76. Beast
BEAST
Ishould have gone home.
The calf was safe.
The fence was repaired.
The teenage ranch hands had finally stopped laughing.
At least to my face.
I knew better than to believe it had actually ended.
One of them had already taken a picture.
The little traitor.
Unfortunately for him, I knew where he lived.
Unfortunately for me, Sadie had gotten a copy.
Now she kept looking at her phone and grinning.
Which was making me nervous.
Very nervous.
"Have you deleted that picture yet?"
"Nope."
I tightened my jaw.
We were walking across the Walker Ranch toward the main barn.
The afternoon sun hung low over the mountains.
The horses grazed peacefully.
Everything looked normal.
Too normal.
Sadie glanced at her phone again.
Then laughed.
I pointed.
"That's exactly what I'm talking about."
"You look adorable."
"I look like a swamp creature."
"Same thing."
I stopped walking.
She stopped too.
Smiling.
Always smiling.
One day that smile was going to kill me.
"I am not adorable."
"You kind of are."
I stared at her.
She stared right back.
Completely fearless.
Most people got uncomfortable when I looked at them.
Sadie never did.
Never once.
It was unsettling.
"You're enjoying this."
"A lot."
"I noticed."
"I might frame it."
I groaned.
She laughed.
The sound drifted across the pasture.
Light.
Happy.
Dangerous.
Because every time she laughed, something inside me loosened.
Something I had spent years trying to keep locked down.
We started walking again.
The barn came into view.
So did an old pickup parked beside it.
I frowned.
Sadie's smile disappeared.
The truck wasn't familiar.
At least not to me.
The ranch hands noticed it too.
All three boys straightened.
The oldest one frowned.
"You expecting company?"
Sadie shook her head.
"No."
The easy mood vanished immediately.
Years in the Rangers taught you to trust instincts.
Mine didn't like this.
Not one bit.
I stepped slightly in front of Sadie.
Automatically.
Without thinking.
She noticed.
Of course, she noticed.
Her eyes softened.
I ignored it.
The truck sat empty.
Dust covered the hood.
No movement.
No sound.
No driver.
One of the boys pointed.
"There's somebody by the barn."
We all looked.
A man stepped from behind the building.
Mid-thirties.
Maybe older.
Tall.
Lean.
Expensive clothes.
Not a rancher.
Not local.
And judging by the expression on Sadie's face...
Definitely not welcome.
The man smiled.
I immediately disliked him.
"Sadie."
She went still.
Completely still.
The kind of stillness that means trouble.
The smile slipped from my face.
"Who is he?"
Sadie didn't answer.
The man took another step forward.
"Been a long time."
Her jaw tightened.
Not nervous.
Angry.
That surprised me.
The boys exchanged looks.
Nobody moved.
Nobody spoke.
The man finally noticed me.
His gaze traveled over my shoulders.
My arms.
My size.
Then back to Sadie.
His smile became forced.
"New boyfriend?"
"No."
The answer came too quickly.
I ignored the strange irritation that caused.
The man laughed.
"I'm Gerald."
I didn't offer my hand.
Didn't offer anything.
His smile faded slightly.
Good.
He looked back at Sadie.
"I've been trying to reach you."
"You should've tried harder."
The boys immediately looked interested.
Teenagers loved drama.
The little vultures.
Gerald sighed.
"Can we talk?"
"No."
"Sadie—"
"No."
His jaw tightened.
For the first time, I saw something beneath the charm.
Something ugly.
Possessive.
Controlling.
I knew that look.
I'd seen it overseas.
Seen it in criminals.
Seen it in men who believed the world belonged to them.
And I didn't like seeing it directed at Sadie.
Not one damn bit.
Gerald took another step.
I took one too.
His eyes found mine.
Message received.
He stopped.
Good choice.
For a long moment, nobody spoke.
Then one of the ranch hands whispered loudly.
"Uh oh."
The other boy elbowed him.
"Shut up."
"I'm just saying."
Gerald looked annoyed.
Sadie looked like she wanted to throw somebody through a wall.
Possibly Gerald.
Possibly me.
Hard to tell.
Finally Gerald exhaled.
"I'll come back."
Sadie's expression hardened.
"Don't."
"I'm not giving up."
That got my attention.
Something cold settled in my chest.
The kind of feeling that never showed up without a reason.
Gerald pointed toward Sadie.
"We have unfinished business."
Then he climbed into his truck.
A second later he drove away.
Dust rolled across the ranch road.
Silence followed.
Nobody moved.
Nobody spoke.
Then one of the boys looked at Sadie.
"That guy seemed like a creep."
The second boy nodded.
"Yeah."
The third shrugged.
"I kinda wanted Beast to punch him."
I almost smiled.
Almost.
Sadie didn't.
She kept staring at the road.
At the disappearing truck.
And for the first time all day...
I saw fear.
Only a flash.
Gone almost instantly.
But it was there.
That was all I needed.
Because if a man could make Sadie Walker afraid...
Then I needed to know exactly who he was.
And why he'd come looking for her.
Thank you, for your continued support.