Page 114 of The Elusive Billionaire

“Any idea what the hell Riley would be doing here?” Braxton asks.

“There’s only one reason he’d be in Happiness—to fuck with Savvy.” And that option fills me with murderous aggression I don’t know how to control.

The truck hits a dirt road that slams my ass against the metal of the wheel well.

“Dammit, Cian. That’s going to hurt tomorrow,” Braxton says.

Dust swirls all around us. It gets into my nostrils and my ears, and my suit is instantly ruined.

Fucking small towns. This would never happen in LA.

And look how miserable you were there.

Cian takes a corner without slowing down, and my left leg is airborne in an attempt to stay upright. Across from me, Braxton is in a similar predicament.

“This is why seatbelts were invented,” I shout. We hit a bump in the road, and it tosses us to the center of the truck bed.

“Jesus, Cian. Cut the shit,” Braxton bellows, but there’s a smile on his face I don’t understand. Is he…enjoying himself?

For fuck’s sake. He’s gone hillbilly billionaire on me.

The truck stops with a lurch that has my lunch revisiting my throat. Cian’s out before my head has even stopped spinning, and the wildebeest of a dog follows him.

“Elle,” Cian shouts, drawing more than a few curious stares.

We’re parked behind a bunch of…shacks? I don’t even know what to call these stands that are set up all in a row.

Elle pokes her head out of one on the end, and Wrecks takes off in her direction with Cian shouting curses behind him.

“Stay. Sit. Heel,” Elle shouts, but Wrecks ignores them all.

Cian moves faster than I’ve ever seen him, and he tackles Wrecks right before he launches himself at Elle.

“How the hell is that safe?” I ask, running to help Cian.

“Don’t get me fecking started,” Cian grumbles while wrestling, physically wresting, with Wrecks until he finally gets ahold of the dog’s collar.

Elle stands in the doorway, laughing so hard she has tears falling down her face.

“This is funny?” I ask.

“You should see your faces,” she wheezes. “Wrecks would never hurt me, but Cian hasn’t figured that out yet.”

“Elle.” I stare at her in utter disbelief. “He was about to take you out. He would have flattened you like a pancake.”

She waves a dismissive hand my way. “What are y’all doing here?”

Savvy steps out next with baby Keela on her hip, and my chest collapses.

I want to capture the scene before me in oil paints and pictures.

She’s magnificent, and strong, and so damn perfect I can’t breathe.

“We’ve, ah…” Braxton steps forward, tugging on the back of his neck and staring at the ground. “We’ve got a problem at the inn.”

“What?” Savvy and Elle both gasp.

“Is Madi okay? The baby?” Sav is already making her way down the rickety stairs.