Page 94 of Headed for Home

“We’ll get to rigging your pole in a bit, Crusher.” Garrett blows him a kiss before his affection swerves onto me. “Is it true you bought a horse?”

“For Cassidy,” I chuckle. “To be fair, she already owned her and isn’t going to make me pay the thirty thousand.”

Ridge chokes on his sip of Coors. “The fuck?”

“Grand gesture,” I explain.

They share a knowing nod when my phone rattles on the dash. A glance at the screen has me immediately silencing the call. Almost as quickly, the buzzing begins again. My humor fades into a pile of ash. I spit a curse and send them straight to voicemail. Another attempt soon follows.

Garrett’s brows lift. “Problem?”

“I’m choosing to ignore them.” My phone skitters across the surface, disrupting our peace.

Ridge snorts. “Not sure they’re getting the message.”

Nope, but I’m getting theirs. My glare matches the one cutting across the text. Irritation brews into a cloud as I check their latest lines of bullshit.

Unknown Number:Hello, Mr. Granger. We’re still having difficulty getting ahold of you. Are you getting these texts? How about the voicemails? We’ve left several. I just need a few minutes of your time to discuss the next investment opportunity. If I’m unable to reach you, I could stop by your place of business. Roosters, right? Or I could try contacting Ms. Brooks. Perhaps she would be more willing to talk to us. If I recall, she’s the reason you approached us to begin with. Remember that, Mr. Granger. You came to us. We look forward to hearing from you. Have a wonderful day.

Fumes stream from my flared nostrils. If this is their strategy for getting a response from me, they can sit and spin. I dare them to try using Cassidy to get what they want. Fuckers have no boundaries.

Ridge is about to take a sip of beer but his can pauses midair. “Who the fuck pissed you off?”

I crack open a fresh Coors and guzzle a mouthful. “Remember when I told you about Sutherland Homes?”

Garrett scrunches his forehead. “That construction company you wanted us to invest in?”

“Be glad you didn’t.” I toss my phone to Ridge since he’s closest to me. “They’re worse than I thought.”

The former hockey pro whips off his sunglasses, menace burning in his eyes. “Who the fuck do they think they are?”

“A huge pain in my ass. Might as well be a thorn bush to the balls.”

Garrett whistles after reading the text. “Just block them.”

I bang my head on the steering wheel. “Why didn’t I think of that?”

Ridge scoffs. “Your fanbase never crossed into harassment territory?”

The memories are a bit crispy on the edges. “Not that I’m aware of.”

“Consider yourself lucky,” Garrett says. “But yeah, cut off their access to you. Easy as pressing a button.”

“Huh.” I toggle over to the options and strike them out. “Done.”

Garrett stretches to slap my back. “Feel better?”

The throb at my temples pounds harder than my hips slapping into Cassidy’s ass. “Not really.”

“Dude, let it go. They can’t touch you.”

My nod flows with the waves. “You’re right. They’re grasping at dingleberries.”

Ridge crosses his arms. “And if they so much as step foot in our bar, they’ll be dealing with me.”

“Aww, thanks.” I pretend to swipe at a shed tear. “See? This is what I wanted. Brotherly love.”

His stony expression doesn’t appear convinced. “We’re still the lowest rung on the ladder.”

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