Page 27 of Red's Revenge

I open the voicemail and listen to my entire world fall apart.

Chapter Eleven

RED

Icircled the airport for an hour, arguing with myself that I had no right to interfere with her life. She wasn’t in mine, for Christ’s sake! Snow made it impossible for me to drive as fast as I’d like to dispel some of the anger I was feeling.

She’s going home.

Leaving me to go home to another man.

I didn’t know him personally, but I’d never hated another human being as much I did at this very moment.

When I finally made it home, the house was packed, and the smell coming from the kitchen was the reason why. It doesn’t snow much in Texas, but when it does, Ma always makes chicken and dumplings. So that means the whole damn family is here.

“Red, why do you look like someone pissed in your hat?” Ma says as she ladles up bowl after bowl and passes them to my little sister.

“Hey, Princess,” I kiss her head as she swats me away.

“Reckon, it has something to do with that blonde at the restaurant the other night.” Eliza’s twin, Easton, says, taking the bowl she offers him.

“Has someone finally said no to Big Red?” Kit snickers from the couch as he blows the steam off his own bowl.

“Cami didn’t.” I stop talking when I see I gave him exactly what he wanted.

“What a pretty name.” He muses, and I’ve had enough of his shit already.

“You fixin’ for a row out back? He looks fit to be tied. I’d let this one go.” Clay walks past our troublemaker of a brother and the whole reason I got this stupid fucking nickname.

“Now, Red. Be reasonable. It’s been years. Surely you’re not still mad over a tiny little prank.” Kit’s grin grows as my anger boils over.

I know it’s just my emotions running amuck, but if he’s going to flaunt such a great outlet in front of me, sure as shit, I’m going to take it. I shrug out of my flannel and hang up my hat.

“Fuck,” Colton sighs as Kit follows suit and then walks out the back door to wait for me.

“Boys, I’m fresh outta crazy glue and thread. Make sure you don’t track blood or mud into my house. I just mopped these floors.” Ma continues serving up the food she cooked like this is an everyday occurrence around here.

After raising nine boys, I guess it is.

Pa just watches as I walk past him and right out the back door. Colton leans up against the house, trying to stay out of the snow as Kit jumps around in place. Steam rises from where the flakes melt on his exposed skin.

“Drinks on me when you two fools are done.” Clayton passes us on his way to the barn.

He must be taking his horse down to the bar since the snow will stop him from riding his Harley. Kit notices my distraction, and the little fuck takes a cheap shot nailing me in the gut.

“FUCK,” I growl as I bend over.

“Gotta be quicker than that old man.” He bounces around me like the boxer he’s trained as.

“Thirty-three ain’t old asshole.” I swing and catch his jaw.

He shakes it off and then grins at me before landing two jabs and an uppercut. My head spins for a moment, and he leans in to hiss at me.

“I’m a decade younger and faster bitch.” My vision is spotty, but I manage to grab him by the neck and take him down to the ground.

I might not be able to outbox him, but he’s always been shit on the mats. We roll in the snow until I get the upper hand.

“Tap out,” I yell out as Kit tries to break my hold on his neck.

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