Free Hearts of Iron by Laura Day

snatch.”
     
    Another, beer gut and sweat patches galore, joined in by flashing a vulgar lizard tongue before saying, “Bet your cunt’s wet for me, huh?”
     
    Dan ground his teeth, staring outside the window, as if hoping for someone to come in who might help. Had he called his volunteers yet? Perhaps not, because while the scum were occupied, Dan picked up his cell phone, clicked a button (speed dial for a guess) and left it on the counter. Then he said, “Hey, come on, fellas. Leave the women alone. They’re not here for trouble. No one wants trouble.”
     
    The law Katie had brought in to help should have stood up and arrested them, or run them out of town. Instead, they drank beer, discussed illegal business deals, and ignored outsiders who intimidated women in front of them. She wanted to be sick, to grab one of their guns and threaten them with it. To run them out of town herself. Most annoyingly, she wanted to blubber like a girl.
     

 
    CHAPTER NINE
     
    Lance’s hair and beard dripped over his nakedness as he paced after a shower, feeling claustrophobic, thinking too much. Every fiber of his being needed something, whether it was the location of the sheriff, a furious word with Katie, or more of Katie’s special brand of fire. All of this meant he couldn’t rest because he’d removed all signs of his blissful afternoon. He missed her smell.
     
    He’d always said “no” to buying a house or apartment. Raised on the road, it was natural to feel reluctant to put money in bricks and mortar. But now that he joint-owned two businesses in Miller, a house seemed a natural progression. But he hated the idea of a big empty house almost as much as he had grown to hate the cramped confines of his trailer.
     
    He kept going over and over what happened that day. Between being taken for a fool by Katie and having the law move in on his home turf while he got royally shafted, he didn’t know what to break first. He’d even pissed off members of his own club, which was a bad move. They were his family, not her. What the fuck was he doing allowing a pretty piece of ass to knock him off his course?
     
    Josh called Lance’s contact and found out that Sheriff Clancy had been hired to work in Miller only yesterday, along with three deputies. They were due to arrive sometime either that evening or the following morning.
     
    Had Katie known about this while they were fucking? And, as he now suspected, had they arrived early and that’s who called her before she kicked him out?
     
    Lance checked his watch for the millionth time in the past hour. He decided that as it was after seven, it meant the law would arrive in Miller any time now if they hadn’t already.
     
    He picked up his phone from the bed and pressed a button, and after only a second of ringing, the call was answered. “Josh?” Lance asked.
     
    “Here, Cap.”
     
    “I’m thinking we meet up down at Dan’s bar and see what whispers are going around town. If those pricks show up anywhere, the news will reach there first. Plus, I’m in serious need of a beer and I drank all my Scotch.”
     
    “Funny you should say that, ‘coz I got me a raging thirst after this afternoon’s session with Stephanie.” Josh sniggered, pleased with himself. “I’ll meet you there after I finish up here. Gotta just check the spark plugs on this car. Should be no more than twenty minutes.”
     
    “Tell the others what we’re planning on your way.” Lance hung up. He wasn’t sure the club was too pleased with him, so thought the invite might sound better coming from Josh. Plus, he wasn’t sure anything would pan out until he knew the law had arrived.
     
    The call ended and Lance got on his bike. Something told him he was in for a night of cleaning up Katie’s mess. As pissed as he was with her, though, he couldn’t help but linger on thoughts of her, memories of being inside her, of her face, her touch, her smile. On how tough she was for a little lady,