Page 27 of Knot Her Cowboys
“Or book a nonrefundable trip for me to meet your families only after I told you about the classes I was going to take at the culinary institute in Paris?”
“We didn’t,” Bruce snapped. “It was already booked and you forgot.”
“No, I didn’t. Ialwayscheck your calendars because I know how important your work is to you.”
“Then our assistants forgot to?—”
“Stop.” I took a deep breath. “That’s not what happened. Maybe once, maybe twice, but not as often as it did. You know I always tried to be so considerate of your schedules, and you might’ve convinced me of this at one point, but not anymore. I can think of a dozen examples just off the top of my head: things I had to cancel, opportunities I had to let go because I mysteriously ‘forgot’ about something with you two. I’m not the kind of person who does that.”
“Clearly you are,” Bruce grumbled. “You can’t blame us for your shortcomings, and you can’t get mad about things years after the fact.”
“Yeah, well, Iammad about them. And I don’t want to do this anymore. I don’t want to go to Germany with you.”
“Anne, please. I’ll do better. Bruce too. We’ll make you happy.” For a moment Bryan looked like the man who had asked me out in university, so earnest and sweet, but I just didn’t care anymore.
“Let me rephrase. Ican’tdo this anymore. I’m sorry.”
Bruce’s face turned bright red a moment before he slipped away from Bryan and charged me like a bull. Cash pulled me right behind him, Dakota and Levi stepping in to block his way.
“You’re going to regret this!” Bruce yelled.
Who was making a scene now?
“We gave you everything and you’re going to throw it all away for this blue-collar trash? You’re nothing but a selfish little cunt, draining everyone dry until you get what you want. I can’t wait until they get tired of you.”
Each word was like an arrow striking home, burying deep in my flesh.
“Bruce!” Bryan gasped. “What the?—”
“Shut your mouth,” Cash demanded. “You don’t get to talk to her that way.”
“Get off our property.” Levi pushed back on Bruce.
“Bruce, what the hell has gotten into you? She’s our omega. You can’t just—” Bryan dragged Bruce away from us. “Anne’s not sleeping with them. We’d have smelled it on her if she was.”
“Maybe not yet, but I see how they look at what’s ours.”
“Let’s just go,” Bryan pleaded. “We don’t want them to get the police involved.”
“Fuckingfine.” Bruce spun on his heel, getting back in the vehicle.
Bryan dashed forward, getting as close as the others allowed. “Baby, I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s gotten into him. I’ll get him calmed down in town. We’ll figure it out, get you to Germany, and it’ll all go back to how it was.”
The car horn blared, and Bryan flinched.
“No.”
“Anne…”
I bent down, picking up my engagement ring from the dirt and handed it to him. “I’m done. I can’t be what you guys need, and I don’t want to try anymore.”
The horn blasted again and Bryan gave me one last longing look before answering Bruce’s summons. He always did. Always Bruce before me. Even with tears lining his lashes, he still cowed to those demands.
The wheels spat dust as they raced off.
Cash pulled me into a tight hug, cupping my head. I curled my fingers into his shirt, torn between fury and anguish.
“You okay, Riles?”
