“Probably several. Dude, you’re a genius. Are you thinking a little dish soap in the tank might do the trick?”
“Bingo. I’m sure you would have come up with that on your own if given enough time.”
I wasn’t convinced of that, but I was grateful for his willingness to help me brainstorm. “Thanks, man. Hey, how have you been?” He’d done a number on his shoulder and had been sent stateside to recover.
“My brother got me an appointment with the best surgeon around, Des Boker. The doc worked a miracle. He didn't just fix my shoulder; he gave me back my edge. The only thing I need to figure out now is whether I go back or take retirement—twenty years is enough to get the pension. I thought I could stick it out to thirty, but now I'm not so sure.”
That was rough. Both of us had a big decision to make. One neither of us was looking forward to. “Let me know what you decide, and I’ll keep you posted on how things go here.”
“Just promise me one thing.”
“What’s that?”
“For fuck’s sake, don’t get caught.”
We said goodbye and ended the call. I had no intention of getting caught. I’d figured I might have the need to do some recon while I was in Hartsville, so I’d made sure to bring some gear. As soon as I got back to the cabin, I changed into black pants, a long-sleeved black shirt, and pulled out a black ski mask.
Forty-five minutes later, I crouched down next to a flatbed truck that a group of guys had just emptied. Dartman must have known Destiny would turn him down. There was no way the set up they’d put together hadn’t been in the works for at least a couple of days.
A wide stage sat toward the back of a large, cleared field. Lights hung from scaffolding that stretched across the front. The set up rivaled some of the multi-day music festivals I’d attended way back in high school.
I found a spot where I could lie low until I figured out how they’d laid everything out. Then I waited.
Around two, the crew turned off the lights, packed up their crap and headed out. The red taillights had barely disappeared down the dirt road before I headed to the tent where all the power lines converged. I was no electrical engineer, but I knew enough to completely fuck over their wiring. Hopefully, the second they flipped on the power, the circuit board would overload, and they’d be out of business for a while.
Next up, I located the generators they’d placed around the perimeter and added a bottle of Mama Mae’s favorite dish soap to the fuel tank of each. Once those bad boys fired up, the lines would fill with bubbles. Even if they got the wiring sorted, they wouldn’t be able to have much of a show without any power.
It was almost five when I cut the engine and steered the truck to a stop in front of the cabin. I’d barely gathered my stuff together when someone knocked on the driver’s side window.
My pulse spiked as I looked over to see Destiny standing next to the truck. It wasn’t light enough to make out her expression, but she didn’t look happy to see me. I gave her a quick wave, then opened the door and climbed down to stand next to her.
She had on a short robe that drew my eyes to her thick thighs, and her feet shoved into a pair of cowboy boots. “Where’ve you been?”
“I’m sorry. Is there a curfew you didn’t tell me about?” I tried to play it off. The less she knew about where I’d been and what I’d been doing, the better off she’d be.
“You’ve been gone for hours. Gonzo woke me up just in time to see you pull out of the drive. Please tell me you weren’t anywhere near the Oliver’s place.” Her arms crossed over her stomach, pushing her breasts up in the process. Damn, it was hard to think straight with her standing there looking like she’d just crawled out of bed.
“Who are the Olivers?” My expression stayed neutral as I passed her and entered the cabin.
“Don’t try to bullshit me, Thorne. You’re wearing black from head to toe, and you just tried rolled down the drive with the engine off. What are you up to?”
I was too tired to try to come up with a believable excuse. “Did you think of a way to shut down Dartman’s concert?”
The fire in her eyes faded. “Not yet.”
“Let’s just say your problem might take care of itself.” I pulled the long-sleeve tee over my head. I’d worked up a sweat sneaking around the stage and was ready for a quick shower. I wasn’t about to shed my pants in front of her, though. She looked too damn delectable already.
“This isn’t your problem.” Her messy bun slid to one side as she shook her head. “I don’t want you to get into any trouble on my account.”
I reached up to brush her hair away from her cheek. “You don’t have to do this alone, Destiny. Let me help you.”
Instead of turning away, she nestled her cheek against my palm. “I don’t know whether I should cuss you out or kiss you.”
Need raced through me, making a beeline for my cock. I shouldn’t have tilted her head up, but I did. Shouldn’t have stared deep into her beautiful brown eyes, but I did that too. And then I did the one thing that I really, really, really shouldn’t have done.
I kissed her.
She rose up on her tiptoes and kissed me back.
