by Vanessa Vale
Clearly, he wasn’t sure who to deck first. With Colton’s hand on my shoulder, he was probably ensuring I didn’t punch the guy. After the way I’d wanted to go after Roger to protect Kaitlyn the first time I’d met Tucker, he couldn’t be too careful.
I turned to my dad. “You had this guy, what? Seeing if I’d fail? Share the details of my dating life?”
“Oh, I don’t work for your father,” the man replied, voice confident. He looked completely unruffled, unlike my dad. “But I kept him updated on your activities. I have to admit, you have more… fire than I expected. Two men in your bed. Not bad for a pawn for the big boys.”
The big boys I assumed were Perry, my father and every other executive who’d assumed I was just a dumb piece of arm candy. And as for being a pawn… that was why I’d walked away. I just didn’t realize how much they planned to use me for their own gain. A country club wife was one thing, but extortion and blackmail?
“You work for Perry,” Colton said. He’d never laid eyes on Perry, never even seen a picture, but he had him pretty well figured out.
“Oh shit,” I whispered.
The man gave a slight nod. “Impressive, Mr. Ridge.”
Colton smiled coldly at the man. “Oh, us rednecks sometimes can rub two thoughts together and come up with an idea.”
“Why does Perry want Ava so much? And if wants her, where the fuck is he?” Tucker asked.
I stepped closer to the mystery man, who hadn’t offered his name. It was irrelevant to me. “I can answer that. Please correct me if I’m wrong.”
The guy nodded once again.
I crossed my arms over my chest, tapped my toe on the carpet. “The evidence against my father will send him to jail and most likely shut down CFG. At least hurt its reputation enough where business will go elsewhere. I assume the elsewhere is a company Perry’s started somewhere across town. He doesn’t just want to ruin my father’s business, he wants to ruin my father. By marrying me, he also gets the Carter fortune.”
“Very good, Miss Carter. Perry said you were smarter than you looked.”
I bristled at that, but didn’t let it show. It wasn’t the first time I’d heard something similar, but knowing Perry wanted to marry me and felt that way…
“If I say no, will Perry blackmail me next?” I asked.
“You are fucking two men.”
I glanced back at Colton and Tucker, who were silent. Waiting. I wasn’t in any kind of physical danger, so they probably wanted to hear how this was all going to shake out before they made any kind of move. It didn’t make sense to knock a guy unconscious when he had information you wanted. Still, he’d insulted me so I was surprised they were holding back.
“You’ve been keeping an eye on me, know what my life is like now. No jets. No fancy cars,” I countered. “I’ve been cut off. I’m no value to Perry.”
“But not written out of the will,” he clarified. “You’re still the sole heir to the Carter money. And that goes back generations. Just because you choose to drive an old pickup truck and play store owner doesn’t mean you aren’t a billionaire.”
Oh yes, my life in Montana was like elementary school recess until I decided to return to the grown up world. I was well aware of the Carter money and how it became so plentiful.
“It won’t take much to ruin your reputation,” he added, as if he were trying to turn the screw on my acquiescence a little tighter. “If your father goes down, so do you. You’re a Carter, too.”
“Not for long,” Colton said. “She’ll be Ava Ridge soon.”
I looked up at Colton, saw he was staring right at me. Not in anger, but in want. He didn’t need fists to protect me. He could just give me his name. But I didn’t want it just because I had to be married to someone else so Perry couldn’t have me or the Carter money. I wanted Colton—and Tucker—because they wanted me. And Colton didn’t need to say a thing about that. While it might have sounded like a bluff to mystery man, it wasn’t to me. They’d proved they wanted me. Really wanted me since they first saw me. It had annoyed me to no end at first. But now, looking back? It was exactly what I needed. I didn’t need a weak man. I didn’t need a man who’d be controlling or want to change me. Colton and Tucker liked me—loved even?—just the way I was. Manicured nails and lassoing steers at the same time. They didn’t even know I was the heir to the Carter empire until just recently. Colton wanted to marry me. Tucker, too. They’d said as much before. And I believed him now.
I took his hand. Gripped it fiercely. Yes, I wanted to be Ava Ridge. Very much. A quick peek at Tucker and I could tell he liked that idea as well. I could only legally marry one man and he didn’t seem bothered it wasn’t going to be him. I had to assume that since we did butt stuff the night before—with pictures to prove it—he wasn’t too concerned about being left out.
“Tell Perry he can do whatever the hell he wants, except marry me. I’m going home.”
Colton pulled me in close, still holding my hand. Tucker came up behind me.
“Ava, please!” my father shouted. “I’ll go to prison.”
I turned to him, narrowed my eyes. God, he was pitiful. I imagined his executive look being replaced by prison orange.
“Like you said, I made my bed, Father. You made yours.”
11
COLTON
* * *
“I can’t believe he kept trying to get in touch with Ava to save his own bacon!” Kaitlyn said, all riled up. We were standing along the fence of the horse ring, watching Gus Duke barrel race. When Mrs. Duke heard of Ava’s skill with a lasso and the idea that had been tossed around of having a family mini-rodeo competition, she’d run with it.
Everyone was at the ranch for a picnic and a day of fun. A table with a checked cloth had been set out with food and drinks. The guys who worked the ranch were participating, along with Duke and Jed, who’d competed in the professional circuit for years. Gus, the youngest of the Duke boys—although not the smallest—just circled the third barrel. He wasn’t a champion like his older brother, but he could hold his own. Julia was here as well, sitting atop her horse waiting her turn.
Mrs. Duke was the timekeeper, standing to the right of us where the fence gate was open. She was ready to stop the timer once Gus circled all three barrels and his horse sprinted past through the opening. Tucker was with her, his forearms resting on the rail, one boot up. While he and his mother were chatting, he only had eyes for Ava.
Our girl was with Mr. Duke by the sandwiches, who was using big hand gestures as he spoke with her, even while holding a bottle of squeeze mustard. He could have been speaking about anything, from wrangling a bear to the size of his last load of laundry. Whatever they were talking about, she was laughing. I smiled just because she was smiling.
A man who was a father to more than just his four kids.
Long gone was her stuffy business suit—which she’d looked hot as hell in—and in its place were jeans and her cowboy boots. She had on one of Tucker’s t-shirts with the bottom tied into a knot at her waist. Her hair was up in a ponytail and her makeup was just something shiny on her lips. While she lacked her usual high-maintenance polish, I’d never seen her so beautiful.
It had been two days since we walked out of her father’s office in Denver. At Ava’s request, her father’s crochety personal assistant had been good for something; the plane had been ready and waiting for us to leave within the hour. We hadn’t said a word once we left her father all desperate and pathetic, at the mercy of the asshole Perry’s man. It wasn’t until we were in the air and able to take off our seatbelts did Ava crawl into my lap—a private jet had nice big comfortable seats—and cried.
T had been in the seat across from us and looked a mix between relieved and pained that she was so upset. I’d just been content that she’d trusted us enough to let down the walls I knew she’d built for that conversation. Fuck, it had been a total cluster. I’d expected her dad to be an asshole, but to offer her up to an extortionist and a bla
ckmailer to save his sorry ass, well… shit.
I ached for her, knowing the man who was supposed to love a daughter unconditionally, to protect her with his fucking life, was nothing but a complete and total sham. She’d known, walked away even, but perhaps held out hope he’d someday come around, to see she was worth being proud of. But no. That confrontation in his office had proved it. And so she’d cried for what was never going to happen. What would never be. She wanted a family, people who truly cared and loved her. Valued her. Honored her.
T and I would give her that. But first, we’d let her cry, let her mourn, for her last shreds of hope for anything with the Carters had surely died. We didn’t say anything, I just stroked her back, kissed the top of her head until she fell asleep in my arms.
She hadn’t cried again and we hadn’t talked much about what had happened, but when she wasn’t working, she’d holed herself up in Mr. Duke’s old study with her laptop and cell phone. She’d said she was working on getting info about Perry. I wasn’t sure what she was up to exactly, but we let her have her space. She was smart as fuck and we weren’t going to get in her way. She was a part of our life now, but we weren’t experts in her past. In the fucked up ways of her family, of her family’s business.
Her father hadn’t called or texted. Nothing from her mother either. There’d been no news of her father going to jail. No news at all and so we waited. We’d been careful with her since, gentle hugs, kisses, tender lovemaking. She’d slept with me when we got home from Denver, T last night, but she’d been distracted. We hadn’t wanted to let her out of our sight, so we kept her close. I’d stayed with her at the store the day before helping out—or at least trying to stay out of the way. Today, being Sunday, the store was closed.
Her sexy promise in the elevator to let us do whatever we wanted would happen. I hadn’t forgotten about it and I was sure T hadn’t either. Sometime soon we’d get her between us, get her riled up so our tiger was back, but not yet. We had all the time in the world.
I was thankful to Mrs. Duke for putting this fun day together so fast. She’d heard about what had happened and knew Ava needed something amusing, and also to show her that family wasn’t who was blood, but who you chose. And Mrs. Duke—hell, the entire brood—had chosen Ava. She might take my name when we married someday, but she’d be a Duke, too. To them, she already was.
“I thought my dad had his picture in the dictionary beside the term asshole father, but it’s possible Ava’s dad might bump him from the spot.”
I glanced down at Kaitlyn beside me as she watched Julia circle the barrels. Her red hair was back in a long braid and she had a hat on her head. She knew what she was doing, had the skill and grace and oneness with her horse that was amazing to watch, but from what I’d been told, she’d never had the desire to compete past high school.
Kaitlyn was standing on the lowest rail and I was still taller. The pint-sized librarian had a lot of spunk, especially since she’d shacked up with Duke and Jed. She’d walked around thinking the entire Duke family had always hated her because of what her father had done, but they’d all set her straight and she was letting go.
Just like Ava had to do with her dad.
“You two are very strong,” I replied finally. “Very brave.”
She shrugged as we watched Ryan, one of the ranch hands, start his turn. He made it around the first barrel really fast, but took the second too wide and had to pull up in order for his horse not to veer into the water trough. He tipped forward and for a second it seemed as if he’d fly over and land in it.
Everyone laughed and clapped at the unusual finish. Ryan, good naturedly, grinned as he tipped his hat as if to say top that.
Duke walked over leading one of the gentler mares. “You’re turn, angel.”
Kaitlyn pushed her glasses up on her nose. “If I can stay out of the water trough, I’ll call it a success.”
She gave me a backward glance as she took Duke’s hand. They headed toward Mrs. Duke and Tucker and he gave her a boost up. Her men took to bringing her to the ranch to ride at least once a week. She’d never be a barrel racer, but she could have some fun.
Everyone clapped and whistled as she cantered around the barrels, slow but steady. Both Duke and Jed were waiting for her when she crossed back out of the ring and all but fell into Jed’s arms, beaming.
Mrs. Duke, dressed like a cowgirl herself in boots, jeans and a plaid blouse, walked to the center of the ring and I moved to stand next to T. When she put two fingers in her mouth and gave an ear-splitting whistle, everyone went quiet and paid attention. She held up three candy bars. “The winners of the barrel racing are… Jed for the fastest run.” Everyone clapped and he went up and received his prize, offering Mrs. Duke a peck on the cheek in trade. “Ryan for the best performance.” Hooting and hollering followed him to Mrs. Duke and he waved his candy bar in the air as if it were Olympic gold. “And Kaitlyn. If the goal of the event was to have the slowest time, she’d have the Guinness World Record.”
Blushing, she went up and received her prize and a hug from Mrs. Duke.
“Steer roping’s up next!” she called and walked toward her husband who was waving a sandwich in the air. I wasn’t sure if he was offering it to her or cheering with it.
“Our girl competing in this one?” I asked when Tucker came over. Ryan had retrieved the ATV that towed the metal steer and drove it just inside the ring.
“She is.” Colton grinned, probably remembering the way she’d stunned us the other day with her mad skills. “Ryan and the others have been taking bets on who’ll win. Odds are in her favor over both Jed and Duke.”
I couldn’t help but laugh at that. From the way she handled the rope before with a cool ease, Ava could definitely hold her own. I had yet to see her do it while riding a horse, but I had no doubt she could pull it off. And I had no doubt I’d get hard as a fucking rock watching.
“So this is the life she chose.”
We turned at the voice. I leaned against the rail, arm bent and resting on the top rail. Tucker tipped his hat back and stared at Perry. There was no question the fucker standing ten feet from us was him. I imagined him in a crisp suit like the asshole he’d had watching Ava, instead he wore jeans that clearly had been ironed—perhaps by the snooty Mrs. Rouser—and a white dress shirt. The sleeves were rolled up to look casual, but there was no way he’d blend in. He screamed rich fucker. Especially with the slicked back hair, the bleached teeth shown by the fake smile. Even a stupid-ass gold pinkie ring.
The idea of Ava with him had my blood boiling, but I didn’t let it show. Every bit of her fire would be smothered out by his power complex. He might be smart enough to take down her father, but there was no fucking way he was going to mess with our girl.
“Cowpokes and cow patties,” Tucker replied, seemingly calm.
Perry’s dark gaze raked over the two of us, clearly sizing up the competition. He couldn’t beat us up, tell us to get the fuck away from Ava. That wasn’t going to work. We both had six inches and at least twenty pounds on the guy. Not only did we have backup with a whole slew of Duke boys and ranch hands, but this was our turf. No doubt he realized we could make him disappear.
“I expected more from her.”
“To be your trophy wife?” Tucker asked.
The corner of his mouth tipped up. “She’s more than that.”
“Right,” I added. “A billion or so.”
“Based on the property you’ve got here, doesn’t look like you need it.” He glanced around, but while he probably knew the value of the land, he wasn’t all that impressed. I imagined this was the first time he’d stepped off of concrete.
“Based on that fancy rental car, I’d say you don’t need it either,” I replied, tipping my head toward the luxury sedan parked by all the trucks and SUVs. I took a step closer. “The difference is, we don’t need her cash. We want Ava.”
“What are you doing here?” Tucker asked. “Kidnap Ava and get her before a judg
e?”
“She was so compliant, so under her father’s sway I expected it to be easy to get her to marry me. But she’s changed.”
I felt pride at that, knowing what I did about our girl, that she was slowly finding herself, finding her place in the world, and I was thankful to have a spot in it.
“You underestimated her.”
“It seems so.”
Ava came around the fence, a coiled rope in her right hand. She’d been ready for the steer roping when we’d all been interrupted. “You’re not here to wish me well, Perry. What do you want?” Before he could reply, she continued. “And if I don’t give it to you, are you going to extort money out of me as well?”
Perry turned to face her. We were forgotten. Bad move.
“Extortion?” he asked. “I haven’t extorted anyone.”
I heard the others come up to the fence behind us, but stayed quiet.
“Right, extortion only applies to money. I’m just an object you were trying to gain.”
He shrugged a shoulder. “When you put it that way, it sounds so callous. I prefer wife.”
Ava arched a pale brow and waited.
“We’d have been good together.”
“Our bed would have been a little crowded with you, me and my money.”
Perry tipped his head toward me and Tucker.
“Seems you like a crowded bed.”
While Ava flushed, she held her ground, kept her chin tipped up. She wasn’t ashamed of us of what we shared.
“Your father’s going to jail,” he told her. “With what the SEC has on him—”
“That I’m sure you helped them find,” she added.
He held up his hands in surrender. “It can all go away.”
“You’re saying you can make the evidence against my dad just disappear? Because why, Perry? Because it’s fake or because you did everything and have pinned it on him?”