Page 31 of The Trail Boss

“We dig deeper,” Gavin said firmly. “And I confront Kessler.”

Her eyes widened. “You’re going to him directly?”

“Yeah,” Gavin said, his tone unflinching. “It’s time to put some pressure on him. People like Kessler don’t crack unless they’re cornered.”

Roxie reached out, her hand brushing Gavin’s arm. “You’ll need to be careful.”

The others in the room laughed. Reed explained, “Guys like Kessler need to be careful of men like us. The little rat bastard doesn’t stand a chance against Gavin.”

The unexpected touch sent a jolt through Gavin, but he kept his expression neutral, nodding once. “I will be. Go on up to bed. Get some sleep. We’ll handle this.”

She looked as if she might argue and then seemed to realize his friends, comrades-at-arms and business partners were watching them. She might want to argue, but it seemed she had decided to reserve that for when they were alone. She nodded and then headed back upstairs.

Standing there, feeling the loss of her presence, Gavin felt a new purpose settle in his chest. This wasn’t just a job anymore—it was personal. And he wasn’t going to let Roxie down. Not now, not ever.

11

GAVIN

The following night as they were returning to the ranch, the dark, winding road stretched out ahead of them, the headlights of Gavin’s truck cutting through the dense Texas night. Roxie sat in the passenger seat, her hands folded neatly in her lap. He’d had to threaten to teach her about the role of discipline in a D/s relationship before she’d keep her hands to herself. The hum of the engine filled some of the silence.

“You wouldn’t really spank me, would you?” she asked.

“It depends on what we agree on. That can be a hard limit for you, but I can tell you that knowing I’m going to turn your ass bright red when you get out-of-line can go a long way to keeping both of us mindful of what we say or expect. I also know that not one of the couples I know who uses that form of discipline doesn’t find it highly erotic.”

“So the fact that when you said it, I felt the most delicious shiver of arousal, wouldn’t put you off?”

He laughed out loud. “Hardly. In fact, you saying that just made my cock come to attention.”

“I could help with that,” she said provocatively.

“I don’t make idle threats Roxie. You reach for me again in this truck and I’ll pull off onto the shoulder and give you a discipline spanking that’ll make you think twice about blatant disobedience.”

“Hmm… I think I’ll pass,” Roxie said, her voice low, tinged with unease.

“Good choice,” Gavin replied, his eyes scanning the road ahead, his tone calm but alert. “We’ll be home soon and trust me, I’ll be more than happy to scratch that itch for you.”

“Promise?” she asked seductively.

“Count on it,” he said with a grin.

Roxie nodded, glancing out the window at the shadows of trees whipping past. The isolation of the road felt both comforting and eerie. “You’ve got that look again,” she said, casting him a sideways glance.

“What look?” Gavin asked, his lips twitching faintly.

“The one where you’re trying to figure out where the danger is coming from.”

Gavin’s faint grin faded as he gripped the wheel tighter. “It’s a good habit to have.”

They reached a straight stretch of road flanked by tall grass when Gavin’s instincts flared to life. The faint glint of something metallic in the distance up ahead caught his eye—too low to be a road sign, too reflective to be natural.

“Hold on,” he muttered, his voice tense as he pressed the accelerator.

“What is it?” Roxie asked, sitting up straighter.

“Trouble,” Gavin said.

As they drew closer, the silhouette of an SUV parked across the road came into view, its headlights off. Two figures emerged, carrying what looked like rifles.

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