Page 26 of Love, Hate, Love

“Yeah, I kind of noticed that,” I said, laughing too.

She looked about the place again. “I don’t want to hurt your feelings, but if you’re going to be here a year, we should really do something to cheer this place up. Even if we get you a plant or two, maybe? Like, I don’t want to be mean, but it’s kind of a dump and depressing as hell.”

“Yeah. I know. Strangely, it’s sort of growing on me.” Or maybe it was this whole place and the people, like her, and the guys, minus Adam. If I could just avoid Kade, I might evenlikebeing here for a year.

“Okay. Well, here’s to shed life, then?”

“To shed life.” I might be living in a shed, but I’d damn well make the most of it.

Chapter12

Kade

“I don’t knowabout you two, but I’ve never seen such good tits and ass. And did you see those nipples? They were the most perfect little nubs,” Adam said. He was leaning on the fence of the horse pen, Elijah and Benny next to him, all watching one of the newer horses prance, all with their backs to me.

“You gotta shut up about it before you get us in trouble,” Benny said.

“Just admit it. You know I’m right,” Adam said.

“She was pretty top tier. I’ll give you that,” Benny said.

“E? Fess up. You wanna hit that, too,” Adam said. “Admit it and I’ll shut up.”

“I’ve got a dick, so of course I do, but can we shut up about it now?” Elijah said.

They’d better not be talking about Leah. They couldn’t be. The way they were talking about her nipples—how the hell would they know that?

“Who you guys talking about?” I asked, strolling closer.

They all jerked, seeing me behind them. The guys all dropped their heads as I neared the pen. I’d seen less guilt on a mugger who was still holding a knife and a purse.

“They’ve got a new dancer down at Sinners Club,” Adam said. “I dragged the guys there a few nights ago.”

Not Leah. That was all that mattered.

“Elijah, check on the door on stall three in stables two when you get a chance. The lock felt loose.”

“Got it.”

“What’s going on?” I asked as I stopped beside Chuck, who was littler farther down, kicking a fence post that looked like it might be getting some rot.

“Nothing much. Going pretty smooth today,” he said, giving the post a little tug.

I turned back to watch as Benny said something to Elijah, who caught me watching and tried to causally nudge Benny in the ribs.

I turned back to Chuck. “When did the guys go down to Sinners with Adam?”

“They didn’t, not that I’ve heard.”

“Really? I heard them talking about a new dancer’s tits and ass.” And why was that bothering me so much? So what? I’d heard them talk about plenty of women.

Chuck tugged at another piece of wood. “Some of this needs to be replaced.”

I didn’t care about the fence. I cared that all my guys looked like they’d robbed a bank. “Chuck, what the fuck is going on with them?”

He finally stopped staring at the fence and took too long a breath before he spoke. “It was an accident, but some of the guys might’ve seen more of Leah than maybe was decent.”

I nodded, telling myself to let it go, to not go over and kill them all now. It was an accident. Why the hell did I care, anyway?

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