Page 146 of Stay for Me

When the man looked up, I saw the most beautiful green eyes I’d ever seen. He looked at Mags.

“Take him,” my cowboy ordered.

The man nodded and looked at me again, his features softening. “Ms. Harper,” he greeted.

“Uh, hi.”

He didn’t respond, yanking Lucas off the floor and then shoving him out the front door.

Mags’ arm was around me then, like a steel trap I never wanted to leave, holding me against his body. I felt his whiskers against the shell of my ear. “You’re safe, Firefly,” he whispered.

I curled my hands around his strong forearm, his skin covered by black fabric. My head turned then, my eyes lifting to find his dark ones staring down at me. “You came for me,” I croaked, my fingers touching his beard.

His voice was low, just for my ears only. “Always will, gorgeous.”

“Who the hell are you?”

My attention snapped back to my parents, my eyes meeting my father’s for the first time. “You don’t deserve to know him,” I quipped.

Mags said nothing, and a second later, Grayson stepped inside, dressed in black thermal, cargo pants, and boots. He jerked his chin to Mags. “Ready when you are.” His eyes met mine. “You alright?”

I nodded. “Hi, Grayson.”

His lips twitched. “Hey.”

Mags moved then, taking my hand to lead me out of the house. He stopped in front of my father, looking down at him, his voice a deadly whisper when he spoke. “Diana’s future daughter will be my daughter.” I held my breath, tears stinging my eyes as the cowboy of my dreams set a hard boundary. “Heard every word she said to you, know all the words you never said to her.”

My father chose this moment to open his mouth. “I—”

“You’ll keep your damn distance,” Mags growled. “That’s all you’ll fuckin’ do. If you try to come into our lives, I’ll end yours.”

My mom looked at me. “This man is—is not—”

“He loves me,” I countered calmly. “He protects me. He sees me.”

Her mouth clamped shut.

“He’s my everything,” I murmured. “And I’m not sorry you won’t get to see all the joy he’s going to give me.”

Mags’ hand squeezed mine, tugging.

I followed his silent command, leaving my past, my parents, and the life they thought I needed behind.

Hours later.

Lucaswokeup,hisbody in agony, his head weighing a thousand pounds.

It took a while, but when his eyes finally opened, he found darkness. When he tried to move his hands, he looked up, finding them bound and hanging from a large hook chained to the ceiling. A growl of frustration left him as he tried to break free, his body jerking back and forth.

“Won’t work.”

Fear slithered down Lucas’ spine as his head snapped to the shadows in front of him, the familiar ember of a cigarette in the corner. The silence around them was deafening, and a second later, the end of the cigarette glowed brighter as the man took a drag. It was so quiet, Lucas could hear the soft crackling of the tobacco. Sweat trickled down his brow as his chest began to heave.

“Where is Diana?” Lucas demanded to know, his voice unsteady.

No answer, just another drag.

The smell of smoke filled his nose then, and he looked around. On the right, there was a wall of tools, rakes, shovels, a variety of horseshoes on the wall, plus saddle stool.

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