AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The McLaughlins need to leave me alone.
“You sure are stupid, girl.” Cole sneers as all three men take a menacing step towards the porch. “You can’t manage this place all by your lonesome. You know that. It’s only a matter of time before it’s ours.”
“I can too!”
The McLaughlins start laughing, the cruel sound like a bunch of hyenas stalking prey.But I won’t be that prey, not like Pa was.
“How the hell do you think you can managethismuch land? Your old man struggled, and he actually knew what he was doing,” Sam guffaws unkindly, his eyes dwelling on my boobs longer than they should.
“And aren’t you lonely in this here big house?” Zane’s question is almost a hiss, and more than ever I’m grateful that Ranger is sleeping upstairs.Ranger.
I take a deep breath.Now or never, Darcy.
“You boys think you’re so clever, calling me helpless and alone. Well guess what? I’m not alone. I got married, and my husband is an expert farmer. He’s also strong and real mean if someone is threatening to hurt me.”
All three men stop in their tracks, looking at one another to try and figure out if I’m bluffing.
“So there’s no way you’ll get my farm, not ever.” I continue furiously, thrilled to have this secret weapon. “So scram! Git, before I call my husband to take care of your sorry asses!”
Just as I finish speaking, I sense Ranger come up behind me in the doorway, handsome and powerful and protective. I turn and send him a grateful smile, pleased at the timing of his appearance at the end of my little speech.
“See?” I attempt to sneer at the brothers. “Thisis my husband. Now I suggest you get off my land. Ourbusinessis done.”
Ranger is a menacing presence and any person with common sense would know better than to trifle with this beast of a man. But to my complete and utter dismay, the McLaughlin brothers don’t turn tail. Instead, they burst into fits of laughter. Cole and Sam clap each other on the back, and Zane literally falls into a heap on the ground, chuckling like a madman. For several moments, the still morning air is filled with the sounds of their cackling and hooting and hollering.
I’m baffled.Ranger could kill each and every one of them with his bare hands. I turn around to look at my husband, to see if he understands this strange reaction. Instead, Ranger just looks pained, watching the men flip out.
Cole, clutching his sides from the agony of laughing so hard, finally speaks. “Well shit, brother. We sent you over here to talk to the girl, not fucking marry her.”
I feel every ounce of color drain from my face.Brother?
“But you know, now that I’ve seen her after all these years, those boobs, that ass. I bet you rub one out inside her every night. Nicely done. You’re a fucking genius!” And with that, the McLaughlins start cackling again.
“What –” I start, looking at Ranger. “Ranger, what are they talking about?” But my husband remains completely silent. His face is rigid, hard, concealing all emotion. But his eyes betray him, their usually bright blue hue now deep and shuttered. My heart starts to pound and I feel dizzy.
“Aww don’t worry,sisterdearest,” Sam sneers.
“Look a little confused there,sis.” Zane taunts.
“Allow me to explain,” Cole says, but then cackles again. I glare at him while he catches his breath.
“Somebody tell me what the hell is going on!” I scream. Ranger steps onto the porch, wearing only his jeans. He tries to reach for my hand but I lurch away, confused and unsure who I can trust.
Cole smirks. “Wellsis, it goes something like this. Ranger is our brother, the fourth and oldest McLaughlin boy. He went off to some fancy-ass boarding school years ago, leaving us all behind. Guess you never met him in school because he was too smart to attend a simple country schoolhouse with the likes of all of us.”
Behind me, I sense Ranger bristle.
“But he’s our brother,” Cole continues. “So we love him, even if he is a fancy city boy. And I guess you must love him, too. Seeing as how you got married and all.” Cole grins his nasty toothless grin. “He’s blood,McLaughlinblood. And looks like now you are too. Which means the farm’s ours, since you can’t run it without him. You said so yourself.”
“Welcome to the family, Darcy,” Zane snickers and bows to me. “Tell me. Did you change your last name to ours? Are you now a McLaughlin too?”
I stand on my porch, stunned by this information.Ranger is a from the Lazy M?
“No.” I whisper the word, horrified.
I spin toward Ranger and stare at the handsome man, the cowboy who showed up out of nowhere.Myhusband. It’s too awful to contemplate. He’s related to these men? The very ones who tortured my father and harassed me in school and for decades tried to scare us off our property?
Finally, I work up the courage to say something else. In a quiet, quivering voice, I ask Ranger, “Is it true?”
