Page 13 of Texas Hold Em'
Once dressed, I checked myself out in the standing mirror propped up in the corner of the bedroom beside a tall plant with wide green leaves. I ran my hands over my hips and thighs, which strained against the fabric. I had thicker legs than Sam, but I had to admit, they looked pretty good in leather.
Suzie hopped off the bed and came over to rest her arm on my shoulder. She whistled. “You look like a straight up hoe.”
“Tex won’t be able to pick his jaw up off the floor,” Sam said encouragingly.
I smiled.
If Tex liked what he saw, great. If not? Well, truth be told, I didn’t really care because I’d lied.
This outfit wasn’t for him.
This outfit was to get me a few steps closer to my real target—Caroline Bates.
“It’s perfect.” I turned to Sam. “Mind if I borrow it for a few nights?” I started pulling the leggings off.
Sam frowned. “You don’t want to wear it right now?”
“Nope. I have a special occasion in mind,” I said.
I could feel Sam and Suzie sharing a look as I struggled to peel the skintight leather off my ankles.
“Keep them as long as you need,” Sam said.
I’d just managed to put my own pants back on when the bedroom door swung open. Jackson stood in the doorway with his hand resting on the doorknob. His electric gaze flicked from his woman, to me, to his sister, and back to Sam.
“What are you three doing in here?” His voice was hollow.
Sam flitted over to him. “Carrie just needed to borrow some clothes.”
“For what?” he grated.
Sam rolled her eyes. “To wear. Come on. Let’s rejoin the others.My drink is empty.”
Sam took Jackson’s hand and pulled him out into the hall. He kept an eye on me over his shoulder as Suzie and I followed.
I wondered what he thought of me—what hereallythought of me. He wasn’t a fool, so he knew keeping me close was to his advantage, but I doubted a man with experience like his could trust me so blindly.
I was sure he’d warned Tex to keep an eye on me.
They had every reason to be cautious. Even though I had saved Mason’s life, I was a flight risk. I had connections to the law. If I wanted to, I could up and bail any time I wanted and Jackson wouldn’t be able to do a damn thing about it.
Then again, maybe that was what he wanted.
Maybe he wanted me confined to Tex’s depressing apartment so that I ran back to Austin.
Back to my home.
Back to Dan.
I gritted my teeth as we passed through the kitchen.
No.
I would not run. Bates picked this fight with me as much as he had with Jackson’s club. I wanted to see him rot in jail for what he did. Besides, I didn’t have family to go home to. I didn’t have a home I shared with children and a husband. I was as much a loner as Tex was.
When this mess was behind me, I’d go home.
Until then, I had to keep my wits about me. The Devil’s Luck might have saved my ass and was currently the only thing standing between me and Bates and me and the cops, but I couldn’t be naïve enough to believe they would protect me like I was their own. If push came to shove, they’d leave me high and dry.
