Page 167 of Roulette Rodeo
I start the truck again, very carefully putting it in drive and beginning the journey back to the ranch at a grandmother-appropriate pace. Rafe keeps making small whimpering sounds whenever we go over bumps, and I try really hard not to find it endearing that the perfectly controlled alpha is so thoroughly undone by my driving.
The ranch comes into view through the trees, all rustic beauty and hidden security measures. But as we round the final curve, Talon swears under his breath.
"We've got company."
A car sits in our usual parking area—not just any car, but something expensive and ostentatious. A Bentley, maybe, or some other luxury vehicle that costs more than most people's houses. It's black with tinted windows, polished to a mirror shine that seems obscene next to our practical trucks and SUVs.
"I don't recognize it," Corwin says, tension threading through his voice.
"Pull up slow," Rafe instructs, his nausea forgotten as he shifts into pack alpha mode. "Park but keep the engine running."
I do as instructed, stopping about thirty feet from the mystery car.
We all watch as the driver's door opens, and my blood turns to ice.
Manager Marnay steps out, adjusting his expensive suit like he's arriving at a board meeting instead of ambushing us at our home.
"Fuck," I breathe, my hands tightening on the wheel.
"Stay in the car," Rafe orders. "Talon, Corwin, stay with Red. Shiloh, with me."
They move with military precision, but before Rafe closes his door, he looks back at me. "Do not get out of this truck. No matter what he says."
I nod, but my heart is hammering against my ribs like a caged bird.
What is Marnay doing here? How did he even find this place?
Rafe and Shiloh approach him with the kind of casual confidence that says they're not threatened, but I can see the tension in their shoulders, the way their hands stay loose and ready at their sides.
"Talon," I whisper, "I need to hear what they're saying."
He's already climbing over the center console into the driver's seat.
"Crawl to the back. Get down behind the seats."
I do as instructed, squeezing between the front seats and crouching in the rear floorboard.
Corwin moves to the passenger side, and Talon drives forward just enough—parking closer but at an angle that would allow for quick escape if needed.
"Smart," Corwin murmurs. "We can hear but Red stays hidden."
Through the cracked window, Marnay's voice carries with that false charm I remember too well.
"What pleasure do we have for you to come all the way here when it's not your class?" Rafe's voice is pure ice, each word sharp enough to cut.
Marnay's laugh is cold, full of the kind of annoyance that comes from having to deal with people he considers beneath him. "Well, I've come with a proposition. Though I'm wondering where Red is?"
"She's in town," Shiloh says coldly. "Having to do her duties as an omega, obviously."
"Cooking and cleaning, I suppose?" Marnay's tone is knowing, mocking.
"She cooks pretty well," Shiloh continues, and I can hear the smirk in his voice. "Though she's better at stirring the pot in the bedroom."
I have to bite my lip to keep from laughing at the absurdity of that statement.
In three months, I've barely given them any sex beyond that first time with Shiloh. I've been so tired lately, comfortable just sleeping around the house and slowly working on my nest in the spare room. None of them have pressured me either, which has been a revelation. It feels like this isn't a race but something romantic, blossoming naturally with each of them at its own pace.
Even Rafe has started eating meals with us, occasionally sitting next to me on the couch during movie nights.
