| |
PULLING INTO THE SMALL ranch her father had been content working since before she was born, Avery found comfort in the familiarity. Ben’s truck wasn’t there yet, and Avery was relieved. She would see what they had for dinner, and she’d cook tonight. The menfolk would appreciate it, and Ben would be easier to talk to on a full stomach. One-pot pasta dishes were hearty and fed hard-working men well.
After she put the dinner on, Avery went up to her room to get more of her things and threw them in a tote. She then placed it in the mudroom, ready for when she left. Her dad came in the door and held his arms out. Avery walked right into them.
“Something smells good, and I don’t mean dinner.”
“Thanks, Dad. Sorry I haven’t seen you these last few weeks. I’ve been so busy and, well, I thought it would be better to let Ben calm down.”
They walked into the kitchen. “I agree, really. I tried to talk to Ben, but he had it in his mind that you sold him out so you could get with Stryker, among other things.”
“That wasn’t it at all.”
“Oh, I know. Stryker came by, and we had a long talk. Then I had one with Ben. Both men are stubborn, and I got tired of hearing the same arguments back and forth, so I gave up. Ben needs to work off his debt and learn not to incur any more. And your man needs to be more tolerant of others, but I didn’t disagree with him about paying off your brother’s debt. Ben would have skipped out on returning the funds if he worked it off with me. Stryker is protective of you.”
“Stryker is very protective. I had to get firm with him to come alone tonight. He thought Ben might get out of control. I wonder if either of them will change.”
Macon Camden shook his head. “I doubt it. Now, what brings you here to spend time with your old dad?”
Avery checked the dinner before she smiled wistfully. “I hoped that I could mend fences with Ben. And spend time with you and Cass, of course.”
“Well, you might only get me and Cass, sweetheart, because Ben hasn’t been coming home until late or not at all. Says he is required, some nights, to stay over at the ranch.”
“Oh, I hadn’t heard that. In fact, I am pretty sure that Seamus said that he sends everyone that wants to go home, home. They have about half of the hands that don’t live locally and only work about six months out of the year, so they bunk on the ranch. The local workers are year-round and want to go home.”
“Well, that’s why Ben has said he hasn’t been home. I don’t know where else he might be unless he has a girlfriend. If he does, it won’t likely last long, and he’ll be back home at night. Besides, he isn’t any less angry with your situation or his, working at the Red Eagle.”
“Stryker said that was possible. Actually, he said it was likely.”
“You might want to listen to the man. He seems to be fairly level-headed.”
“Oh, not you, too. Stryker already has a big ego.”
Macon laughed as Cass was walking in the mudroom door and pulling off his boots. “Hey, it’s the squirt. What brought you home, girl? I thought you had a man waiting for you?”
“Hush, I do, but tonight I thought I’d make you dinner and visit a bit.”
“Dinner and company? I like it, except I’d like it better if I could get a shower first. Do I have time?”
“You two get in and clean up. I’d say you have twenty minutes.”
“More than enough time.”
Cass mussed her hair as he walked past. She wished Ben was more like their older brother. Cassidy knew what he wanted. He was dating a nice girl and had a direction for his life. Ben didn’t seem to have any of those things going for him.
Her heart warmed. She and Stryker hadn’t gotten into that comfortable stage yet. He was beginning to tease her, and that was fun, but he was still too stiff sometimes, almost legalistic in his dealings with her. They were trying to keep personal separate from professional, but with the job on the same property and his family everywhere, how could it be strictly divided?
He tried to say all the right words and do the right things, and his technique in the bedroom was more than she had ever dreamed she’d be the recipient of, but something was missing. The easy, spontaneous familiarity wasn’t always there.
Oh, he was demonstrative behind closed doors and after hours, but expectedly so. It wasn’t often that his eyes heated in an all-consuming, I must touch you, way. She wanted more of that and less of the, me Tarzan, you Jane, stuff. Maybe that was asking too much. She didn’t know because she hadn’t ever been with a guy that flipped as many switches as Stryker did.
Avery needed to work on herself too. She needed to trust more and stop looking for reasons this relationship wouldn’t work. She needed to become invested or step out. They had started this whole thing off in an odd way, but he still made her heart pound when he came into the room and scanned it looking for her.
Then, when his eyes locked with hers or Avery heard Stryker’s rumbling voice, it was game over. She would do whatever he asked of her. It was early days, yet she knew she was falling in love with him and would be totally gone if she just allowed herself.
As predicted, Ben never showed up for dinner. It got later without any appearance, so Avery decided to go home. The guys were tired and would soon want to go to bed. It was only eight-thirty, plenty of time for her to have a quick check as she went through town at Ben’s usual haunts. If she saw him, at least she’d know what he was doing every night. Her dad hadn’t said anything, but she knew he worried about where his son was going. Gambling was the first thing on her mind and probably the guys’ first thought too.
As she parked on the side street next to Cattlemen’s, Avery hesitated. It was an un-secret that some not-so-legal games happened on that side street, and Avery almost lost her nerve before talking herself into just checking for Ben. If he wasn’t there, great, if he was, well, she’d cross that bridge when she came to it.
Pulling open the door to the non-descript abandoned repair shop, Avery tried to step inside as quietly as she could. The man sitting in a chair off to the side of the door, watching a game, gave her an odd look but ultimately nodded and resumed following the hand at a nearby table.
It took a minute to get used to the thick air and overly bright light in the gaming room. As Avery let her gaze fall over the space, a stereotypical smoke causing a blue haze was in one corner, but the air was more breathable near the door.
She began to look for her brother with a weight in her belly. She could hear Stryker’s words in her head spoken low and deep. If he ever found out she was in this place, it would be hard to explain. Then, she shivered at the imagined sound of his hand on her rear as he pounded out his punishment for putting herself in danger. The mental picture was enough to send her straight out the front door again. Almost.
As Avery wandered through the edges of the room, men with grabby fingers appeared to emerge everywhere. There didn’t seem to be even one table that she passed that didn’t materialize at least one hand ready to touch, pinch or grab a part of her body. Her butt seemed to be the most desired target.
As she continued to look for a familiar face, she became more uneasy the longer she stayed. Avery was relieved she hadn’t found Ben. She turned to retrace her steps, hoping to avoid the same groping fingers she previously experienced upon entrance when she heard him. Ben whooped, and she would know that sound anywhere.
Looking in the direction of the cry of joy, likely a win, she saw his sandy blonde head bowed as he scraped in his winnings. She should have left. Would have left if she had stopped to think out her next move, but suddenly Avery was standing silently next to him.
“What the hell are you doing here?” said her brother.
“Ben, I cooked dinner and thought you’d be home with dad and Cass, but when you didn’t show up, I thought—”
“You thought you’d hunt me down. Haven’t you caused enough trouble?” He shoved her hard, but she broke the fall on the man next to her. She straightened. “Go back to your lover boy. Trick him into trusting you and see how he likes it when you betray him.”
“I didn’t betray you,” her quiet, wounded voice telling of her hurt at his words. “I tried to save you from yourself. I didn’t gamble away my family’s assets, and I didn’t try to emotionally blackmail my younger sibling into doing my bidding even though it was irrational and probably illegal.” Her tone changed to anger as she warmed to her topic. “You betrayed us all.”
“Yeah, well, it didn’t work, did it? Now take your unwanted help and leave me alone.” Ben’s volume had risen exponentially. He’d been drinking. Gambling and drinking never mixed, which was likely how he’d lost so much already. Ben stared at the table for a couple of minutes as the game began to set up again.
“Ben, you have to work tomorrow, and I was hoping we could talk. I’d hoped Stryker was wrong. He said you weren’t ready to talk through things.”
“That your wife or your sister, Ben?” smarted off one of the men at the table, and several laughed. Several others didn’t. Everyone seemed to be watching the scene play out.
“If he doesn’t want you, honey, I sure do. Why don’t you come over here and be my good luck charm? If it works, I’ll make it worth your while.”
She saw Ben’s irritation, but something else flashed across his face, concern. Was he worried about her? Of course, he was. She was his little sister, and he was still her big brother, no matter what had gone on between them. Now she knew she was in more danger than she had at first thought. Stryker would have a field day with this if he found out. She needed to leave.
Ben glanced away for a second before looking back at her with anger and said, “Go on. Go back to Stryker.”
“Stryker? Stryker Red Eagle?” asked the man who just offered to use her as a charm.
“Yeah, she’s keeping his bed warm for him.”
“I don’t want no trouble with any of those Red Eagle boys. You go on home to your man, honey. It’s safer for all of us.”
Avery heard her own gasp at the way her brother had described her, as though she were a streetwalker or something. He did it on purpose, right? He didn’t mean it. It was a strategic move to keep her safe. But it still hurt. She lashed out without thinking it through.
“Shut up, Ben. If it weren’t for Stryker, you’d be out on your ear without an inheritance.”
Out of nowhere, she saw the flash of flesh and then the jarring pain of impact. For a split second, she saw the horror on Ben’s face before the full level of pain hit her. She stumbled and fell against people at the next table, then the corner of their table before hitting the floor. Her ears were ringing, her head vibrating. Then her whole body vibrated. Her teeth even hurt. Did he break her jaw? A wave of nausea swept over her as the edges of the room darkened. Do not pass out. There’s no one here to protect you.
She’d gone too far and had struck a nerve too sensitive to endure the contact. He’d lashed out without thinking. She’d seen it before. Someone was at her arm, helping her to stand and then scooped her up, bringing on a stronger wave of nausea. She swallowed hard to hold back the urge to puke all over this helpful person. At least she hoped he intended to be helpful. Fear suddenly swept through her. She tried to turn her head, to find Ben, but he must have left. That hurt the worst. He’d left her to fend for herself.
“I’m... I’m okay. I’m leaving now.”
“Sweetheart, I’m taking you home. You are in no condition to drive. Besides, Stryker is already going to be unmanageable when he sees you. I bet he doesn’t know you’re here. Am I right?”
“Yes, no, umm, I’m going home. I came to see Ben. Can you put me down?” Avery managed to say before she fought another wave of nausea. Whose voice was that? She recognized it but from where? She couldn’t open her eyes just yet, and her brain was slow to process.
“Sweetheart, are you about to get sick?”
“What? No, I, um, maybe. I need to sit a minute, and then I can drive home. Stryker is waiting for me.” It hurt to talk or even think. “Wait, I know you. Who are you? Can you call Stryker?”
“Open your eyes, sweetheart. I’m going to take you to him. It’s Seamus.”
“Seamus? Oh, good, can you tell Stryker something? Tell him I’m coming. I’ll be on my way as soon as... as soon as my head stops hurting so badly?”
Seamus said a few things under his breath, but she didn’t catch them. “You sure I don’t need to take you to the hospital?”
“No. Where’s Ben?” She tried to shake her head, but even the slightest movement sent waves of pain and nausea in motion. She groaned in her discomfort.
“He’s long gone, sweetheart. Avery, stop moving.” Was Seamus angry with her too? “Let me take care of getting you home.” His dark Dom voice reminded her of Stryker. She tried to smile, but it hurt too damn bad.
“Fine. I’ll be fine. I need some aspirin and to go to bed. Will aspirin make me more nauseous? I’m tired, Seamus.”
“Yep, hospital, it is.”
“No, we have an agreement. I said I’d be back by ten. Or was it eleven? No, I’m sure it was ten. Pretty sure. If I’m late, he’ll spa... he won’t be happy.”
“Aw hell, sweetheart, he really clocked you. Come on, I’m calling Stryker. And he won’t spank you tonight.”
“Sure?”
“Yep. Sure.”
“Maybe you’d better call him then. I don’t feel well.”