Page 38 of Brutal Heir

“Oh dear Lord,” she mutters, stopping in her tracks to check the grass around her.

Snakes. The memory of Sage fills my mind. She was terrified, those pretty eyes huge as she was frozen in place while the reptile slithered out of the grass. I pulled her to safety without a second thought. But the moment she landed against me, she broke my concentration. For a fraction of a second, I wasn’t sure of my aim, and that could get you killed under the best of circumstances.

Addler starts the winch again. This time it moves her a couple of inches. Wild eyed, she lifts a leg, flailing as she tries to take a step. But it’s progress.

“You almost got it.” My breath rushes out as she gets her footing, limping forward, out of the bog.

Addler hits reverse on the winch then grabs the strap, keeping the momentum going to walk her to the back of the trailer. I’m glad he had enough forethought to leave the doors open and pull the ramp down when he went back there.

“This way, girl.” He maneuvers her around the back, rerouting her as she tries to head down the road. Reluctantly, she climbs into the trailer and I secure the door.

“Let’s get her to the corral. She should be good, but I’d rather keep an eye on her for a couple of days.”

Addler gives me a quick nod. “We’ll follow you back.”

“Go on ahead. I need a minute.” After having a couple of bottles of water, I need to piss, but since there’s a woman around, I’ll wait.

“Gotcha. We’ll go on ahead and start getting her cleaned up. You finish up here and we’ll meet at the corral.” He rounds up Elena, and they head down the road.

I wait until they’re out of sight before I relieve myself. Once I’m done, I climb onto the quad and make my way back down the road. The tires kick back mud, and some of it’s pelting my back. Itwouldbe nice to have someone who’d rub away the aches and pains after a day like today.

It’s a hell of a thing to suddenly introduce a woman into what’s been a man’s world for the years I’ve been here. First, this thing with Sage happens. Now Addler shows up with Elena. Only he’s riding off with his woman.

I slow down a bit, thinking back to what happened earlier. Did I lose it? There’s one thing I don’t condone, and that’s drugs. It’s already cost me a future. Granted, we were young, and she was thrust on me, without any prior knowledge, to be my wife. An old-fashioned arranged marriage between cartel families. There was no saying no.

It wasn’t until I found out she was pregnant that I understood why everything happened. My brother’s baby, my married brother’s baby. He’d had another arranged marriage, with a powerful family. So, having a plaything, with whom he shared a habit, wasn’t good business. In the end, somebody had to die.

Neither the woman nor the child were ever mine, but, even after I lost both, it left me with a hole in my life. I lost a future family and my own family because my brother couldn’t keep his dick in his pants. Then I nearly lost my life when her father became suspicious and thought I had something to do with her end.

Not something I could ever tell Sage, or any other woman. Only, with her, it leaves an emptiness inside me. It’s something I never expected to happen because I couldn’t bring myself to care about anyone.

I finally make it home to hear Elena’s laughter coming from behind the house. As I come around, I see Addler used the hose to knock the mud off the cow then turned it on her. They’re laughing together.

For once, I actually envy the college boy’s life.

Chapter 22

Sage

My heart is pounding as I thrash about in the grip of the familiar nightmare. I gasp for air, lungs burning with the effort to breathe, because I know what’s coming.

I’m back on duty, wearing my uniform. My duty belt heavy at my waist. The convenience store’s fluorescent lights flicker overhead as I walk out with a cup of coffee in each hand. One with cream and sugar for me. The other with French vanilla and extra sweetener for my partner, Lyle.

The memory of the moment we shared when I learned his coffee preferences comes to mind. It was a more private setting, still half-dressed, fingers lingering on bare skin after spending the night together. It’s against the rules. No fraternization between a trainer and trainee. But, sometimes these things happen… Maybe it’s what made it more exciting.

I round the corner of the building, to the parking area along the side and come to a sudden stop. Lyle is standing there, by thetrunk of the patrol car, his face pale. A man has an arm around his throat, a gun, later discovered to be Lyle’s own, pressed to a spot right below his ear.

I stand there, feeling like something has clamped onto my legs. My heart’s beating so hard my pulse is slamming against my temples. My gut clenches with fear as I realize the gravity of the situation. I’m helpless, my hands full while the weight of my firearm presses against my hip.

I know I need to act fast, but my training has taught me to prioritize my partner’s safety above all else.

“Put it down.” A shiver runs down my spine as the man issues the order.

I hesitate, weighing my options. If I surrender my weapon, my partner and I will be at the mercy of this dangerous man.

“Do what he says.” Lyle’s eyes are wide, terrified. He’s barely shaking his head, afraid of the gun at the base of his skull. “Sage,” he pleads. He’s my training officer, so I’m used to following his lead, even when he’s urging me to comply with the criminal’s demands.

It’s here the nightmare turns choppy. Although fear grips my insides, I do as he says, dropping the disposable cups. The splash of coffee sounds overly loud. My service weapon feels heavy.

---