Free XANDER (The Caine Brothers Book 2) by Margaret Madigan Page A

“Calling the cops would be pointless. If they did anything it would take forever to see results, and Prez would find a way around the justice system. I have no idea how he does it, but I’m pretty sure he’s bought some of them off, or they owe him favors, or something. Anyway, I’d heard the Huntsmen did some sort of vigilante thing, so I contacted y’all anonymously.”
    “So when I met you in the bar?”
    She faced him again. “I wanted to confirm you’d done something about it. But we got a little distracted, and I never had a chance to ask.”
    An amused look flit across the angles and planes of his face, then disappeared. She had the urge to touch him; run her fingers through his blond hair and over the darker blond of his stubbled jaw. But she kept her hands to herself, instead stuffing one in her pocket and gripping the beer bottle with the other.
    “He got a small sample of what he deserved,” Xander said.
    “I saw.”
    His brows came together. “When?”
    “I was offered a job in Florida, so I went to the club house to say goodbye to Prez. Hank was there.”
    “Florida?” He sounded incredulous. “You’re going to Florida?”
    She gave a noncommittal shrug. He seemed pretty put out that she’d leave, which on the one hand made her happy, and on the other hand concerned her that she cared. She reminded herself she’d known him only two days, despite the fact that it felt like a lifetime. They fit together like puzzle pieces, or peanut butter and jelly, or biscuits and gravy. She generally considered herself too skeptical to believe in nonsense like love at first sight. Maybe like at first sight. Or undeniable attraction at first sight. Possibly unusual, magnetic bond that required more exploration at first sight. But love? No way.
    Still, she found herself reconsidering the job. Suddenly, it sounded hollow, and far away. Unnecessary.
    “What difference does it make? Even if for some reason I stayed, you’re a Huntsman and I’m at least related to the Ravagers. Can you imagine how Prez would react?”
    Xander huffed a pffft. “He’s already out to get me and Dude for what we did to Hank. He’d want me skinned alive if he knew I’d fallen for his daughter.”
    The moment the words left his mouth they both shot surprised looks at each other. Had he just admitted he felt something besides a raging physical attraction for her? How was that even possible? Not that she didn’t have the same feelings, but they couldn’t be real. People didn’t develop real feelings for each other after only two days. It was ridiculous.
    “Yeah, he’d be pissed,” she said, sounding as lame as she felt saying it. “Not that I’ve ever listened to my father.”
    “On the other hand, screwing his daughter’s a good way to tell him ‘fuck you.’”
    He smiled as if that was supposed to be some inside joke, that by having sex they’d both told Prez to go fuck himself, but it only pissed her off. It cheapened what they’d had together. So much for the silly fantasy of love at first sight. “Is that all I am to you? A way to get back at Prez? Well fuck you, too. I’m a person with feelings, not a tool for you to use to manipulate my father. If you have a problem with him, take it up with him and leave me out of it. And what about you and your precious Huntsmen? You think you have the right to dispense whatever justice you see fit? Who made you judge and jury? And who says I even like you? I mean, sure, the sex was pretty good, but I don’t even know you. And I’m leaving. So it’s pointless to even talk about this anymore…”
    He cocked an amused brow at her. “What part of that do you want me to respond to?”
    She stepped away from the window and into the atmosphere around him, like a satellite anchored by gravity to some heavenly body. God, he smelled good. Warmth and charisma radiated from him like rays from the sun. She wanted to wrap her arms around him and never let go.
    Instead, she put her