Page 6 of Shep
Before Jackson picked me up, I’d texted Pops to tell him I’d changed my mind about the new hire. I spent the day thinking about how much of a dick I was for not offering someone an opportunity that Joe had given me. If Pops’ friend Hank vouched for this kid, then it was time to practice a little paying it forward. I couldn’t pin Marv’s mistakes on someone else.
He’d texted back that dinner was hot dogs, sauerkraut, queso dip, meatball sandwiches, and salt and vinegar potato chips. He asked if he could come out with me.
At the time, I laughed and thought of having him tag along, but now? Fuck no.
Pops was stuck with the girls and I was starting to think weird food cravings would be better than this.
“Where is the auction?”
We were headed out of town, the pavement giving way to dirt road a few minutes earlier.
“Two Rivers Ranch.”
Two Rivers Ranch?Cyrus had to be shitting me.
“The Trout place?” I asked, just to make sure.
“Yeah. Rocky hooked us up over the summer withan invite and we’ve been back every month since,” Jackson explained. “I’m telling you, man, the pussy is primo.”
Primo pussy or not, this was turning into a nightmare.
I closed my eyes and let my head fall back onto the headrest. The fucking Trouts. My family had a history with them.
I’d sorta grown up with Rocky, short for Rockford or something ridiculous, but he’d gone off to boarding school and I hadn’t seen him much since. No love lost there.
His younger brother, Chase, had gone to college with Zeb. They’d even played football together. Until last month, when he’d been arrested for dealing drugs to high school kids. Zeb’s girl, Cammie, had seen him in action and been threatened by the little punk. Turned out, she’d had photo proof which got the Missoula police to pull security cameras and get even more evidence. I’d heard he might take a plea, but he’d been kicked out of college and lost any chances of playing pro ball.
Back in the spring, Conrad Trout, the dad, had made a shady business arrangement to buy Ellie Mann. As in, pay off her father’s debt in exchange for marrying her. She’d run off into a fucking blizzard andhad been found by Trig, thank fuck. They fell in love and had been married within two days.
The millionaire had also been doing shady shit to Katie Camden, trying to force her to sell him her family’s ranch. That hadn’t happened either and the last I heard from my brother Hayes, who was her lawyer, they were suing the shit out of the fucker.
Then there was the douche canoe nephew and… the Trout name meant trouble.
Having a sex auction at that place? Sounded just like something that would happen there.
That meant I had no choice now but to go and find out what the fuck it was all about.
4
FRANKIE
I tuggedon Marie’s arm, leaned in and whispered. “Um, I’m not so sure about this.”
Even in the slinky dress, I was sweating. I was going to be homeless and that didn’t scare me as much as walking in this house.
Jasmine hadn’t been kidding when they said we were coming to a mansion.
This place was huge. Like movie star rich.
The great room we were in had a two-story vaulted ceiling. A river rock fireplace had a roaring fire. Around it was the biggest sectional sofa I’d ever seen.All creams and tans. Leather and plush fabrics. The scent of cigars clung to the air.
I counted five other women along with me, Jasmine, and Marie. We were all under twenty-five, or at least looked it, dressed similarly in skimpy-for-the-cold-weather dresses and heels.
After I’d given in and said yes, Jasmine had dashed back to her place and grabbed a few outfits for me. No question, she’d hustled so I wouldn’t change my mind.
I’d ended up in something shiny and blue and clingy–extra clingy since Jasmine was smaller than me in the hips and boobs–with matching heels. They’d done my hair and makeup.
I felt like an imposter. Clothes. Location. Experience.
