As soon as he pulled in front of the house, she jumped out, but she had to stop at the door, realizing her house key was on the key ring she had given Greer.
Tate opened the door and Rachel ran inside, determined to go to her room.
“Is it true?” His harsh voice broke her heart. He had sometimes been stern with her since their parents’ deaths, but he had never before used that tone of voice with her.
Rachel stopped, turning back to her brother. The expression on his face froze her in place.
“Yes,” she whispered.
“Did he rape you?”
“No.” Rachel’s back stiffened as she admitted the truth. “I wanted him, Tate.”
“Just like the rest of his bitches. Mom and Dad would be ashamed at what happened tonight. You’ve shamed our whole family. You could have done anyone in town, but you had to do him, knowing how bad we hate him and his family!” Disgust was written plainly on his face.
“I didn’t mean for it to happen.”
“You said he didn’t rape you; that means you could have said no, Rachel. Go to your room and get out of my face.” The door opened and Greer, Holly, and Dustin entered, carrying Logan.
Rachel blinked back hurt tears. “Tate—”
“Now, Rachel. So help me God, I can’t look at you right now,” he growled through gritted teeth. Greer’s and Dustin’s expressions weren’t any more forgiving; their faces were just as condemning.
Rachel turned away to her room.
“Maybe she should go stay with The Last Riders since they’ve had her now.” Greer threw her car keys against her bedroom door.
Rachel bent to pick them up before going into her bedroom and closing the door. She didn’t bother to turn on the light as she went to sit on the side of the bed.
Burying her face in her hands, she let her humiliation free. Silent sobs shook her shoulders as she heard her brothers’ angry voices from the other side of the door.
Not only her brothers, but the whole town would know by morning she had given herself to Cash. Everywhere she went, she would be met with the same stares. Her reputation in town was ruined; the townspeople would gossip about her for the next year.
Rachel sat quietly until the house finally settled down. She then silently got to her feet. Kneeling beside her bed, she pulled out her suitcase. It was time she executed the decision she had been putting off. She loved her home and her brothers, but it was past time she stood on her own two feet.
She moved around her room, making sure she made no noise. If they caught her packing, they would lock her in. She chose the few items she didn’t want to leave behind. Surprisingly, it didn’t take long to pack her lifetime into one suitcase.
Rachel waited another hour to make sure everyone was asleep before she sneaked out of the house. Her hand was shaking as she put the keys in the ignition. Turning on her car without using her headlights, she then drove out of the parking lot, heading down the mountain. She only turned the beams on after the car was away from the house.
She had been trying to gain more freedom from her brothers, but she hadn’t really wanted to leave; she loved Treepoint and the mountains. It was like her heart was being ripped out the farther she drove away from home. She had never realized her freedom would come at the cost of losing her family.
* * *
“What have you done?” Winter asked, her stricken gaze watching Rachel and her brothers leave.
Cash ran his hand through his hair. “I lost my temper,” he admitted, remorse making his voice come out thick. Clearing his throat, he saw the angry glares of all the women. “I know I fucked up.”
“You more than fucked up,” Beth said, stepping forward, her voice low and controlled. “You humiliated her in front of the church congregation. The whole town will be gossiping about her, and they won’t be kind. You of all people know what kind of damage you just did.
“Now, this is Mrs. Langley’s party, and I suggest we get through the next thirty minutes until we can leave.” Beth stormed away with the rest of the women following her.
Cash was angry at himself for losing his temper and running his mouth. When Tate had jerked Rachel’s arm, Viper had been forced to hold him back, or he would have beaten the shit out of him. Her brothers had confirmed tonight what he already had been saying to himself.
Any relationship between Rachel and him was impossible because of her brothers’ hatred of him. He had tried to protect her from him; instead, he had let them goad him into losing his temper.
It was a good thing he had forced himself to stay away from her. From their reactions, it couldn’t have been worse if they had discovered she had murdered someone.
Cash ignored the sinking feeling in his gut that he had hurt the very woman he had tried to protect, choosing to believe it would all blow over in a week or two.
Chapter 10
“Can you hand me the wrench?” Rider asked.
Cash took the device out of the toolbox, handing it to Rider and watching as he tuned up his older than dirt truck. He had shit to do, but he was forcing himself to stay at the clubhouse to avoid inadvertently running into Rachel. He wanted to give her time before she had to face him again. He refused to admit he wasn’t anxious to face her after his asinine behavior. He had stayed in all weekend and would give it a couple more days before gradually returning to his routine.
With any other woman, he would have been able to go by her house and privately apologize, yet that wasn’t going to happen when she lived with her brothers. They would shoot him if he stepped a foot on their property.
As a car pulled into the lot, Cash looked up to see Lily was back from working at the church store. Cash straightened; neither Lily nor Beth had talked to him all weekend.
Lily got out of her car with a worried frown on her face then shut her car door and walked toward the steps in a rush. When she saw Rider and him, she tightened her lips, ignoring them.
He was going to have to bite the bullet and face her to get the answers he wanted.
“Lily, can I talk to you a minute?”
“I’m in a hurry. I need to talk to Shade.”
“He’s in the factory,” Cash informed her.
At first, he thought she wanted to avoid talking to him, but his discerning gaze could tell she was upset.
After she nodded toward him, going inside the factory, he and Rider shared a glance. Then, without a word, they followed Lily inside. The workers had all left for the day and Shade was in his office, finishing up the day’s paperwork. Lily had left his office door open; therefore, Cash quietly shut the factory door so she wouldn’t notice their entry. Shade saw them, but Lily’s back was to the doorway. Cash unashamedly listened, his jaw tightening when he heard her words.
“You have to find her, Shade!”
“Lily, calm down and start over. What happened?”
Lily took a deep breath, her body shaking. “Pastor Patterson came to the store this morning and told me Rachel had called to tell him she wouldn’t be volunteering anymore. I was concerned because I knew Rachel would have a hard time facing everyone, but I thought she would just take a couple of weeks off! I didn’t realize until Tate came into the store, looking for Rachel, that no one has seen her since Friday night.”
“You said Pastor Patterson told you he had talked to her?” Shade asked.
Lily nodded.
> “Then we know she’s okay if someone has heard from her.” His reasoning calmed his wife.
“Okay.”
“What did Tate tell you?”
“He said she was gone the next morning when they woke up. She left them a note, but he didn’t tell me what it said. He’s worried sick, though. He was going to see Knox when he left the store.”
“I’ll call and talk to Knox to see if he’s found anything out.”
“Thank you. I’m so worried about her, Shade. I saw her face, and she was so humiliated. She didn’t deserve Cash and her brothers treating her that way. She helps everyone. She gives her skills and usually doesn’t even charge people.
“Mary Owen’s little girl had something wrong with her stomach and couldn’t even hold food down. Rachel gave her a supplement, and she’s gained five pounds. Mrs. Willis had the shingles, and when Rachel made a cream for her, she was able to go back to work. Rachel helped me, too, Shade. I don’t know what would have happened if she hadn’t pulled me out of that nightmare.”
Shade got up from behind his desk, taking her into his arms. “Don’t worry Lily, I’ll find her, but be prepared she may not want to come back to Treepoint.”
“You made me come back,” Lily argued.
“There’s a difference between you and Rachel. You belong to me.”
“I didn’t then.”
“You did. You just didn’t know it.” Shade smiled down at his wife. “Now, go feed my baby, and I’ll call Knox.”
“All right.” Lily turned, coming to a stop when she saw Cash and Rider. Throwing them an angry glare, she moved between them, leaving the factory.
Shade picked up his phone as soon as she was out the door while both Rider and Cash entered the office.
“Knox, Lily told me Rachel’s disappeared. What do you know?” It took several minutes before he disconnected the phone.
“Knox said Rachel left a note that said she was going away and not to look for her. She told them she was sorry for shaming them.”
“I’ll kill them.” Cash turned to find the doorway blocked by Rider.
“Sit down, Cash.” Shade’s harsh voice had him turning back.
“Don’t tell me what the fuck to do. Do you know how badly they must have treated her for her to run off?”