“I’ll do it, but if she gives me the same trouble Grace did, I’m packing up and going back home. If I’m going to be bored, I can go home and bale hay for my dad,” he complained.

Ice and Jackal watched as Max took a step forward and punched Snake in the mouth. Blood poured from his split lip.

“Shut the fuck up. You’re whining like one of my bitches.”

Grace gasped, staring at him with a shocked expression. “I thought you were the nice one in the group.”

“I am,” Max said, opening his beer and taking a long drink.

Grace stared at him dubiously. “Did you not just hear yourself threatening to rip his head off and piss down his throat?”

Max screwed the lid back on to his pint of beer before putting it in his saddlebag. “That was me being nice. If he had talked back like that to any of the other brothers, they would have ripped him a new asshole and then stuffed him in that dumpster.” Max’s veiled threat was silently acknowledged by Snake, who was about to have seven different kinds of hell beaten out of him if he didn’t watch his step.

“Why are we still talking about this? Let’s go.” Jackal started his motor, impatient to leave.

“What’s the hurry?” Max turned the key in his ignition.

“I thought we were going out for a ride, not sitting out here in the fucking parking lot.”

“Let’s ride,” Ice agreed, pulling out in the lead and onto the road.

Max’s eyes went to the large window, staring into the store where he saw Casey was loading the cooler.

“Anything happens to her, the only patch you’ll be getting is the patch of ground I’ll bury you in,” Max threatened, giving the brother holding his bandana over his mouth a final warning before following the others out.

As he sped up on the road, he became angry at losing his temper in front of Grace. Ice was going to give him shit about it later. He didn’t even know why he was so pissed off. Casey was nothing to him. He had known her since she was a kid yet had never tried to get to know her until his dad had married her mom. She had been a stuck-up bitch then and hadn’t changed any as she had grown older. Then again, Mugg likes the girl, so I should make sure she is safe, Max told himself.

His easy humor returned. His temper could get out of control, but it never lasted long. Casey was out of his mind two seconds later as he raced alongside Jackal. No woman held his attention when he was with the brothers.

It was late at night, and the streets were empty and dark. The road beckoned, and like always, he gave in to the thrill of being reckless and free.

Chapter 4

Casey smothered her yawn as she listened to a customer rant about a disputed charge. She pulled the paperwork from the printer, shuffling the papers together.

“Are you sure your wife couldn’t have used your debit card?” Casey asked again.

“Why would she pay for a storage locker when we have a perfectly good garage?” he repeated the same answer he had given her continuously since he had entered her office.

Casey didn’t tell him her own suspicions. She would take the report, and someone else would be forced to be the one to tell him if it was a legitimate charge.

As soon as his signature was attached, Casey stood up, putting her hand out. “Someone from the office will be in contact with you in three to five days, Mr. Patrick.”

He shook her hand before stomping out of her office.

Casey went outside her office, watching as the irate customer left.

“He doesn’t seem very happy,” a male voice spoke from next to her.

Casey turned to Lonnie. “He isn’t. Unfortunately, I think he’s going to be a lot unhappier when he finds out his wife is making plans to leave him behind his back. The good news is, I won’t be the one telling him.”

Lonnie grinned at her good-naturedly. “I’m glad I don’t have to deal with the customers directly.”

Casey silently agreed. Lonnie was much too sweet to deal with customers. They would make mincemeat out of the mild-mannered man.

He looked down at his polished shoes, avoiding eye contact with her. “I’m going to Dell’s with Lana and Nicky. Want to come?”

Casey smiled at him regretfully. “No, thanks. I’m going home. It’s been a long day.”

Lonnie flushed. “Maybe another time?”

“I’m pretty busy right now.” Casey let him down gently.

Lonnie nodded. “They’re waiting on me. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Bye,” Casey said to his hastily retreating back. Even if she wasn’t seeing someone else, she would never date someone she worked with. It was asking for trouble in her already complicated life.

She gathered her purse as the employees left then checked the two story bank to make sure it was empty before she went to the front door where the security guard was waiting after making his own rounds.

“All clear?” Jack asked.

“Yes,” Casey answered, stepping through the doors before locking them with the key.

Jack turned his back, and she keyed in the code to set the alarm system. When the light came on, indicating the system was activated, she stepped away.

“Good night, Jack.”

“Night, Casey.”

She walked across the parking lot to her car, coming to a stop when she saw the car parked next to hers.

“What are you doing here?” Casey asked her mother, who was flashing a smile toward Jack as he got inside his car.

She didn’t let her mother’s behavior toward a much younger man embarrass her. She had learned long ago that Renee was never going to be the typical mother.

“I wanted to ask a favor,” Renee began.

Casey’s stomach sank, already knowing what her mother wanted.

“No.” Casey came to a stop next to her mother’s car.

“You don’t even know what I want,” she said without trying to hide her annoyance.

“Money. It’s what you always want,” Casey said matter-of-factly, steeling herself against her mother’s machinations.

“Don’t be like that, Casey. I went shopping and got a little carried away. I need to put the money back into my account before Mugg sees it’s gone.”

Casey looked into the back seat of her mother’s car, seeing all the bags with the purchases she had made.

“Mugg told you, if you didn’t quit spending so much money, he was going to divorce you. Didn’t him leaving you for a week last month show you he isn’t going to put up with it anymore?”

Her mother waved her hand in the air. “It did, but I couldn’t pass these sales up.”

“No,” Casey cut her useless promises short. “I suggest you go back to the stores and return what you bought. If you hurry, you’ll be able to get the money back into his account before he can get mad.”

“You’re seriously not going to help me out?” Her mother managed to shed a fake tear and twisted her hands together as if she were truly distraught. She probably is at the thought of having to return the clothes, Casey thought unsympathetically.

“I told you three months ago that I can only give you a certain amount every month. I can’t give you what I don’t have.”