CRAVE - BAD BOY ROMANCE by Elodie Chase Page B

door of the church, and
people were reacting in waves that emanated away from it. Whatever sort of
ruckus was kicking off, most people didn't want anything to do with it.
    Except Cade. The crowd parted before
him instinctively, and I saw him pat his jacket with the palm of his hand,
probably checking his gun to make sure it was still in place, ready for use
should it be called into play. He strode into the growing chaos like he owned
the place, and as people moved aside they also cleared my line of sight to the
door, letting me see exactly what sort of trouble he was getting about to get
involved in.
    Three men stood just outside the
church with killer eyes and leather jackets. They practically bristled with
aggression. Everything about them, from the way they carried themselves to the
fact that long, dark tattoos striped their hands told me they were looking for a
fight.
    I got up out of my seat, but someone
grabbed my arm and pulled me back. I spun toward the interloper, only to
recognize Jessica from the dress store. “What are you doing here?” I asked,
surprised to see her.
    “I called in one of the other girls
to cover the shop. After you agreed to help me, I had to be here to say goodbye
to your Grandmother. But don't worry about that, right now. You better stay
here with me.”
    “Who are those guys?”
    She glanced past me, and her face
spoke volumes. “They're trouble, that's what they are.”
    “What kind of trouble?”
    “The kind that comes into my shop
twice a month and puts their hands in the register if I don’t want the place
burnt down.”
    “The mob?” I turned back to watch
them, worried for Cade. Two of the three newcomers were hanging back, and the
guy that appeared to be in charge of them was speaking with Cade in rough
tones, posturing all the while. I could tell they were moments away from coming
to blows, or worse.
    I heard Jessica sigh. “Nothing so glamorous
as the mob, I'm afraid. They're not much more than a gang of thugs, but around
here that's enough to run the place.”
    “Why are they here?”
    She let go of me and I relaxed. If
there was going to be a fight on the steps of the church, I didn’t see how I
could be of much use. If anything, I'd get in the way, maybe even do something disastrous
like distract Cade at some vital moment. I had a feeling he could handle
himself in most situations, though I didn't want to have to find out.
    Not like this.
    I reached into my purse for my phone
to call the police, and when Jessica saw what I had in my hand she shook her
head. “They won't help. These guys are here to show your Grandmother's friends
that they're still here and she's gone. Whatever protection they had because of
her, it’s gone now.”
    I scowled, resolving to ignore her
and call the cops anyway. Even though I'd had far more than my share of
dealings with the police over the course of my life, from the night of my
parents’ car accident on to living and working in Detroit, there was a chance
that law enforcement was different here. But it didn't take me more than a
second to see that my phone was finally out of charge. I still hadn't had a
chance to charge it, since Cade had swapped my car for the motorcycle.
    No help there, then...
    The guy arguing with Cade, a lean blond
with a scar across his face that reached all the way down to his upper lip,
tried to get into the church. No luck. Cade was bigger and clearly stronger. As
soon as he worked out that wasn't going to happen, Scarface raised his arm and
pointed at me. “This one can't save any of you,” he shouted, his voice booming
off the walls of the church. “She's not the one to end the Union!”
    “Take your boys and turn around,
Thrace,” Cade warned. “There's too many witnesses here for any of your usual
shit. I think we both know I could cut your throat right now, and the only
people who'd testify that it happened are the two bitches you brought along
today.”
    Thrace glared at him, then made a
swift,