by Tina Gayle
Cyd’s voice echoed into the bedroom. “Welcome, Mr. Taunton.” Marohka left the room and stepped out into the main room of their decker home.
His dad, the first one through the door, walked directly to the bed. “Hey, son, how are you doing?”
“I’m fine, Dad.” Stihl caught the worry lines marking his father’s face. He gripped his forearm. “How about you?”
“I’m doing all right, son.” His dad’s eyes showed his pain before he stepped back to include the other people in the room. “This girl of yours hasn’t let any of us near you.”
She bristled.
“You’ve had a few other things, I’m sure, to occupy your time, Dad.” He reached out a hand to greet Marohka’s father. “Glad to see you again, Mr. Taunton.”
Vin grasped Stihl’s forearm. “Call me, Vin.”
“Why doesn’t everyone take a seat?” She pointed to the chairs around the room. “I’m sure you’re anxious to tell us the purpose of your visit.”
“Well, we wanted to check on Stihl.” Vin sat in one of the chairs at the end of the bed next to Zarro.
“I’m doing fine.” Stihl glanced around to see Cyd’s large frame standing near the door. Marohka sat in the chair beside the bed.
“That’s good, son. We were worried.” Zarro rubbed his palms against his pants legs. “Your mother sends her love.”
“All right, let’s cut the niceties. Tell us what’s going on. We’ve both been waiting for some answers.”
“Marohka, there’s no reason to be rude.” Her father shook a finger at her. “Your mother taught you better.”
“Dad, I’ve been more than patient.” She tossed her hair off her shoulders.
“The girl’s right, Vin. We’ve kept her in the dark long enough,” Zarro said, taking control. “Marohka, your father and I have worked out a deal between Taunton Minerals and Rock Ridge Mining.”
“What kind of deal?” she snarled between clenched teeth.
Stihl covered her hand. A wild impatient rhythm pulsed through her veins. “Let him finish, Marohka.”
She glared at him, but she remained silent.
“I told Zarro, you and Stihl wanted to buy my company. He thought it was a good idea.” Vin kept his voice low and soothing as he tried to calm his daughter. “With my new position on the mining council, I don’t have time to run Taunton Minerals anymore. We both felt a new company might benefit us both.”
“Stihl, you have complete control over the Rock Ridge Mine, so we worked out a deal to merge the two companies.” Zarro raised his hand. “That way between you and Marohka, you’ll have the most shares and can run the company the way you want. Each family member will receive a portion of the company, so everyone will receive a share of the profits.”
Marohka’s hand gripped Stihl’s. “What about Tankton’s wife? Is she willing to agree with this plan?”
“Clene is hoping to avoid trouble.” Zarro’s gaze shifted to Stihl. “Tankton had a problem.”
Regret clouded his father’s eyes.
“Deep in debt to one of the Morrison brothers, they offered him an exchange.” His dad drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “If Tankton ensured they’d receive the strip-mining contract on Rock Ridge, they’d relieve him of his debt and give him a large bonus. He planned on using the bonus to buy into the Trisar Mine.”
“What? Was he the investor behind Almon’s bid?” Marohka stood and tugged on her hand for Stihl to release it.
He didn’t. Instead, he tugged her down onto the bed.
Zarro nodded. “Yes, he knew if Stihl obtained the Trisar deal, he wouldn’t agree to the contract with the Morrison brothers.”
She turned to her father. “So Almon was in on it?”
“No.” Vin shook his head. “Almon had no idea what Tankton was doing. He approached Almon with a deal to buy Trisar. Almon arranged the deal because of the information he had on the new mineral, utanium, found at the mine.”
Stihl wondered what would happen to the mine now that Almon’s investor was dead. “Are you saying he lost the Trisar deal?”
“Yes. With the new numbers going up and the discovery of utanium, Guilio decided to keep the mine.” Vin rubbed his hands together. “He’s also decided to let us keep the contract.”
“Yes, but that’s still no excuse for Tankton trying to kill us,” Marohka exclaimed.
The pain crossing his dad’s face hit Stihl in the gut. His father blamed himself for the attack on their lives.
“Marohka.” He placed her hand on his chest and forced her to look at him. “Tankton wasn’t thinking clearly.”
“Maybe, but he still tried to kill you,” she argued, tears clouding her eyes.
Stihl realized with him in the hospital, she’d been struggling with her fears alone. He cupped her face in his hands. “Starlight, he’s dead. He can’t pay any higher price.”
“But, Stihl, he almost killed you.” Her tears edged over the corners of her eyes.
He wiped the moisture from her face. Her love seeped into his soul. They’d come so close to losing it all.
The door, clicking shut, confirmed they were alone.
Her arms moved around his neck.
“I’m not going anywhere, Marohka.” He slid his hands down her back and found the hem of her shirt. The soft texture of her skin sent a fire through his loins.
“Promise,” she whispered a heartbeat from his lips.
He covered her mouth with his and circled her waist with his arms. A picture flashed through his head, a baby, his and Marohka’s baby. He drew her closer content to spending the rest of his life fighting to tame her demons.
Epilogue
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Cyd asked from inside the corral. “Marohka has been so calm and docile since she had Josh. Why provoke her fears again?”
Stihl laughed and handed Josh over the corral fence. “Two reasons, old buddy. First, I’d like another son, and the only sure way to achieve that is to bring on Marohka’s fertile season. Second, she’s incredibly sexy when she’s angry.”
Cyd placed the toddler on his hip. “I’ll say it again, Luke, you have issues.”
“And a lot of fun with my mate,” Stihl answered.
With everything secure at work and his new assistant in place, he planned to devote some time to his wife. “Now make sure Josh is secure in the saddle and walk beside him as he rides Tiger.”
“Tager, Tager.”
Cyd nodded and carried the excited child to the large bird saddled in the pen. “Come here, Tiger, we’re going to give Josh here a ride.”
Cyd sat the boy in the saddle. The sound of a door slamming rang through the area. Stihl turned.
“What are you doing?” Marohka rushed across the yard.
Waving for Cyd to continue, Stihl caught her around the waist before she stepped near the corral’s fence. He draped her over his shoulders and walked back to the house.
She screamed and pounded on his back. “Let me down! I told you not to let Josh ride that bird.”
Stihl didn’t bother to answer until he’d reached the padded room in the back of the house. He locked the door and set her on her feet.
“Yes, and I wanted another son.”
Her emerald gaze sent spikes of need through him, before she backed away. “You’re not even getting close enough to touch me after a stunt like this.”
“Oh, yeah?” He grinned.
A burst of color sparkled from her skirt, and she whirled around. Her foot hit the back of his knees and caught him off guard. He fell with a thump on the padded mat. Her fears for her son’s safety utmost in her enraged mind, she landed on top of him yelling and swinging her fists. One connected with his jaw.
He rolled and pinned her under him. “Come on, starlight, you can do better than that.”
Her demons couldn’t keep him from loving her. He held her hands above her head and nibbled on her neck while she wiggled beneath him fighting to break loose. Happy to have her w
here he wanted her, Stihl stroked her soft skin and seduced her mind and spirit into submission. Life with her would never be dull.
The End
About the Author
Tina Gayle is a person that enjoys learning new things. After trying several different careers, she decided that she really wanted to be a Pretender. She discovered that, as a writer, she could go anywhere and do anything, the perfect job for her. Already a natural storyteller, she worked to convert the skill she developed as a child into creating characters and stories with passion and ambition. In her free time, she’s busy with her husband, two active boys, a large extended family, and many friends.