Page 20 of Red’s Revenge (Justice Ranch #1)
Chapter Nineteen
CAMILA
“ I can’t ride a horse in this skirt!” The tight denim around my hips won’t even allow me to hike up my leg to the stirrup.
“Told you to wear leggings. But do you ever listen to me?” Evelyn is already up on Colton’s horse, watching me argue with Red.
“BJ, go on ahead. We’ll catch up,” Red says as he eyes my legs with a tilt of his head.
Once they’re so far down the trail, it’s hard to see them. He groans and bites his lip.
“It is pretty tight. Take it off.” I look around and then back at him as if he’s insane.
“I beg your pardon,” I hiss out.
“You could walk back to the ranch house, which is at least a mile away through wolf-infested lands.” I narrowed my eyes at him, and then at the ATV, we rode in on.
“Not an option Darlin’. BJ has the keys.” His smug look does not amuse me.
“I can’t.” I cross my arms and set my feet.
“Why? I’ve seen lots of ladies’ undies.” I narrow my eyes at his not-so-subtle reminder of his womanizing ways.
“I’m not wearing any asshole.” Now, that gets a reaction out of him.
It’s just not the one I thought. His eyes turn dark, and a feral look crosses his face.
“Oh, Darling, I’ve seen plenty of those, too. Come on. We’re wasting daylight, and the dinner bell sounded hours ago.” What in the hell is he talking about?
It’s barely noon.
“Are you seriously thinking about food right now?” I shake my head at him.
“Food ain’t what’s for dinner tonight.” Oh.
Oh my. Okay.
“Need some help?” He points at the skirt as if the material is offensive to him.
“Red, come on. I can’t ride with my ass out!” He chuckles as he shrugs out of his flannel shirt.
“Wrap this around your hips, and no one will be the wiser.” I groan as I open the button on my skirt and glance around the dense forest surrounding us just in case a deer is trying to catch a look.
“Darlin’.” I huff as I rip the skirt down my legs.
“Thought you said you weren’t wearing any?” He points at my thong with disappointment.
“Gotta keep your ass guessing.” He laughs as I snatch the shirt he holds out to me.
“Fair enough.” I twist the fabric around my hips and use the sleeves to tie it around my waist.
The result looks like a longer skirt landing at my knees.
“Okay, so I grab here.” I recite his instructions and hoist myself onto the horse.
“You’re a natural.” His praise goes right to my clit.
“Alright, Betty knows these trails better than any human. Just let her lead.” I grab the reins and twist them around the pommel and my wrist.
“We’re going to start at a nice slow trot.” Red talks me through the whole process with ease.
We catch up to Evelyn and BJ in no time. They were sitting off the trail by a stream, setting up our picnic lunch.
“You couldn’t wait to tear her clothes off, huh?” Evelyn snickers as I jump down off the horse and hand her over to Red to tie up.
“Shut your pie hole!” They laugh at me as I sit and accept a sandwich.
“This is so beautiful,” I say after we’re done eating, and I’m laying back on Red.
“And it’ll stay that way, all thanks to you.” He kisses my forehead.
“Wait, this is where they wanted to put that highway?” He nods as he pops a few nuts into his mouth.
“The Danders don’t give a fuck about this town, its natural beauty or preserving it.
They only care about the money they could make, destroying it with skyscrapers and mini-malls.
Not to mention the half-dozen housing developments they’ve thrown up around Houston that are never up to code and people regret buying just months into their new half-million-dollar mortgages.
” BJ takes a sip of water after dumping that info in my lap.
“I’m so fucking sorry.” The guilt that I had anything to do with their plan is slowly eating me alive.
“I’m fucking quitting tomorrow. Fuck if I am going to help them ruin places like this.” Evelyn’s voice cuts through my self-loathing.
“That’s sweet, but you still need to live and pay for that penthouse apartment.” She waves her hand at me dismissively.
“Please. As if I was not going to follow your ass here. Or am I wrong in assuming you are not coming back to New York?” I glance over my shoulder at Red, who has stopped breathing behind me.
“Well, Red, here’s your moment. Have you won the girl, or will one of us have a chance?” Red throws a nut at his brother, breaking our moment.
“You make it sound like you Justice men are worth all the trouble,” Evelyn chuckles at the brothers.
“We are,” they both say in unison.
“Ok, boys, whip them out, and I’ll measure.” I laugh at their expressions.
Evelyn pulls off a snap bracelet that has measurements on it. She’s worn the damn thing for years just for moments like this. It’s gotten us out of a lot of sticky situations with questionable men in the city. She passes it to me.
I slapped the ruler in my hand, waiting for them to change the subject. Instead, both stood up and started unzipping their pants.
“Oh shit, what have I done?” Evelyn covers her mouth in shock.
“The Justice brothers are way too stubborn to back down from a challenge. Besides, we haven’t done this in years. I’ve grown at least a few inches,” BJ says as his hand disappears into his pants.
I glance away and swing the ruler in the air.
“Not it!” I giggle.
A loud bang rings out, and everyone freezes.
“Shit, get the girls back to the house,” Red says, rushing towards his horse.
“Poachers?” BJ asks quickly, helping us pack up.
“If we’re lucky. Cami?” I rush over to him, and he leans down and plants a kiss on my lips.
“Stay with BJ.” He turns his horse and rides in the direction of the gunshot.
“Alright, ladies. We head back the way we came. Let the horses guide the way.” He makes sure we’re on our horses before mounting his.
We’re about halfway back to the house when Evelyn’s horse starts to buck.
“WHOA!” she yells as she struggles to hold on.
“Fuck, rattler.” I follow BJ’s line of sight and see a snake on the ground.
The spooked horse takes off into the woods, and BJ rides after them.
“Don’t move, Cami!” he calls out, leaving me alone on the trail.
The snake, thank God, goes off in the opposite direction, and I let out a long breath. A branch cracks behind me, and I turn to see if it’s BJ and Evelyn, but there’s nothing, no one on the trail.
The forest grows quiet, and an eerie feeling crawls up my back. I feel like I’m being watched. A bird breaks the tree line, startling me, and I laugh at my own reaction.
“Shhh, we’re ok girl.” I lean down to rub the horse’s head and neck.
“Hello, Cami.” I turn and see Jeremiah and his brother Elijah emerge from behind a few trees.
I have a split second to decide what to do. I’m about to chance out-running them on the horse, when someone grabs me from behind and rips me out of the saddle.
A hand covers my mouth, quickly stopping my scream in my throat.
“You owe me a dance whore,” Cyrus hisses in my ear.
How could I have forgotten there were three brothers? The one with the crazy eyes holds me tightly as I struggle to kick and scream to get away from the trio, who are looking at me with so much menace that I know if I don’t get away, I may never see tomorrow.
“You should have done your job and gone home. Instead, you interfered in our business and cost us a lot of fucking money. Cyrus here wants to take it out on you. Never thought it’d be this easy, though.” They all laugh as I keep trying to get away.
“Don’t worry. We may let you live.” Then, a hit to my head knocks me out.