Page 9 of Toxic

Keely said I could trust them, I reminded myself. I pointed to the table. “Have a seat.”

“Gonna take that long, huh?”

I gave him a wry smile as he sat. “Where’s your friend?”

“I’m here.”

I couldn’t help the squeak of surprise because it was like he formed out of the shadows as he stalked forward. My eyes flashed to Toxic. The smile he sent my way didn’t make me feel any better. My gut kept screaming at me that these men were dangerous predators. But at least they were on my side. I hoped.

CHAPTER 4

Toxic

Iwatched her as she sank down in the chair opposite of me. She was keeping a close eye on us, but didn’t seem as tense as before. “Did you get to talk to Keely?”

She nodded, giving me a weak smile. “Sorry about before.”

I shrugged. “You show up uninvited on farm land, and it’s expected to be welcomed at gunpoint.”

“You sound like you have first-hand knowledge of that,” she replied and smiled at me.

That smile damn near knocked the breath out of me. It was the first genuine smile she’d given me. But I could see the exhaustion in her eyes. It made me want to take care of everything. To take care of her. Fuck. I was already a damn goner. Dad had been right. It was just an instant knowledge that this woman was mine. She belonged to me. I eyed her, wondering how receptive to that she’d be. “Grew up on a ranch in Wyoming,” I told her, trying to set her more at ease.

“Long way from home.”

Glancing over, I caught Butcher’s gaze. He was staring at me with a strangely perceptive look. He arched a brow, a smirk crossing his face. Clearing my throat, I focused back on the woman. “What’s your name?”

“Billie Callahan.”

“That’s an interesting name. Don’t know many women named Billie,” I said with a grin.

“Old family name,” she said with a shrug. “Keely didn’t tell you my name?”

“There wasn’t a whole lot of information exchanged,” I told her. “Just heard you needed help and headed on out.”

She straightened up in the chair and studied me, then Butcher. “You just came out. Without knowing what’s going on?”

I shrugged. “Keely needed something. She’s a friend. That’s enough.”

She shook her head. “I would do that for her, too, so I get it, but… You don’t knowme.”

“Don’t need to,” Butcher replied.

She looked shocked. “This… This could be dangerous. I can’t ask you to help me.”

“You need the help, don’t you?” I asked, trying to keep my voice soothing. She was like one of those prickly mares I loved so much. Scared and aggressive because she didn’t know what else to do. “Besides, Big Guy here needs a little danger or he gets bored.”

She studied Butcher for a moment, then spoke. “Someone’s…” She let out a sigh and raked a hand through her thick hair.

I wanted so fucking badly to be the one doing that right now. My dick hardened in my jeans, so I shifted to ease the pressure. I caught Butcher’s smirk again. That fucker knew me too well. He knew what I was doing.

“I have no real proof,” she continued. “But I think someone’s trying to run me off my ranch.”

“Why do you say that?” I asked.

“First our ranch hands started disappearing. They wouldn’t even answer a text.”

Butcher and I exchanged glances. “Disappearing?” he asked.

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