciously when it took a few tentative steps toward him.
Maybe the fucker was hungry.
Rook toed the food bowl and yelled, “This shit’s for you, you little rat bastard!”
The dog skirted away in a fresh frenzy of barking.
“Shut the fuck up. Don’t you know you’re not supposed to bite the hand that feeds you?”
He had tried to capture the dog that first day. And the second day. Rook wasn’t so sure he was going to try it again today.
The dog was like a woman. Loved to be difficult. When you tried to give it a little loving, it snapped at you.
Rook stepped away from the bowls, squatted down and held out his hand. He waited there for a good ten minutes with the rat dog peeking out at him from under Rev’s old Bronco, occasionally letting out a single bark to remind Rook how ferocious it was.
Maybe he should get a pit bull. It would rid them of the four-legged problem they already had and maybe some of those stray cats out back, too.
He pursed his lips. His arm was getting tired by keeping it extended. Fuck that thing, he had work to do. He dropped his hand, stood up with a groan and gave the dog the finger. “Fuck you then, asshole.”
He caught movement from the corner of his eye. It wasn’t the ungrateful dog, fuck no, it was a Manning Grove PD cruiser pulling into the lot. He turned his single finger salute to the person driving the pig mobile. Then held it there until the vehicle pulled up next to him and the driver’s side window rolled down.
“Well, hello to you, too. You need to learn how to greet people better, Rook.”
“Way I do it has worked the last thirty-four years. Why should I change now?”
Jet’s lips twitched. “You can put it away now.”
“Depends on why you’re here.”
“Maybe I’m here to drop off this car for service.”
Rook dropped his hand and shook his head. “Lies. I know it’s not on the schedule.”
“Maybe I only called Reilly a little while ago.”
“More lies.”
Jet smiled. And, fuck, when she did he had a hard time hating her. She took his insults like a pro and she had a stronger backbone than most men. She probably liked to be bossy in the bedroom, too.
He wasn’t into that shit.
He was into the woman begging, not him. Jet would never be that type of woman. No. She’d suffer first before pleading for what she wanted. She’d break before she begged a man for anything.
Rook’s eyes narrowed on her. He’d like to break her.
Make her walk naked across a room on her knees until she was at his feet, begging for his dick.
Christ. That thought just gave him a half-chub.
He shook himself mentally.
“You okay?” One of her sculpted dark eyebrows rose and she rolled her lips under.
No. He wasn’t.
Jet was the last woman he should be having that fantasy about.
The very fucking last.
“Was okay ‘til you showed up.” At least that was somewhat true.
Her head turned as they heard a few yaps coming from behind Rook’s sled. The little bastard was now peering at them through the rear wheel spokes of his ‘14 FXSB Breakout. If that dog lifted his leg on Rook’s pride and joy, he would end up using the rat as target practice. Fuck Reilly.
“That your dog?”
Rook answered, “That ain’t a dog.”
She frowned at the creature. “Why is it running around loose?”
“’Cause it can.”
“There are leash laws, Rook.”
“It’s on our property. Mind your own fuckin’ business instead of harassin’ us.”
“I’m not harassing you. I just never saw it here before.”
“Didn’t know you were keepin’ track of our pets, too.”
Her lips pressed thin. “It’s going to get hit by a car.”
“Good.”
“Good?” She turned wide blue eyes up to him. Fuck! Those eyes. Peering up at him through those thick, dark lashes.
“Would serve that motherfucker right.”
“Why’s that?”
“’Cause it thinks it’s a pit bull in a three-pound body,” he answered.
“Chihuahuas are like that.”
“That what it is? Thought it was a rat.”
“You don’t know? Thought it was your dog.”
“It is.”
“Mmm hmm. What’s its name?”
“Jet.”
She blinked up at him. Once she recovered, she muttered, “Funny.”
“Ain’t funny. The little fucker’s name is Jet.”
“Why did you name it Jet?”
“So when it pisses me the fuck off, I can dropkick it.”
She tilted her head to the side and stared up at him. “You hate the dog that much.”
“Nope, hate you that much.”
“Well, the feeling’s mutual.”
“Then why you still talkin’ to me?”
“Get in.”
Say what? “You fuckin’ kiddin’ me?”
She jerked her head toward the passenger seat of her cruiser. “Get in, Rook.”
“The only way I’m gettin’ in that pig mobile is if I’m doin’ it unwillingly by bein’ cuffed and stuffed into the back.”
“If that’s your fantasy, I can make it happen.”
“Got a lot of fantasies and none of them include you.”
She sighed. “You want to talk here? We can talk here.”
“Got nothin’ to talk about, Jet. Unless you’re droppin’ off this cruiser for service, like you lied about. Reilly’s in the office, she’ll take the keys and write up the work order.”
“I’m not here about the car.”
He hunched down to look directly into the driver’s side window. When their gazes locked, he said slowly, “Then fuck off.”
Her eyes narrowed just slightly but still held his. “Not going to do that.”
“Yeah, you will.”
“I think you’re mistaken.”
“Made plenty of mistakes in my fuckin’ life and this ain’t one of them.”
“I could’ve taken you in that last time I caught you on the mountain, Rook. I gave you a break. Now I need you to give me one.”
Huh. She wanted to use that night as a bargaining chip. Or blackmail. He should’ve known his freedom had strings attached.
He straightened, glanced behind him at the garage, then back at Jet. Fuck. He wasn’t willingly getting into a cage that had its own cage. No fucking way.