Page 33 of Wild and Unruly (Three Rivers Trevors Ranch #3)
stetson
My anger was coursing through me, and I didn’t know where to channel it. Never have I ever felt so angry and scared and helpless.
The woman I love just made herself a target for that piece of shit, and I was terrified to find out what he might do.
Nothing , I tell myself. He’ll do nothing.
Not if I have anything to say about it.
I hear the scuff of boots and the pinging of spurs with each step and turn to see my brother and CT standing there, looking at me with concern.
“You okay, man?” Logan asks, staying calm like he always does.
There was only one time I’ve ever seen my brother ruffled and it was when we found Thea tied up in a house in the middle of nowhere.
“No. I’m not,” I say, pacing the alleyway and wishing I could come up with some sort of solution to the problem .
“What’s wrong?” CT asks, frowning at me.
I spin to him, bewildered. “What’s wrong? Seriously?”
He sighs and shakes his head. “I know it sucks that our article got pushed but…” He shrugs, looking at Logan. “Tommy is about to get his whole life shut down. That seems important too.”
I stare at him in shock. “Are you fucking kidding me?”
“Look,” Logan starts, holding up a hand. “I know that Bonnie seems to have betrayed your trust, not letting you in on taking Tommy down, but she did something that we’ve all been cowards about.”
“I don’t know about cowards…” CT says, mumbling under his breath.
“Yeah, yeah, we all know you beat the shit out of him, and while that probably felt good—and was justified—it didn’t actually solve anything.” He points his hand at me. “His girl actually did something to solve the problem.”
CT rolls his eyes but smiles. “Yeah, yeah, sure.”
“Yeah, maybe,” I interrupt, my heart pounding in my chest. “But she also painted herself as his number one target. What if he goes after her?”
Logan and CT look at each other and back to me, both frowning before CT speaks up. “That’s what you’re mad about? Not the article?”
I sigh and run a hand through my hair. “No offense”—I look at CT—“but I could give a shit less about Three Rivers being on the cover of her magazine. My woman is now in danger, and I’m terrified that he’s going to do something to hurt her.”
“That’s not what we all thought outside.” Logan jerks a thumb over his shoulder. “We all thought you were pissed she published that article instead of the Three Rivers one. ”
“Fuck no.” I sigh, sitting on one of the benches that holds extra tack against the wall. “I don’t want her to get hurt.”
Dani walks into the barn alone, and I imagine Bonnie standing outside, wondering if we all hate her, and I don’t want her to think that. I’m worried for her. I need her to be safe and protected because I’m not sure I want to live in a world where she’s not here.
“She okay?” CT asks, holding out his arm for Dani to step into.
“Not really, but she’s tough. She’ll get through it.” She holds her arm around CT’s waist, and it makes me want to be by Bonnie.
I take a deep breath, and my family watches me warily, probably wondering why I was acting so unlike myself. “I’ll go talk to her. We’ll probably take off and take some time.”
Dani frowns, worry creasing her brows. “Stets, she’s gone, honey.”
I whip my head around to her. “What? What do you mean gone ?”
Dani looks from Logan to me. “She left. She said she needed to fix this and left.”
“Okay, fine. I’m going to head to The Lodge, go talk to her.”
But when I get there, Amelia is just hanging up the phone at reception and gives me a sad look. “I feel so awful for her. Is she okay?”
I frown, shrugging my shoulders. “I don’t know. I’m about to find out.” I jerk my thumb in the direction of her room and start walking.
“Uh, Stetson!” Amelia calls, and I turn back to her. She’s got a confused look on her face. “She’s not here.”
“What? ”
“That was her on the phone, asking me to send her stuff to her office,” she says, shrugging. “Said she had to go.”
“She’s…gone. Like gone back to the city?” I ask in a dead voice, wondering what the hell is happening to my life. Wasn’t it just a few hours ago that we won our show? That we were kissing on horseback and making plans? How did it all go to hell so quickly?
“Yeah.” She shrugs, her eyes sad. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s…fine.” I shake my head, my eyes burning with anger and confusion and…fuck. I take a deep breath, pasting on a fake smile. “I’m fine. Thanks, Amelia.”
She nods, and I can tell she feels sorry for me, can tell she wants to say more, but bless her soul, she doesn’t.
I head out of The Lodge into the fresh air and breathe deeply.
I have her number, but I’m scared to call only for her to hang up. I don’t know where she lives in the city. I don’t have a way of showing up at her door and begging her to talk to me.
Honestly, I don’t have a clue what I should do.
I climb into my truck. Memories of us riding in it together over the last few weeks, of her hand on my thigh, of our fingers interlaced, of her leaning over and giving me a kiss at red lights assault me.
And maybe for the first time in my adult life, I lean my head back, and I let a few tears fall down my face.