“Rowan? Absolutely I’m choosing him. It’s not even a competition. He’s ten times the man you are. Plus his family is awesome. I adore every single person. Unlike your family, who kept insisting you could do better. I finally realized it had nothing to do with me—all of those insults I used to swallow to stay with you, none of it actually had to do with me. You andyour family are elitist sycophants with a sense of superiority, and I don’t know why I didn’t realize at the time that you had nothing to be superior about. You were projecting your insecurities onto me. It took meeting a man who loves and accepts me as I am to realize the obvious. Rowan celebrates me. He takes so much pride in me, I never feel like I’m lacking with him. I have, finally, found a place I can call home. You don’t even rate as a temptation.”
The man was practically inconsolable now. From the way he sobbed, it was like what Milo said had finally penetrated. There was a negative two hundred percent possibility of Milo ever going back to this loser—even with a love spell.
But! Because Andrew did this, they had every cause to throw him in jail. Assuming he lived till dawn, of course. Milo was so happy Andrew had put that final nail in the coffin all by himself, he started whistling.
Andrew cried harder. “How can you be happy right now?!”
Milo whistled a favorite song, completely ignoring him. Ooh, wait until he told Ray about this. Ray would throw a damn party.
He probably drove a good ten minutes before he heard the thunder of hooves racing toward him. Now, normally, he’d pull to the right side of the road to let whoever it was pass, but right now? Odds were it was Rowan and the rescue party, so he just kept on driving.
Sure enough, seconds later, they came around a bend in the road and into sight. Milo spotted Bennet and Rowan in the lead and slowed the horse to a stop, lifting a hand to wave. Wow, Rowan looked like a barbarian king racing to the rescue. Atop Stan, with his red hair flowing behind him, mage lights throwing a glow over the anger on his face, he made Milo swoon all over again.
“Hi, honey! I’m okay, promise!”
Naked relief flooded Rowan’s face. He slowed abruptly when he was about level with the cart, dismounting before his horse was even completely stopped. He was quick to reach up, a hand cradling Milo’s face, eyes searching him from head to toe and back again.
“Really okay,” he promised Rowan, touched by his obvious concern. “Well, I’ve got a bump on my head, and I’m starving, but otherwise okay.”
Rowan relaxed a hair, but he was still visibly upset. “Latimer?”
“In the back. He’s under a paralyze spell.”
Rowan levered up enough to see over the side of the cart, and oh look, the I’m-murdering-this-asshole face was back.
Bennet was also quick to come and see, and it was then that Milo realized every single adult member of the Rangecroft family was here as well. Even Riley, and Milo barely knew her. She was armed to the teeth, wearing the same murderous expression as her youngest brother. Ruben’s shit-eating grin suggested mayhem was imminent, so he was definitely plotting something.
Awww, they really did care about Milo! He’d give them all hugs later.
Troy also dismounted, coming to take a look, a frown pulling his mouth down. “Why the hell did you do this?”
Andrew stayed silent, still crying, tears and snot streaking his face.
Sighing, Milo filled them in. “So get this, this pedantic piece of pipe cleaner tried a love spell on me—”
Rowan’s head snapped around so fast, he heard vertebrae pop. “He didwhat?!”
“Don’t worry, love, the spell didn’t work. It ricocheted off my personal barrier. But the reason for all of this nonsense is because this asshat was terrified he’d get demoted or get fired altogether, so his last-ditch effort to save himself was tosomehow get me to fall back in love with him so that I’d go back to doing his work.”
Dead silence.
Bennet stared at Andrew with such rampant disbelief, it was amazing his jaw was still connected. He spluttered a good thirty seconds before words assembled, with the same tone as a leaking pipe organ. “Is your brain an onion? Why the hell did you think it would work?”
“I just needed him back,” Andrew answered with the most pathetic whine known to man.
Rowan snarled, the sound much like an aggrieved wolf. He kept gripping his sword hilt, too, like some part of him just wanted to stab Andrew and get it over with. Really, the whole family looked that way. With all of them astride warhorses, armed to the teeth, it was like being surrounded by barbaric warriors. Sent a shiver right up Milo’s spine, but in a good way. After all, he knew they would run to his rescue, as they had done tonight. It was interesting, too, how they moved without even really conferring with each other. Ruben and Riley were planted the opposite way from everyone else, clearly keeping an eye out for bandits or Drachifel. Considering Andrew the Dumbass had mage lights up on a dark forest road, he likely had attracted all the wrong attention.
As usual, it was Raina who assumed the role of leader. She simply sighed and got everyone else organized. “Let’s go back. No reason to stand here all night. Milo, Rowan brought your medicine kit if you want something for your head?”
“Ohhhh, splendid!” He would dearly love a pain-relieving potion right then. The throb in his temples wasn’t really subsiding. He bent down to kiss Rowan’s cheek. “You’re so thoughtful, sweetheart. I’m glad you brought it, my head’s killing me.”
Seeing to Milo’s needs seemed to distract Rowan from his murderous thoughts. He shot Andrew one more glare before retreating to Stan and getting not only the black satchel but—oh, that was Milo’s cloak! Aww, he really had come prepared. Damn, his man was so thoughtful.
Milo accepted both items with relief. “How did you even guess I’d be cold?”
Rowan gave him quite the look. “You’re always cold.”
“Ha, got me there.” Milo put the cloak on first, then found the right bottle in the satchel and downed it. Ahh, so much better already. He could feel the potion flowing through him and taking effect, numbing the pain.
