Page 22 of Dark Horse

“Now you have to tell us,” Levi chimes in.

“All right. But you’re coming. If I have to drag you there kicking and fucking screaming. She’s the happiest she’s been in… well, forever, it feels like, and I’m not letting anyone ruin it.”

“Fine.” I nod and motion for him to continue explaining our fate.

“She wants to do what she’s calling wedding party games. She wants to pair everyone off, do some games around the ranch—riding, roping, shooting—and have it be a competition.”

“What’s the prize?” Levi asks.

“She hasn’t decided yet. She was mulling an island vacation or something like that.”

“She thinks this is fun?” Levi’s rarely amused, too serious for his own good, even by my standards.

“She thinks she’s playing matchmaker.” He grins.

“It’s a losing bet if she thinks she can do that with us.” I shake my head.

“Nah. She considers you two lost causes—confirmed bachelors—she put it. But she’s determined now that she’s happy again; she wants her brothers to be too.”

“Poor bastards,” I mutter.

“As long as she keeps us out of it.” Levi shrugs.

“She will, but you’re the decoys. They’ll be on to her if she’s too obvious. Which is why I have to make sure your asses are there. I told her it was going to be a near impossible sell, and she told me if I enjoy being in her bed every night, I’ll make it happen.”

“You’re whipped as fuck.” Levi laughs.

“And enjoying every fucking second of it.” Ramsey grins.

It sounds like fucking torture. But I don’t want to let him down—not when he’s so happy and last year was such a nightmare.

“We’ll be there,” I say, and Levi side-eyes me briefly but doesn’t say a word to the contrary.

“Thank you.” Ramsey gives me a surprised look.

“Another round?” I raise my nearly empty glass.

“I should get home,” Ramsey answers. “Don’t want to keep her waiting.”

“And I’ve got research to start on our dear uncle.” Levi presses his lips together.

“All right. I’ve got emails to check and business to attend to.” I look down at my phone and see there’s a message from Dakota. I open it without thinking and nearly choke on my own tongue. Levi and Ramsey’s heads both snap up.

“That serious?” Ramsey starts to lean over my shoulder, and I quickly press the lock screen while I try to catch my breath.

“No, just neck-deep in things I need to take care of,” I manage to say, but his brow slants like he doesn’t quite believe me. “I’ve got the check. You two go on.”

“You sure?” Ramsey taps his wallet.

“Positive. Have a good one. Tell the once and future wife I say hello.”

“She’ll be charmed.”

“I aim to please.”

He nods and says his goodbyes, and Levi follows suit. I sit still for a few minutes, staring into the abyss. Dakota has decided to deliver early today—and I wasn’t lying when I said I was neck-deep because before I can stop myself, I open the photos to look again.

One of them is of her in lingerie, her legs spread as she sits on a table with the bottle of Scotch—my bottle of Scotch, to be precise. It’s the one small consolation she’s finally given me in the last few months, so I have something to drink when I visit the bar. It was a small concession from her to me after I brought back one of the bottles of champagne she likes on Valentine’s Day, so it feels like a subtle peace offering on her part.

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