Page 38 of Chasing Bandit

I took a deep breath, knowing it was finally time to come clean about why I'd agreed to the marriage.

"The marriage was the only way I could think of to get him to back off. He was never going to stop harassing me. He would never leave me alone unless he thought I was unavailable and that my husband would protect me or expose him to his wife. I needed it to look legitimate to everyone, which is why I had a photographer and made sure you blasted the news in every outlet possible. I needed him to believe it was real."

“Stevie,” his green eyes a mossy swamp full of anger, “This doesn’t just look legitimate, it is legitimate.”

“You know what I mean,” I whispered.

“No, Stevie, I don’t know what you mean. We’re married, we have the paperwork and the relationship to prove it.”

“And that’s all this is, right?” I gritted out. “We married loudly, and then we’ll divorce quietly. He’ll never know we are no longer together.”

He sighed and took a step back, the heat leaving his eyes momentarily. “You think being married was going to change that for him? He doesn’t respect his own marriage and he sure as shit doesn’t respect yours or he wouldn’t have come here and jammed his tongue down your throat. If I hadn’t come in...” He clenched his fists again, that fire returning to his eyes.

“Do you think I wanted it to be this way?” I shouted, waving my arms dramatically. "If there’s a chance that his wife might believe you, he’ll stay away. He can’t bear to ruin his squeaky good-boy reputation and the chance of him running for governor someday.”

“That motherfucker better stay away...” He growled.

And like everything in life with Wylie Cameron, when pushed too hard, he snapped.

Before I could register what was happening, Wylie rushed to the freezer and flung open the door. Charles, seated on the floor inside, sprang to his feet with his fists up, but Wylie was undeterred. Without a thought for his own safety, he reached in, pulled Charles out, and tossed him to the ground like a rag doll. Climbing on top of him, Wylie began pummeling Charles mercilessly. Blood, snot, and mucus splattered across the floor as Charles tried in vain to defend himself. Wylie’s face remained eerily calm and devoid of remorse as he delivered one lethal blow after another to Charles's face and head.

“Stop it Wylie!” I screamed out, crying now, “Stop, Wylie!”

But he didn’t hear me nor care, he was zoned in on his mission and undeterred even as Charles screamed and attempted to weakly fight back.

The next thing I knew, bodies were rushing through the front door as Nash and Clay peeled Wylie off Charles and pinned him against the back of the bar leading to the kitchen. Charles was in bad shape, his face bloody and swollen as he stumbled to his feet, crawling to get away.

“You’re a fucking dead, man!” he shouted at Wylie.

Nash stepped towards Charles as Clay continued to restrain their brother.

"I know I just got here, but we have cameras everywhere. If I check the footage, am I going to see something incriminating that could ruin your reputation?" Nash asked in a steady, cool voice.

His eyes widened in horror as he realized there was footage of him forcing himself on me. He stood shakily to his feet, attempting to maintain his composure. I couldn't help but laugh at his futile attempt as he spat on the ground near Nash’s boots, pretending he had a say or a chance at survival if the Cameron brothers decided to act on Wylie’s threat.

“She wanted it,” he growled.

“You pig!” I screamed as Charles backed up towards the door, but it was Wylie who spoke next to defend me, his voice calmer as Clay released his arms. He walked towards Charles who tried not to show his shaking body as he struggled to stand in the doorway.

“If I ever see your face again, I won’t just tell your wife that you're a lying, cheating piece of shit. I’ll tell your family. I’ll tell the news. I’ll tell everyone not only in the whole state of Texas, but the whole fucking world what a low life, piece of shit, dirty politician you are, and I won’t stop at that. I promise you, I'll destroy your career, your family, the pride you cling to so closely and any chance of ever working anywhere in Texas again. I’ll ruin you and then when I’m done, you’ll beg me to end your life and I will, gladly. I may look like a simple, hotheaded cowboy from south Texas, but I have blood running through my veins of generations of men who fought for their families, and I intend on doing exactly that for my wife. Now I’m not going to kill you today and make it look like an accident since my wife asked me nicely not to, but I can promise you, come back here again, and I will.”

With that, Charles spun on his heel and took off for his truck parked outside.

Chapter 28 – Wylie

September

After another grueling day on the ranch under the scorching September sun, I was parched, my water bottle bone dry from dealing with multiple issues that had arisen with Mitchell and zero breaks, I was looking forward to sinking my teeth into the burgers and hot dogs I'd prepared the night before, and my cock into Stevie.

Things had been good since I ran Charles out of town. The co-op had opened with a successful party, and over a hundred families had signed up to receive the weekly deliveries. Stevie was managing things at the shop while also keeping me satisfied in the bedroom. The lingering secret between us for months had finally been lifted, and I felt us growing dangerously closer each day.

I trudged through the front door of the ranch home as the evening started to set in but instead of the anticipated meal on the kitchen table, I was greeted by Stevie, nervously standing by the table with two packed suitcases at her feet.

The Gatorade that I'd been chugging from, hoping to replenish lost minerals, froze at my lips before slowly lowering back down.

“Bandit… what’s going on?”

“I never wanted it to feel like an obligation to fall in love. For us to love each other,” she spoke.

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