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I squeeze my eyes shut. “Paperwork.”
“I’m worried Colton’s still going to leave the ranch to her. I’ve been working on him, and the old bastard’s a wreck, but he’s not so far gone that he’ll do whatever I tell him. And hey, maybe I’ll get lucky, but I don’t think so. I have a feeling I’m going to get screwed in the end.”
“What sort of paperwork do you need signed?” I’m already doing calculations, trying to figure out an angle, trying to imagine how I can pull this off and make it work.
“I have a buyer lined up for this place, and unlike the dying cowboy in there, I’m ready to pull the trigger. Only I don’t own it. If I convince Colton to sign now, the money goes to him and I don’t see a dime. But if we wait for him to die, and whoever inherits this place signs—”
“And you think that might be Melody.” I nod slowly, hate roiling in my guts. “You want me to convince her to sell the place and split the money with you.”
“That’s the deal. Offer her a cut of the proceeds. Something reasonable, maybe an equal share, but start lower. You make it happen and I’ll pay your fee.” She laughs like she’s having a good time. “Who knows, maybe this won’t matter, but I like to have some insurance in place just in case.”
My whole life’s been like this, one long string of bad choices after another. I can turn this down and let my father die, and frankly, he’d deserve it. But that would hurt my mother, hurt her so bad that I doubt she’d come back from it, and I don’t think I could live with myself if she withered away over my worthless father’s murder. Especially not if I could do something to stop it.
But this means working with the girl that ruined Melody’s life. That helped get her to leave the ranch. That gaslit her, tried to kill her, took everything away from her.
It would be the ultimate betrayal.
And yet that’s all I know. Lies and backstabbing and more lies.
“I’ll do it,” I say and start walking away. “Send over the papers and I’ll get it done.”
“I knew you were useful, War,” she says and laughs, high and unhinged, and I hate myself as I leave the ranch.
Chapter23
Melody
Istroke Bomber’s side as he snorts and eats some feed from my hand. The big horse looks good, better than I expected, and Kat says he’s healing great. “We had the vet come take a look at him just a couple days ago,” she says, sitting up on stall railing and kicking her legs. “He says he’s pleased about the progress Bomber’s making. Could’ve fooled me though because he looked annoyed the whole time he was here.”
Relief floods over me. I was terrified I’d come home to find Bomber an absolute wreck and all my work would’ve been for nothing. Well, itwasfor nothing, since I didn’t get paid, but still. “I’m really happy to hear that.”
“How was the trip? You were pretty quiet that whole time. You know, maybe it’s crazy, but I kind of expected like a text or two just so I knew you were still alive.”
“I know, I’m sorry,” I say and try to avoid her gaze. I feel guilty about not keeping her in the loop but I was too busy keeping my head above water to think about touching base. “It was just, it was a lot.” How could I explain any of that to her? I faced down my dying father, had sex with War and developed serious feelings for him, told him all of my deepest and darkest secrets, stood up to my family, all of whom apparently still hate me, and finally found out that War was manipulating and using me from the start, and it all crashed and burned and left me drained and hating myself even more than I did from the start.
At least I learned there are people in this world as fucked up as I am.
“I get it, family can be really hard,” Kat says and I can’t help the laugh that bubbles up from my guts. “What did I say? Why’s that funny?”
“Nothing, that’s just such a huge understatement is all.”
“I’m sorry it was that bad. But at least you got to say goodbye to your dad, right? I mean, that’s got to be worth something?”
I nod slowly and lean my head against Bomber’s flank. I breathe in his musky smell and nuzzle against his soft hair. The horse’s heart is a steady thump deep between his ribs and I wish I could wrap my arms around him and hug him close. “At least there’s that.”
“Did you figure out the succession stuff? You mentioned you were worried about what would happen to the ranch.”
“Nothing’s solved,” I admit, which only makes my guts twist more. “Dad wanted to leave it to me, but I didn’t want it, and now I don’t know what’ll happen.”
She whistles and shakes her head. “You turned down an actual ranch? Like, your own ranch? You must really hate your family.”
“You have no idea.”
“Where’s War these days? I half expected him to follow you home. You two had a bit of chemistry the last time I saw you together.”
I shoot her a look. “It’s not like that.”
“No? Could’ve fooled me.”
