CHAPTER 30
“Just blow it up!” I command, “That isn’t inflated enough!”
Chase cuts his eyes to me, his cheeks red as he pants. “You tried to blow one of these up before?” He huffs, “It’s fuckin’ tiring sweetness, I feel like I’m having a heart attack.”
I roll my eyes. “Stop being dramatic.”
He glares at me.
“Blow!” I order.
“Jesus,” He huffs, “You’re worse than Knox.”
He puts his mouth back to the air piece on the yoga ball I found in one of the barns.
There was an entire stack of gym equipment left to rust and gather cobwebs, and the bright purple yoga ball was thrown in there with it.
I didn’t actually have hope it would be good, but it’s inflating, and that’s a win.
Chase had said that before everything went downhill here on the ranch, it was a tourist hot spot, and cabins were built on the west side of the ranch, close to the mountains.
With it came a gym, a pool and other places for the lodgers to use, but after the Rossi enterprise sucked all the money from the place, Knox made the decision to close it all down.
The gym equipment had been left to rot ever since.
Chase finally gets the ball inflated and caps the air piece before he passes it over to me.
“Just what do you want this for, exactly?” He asks skeptically.
“Just…” I glance toward the paddock where Ralph is still being held, his injuries healing but not enough for him to be released back to the herd yet.
“Elena,” Chase warns, “Do not.”
“I’m not going to do anything,” I smile at him.
“Elena,” He warns.
“Don’t tell Knox.” I say before I spin and make my way toward the fence, “Ralphhhhh,” I call his name, “Oh, Ralph!”
“Elena!”
Chase runs after me. “If you get hurt, Knox will have my balls.”
“Ralph would never hurt me,” I tut.
“He’s a fucking bull!” His voice rises.
I stop. “Did you just shout at me?” I ask incredulously.
A heavy breath rushes from him, “Elena, please.”
“Calm down,” I shake my head. “You’re gonna send yourself to an early grave with all this worrying. I saw it online, it’ll be fine.”
“You saw it…” He pinches the bridge of his nose, reminding me so much of how Knox does it when I piss him off. I almost feel bad. Almost.
“Keep up,” I call back to him, closing the final gap to the paddock. When I get there, I turn to Chase and hand him the ball before I hop the fence and whistle, drawing Ralph’s attention.
“Elena,” Chase hisses. “The fuck am I meant to tell the boss when he comes home to find his woman broken!?”
“I’m not going to be broken,” I shake my head, “I mean if you were in here, you might be.”
“Well, I’m not stupid enough to be in there!”
“I’m going to let that slide, Chase, because I actually like you, but don’t push it.”
Behind me, I can hear Ralph making his way over, his snorts loud, and then I feel hot breath on the back of my neck.
“There’s my boy,” I coo to the over two-thousand-pound bull and kiss his nose.
“Did you just–”
“Give me the ball.” I cut him off.
Looking somewhat scared, he passes the yoga ball over the fence, and I hold it ahead of myself. Slapping my hands against it, it makes a sound that draws Ralph’s attention.
“Wanna play?” I throw it down, watching it bounce across the dirt, and Ralph jumps back, snorting heavily.
“It’s not scary!” I assure him, jogging to where the ball bounces across the paddock and give it a gentle kick, “See!”
“Elena!” Chase yells from behind the fence.
“It’s fine!” I call back, but Ralph doesn’t seem to like the ball.
I pick up the ball again and bounce it, tossing it toward him.
It hits him in the shoulder, and he jumps back before he pauses, watching the giant purple ball bounce and for a few long seconds, my heart pounds as I look between Ralph and the fence.
He’s a big sweetie, really, but he can squash me in a second.
But then he lunges for it, sending it flying across the paddock and, like the giant field puppy he is, runs after it.
“See!” I laugh loudly, making my way back to the fence so I can take a seat on the top.
“And if he didn’t like it?” Chase sighs, “What then?”
I shrug. “I’m a live in the moment kind of girl.”
“You don’t say. Consequences be damned.”
Clicking my fingers, I reply, “Exactly.”
But he clearly disapproves if the shake of his head is anything to go by.
Ralph continues to play with the ball, hitting it and then chasing it when it goes flying, and I can’t fucking wait to rub it in Knox’s face. Ralph is a big old baby and needs to be treated as such.
Chase chuckles at my side. “I can see why Knox is gone for you.”
I glance at him, “What?”
“Wild,” He says, “Free. You are everything he used to be.”
“What do you mean?” I press.
“Before the whole shitshow,” He says, “With Rossi and the business, Knox pushed every boundary. He rode the bulls, got in the pen. He played, and he worked, but he was happy, you know? Then Rossi took it all, and his daddy died, and he changed.”
“We all have to grow up,” I swallow.
Chase clearly doesn’t know exactly who I am and how much I had to do with this downfall. I may not have pulled the trigger, but my family is the reason Rossi got so much power in the first place.
“It’s more than that,” Chase sighs, leaning his arms on the fence to watch Ralph, the two thousand plus pound bull, playing with the big purple yoga ball.
“I don’t know. He needs some light, Elena.
He sacrificed an awful lot for this ranch and the people here; he deserves something good. Maybe that’s you.”
“We’re just fucking,” I play it off, swallowing thickly.
He laughs, “Sure.”
“This place will be what it used to be,” I say to Chase, watching Ralph play with the ball. “I’ll make sure of it.”
“One day,” Chase nods, “I really fucking hope so, sweetness.”
I open my mouth to speak, but a growling starts up behind me, and a glance back shows Judge turning toward the drive, his hackles raised.
“What is it?” Chase asks, following Judge’s line of sight.
The dog stands, hackles up down the entire length of his spine, and begins to bark just as the front end of a blacked out SUV comes into view. It’s sleek and modern, the black paint gleaming in the mid-afternoon sun.
“Run,” I choke out, “Chase! Run!”
“What!?”
I hop the fence and start to run for the house.
“Run!” I scream.
He starts after me, Judge at my side, but the car is faster, and it screeches to a halt in front of the house.
I know who it is before they ever step out of the car. Intuition. Dread.
I’m not ready.
Chase grabs hold of me, shoving me behind him as Judge barks and growls toward the parked car.
“Chase,” I pull on him.
“I promised,” He snaps.
“No,” I cry, “Move, Chase.”
Rio steps out of the car, dressed pristinely in a pair of black suit pants and a white button-down, and he holds a gun in his hand. The sun kisses his skin, and his handsome face pulls into a knowing smile.
“Elena,” He purrs, “I missed you.”
This is the man I trusted.
The man I gave my body to.
He was meant to be my friend. A lover.
Now he is twisted with hate.
He wanted more with me; he wanted power, and I didn’t give it to him.
“Rio,” I try to step around Chase, but he doesn’t let me pass.
“You always were a survivor,” Rio cocks his head, eyeing up Chase as he strolls closer, the gun lowered but I know damn well he’ll be quick to use it. “We’ve been searching for you for weeks.”
“Well, here I am,” I look beyond him, expecting to see my uncle or more of his men.
“It’s just me,” Rio smiles, “Because I’m the only one he trusted to get this done.”
“Who the fuck are you?” Chase snaps, “This is private property.”
“Chase,” I whisper, “You need to move.”
Rio gives him the once-over and dismisses him.
“You’ve been hiding from us,” Rio continues.
“How did you find me?”
“Such a quaint little town, isn’t it?” He speaks as if this is some casual, easy conversation when I know this is to toy with me.
“Never even heard of Sierra Valley before, but it’s quiet.
I like it. Perhaps I’ll get a lodge out here somewhere one day.
I’ll give it to the locals though; they keep their lips sealed shut, but I eventually found someone willing to help. ”
“Who?”
“Blonde, pretty,” Rio smirks, “I plan on visiting her once I’m through with you.”
Everly.
That fucking bitch.
And Knox doesn’t want me to kill her!? She sold me out.
“What is going on here?” Chase asks, keeping his body in front of mine. He’s going to get himself killed.
“Moved on quickly, didn’t you?” Rio continues, “I shouldn’t be surprised.”
“Rio,” I swallow thickly, “Please. Don’t do this.”
“You should have just given up, Elena. Why’d you run? You must have known it wasn’t over. Anton wants your body; I plan on delivering.”
“He has the city,” I try, “He doesn’t need my body.”
“If your father was good for anything, it was earning loyalty.”
Does that mean Anton hasn’t fully been accepted yet? Does he need to prove I’m dead to gain full control?
“You should’ve given me what I wanted, Elena.”
“Fuck you!” I hiss, grab hold of Chase and dart left, dragging him with me around the car and toward the house.
Chase is on my heels, but a shot rings out, the sound echoing off the mountains.
I hear a body hit the floor and my heart stops in my chest, but I can’t risk looking back; I have to run.
I have to hide. Find a weapon to fight back with.
I can’t die yet. My contact is coming tomorrow; we’re supposed to be making a plan.
I’m supposed to fix this place! Fix this for Knox.
Rio’s hand twists in my hair just as I get to the porch steps, and I go down hard, my head hitting off the top step with a hard thud.
Stars burst behind my eyes, and I’m momentarily dazed, my body no longer responding as he drags me back down, spinning me until I’m on my back.
He straddles me, hands going to my throat.
No! No!
His palms press into my windpipe, cutting off my air, his face twisted in hate, in rage. I claw at his wrists, trying to throw him off with my hips, but his strength outweighs mine.
A loud snarl sounds before a blur of grey fur lunges for him, teeth sinking into his shoulder. Judge attacks without thought, teeth snapping, his snarling growls violent. Rio has no choice but to let go of me to defend himself against the dog.
I reach for the gun he’s dropped beside us, but Rio manages to throw Judge off, sending him back, but it’s given me a chance. I don’t have a moment to aim; I just fire, the bullet hitting him in the knee.
He howls, falling away from me, and I scramble up, pressing the trigger again, but it simply clicks, out of ammo.
Judge is dazed, Rio is groaning in pain, holding his leg as blood steadily pours from the wound in his knee.
My breath heaves from me, my throat raw, eyes burning.
Stumbling toward him, I lift the gun and bring the butt of the handle down, hitting him hard against his temple, knocking him out cold.
With the rope wrapped around the porch railing, I tie up his hands and his ankles, leaving him there to stumble toward Chase’s body. He’s lying face down in the dirt, a pool of blood blooming beneath him.
Turning him over, I see the hole in his chest, the open, lifeless eyes, the lack of color in his skin. Even his freckles look paler.
Dead. He’s dead.
Blood coats my hands, my legs, as I kneel in the pool, strength leaving me, heart hammering painfully.
And for the first time since my whole life went to shit, I truly cry.