Chapter 3 #2
He sets Gizmo on the floor and pushes to his feet, making his way over to me and settling on the edge of the desk. "All I know is that my head was a very dark place to be for a very long time. I don't want that for you. I can't stand to see you spiraling the same way I did."
"I'm not spiraling."
At least, not admittedly.
Liam snorts. "Oh yeah? Stalking off into the woods in the middle of the night with nothing but your axe and a bottle of bourbon and not coming back for a week sounds like completely emotionally stable behavior."
I scowl at him.
But I can’t really argue against his point.
Not when all I want to do is disappear exactly like that again after not even twelve hours back in civilization.
My stop back into town this morning has already been a shitshow of epic proportions.
Topped off by my confrontation with Raven that I’m sure Liam will hear about soon, too.
It all makes me wish I had never left the safety and seclusion of the wilderness of McBride Mountain.
Where I can hide from things like blond reporters who can’t keep their noses out of everyone else’s business and from the inquisition Liam is about to put me under that Killian would gladly join if he were here, too.
"Where's Killian?"
Liam rubs the back of his neck, glancing at the maps on the wall. "He went up the mountain."
"Where to?"
He swallows thickly, his eyes moving to the old map that led us to find answers for Willow, to find Killian’s son, and the truth about Liam’s father. A shadow crosses over his eyes. "Beyond the gorge."
"I thought we were done over there…"
Which means I must have missed something important this past week.
We had finished clearing the particular area we had targeted beyond the gorge and milling the logs on the yard last month. All that was left was site cleanup and to get the equipment moved to the next location. None of that should have required Killian’s presence.
Liam nods. "We are…mostly, but they found a grove of black walnut and asked to have Killian come check it out."
Black walnut is like solid gold in our business.
Strong.
Sturdy.
Easily workable.
Not to mention beautiful for use in furniture making.
"Is the grove big?"
He shrugs. "Big enough that it would probably add several hundred grand to our income if we cleared part of it."
Damn.
That’s the kind of good news and financial boon we could really use after all the bad that has happened on the mountain lately. And I should be up there helping with the inspection, assisting with a plan to get the equipment where it needs to be and our work crews properly assigned.
Killian shouldn’t be there alone.
Especially there.
The fact that he can go up to that side of the mountain after everything that happened to Willow there proves that he truly is the strongest of us.
I can't even stand being on my own homestead, in my own cabin, after everything that happened there, with all the blood I shed on the land, and the memories of the lives I took—
"Are you good?"
Liam’s question snaps my focus back to the conversation and makes me realize that the answer to that question is one I can’t deny anymore.
I finally lock eyes with him again. "No."
"Will you be?"
That’s the ultimate question, isn’t it?
"I honestly don't know…"
The sympathy in his gaze hurts almost as much as the unease I see in the looks from those in town. "Just promise me something."
"What?"
"Don't do anything stupid. After everything we've been through in the last few years, I couldn't handle losing you."
"You're not going to lose me."
His jaw tightens. "I wish I could believe that."
Me, too.
RAVEN
The bell above the door at Mind Your Own Beeswax jingles as I push through it, carrying my laptop close to my chest to protect its contents from further assault from Connor in case he decides to show up here today, too.
Asshole.
I wouldn’t put it past him to follow me here…
Willow glances up from where she sits on a stool behind the register looking over what appears to be inventory notes. Her dark brows rise, gray eyes sweeping over me with surprise. "Hey, I wasn't expecting to see you today. You said you were elbow-deep in a story."
More like up to my fucking neck.
Releasing an annoyed sigh, I bee-line for her and set down my computer, staring at the corner of it where Connor grabbed and slammed it shut like I can still see the taint of his hand on it. "Yeah, me either.”
“Shouldn't you be working?"
I roll my eyes. "I would be if I hadn't gotten totally thrown off my game."
She sits up taller on the stool. "What do you mean?”
“What I mean is your brother-in-law is back and stirring up his usual bullshit again and directing it at me."
Typical Connor McBride behavior, really. Any reason to argue with me or shove my face in the dirt, that man will find it.
Lucky steps out from the back room with a box of candles, her blue eyes wide. "Did I just hear Connor is back?"
I nod as she sets the product on the counter and exchanges a worried glance with Willow.
My best friend spins the pen in her hand nervously. "How did he look?"
Annoyingly handsome.
Shit…
That shouldn’t be the first thing I think of when asked a question like that, but while Connor McBride may be a dick on just about every level, no one can deny how attractive he is.
Rugged.
Dangerous.
With those piercing dark eyes and bad fucking attitude.
That only makes him more infuriating.
I cross my arms over my chest and blow out a huff of air to get my hair out of my eyes and to try to cover any potential slip I may make facially while taking my time to respond.
“Honestly, he looked like shit, like he hadn't slept the entire week he was up the mountain.” Dark bags under his eyes. Deep lines etched on his forehead and mouth I don’t remember being there before.
That trembling in a body that’s always been so rock solid.
“But at least he showered before he came to town. "
Willow's mouth falls open on an incredulous gasp. "You mean he went back to his cabin and didn't come to see us?"
Hell.
There it is…
That hurt in her voice.
She truly cares about Connor and what he’s going through. No matter how bad things get between me and him, she will always have a soft spot for him. The fact that he keeps freezing her—and everyone else—out, is really getting to her. That only makes me more furious with Connor.
His horrible behavior and attitude may hurt me. That’s fine. I can take it. Willow can’t. Nor should she have to.
"Maybe you were already down here by the time he got back…” Even as the words leave my mouth, trying to placate her, I know they’re not true.
Connor snuck onto the homestead, cleaned up, and skulked away like a thief in the night rather than a man returning home.
And I can’t lie to her about it. “But I don't think so.”
Her entire face falls, disappointment seeping into her gray gaze. “Why not?"
Dammit.
I wish I didn’t have to be the one to tell her all this. She always views anything that comes out of my mouth relating to Connor McBride with a grain of salt, having clearly been tainted by my deep dislike of him. That means she probably won’t believe me anyway.
"Because he talked to Tony this morning at the diner before the sun even came up.”
Willow crosses her arms over her chest, skepticism written all over her face. “How do you know?”
I release a long sigh. “Because Connor knew about my article, and after he came into the bakery and tried to start World War III, Tony stopped by and offered an apology for spilling the beans.”
A huffed breath floats from her lips. “Well, damn."
Lucky leans her elbows on the counter, resting her face in her palms, her blue hair spilling forward as she watches me with interest, clearly wanting all the details of our confrontation. "What did he say to you?”
I’m not about to get into the exact words exchanged with either of them; that would only prove Connor’s point. Something I absolutely do not want to do today when I need to get back my focus on the damn story.
Shrugging, I try not to be as rattled by what went down at the bakery as I really am. "Just that he was mad that I wrote that article."
Willow purses her lips. "I told you not to.”
She sure did.
For years, she’s warned me about my community news stories and that they pissed off the McBride brothers—and some other residents of McBride Mountain—and that one day it would push someone over the edge.
She was right. Connor was damn near close to that today, but that doesn’t mean what I did was wrong.
“When has that ever stopped me before?”
Willow gives me a tight smile. “True…but there are some things that are better left alone, Raven. Things better kept private."
If she or anyone else knew what I've been working on, they'd probably duct tape me to one of the chairs Liam builds until they could convince me not to write it or publish it…and throw my computer in the fire pit.
But my article about Connor wasn’t what he thinks, even though he always wants to believe the worst of me. Still, I’m not going to try to defend it to Willow, either.
Lucky begins unboxing the candles one by one, setting them on the counter. "Did you and Connor continue the fight you had the other night?"
My back stiffens, and I look to the beautiful woman who has captured Liam's heart but who also brought the Lorells and all the danger to the mountain with her.