of relief, at least until she prodded the injection spot and I yelped.
“What the hell?” I twisted my head around and those wide eyes blinked at me innocently.
“I have to make sure the vaccine disperses,” she explained and my gaze narrowed, positive I saw her lips twitch beneath the light blue face mask. She peeled the backing off a small, round Band-Aid and slapped it over the injection site, making me jump as she essentially smacked me on the ass. “All done,” she announced and I straightened to my full height, forcing her head to tip back to meet my eyes. Her own twinkled as she murmured, “It’s always nice to can find a man who can take it in the ass without whining.”
My mouth dropped open at the same time she stepped back, waving at the guard before I could say anything. The door opened, leaving me no choice but to exit the tiny room. I glanced back at the unusual doctor and swore she winked at me.
***
The sight of Cord standing outside of the garage, arms crossed over his chest, a perpetual glare creasing the corners of his eyes, yanked me out of the recollection. He didn’t move when I pulled in and I hit the brakes at the last second, the hood barely an inch from his chest. I grabbed the pink paper off the seat, folding and tucking it into my pocket before he could see it and start asking questions, since he was known to be a nosy bitch. I swung myself out of the Blazer as Cord came around the front, his limp almost nonexistent now, and the stern expression on his face disappeared in a flash.
“Damn it, brother, you’re the luckiest son of a bitch I know or you give one helluva blow job,” he declared, seizing me in a tight hug. I grunted as he pulled me off balance, but returned the embrace, clapping him on the back.
“I think those two things are mutually exclusive,” I responded when he released me.
He shook his head, a wide smile breaking across his face. “It’s good to have you home,” he stated then added, “I need help keeping all these assholes in line.”
I started shaking my head, more than willing to relinquish that responsibility. “Hell no, you’re on your own,” I denied with a snort, rocking back when he thumped me on the chest. “Now, you know what it was like when you were gone,” I remarked, referring to the years when Cord had served in the Navy. Only the injury that had ended his career had brought him home, but he was here to stay after meeting Tori. “I figure I have a few more years owed to me.”
“Yeah, that might be true,” he admitted with a rueful grin. “But I’m still glad you’re here.” I dipped my head, following him into the shadowed garage and out of the heat. “Where you been? Johnny was looking for you to be home yesterday.”
“I made a stop,” I muttered, glancing around the garage as my eyes adjusted. “Where did all the crap go?” I asked, remembering the stacks of boxes that filled the room. “Y’all move out while I was gone?”
“Not exactly,” Cord replied, the muscle above his eye jumping. “Sloan got on a tear about minimal living or some shit.”
“Uh huh,” I murmured, my gaze sharpening. “What’s really going on?”
Cord exhaled, shaking his head. “I told them,” he muttered under his breath, then raised his voice. “You remember that land Dad bought years ago?” He waited until I jerked my head in a nod. “Crew and Drea decided it was going to waste and we needed to do something with it.”
“There’s nothing out there,” I recalled, remembering the few times he’d dragged Cord and Creed out there before his death with me tagging along, unaware Cash Hayes was my father too. “We spent a lot of time shooting cans.”
“Yeah, well, those empty fields are soon to be planted,” he paused making sure he had my full attention before finishing, “With cannabis.”
I choked. “What? When the hell did we get in the drug business?” I shot him a disbelieving glance. “Did everyone lose their mind while I was gone?” He let out a rusty chuckle as I crossed my arms over my chest. “Isn’t Drea a DEA agent? How does that work?”
“Former,” Cord corrected and I threw up my hands.
“I’m sorry, former DEA agent. And you? Tori? Help me out here. How is this okay?”
“It’s not