Page 62 of The Last Dance You Saved
“Then let me be the first. My family, this land, and even the goddamn town is off-limits. I’ll refund your money for any lease you’ve signed, and tomorrow, I’ll haul your boat out of the water and your horse out of my barn and drop them off wherever you want. You will not step foot on Harrington land again. Am I clear?”
His shoulders relaxed instead of tightened at my words, the tension in his body being replaced by a patronizing smile, as if he was watching a toddler throw a tantrum. I had to clench my fists in order to hold myself back while I fought wildly to regain control of my anger.
“I rather like my things here, so even though we could break the contract giving me rights to the dock and the barn, I have no desire to do so.” He spoke casually, as if it meant nothing to him, but there was a steely resolve underneath it. “Plus, my cousin Marielle is getting married here this weekend. You might remember she’s like a sister to me. With her parents gone, I paid for the wedding. My money is lining those empty Harrington Ranch coffers. I believe you should be thanking me for helping hold it up a bit longer.”
He took advantage of my stunned silence to step around me and head for the house.
If I’d had any doubts before about what was happening here, they were gone. Puzo was involved. I didn’t know how or when he’d gotten his claws in here, and I had absolutely no proof he’d been responsible for the ranch’s failure or my brother’s death, but every fiber of my being told me he was. And it was my fault. I hadn’t even thought to warn them to watch their backs. I wouldn’t have dreamed of interfering in Spence’s business and would have been nauseated at the idea of telling him even a piece of mine.
My pride and arrogance had allowed Puzo to weasel his way in with Adam and Spence by doling out advice and appearing to help, but the truth was, he wanted to make the ranch his. He wanted to take my heritage, my roots, and destroy them as he hadn’t been able to destroy me. He’d spent time in the community, cozied up to the people in charge, and lined their pockets, probably so when he took over the land, no one would stop him from cutting it apart and parceling it out to developers who’d build on it—ruin it.
No wonder the mayor had looked worried earlier.
He said he’d a signed contract giving him the right to be there, and the law would be on his side, but I’d tear it apart. He may have a contract, but I’d find any and every loophole I could to free my family of the hooks he’d stuck into us. He'd completely lost his mind if he thought I’d stand by and let him destroy the ranch, destroy Lauren and Fallon, just to get to me.
I’d started to wonder what it would take to make the ranch a success again for my daughter, but as I strode into the house, the mission became clearer. Stronger. I wouldn’t do it just for her. I’d make this ranch an icon of success simply to shove it in Puzo’s face. The Harrington-Marquess name would be the benchmark every other resort of its kind hoped to replicate. I’d loosen his claws from my family, from this town and this community, and once they were all free, I’d use those vicious nails of his to slice through the heart of him. I’d end him.
Chapter Twenty-one
Rafe
MACBETH
Performed by Max McNown
Fallon had shown Puzo into thesitting room at the front of the house by the time Sadie and I walked in. I’d just taken a step toward them, fists clenched, ideas of tossing him out on his ass running through my head, when Sadie’s hand on my arm stopped me in the entry.
“Rafe. I understand you’re angry—”
“That’s the least of what I am.”
“He said he’s here for his cousin’s wedding, right?” My chest felt like it might implode it was drawn so tight. I gave a curt nod, and she continued, “You can’t ruin her wedding by kicking them off the property. Think of all the planning she’s done. The excitement. The people who are coming. No matter how much you despise him being here, she’s done nothing to you. You can’t ruin the best day of her life like that.”
Oh, yes you can, my devil taunted.
I didn’t reply. I couldn’t. Instead, I followed my daughter and Puzo into the sitting room. It was full of florals and chintz and claw-footed furniture my great-grandparents had imported from Europe, as if dragging Old World elegance onto the ranch could somehow change the savagery of the land and make it more refined. But it could never hide the truth of this place. The wild was meant to thrive here.
Without even knowing it, I’d done the same thing at The Fortress, attempting to bring grace and charm to a city that often reveled in addiction and sin. Attempting to show the entire world thatIwas more than a simple ranch hand with a knack for taming horses. But the me I’d forged, the life I’d created in Vegas, was as false as the façade of Mont Saint Michel I’d built to house my triumph.
Two days was all it took for this place to prove I’d never be able to cleanse it from my blood.
And I loathed it was Puzo who’d shown me the truth by trying to take it away.
“I’ll just get Mom,” Fallon said just as Lauren astonished those of us who’d seen her laid up in bed by walking into the room wearing a sundress littered with poppies. Her hair was up in a smooth ponytail, and she’d attempted to hide the shadows under her eyes with a layer of makeup. While it couldn’t rid the sadness from them or the strain from her smile, it did leave her looking better than she had that morning.
“I didn’t expect you until later this evening, Lorenzo,” she said, greeting him with a cheek kiss that made me cringe.
“My plans opened up, and I thought I’d take the boat out on the lake,” Puzo said with a smooth smile. As he stepped back, he ran his gaze over Lauren’s figure in a way that sent the blood in my veins boiling again. Not in jealousy—I’d never want her that way again—but from a need to protect my family.
“Fallon, you and Maisey get cleaned up for dinner,” I ordered.
My daughter’s gaze darted between the adults in the room, but she didn’t argue. She just rolled her eyes, grabbed Maisey’s hand, and headed up the stairs. And while I liked that she was no longer in the same room as Puzo, I worried because I could no longer see her. Keeping her close all day had been a balm I’d needed after last night.
“I haven’t heard from Marielle today,” Lauren said. “I’m assuming everything is still set for her arrival tomorrow?”
“Everything is going according to plan.” The sly smile returned, directed at me, and only Sadie linking her fingers with mine and holding me back stopped me from lunging for him. “It’s a beautiful location for a wedding. Marielle is lucky you were able to fit her in on such short notice.”
“Just exactly how long have you been planning this wedding?” I demanded. Had it been after Spence had died? Before? What the hell did Puzo think he could do while he was here?
