Page 7 of Cowboy Devil's Embrace

“A ranch. Or a farm. Well, maybe it’s both. I’m not really sure,” Avail replied with a shockingly loud laugh.

“But that’s up to you, I guess. Anyway, you stand to lose the whole trust if you don’t buy it, Max. It’s all spelled out for you in the papers I just emailed you. Oh, Grandmother is wily, I will give her that.” Avail spoke fondly of the woman who sought to ruin my life.

I snarled and grabbed my phone, checking my email. Fucker had highlighted the paragraph and everything. It was all true. I didn’t bother questioning the validity of the iron clad document.

Avail was a dick, but he was an honest dick.

“Okay. So say I buy this farm or ranch. What then?” I asked.

“Well, my sweet Stephanie has gotten an idea in her head that you could do something with it to improve the community and give back. Make it a working ranch,er, farm. Whatever.”

“Okay, so why can’t you do that?” I replied, not knowing what the hell any of this had to do with me.

“I would, but with Nicholas and Christabel in grade school, I’m afraid that’s impossible. Besides, Grandmother is worried about you, what with your still being single and all.”

“For fuck’s sake, Avail, I have plenty of women in my life. One too many, in fact,” I growled.

“Max, you know what I am talking about. The beast is getting harder to manage, isn’t he?”

“Our Devils aren’t separate from us,” I began, quoting our grandmother’s favorite line.

“And yet, he is. See, I don’t think Grandmother, or the other females know how it is for us. You can feel him, though, can’t you? The snarling and scratching?”

Avail’s tone held no humor, and I stilled.

Shit. Maybe he did understand.

The darkness inside me pulsed and throbbed, my ire rising. The Devil inside me only seemed to know anger and dissatisfaction these days.

But how did Avail know?

“I can see it, cousin. I can recognize the signs. You’re almost forty. The beast is through waiting. He wants his promised.”

How does he know? How the fuck does he know that I wrestle with my Devil daily?

“Whatever, cousin,” I growled, shaking off the discomfiture of feeling seen.

“Max, you aren’t the only one. There is a whole community of male supes, Shifters, all of them alone and looking for their mates. Their beasts are uncontrollable without their fated ones?—”

“What the fuck does that have to do with me?”

“Well—”

“Never mind, it doesn’t matter. Look, I can’t do this,” Max retorted.

“Avail, as much as I love your visits, what can I possibly do to help with thisproject? If Grandmother wants my money, she can have it. But how am I,Max Leeds, supposed to fix some abandoned ranch? Where would I even start?” I shouted.

“That part’s easy. Have you ever ridden a horse, Max?”

CHAPTER TWO-MAX

“What a fucking dump,” I growled.

I bared my teeth as a low, hiss-like sound emerged from my chest. The four-hour drive north had left me feeling antsy and restless. My skin itched for me to shift, but I couldn’t. Not yet.

Fucking Avail.

This sealed it. I was going to murder my cousin.

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