Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 70097 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 350(@200wpm)___ 280(@250wpm)___ 234(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70097 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 350(@200wpm)___ 280(@250wpm)___ 234(@300wpm)
Did he have to use that sassy tone of voice? Maybe I should drag him to my room, spank his ass until it was red and aching, then fuck him hard and deep. Shit, I really had to stop thinking like that when I couldn’t follow through.
Rogue laughed. “Just let him do his part, G. He’s one of us now. You might as well bring him all the way in.”
“He’s not had training, and he’s in—”
“What training have I had except for life experience?” Rogue said.
“Anyone willing to put themselves on the back of an angry bull has already made their choice. They’re stupid enough to jump into danger without considering the consequences.”
For a moment, I thought I’d pushed too far. Rogue and I had gone round and round about his interest in the rodeo, and we’d never settled things between us, but after a moment of tense silence, he started laughing. “I can’t really argue with that, but Jacob followed you out of a bar, so apparently, he’s pretty willing to walk into danger too.”
Jacob grinned. “That’s for damn sure.”
“I told you I’d never hurt you.”
“And I trusted you, so trust me now.”
“Talk about people who need to get a room,” Rhys said.
“Right,” TJ responded.
The two of them laughed together, and I realized Rhys getting his heart broken wasn’t the only reason I didn’t want them to pair up. The two of them working together would be hell.
“Let Jacob help,” Rhys said. He was using his serious, Grant-you’re-out-of-line tone.
I looked at Jacob, and he mouthed. “Please.”
“Talking only and here in the house.”
“I can do that.”
I would get someone to watch over him anytime I couldn’t be there. I was not going to let him get hurt.
We finished discussing strategy, then I went to my office to call X. I needed help, and I was going to ask for it directly, not go through TJ.
20
JACOB
I watched Grant go. I’d never seen him look as apprehensive as he did. His jaw was clenched, and his mouth was a tight line. How worried was he about calling X? His brothers had assured him the call would go fine, and TJ had said X would be expecting him to reach out, but he’d still looked, if not afraid, at least daunted.
Grant hadn’t done anything wrong. He’d done everything he could to protect the ranch and everyone there. Was he expected to know one of his clients was potentially betraying him? Wasn’t X the one who’d sent Evan to stay at the ranch? He should have vetted him better.
I busied myself clearing up the kitchen. Rhys and Rogue headed out, and TJ actually pitched into help.
“Take care of Grant,” he said as he wiped down the counters.
“Don’t you mean that the other way around?”
He shook his head. “He’s been through hell. He probably doesn’t realize how much of his story I know, but I always do my research before heading into an unknown situation.”
“Did you ask X about him?”
He grinned. “How much do you know about X?”
“I met him.”
“And you still chose to hook up with Grant?”
“I was under the impression X had a man.”
TJ grinned. “He does, and it’s serious. I was just teasing.”
“I would have chosen Grant anyway. X is hot as hell but in this untouchable way.”
“I bet most people would say that about Grant.”
I shook my head. “Grant is… different.” I didn’t know how to put it into words, but X seemed like someone who was always calculating. Someone who would still be a mystery, even if you’d known him for years. Grant was serious, and he could be standoffish, but he’d looked right into me the first time I’d walked up to his table. I’d felt the heat underneath his military bearing.
“Go see him,” TJ said. “I’ll finish this.”
“I wouldn’t have thought you’d volunteer for domestic chores.”
“I live alone, and my mother would kill me if I kept my house looking like a sty.”
“That’s… unexpected.”
“Don’t think about it too hard. Go check on your man. We need him to keep it together if we’re going to work our way out of this.”
“Thank you,” I said as I hung the towel I’d been using to dry a bowl.
“You’re welcome. I told you I wasn’t as bad as you thought.”
“I suppose you don’t let on about that to your marks.”
“Fuck no. I assure you I can be very deadly when I want to be, but you’re safe. Don’t fool yourself. Your man has a violent side too.”
“Yeah, I know.” But did I really? I knew it in my head, but did I accept it? Would I be okay with it?
I’d believed Grant instinctively when he’d said he wouldn’t hurt me that night by his truck, and I still believed him now, but I knew he was worried about me being exposed to the violence of his world. If I’d learned anything since coming to Paradise Ranch, it was that things weren’t what they seemed. Evan was the dangerous one. TJ was almost sweet, and while Grant might be in the same business as Trey in a roundabout way, he was nothing like him—nothing like him at all—and neither was TJ.