CHAPTER 35
Koda lets out a low growl at my side, and when I glance down at her, pausing my task of topping up the troughs, I see her staring unwavering toward the front of the house.
The hair on the nape of my neck lifts as I follow her line of sight and see Elena storming from the house, my fucking shotgun in hand, her face a mask of fury, and then I see the target of her ire.
“Fuck,” I growl, dropping the feed to put a damn stop to this lunacy now. I’ve had one too many deaths on this property in the last twenty-four hours; I don’t need another one. Bodies aren’t fucking easy to move.
“Elena!” I roar, but she doesn’t even flinch. Everly climbs out of the car, clearly not seeing the fucking devil coming right for her. “Shit, shit, shit.”
“You little fucking bitch!” Elena hisses, finally catching Everly’s attention. That gun is always loaded, and at that range it’ll blow a hole right through the vet.
“Elena!” I call for her again as I hop the fence, closing the gap.
“Knox!” Everly gasps, a tremor in her tone as she rushes to me, clinging to my arm, but despite my body being in the firing line, Elena still lifts and levels the barrel in this direction, her sights set on Everly.
“Get out from behind him, you fucking coward,” Elena demands. “Face the music, Everly.”
“She’s crazy!” Everly cries. “Knox, do something!”
“Elena,” I lower my voice, trying to calm her, but I’m not stupid, Elena isn’t the type to be placated. She’s as stubborn as a mule, with a temper to rival a bull. “Put the gun down, darlin’.”
“Go on,” Elena snaps out, “Tell him.”
“Tell me what?” Everly cowers behind me, her hand trembling.
“Tell him!” Elena yells.
“What?” Everly cries.
A cruel smile curls up Elena’s plump lips. “Tell him how you gave me up. Tell him how it’s your fucking fault Chase is dead.”
“What?” Everly seems genuinely confused. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“So you didn’t tell the man who asked about me yesterday where I was?” Elena challenges.
“Oh, your boyfriend?” Everly seems to relax a touch. “I thought I was helping.”
My heart plummets. “You gave her up?”
“Gave her up?” Everly frowns. “No, I was helping. Her boyfriend was looking for her.”
“Knox,” Elena’s voice is quiet, barely above a whisper, but I hear the strain weighing down every word. “Move.”
“How am I the problem here!?” Everly cries.
But Elena laughs, “You got Chase killed. You almost got me killed. Where I’m from, you’d already be dead.”
“Get in your car, Everly.” My words are spoken through gritted teeth.
“Is Chase really dead?”
“Get in your fucking car,” I snap at her, “Before I move and let her shoot you.”
Real fear pales her skin, and she scrambles back toward her car. I keep my body in the way of Elena’s shot. Chase is one thing, covering up his death is easier since he has no family, no one looking for him, as much as that sickens me, but covering up Everly’s won’t be so easy.
The car door slams, and then she’s reversing at speed, gravel and dirt kicking up from beneath the tires as she peels away and guns it back down the drive.
“Why the fuck did you protect her!?” Elena explodes.
“Elena,” I step forward even though the shotgun is still loaded and aimed, “Killing her changes nothing.”
“Actually, it would make me feel tremendously better.”
“It doesn’t change anything,” I repeat.
“If she hadn’t told Rio where I was, Chase would still be alive.”
A bright burst of grief stabs me in the chest. “I know. She’s a problem, and I will handle it.”
“You know, if you hold someone under water long enough, they stop being a problem.” Elena glares at me.
I can’t help it; a small, amused smile ticks up the corner of my mouth.
“This isn’t fucking funny!”
“I will handle it.”
“If you don’t, I will, and I fear your handling and mine are two very different things.”
I finally get a grasp of the shotgun, and she releases it, yielding it to me. Shotgun in one hand, my other slides around her waist, and I drag her forward. “I will handle it.” I promise her.
“Like you handled Rio, I hope,” She grumbles.
“You’re a violent little thing,” I lower and whisper my mouth across her jaw, reveling in the way her fingers curl into me, holding on.
Everly is long gone, the dust from her speedy exit now settling, and I will handle it.
Elena’s hand slips up the front of my shirt, her nails raking over my skin as my mouth continues down her throat, whispering over the hurt marked into her skin, but she whimpers, and the sound has blood shooting straight to my cock.
The woman can simply breathe, and I’ll be hard.
I begin to walk her backwards, toward the house, mouth on her, hands touching, feeling and she follows, allowing me the control but behind her, Judge lets out a loud bark followed by a growl and that has Elena stiffening, growing cold in my arms.
“What is it?” But she doesn’t need to answer, not when the crunch of gravel sounds a second later followed by a deep roar of an engine.
It’s the type of sound that doesn’t belong.
We don’t have cars like that here in Sierra Valley for a few reasons.
First, it’s impractical, with the state of the roads and the many potholes, the suspension would get fucked within a week, it can’t carry anything and here, you need to be able to load up and go and last, no one can fucking afford it.
The sleek, matte grey Mercedes AMG rolls toward us, windows tinted just enough to conceal the driver behind the wheel.
I turn toward the new arrival, keeping Elena behind me as I firm up my grip on the shotgun and wait for them to come to a stop beside my Chevy.
The driver door opens, and a man dressed pristinely in an all-black suit climbs out. His eyes land on Elena the moment he’s out of the car.
“Elena De Luca,” He addresses her, “Long fucking time.”
Elena steps up beside me, letting her hand slide down my forearm before she links her fingers with mine. The man doesn’t miss it, a grin pulling up his mouth.
“Knox,” She says, “Meet Caden Blackwood. Cade, this is Knox Carter.”
“Your friend?” I ask.
“The very one,” She confirms.
My forearms rest on the railing on the porch, watching Elena and Cade talking by the paddock where Ralph and the herd are grazing. Koda and Lettie are patrolling, and the guys are back from their day off, completing the jobs I didn’t manage to get finished.
My spine stiffens as I watch Cade reach for her, his finger curling beneath her chin, and she allows it, tilting her head back. His touch on her seems familiar, comfortable, and I don’t fucking like it.
It’s not lost on me that this is what she felt with Everly.
Jealousy isn’t something I am familiar with.
He says something to her, and her eyes cut to me before they return to him, and then it’s him staring me down. I meet his eyes, refusing to back down. It’s not hard to realize he’s from a background just like hers.
For a few long seconds, we hold the position, but then a grin splits his hard expression, and he drops his hand from her chin. If I’m not mistaken, a relieved exhale loosens Elena’s shoulders before they start to walk toward me.