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PROLOGUE
AUTUMN
TWO MONTHS AGO
Silver Spoon Falls, Texas. The one place in the world I don't want to go… and exactly the place I'm headed.
"Excuse me," I say, trying for the third time to squeeze through the two suits standing in front of me at baggage claim. "That's my luggage. Again."
They carry on with their conversation as if I didn't speak.
I elbow the one on the left in the ribs, accidentally on purpose. He grunts, turning a cool stare on me.
"Whoops." I beam at him, showing my teeth. "My arm slipped. But now that I finally have your attention, if you'd just slide right on over to the left about six inches…" I push my way between him and his friend, not giving them a chance to refuse.
I've dealt with entitled men in suits my whole life. And I’ve learned a few tricks along the way. They may ignore a woman politely asking for them to move, but they can't ignore one plowing her way through the middle of them.
It works like a charm every time.
"Jesus Christ," the one on the right mutters, moving out of the way.
I slip past them and manage to haul my bag off the conveyor belt just before it disappears around the side. Finally. Now I can get to Silver Spoon Falls, find out what my brother wants, and get back to California.
Being back in Texas feels a little bit too much like being in a cage. Not even all the gild and all the gold in the world hides the bars when they’re over your windows. I know because they were always over mine. I spent eighteen years trapped here, stuck like a frightened little bird… just like my mom.
"Autumn Romano?"
My blood runs cold. I don't even turn around. I don't have to turn around. Jimmy Gatlin’s voice haunts every nightmare I have. It has since I was sixteen.
Back then, he was my father's business partner. He was part of our messed-up family. And then I grew boobs. The dirty text messages and inappropriate looks started overnight. He was relentless. The day he sent me pictures of his dick, I went to my father.
The only good thing my father ever did was force him out of the company. I’m still not sure if he did it for me or if I was just an excuse, but I haven’t seen Jimmy since.
I should have known my luck wouldn't hold.
I turn slowly to face him. He hasn't changed. He's still the same leering creep he was back then, dressed up in the trappings of a billionaire. His three-piece Armani suit hides his beefy stomach just like the Botox hides the fine lines around his eyes and mouth.
"It is you," he says, his cold blue eyes flicking up and down my body. "You've grown."
"You haven't. Excuse me.” I step to the left to go around him.
His lips compress into a thin, disapproving line. "Don't be a stuck-up bitch, Autumn. It’s childish. There are people watching."
"You like them childish. You liked me that way, at least," I snap, not really caring if the whole world watches me walk away from this man. I don't owe him anything, least of all civility.
"You little bitch," he growls, grabbing for my arm.
"Touch me, and I'll rip your balls off, you miserable, short-dick, child predator!" I shout, saying exactly what I should have said when I was sixteen.
Everyone around us falls completely silent. Jimmy blanches, his face going white before pure hatred lights his eyes like hellfire. His face turns red.
"You're going to regret that," he mutters.
"No, I won't," I vow. “It’s the truth.”
He sneers at me and then shoves his way through the crowd around us, disappearing.
Only then do I see the half dozen onlookers with phones pointed in my direction. They caught it all on camera.
