I’ve been ignoring you.For a second Chase thought about just telling her the plain truth. Him calling her that time had been a mistake. He’d been confused because of seeing Larke and finding himself attracted to her. All he’d wanted was to use the opportunity of easy sex that Haley would’ve offered, to try and erase Larke from his mind. It wouldn’t have worked and Chase was glad he’d hung up the phone before Haley had answered.
But the thing was, Haley wasn’t necessarily a bad person. She, like the rest girls who grew up here, was like him. They’d all grown up hearing the same stories, told what their duties were, where their loyalty rested. She barely knew him to have any real feelings for him, apart from wanting a nice hard fuck.
And now, with Trevor about to die, she knew he was next in line to lead one of the biggest neo-Confederate groups in North Carolina and wanted to be his girl. Yeah. No. Just no to fucking all of it.
Chase pinned her with a hard stare. “Listen. I know you think what you’re doing is good. Thing is, there’s not gonna be anything between us. I don’t care what Trevor told you. As a matter of fact, he’s right around back. You probably hear the coughing, so I’m sure he’ll need your attention more than I do.”
“I didn’t come here to see Trevor,” Haley argued. She titled her head to the side and raised her hand to touch him. The look on his face must have been warning enough because she immediately lowered it. “Well what do I say to Trevor?” she asked fearfully.
Chase raised his brows. This was insane. “Tell him I was an ass to you. As a matter of fact, you don’t need to tell him shit. Trevor can’t do anything and he doesn’t control you or any of us.”
She shifted her leg. “I-I guess you’re right. Heisdying.”
Afterward, Chase shook his head as he climbed into his truck and watched Haley leave. It wasn’t normal that any of them should feel so controlled. Himself included. He then drove the short distance to his house. Inside the room he had set up as a work area of sorts, Chase tried and failed to concentrate on what exactly he wanted to do with the pieces of wood laid out in front of him. He set the chisel aside and glanced at all the items he’d carved in the past months. He’d never shown any of it to anyone. Not since he was a kid and his grandfather had found him with his chisel attempting to carve a deer. The old man had taken the piece and smashed it against the wall.“You ain’t no goddamn fairy. Don’t let me see you sitting here making pretty toys. You like deer, go out and fucking kill one.”
Chase pushed the memory aside. He still didn’t get what carving had to do with being soft or homosexual. That’s why he’d continued doing it as a kid, in secrecy, hiding the items he’d crafted in the back of his closet as he’d done with the necklace Larke had given him.
Now it’s Larke I’m hiding.Shame and nausea roiled in his gut. When his phone rang, Chase reached for it. It was Larke. For a second he contemplated not answering, afraid she would somehow be able to read his thoughts, hear the shame and guilt when he spoke. But of course. He answered, because fuck. It was Larke and he wanted to hear her voice so much and see her even more.
She was on her way home from running errands, so Chase suggested they meet somewhere in between. Both agreed on the plaza a couple of miles away. Right away after reaching the square, he spotted her dark green sedan in the parking lot and pulled up in the spot next to hers, which was in front of a hunting store. She’d texted him minutes before that she wanted to check out the place while waiting for him.
Chase smiled to himself as he pushed through the door. It made him feel good knowing how serious she’d been about wanting to hunt with him next season. The place was almost empty with no cashier in sight. He wasn’t surprised. Although this wasn’t the hunting store he’d worked at some years ago, he’d visited this one before and knew it was filled with lazy ass workers who were never around when anyone needed them. He strode toward the back of the store, lightly skimming the walls for anything interesting while keeping an eye out for Larke.
He didn’t see her right away but he did hear a voice––McNair’s. Immediately, Chase remembered McNair was also a big hunter. Still, there was no way he could’ve expected the other man to be here today. Now.
“What do you need help finding?” McNair asked. He was leaning against the wall mere inches from Larke, a smug grin on his face.
“I don’t need help,” she said. “All I want is for you to give me some space.”
Chase moved closer, anger simmering in his blood at the look on McNair’s face. It was the same taunting lookhe’dhad on his face that night in the parking lot, when he’d toyed with Larke despite knowing she was afraid.
Chase saw the exact moment Larke glanced across the aisle and became aware of his presence. Her gaze caught his, yet she made no attempt to speak or go to him. She glanced at McNair again, mainly at his bare shoulder, which bore the same Confederate flag standing tall amid the fire and ashes tattoo. She was now looking between the two of them. A bite to the lip. Chase could swear he saw the pulse in her neck racing.
McNair broke the silence, turning to face him. “Hey Hudson. Lookie what I got here. Haven’t seen one of them in here in a long time. You?”
Chase ground his teeth, forcing himself to remain calm. “Can’t say that I have.”
Larke jerked her head up, staring at him, her eyes bleary with uncertainty. Remaining quiet, she tried to brush past McNair. Before Chase could take another step, the other man reached out, clamping his hand around her wrist. “Not so fast. See, my buddy and I ain’t ready for you to leave just yet.”
She peered up at him, her eyes wide with fear. His blood turned to ice. It wasn’t just McNair who had her scared. She was afraid of him too, unsure how he’d treat her when in the presence of his own kind. Chase shifted his gaze from her, ignoring the searing pain of the knife blade twisting inside him again. Always, when it came to Larke.
“Get your hands off her.”
“Don’t worry, man. I’ll wash my hands later.”
“No,” Chase bit out, his tone chilly. “You don’t understand.” He pointed a finger at McNair as he stormed over to them. “Youneed to getyournasty hands off her. Not the other way around.”
McNair went still. His eyes bulged and his lips curved into an ugly grin. Nodding slowly, he loosened his grip on Larke’s wrist, his gaze switching back and forth between them.
A long moment passed before McNair shook his head. He gestured at Larke with his thumb. “This your girl, Hudson? Was she waiting on you? Is that why she’s in here?” Chase clenched his jaw, allowing the man to finish his rant while taking note of Larke rubbing her wrist.
McNair gaped at him then let out a harsh chuckle. “Well fuck me. Thisisyour goddamn female.”
Chase marched right up in his face, snarling at the shorter man. “She’s not athis.Her name isn’t any of your business, either. Allyouneed to know is, she’s mine and there’s not a goddamn thing you, Trevor or anyone else can do about it.” He narrowed his eyes on McNair. “Matter of fact, that look on your face got me wondering if you’re disappointed I didn’t choose you. Are you a jealous, cunt? No? Then stop acting like one and move the fuck on without worrying about who I’m fucking.”
McNair pushed away from him and snorted. “Jealous cunt. That’s a good one, Hudson. But tell me, what do youreallythink is gonna happen when everyone finds out our soon-to-be leader, is a nasty, dirty, motherfucking race traitor who’s been dipping his dick in an inkwell for God only knows how long.” McNair tsked and wagged a finger in the air. “That don’t sound too good to me.”
The urge to launch himself at McNair and rip out his throat was so strong. Chase was a second shy of doing just that when he felt Larke’s hand, gently touching him. “Please don’t, someone might come.” She said this softly, for his ears only.
