Page 78 of Alive and Wells

“Jesus, you’re such a fuckingwhore,” he shouts over me.

My fist slams into his jaw, sending bloody spit hurtling from his mouth. All over his fancy, baby-blue dress shirt.

“The fuck did I tell you about not talking to her?” I grab his jaw, pressing my thumb against the tender flesh. He winces. “Unless you want more, I suggest you listen.”

The moment I let go, he spits at me. I don’t even give a shit when his bloody spit lands on my already-filthy work shirt. It’s the principle. I deck him again. And again… for good measure. He keels over, fighting for breath and spitting more blood onto the dusty gravel at his feet.

“Hey, darlin’?” I call over my shoulder, not taking my eyes off the douchebag in front of me, watching him frantically wipe at the blood spilling from his nose. Within seconds, Cecily’s standing next to me. My hands fall to her arms and I look into her sad, blue eyes. “You’re sure you’re okay?”

“Yeah,” she whispers. Her focus darts from me to him and the way her lip trembles makes me want to beat the ever-living shit out of him.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t here sooner,” I whisper, placing soft kisses on her cheeks and nose. “Don’t look at him, Cecily. Look at me. You’re safe. You trust me, right?”

She answers by kissing me hard on the lips and somehow this feels so much more like a victory than breaking his nose does. She palms either side of my jaw, kissing me as if there’s nobody else present. Slow, hard, and like she’s trying to prove a point as much as I am.

Fuck you. I win.

“When the cops get here, I’m pressing charges,” KJ yells.

“No, you won’t.” I grab Cecily’s hand and stare him down. “You’re trespassing, for starters. With a gun I’m quite confident was illegally obtained.”

Cecily clears her throat, gripping my hand like it’s the only thing keeping her steady on her feet. “If you say anything, I’ll tell the police about everything you’ve done to me. I sent my friend text messages when we were still together. I have proof. You say a word and I won’t just go to the cops—I’ll tell your family, your coworkers, your friends. I’m sure Nana would like to hear the truth.”

Even in the dark, I can see how hard his Adam’s apple bobs. He has nothing, and he knows it.

That’s fucking right.I knock our conjoined hands lightly against her hip and give her a small smile to show how goddamn proud I am of her.

“Can you please go get your wedding ring for me, darlin’? Colt can go with you.” I tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. “And there’s a brown envelope in my sock drawer. Grab that too.”

Her eyes narrow in confusion but she turns to Colt, who holds out a hand to lead her away.

“You know that saying, right?” KJ has the nerve to speak up again.Somehow. “If they do it with you, they’ll do it to you. She’s cheating on me with you. What makes you confident she won’t turn around and cheat on you? Maybe with one of these other cowboys here.”

He’s trying to get into my head, which might’ve worked if I didn’t know everything I do about their relationship. As it stands, he’s just talking for the sake of talking. Throwing shit at the wall, as they say.

“You see, I think she might be inclined to stay with me because I’m not hitting her and threatening her with a gun.”

“She’s a psycho, lying bit—” His words are cut off by the loud thud from my knuckles hitting his brow bone.

God, I’m starting to actually grow bored of punching him.

“Nothing you say is going to make me doubt her. Like I said, I know Cecily better than you do, pissant. Now—you’re going to shut the fuck up and listen. You speak, I hit you. When she gets back here, you’re going to act like the proper fucking gentleman that you desperately want the world to think you are. You’re going to do exactly as I say, no questions. Andthen, you’re going to leave. You’re never going to come near Cecily again because, if you do, me and my men here will track you down and kill you.”

KJ snorts.

“Don’t believe me?” I challenge him. “I own over 100,000 acres of private land and a chunk of ground with so many buried animal carcasses you’d simply get lost in the shuffle. No neighbours to hear you scream for dozens of kilometres and the only cop in town to look into your missing case is my first cousin. Half my guys have been to prison and have no objection to going back for the right cause. I suggest you choose your next actions accordingly.”

“Hell, we could run him out a hundred kilometres into the woods and leave him to die ‘naturally’,” Denny suggests. “Break both legs for good measure. Tragic hiking accident.”

The bridge of KJ’s red nose wrinkles as he side-eyes Denny.

“So, what’ll it be?” I look him up and down, still amazed Cecily could’ve ever been interested inthispathetic excuse for a man.

“Whatever. You canfuckinghave her, you redneck asshole. She’s a bit—”

This time it’s Denny’s fist that lands square in his gut.

“God, he’s fucking stupid. Who gets hit that many times and doesn’t learn to shut their trap?” Denny shakes his head with a twisted smile as KJ slumps against his car.

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