Page 113 of Burned & Bound

“You’ve got some balls, you know that,” I snarled. “Conning your way into this fucking meeting only to insult my business and insult me. Why the fuck would you want my ranch?”

“Because you are the biggest threat to my business,” Colter said. That took me by surprise. Taking a sip of his whiskey, he sat back in his seat. “Do you know what every single one of your customers said to me when they switched to my business?”

“Do I want to fucking know?”This felt like it was about to be a slap in the face.

“It’s only until Jackson Myles gets back on his feet,” he told me. “Every single one of them. For as fucking grumpy as you are, you sure as hell have a way with your customers. They don’t want me. They don’t want Lexington Farms. Not in the long run. They just need an interim supplier, and you know what that is? Bad for my business.Youare bad for my business, Jackson Myles.”

I couldn’t help the grin on my face. I liked being a pain in his fucking ass.

“If you pick yourself up off the ground and come back, I’m screwed,” he continued. “All your old customers will go running back to you. And if you run your business like you ride, you’ll come back stronger than ever next season. I can’t have that—especially not in my first year running the family business. That won’t go over so well for me. So, I’m offering to buy Double Arrow Ranch at the price of its peak value. That’s way more than it’s worth right now and you know that.”

My jaw ticked. He had me there, and he knew it. That kind of money would launch my ass out of the fucking hole I was in. But the cost would be my entire family’s legacy. Unfortunately, at the rate things were going, there was a good chance I was going to lose my entire family legacy anyway. I fucking hated that thought.

But I hated the thought of letting Colter Lexington get his hands on my business just to save his. I’d rather go toe to toe with him and let the cards fall where they would.

“You can go fuck yourself, Colter,” I told him. The fucker didn’t even have the decency to look fazed. For good measure, I added, “And I won’t be doing your goddamn milk ads.”

“I didn’t ask for you to do milk ads,” he replied.Of course, it’d been Amy’s idea.Why didn’t that fucking surprise me? Colter grinned, and I instantly regretted bringing it up. This kid was the kind who would do exactly that to fuck with me. “Though, I might now.”

Two could play that goddamn game.

“If you want to ruin your business, then go ahead and try to make me do that.”

“I’m your sponsor, remember?” He said the words like I needed reminding. No matter how this goddamn meeting went, I was stuck with Colterand Lexington Farms for the rest of the season. There was a damn good chance I was firing Amy over this bullshit. “I pay the money that lets you ride.”

“You want to hand an openly gay man a glass of white liquid on national television?” I cocked a brow, smirking. Yup. From the look on his little rich boy face, he hadn’t thought that plan through. I let that thought hang in the air between us as I stood. “See you around, Colter.”

Sponsor or not, I had no fucking intention of seeing that kid ever again if I could avoid it. He could take his business offer and go shove it.

I was just fine.

CHAPTER 79

west

JACKSON: Fuck Colter Lexington

JACKSON: And what a stupid fucking name.

JACKSON: This asshole doesn’t just want to fucking sponsor me. He wants to buy out Double Arrow. It ain’t enough this fucker is taking my goddamn business, but he has the fucking audacity to tell me that I’m a threat to his business.

JACKSON: Fuck, I’m pissed.

JACKSON: Sorry for unloading. I hope you’re doing okay. Can I call you tonight?

Ileft him onread—notthat he could see.Could he?I didn’t know how this whole flip-phone-to-smartphone conversion thing went. Tech wasn’t my thing. Besides, I had other shit I needed to focus on.

“Thanks, Mick,” I said as I slid out of the old man’s truck and slung my bag over my shoulder.

“Anytime, boy,” Mickey replied. Leaning on the door, I faced him.

“You going to be okay?” I asked. “If it’s going to be too much work—”

“Boy, you left a goddamn binder on how to care for those horses of yours,” he interrupted with a laugh. “We’ll be just fine without you.”

I nodded slowly, still uneasy about the whole thing. Doubt had snuck its way in on the ride away from the ranch.

“Peter’s got your number,” Mickey reassured me. “And he’s goin’ to be blowin’ you up with all the updates.”

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