Page 179 of Burn the Wild

I go weak at the sight of Ford.

He’s here. Of course he’s here.

Ford and his brothers are climbing out of their trucks. Fists clenched. Mutinous fury on their rugged faces.

Gavin’s hands fall away from my neck, but he doesn’t step away from me, still boxes me in against the side of the lodge. “This is a conversation between me and my client.”

I almost laugh. Gavin has no idea what’s coming.

Ruby and Fallon burst out of the lodge. There’s a knife in Fallon’s hand, and a wine bottle held like a baseball bat in Ruby’s.

Ford stalks our way, like a Gavin-destroying missile destined for destruction. “Doesn’t look like a conversation,” he snarls. “Not when you have hands on my girl.”

Anger flashes in Gavin’s eyes. “She’s not yours. She’s mine.”

An icy shiver goes down my spine.

That muscle in Ford’s jaw is working overtime. “Back the fuck up. Now.”

Gavin’s face turns bright red. “You don’t know anything about this. Stay out of it.”

Ford sneers. “I know you’re a piece of shit who’s taken advantage of her. I know you’ve made her feel like she doesn’t deserve to be here. I know you’ve hurt her.” His amber eyes flick to me, silently telling me it’ll all be okay. “Last chance,” he warns, striding forward. “Get away from her.”

“Fuck you.”

“Wrong answer,” Ford drawls.

Charlie lets out a sharp whistle and tosses a set of keys to Fallon. She promptly locks the lodge’s door, keeping the guests inside.

A big sigh from Davis. “Keep it quick.” His voice is ominous, resigned.

Then, without warning, Ford hits Gavin in the face. I scream as his head snaps back.

Wyatt grabs my arm, pulling me away from the scene.

“You stupid fuck,” Ford hisses. Grabbing Gavin by the neck, he bounces his face into the side of the lodge. There’s the sound of bone on bone as Ford hits him again. Blood spurts from Gavin’s mouth. Lost in a haze of raw, animalistic rage, Ford hits him again, and again.

I should be horrified, but I’m not. No one has ever fought for me in my life. It only has me falling even deeper in love with him.

“Ford.” Davis clasps his shoulder. Worry swims in his dark eyes. “You gotta stop, brother. Now.”

One last punch, then Ford straightens up, wiping the blood from his knuckles on his jeans.

Gavin crumples to the ground and crawls away from Ford like the coward he is.

Thunder rumbles in the sky, but it’s dwarfed by Ford, saying, “You come near her again, I’ll kill you.”

The next thing I know, Ford wraps me in his arms, pulling me to him. “He hurt you?”

I shake my head, clutching at his warm, steady presence. “No.”

Gavin stumbles to his feet. Blood trickles down his chin. “You’re crazy, Reese. You’ll always be crazy.”

“I’m not crazy,” I seethe. Hard as I try, I can’t keep it in anymore. Anger swirls inside me, the black hole suddenly a living, breathing thing. “I know what you did, Gavin. I knoweverything. All these years, you were drugging me. Taking my money.”

Ford curls me closer in his arms, but his dark gaze stays glued to Gavin. A shudder rolls through my body. “I have the original contract.” Gavin pales. “It expires on my birthday.” I laugh dryly. “I am not going back with you. We’re done.”

The truth freezes him for only a moment. His face changes. So cold, so still, I shiver.

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