Chapter 4 THE GREAT WILDE HOGTIE HEIST
HART
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I HAD EXACTLY one minute of peace between slipping out of the town hall meeting and stepping off the front steps of town hall.
My plan was simple: go home, kick off my boots, microwave something regretful, and avoid everyone until morning.
This has been my limit of people for the month—hell, year.
Then the rope comes flying.
“What the fuck?”
It loops around my chest with the precision practiced on actual livestock. In one smooth jerk, I’m spun backward, hat flying, and balance gone.
Three sets of cowboy boots thud across the dusty sidewalk, whooping like damn fools.
“We got us a runner.”
“Tie him up, boys. He’s resisting the call of beer.”
“Look at him, acting like he ain’t thirsty.”
Three of my brothers, full-time ranchers and part-time idiots, grin like coyotes.
“Really?” I mutter, already trying to shake the rope off. “Not now, guys.”
“Famous Hart words. Not now.” Dean does a horrendous impression of me, like he’s choking on a potato.
I’d like to choke him with a potato. He’s obnoxious and uncontrolled ninety percent of the time. And about that same percentage, I tend to stay the hell away from him.
“Untie me.” I make eye contact with Wheeler.
I expect better from him. He’s a dad. He’s a husband. He’s the sanest out of all my brothers.
“Agree to get a drink with us.” He tilts his white Stetson, offering me a silent acknowledgment.
“No.”
“I told you he’d make this hard for himself.” Dean runs his hands together like he’s ready to play dirty.
I’ll knock him out cold.
“C’mon.” Then there’s Levi.
Just his voice these days grinds straight into my gut.
“One drink,” he pleads.
It’s pathetic.
“Y’all not understand the meaning of no?” I shift to loosen the rope, but Dean pulls tighter.
They exchange one of those looks. The ones that say, Oh, we’re not letting you off the hook that easy.
“Last chance.” Dean’s weirdly dramatic tone makes it sound like I’m about to make a life-or-death decision.
With my brothers, one never really knows.
“You sure you don’t wanna come with us?” Dean presses his hands together like he’s begging.
“On my life.”
“Can’t say we didn’t warn him.” Dean shrugs then.
WHOMP!
The rope tightens again, and my feet fly out from under me. I struggle and thrash to save myself. My arms and legs move in every direction they can, which is difficult since they’re roped to my sides.
Gravity wins.
My chest hits the ground like a bag of rocks.
It knocks the wind out of me. I gasp, face-first in the grass, trying to catch my breath. It ain’t happening none too fast.
Dean sucks air through his teeth. “That looked painful.”
“You’re—” I wheeze, trying to inhale. “You’re all gonna pay for this.”
But before I can even finish the threat, they’re already on me, securing my arms and legs in an old-fashioned hogtie style.
Stupid, idiots. I’m going to make them kiss pavement.
“Nice work, boys.” Dean steps back to admire their handiwork.
“You realize I’m still gonna kill you for this, right?” I mutter into the dirt.
“You made us do it.” Levi jostles my leg, double-checking that the rope’s good and tight.
“We can end this all here.” Wheeler slaps my back a little too enthusiastically. “Just say the word, man.”
“Word.”
He chuckles. “Tell us you’re coming to the bar for a drink.”
“Hell. Fucking. No.”
I jerk my leg to the side to loosen the knot. It just digs in deeper. I try to slide my arms free. The ropes tighten the more I move.
I grunt, giving up the fight, but not before I can throw in one last shot. “I’ll remember this when I finally get my hands free, and trust me, you won’t like it.”
Dean crouches beside me and throws a hand over my shoulder. “Oh, we’ll all remember this, don’t worry. The question is, how far are you gonna make us go?”
“I’ve got work in the morning.”
“So do we.” Levi kicks my leg. “But this is more important. What’s the next move, boys?”
“We could always hang him by that tree over there. Make it look like he’s been left for the crows.” Wheeler points to an old oak tree with branches thick enough to hold me.
I narrow my eyes at him, trying to figure out if he’s joking or if he’d actually go through with it. The debate in his eyes convinces me he’s not on my side.
“Nah, man. That’s boring. We just did that to Sammy a few months ago.” Dean leans against a nearby lamppost. “We need to get creative.”
They need to let me go.
“How about we just tie him to the fence in the park?” Levi rests his foot on my back, bends his knee, and rests his arm there as his gaze travels across the road.
“Let him think it over a bit while we enjoy ourselves at Bucky’s.
And if we forget to untie him, I’m sure some single mom would love the honor. ”
I shake my head. “You guys are insane. You’re not—”
“Or.” Dean raises his hand, cutting me off. “We could tie him to the top of Town Hall. Let the whole town see what happens when you try to escape a good time.”
I nearly choke on my own spit. “You are out of your damn minds if you think I’m going up there.”
They turn away from me and huddle together, like this is some fucking football play. When they finally face me, all of them have that look when they think they’ve got some brilliant idea.
Their ideas are never brilliant.
They usually land us in a cell overnight.
And one time, I got ringworm.
“Okay, okay, maybe we’ll save the Town Hall idea for later.” Levi brandishes a pocket knife. “We’ve got a much more effective one, don’t we, guys?”
“Oh, yeah. Much more effective.” Dean’s grin gets a little too wide.
“Yeah, this’ll do the trick.” Wheeler nods like a wise old owl.
I feel a cold sweat trickle down my neck as I try to jerk my legs free again.
“What the hell are y’all going on about?” I snarl.
Dean leans down close to me, his face full of glee.
“We figure a public kind of humiliation might change your tune.”
“I’m gonna change your tune when I get free.”
“We’re gonna cut away your clothes.” Levi flips the knife open with a sharp snap. “Leave you right here on the steps of Town Hall. Bare-assed for everyone to see.”
I freeze. “You’re—what?”
Dean laughs. “Let the good people of Rocky Ridge Creek see what happens when you refuse a good drink with your brothers. The ultimate public service announcement.”
Fuck no. I twist hard, but the ropes are too damn tight. I can barely move my arms.
“This is fucked, you know that, right?” My growl is loud enough; I’m sure everyone inside will hear.
“I mean, we could always go easy on you and just leave you half-naked. But where’s the fun in that?” Dean straightens.
I try to glare at him. “Untie me, dickheads.”
Dean shrugs.
I let out a frustrated groan. “I swear to God, if you do this—”
“Yeah, yeah.” Levi rolls his eyes. “You’ll remember it forever, we get it.”
They step back, staring down at me. I can practically hear the wheels turning in their heads as they prepare to execute their diabolical plan.
This is why I don’t leave the ranch. This is why I like the confines of my office.
“Alright, big bro,” Wheeler says. “What’s it gonna be? Drinks? Or do we start the public wardrobe change?”
I silently curse the day I was born into this family, but as I catch a glimpse of their eager faces, I realize I have no other options.
“Fine,” I mutter, my body deflating in defeat. “I’ll go. I’ll go for a drink.”
Levi pats me on the back, as if he’s just done me a favor. “Attaboy. Knew you’d come around.”
“Like I had a fucking choice.”
They start untying me. My thighs cramp when my legs flop apart like a broken lawn chair.
“Next time, though, we go straight for the Town Hall plan.” Dean runs his fingers over the facial hair along his jaw.
“There’s not going to be a next time.” My shoulder screams as my arms drop away like dead weight.
I don’t ever plan on attending another meeting after tonight.
“There’s not going to be as many chances next time.” Dean points his fingers at me like a pistol and clicks his tongue.
“Keep it up and you’ll have my fist in your face for dessert.” I rub the rope burns on my wrists, as the blood rushes back to my hands so fast they’re pulsing.
“You love us.” Wheeler throws his arm around my shoulder. “Now, let’s get to those drinks before the meeting ends.”
“You of all people? Seriously?”
Dean tosses an electric prod in the back of his truck as he passes it. “I’m disappointed I didn’t get to use that. A light tap would’ve sped up your decision.”
A light tap might teach him not to fuck with me again. I scoop it up on my way past, my fingers curling around the handle.
“Dean?” The idiot actually turns around.
I jab the prod low. The zap cracks through the air, and he jumps two feet.
“Fuck! Shit! Hell!” He does a half-spin, half-slap dance.
“Little tap.” I slap the prod into Wheeler’s chest and keep walking. “I suppose I owe you a drink now.”
“Asshole!” It’s a full-volume screech, but his laughter chases the word.
He liked it.
And they call me kinky.
The bar door slams open, and the first thing I see is Jade.
Fucking hell.
What’s she doing on Bucky’s side?
Life was easier when the Foxes and Wildes didn’t talk and the Foxes stayed on their own damn side. Easier to avoid her.
And after that wretched meeting, and my brothers’ after-party, I need a stiff drink without an eyeful of her ass as she leans across the pool table, arms outstretched, eyes locked on the shot—like mine are locked on her.
A few things hit me hard.
No Stetson.
Instead, a tiara glitters on her head.
But it’s not just the tiara. Her sweater’s gone too, and the shirt she’s wearing looks more like bloody lingerie.
Too strappy.
Too short.
Too silky.
But the right kind of cling—taunting—sexy, even.
I shouldn’t be looking.
But I am.
That’s why I notice she’s not alone.
A biker’s all over her. Too damn close to her backside. And the way his arms stretch over hers, guiding the cue stick like he’s gonna show her how it’s done.
Horse shit.
He’s not helping her shoot. He’s lining up his own play.