4. Pretty Little Bitch
PRETTY LITTLE BITCH
LAKE
“Where’s the woman?” I ask when I walk in and find Ray still by himself. “Can’t she be bothered to come in and do her job?”
Ray keeps staring at the door across from the counter. His jaw is tight. He’s pissed. It’s written all over him. Hell, it’s radiating from him.
“Turned me down. Said she was too good to tie herself to a simple ranch hand,” he mutters, his face red with fury. “Bitch probably has her eyes set on one of the Wells brothers.”
“Then you dodged a bullet. Let’s get. We both have shit we need to be doing,” I tell Ray, slapping him on the back to pull his gaze away from the direction the woman must be hiding out in.
I know Ray’s temper. If I don’t step in, he’s liable to do something to get himself fired.
I’m not sure I care that much, but no man should lose his job over a bitch—no matter how good she looks.
“Yeah,” he says, giving one final look at the door.
Then he turns and stomps out. I follow, about done with all this.
We walk back the way we came, but don’t even get out of the campground before we’re face to face with three of the elite guard that watch over the ranch.
The elite guard works directly under the Wells brothers.
They have absolute power here. Their word is law—the same as if it’s given by our bosses.
“What’s up, boys?” I ask, feeling the tension in the air.
“Coop wants to talk to Ray,” Tim, one of the elite guards, says.
“What about?” Ray asks, his anger clearly replaced with confusion, and I’m pretty sure I detect a hint of fear, too.
“He didn’t tell us,” one of the other guys says. I can’t remember his name, and it’s not exactly important. I need to concentrate on what’s going on in front of me. Whatever it is, it’s clear Coop is upset. I wonder what in the fuck Ray’s done. For Coop to send men after him, it can’t be good.
We all just stand there looking at one another for a bit. There’s a small crowd gathering a few feet away. This is going from bad to worse by the second.
“Take me to him,” Ray says, looking around and suddenly seeming self-conscious.
He doesn’t like having a small crowd gathering around us.
I can’t say I blame him. This doesn’t really involve me, and I don’t like it either.
I don’t know what my old life consisted of, but I have a knack for smelling danger in the air.
I definitely get that feeling right now.
The hairs on the back of my neck are standing at attention. That’s never a good sign.
It doesn’t take long to see Cooper show up in one of the UTVs that the ranch uses.
What does surprise me, however, is to see that along with Cooper, Carson and Colt have both arrived.
The whole ranch knows the brothers are busy preparing for the security summit.
I steal a glance at Ray, and his face has lost all color.
Can’t say as I blame him. I’d feel the same.
Ray’s a bit spineless. He talks a big game, but I’ve seen him backtrack quickly if another man challenges him.
It wouldn’t surprise me if he doesn’t piss himself soon.
One thing is clear. Whatever he did, he’s in some deep shit right now.
The Wells brothers get out slowly, their gazes all trained on Ray.
I’m standing beside him, and I fight the urge to step back from him.
There’s no reason I can’t. At the same time, I’ve worked beside Ray.
Seems a bit like leaving a man on the battlefield if I do that.
I need to see exactly what he’s done before I leave him to face it without at least some moral support.
“Ray,” Carson says.
“What’s going on, boss?” Ray answers. I know he’s trying not to show fear, but anyone can hear the quiver in his voice.
“When you hired on, do you remember reading the employee booklet we gave you? The one we went over line by line.”
“Y-Y-Yes, sir,” he answers.
“Ray, do you remember what section three addressed?” Carson asks.
“Not right off, sir.”
“Colt, read the first two lines of section three,” Carson orders.
Colt opens up the handbook and turns right to it.
“No employee is allowed to harass, belittle, assault, or make others feel unsafe, uncomfortable, or worried about their position within the ranch. Any personal grievances between employees shall immediately be brought to the attention of the ranch’s leadership and dealt with internally, or—if circumstances warrant—mediation. ”
“Does that seem unclear to you, Ray?”
“N-No sir.”
“Wait!”
My head whips to the side to see a woman jogging over.
She’s wearing worn jeans and a bright pink T-shirt that’s been tucked into her pants, revealing a belt that has spots of turquoise stones and intricate weaving that reminds me of the belts I’ve seen in the Cherokee gift shops along Townsend and Pigeon Forge.
I’ve checked them out because I’m pretty sure I have Native American ancestry.
I was actually drawn to some of those pieces in the gift shops.
I continue to look at the woman. This must be the woman Ray was so excited about.
He said she was pretty, but that’s an understatement.
I’ve not sure I’ve ever seen a more beautiful woman.
She’s got long honey-brown hair that falls to her mid-back.
Her skin is flawless and looks as if it’s been kissed by the sun.
Thick, well-defined eyebrows that offset the prettiest eyes I’ve ever seen.
Eyes that right now look worried, but still shine with an intensity that could probably scorch a man.
I can’t tell their color, I’m just not close enough, but I want to be—and that’s worrisome.
I drink in the rest of her body, full breasts, sweet curves.
Yeah, she’s pretty, just like Ray said. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out she’s also the center of the problem here.
Apparently, she ran straight to one of the Wells brothers to complain about Ray.
It’s clear she means enough to one or all of them to gather their attention and sympathy too.
Just like Ray said, she’s a bitch. A pretty little bitch.
My attraction to her immediately turns off.
It’s not like I truly fool with women anyway.
Since the day I got out of the hospital, I steer clear of them—despite the offers I receive if I go out with the guys.
The men kid me about it, but I ignore them.
I’m not sure what it is. As I let my gaze return to the woman now standing with the Wells brothers, I’m starting to think it’s just plain old self-preservation.
“Livy, it’s okay,” Carson says so gently that you’d think he was talking to his wife.
Something hits me. It’s not jealousy. I don’t even know the girl, but I still don’t like the way he’s holding her and trying to calm her down.
It’s probably bothering me because Carson is married, and I like his wife.
“Carson, just stop. Maybe … maybe I just overreacted,” she murmurs, head down.
I shake my head at the audacity of this chick. She’s trembling. I watch, frowning. Then, I just shake my head. She’s obviously just realizing she’s gone too far.
“We saw everything, Livy. You should have come to us sooner.”
“Today was the worst, and I’m not sure it was that bad …”
“Livy, honey,” Colt murmurs, looking as if he’s in pain.
“I don’t like being the center of attention,” she practically whimpers.
“Hey, Coop, take Livy back to the house. Let her stay with Lisa and Claire while we deal with this asshole,” Carson tells him.
“I can’t do that. I’m working today. I just—”
“I’ll get Deb to cover the campground. You just spend the rest of the day with Lisa.”
“But—”
“No buts. It’s all okay, Livy. Do you remember our promise to you if you agreed to come to the ranch?”
“Carson—”
“We promised you that you’d be safe here. What this asshole said to you today is unacceptable, and you’ve been through too much to put up with it in your home. You’re family, Olivia,” Carson says.
“Exactly, Livy. You’re our family,” Coop chimes in.
“You’re our little sister,” Colt adds, grinning at her.
Olivia looks at them all in shock. “Sister?”
“Exactly. We all love you, Livy. Lisa and Claire love you, too. This family became much better when you came into it,” Carson adds. “Hell, I think Lisa would pick you over me. I know Claire already does,” he jokes, making Olivia laugh.
“She does love me,” she murmurs so quietly that I have to strain to hear her. There’s such a soft, loving look on her face right now that I have to look away. There’s just something about her that keeps getting my attention. I’m drawn to her. What the hell is going on with me?
“Go to the house, Livy. Relax with my girls. This idiot is the last thing that should touch your day,” Carson murmurs like he’s talking to a wounded animal.
I frown. Is there something going on here?
Maybe this woman has them all wrapped around her finger so much because she plays on their sympathies.
I shrug. None of this involves me. I turn around and walk away.
For some reason, when I’m near this woman, I feel like I can’t breathe.
I shake my head at the stupidity of it all.
I don’t bother saying anything to Ray. I don’t really like him, and I can read the writing on the wall.
He’s gone after today, and I can’t even say I’m sorry.
I’m only upset because of the thought that this woman is conniving to get everyone in her corner.
I mean, so he hit on her. If she didn’t like it, shut him down and walk away.
There’s no reason to make such a spectacle of it.
From the way they all reacted, though, she’s really good at causing scenes and playing the victim.
I need to stay far fucking away from her.
I don’t need to give her an opening to allow me to be one of her victims.