Page 32 of Ranch's Resolve

CHAPTER NINETEEN: RANCH

I chuckle at how snuggly Athena is after great sex. No, not just great sex, but fucking spectacular, earth-shattering sex. I’d been with more than my share of women, but Athena was the most memorable. Not just the sight of her over my knee as I paddled her luscious ass. Her taste, her moans, and the way her velvety core grasped my cock was perfection. I lost myself in her, and that was not a normal outcome. I’d forgotten why I brought her into my room. I’d forgotten about our argument and the reason for it.

Carlos.

Shit.

Before I deal with Carlos, I need to clarify things with Athena.

“Are you going to listen to me?” I ask her, pulling her closer.

“Yes, I’ll listen. I don’t have the energy for much else.”

I chuckle again before explaining how the person who tried to buy our ranch reacted when I refused his offer.

“I heard. They said no horses died or were hurt. Is that true?” Athena asks. I swipe my thumb under her eye to catch the single falling tear.

“We got them out safely. They were all terrified, but none of them were hurt.”

“That’s good. Did anyone get hurt?”

“No. We kept the fire contained to the barn.”

“What does this have to do with the man downstairs?”

“Axel and Simon caught him on the property. We questioned him and learned that the men who started the fire hired him to distract me so they could set the fire.”

“How did he distract you?” Athena asks as she leans up. “Holy shit! What happened?”

I follow her line of sight and see the bruises Carlos gave me and frown. Fucking asshole. “I’m fine.”

“Did he give you those bruises? He attacked you?”

“Yes. Which is why I made the threat. Carlos is our prisoner because he attacked me and participated in an attack on the club. We’re giving him a second chance. He’s a single parent, and he swears he didn’t know the men who hired him were going to set a fire. He backed off his attack on me when he heard the horses screaming. Even though we’re giving him another chance, it doesn’t mean we trust him. What you heard me say was the reminder that his life belongs to us now and that he better not double-cross us. There is someone out there intent on acquiring not just my ranch but others as well. Whoever is behind the attempt to buy the land isn’t taking no for an answer and isn’t afraid to hurt someone to get what they want. They caused an older man, who also turned down their offer, to fall off his horse and break his leg. Carlos may be able to help us identify the men who hired him.”

Athena frowns at me before slowly nodding. “I can understand you threatening him to keep him in line, but you threatened his son, too.”

“Do you think we’d hurt a child? After all we’ve done with Crossroads?”

“Why do you think I was so upset when I heard the threat? I thought maybe you were more like the Spades than I thought.”

Her statement gives me pause. I hadn’t considered the Spades when she had stared at my 1% patch with concern the previous night. I imagine that Killian and Deion, being gang members for several years, had caused Athena more than a few sleepless nights. Were they the reason why Athena paused when it came to me?

“We aren’t like them,” I tell her.

Her expression is skeptical. “You wear a 1% patch. I’m not stupid. I know what that means. You are a member of a club that works outside the law.”

“Yes. We do. I guess that’s going to be a problem?”

Athena rolls out of bed and gathers her clothes. I have my answer. I stand and get dressed while I watch her do the same. When she’s fully clothed, she sits on my bed. I take the seat beside her.

“When Killian and Deion were members of the Spades, I lived my life in fear. Every time the phone rang, I thought they were calling for bail money. Every time the doorbell rang, I thought it was the cops coming to tell me one or both were dead. I lost my brother and my cousin to that damned gang. They cut ties with me. Oh, I’d get a call on my birthday and the occasional visit on the holidays, but most of the time, they avoided spending time with me. Not only did they know I disapproved of their choices, but they were also afraid to make me a target. They knew that other gangs, as well as the police, would target me for information and harass me. For the seven years they were members, I was alone and scared. I can’t live like that again. I won’t.” She raises a trembling hand to brush back her hair that had gotten loose during our sexcapades.

I take her hand and raise it to my lips.

“I’m sorry. I can understand how hard that would be for you. You love your brother and cousin and only want them to be safe. I’m glad they extricated themselves from the gang and have found a new path. The Demon Dawgs aren’t the Spades. Do we occasionally break the law?” I tap my patch. “Yes. But that doesn’t mean we take unnecessary chances.”

Athena scoffs, so I squeeze her hand to regain her attention.

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