Page 34 of Recurve Ridge

I opened my mouth to object, but we both knew it would be an outright lie. “I’ve taken nothing that didn’t cross onto my land.”

“Semantics.” Gideon chuckled, an unpleasant and not-so-veiled threat. “I’m impressed, Huntingdon. You’re more of a politician than you think.”

My teeth clenched, pain shooting along my jaw. “I suggest you get off my land.”

Blackthorne threw his head back, the forest echoing with his laugh. “I bet you’ve been waiting to say that for years.” Soulless pale eyes the color of a wintery sky stared back at me.

It ached that I knew in my gut that he’d hurt Mari, that it was he who had touched her and enabled others to ruin her body and break her will.

She’s more resilient than you think.

He was right to be scared of her. If she spoke out, she would be a true threat to his comfortable, fucked-up lifestyle. But forcing her to say the words made me as bad as him. No, she needed to tell me in her own time. Coming out in public was the worst of ideas. Petersen would remove her from existence if she directly threatened his position as mayor, and his association with Blackthorne would do that if the truth of her assault was brought to light in the public arena. Hence the dual complication. Petersen would pull the trigger by proxy of one of his mercenary minions if Blackthorne didn’t first.

Fire boiled in my chest as my fingers flicked at my sides. Watching the man opposite me, I forced my hand to relax.

Gideon’s laugh died at whatever he read on my face. “The other day, I lost something important. I’d like it back.”

Fuck, I gave him too much. “Why?”

My shitty deflection offered a poor barrier.I should have prepared better. Even though I’d known he would ask about her, I hadn’t put thought into my defense of Mari, too distracted by the woman herself.

Gideon’s gaze narrowed. “We both know why.”

Yeah, but I want to hear you admit it.

“Return my property, Huntingdon.” Gideon stepped back, and the games were over.

But I haven’t been playing.

She was never yours.

The dual thoughts roused the constant rage that simmered low in my stomach as I glared at him. He could read into that look whatever the hell he wanted; it wouldn’t change the outcome of his spoiled-child tantrum.

Look at the Brit terms I’m picking up from Mari.

If she gave snarky me ammunition in that vein, she could stay as long as she wanted.

And for a few other reasons.

I nodded back in an easy motion. “Nothing here is yours.” Nor would it ever be. I gave him a smile as empty as his previous promise that he’d hold to the boundary line.

Liar, liar, black soul on fire.

Mari would have an entertaining little ditty to lighten the mood. Something cheery and inappropriate that would clench my chest and make me want to wrap her in my arms and never let go. I would have to remember to ask her later.

Ignoring Blackthorne’s demand, I turned my back and began to walk away in slow, measured paces, aware of the target I presented to any one of his paid protectors who harbored a trigger-happy finger.

“You can’t hide out here forever, Huntingdon.”

I swiveled where I stood, my teeth bared in a harsh grin that silenced him in swift order. Releasing my breath in measured exhales, I took a step forward into his space. Three muted pops halted me on the spot. I looked over his shoulder in time to see his three shadows fall.

Offering him a bland grin, I gave Blackthorne a little wave, turned, and disappeared back into the forest. The music of his cursing followed me as I wished him the best of luck keeping those shoes of his clean on his four-mile walk across the ridge back to his fancy cement compound.

I found Miller in the deepest part of the forest between Blackthorne and the house, leaning against a tree trunk as wide as his barrel chest and dismembering a pine needle piece by piece.

“Good job. Leave any out?” Not that he would. The man was as pedantic in his body count as a hooker working Cypress Avenue on a Friday night. Still, I made the attempt to lighten the tense atmosphere that surrounded him. After all, the man had killed for me.

“He made it too easy.” Miller’s brown gaze clashed with mine, darkness roiling there. The pine needle fell to the forest floor as he glared at me.

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