CHAPTER 34
A scratchy, raw soreness dominates my throat this morning, making each swallow of cool water a painful reminder of everything that happened yesterday.
I woke up alone, and as I step outside, shielding my eyes from the morning sun, I catch sight of Knox with a hose, spraying water down onto the ground in front of a fence.
There’s now a herd of cattle in the paddock beside Ralph, and the fence between his and theirs is open, giving him full access to them.
Slipping my feet into my sneakers, I head toward Knox, an ache in my body that’ll take a few days to go away. Not the first time I’ve taken a beating, it likely won’t be the last.
“Hey,” I rasp, swallowing thickly.
His eyes snap up, and a muscle jumps in his jaw as he takes stock of the injuries marking my skin.
“What are you doing?” I ask, glancing at the puddle of water and mud.
“Cleaning up,” He grumbles.
“I think it’s clean,” I point out, “Whatever it is.”
He chuckles, “Takes a bit more than that to get rid of the blood.”
“Blood?”
“Rio’s dead.” He doesn’t look at me when he says it, just keeps hosing down the same spot on the ground. I glance around, confused as fuck, as if his body is just going to be out here in the open in broad daylight.
“What do you mean?” I blink a few times. “Is he still in the barn?”
“No.”
“Well, where is he?”
“Buried.”
“Knox,” I groan, “Stop being so fucking short. What happened?”
“I left him right here,” He jerks his head to the saturated ground, “And I drove the herd through the fence.”
“You… trampled him to death?” My eyes widen at the information. I figured he’d shoot him, not premeditate his death like this.
“I wanted it to hurt,” He replies. “So I made it hurt.”
I cross my arms over my chest and lean on the fence, looking at the herd, who appear happy and grazing in their field, Ralph easy to find in the middle of them all.
Rio’s dead.
“Someone will be here today.” I can’t shake the rasp in my voice, the damage Rio did to my throat leaving me bruised.
“Who?” Knox shuts off the hose and finally gives me his full attention.
It hits me in the chest when I catch the way he’s looking at me.
It’s heated but soft too, the lines in his forehead smoothed out, and when he steps closer, the fence between us, he slides his hand around the nape of my neck, gently asking me to tilt my head back.
“A friend,” I answer him as he inspects the bruising collaring my throat.
I tilt my head back down, meeting his eyes. “Do you trust this friend?” He asks.
“I don’t know yet,” I answer honestly, “But it’s the only shot I have.”
He nods, contemplating my words before he leans and brushes his lips across mine.
I can’t help but melt against him, somehow feeling safe, secure in his arms, despite the very real war at my back.
I only have a matter of time before my uncle decides to come looking for me himself, and I want to be ready this time.
But for a minute, I forget it all. I forget that only yesterday I almost died, and Knox lost a friend. That the same man I gave my body to for years is now dead, trampled to death and it was all organized by the same man sweeping his tongue between my lips, his hands gentle where they cup my face.
He breaks the kiss and sweeps my hair from my face. “I’ve got your back,” He promises.
I wrap my hands around his wrists and press up onto my toes to capture his mouth again. I hadn’t realized just how alone I felt until he said those four words.
“Elena,” He growls against my lips.
“Thank you,” I kiss him again.
He pulls back, his eyes bouncing between mine. “Whatever I have, it’s yours.”
My lips part on a shocked inhale, “Knox.”
He shakes his head and lets out a laugh. “I am so fucked.”
I lower my eyes, but his finger beneath my chin forces them right back up.
“Me. My ranch. My life. It’s yours.”
He takes hold of my hand and presses my palm to his chest, covering the steady and strong heartbeat beneath his shirt.
“You can have this too.” He rasps.
My heart thuds in my chest in response.
He kisses the corner of my mouth and then steps away, continuing his work while I stare at his back, his broad shoulders stretching his shirt. He doesn’t wait for a response from me; I’m not even sure he expects one.
But I see it.
The possibility of a future with him, here on this ranch. A city under my control, endless opportunities…
He begins to walk away, picking up his tools as he goes before he glances back, “Also, stay the fuck away from Ralph.”
That snaps me out of it.
“How about no?”
He shakes his head in exasperation, but I think we’re getting somewhere because he doesn’t argue.
I head back to the house to get dressed. I don’t know when my contact is due to arrive today, but the letter gave today as the date, and if I know anything about them, their word means everything.
I slip a pair of shorts on and a breezy linen shirt with my boots and then braid my hair in the mirror. The bruising on my throat looks worse in the bright lighting of this bathroom, the edges this deep, angry red color. I can see the print of Rio’s hand, the outline of every finger.
What would my father think of all this?
I roll my eyes at myself. He wouldn’t be thinking about it at all, he would have ended the threat before it ever became one. But I’m not even sure he would have seen this coming.
There’s no covering the mark, so I leave it and place my hat on before I head back out. Judge perks up, and I scratch his head, pausing on the porch, eyes falling to the spot on the ground where Chase’s blood still stains the gravel.
The sun has dried it up, making it appear far darker than the red it was yesterday. I can still see his body lying there, those unseeing eyes open.
I am no stranger to death. I never thought it would affect me again, but there’s something so very haunting with the memories.
It was needless.
He died because he wouldn’t fucking move. He wouldn’t leave!
Tires moving across gravel catches my attention and I lift my eyes from the bloody spot on the ground, expecting to see a black SUV perhaps or some sleek sports car but my blood turns molten when the familiar pickup ambles toward the ranch, Everly behind the wheel.
Knox doesn’t know it was her who tipped Rio off. He promised me the town wouldn’t talk, and they didn’t, but he didn’t account for a bitch with a crush who saw an opportunity to get rid of the competition.
Dipping back inside, I grab the shotgun, the weapon far heavier than what I’m used to, and then rip open the drawer, picking out the shells before it slams shut and I’m meeting her as she gets out of the car.