Page 54 of The Rogue

Stepping out, I squint to see behind the fog. Nothing. To my left, I hear a faint, rhythmic thudding. It comes in irregular bursts, but there’s no doubt that whatever it is, it’s making the ground tremble.

13

Jackson sees him first,running out from under the trees. “Roger!”

I sigh with relief. “Never thought I’d be happy to seethatguy,” I mumble.

“There ya are.” Roger hops off a beautiful dark horse that’s getting a little too close for my comfort.

A second horse emerges from the fog, and my chest tightens when I see the cowboy riding it. Levi isn’t as laid-back of a rider as Roger seems to be.

Nope. This is one angry boss heading my way. Each strike of his stallion’s hooves splashes through puddles as he aims toward us.

He stops a few feet from where I’m standing. His scowl like nothing I’ve seen before. And I’ve seen this man angry plenty.

I step back, turning to the less intimidating of the two men rescuing us. “Hey, Rog. What uh…what happened? We turned around, and you were gone.”

He smirks. “Pretty sure that’s my line, Red.”

Red?I frown with disgust. “Well, thanks for coming. But we’re fine,” I chirp like I had it all under control.

Roger glances at his boss. “Not for long.” He extends a hand to Jackson. “Come on, Champ, let’s get you dry.”

“I can get him dry myself.” I move to step between them but jump back as Roger’s horse inches toward me. “Just uh…point us in the right direction, and we’ll be back in no time.”

Levi hops off his horse. His blue eyes darken as he closes the distance. I’m prepared for this. But then he turns the same glare at his son. And that, I was not prepared for.

My boots drag me in front of him and I put a hand on his chest. “Indie, you’ve got to teach this kid to live a little. It took a whole lot of arm twisting to get him to run off with me today.”

“Tessa,” the kid whispers behind me.

Levi takes another step, crowding my space. “Move.”

Well, I tried. I step aside.

Levi lifts Jackson onto Rogers's dark horse and secures him. “When you get home, I want you to hop in the shower, alright? Roger will take you back there.”

“What about Tessa?” I give the kid a grin as he looks my way.

“She’ll be back soon.”

Roger hops behind the kid, and they take off, disappearing behind the low fog.

The buckles on Levi's boots clatter with each step as he stalks back toward me. My boots are muddy, my clothes ruined, and if I weren’t already shivering from my wet skin and hair, the look on Levi’s face would do the trick.

I glance around me. “So, is this where you bury your nannies?” I perk my brows. “Or am I your first?”

I blink up when the rain picks up again. Levi curses and shifts direction, grabbing the reins. “Come here.”

I back up. “Um, no. I’ll just follow you. It’s fine.”

Levi hops on expertly and extends his hand. “You’re getting on my horse. And then you and I are going to have a little chat about your employment.”

“As tempting as that is…” I start down the same path they came from and call out over the rain. “I’ll pass.”

I don’t make it far before I’m pulled off my feet. Levi’s strong arm scoops me up by my waist. I screech as I swing my leg over for some balance on the moving horse.

“Hold on to me.”

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