Page 8 of A Rebel's Shot

That was definitely unexpected.

FOUR

Tiikâan Rebel might possibly be the most fascinating man Merritt had ever met. He screamed capable and a little wild, right down to the bandage wrapped around his bicep that peeked out of his t-shirt sleeve.

Something about the relaxed set of his muscles or the fact that he hadn’t bothered with dressing better than a black t-shirt and worn jeans to meet his new boss gave a natural air of confidence Merritt wished she had.

But if Merritt didn’t do some fast talking, he would two-step right back out the front door.

The phone call from her stepbrother, Silas, yelling at her about a budget Rachel, his sister and CFO of Harland Global Resources, Inc., wouldn’t increase, hadn’t put Merritt in the right mindset for this interview.

She’d already been nervous about meeting the Alaskan who occasionally flew his YouTube influencer sister around. That call set her completely off-balance.

“I kind of get the impression you weren’t expecting a woman.” She hoped her tone was teasing and kind, butfrom the way he clenched his jaw and the spark of challenge in his eyes, she bet she missed the mark.

“Honestly, I didn’t have time to research who I’d be flying around, so I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.” He lounged in the chair like he didn’t have a care in the world.

Merritt envied that.

No.

That wasn’t correct.

She loved the responsibilities she had in her philanthropy work. It was tiring and, at times, heartbreaking. Still, her soul screamed to be back where warmth and love flowed despite the circumstance. She pressed her body more rigidly against the chair and her arms on the rests so she didn’t fidget or bounce her legs.

“I appreciate you putting a hold on your normal summer ventures to fly me––”

“Merritt!” Rachel’s banshee screech was punctuated with the slam of the front door.

Merritt flinched, and Tiikâan’s eyes went wide as he looked over his shoulder, then back at her.

What little thawing she’d allowed of herself since opening the door to Tiikâan quickly hardened. She couldn’t show weakness in front of her family, not if she didn’t want them to pounce on her like a pack of wolves and rip her to shreds.

“Merritt, how could you?” Rachel stomped into the doorway, her blue eyes that matched her mom’s burning cold.

“If you don’t mind, I’m with someone.” Merrittshuddered at how easily the bored tone she’d adopted as a teen came from her mouth.

“Oh, I do mind, and this Podunk bush man can wait.”

Tiikâan’s entire body stiffened, and Merritt’s face and neck tingled. Could Rachel be any more stuck-up? Definitely. But Merritt refused to allow Rachel to spew her false sense of elitism on anyone.

“Rachel, I am in a meeting with one of the state’s most renowned pilots.” Merritt kept her voice even, cool, though she wanted nothing more than to shout her displeasure. “You will not waste his time nor mine with whatever problem you think you have. We will talk when I am done.”

Did her stepsister take the clue?

Of course not.

Classic Rachel.

“Oh, we’ll talk now, renowned pilot or not.” Rachel was building up so much steam, Merritt swore any second Rachel’s head would explode. “You think you can just walk in here after being away for nine years, plop into Dad’s chair, and do whatever you like? We’d all just bow down? All hail the uneducated Queen Merritt on her stupid high horse?”

Merritt never understood how Dad hadn’t seen this side of Rachel. Maybe that was what made mean girls so effective at what they did.

She should just follow her dad’s example and truly cut off all of her stepfamily. Sure, she’d be left with a multibillion-dollar business with no experience in mining and none of its executive officers, but it mightbe worth the stress if she didn’t have to deal with any of them ever again.

“We will talk when I am done.” Merritt leaned forward in the chair, praying Rachel would just leave.

“No. I?—”

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