Page 102 of Live for Me

Tears filled my eyes. “No, you can’t—”

“—Oh, I damn well can, and I already did. Now give me a kiss so we can go to sleep.”

As a tear streamed down the sides of my face, I rasped, “You want to go to sleep? In the middle of this conversation?”

“Beautiful, I had this conversation scheduled for tomorrow morning on the front porch with two cups of coffee and your pussy freshly fucked and filled. The ranch waits for no one. You know this. I need my sleep.”

I opened my mouth and closed it.

There really was no arguing with that.

“Okay, Beau,” I murmured just before his lips touched mine.

“Atta girl.”

The next evening. Hallow Ranch.

Beau held my hand the entire drive to the main house.

I hadn’t said a single word.

My mind was racing again, and I knew full well there was nothing I could do to slow these anxious, fear-laced thoughts. After finishing his work for the day, Beau came back to the cabin, informing me Denver called a meeting. Beau went on to explain the cowboys needed to hear the truth from me, down to the last detail.

I didn’t want to re-live that night.

I didn’t want to tell any of them.

In the back of my mind, there was a small part of me that was wound up in fear. If I told them the truth, would they be able to protect themselves, or would I be putting everyone on this ranch in danger?

Beau cleared his throat as he pulled his truck up beside Denver’s old red one. For a moment, I let myself reminisce about all the times we’d rode in the back of that truck while Denver did donuts in one of the empty pastures. I remembered the laughter,the thrill. There were so many times—so many places on this land—that held my happiest of memories. I inhaled a choppy breath, peeling my gaze from the vehicle and dropping it to my lap.

“Hey. Look at me,” Beau whispered after shutting off the truck.

I didn’t.

Instead, I pulled my hand from his, bringing it to my lap. I stared down at my hands, knowing all the art they’d created, the stories they’d told, the truth they’d revealed. My eyes closed when Beau’s finger slid underneath my chin, gently lifting and turning my head to face him. He was leaning over the bench seat now, his hat resting on the dash.

“You are safe here,” he vowed, telling me something I already knew.

“But are you?” I whispered, my voice barely audible.

His brows furrowed. “Baby.”

A tap on my window filled my ears then, and I let out a yelp, turning to find Lance giving me a smirk before he opened the door. “Hi,” he greeted.

I blinked.

I’d been here for days, and this was my firsttrueinteraction with either of the twins. “Uh, hi.”

His eyes held mine as he said, “Every single time a pretty woman shows up on this damn ranch, trouble follows.”

I opened my mouth to say something, but Beau beat me to the punch. “There something you need, Lance?”

The young man clicked his tongue, looking at his friend. “Need a lot of things, Beau.”

“You sure as fuck aren’t going to find them in the cab of my truck,” Beau shot back, his voice smooth.

Lance’s eyes sliced back over to me, and he dipped his chin. “Just wanted to say hi. It’s been a shit couple of days.”

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