Page 56 of Some Cowboys Fight for Love

Daniel’s head reared back. “What are you saying?”

“He comes from money. He can take care of me. We have… a history.”

He was going to be sick. This couldn’t be happening. It was some kind of cruel joke. Daniel reached for her, but she avoided him by taking a step back. He stumbled, staring at her like she’d slapped him. She might as well have.

“He… loves me,” she whispered. He nearly didn’t hear it.

Daniel took another step toward her, and this time she didn’t move. He reached up and brushed at a tear that had escaped and dragged down her cheek. She jerked away from his touch, and he dropped his hand. “I don’t know what’s going on, but you’re lying.”

She shook her head. “I’m not.”

He risked a glance at Cayden, noting the smug look on the man’s face. This was all wrong. Daniel might not understand what was going on, but he could tell that much. He brushed past Aria, ignoring her calling his name as he put his face right in front of Cayden’s. “If you hurt her,” he growled, “if you lay a finger on her, you won’t live long enough to be sorry.” He gave the man a shove for good measure, knocking him against the wall once more before charging toward the door.

24

Aria

Aslow clap echoed from behind her. The crowd who had gathered had dispersed the second Daniel had disappeared. Aria’s hands clenched at her sides, and she glowered at Cayden. She couldn’t recall a time in her life when she was filled with more fury.

“I told you to let me handle it,” she snapped.

He stopped his clapping as he took a step toward her. “Oh, sweetness, you know I can’t trust you to do something like this on your own. He had to see for himself that you chose me. Telling him would never be enough.”

“How would you know?” she choked out, the reality of her situation bubbling to the surface. She’d broken things off with the man of her dreams so she could save him from Cayden’s clutches.

The man reached for her, cupping her face in his palm. She jerked away from him, his touch stinging. Her reaction caused a frown to cross his lips, but he didn’t attempt to touch her again.“You always did wear your feelings on your sleeve. He would have known that you weren’t being honest with him. Just like I could tell that day I met him that you were in love.”

She flinched. Neither one of them had admitted to having feelings for one another. It had felt too soon.

Now, she wished she would have said something before.

How could she have predicted that Cayden would stake out her cousins’ place and follow them to the club tonight? He’d wanted her to go out with him tomorrow. She’d thought she’d at least have one more night with Daniel before her life came crashing down around her.

Cayden had pushed her into a corner. No escape routes could be found. But she’d make the same agonizing choice again as long as Daniel came out on top. He was more important.

She glared at him again. “I did what you asked. Now you’re going to leave him alone.”

He lifted a brow, wagging a finger as he did. “That was only part of the bargain. I can’t have you running off again, now can I?”

Her blood ran cold. How had he known that was exactly what she would do? If she wasn’t here with Daniel, she’d hoped that Cayden would lose interest in hurting him.

A slow, sinister smile dragged across his lips. “See? I know you better than you know yourself. If you want me to leave your poor boy toy alone, then you’re going to have to do a bit more.”

Aria’s jaw ached from how tight she clenched it. “What do you want,” she muttered between her teeth.

Cayden made a show of pulling out the ring he’d shown her over a year ago.

She sucked in a breath and shook her head. “No.”

“No? So you’re going to accept that I will call in those favors and get Daniel booted from the program atmyalma mater?” He clicked his tongue with disappointment. “I thought you actuallycared about that man’s future.” Cayden gestured to the space around them. “This town…” His lips curled with disgust. “It’s not exactly a place where people can make something of themselves, is it? With a degree like the one Daniel is chasing? He could go further than most of the people he knows.”

Aria’s eyes narrowed venomously. “I don’t even know how you knew he was part of that program.”

He shrugged. “I’m on the committee who picked the poor sot. I knew I recognized that name.” Cayden snorted. “Imagine my surprise when I discovered the man we picked is also the man who would help me get everything I deserve.”

Her stomach roiled at what he was saying. Daniel was the pawn in this game they were playing, and he would be the key to her undoing. How had she not known that Cayden was so involved with the university? His degree was in business and economics. Why would they include him in choosing the recipient of the scholarship?

As if he heard her question, he answered it. “I guess I was lucky enough to be one of the alumni they picked from my department. A lot of planning went into that scholarship. It was the first of its kind, you know. They’re testing it out to see if it’s something they can offer in the future.”

---