Ready Or Not (The Hunter’s Club #2)

Chapter 54

54

Barbie warmth is tingling across my skin. I look over at Rachel.

She’s giving me a look that I can’t quite interpret and don’t have a chance to before Manson’s presence is there, big and heavy and somehow loud, despite not saying anything.

He stops right in front of me, tattooed arms crossed, staring down at me.

I lift an eyebrow, knowing it’s killing him that he has no idea why he’s here. I let him sweat for a second, watching the pulse pounding in his neck.

Finally, Manson’s eyes flash, and he growls, “Where at?”

“What?” I flash him a tiny smile.

He grinds his teeth. “Where do you need the hole? I’m assuming that’s why you called me? To dig it for you?”

Oh, he thinks I kept him out of the fun. I put on a bored look, examining my fingernails. “Well, considering he can still climb out of it, it’s probably gonna need to be deep. So maybe out behind the field.”

There’s silence for a second.

Manson’s voice gets dangerous. “Riley. Is he still alive?”

“Winner winner, chicken dinner.” I throw a look at Rachel. “I’ll get chicken nuggets for you, bambi.”

“Where at?” Manson’s hand is around my throat before I can blink.

I grin. There’s the man I hate so much. “Somewhere in here. You took long enough to get here, so I don’t know exactly–”

“Riley!” Manson shakes me, and I moan. The way he handles me is raw power and sex and everything that gets me off. I glance at him to find his green eyes pinned on mine. They’re usually dead, but right now, I see a flash of conflict. He squeezes harder, making the edges of my vision darken.

“You drive me crazy, you know that, little pain?” Then he leans down and kisses me. It’s a deep kiss, harsh and demanding. He works my mouth open, then bites down on my tongue so hard I try to jerk away. He just yanks me closer, growling into my mouth and pressing so hard my lips burn. It’s like he’s trying to brand me as his.

I pant through my nose until he finally lets me up for air. When he does, he snaps his gaze to the side.

“You.” His body jerks, and I stumble toward him. Before I know it, he’s yanked Rachel to my side with his other free hand. “You let her do this?”

Rachel sucks in a breath.

I open my mouth to defend her, but she speaks up first. “If you can’t tell Riley what to do, how do you expect it to work for me?”

I jerk to get out of Manson’s grip so I can deck him before he hits my woman, but he just throws his head back and laughs. The laugh is deep, throaty, and the first time I’ve heard it in…forever.

I just stare at him. Is he okay?

Manson lets us go and pulls a gun from the back of his waistband. For a brief second, I think he’s going to use it on Rachel, but he just checks that it’s loaded and keeps it pointed at the ground. “Whoever finds him gets him.”

He glances at Rachel, then pulls a knife out of his pocket and, to my complete shock, gives it to her. “Use this on either of us, and I’ll braid your intestines while you’re still alive.” He winks at her, then turns back to me. “I should get a head start since I’m at a disadvantage.”

I almost have to shove my mouth shut. Who is this Manson? Where’s the lecturing? The bitching?

He just looks at me. “Oh, don’t worry. I have a lot to say when this is done, and you’re going to sit and listen to every word while Rachel dyes your hair whatever fucking color it takes to undo this shit.”

I swallow. He looks just like the Manson I’ve always known. The annoying brother, the overbearing fucking dick, and the man who killed my dog. But…he didn’t. He killed the person who did, and that brings a warmth to my chest that I didn’t think my dead heart was capable of feeling.

As I look at him, Manson rolls his eyes and shoves past me. “Finders keepers, Riley.”

I snap out of it, darting after him. “You break it, you buy it! I broke it; it’s mine.”

Manson just shoves me out of the way, making me stumble into the corn. Oh, this fucker wants to be a dick? I jump up, grinning, and chase after him.