The Samaritan, page 3
part #3 of Ghosttown Riders Series
His gaze scanned her face. “You all right?”
Her mouth was so dry. She nodded, swirling her tongue over her teeth and up to the roof of her mouth. Her tongue poked out, gliding across her lips. He was watching her intently, especially her tongue. “Uh-huh.” It was too soon to form full sentences.
She covered her face with her hands, the heat prickling through her skin, and wiped the beads of sweat forming on her forehead. She leaned forward, trying to get up, but swayed as her knees buckled. Strong hands gripped her waist to steady her rise. Her face brushed against his jacket, scraping against her nose, and she inhaled. Oil? Did he smell like oil? She scrunched her nose. This was all too weird. Did I just have my first panic attack? From a hug? Although Caden’s touch was strangely soothing, she wiggled away from his hold. The last thing any of them needed was a repeat performance.
“God, Coll, I didn’t mean to scare you.”
She glanced up as Jack stepped forward. His advance was halted by both his sons, who reached out a hand against his chest. His sympathetic gaze shifted to a glare set on Caden and Kase.
“Christ sake, old man, back up.” Kase shook his head as he pushed on Jack’s chest. “You wanna see the inside of a jail? Again. Fuck, you checking shit off your fucking bucket list now?”
Jack swatted at their hands, stepping back a foot. “Get your hands off of me, you ungrateful bastards. I’m not too old to beat the piss outta both of you.”
Kase rolled his eyes, shaking his head. “Here we fucking go again.”
“Kase, shut up. You are only making this harder.” Cade moved past her to stand in between Marissa and his dad. She had the distinct feeling he was intentionally blocking her from Jack’s view. “Pop, you gotta calm down. She’s good, you’re good, just relax.”
Jack shouted, “I am relaxed.”
The smell of smoke caught Marissa senses, and she leaned past Cade’s shoulders. Kase was shoving his lighter in his front pocket. The small patch on his chest read President. She assumed he was part of a motorcycle gang from the markings on the back of his jacket. Ghosttown Riders. The cigarette glowed orange, and a cloud of smoke flurried around his face. He took another drag and darted his eyes directly at her.
“Want one?”
She jerked her head.
“Then stop fucking staring at me.”
“Boy, you better watch your mouth. Show some fucking manners, you little shithead.” Marissa caught the irony in the name-calling. There was nothing little about Kase. But watching him snap his lips closed had her amused.
“Sorry, Coll, these boys.” He shook his head, shooting a glare at Kase and then gazing back at her. His face softened. “Just as pretty as I remember.”
She obviously reminded him of someone from his past. Whoever Colleen was, Jack obviously had affection for her, and it seemed to settle him. She smiled back at him.
“Fuck, Pop, it ain’t fucking…”
Marissa quickly stepped around Caden, coming to stand next to him. If Jack needed her to be someone from his past, then where was the harm? This wasn’t the first time she’d been in this situation.
She had grown up with her mom’s uncle living with them for a few years before he passed away. She recognized all the signs Jack was showing. It was a horribly sad disease. One that required a great amount of patience and understanding. The cardinal rule growing up in her house was if Uncle Art confused her with someone else, she played along. As long as it wasn’t harmful, she was to follow his lead. Where was the harm anyway? It was better for him if she was Colleen. In a short time, she’d be on her way, and it wouldn’t make a difference who she was to Jack.
She cut off Kase before he had the chance to finish. “Thanks, Jack.”
Jack stepped forward but halted when Cade moved with him. “Get the hell outta the way.”
“Pop, give her some space.”
Marissa gently touched Caden’s hand, and he glanced over his shoulder. “It’s okay, he’s fine.”
His scowl deepened. It wasn’t hard to understand why he’d be confused. After all, she just lost her shit from a single hug. She nodded slightly and smiled as she angled around Caden. She could feel his eyes on her as she moved.
“See, get out of the way.” Jack stepped forward and pulled her into a hug. She was prepared this time, and she curved her hands around his back, patting him gently. When she pulled away, he let her. Still smiling.
“Been so long. Hell, you were with Dunn last time I saw you. Lucky bastard.” He winked, and she couldn’t help but snicker. “Remember him losing the poker game, remember you going out back with Olsen.” Jack barked out a laugh. “He was fucking raging. Didn’t wanna share you, never did, greedy bastard.”
Marissa’s eyes widened. Oh. My. God. Marissa licked her lips and clamped her mouth closed.
“You two still together?”
How was she supposed to answer? She took a deep breath and shook her head. Play along. “He was too possessive, you remember.”
“Oh, I do.” Jack laughed again. “You always were a free one, weren’t ya?”
“Yup.” She gave a side glance to Cade. He was watching her, the corner of his mouth perking up. She caught his lips moving as he mouthed, “Thank you.”
“You were too good for him. Never treated you the way you deserved. None of them boys did.” Jack frowned, staring at her. He seemed lost in thought.
“Hey, Pop, let’s get ya home. I’m sure Mar…uh, Colleen’s gotta take off.”
It took a few seconds before Jack seemed to snap out of his head. He exchanged a look with Cade, then Kase, and landed on Marissa. “It was good seeing you, darlin’.”
“You too, Jack.”
There was so much sincerity when he spoke. I miss that. It had been so long since anyone had spoken to her with endearment. She sighed and glanced down at the pavement. It was her own doing. For the first time in two years, she realized how much she had missed it. She smiled genuinely because she was feeling it deep in her heart.
****
“What the fuck do you mean, at home? How the hell did you get on the fucking highway without your car?” Kase was raging, as per his usual self.
Caden stood with his arms crossed and his jaw locked in a semi-circle with his father and brother. He’d been playing referee with these two since he was a child. It was best to only step in last minute. As it was, Caden was fighting off a stress-induced blasting headache.
As hard as he tried to keep his focus, his gaze drifted to her. Marissa. She was lurking around her car. If he didn’t know better, he’d think she was stalling on leaving. Strange. If this woman had any sense, she’d be a half a mile away by now. What was she waiting for?
He was no doctor, but he was pretty sure her episode with Jack had been a panic attack. All the more reason she should have gone and been as far away from them as possible. But there she stood next to her car, hip cocked out on the back end and her hands clasped in front of her.
She was not who he expected when he pulled up in the rest stop. Her voice didn’t do her justice.
Fuck, she was pretty. Not in the way the women he dated were. Marissa barely had on a trace of makeup except for her lashes. Her wavy dark hair fell down her back. He clenched his fist. Bet it’s soft. She straightened from the car and jerked her head in his direction. The corners of her lips perked up as if she knew she was getting a reaction from him. He straightened his fingers, trying his best to ignore his attraction to the stranger.
He stared back, resisting the urge of returning her smile. Though he wanted to. In fact, it took great effort not to. He tightened his jaw. Her smile fell, and she slowly turned her back to him. He zeroed in on her ass. Fuck me. Her sweatshirt covered her top half but her jeans, they were molded to her like a second skin.
“What the fuck, old man?” Kase threw his hands up and turned around toward the woods. To most people, Kase’s reaction would make him an obvious asshole, but Caden knew better. Beyond the frustration, Kase was hurting, they all were. They were slowly losing their dad, piece by piece.
Cade stood shoulder to shoulder with his father. Dementia was eating away at a man who was once regarded as a legendary president of the Ghosttown Riders. Now, he was a shell. It was hard to see the strong man he once idolized transform into a weak, scared old man. Each of them had a different way of dealing with it. As hard as it was, Caden handled it with as much care and patience as he could drum up. Kase, on the other hand, got angry and pissy. He respected and loved his dad as much as Caden, but he wasn’t equipped with the tolerance. Caden had a feeling Kase’s anger was projected onto his dad from seeing the man deteriorate right before his eyes.
Caden stepped in front of his father, resting his hands on his shoulders. “Pop, how did you get here? Think.”
The old man’s forehead wrinkled with his gaze pinned on his son. He was thinking. Jack’s Adam’s apple bobbed from his throat, and his breath shallowed. He was panicking. Not from fear but from having no clue how he ended up at the rest stop. Having no recollection of what may have happened in the past few hours always threw his dad into panic mode. It had happened before, but never this far from home.
What did it matter? Whether he remembered or not, it wouldn’t change anything at this point, except adding stress to an already fucked up scene. Caden drew in a breath and squeezed his father’s shoulders. “It’s all right, Pop. Let’s just get ya home.”
“How the fuck are we gonna do that, Cade?” Kase’s voice echoed through the empty lot.
Caden turned. “I’ll call Dylan, have him come out with the truck.”
Dylan worked for Caden at his trucking company.
Kase snorted. “Yeah, the dipshit is probably high as fucking kite right now.”
Caden rolled his eyes. Kase was probably right. Pothead would be the best and first noun to describe the kid. While he showed up every day, it was no secret he lived his life enjoying the herb.
“You gotta better idea?”
“He can ride on your back.” Before Kase could even finish his sentence, his father lunged forward, pushed Caden out of the way, and grabbed Kase’s shirt, balling it into his fists. It was confirmed; his Pop was completely out of his episode and back to being himself.
“The day I ride bitch on any bike will be the day I cut off my own balls, asshole.”
Caden tried to wedge himself between his father and his brother, but his old man would not let up. Jack’s free hand lifted, and his elbow jutted out, landing against Caden’s jaw, sending him back a few steps. Motherfucker! Caden grabbed his jaw, swearing under his breath.
“Pop, take your hands off me. It’s the only warning I’m giving you,” Kase growled. Pop and Kase were built from the same cloth, neither one ever backing down from a fight. Kase and his dad had been butting heads for as long as he could remember. Caden knew his brother would never raise a hand to their father, but aggravating Kase would only end up with the two of them in a shouting match. Another thing Caden did not need tonight.
Caden rushed forward and gripped Kase’s arm in hopes of pulling him away from his dad. Fuck, this was going to be a shit show.
“Excuse me.”
The soft voice had all three men frozen. One by one, they all slowly turned their heads, Caden last. Marissa stood three feet away, her fingers clasped in front of her. Her mouth slowly curved into a pleasant smile. She seemed so small and almost fragile. There she was in an empty lot with three angry men who almost doubled her size. It was dark and deserted. His first thought was how dangerous this situation would have been for her had they been different kind of men.
None of them were angels, nor did they try to look the part. While they had their flaws and their bouts of illegal activity, they weren’t into hurting women. She was safe with them. But she doesn’t know that. Any other woman would have hightailed it out of there the second she got a chance, especially after the scene with Jack. Self-preservation. Where was Marissa’s? She should have been scared shitless. Yet, aside from her minor freak out when his dad hugged her, she’d been strangely calm and unaffected.
Not completely unaffected. He caught her stare when they showed up, and it seemed to linger longer on him than his brother. Then the smile from minutes ago. He stirred something inside her, though it wasn’t blatant and not like most encounters Caden had with women. Most of the females he attracted lacked the innocence of the woman standing in front of him.
Marissa stood, watching them with her smile planted on her face. No fear from what he could see. She didn’t seem anxious, only curious.
“I can drive Jack.” Her gaze shifted to his dad. “If you want?”
“Are you fucking stupid?” Kase asked without malice. He was seriously asking her if she was dumb. As rude as it was, Caden was thinking the exact same thing. The man had just hugged her, sending her into a panic and almost passing out, and now she’s offering him a fucking ride? He was concerned but not for the woman. Something was off with her, and he didn’t like it.
Her smile faltered, and her lips tightened. She shook her head. “No, I’m not.”
Kase turned his head to Caden and furrowed his brows.
Caden was so intently focused on Marissa he hadn’t realized Jack had released Kase until he passed by and strolled to Marissa.
“C’mon, Coll, let’s get outta here.”
“Wait, Pop.” Caden rushed forward, glancing at Marissa. “Thanks, but I got a guy who can come get him.”
Kase snorted. “Yeah, the fucking stoner isn’t looking so bad right now.”
Jack jerked his body around. “Coll is taking me home, you degenerate fucks.”
Caden balled his fists. The old man was weighing on his last nerve. It was this degenerate fuck who was taking caring of his delusional, half-minded ass.
Marissa turned to Jack and reached out, gently caressing his arm. When Jack looked down at her, she smiled, showing her gleaming teeth. “Why don’t you get in the car? I just want to talk to your boys for a minute.”
As if in a trance, his dad smiled back at her and nodded. He jerked his head to where Caden and Kase stood and mouthed, “Assholes.” He turned toward the deserted lot and headed to her car. What the fuck?
Caden stepped forward, but Marissa blocked him in one swift, wide shuffle.
“You are not taking him anywhere.” Caden straightened his back, bringing him to full height, which towered over her tiny frame.
She held up her hands. “I’m not going to hurt him.” She blinked and tilted her head. “If I wanted to, why would I have called you and stayed here with him until you came?”
“’Cause you’re a fucking psycho?” Kase interjected, brushing against Cade’s shoulder.
Marissa turned her gaze on Kase and rolled her eyes. “I just want to help him.” Her tone was riddled with sincerity, which caught him off guard. Maybe life had made him jaded in his thirty-five years, but it’d been a long time since he’d met someone who wanted to help out of the goodness of their heart. It was bullshit, everyone had an ulterior motive, and he wanted to know hers.
“Why?” Caden barked. No one did anything without wanting something in return.
Marissa pinned him with her stare. Pale, green eyes staring back at him. Fuck, forget pretty, she was beautiful.
She smiled softly. “Can I be honest?”
Kase’s condescending laugh echoed in the lot. “No, lie to us, Fruity Pebbles, we love that shit.”
Caden noticed she didn’t even flinch. Usually, Kase’s harsh mouth got a reaction from women, from men, hell, he’d even seen a baby or two wail from the mere sound of his voice. But her? Nothing. She didn’t even spare a glance his brother’s way. Her eyes remained locked on Caden, with a small curve in her mouth.
“I have an unyielding urge to help him.”
“What the fuck?” Kase said, and Caden shot his hand in the air trying to shut him up. Kase burst out laughing with amusement this time.
He turned back to Marissa and shook his head. “Not good enough.” He paused, gauging her reaction. “Tell me why you want to help him.”
She chewed on her bottom lip. She seemed to be either contemplating sharing or coming up with a lie. Caden folded his arms and glared down at her.
She drew in a breath. “I had an uncle who lived with me when I was little. He had dementia too. My mom used to tell me the best thing to do was to go along with whatever he said as long as it didn’t hurt him or anyone else.” She shrugged. “Your dad seems comfortable with me.” She glanced over her shoulder to her beat-up car. Jack had already gotten in. She turned back to the brothers. “I’m not going to hurt him, I promise.”
“Your promise don’t mean shit. We don’t fucking know you,” Kase sneered. It was harsh and would have warranted a reaction.
She bit down on her bottom lip, which was pink and plump. He mentally berated himself for even noticing. Marissa glanced over her shoulder and then turned back and sighed. “Okay, then if you can get him out of my car, I’ll be on my way.”
Fuck. Trying to get his dad out now was definitely gonna turn ugly in five seconds. Caden scowled at the woman standing in front of him. He should be thanking her, but he couldn’t strum up appreciation when she had just made this situation a complete clusterfuck. He groaned, running his hand through his hair.
“Fucking ridiculous.”
“Christ, Kase,” Caden hushed.
Caden may not have said it, but he was in sync with Kase. What the fuck were they going to do now? It would take at least twenty minutes for Dylan to get here, and it would be a fucking rumble between them and their dad to get him out of her car. Fuck!
Caden’s eyes shot up when she approached him, stopping only a foot away. “Why won’t you let me help?”
Standing this close, he was able to get a good look at her. His first assessment hadn’t been off. She was beautiful. Her bright eyes gazing up at him through dark-colored lashes had him adjusting his stance. It didn’t help he took notice of the adorable freckles peppering her nose. Fuck, stop looking at her.
