Page 15 of Brutal Heir

“Whatis that?” she asks, glancing over at the screen.

“It’s an action movie,” I reply, uptight at having her see what I was watching. Of all the people who could be here when this happened, she’s got to be the worst one. I can only be grateful the woman isn’t a redhead.

“You’re watching porn at work?” she asks, eyes narrowing.

“Hey, I’m an adult. I can watch whatever the hell I want,” I reply in a challenging tone. Who the hell does she think she is?

She gives me a look of disbelief. “You’re at work,” she reiterates, folding her arms across her chest again.

I’m not about to tell her the truth. She’ll have to keep thinking I’m some lackey paid by the hour to look over the ranch. Because she doesn’t need to know I chose to be here as part of the arrangement between families with a longstanding agreement.

The silence extends, and tension fills the room.

I break in with another question. “Weren’t you heading to town, dressed like that, in a company truck?”

Her back straightens. “I was going to pick up office supplies while I was in town,” she says, defensively.

“Well I’m here twenty-four seven,” I inform her in an irritated voice. “So I can decide when I have time off.” That’s more than I usually tell anyone.

She blinks then gives me a hard stare. “Fine, whatever. Let’s just get this over with.” Her mouth is little more than a slash of annoyance.

I click on the X on the upper right, switching to the map. “Anyway, this is where we’re going.” I go site by site, from one part of the ranch to the other, ending in the property I’ll own.

“Okay, well, let’s get started,” she says then turns around and walks out the door. Sage moves along ahead of me as we walk through the expansive hangar. She looks over, admiring the jet on the far side. In this part of the state, it’s not unusual to have a jet, or like the de Marcos, two. The other is in Florida with the old man, Addler’s grandfather.

Sage has to think she has the upper hand. In her eyes, I’m a slacker. And what’s worse, now I can’t complain about her being late. She’s going to think I spent that hour watching porn. And I’m not about to defend myself to her.

I put on my sunglasses, my gaze trailing down her back as I follow her. With my longer stride, I could easily catch up, but I’m enjoying the view too much to try. All right, so maybe I haven’t turned my back on all women. But why the hell did it have to be this one I can’t get off my mind.

We exit the hangar, and Sage heads to her truck. “Where are you going?” I ask.

She points to where she parked. “To the truck,” she responds, as if I’m too simple to figure it out on my own.

“We’re taking my truck.” I go to the driver’s side. There’s noway I’m letting a woman drive me around my own ranch. These guys are going to know who’s in charge around here, and it’s not her.

I can see the hesitation in her eyes, but she tightens her lips and comes in my direction. So this is what it’s going to be like for the next few hours.

Chapter 8

Ezequiel

I grip the steering wheel as I navigate the desolate road stretching out ahead of us. The sun is sitting low in the sky, casting a golden glow over the rugged landscape surrounding us.

Sage sits in the passenger seat of my truck, staring out the window at the passing scenery.

I should be glad she’s lost in thought, keeping her mouth shut. But I can’t help but wonder what the hell is going through her mind. I’m usually good at reading people, but I haven’t got her pegged. If there’s one thing I know, it’s that when a woman’s too quiet, something’s wrong, or it’s about to be.

I clear my throat, just to break the deafening silence. “We’re almost there.”

Sage nods. “Okay.” But doesn’t say much else. She’s on edge. Is it because I called her in for this job on her day off, or is it something else? Well, we’re almost done anyway.

We’re heading to the last stop. Hopefully we’ll find the dozer that’s not where it should be among the rest of what’s on site. It’s a simple job, but I’ve learned the hard way that things are rarely as simple as they seem.

As we drive, the road becomes rougher, causing me to slow down. The terrain is rugged and uneven, thanks to the rain earlier in the week and the trucks coming through.

Again, I’m annoyed. If I was on my own, I wouldn’t have to worry about getting stuck. I’d walk back if I needed to. But I’m with Sage, and she’s wearing those ridiculous sandals.

Those damn sandals started it all. They’re showing off pink toenails, which led to pink shorts, and pink lips, and left me thinking about anything else on her that might be pink. Of all the god damn times—

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