Tish POV
I lift the bottle of tequila to my lips to take another drink, but Cedric grabs it from me. I push my lip out in a pout and cross my arms over my chest.
"Who is going to pay for your little drinking binge?" He laughs as he puts the bottle back on the shelf.
I sway a little on the bar when I try to cross my legs. Cedric steadies me with his hands. "I have a job now," I say cheerfully. "When do I start?"
Cedric strokes his chin and looks me up and down. "I think you might be more trouble than you are worth."
"Ha!" I snort. "You have no idea."
"Then why should I hire you?" Cedric asks.
"Because you already did, duh," I roll my eyes. "You thought I would forget because I got drunk, but I don't forget anything." I tap my fingers to my temple.
Cedric drums his fingers on the bar while he thinks. "You can start Monday. It will give your arm time to heal."
"When is Monday?" I ask drunkenly.
Pinching the bridge of his nose, Cedric groans loudly. "It is Friday."
"O-kay," I say, holding my hands up with the gesture.
I squint at my phone, trying to see Kaden's location, but the screen is blurry. I stuff it back in my pocket and stare at the door.
"Are you sure you don't want to stay in one of my apartments?" Cedric asks. "I promise you will be safe."
"Nah," I say, hopping off the bar. The ground shakes awkwardly under my feet, and I stumble forward into one of the tables. I spin around and dip into a dramatic curtsy. "I can take care of myself. I just need a bat."
Cedric chuckles loudly. "I will make sure you have one on Monday."
The creek of the bar door opens, and I look to see Kaden standing. His chest is rising and falling quickly. His eyes are glowing brightly as he scans the inside of the bar. When his eyes land on me, his shoulders relax slightly, but his jaw remains tense.
I skip across the bar and wrap my arms around his neck. Jumping off the ground, I wrap my legs around his waist. Kaden grunts a thank yous to Cedric and turns to walk out the door.
I smile over Kaden's shoulder and wave to Cedric. "I will see you Monday!"
Cedric waves back as Kaden carries me out of the bar, and so do the other patrons. I think I am going to like working here.
Kaden sits me on the bed of a truck and checks me over. He tilts my head from side to side, checks my legs, and lifts my arms. I hiss when he touches my injured arm, and his face falls.
The sleeve of my shirt is bandaged around my arm, and a little blood is seeping through. Kaden places a little kiss on the makeshift bandage and helps me off the bed of the truck and into the front.
I sit with my head leaning up against the window, and I jump when Kaden shuts the door behind him. He doesn't say a word as we pull out of the parking lot and onto the main road.
"Why is it so hot?" I moan as I try to turn up the AC in the truck.
Kaden laughs, and the sound makes me giggle along with him. "It is Texas, Sweetheart," he tells me. "It is only going to get hotter."
The alcohol, mixed with the huskiness of his voice, stirs my arousal, and I am in the mood to play.
"Mmm," I moan. "Just how hot can it get?"
I play with the hem of my skirt, slowly pulling it up my thigh. Kaden is watching me out of the corner of his eyes. I run my fingers along my thighs and cause goosebumps to form all over my skin.
Kaden clears his throat awkwardly. "Are you okay?"
"I am more than okay," I whisper back seductively. "I am hoping for a replay of last night. Maybe we can get Kai to come play, too."
Kaden growls, and a string of cuss words flow from his mouth. "How can you forgive him so easily?"
I pause for a moment. I don't know why I forgave him so quickly. I can't even blame it on the alcohol. I had forgiven him as soon as he let go of my arm. While I was stitching up my arm, I never once felt angry. Just sad.
"I don't know," I answer. "I don't think he knew what he was doing. It was like he couldn't control himself."
"And that makes it okay?" Kaden snaps at me.
"No, I guess not," I reply. "But no one has ever cared before."
Kaden pulls into the driveway of the pack house, and we sit in silence with the trunk running for several minutes before Kaden says anything.
"What do you mean no one has ever cared before?" He finally asks.
The alcohol is starting to wear off, and I really don't want to have this conversation. I try to open my door, but Kaden locks me inside.
"Talk to me," Kaden begs. "Tell me what you have been through."
I shrug my shoulders. "What do you want to know? My parents didn't want me. I grew up being tossed from family to family. Each new house came with a new set of rules. I was little and confused. When I couldn't follow directions, the family would send me back."
Tears begin to fill my eyes as my worst memories come flooding forward. I don't want to talk about it anymore, but the words keep flowing from my mouth.
"A few of the men in the families would touch me and tell me not to tell. They were adults, and I was a child. The social worker always told me that the families were there to help me. So, I didn't tell. I learned to zone out while it was happening.
"Then, when I aged out of the system, I wanted to go to nursing school. I want to help kids like me. But I couldn't afford it for long, and money got tight. So, I started bartending and stripping at night to pay for it.
"That's about when Mae came into my life. She cared for me like no one else did. I was in love with her. When I would come home beaten and battered, she would always take care of me. She held me when I cried and urged me to talk to her about the things that happened to me.
"I needed her, and I thought she needed me. But I was wrong. She needed Kieran, not some broken foster kid."
Kaden pulls me into his arms and holds me close. For the first time since Mae, I cry onto someone's shoulder. I let myself feel wanted and loved. I don't know how long we stayed there, but eventually, Kaden carries me to the cabin.
He sits me on the edge of my bed and strips me of my clothes. I wait for him to touch me, but he doesn't. He tucks me into the blankets and kisses me on the forehead. He stands to leave, but I reach for him.
"Don't leave me," I whimper.
Kaden sits beside me in the bed and runs his fingers through my hair until I fall asleep.