Page 54 of Live for Me

Denver’s brows snapped together, and before he could respond, she pulled away from me and looked at Mason. “Neither of you belong here. Neither of you give a damn about me or what happens to me. I don’t understand why the bothof you are here. Leave.” Her eyes shot to mine, an unfamiliar coldness lingering within them. “All of you. Leave.”

Then turned to the doorway and stepped inside without another word.

The broken glass from her living room window crunched underneath my boots as I surveyed the walls, noting how all her pictures and art had been ripped from them, the frames and canvases thrown all over the floor and furniture. The cushions of her couch had been slashed open, most likely with the discarded butcher knife laying on the coffee table. There was a message etched into the wood.

Come back to me, Abbie.

My jaw tightened to the point of pain, and I allowed it to shoot up my temple, letting it throb for a few seconds before I relaxed it.

“He’s lashing out,” Mason noted. I looked over to find him standing behind her love seat, his eyes on the message. “He feels out of control, and this was a way to get her back in line.”

“He feels like he’s lost her,” Denver concluded as he walked into the living room from the kitchen. He rolled his neck and adjusted his hat, a deep sigh coming from his nose. “If she stays here, she’ll be a sitting duck. He wants full control now. This isn’t just about scaring her anymore.”

“Her staying here was never an option in the first place,” I stated firmly. My eyes bounced back and forth between them. “She is coming back to Hallow Ranch. If you boys have a fucking problem with that, tell me now, and I’ll find somewhere else to take her.”

Denver’s brow furrowed. “What are you talking about?”

“Abbie knows she isn’t welcome, and she can fucking feel it,” I bit off through clenched teeth.

“She hurt you, Beau,” Mason said bluntly, his tone forcing me to look at him. “She nearly destroyed you.”

“Her life is more important than my fucking feelings,” I clipped.

“We know that. However, the fact remains. You’re part of our family. She’s not,” Denver said, folding his arms over his chest. He looked into my eyes, his face set. “You claiming her again? Is that what this is?”

A muscle in my cheek jumped as I glared at him.

No, I wasn’t fucking claiming her again, even though it was the only thing I wanted.

I wanted Abbie Spears. Always had and always would.

But that didn’t mean I could have her.

Watching her walk away from me earlier—thatnearly killed me. I was going to let her go. I had my mind made up. She would leave me a second time, and I was ready to hire Red Snake. They could handle it, protect her in the ways she didn’t want me to. She would’ve been safe.

But seeing her walk away for asecond timecaused something to snap inside me. As Dave pulled out of Hallow Ranch, myheart took over. Suddenly, I was back in the saddle, snapping the reins, chasing after her —like I should’ve done all those years ago. I should’ve never let her walk away from me; from the life we promised each other. I should’ve fought for her, demanded answers….

That was in the past now, just like that fucking kiss. I’d made my bed, and she made hers.

I would protect her until we found her stalker, and then we would go our separate ways.

As much as my brain wanted to let this go, that just wasn’t the kind of man I was.

I was a cowboy.

Cowboys protected their women, brokenhearted or not.

“I’m protecting her because of who she was to me. That’s all,” I answered them. “I’m asking you to accept that. If you can’t, I’ll step away from Hallow Ranch for the time being.”

“Like hell you are,” Denver grunted. He shot a look to Mason. “Quit being petty.”

“Not petty,” Mason mused. “Just blunt.”

His older brother sighed as he looked up to the ceiling. “Pains in my damn ass, every last fucking one of them,” he muttered. Finally, when he was done complaining about his cowboys, he said, “She can stay. She is welcome at Hallow Ranch for as long as she needs. However, I don’t think she is going to be comfortable staying with Mason and Harm or in the bunkhouse. Val and I don’t have the room.”

I nodded, disappointment hitting me. “We can find someplace in town—”

“You and she can take the cabin,” Denver declared, stroking his beard.

---