Kade: Santanas Cuervo MC (29 page)
Read Kade: Santanas Cuervo MC Online
Authors: Kathryn Thomas
She remained standing, then held her beer up again as she paused to gather herself. “To Duggers, Anders, Juice, and Bickers,” she said softly, her eyes welling with tears. “To live in the hearts of those they left behind, is not to die.”
A soft rumbled went around the table before they drank.
“Damnit,” she said as she placed her mug on the table, sniffed, and wiped her eyes. “I promised myself I wasn’t going to cry when I said that.”
Kade rose and pulled her into his arms, holding a moment until she gathered herself.
She squirmed out of his embrace. “Okay,” she said as she sniffed again and wiped her eyes. “There’s just one more thing. Lilly, Toni and Angelina, will you join me?”
The three women looked at each other before they rose and joined Winter at the head of the big table. She took the three envelopes with their names from Kade and handed one to each woman. “I know nothing can bring back Anders, Juice, or Duggers, but Kelly Oil wants to give you this as small token of our gratitude. Inside are scholarships for each of your children to attend the school of their choice in Texas.”
The three women looked at the envelopes, then each other, then back to Winter, their faces clearly displaying their surprise. Kade began to clap, the rest of the club joining in, the noising breaking their shock.
“Thank you,” Toni said as she pulled Winter into a hug, Lilly and Angelina following Toni’s lead. The three women returned to their chairs, Toni and Angelina wiping at their eyes and they sat down.
“That’s a good thing you did, the toasts and the scholarships,” Kade whispered into her ear.
She nodded, smiling, but said nothing. It wouldn’t bring the men back, but it would make sure their kids were taken care of.
The lunch was winding down when her phone began to play a happy little ditty. She found her purse and fished it out, looking at the number before pressing the button to accept the call. It was Gail.
“Hello?”
“Winter! You need to get home quick as you can!”
She felt her blood run cold. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s Hayden. He’s had another heart attack.”
“Oh, no,” she breathed. “I’m leaving now. Where is he?”
“Methodist.”
“I’ll be there fast as I can,” she said then pulled it from her ear and hung up.
“What?” Kade asked, the room silent as Winter went pale.
“It’s Dad. He’s had a heart attack. I have to go.”
Kade rose. “Big Dick, take care of this.”
“Go! We’ve got it!”
He paused as he checked his phone. “Shit! We just missed the latest flight and the next flight isn’t until four. We can ride faster than that. Let’s go.”
They hurried from the restaurant and quickly mounted up as he thumbed the Harley to life. The moment he turned onto the road, he kicked the bike in the ass and they bellowed away.
***
“How is he?” Winter asked as she and Kade hurried into the hospital, Gail waiting for them in the lobby.
“He’s resting,” Gail said, pulling Winter into a hug and then Kade.
“Can I see him?”
“He’s sedated, but the doctor said he was going to be okay.”
“I have to see him!”
Gail nodded and led her to the cardiac floor, then into his room. Winter rushed to her father, taking his hand and holding it. Kade pulled Gail aside.
“How is he, really?”
“Okay. He called 911 and they got to him in time. There’s some additional heart damage, but he’ll live.” She looked at Winter then back to Kade. “The doctor told me he was going to recommend Hayden retire from Kelly Oil and take it easy. They gave two, maybe three more years if he does, maybe six months if he doesn’t. It’s the stress, and this business with Winter hasn’t helped.”
“That appears to be behind us now.”
“I know, but it all takes its toll.”
“Will he do it?”
“He won’t want to, but we need to have Winter to convince him.”
“He won’t listen to the doctors, or you?”
She spluttered. “You obviously don’t know Hayden like I do. No. They tried to get him to start slowing down five years ago. You can see what good that did,” she said as she waved a hand at Hayden’s bed.
“Who will take over?”
Gail shrugged. “That’s up to him. Me or Winter.”
Kade looked at Winter as she spoke softly to her father. “Can she do it?”
“Can she? Probably. Will she want to? That’s another matter.”
“Why?”
“Her days in the field will be over.”
“But that’s what she enjoys.”
“I know.”
“I’ll talk to her.”
Gail smiled. “She’ll listen to you.”
Kade smiled. “Doesn’t she listen to you? Or her father?”
Gail smiled. “You obviously don’t know her as well as I thought you did. Remember the thing with hiring another security firm?”
Kade chuckled. “Oh, yeah. There was that.”
Gail patted him on the chest. “Talk to her. Find out what she wants, not what she thinks she should do, but what she wants, and I’ll try to make it happen.”
***
“Pretty nice digs,” Kade teased as he strolled into the new Vice-President and Head of Operations office. This was the first time he’d been in Gail’s old office since Gail moved into Hayden’s office.
“Not bad,” Winter said, looking around. “At least I have a window now.”
“So, Madam Vice President, where am I taking you to lunch?”
Winter grinned. She’d had the title all of three days, and he hadn’t let her forget it, calling her Madam Vice President, or Mrs. VP or some other variation any chance he got, but she didn’t mind.
It had taken Gail and Winter both three months to convince Hayden to step down as President, turning over the day to day operations to Gail, though he kept his hand in as a consultant. Gail then promoted Winter to her old position. As Head of Operations, she could still go out in the field when she wanted to get her shoes dirty, but she knew her days of being just a geologist were behind her. She didn’t mind. She no longer wanted to spend weeks away from home, not with Kade waiting for her there.
Kade had offered his well drilling company to Big Dick and the man jumped at the chance to go to business for himself. He still had his house, though they were spending nearly every weekend there working on it, trying to get it ready to sell.
She smiled. She enjoyed helping Kade, now understanding the sense of accomplishment he felt as they completed each task. It was a welcome break from doing paperwork all week. She enjoyed working with her hands during the day and then fucking her brains out each night, his bed the only piece of furniture remaining in the house. Not that they always used the bed. Her smile spread as she remembered him taking her on the countertop in the kitchen, part of the christening of each room as they completed it.
All they had left on the inside of the house was the two bedrooms, which they could probably finish in two more trips. After that, he was going to enclose the carport to make it a garage, do a little landscaping, then the house would be ready to sell.
Since he was no longer living at his house, he’d moved into hers. He’d taken the money from the sale of Tillerman Wells, along with another sizeable investment from her savings, and opened a high-end hardwood, stone, tile, and countertop store. The business was just getting on its feet, but he’d hired a couple of designers to run the store so he could do what he really enjoyed: the installation.
“Are you done for the day?”
“Yep. I just finished up. It looks good and Teresa seems happy. Hopefully I’ll get a few referrals out of it.”
She began to shuffle papers around on her desk. “Why don’t we get to Rio Bonita early? There’s nothing here that can’t wait until Monday.”
He grinned. The last few weeks she’d been as glad to get out of Houston as he was. “Sounds good to me. By the way, I talked to Big Dick. He’s agreed to take over the gavel.”
She sobered. “Are you sure you want to do that? I know what the Santanás Cuervo means to you.”
He smiled. “I’m sure. They need a President who’s there and I’m only there on the weekends, and soon not even that.”
She picked up her briefcase and smoothed her suit. She still wasn’t used to have to dress up every day. “I’ve been thinking,” she said as she took his arm and he escorted her out. “Melissa, I’m leaving for the day. You can knock off early if you like.”
“Thank you, Ms. Kelly. I mean, Winter,” she amended when Winter gave her a look.
“I think we should buy another place in Rio Bonita,” she said, returning her attention to Kade.
“Why?”
“Because I like getting out of town for the weekends. I want you to teach me to ride and then I want to buy my own motorcycle.”
“You don’t have to do that,” he said. “I’ll get used to the big city.”
“I’m not suggesting it for you. I’m suggesting it for me. I miss getting out and digging in the dirt already, and it’s only going to get worse. I
need
to get out of town or I’m going to go crazy. I didn’t realize how much I enjoyed going into the field until I can’t do it much anymore.”
“We could keep my house.”
“We could,” she acknowledged, “but I was thinking someplace smaller. Maybe we could buy a place and fix it up to be just like we want.”
Kade chuckled and looked at Winter. “What happened to the woman who couldn’t even change a faucet?”
Winter blushed. “I’ve found out that I like doing stuff with my hands. It helps counteract the pushing of paper that I do all week.”
“That’s a big step. You sure you’re ready for that?”
“What’s a big step?” she asked as they stopped at her Jeep.
“Buying a house together.”
She smiled. “I think so. Are you?”
He chuckled. “I know where a couple are that we should look at. Maybe we could start fixing up houses, live in it for a year or so, then buy another one and start over.”
She melted into him with a sigh, pulling his lips down. “I love you.”
“I love you—more,” he replied, his words no longer ahead of his feelings.
THE END
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SHE WAS OUT OF SECOND CHANCES BEFORE SHE MET ME
MATTHEW
In my world, there are no f*** ups, no second chances.
But that was before Holly.
Innocent doesn’t even begin to describe her. But those big eyes of hers are hiding something—something dark. Something she’s afraid of.
Pulling her into my bed was the easy part. But nothing could’ve prepared me for what followed
Because once wasn’t enough. Once will never be enough.
Not until I put a ring on her finger. A baby in her belly.
And make her mine—now and always.
HOLLY
I was trapped. My only way out was to run.
Then the road ended, and I ran into him.
He was everything I was supposed to stay away from. But there’s no denying the connection between us--a connection as frightening as it is alluring.
It was a mistake, but I can’t turn back now. Because he won’t stop.
Not until he makes me his.
HE’S NOT HERE TO SAVE ME.
My life fell apart after my mother’s death and I’d do anything to save my sister from our living hell.
But I didn’t expect Avery—a demon in the ring with nothing but his fists and a bad attitude who clawed his way to the top—to answer my prayers.
I tried to keep my walls up. To keep him from becoming a distraction.
But he won’t be stopped, and in one moment of weakness, I caved.
I fell into his arms and opened my heart…
… until he broke it and nearly wrecked me in the process.
I should’ve learned my lesson and stay away.
But there’s something about this bad boy that draws me back in.
That makes me long for his rough hands.
Makes me beg for his rumbling voice growling in my ear: “Never forget, you’re MINE.”
SHE DIDN’T ASK FOR MY HELP. BUT I’LL BE DAMNED IF I JUST STAND BY AND WATCH
STORM
I didn’t have room in my life for someone else.
But that was before Natalie.
It was supposed to be a one-time thing.
But once wasn’t going to be enough.
Not by a long shot.
Not until I put a ring on her finger and a baby in her belly.
Not until I make her MINE.
NATALIE
I didn’t ask for this.
All I wanted was to keep my flower shop open. But what I got was him.
He takes control, thinks the law belongs to him.
If it weren’t for him, I might be dead, or worse.
But now this bad boy thinks he owns me.
And no matter what I do, no matter what I say.
He won’t take no for an answer.
And I know that he’ll NEVER let go.
My life had broken down. Then I met him.
I was stuck in a dead-end job in Gallup and living out of a motel room with neither car nor prospect when he first came in. Riding leather drenched with the scent of the sun. Bright blue eyes crackled with desire. Tattoos snaked their way down his arms. And a smile to die for.
… then a gun was pressed against my back.
His hard fingers were wrapped around my neck.
And he cuts me a deal:
Do whatever he says for twenty-four hours, and he’ll set me free.
Whatever he says.
Whenever he wants.
However he wants.
I’m her worst nightmare come to life.
She didn’t ask for my protection, but when a hailstorm of bullets lands her father in the hospital, I’m the only hope she’s got.
Sure, the job pays. But I didn’t fight my way to the top to be some glorified babysitter.
At least, that was what I thought before I saw her.
The second I saw Dakota, the second I felt her curves, I knew she was going to be mine. It’s been one explosive ride since we met, and it won’t stop until one of us gets totally burned.
Trouble is—she thinks I’m here to keep her under wraps, and ever since I took the job, she’s been looking for a way out.
She thinks I’m the bad guy—that I’m out for blood.
She’s got no f***ing clue that I’m the only thing holding the devils back
Dirk
I have a war to fight.
I’ve got enough to worry about. And that was
before
I find out that some nosy reporter is poking around somewhere she shouldn’t be.
Things went south the as soon as I saw her.
One good look at her curves and she’s the only thing on my mind.
Repeating the same damn things:
Ruin her.
Corrupt her.
Claim her.
Camilla
Taking control is second nature to him. When he speaks, people listen.
When he wants something, nothing and no one can stop him.
When he looks at me, he’s not just staring at me.
He’s eye-f***ing me.