Page 38 of Cold and Broken (The Titans of Founder's Ridge 1)

“Well, considering he was trying to sexually assault me I’d say he had it coming. Wouldn’t any decent person intervene?”

“Yeah.”

“Of course.”

“So, there’s your answer. My dad works for Volkov Industries so that’s how I know Connor. Nothing more, nothing less.”

“So you aren’t together?” The first guy asks.

“Definitely not.” I laugh. “We can barely tolerate each other.”

“Aw, Peasant,” I feel an arm drape around my shoulders, “that’s not true.”

I am simultaneously torn between wanting to nuzzle against him and inhale his woodsy spicy scent and elbow him in the stomach for coming to harass me again.

“Volkov.” A guy with platinum blonde hair drawls in a Texas accent from behind us.

“Owen.” Connor stiffens beside me and turns slowly. All of a sudden Griff and Levi flank us. “Heard about the accident on your rig in the Gulf.”

“I bet you did.” His honey colored eyes narrow. “Considering your dad was behind it.”

What are they talking about?

“That’s reaching. Even for a backwoods product of incest like you,” Connor says with a smirk. “Don’t you think it’s time for your family to walk away from the oil industry? All you do is pollute delicate ecosystems and pillage resources.”

“Says the guy who’s family sits on land containing one of the largest oil fields in the world.”

“Why are you even here, Owen?” Griff interjects.

“Moved up here to finish my senior year.” Owen smiles. He’s wearing tight jeans, not hipster tight but cowboy tight. He’s wearing a white t-shirt and I’m almost surprised to see he’s not wearing cowboy boots. Instead he has on a pair of spotless Timberland boots. He eyes travel over me and he notices my proximity to Conner. “And who is this pretty little thing?”

“None of your business,” Connor growls stepping in front of me.

“That is the ghetto trash I was telling you about on the way over,” Margaux titters as she steps up next to Owen. “She’s just a nasty whore who walks around teasing the boys at Founders.”

I fake a yawn and look over at Levi. “Lev, do you hear anything?”

“Sure don’t, Lil,” he smirks at me.

Margaux steps forward into my space. “Enjoy your proximity to the Titans while it lasts.”

I roll my eyes at her and that stupid title she gave the guys.

“Pretty soon they’ll pass you around and finish with you like they have with every other girl. You aren’t special,” she snarls at me.

I still refuse to lower myself to her level so I turn to walk away.

“No one wants you here, slut,” she says to my back. “No one wants you at all. In fact, even your mother didn’t want you. Left you behind like the gutter trash you are.”

I can walk away from a lot of taunts, a lot of verbal abuse but the one thing that will make me flip is always my mother. I turn right back around and shoulder my way past Connor and Levi to stand nose to nose with the bitch who just crossed my big red line. I lean into space and make a show of sniffing her.

“You reek of desperation, Margaux.” I make a disgusted face. “The only thing more fake than your hair and your tits is the way you pant at Connor’s feet. You’re like a bitch in heat that keeps getting swatted away for being a nuisance. Back. The. Fuck. Off.”

Then I turn and do something that surprises even me.

I reach up and grab Connor, pulling him to me for a kiss. I plaster my body against his and run my fingers through his soft, dark hair. As soon as he recovers from the shock his hands grab my ass and pull me even closer, grinding me against him. He changes the angle of the kiss and takes complete control as he deepens the kiss. I lose myself to way he tastes faintly of mint and bourbon, the way his hands are molded to my body and the feel of his hardness between us.

I hear a throat clear beside us and pull back slightly. We’re still close enough to feel each other’s breath and when I look up into his eyes they’re a dark emerald green. In that moment his walls are down and I see the desire thrumming through him just as clearly as I feel his heart racing in time with mine.

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