Page 1 of Bound and Branded

Chapter One

Avery

There are two things that I’m certain of. The first is that every morning, no matter how tired I am, the sun is going to rise in the east and I’m going to have to get my ass out of bed to do the chores.

The second is that IhateCaleb Flynn.

I’m not exaggerating. It isn’t mild dislike. It’s the real deal. Iburnwith it. He’s my nemesis, and has been ever since he bought that big plot of land next to ours. Ever since he built that giant, ostentatious house that stands on top of the mountain looking down on us like we’re peasants and he’s the king.

Though, to him, I suppose that’s the reality.

I don’t like change, and the first strike against him was that he changed my daily view. No longer do I look up and see the unadulterated mountains, I also see his monstrosity of a house.

It’s a beautiful house, but that’s not the point. It’sdifferent. I get to hate it.

The second strike against him was when he bought up one hundred acres of our property. He made my dad an offer he couldn’t refuse and my dad took it. I’m mad at my dad about it, too, don’t worry.

I’m fair with my hatred.

At least, I like to think so.

Since he bought up that hundred acres five years ago, he’s also bought fifty more. I’m struggling to keep things going while Dad refuses to give me total control, and this guy looming about all the time isn’t helping.

So when I come into the house at dinnertime and he’s there, the acid churn in my stomach doesn’t surprise me. Doesn’t even disturb me. It’s all the other feelings.

Because the problem is, even though I hate Caleb Flynn from the top of his cowboy hat down to the soles of his cowboy boots, he’s also as hot as the fires of the hell that I would like to send him to.

It doesn’t make any logical sense. It never has. I blame that night all those years ago. He did something to me. Changed something. Something I didn’t want changed.

As far as my daily life goes, I want to be in charge.

No, Ineedto be in charge.

For as long as I can remember, control has the most important thing in my life. Mainly because neither of my parents has any. I love my dad, but without me, the ranch would’ve fallen apart a long time ago.

Caleb leases the land he bought back to us, and he thinks that gives him the right to come here when he wants to, to weigh in on our ranching practices and in general be around when I think he has no business being here.

Caleb is… Well, he’s the kind of man who thinks he’s in charge of everything. He’s the kind of man who thinks thatthe sun rises and sets on his word. No. It’s going to do that regardless. One of those certainties.

Just like I’m going to keep on hating him.

“What are you doing here?” I ask.

As soon as the words exit my mouth, my dad comes in from the kitchen with two beers in his hand.

“Avery,” he says. “Mr. Flynn is our guest.”

I make direct eye contact withMr. Flynn, those blue eyes scorching me. “Is that a fact?”

“It is,” my dad says, sitting heavily in the chair next to Caleb, and handing him a beer. Caleb looks at me meaningfully as he takes a long pull from the bottle.

“I’ll have the papers for you to sign by tomorrow,” Caleb says.

“No!” The word explodes from my mouth. “No. You’re not selling him more of our land.”

“Avery…” My dad sounds exhausted, but how the fuck does he think I feel? I’m the one who runs this place. I’m the one who makes sure that we have a ranch. I manage our ranch hands and I keep up with the business aspects of it. I oversee the birthing, raising, and slaughtering of the cattle, the selling of all the meat. This is mine. My blood, my sweat, my tears—and he’s been parceling the ranch out to Caleb for years.

He might not be a property developer, but as far as I’m concerned, he might as well be. He’s a rhinestone cowboy if anything. Just a rich dickhead who’s doing this because he can. Buying up land and not even working it.

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