Page 161 of Five Mountain Daddies

My heart’s hammering, imagining them coming near her again. If those fucking scumbags hurt Cora, I’d kill them, every single one ofthem.

She shakes her head. “I got a phone call,” shesays.

I steady myself. “What did theysay?”

“Threatened me.” She turns to the bottle and pours another drink. “Said that what happened to Atticus would happen to me,too.”

I take a sharp breath. “Do you know who itwas?”

She shakes her head. “I couldn’t place the voice. I don’t think it wasJaxson.”

I frown a little. “Someone else from theNiners.”

“Wyatt, they’re threatening to killme.”

I nod, keeping my voice steady. “I know. But theywon’t.”

“Why not? They killed my brother.” She sips her whiskey this time, not throwing it back, and makes aface.

“It would be way too much trouble to kill you,” I say. “That would guarantee the cops would descend onthem.”

“Do you think they care? They’rethugs.”

I shrug a little. “True, but they’re thugs that kept themselves from getting busted for thislong.”

“Maybe. But you didn’t hear him.” I notice her shivering, and she turns back to the window. “I think he meantit.”

I step up behind her and gently turn her around. She looks up at me, fear and worry clear on her expression, and I feel something deep down inside ofme.

I don’t hesitate and I don’t think about it. I pull her against me and I tip her chin up toward me. She doesn’t resist as I slowly kiss her lips, gently at first, until she presses herself against me harder, melting into thekiss.

I don’t know how long that kiss lasts, but it feels like hours. I kiss her low and deep, tasting her, letting the desire I’ve been keeping pent up inside of me rush out along my skin. I want to take her so badly right now, press her down against the bed, slide my cock between her pretty little lips. I want to hear her beg and moan my name, over and over, sweating and working and pressing herselfdown.

But more than all of that, I know I can’t run away. I have a responsibility now. Maybe I shouldn’t have gotten involved, but I did, and I’m way more involved than I ever could have guessed. Maybe I didn’t fully understand it until now, but this kiss, it’s waking something up inside of me. I’ve been keeping it away, but it’s here now, and I can’t get rid ofit.

She breaks the kiss off. I know I wasn’t going to be able to do it. She steps back, looking surprised. “We shouldn’t,” shesays.

“You’reright.”

“Shit.” She knocks her drinkback.

“Listen, it’sokay.”

“I have to go.” She walks past me, toward thedoor.

“Wait, Cora,” I say, walking afterher.

She quickly leaves. I get outside and call after her again, but she doesn’t lookback.

“Fuck,” I say softly, frowning as she hurries toward her car. I watch her get in and drive off, and I don’t go back inside until her taillights disappear around thecorner.

Maybe I fucked up by kissing her, but I couldn’t help myself. And at least now I know something forsure.

I’m not going anywhere. I started this, and now I have to see itthrough.

But not for Atticus. I’m doing this forCora.

13

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