Page 106 of Knot Her Cowboys
“Not bad, but maybe slightly unrealistic.” Levi hummed softly. “I’ve been thinking about them a bit since they left.”
“Yeah? Why’s that?”
“I like to consider situations from different angles. I was kind of distracted during the whole river thing with you almost dying and Bruce taking swings at us, so I didn’t give as much thought to Bryan. Has Bruce ever gotten physical with him?”
I wracked my memory. “Not that I saw. Bruce was more of an emotional abuser prior to the trip. Maybe it just tipped him over the edge.”
“And why were they in a pack together?”
“Their families were really close, I think. They were friends, and Bryan seemed keen to give things a chance when Bruce suggested a pack. Bruce wasn’t so bad at the start. I could tell he was raisedveryprivileged, even more so than Bryan, and he had very high expectations. Neither of us were good at meeting them, and Bryan’s family didn’t like me much. He always got twitchy when we had to see them, but Bruce fit in well with his. All the same sort of people.”
Levi listened, his eyes closed and his fingers tracing patterns on my back. “I’m obviously not an expert on the whole situation, but from what I’ve seen, Bryan might be in an abusive relationship with Bruce, and it sounds like his family are no better.”
I tucked closer. “Well, now I kind of feel like a dick.”
“Why?”
“Now that I’m out of it, I can look at it a little more objectively. I knew Bryan was trapped, but I hadn’t considered it that way before. The way that they all abuse him doesn’t look like how Darlene abused me.”
“It’s hard to recognize when you’re in the depths of it, especially if it’s not what you’re used to looking for.”
“Would you come for moral support when I call back?”
“Absolutely. You don’t have to face anything alone if you don’t want to.”
“Good,” I said with a deprecating laugh, “because I really don’t want to call them at all, but I also don’t want them harassing the staff.”
“That’s what blocking is for,” Levi reminded me.
“Yeah, but Bryan is going to bear the brunt of it, and now that feels extra unfair.”
Levi and I got ready for the day in silence, both of us still exhausted. He had coffee ready when I made it to the kitchen, and I loaded it up with extra milk just so I could chug it.
My phone went fucking wild when we got in range of the boosters at the reception building. I pulled it out of my pocket, seeing thirty missed calls, nine voicemails, and sixty-four texts.
“Good god.”
Levi excused Jen from reception, letting her go on lunch break while we took over temporarily.
The voicemails were Bruce getting progressively more pissed off, but the final one was Bryan profusely apologizing.
The texts were the same.
With a sigh I sat down at the desk and dialed the number to return the call.
Bryan answered breathlessly. “Riley?”
“That’s me. Are you okay?”
“I’m so sor?—”
The sound of a scuffle followed and Bruce’s voice came across the line. “About fucking time. I cannotbelievethe disrespect.”
“Um, news flash, but we’re broken up. I don’t have to return your calls or answer your texts.”
“Don’t get smart with me. We had a business contract in place, and you fucking off to the middle of nowhere in Montana is ruining it. It’s time for your little temper tantrum to be over.”
“Temper tantrum? Excuse me?”
