Page 40 of The Trail Boss

She shook her head, letting out a shaky laugh. “Who could rest after a day like this?”

Gavin smiled faintly. “Fair point.”

For a moment, they sat in silence, the weight of everything unsaid pressing between them. Finally, Roxie spoke. “I keep thinking about Jeremiah,” she said quietly. “How he wasn’t who I thought he was. How blind I was to everything.”

“You loved him,” Gavin said simply. “You wanted to believe in him. That’s not a weakness, Roxie. It’s human.”

She looked at him, her throat tightening. “It still feels like a failure.”

“It’s not,” Gavin said firmly. He turned to face her fully, his eyes locking onto hers. “You trusted someone who let you down. That’s on him, not you.”

The sincerity in his voice made her chest ache. She nodded, her fingers brushing against her knees. “Thanks,” she said softly.

Gavin leaned back slightly, his gaze never leaving her. “You’re not alone in this anymore, Roxie. You don’t have to fight by yourself.”

Her breath hitched, and she turned to him, the emotion in her chest threatening to spill over. “I don’t know how to let someone in,” she admitted, her voice trembling.

“Then let me show you,” Gavin said, his voice low, almost a whisper.

In that instant, the world fell away—the danger, the fear, the uncertainty. All that existed was the quiet connection between them, the unspoken promise in his words. Gavin leaned over and kissed her gently, but gently wasn’t what she needed. Roxie tried to deepen the kiss, but when he still held back, she bit his lower lip.

“I’m not some fragile flower that has to be coddled,” she snarled.

“Apparently not,” he growled at her and she felt a shiver of anticipation run through her. He stood, pulled her to her feet and tossed her over his shoulder, landing a resounding smack to her backside when she tried to get up. “You’re a brat who needs taming and my submissive…”

“We don’t have a contract, and I don’t have a collar,” she countered.

“You’ll have both by this time tomorrow.”

Happier than she’d ever been or probably had a right to be, Roxie laughed all the way up the stairs and into their bedroom, where the laughter became moans and sighs as Gavin proved just who was the dominant partner and why she wanted it that way.

Later as they lay in the tangled sheets, she listened to the steady beat of his heart and found a peace and happiness she’d never known.

“I love you,” she whispered.

“I heard that,” he rumbled back, but before she could even think about how to pull her words back, he continued, “I love you too.”

Roxie knew her in-laws were about to regret their choice to come after her. Gavin would burn the world down to keep her safe… and she had the matches.

14

GAVIN

The Iron Spur buzzed with its usual energy, the dim lighting and throbbing music masking the desire and need coursing through Gavin. He stood near the edge of the bar, dressed casually but with a sharp eye on every corner of the room. Roxie was at the heart of the plan, and every instinct in him screamed to pull her out of harm’s way. But this was the only way to draw out her in-laws and end the nightmare once and for all.

Roxie stood by the bar, her posture relaxed despite the storm he knew had to be brewing inside her. She looked confident, poised—but Gavin knew her well enough by now to catch the flicker of nerves in her eyes.

“You good?” he asked, stepping closer.

Roxie nodded, her fingers gripping the edge of her glass a little too tightly. “As good as I can be, considering I’m the bait.”

Gavin’s lips twitched into a faint smile, though his eyes remained serious. “You’ve always been the bait/target, but now we’re in control. You’re not alone. We’ve got eyes everywhere.”

She glanced at him, her lips curving into a wry smile. “I trust you, cowboy. Just don’t screw this up.”

“I don’t screw up,” Gavin said, his tone lighter, though his gaze remained locked on her. “And I’ve got no plans to start tonight.”

The charged atmosphere ratcheted higher as the night wore on. Gavin’s team was stationed strategically throughout the club, blending into the crowd but ready to act at a moment’s notice. The fact that the team owned the club and was usually in attendance when it was opened made their presence seem like nothing out of the ordinary. Reed was near the entrance, keeping an eye on every new arrival, while Hawke and Jesse were scattered among the patrons, their sharp gazes scanning for trouble. Dawson was hidden up in the rafters with a sniper rifle. If things all went to rat shit, he would drop any assailant before they could harm Roxie.

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