Page 20 of Ramsey & Emerson

There were a few heartbeats of silence before he finally said, “Just make sure that she knows her role, Ramsey.”

I barked out a laugh. That was rich. “You’re seriously going to lecture me on how to keep my woman under control?” I snorted. I couldn’t help it. “By the way, where’s Mom at, Dad?”

“You know, Ramsey,” he started to say, “one day, you’re going to meet someone tougher and crazier than you are, and it’s not going to end well.”

I thought about Emerson.

“I’ve already met someone tougher and crazier than I am, Dad,” I informed him. “All that’s doing is showing me how to be tougher and crazier than they are.”

“Hmm,” he mumbled right before hanging up on me.

I tossed the phone on my bed, then walked towards the closet to finally start getting dressed for the lake party tonight. I also wasn’t overly concerned with my father. I wouldn’t be surprised to hear if he had a plethora of scattered bastards all over the world. If I didn’t fall in line, he could always pluck one of his other children out of the crowd, then groom them to follow in his footsteps.

My mother was also a complete non-issue. She didn’t care what I did as long as she had plenty of money in her bank accounts. Grace Reed had done her duty by giving my father a son, so as far as she was concerned, she’d earned her dues. The rest of it-and by rest, I meant my upbringing-wasn’t her problem.

Looking at my clothes, I’d never been one to dress to impress. Hell, I’d never been one to try to impress anyone for any reason, so I just threw on a plain dark blue shirt, dark jeans, and a pair of white Nikes, brushed my hair enough to say that it’d been brushed, then was ready to leave to the party.

I stuffed my wallet in the back pocket of my jeans, then grabbed my car keys and phone. Hopping down the stairs, I dialed Emerson. I had invaded her privacy on the first day of school by scrolling through her phone and stealing her phone number. However, this was the first time that I’d ever called her.

She answered on the second ring, probably wondering who the fuck was calling her. No one called each other anymore; everyone fucking texted. “Hello?”

“I’m leaving for the party now,” I rattled off, not even introducing myself. “I’d better see you there, Emerson.”

I heard her cluck her tongue. “So, then what you’re saying is that you’re going to be partaking in hallucinogenic drugs? Because that’s the only way that you’ll be seeing me there tonight, Ramsey.”

I stopped at the foot of the stairs. “You know what, Emerson?”

“What?” she sassed.

“I hope that youdomake me come after you, baby,” I told her honestly. “I hope like hell that you make me chase after you. It’ll be that much more explosive when I catch you.”

She laughed into the phone. “Ramsey, Ramsey, Ramsey,” she taunted. “What happens when you finally find me, but I’m not alone?”

I had to count to ten and take a deep breath. I knew what she was doing; she was giving as good as she was getting. However, that particular threat wasn’t a wise one. She was insinuating that she was single, and she wasn’t.

Not by a fucking long shot.

We might not be in a traditional boyfriend/girlfriend relationship, but Emerson was mine, and mine alone. The sooner that she understood that fact, the better.

“I dare you to go to another guy, Emerson,” I growled into the phone, my voice dark and low. “Let me catch you with another guy. Let me hear that you’ve been with another guy, and he’ll never be able to walk again, much less fuck.”

“You can’t tell me what to do or who to see, Shepherd. Don’t forget,” she retorted, “I’m not one of your goddamn sheep.”

This fucking girl.

“I swear to God, Emerson, if you let another guy put his hands on you, I will unleash a hell upon you the likes of which you have never seen.” The very idea had my vision colored red. “You think your father murdering your mother was the worst thing that could ever happen to you? Try me, Emerson.Fucking try me,”I seethed, and then hung up before I could say anything more.

This. Fucking. Girl.

Chapter 12

Emerson~

Manotile was only twenty minutes away from Sands Cove, but the drive to the neighboring town felt like it was taking forever. However, that was mostly because Roselyn had a white-knuckle grip on the steering wheel, and she kept side-eyeing me and biting her lip.

When she’d shown up at my house about fifteen minutes after Bailey had left for the lake party, she had assumed that’s where we were going, too. However, I had given her heart palpitations when I’d told her that we’d had other plans.

We’d only been buckled up for about five minutes when she finally let out her anxiety. “I get it, Emerson. I do. I really, really do,” she said, biting the bottom of her lip. “I mean, Ramsey’s been a complete prick, and his treatment of you has been…well, it’s been strange to say the least. Still, Emerson, this is beyond poking the bear. Ramsey’s going to fuckingflip.”

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