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“Denver, I really have no idea what you’re talking about!” she cried, trying to reach for me.
“Put that fucking hand down,” I growled, my voice stilling her movements. “You will never get to fucking touch me again.”
She was shaking now, her arms wrapped around her middle. “W-what—I don’t understand.”
“Neither do I, baby. That’s what love does to you!” I shouted. “It blinds you and sucks the air out of your fucking lungs, leaving you desperate and defenseless. Let me tell you something, Valerie Cross, you will never have my fucking ranch!”
She flinched and backed away from me.
“Kings.”
That was Mags. He was somewhere behind me, but I didn’t care. I wasn’t done. I knew this woman didn’t love me, but fuck, I wanted her to hurt like she hurt me. I wanted her to cry like she did on the first day I met her. Hell, those tears were probably fake, too. She probably knew about the cameras. She played me for a god-damn fool.
“Denver, please. Listen to me, let me—”
“Get the fuck off my land, Valerie.”
The air between us was thick.
“Denver, please—”
I took a step towards her, ready to hit her where it hurts, but something stopped me. Maybe it was the love I had for her, the love that would haunt me for the rest of my miserable life, because I knew I wouldn’t be able to get over her. There was no getting over Valerie.
My Enchantress had marked my soul, branded it.
I was hers, even when I didn’t want to be.
She would never know it.
“Leave!”
My anger and volume made her flinch. That alone damn near killed me, but someday, I would learn not to care. I watched as she ran away from me, but I didn’t get to see what direction she was moving in because I was spun around.
Mags was in my face, studying me with a frown on his face. “What happened?”
“I need whiskey,” I croaked as the pain washed over me like acid rain. Mags held my eyes for a second longer before nodding.
“Done, brother.”
“Kings,getup.”
I groaned.
“Your boy is outside looking for you. Beau is distracting him. You and I both know he doesn’t need to see you like this,” Mags said.
Hungover and heartbroken?
I opened my eyes and sat up. My body ached and my throat was dry. I hadn’t drunk that much in years. Last night, I’d fallen asleep in the bunkhouse after drowning out all thoughts of tear-filled green eyes with a fifth of Jack Daniels. Reaching for my hat, I put it on my head as I stood.
“You good?” Lawson asked. I looked to where he and his brother were. Both of them wore unreadable expressions, same as last night. Then again, that woman played all of us. I gave them a single nod.
“Dad!” My boy pushed past Beau, and my eyes dropped to the bandage on his arm.
“What happened?” I asked, harsher than intended, gently grabbing his arm.
Caleb yanked it away. “I ain’t here for that. Where’s Valerie?”
My jaw tightened and the knife in my back twisted once more, burying itself a little deeper than before.
