Page 43

Allegra has her hair pulled into a high ponytail, with a skull and crossbones bandana on her head. She is wearing a cut over a flesh-colored sports bra, daisy duke denim shorts, fishnets, and knee-high biker boots. She looks stunning, and I stand there with my mouth hanging open.

“Hello boys. Have you voted me to be anyone’s old lady yet? I hope I haven’t gone to all this trouble for nothing?” She gives the room a twirl, and the growls of appreciation rumble loudly.

“Ayes for Allegra being my old lady…” I shout out, and this time I’m rewarded with a chorus of ‘Ayes’. I don’t hear them all as I throw her over my shoulder and race upstairs to our room. She’s gone to all that trouble. Damn, I can’t waste it or not show my appreciation, now can I?

I took my time showing her my appreciation three times. The first was very much a wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am, which we both enjoyed with as much gusto as we could put into it. The second time was all about Allegra and her pleasure. I used my tongue, lips, fingers, hands, and cock on just about every inch of her skin. It was all about her, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t enjoy it just as much.

When it came to number three, well, we just did whatever the hell we liked to each other and weren’t shy about asking for anything either. When she told me to hold her upside down and bury my face in her pussy, I was only too happy to oblige. Especially when she took me to the hilt in her mouth and worked me until I couldn’t hold her there any longer. I threw her on the bed, and we crossed the line together.

At the ranch once more, we’re having a meal with Silas. Chili again. Not sure if Silas can cook anything other than chili, beans, and rice. Maybe he was a chuck wagon cook in a previous life? I wonder if I’ll be able to persuade Allegra to make some meals or take them both to the bar. Anya is getting rave reviews for her food there.

Ghost and Chips are getting bored with their surveillance duties now, and I can’t say I blame them. Their options are limited though, as they aren’t included in any of the businesses. They do odd jobs as they turn up, like this, or they do a nine to five in a business. Neither of them strikes me as a nine-to-five type of guy. I’ll ask Silas if he did any type of hunting on the ranch, I’m sure he mentioned it. If he did, perhaps they can supplement the surveillance with some hunting. That would kill two birds with one stone. Alleviate their boredom with surveillance and my boredom with chili. Win, win in my book.

Allegra and Silas are deep in discussion about horses. That’s the way Allegra will grow the ranch, I’m sure. From what I’ve gleaned from their talks so far, cattle are going to pay the day-to-day bills and horses are going to provide the profit. It all sounds too easy to me, but what do I know. It’s not going to be discussed in Church, so I don’t need to understand anything but the absolute minimum.

Leaving them to their conversation, I take a walk outside and go look for Ghost or Chips. I don’t mind which one I find, I just feel the need for some biker talk. The ranch is great, just the wrong horsepower I’m used to discussing.

Walking through the first trees, every animal and bird scatters at my presence. I marvel when I see movies of people walking silently through woods and forests, not making a sound. I must sound like a herd of stampeding buffalo. A shadow moves on my right, and a hand clamps to my wrist before I can bring my knife into play.

“Easy, tiger,” Ghost says as he releases my wrist.

“You need to teach me how to move quietly through the trees. I was just thinking what a noise I was making.”

“If a herd of buffalo ran through here, I would still be able to hear where you were.” Ghost laughs as he says this.

“Funny. I was just thinking something similar. Maybe I should try to sneak up on Chips as practice.”

“Yeah, good luck with that. You’ll only find him out here if he wants to be found. I think he’s more Native American than anything else. He was born in the wrong century. He’d have made one hell of a mountain man in their time. He wouldn’t have hunted beaver though, he’d have been a grizzly hunter.” Ghost shakes his head at the thought, and I just grin. Ghost would have made a great mountain man himself.

“What do you think’s going to happen, Ghost? Will Cottonwood try something here?” I’d much rather this was over and done with instead of dragging on.

“I don’t see what they have to gain by launching an assault on the ranch, other than getting rid of people. I think we need to talk to Pens or Bank. See what they think Cottonwood can do to override a will.” Ghost looks around the ranch, his eyes missing nothing. “I envy you and Allegra, you know. You make a great couple, and this is a beautiful place to raise a family. Once we’ve removed Cottonwood from the picture, you will have a paradise here. I would have given anything to have been able to raise Thorn somewhere like this.”

“Ghost. When we have our first child, would you consider being a godparent?” I don’t know where that came from, but it feels right. “Teach them to be good people alongside me and Allegra. It wouldn’t hurt to have someone solid like you helping us raise our kids.”

“If you’re sure Allegra will go along with that, I’d be more than honored to be a godparent to any of your children.” He looks out toward the ranch road. “Maybe I’ll get the chance to show that I can be a good role model.”

“Ghost, you need to give yourself a break, man. You did everything you could to give Thorn a good start in life. You weren’t to know that it was going to take years to find all those young women. You certainly didn’t expect Wolf to drive off a mountainside within days of making the arrangements with him. Every one of those women and their families owes you a huge debt of gratitude. Thorn has gotten over his bitterness, and you two have a solid relationship now. I overheard Andy talking about him and Thorn the other day. Said they were thinking of going to some games together. You know, hockey, football, basketball. You should buy some tickets and get yourself invited. They’d both love that. I don’t know a lot about Andy’s background, but he never speaks of family, so you could sort of adopt him. I think the three of you would make a great team. The Three Amigos. Hell, I can see it now.” I laugh at the thought of the three of them tearing up the town on their bikes on a Saturday night.

“You know something? I might just do that. The ticket thing, I mean. I don’t see myself hanging out with them on a Saturday night, cramping their style with the ladies.” Ghost has a small smile, and I think I may have done my good deed for the day.

“Well, I suppose I should try to sneak up on Chips. Give him a bit of light relief, no doubt, when he scares the bejezus out of me.” Setting off towards the back of the ranch, I genuinely make an effort to sneak silently through the woods. I think I’m doing a fair imitation of The Last of the Mohicans when a burst of laughter almost has me peeing my pants, it’s so close.

“Fuck off, Chips. I knew you were there.”

“You didn’t know jack shit, Vortex. The whole of Cottonwood's army of associates could have marched up your trail and you wouldn’t have seen or heard a thing. You haven’t lifted your eyes from your feet since you left Ghost. You may have been special forces, but you’re not special out here, bro.”

“Jungle warfare was never my specialty. I was better with snow, water, and desert.”

“Oh yeah, I can see you excelling at snow. Wear white and keep still. That sounds like something you could do well.” Chips is enjoying himself a little too much at my expense, so I flick my wrist and a knife flashes by his nose and buries itself in the tree beside him. “You do have some redeeming qualities,” he sniggers, taking my knife and handing it back to me. “I could watch you work with your knives all day. I hope you’re teaching Allegra that stuff?”

“She’s working on her knife skills when she thinks I’m not looking. I’ve seen the marks in the barn and around the corral where she’s throwing at posts and planks. Give her a pistol and she’ll shoot the nuts off a flea at fifty yards. She can barely hit a barn door at ten feet with a knife. She won’t give in, though. She’ll click one day and it will all come together. Hopefully, before it becomes a necessity.”

“You should come and spend some time out here with Ghost and me. We can always use an extra skill or a brush-up, at least.” Chips raises his eyebrows hopefully, and I think I may have to have that talk about hunting with Silas when I get back. I don’t mind teaching knife skills, but they can teach me stalking skills while getting some fresh meat.

Chapter 26

*~* Cannon *~*