Page 60 of Bleeding Blackheart

She opens her mouth to scream, and I hold my hand over it while she bites my palm, squirming and spilling her juice all over my sac. The pressure of her on me makes me come all over my chest, and when she falls down on me, I make a mental note to send Colt something nice for Christmas for ruining two sets of sheets.

After getting our laundry out the drier, Montana and I put on gray T-shirts and denim, and we stand in Skye’s stall, washing her together. Skye warmed up immediately to Montana the same way that my girls at home did, and it does nothing but confirm that I was wrong about Montana.

She’s not evil or up to any trouble. She’s good and pure, and I’m lucky to have met her. I rinse Sky off while Montana brushes her mane, getting ready to braid it. Her hazel eyes meet mine, and she wets her mauve lips. “So, where do you want to go once we get back?”

I honestly haven’t thought about it. I’ve talked so much about leaving my old ranch, but the thought of doing so felt like something that would remain in my imagination forever. The fact that I’m ableto do so now is almost unnerving. It’s been the home I’ve lived in the longest, and I put down my roots there.

Completely clueless, I turn the question back to her. “Where do you want us to go?”

She smiles, and I know it’s because I mentioned us as a unit. I know part of her is still a little wary that she doesn’t have all of me, and I plan on proving to her that she does.

She sets the brush down, giving Skye a gentle massage. “I don’t know. My apartment is in Seattle. I don’t really want to stay there. But maybe Snoqualmie would be nice. I didn’t go when I was there though, so I’m not really sure what it’s like.”

Washington. I don’t know why, but it makes me happy that she wants to stay in the West. I never liked the Eastern States. Too fucking crowded. And it’s prettier over here. I grab some fly spray and start spritzing Skye. “Well, I’ve been to both Seattle and Snoqualmie, and I think you’d love it there. We’d love it there.”

She smiles again, and then she frowns. “I might need to go to my apartment soon. To get all my things and close out my lease. I haven’t been back there since . . . since everything happened, you know.”

I go over to her and wrap my arms around her waist. “I’ll go with you. You don’t have to face anything aloneever again, Montana. Facing things alone is hard. Let’s face things together.”

She sniffles and looks at Skye. “I’m scared, Gunner.”

“What about?”

Her body starts to tremble against mine. “I’m scared that this is all too good to be true. That one day, I’m gonna look up, and you won’t be there. And I’ll be on my own again, trying to run from the hell that’s chasing me.”

I wrap my arms around her, squeezing hard to soothe myself more than her. I can feel the weight of Montana’s demons trying to mate with mine, but I won’t let them drag us down. “Montana Elizabeth, hell may be after you, but it’s not as fast as me. Wherever you go, I will follow. Whether I’m right behind you or beside you, I’ll never leave you on your own.”

26

Montana

Gunner helps put my hair in two cornrows and ties black silk ribbons at the ends of them while I put moisturizer on my face. Colt’s taking us out to dinner at his favorite restaurant as we’ve eaten nothing but drive-through food since we’ve arrived, and I’m looking forward to the change of pace. Once my hair’s done, I slide into my black leather dress while Gunner puts my heels on me.

“If I catch you flirting with him tonight, I’m gonna spank your ass, Montana.” He stands up, buttoning his black dress shirt while I fix his hair. I might’ve mentioned that I thought Colt was cute earlier, and Gunner hasn’t been the same since.

I slick back his hair and cup his cheeks. “I only want you. I promise.”

He tugs on my braids that dust my shoulders. “Good. Because I’m the only one who’s gonna put up with your crazy ass.”

I try to shove him, but he pulls me in for a kiss, and I melt into him, getting lost in the moment when we hear knocking on the bedroom door.

“Our reservation is at seven, and if we’re not out of here in the next ten minutes, we’ll miss it!” Colt’s footsteps trail away, and I take Gunner’s hand in mine, leading him out to the hall.

As we walk downstairs and through the house, I try to imagine what a new life with Gunner in Washington would be like, with all of his horses and animals. We’d probably have to leave the yaks behind. He wouldn’t live close to Dallas anymore, but he’s not close to Colt, and they get along just fine. I didn’t live near Charlotte, and she was still my best friend. Memories of her play in my mind, and I start to get sad seeing Gunner chat with his old friend.

I chime into the conversation once we get in the Camero, sitting in the passenger’s seat while Colt drives. “So do you live in that big house all alone or do you have a girlfriend hidden away somewhere who we haven’t met yet?”

He blushes, shaking his head. “No, ma’am. It’s justme.”

I laugh at the way he calls me ma’am, seeing as he’s ten years older than me, just like Gunner.

Gunner tugs one of my braids in the seat behind me. “Colt is a heartless skirt chaser. He’ll never have a girlfriend.”

Colt sticks up his middle finger through the rear view mirror. “Hey, hey. Skirt chaser? Yes. But heartless? Yeah, I guess I am heartless too.”

The boys laugh together, and I sit there, stunned. “Heartless? How? You’re letting me stay in your room, and you don’t even know me.”

Gunner moves to the middle seat to speak to us both easier. “That’s because Colt has a teeny bit of love for his friends, but not for anyone else. That’s what happens when you grow up with a silver spoon in your mouth.”

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