“You’re coming home with me where you belong. Your little stunt is over right now.”
“You set the horses loose.” It was all coming together now. She wasn’t sure how he’d found her, but she knew he wouldn’t stop until he had her back. Part of her knew she’d follow him obediently, so programmed to obey him. But she couldn’t. Whether he believed it or not, she’d found love, real love, and she wouldn’t leave that behind.
“It’s the only way I could get you alone.”
She took a deep breath. “I’m not going back, Jason.”
He laughed. “Let me guess, they said they loved you? All men say that to get what they want, every last one. I’ve been here for two days. You should hear how they talk about you and your boy toys. You’re a fucking joke.”
“No.”
“Yes. Your place is with me.”
He reached for her, but she backed away, nearly tripping over her own feet.
“Stop embarrassing yourself,” he said, his face contorting in anger. She thought she’d spontaneously combust for the fear pumping through her system.
Think, Rachel! If she ran to her horse, he’d catch her before she untied her and mounted. If she ran up the incline and out of the valley, he’d easily beat her. They were off the beaten path, likely far out of earshot should she scream for help.
“Please, just leave me alone. We’re no good for each other.” She was trying to be rational with a mad man. Over the years she’d become an expert at appeasing his beast. She didn’t want to be that woman anymore. Rachel was sick and tired of tiptoeing around Jason’s moods. She wanted to live. To love. To act without thinking twice.
“You don’t know what you’re saying. They’ve brainwashed you, turned you into their live-in whore.”
She shook her head, her tears starting to spill over.
“I’ve heard all the gossip around the bonfire. One of your so-called lovers is a fucking murderer. He killed a man in cold blood.”
Hadn’t Jason killed a piece of her each day. She was paper thin by the time she arrived at the Iron Spur Ranch.
Was there any truth in what Jason said about Ethan? She’d heard rumors about a murder but decided to judge his character herself. He’d passed with flying colors.
“I’ve missed nearly a week of work because of you! I’m not leaving here alone!”
She nearly pissed her pants. Spittle came out of his mouth as he yelled, and she knew from experience things were about to get physical.
Rachel bit the inside of her lip so hard the blood pooled in her mouth. She needed the pain to ground her, to keep her from falling apart completely. It used to remind her of her mother, but now it also transported her to the private stable with Wyatt and Ethan.
She began to remember the things they said. They weren’t bad men like Jason made them out to be, and she was worthy of their affections. A surge of strength built up inside her along with her turbulent emotions.
“I’ll never leave here with you,” she said. “I’ll die first.” And part of her felt she would. She once thought she loved him, but most of their time together was based on a cycle of abuse, not love. Jason had gone to the extreme of scouting out her location and travelling miles to retrieve her. He was volatile enough to kill her. And she knew it would be preferable to living her life with him. She fought her fear, reminding herself it had no power over her. It was all in her mind, a perception she could change.
“You ungrateful little bitch.”
He lunged forward, toppling them both to the ground. He pulled his fist back, but she fought him, kicking and holding back his arms.
A gunshot went off, startling them both. Jason rolled off her and got up to his knees to scout the area. She didn’t move, still trying to catch her breath. Above them, looking down into the valley was Damien. She recognized his dark features and the black stallion he rode.
“Get your horse, Ms. Price.”
She got to her feet, thanking God he’d shown up when he did. Would he fire her? Did he realize the magnitude of the drama taking place? He began to navigate the hill, coming down into the valley.
“Don’t even think about it, Rachel. If you so much as listen to him, I’ll make you sorry. You and your cowboys,” he whispered harshly.
* * * *
When Wyatt found out Rachel was going on the trail ride and Jesse was the tour guide, he thought it would be wise to give his crewman a little warning. He wanted his woman treated like a princess, not a greenhorn in training. Damien had pulled Jesse off his regular duties without so much as a word to Wyatt. He wondered if his job as foreman was at risk for mixing business and pleasure on the ranch. Damien always said what happens in the private stable, stays in the private stable. But Wyatt wanted Rachel for keeps.
He used his two-way radio to contact Jesse, only to find out there were big problems, the horses running amuck. He’d sent Rachel to the valley in search of some runaways.
“She better not be fucking hurt,” he warned.
He stopped by the holding paddock to get Ethan, and together they rode out to the valley to help with the horses and check on Rachel.
“I can’t believe Damien pulled Jesse off duty without telling you,” said Ethan as they rode the open fields.
“It could be the start of the end,” he said. They slowed down when they neared the embankment.
“What do you mean?”
Wyatt stopped his horse, his face stoic. “How much you willing to sacrifice for that girl?”
“Everything.”
“Your job, Ethan? Your home?”
“Damien would never throw us off the ranch.”
His friend needed to understand life wasn’t always rainbows and daisies. Sometimes things happened whether they liked it or not. Just like the charges that were slapped on Ethan once upon a time.
“Listen to me. If Damien forbade you from seeing Rachel, would you listen?” He already knew the answer but wanted Ethan to understand the point he was making.
“You know I wouldn’t.”
“Okay. Just remember that, because I have a feeling a shit storm is on the horizon.”
His two-way went off. It was Damien. Wyatt ignored the call as they carefully made their way down into the valley. The weather was fickle, and one minute the clouds appeared to be breaking up and the next the dark shadows would dominate the land.
Thunder cracked overhead.
The two-way continued to sound so he turned it off. Then they heard a gunshot.
Chapter Eighteen
Rachel watched in horror as Jason pulled out a switchblade from his back pocket. He used it to threaten Damien as he approached on horseback. However, the owner of the Iron Spur Ranch didn’t appear fazed in the slightest. He set his gun back in the holster on the side of his saddle.
“You plan to use that?” he asked.
“I don’t want trouble. I’m leaving here with Rachel, and that’ll be the end of it,” said Jason.
“Ms. Price is my employee. She’s under contract, so she won’t be going with you today.”
“And me? Am I expected to stay as an employee, too?” he goaded.
“No. Not you. You’ll be leaving.”
Rachel heard the threat in her boss’s voice loud and clear. She’d always been intimidated by him, but now he appeared to be on her side, which surprised her.
Other cowboys were finally catching up, appearing on the horizon above. They were likely scouting for the missing horses, but their presence was welcome in such a volatile time. She wasn’t sure how far Jason would go now that he was cornered.
“Not without her I’m not.” He pointed the knife at her, bringing her back to reality. She scrambled up to her feet and tried to put distance between them. “Get on my fucking horse, Rachel. If anyone gets hurt it’ll be your fault.”
Everything was always her fault back home. She lived in a constant state of guilt and shame. How would she feel if he hurt one of the horses, Damien, or the cowboys fast approaching? S
he’d brought her problems to this beautiful land, and it wasn’t fair to anyone.
“From what I hear, Ms. Price is taken—lock, stock, and barrel. And it appears her men are on their way to check on her. If you were wise, you’d be on your way.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me.”
She knew Jason would never believe any man would be interested in her. She barely believed it herself thanks to his negativity. But it was true. And if the two riders were really Wyatt and Ethan, her entire future could be mapped out today.
Damien met eyes with her. He was a blank slate, impossible to read. “You okay?” he asked.
She shook her head. Her nerves were frazzled and her future up in the air.
“You will be.”
Rachel watched the two horses galloping along the riverbank. It was them, her two lovers, the men she wanted forever with. But now they’d confront her ex, and it was sure to sour them. Jason would likely think up anything to ensure they’d want nothing to do with her.
She took a breath, finally remembering to breathe.
“Rachel!” Ethan called out as they neared. He dismounted without stopping, landing firmly on two booted feet. The man must have been born in a saddle. He was so tall and commanding, a look of concern on his face.
Wyatt dismounted seconds later. “Why did I hear a gunshot?” he asked.
“It was a warning shot,” said Damien, nodding to Jason.
Both her men turned to look. “Who’s this?”
Rachel wanted to tell them. She didn’t want Jason telling them they were an item. “That’s my ex. The one I told you about.”
Wyatt cocked his head. “Really?”
“Why’s he here now?” asked Ethan.
“To get what’s mine.” Jason still had the knife in his hand, his arms down at his sides. She noted the moment Wyatt noticed the weapon, his eyes riveted to the gleam of the steel.
They positioned themselves in front of her, two unmovable mountains. Damien was still on horseback, watching the events unfold but not intervening. She grabbed Wyatt’s sleeve. “Please don’t do anything. You’ll get hurt,” she whispered.
He chuckled, a dark, masculine sound. “Don’t you worry about me, baby girl.”
“So you’re the reason she looked to the ground when she got here.” Ethan stepped closer to Jason, and her heart raced.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You’re a coward.”
“And you’re a murderer,” said Jason. Ethan turned his head back to look at her, a look of dismay in his eyes. She’d heard rumors but never took them to heart. If Ethan had been involved in something unsavory, it was the past, and she refused to dwell there. There was always more to a story than met the eye. He’d been good and kind and gentle, everything Jason was not.
Her heart broke for her cowboy. Ethan was frozen in space and time, his desperation for her approval nearly palpable. She’d been worried Jason would sour her reputation, and she didn’t want one of the men she loved to experience that same fear. There was no way she’d give Jason that much power.
“Leave, Jason. Just go,” she said, not wanting any trouble. It was bad enough she may never be able to pick up the pieces.
“Yeah, whatever. Never wanted you anyway.” He turned to collect the horse from the brushwood.
“Leave the horse. You can walk to the iron gates,” said Damien.
He began to walk away, a true coward. When confronted by real men he was powerless. “I can do much better,” he shouted as he retreated. “Keep that fat whore. I’m done with her.”
When she thought it was over, it had only just begun. Wyatt was on Jason faster than she could bat a lash. He pulled back his fist and let one loose on Jason’s jaw. He was so much stronger, his body solid muscle and strength.
She ran up to them and tried to pry Wyatt off. He’d do something stupid and regret it. He may not care about his future, but she did. “Stop,” she cried. Rachel wasn’t worried about Jason, only about Wyatt getting in trouble or hurt if he got stuck by a knife.
Ethan wrapped his arms around her to restrain her. “Hush, darlin’. Everything will be okay.” Tears clouded her vision. She’d been through so much the past hour that her control was fractured to the point of no repair.
“Wyatt!”
“Listen to me and listen well, young man. Rachel’s no concern of yours any longer. You won’t try to come back here, call her, nothing. She belongs to me and my friend and we couldn’t be happier. She’s beautiful, sexy, and perfect, and much too good for your sorry ass,” said Wyatt, pinning Jason down by the scruff of the shirt.
“And if you try coming back and make trouble you’ll get a cowboy greeting, and I promise it has nothing to do with riding off into the sunset. Hear me?” said Ethan.
Wyatt pulled back his elbow as if to strike again, but then lifted off Jason and told him to fuck off. This time he listened and kept his mouth shut. She watched him retreat, each step he took making it easier for her to breathe. Hopefully this would be the last time she ever had to deal with him.
“He won’t come back,” said Wyatt. “I’ll enjoy it if he does, though.” He got to his feet and dusted off his jeans with his Stetson.
“I’ll expect ya’ll to be back to work at first light,” said Damien with little emotion in his voice.
“Suppose that means we have the rest of the day off?” asked Wyatt.
Damien nodded a farewell and steered his horse around, disappeared up the grassy bank. He may be harsh, but he was a good boss—fair and honest.
Ethan scooped her up into his arms, leaving her dizzy for a moment. “Don’t hate me. It’s not like you think, darlin’. Whatever you’ve heard is likely a mix of lies. It was manslaughter. I’d never—”
“Stop,” she interrupted. “I don’t need to hear anything more. I just need your love.” And she needed it now more than ever.
“That you have. Guaranteed. I’ll spend the rest of my life proving my love to you.”
“That’s a long time, cowboy. You ready for the long haul?” asked Wyatt.
“All I’ve ever wanted was a family. I lost mine because of things outside my control. I was sure Rachel wouldn’t want me either after finding out about my past. Now there ain’t any way I’m letting her go.”
She felt new tears threatening to emerge, not from fear but sheer happiness. “I want to belong to both of you. There’s nothing I want more,” she said. “We can start our own family.”
“I like the sound of that,” said Wyatt. “It’s something I never expected to have. Now I realize it’s all I’ve ever wanted.”
Ethan smiled. She could feel the love the two men held for the other. It was a friendship born in the ashes of a world gone mad.
They were all perfect together, as if their three separate paths led them here to the Iron Spur Ranch and each other. The unconditional acceptance was healing.
Wyatt kissed her temple as Ethan held her between them. “The whole day to spend with our sweet girl. Whatever shall we do?”
The first thing that entered her mind was the private stable. She’d been through so much and just wanted to let it all go. The exclusive club was the place she could submit all her power to the men she trusted and just focus on experiencing. Jason had shown her that trust could be shattered. Wyatt and Ethan taught her that those little shards could be made new again.
“I just don’t want to be alone,” she said.
“You’ll never be alone,” said Wyatt, tucking loose hair behind her ears. “A cowboy’s love burns hot and never fades away.”
“Promise?”
She closed her eyes as Wyatt leaned in to kiss her lips. Rachel felt boneless, supported effortlessly in Ethan’s muscular arms. Then she felt Ethan’s eager kiss follow. Her body reacted, as if tuned to them alone.
“She forgets last night already,” said Wyatt, shaking his head in mock disapproval. He unbuttoned her shirt to expose her left breast, still slightly pink
from their wax play. Remembering their games made her pussy flood with liquid heat. “She forgets my promise.”
“I guess we better remind her, then,” said Ethan. He licked his thick lips, his eyes boring into hers like a wolf sizing up its meal.
It wasn’t too late to start over, not then and not now. The past was only a learning tool, and she was better for it. She was Rachel the fearless. And she had better be, because her cowboys had set a course for the private stable.
THE END
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Stacey Espino resides in beautiful Ontario, Canada where she is busy raising her five school-aged children. She loves being a Canadian, but could do without the brutal winters. She enjoys writing erotic romance that will have you squirming in your seat. From hardcore cowboys to alpha shifters, she has you covered! Stacey also writes alternative m/m romance as Winona Wilder.
For all titles by Stacey Espino, please visit
www.bookstrand.com/stacey-espino
For titles by Stacey Espino writing as
Winona Wilder, please visit
www.bookstrand.com/winona-wilder
Siren Publishing, Inc.
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The Private Stable [Iron Spur Ranch 1] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Page 16