Page 12 of Ride Me

I startle, my hand instinctively tightening around Bowen’s. “Gunner, holy shit, that was a jump scare.”

I let out a forced chuckle and try to brush off the jolt of unease that curls in my stomach. Bowen joins in. His laughter comes easy but it’s laced with something harder. I lean back intoBowen and he drapes a protective arm over me. Gunner doesn’t smile as he takes in the sight of the two of us.

Gunner’s gaze flicks between us before settling on me. “Are you trying to sell me on the idea of you and this guy?”

I open my mouth to reply, but Gunner continues turning to Bowen. “I didn’t want to do this in front of you, bro, but she isn’t giving me a choice. You get it.” He exhales sharply, shaking his head as if this whole thing is some kind of inconvenience for him. “I’ve decided to give you another chance, Priya.”

I blink.Another chance? Wow. Okay. So he’s insane. He’s actually crazy.

“You were my support system,” he continues. “When the opportunity came up for me to get a little more fame, I jumped at it. I see now that it wasn’t the right decision.” He takes a step closer and puts his hands out like he’s making a proclamation “When I leave here tomorrow, you can come back with me.”

There’s a moment of silence. The weight of his offer hangs between us like a bad smell. Bowen leans into the hug harder. He’s rock solid, anchoring me to reality. Then in a surprise even to myself, I laugh. Not the forced kind this time, but the genuine, incredulous kind. Gunner’s brow furrows.

“No, thank you.” I shake my head. “I’m okay. I’m not trying to sell you on anything. This is my life now, and I’m happy.” The words come easily, and it surprises me how much I mean them.

Hearing him admit fault is nice, I guess, but there’s nothing tempting about the offer. If anything, it just confirms what I already knew. I made him my world and I was nothing more than a safety net to him. And standing here now, with Bowen wrapped around me, I realize how little that loss actually matters to me.

Gunner’s gaze flicks from me to Bowen and back again, his lips pressing into a thin line. “When you change your mind, I’ll be here. This is going to get old.”

Bowen lets out a short, amused breath. “You enjoy your night.”

Then, before Gunner can say another word, Bowen claps him on the shoulder. The gesture is firm, but just on the side of dismissive as Bowen guides me past Gunner and into the Velvet Spur. I don’t miss the tension between the two of them, but Bowen’s move is effective.

And just like that, he saves me again.

We step inside Kingridge Ranch’s world-famous restaurant, where highbrow cuisine meets a lowbrow dress code. The scent of seared steak and warm bread fills the air, mingling with laughter and the low hum of conversation.

Gone is the dust and grit from the day’s competition. After showers and fresh clothes, everyone looks almost unrecognizable—like polished versions of themselves. The testosterone-fueled rivalry has melted away, replaced with easy grins, bro hugs, and firm handshakes.

Most plates are clear and dinner seems to be wrapping up. The food here is legendary and I’m sure the kitchen staff pulled out all the stops. The glasses are full. But still, tonight something feels…off.

From a quick glance, it seems like the whole Southern Knights team is accounted for. But one thing sticks out like a sore thumb… the Kingridge crew is missing. That includes the waitstaff.

I glance up at Bowen. By the crease in his brow, I know he’s seeing the same thing. Something isn’t right. Movement at the back of the room catches my attention. I look again to see Cassidy, standing near the kitchen doors.

She locks eyes with me and waves us over. Her expression is unreadable, but the urgency in her gesture is enough to set my nerves buzzing. Bowen and I exchange a quick glance beforefollowing her through the swinging doors and into the kitchen of the Velvet Spur.

The scene inside stops me cold.

Lining the kitchen are the Kingridge brothers, including Danner, Cassidy and Conner, the waitstaff, and what appears to be every employee within a one-mile radius. They aren’t working. They aren’t bustling around like a kitchen crew should. Instead, they’re all standing there, waiting.

And I have the sinking feeling that whatever’s happening—it’s not good.

“What is this?” Bowen drops my hand and takes a step toward Alex. His posture is tense and his tone is edged with suspicion.

Alex exhales, shaking his head. “I just got here. Look at this.” He reaches for the faucet, lifts the handle, and… nothing. Not even a sputter of water. It’s just silence. “We don’t have any water. And it’s not just the kitchen. It’s the entire ranch.”

The weight of his words settles over the room like a storm cloud.

“Thank goodness we got through dinner first. But they’re going to want to shower before bed… It’s not a great look.” Cassidy shakes her head. “It’s probably the drought. I know I heard something about a water ration, but this feels extreme.”

“It isn’t the drought, we’re running this place on their schedule. I’ve checked every one of their boxes,” Bowen says matter-of-factly. “This is someone messing with the waterline.”

“There’s only one person around here worried about conservation,” Holden says.

The accusation hangs in the air, unspoken but undeniable. A beat of silence passes. Then, all eyes shift to Danner. Danner, still seated, lets out a sharp breath before rising to his feet.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” His gaze flicks across the room, disbelief flashing across his face. “You really think I hadsomething to do with this? No, I didn’t. But maybe if you invested in solar or some kind of water containment system, you wouldn’t be in this mess. For fuck’s sake.”

---