Page 46 of Wrangled
He leans back, his posture relaxed, yet a wariness lingers in his expression.
“When he hears what you’d done? How will he react?”
“Oh, he’ll go postal, but here’s the kicker. The whole world thinks my father is dead. So he has to color within the lines he drew, or he’ll give himself away, and won’t that be an interesting deck of cards to play from? The beaten child, framed for murder by the very man supposed to protect her? The media would chew him up and spit him out. Nobody would want to do business with him again. He would be the architect of his own downfall.” I grin, getting a kick out of the fact that he did this to himself.
“So why kill him? Why risk losing everything you’re trying to build here?”
“I like you, Riggs. I can see that, despite everything, you’re a good guy, but you’d be a fool to mistake me for one. I told you I won’t hunt him down, and I meant it, but when he comes for me, and he will, it will be the last thing he ever does.”
He pulls into the parking lot behind the town hall and parks. Turning off the engine, he leans toward me.
“A good man wouldn’t have the thoughts I do. I might not let my demons out to play too often, but it’s not because I don’t have any. It’s because when they’re unleashed, I have no control over them.” He kisses my forehead, his lips lingering for a minute before he gets out and slams the door.
I watch as he walks around the truck before coming to my door and helping me out. He reaches into the back seat for his hat and places it on his head before offering me the crook of his arm.
He leads me inside the bustling room. It’s so busy that we decide to stand at the back, listening to someone arguing about their neighbor’s dog, before I notice people turning in my direction.
I bite my lip and pretend not to notice until someone stands up and points at me.
“Murderer.”
Voices start to get louder as people begin cursing my name.
“You killed your daddy and Dale. How can you live with yourself?”
I look up at Riggs, whose body has gone rock solid.
“And I’m done already. Let’s go home and watch a movie or something.”
I ignore all the yelling and focus on the man who looks like he’s about to commit homicide himself.
He nods stiffly before leading me back out to the truck. We climb in and drive home in silence, Riggs fury palpable.
It isn’t until we’re back at the ranch that he finally finds his voice.
“They asked you to come.”
“Target practice,” I tell him with a soft smile.
“Fucking assholes,” he snarls, jumping out before coming around to lift me out, too.
“Funny you should say that, because it did indeed feel like I walked you in front of a firing squad.”
“I’m used to it, Riggs. Please don’t stress about it.”
The door to the ranch opens as Riggs turns to look at me.
“Don’t worry about it? I wanted to rip out their spines and snap them like glow sticks.”
“Aw, that’s sweet.”
His lips twitch at that, his shoulders relaxing a little.
“I’m gonna find a way to burn off some of this anger. I’ll catch you in a little while.”
He strokes my cheek with his thumb before he stalks into the house and strides down the hall to the back door.
“Why does he have to be so damn sexy when he’s mad?” I mutter to myself.
