Chapter 12 #3
“Thereby being forced to sell to the highest bidder.”
Montgomery growled. “That’s the way Prescott works. He’ll purchase the property like he has three others.”
“Then yours is left. Right?” I didn’t need him to answer me. I knew a portion of why he was so angry. “Has he been threatening you?”
He laughed, shaking his head back and forth. “For years, although up until recently, they’ve been subtle but blatant.”
“Meaning?”
“A few notes have been delivered over the course of a few weeks.”
“As in?”
“Death threats.”
“Jesus.” A cold shiver trickled down my spine. “You think he had something to do with your wife’s death.”
“I am certain of it. While the damn sheriff and fire inspector ruled it an accident, I was there. I smelled the gasoline. I know what happened, but they just covered it up. Sadly, there was no way to prove it.”
“Just like the fire tonight. You could smell gasoline strongly.”
After shifting in my direction, he took my hand into his.
“I know and I would put nothing past him. His business partners invested a great deal of money based on his promises. From what I’ve learned, the deadlines placed by the county are coming dangerously close to an end.
If he can’t get my estate, which sits smack in the middle, then he won’t be able to finalize the plans.
And I assure you that I’d rather die than allow him to touch the winery.
Wolfe’s board of directors is breathing down my neck, trying to convince me to sell.
I bought some time, but I’m not certain how long.
Sadly, they have the ability to vote me out of my position.
I believe at least two of the members are working with Prescott. ”
“They can do that even though you own the place outright?”
“They can force a sale of certain shares of stock. Depending on the market, they could become worthless in value. That will drag the reputation of the winery down to an all-time low. My father wanted to make certain our stocks would be public, allowing anyone the opportunity of owning them. I assure you that Prescott will purchase every share.”
“That’s insane. They would do that to you?”
“If necessary. That’s business. You must understand that we came from nothing, my grandfather moving his entire family from a reservation in Montana when he was barely twenty years old.
We are Cheyenne, true warriors, but our numbers are limited.
My ancestry is proud, but my father wanted little to do with our heritage, trying to pretend that we were just like everyone else. ”
“That’s why your name is Montgomery.”
He eased his hand away from mine, spreading out his fingers them pressing the tips against my face. “That and in a nod to my very beautiful Californian mother.”
“Half breed.”
“Yes, the sheriff does enjoy throwing that in my face.”
His touch was enigmatic, pulling me into a quiet place of reflection. I adored his touch, the tingling sensations as they cascaded down the length of my body.
“You need to fight what’s happening with everything you have.
You are a proud Cheyenne as well as a winery owner.
That presentation I left you doesn’t include my thoughts on using your heritage as a selling point, but that’s really what I have in mind.
There is such goodness inside of you, an almost desperate need to care for those around you.
I’m so sorry for the tragedies that you’ve endured, but you’re not going to exorcise your demons without shoving the past aside. Help all the small wineries.”
He continued exploring my face, the rough pads of his fingers sliding gingerly over my eyes and nose, moving ever so slowly down to my mouth and jaw. I was forced to stop talking, enjoying the sensations, my heart racing.
“That’s not a bad idea, Aspen. What do you suggest?”
“A commercial. A good one is going to cost some money, but if you do it right, you’ll go national. I have some network connections. They would eat it up.”
His chuckle was laced with complete amusement. “You want me in front of a camera talking? You have to be kidding me.”
“Why would I be? Think about the power of getting to the people, talking about the various wineries and how vital they are to the area. Share how amazing it is to take a vacation in Napa. Show them a beautiful experience that has nothing to do with casinos. In the meantime, I’m going to work my magic on getting the contracts back. ”
“That could be next to impossible.”
“I have certain ways of getting what I want.”
“And you’re not going to do anything crazy. You don’t completely understand what kind of man Prescott is.”
After wrinkling my nose, I knew he would watch me like a hawk. “Stop worrying. I know what I’m doing.”
He growled for several seconds before allowing a slight smile to cross his face. “That’s exactly what I’m worried about.”
We enjoyed a few minutes of quiet as the moon lifted higher into the sky.
I couldn’t think of a more breathtaking moment.
The fact he’d shared something so special with me created more than just a wave of desire.
I knew I could fall hard for this man. There were so many questions in my mind, so much I wanted to learn about him.
“Tell me about your brother. I know he’s a sore point, but I think you need to talk about him.”
As expected, he bristled, grumbling under his breath as he stared up at the stars.
“Maybe you’re right but there’s very little to tell.
Jackson and I were close as kids. He changed after our mother became ill, finally getting into drugs.
It got worse after she died. He even got himself arrested for drug possession.
I had to bail him out to keep his activities away from our father.
My mother was the love of my father’s life, his everything, as he used to tell me.
Pops was suffering so much I knew that one more thing would drive him over the edge.
Hell, Prescott was pushing my father so hard by that point, it was crazy.
I just couldn’t allow Jackson’s behavior to destroy my father.
Anyway, I got him checked into a rehab and when he came back three weeks later, he was a different man. ”
“That’s wonderful. Then what happened?”
“He stayed clean for a few months, working alongside me. And damn, he was good at what he did, too. Most people called him charming, including every woman he met. If he stood out in the middle of the road with five hundred cases of wine, they’d all be gone within an hour.
That’s how good he was.” Montgomery laughed. “Yes, he had a way about him.”
“You were proud of him.”
His face reflected the internal anguish he still continued to feel. “I guess I was. I never thought about it. The marketing ideas were his as well. He’d sketch something out on a page and make it happen. Like magic.”
“They were wonderful ideas from what I’ve seen.” I nursed the wine, fascinated that he was sharing anything with me.
“Our stock went through the roof. He reminded me a little bit of you, forcing me to be front and center in his ad campaign. I guess I really was proud of him. Then things changed. At first it was the little things. He’d be late or forget that we were meeting with a client.
Finally, in the middle of the night he disappeared after stealing some cash from the bank account.
The next time I saw him was the day we buried Carmine.
He was drunk as well as high and I was in no mood for his bullshit.
Something snapped within me. He even missed our father’s funeral.
He didn’t give a shit when my wife was… killed.
He only cared about himself. I couldn’t forgive him.
There wasn’t a chance in hell.” His voice had risen, his chest heaving. “And I still won’t.”
I pressed my hand against his chest. “You both have a level of darkness inside of you that you can’t understand, but I think you need each other. You need to forgive him. You also need to forgive yourself.”
“I will never forgive what I did, but that has nothing to do with Jackson.”
“Why do you think you’re responsible for Carmine’s death?” I pressed. “Because you gave her Star on her birthday?”
He snapped his head in my direction, taking my hand away then squeezing with enough pressure I was thrown into real pain. The look in his eyes was like he’d disappeared, his demons taking control.
“Don’t push me, Aspen. That’s just too painful.”
The look in his eyes really scared me this time. I’d expected a strong reaction, but not like this.
“Don’t hurt me, Montgomery. I care about you. I don’t know how or why, but you mean more to me than you could ever understand. Don’t you think I have my own demons inside? Don’t you think I’ve been through my own tragedies?”
He jerked me closer, pulling me onto my knees.
Wine sloshed out of the glass, trickling down my hand and arm.
His nostrils flared, his entire personality changing right before my eyes.
After tossing his wineglass, he released my hand yet fisted my hair, pulling my head ever so slowly closer to his.
His hot breath skipped across my face, another growl erupting from the deepest part of his system.
“God, I want you,” he whispered. “I’ve never wanted anyone this much.”
“Montgomery. We need each other.”
He crushed his mouth over mine, moving onto his knees, the kiss savage and brutal.
I clung to him, just as desperate as he was, our connection crackling with electricity.
He dominated my tongue, growling the entire time.
Everything inside of me was on fire, my heart thudding to the point I was shaking all over.
Then just as suddenly as he’d pulled me into his arms, he pushed away, jerking up from the blanket.
I was shocked when he walked close to the water.
After taking several deep breaths, I lowered the glass of wine to the blanket, determined not to allow him to shove me aside.
I took deliberate steps in his direction, finally flanking his side.
While we weren’t touching, we didn’t have to.
The flow of electricity had already increased.
Just being near the water seemed to comfort him.
“That was uncalled for. I’m sorry if I hurt you, Aspen.
That was never my intent. Everything that I’ve done has been out of line, but I can’t seem to stay away from you.
You’ve awakened a part of me I thought was dead inside.
No, I wanted it dead. I never wanted to feel again after what happened to Carmine.
Then you came into my life and I remembered what it felt like to enjoy passion.
I forgot that I’m nothing more than a monster.
Perhaps you should leave before I hurt you any further. ”
“Is that what you really want, to push me away?”
He exhaled in an exaggerated manner. “That’s not what I want at all.”
“Then tell me. Tell me what you do want. I understand we don’t know each other. I get that I’m a release for you, but I’ve seen such a change in you over the last few days. What you did tonight was incredible.”
“No, I am a terrible person. The sooner you realize that the better off you’ll be.”
“Damn you. You’re not a monster. You’re a man who allowed himself to become lost because of the love you felt for your wife.
But I won’t be a short-term replacement you can toss away.
As much as I care about you, I can’t and I won’t allow myself to fall into that kind of darkness ever again.
It hurts too much.” I closed my eyes, a single vision of Scott flashing in front of my mind.
I felt Montgomery’s presence drawing closer and wanted to pull away, but I couldn’t.
Instead, I reached out to him. The moment he wrapped his arms around me, I pressed my face against his shoulder, allowing a few tears to fall.
“Let me go.”
“I’m not going to let you go. Not now. Not ever. You are far too special to me. I can’t live without you.”
He was shaking as much as I was, but all I could do was allow the tears to slide down my cheeks.
“What happened to you, baby?” Very gently he eased a finger through my tears on one side of my face then the other. Then he stroked my hair, holding me close. There was such strength in his arms, so much warmth.
“Just a horrible experience on a dark and lonely night. I’ve gotten over it.”
He pushed me back gently, cupping my face. “Did someone hurt you?”
I tried to laugh it off, but he refused to let me go.
“Someone from work. That was almost two years ago. It’s no big deal.
” I managed to push away from him, darting a glance at the water.
I had to break away from the ugliness of the memories.
I couldn’t stand fighting my demons at this point.
I just wasn’t strong enough to handle anything else tonight.
“I have a question for you.” I added a mischievous lilt to my tone.
As he shook his head, he let off a series of guttural sounds. “Come here, little girl.”
“Nope. Not until you answer my question. Is the water warm?”
A sly smile crossed his face. “Interesting questions. Why don’t you find out?”
I had no doubt he didn’t think I would do it.
The conversation had been far too heavy for both of us.
What I needed was to be set free all over again, to fly in the warm embrace of passion.
I yanked off my shirt before kicking off my shoes, quickly unfastening and jerking down my jeans and panties.
I enjoyed watching his face, the way he folded his arms, shaking his head in disbelief.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” he suggested.
“We’re dirty. We need to get the soot off.”
“Maybe, but not this way. I’m just warning you.”
“And you can’t tell me what to do.” I backed away, moving closer to the water. That’s what he started laughing. As I jumped into the water, all I could do was scream.