“Fine. You don’t want him with me on the weekends, let’s make it simple. You both come with me.”
I blink. “I’m sorry. Are you insinuating you want us to what? Be together?”
“You didn’t seem to mind it that night at the Mayson Jar.” He scans my body again and I instantly feel like I need to scrub my skin. “In fact, you were all too happy to climb into my bed.”
“It’s not going to happen. Ever. We willneverbe together in that way, Rhodes.”
“Look, bitch.” His voice changes, that familiar fear skating along the skin of my neck at his sudden shift. “I got things going for me now. A lot of money on the line and being a family man is what is going to sell sponsorships. Get my fans to see I’m just a cowboy wanting his son to follow in his footsteps.”
A scoff rolls off my tongue. “So you want to use my son to build up your career?” I shake my head. “What happens when your belovedfansfind out you told me to ‘get rid of it’ when I told you we would just be co-parents?”
His hand snatches my forearm so fast I don’t have time to react. “Shut your fucking mouth. Maybe if you weren’t such a whore, we wouldn’t be in this mess,” he sneers.
I attempt to slip out of his hold. “Let go!” I tug again. “You’re hurting me.”
He squeezes tighter, digging his dirty fingertips into my skin. “I came to warn you. I’m in the big leagues now and I’ve got someone to pull the strings to get me where I need to be. Starting with showing the world I’m not some deadbeat dad. I have afamilyto show off.”
He finally lets go, and I stumble back, gripping my burning skin. “You’re delusional. I will be contacting an attorney.”
He grins, manic and chilling. “You do that, Laiken. But I’ve got one on standby now and a team willing to play dirty. So we can do this the easy way or the hard way.”
“What are you talking about?” I frown.
He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a cigarette. “I signed with a new agent. You probably know of him.” He lights the end, puffing out a cloud of smoke. “He’s not afraid to do what needs to be done to get my name in the spotlight.”
“And who is this new agent?”
“Jet Jackson.”
My stomach drops.
Chapter twenty-eight
Parker
I’m unsaddling Buster when Ryder walks through the opening of the barn. His expression is perplexed, which isn’t unusual for him.
“Everything okay?”
“Fine.” He runs a hand over his beard. “Think I got one with a broken leg. Need to get Doc out here.”
“Old man still working?” I chuckle.
“He keeps threatening to retire.” Ryder lifts his hat from his head and swipes his brow with his forearm. “Think those threatsmay be turning into reality soon. His ass can barely climb in the gator.”
I carry the saddle to the tack room and drop it in its place. “I think Cooper is throwing some steaks on the grill. You should hang back.”
His eyes cast out to the open field behind the pens. “Nah. I’ll probably turn in.”
I nod, knowing there’s no point in pushing. If Ryder doesn’t want to do something, no one is forcing him. Even his own mother.
“Try not to fuck up your other shoulder.” He pushes off the fence, a hint of a smile on his mouth as he leaves the barn.
I leave out the opposite end, heading up to Cooper’s cabin. I’m almost to the porch when Laiken’s car pulls up in the drive. I pause, waiting for her to climb out. She finally does, revealing her sensual curves in a pair of pale pink scrubs. The same ones she wore this morning that made her ass look fantastic. I actually got a hard-on during our session and I had to excuse myself to try to get him to calm down. Last thing I wanted was for her to think I was lusting after her.
As her feet carry her across the grass, I smile, waiting for those pretty eyes to latch onto mine. To have that moment of connection. But they don’t. They dart away as her smile forces its way to the surface.
“Hey.”
