by Sam Crescent
Gabriel looked at each of his brothers. None of them put up an argument and the truth was he didn’t really have one, not really.
Gritting his teeth as Rick had already moved onto another job, Gabriel couldn’t do it.
“She’s mine,” Gabriel said.
This caused all gazes to turn toward him.
“I don’t have time for this bullshit now.”
“You all describe it as a feeling, don’t you? Well, when I look at her, it’s a feeling. She’s not a fucking twin, so I’m telling you, I can’t hand over this girl.”
Rick grabbed a knife and threw it across the room. “You only think to fucking tell me this now?” He roared the last word.
“What was I supposed to say? When I’m near her I get this feeling? It’s not exactly something I know anything about.”
“We all get feelings around our women. It controls us, Gabriel. This is important. Up until this morning, Castillo believed his daughter was dead. I could have left it that way. Fuck! This is why you’re all going to fail. You can’t talk for shit.”
“I’m sure you were open with your brother,” Jacob said.
Rick burst out laughing. “The moment I met Mandy, I went straight to Maddox and told him my days were numbered. That I was going to be with her and do whatever it took to win my woman. You can fault us all you want, but we kept power. We kept control.”
“And Maddox ended up dead,” Abel said. “Think about that.”
“Yeah, he ended up dead and I’m starting to figure out why. You all are selfish little bastards, and all of you have your own agenda. Your own women to take care of. We had our women, but the Denton name came first. It will always come first. He was on his own because his sons are fucking pussies. Get out. All of you, get the fuck out. Apart from you, Gabriel. Take a seat.”
Gabriel wasn’t afraid. His father had been a true monster and he’d dealt with many beatings. From the look on Rick’s face, he wanted to dish out some pain. He was more than willing to take it.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Rick asked, pouring out two glasses of scotch. It was the expensive stuff.
“What exactly could I say? I don’t trust you.”
Rick breathed in and out. He handed the glass to Gabriel and sat down. “I don’t agree with what my brother was doing.”
“Then why are you willing to give Jade back?” he asked. “If you’re supposed to be strong and powerful, feared, why are you giving in? You can leave at any moment.”
“But I can’t. Denton blood runs in my veins. You think falling here will put us all on the straight and narrow? You think giving up turf, handing over money, businesses, and trying to get a nine-to-five job will be that easy? You’re a Colton. You’ve seen the worst in people. I know you have. Damn, I was even a little worried about Colton when he was alive. He was a fierce bastard. Didn’t have our weakness when it came to the one woman. He used them as he saw fit. Saw one, took one, and discarded them like they were nothing but trash.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
“Because you and your brothers seem to have given up, so I’m going to let you in on a little secret none of you have even realized. The way this ends, the Denton line doesn’t just walk off into the sunset like everything is over and dealt with. It ends with every single one of us, myself and Mandy included, in a coffin. All of your women, kids, our associates, all of them, dead. Wiping us all out so we don’t have a chance to ever build up our line again. So no son or daughter would ever dream of annihilating the enemy. There’s no end in sight. It’s why I’m going to hand Jade over, only now, I’m going to offer them a deal, and it’s up to you if you take it.”
“What deal?”
“You marry her. The Castillo and Denton line become aligned. You get your woman, we save face, and in the meantime, you help me build this empire back up.”
“Why are you asking me this? This should be Jacob. He’s the rightful person to take this place.”
“In case you didn’t see, Jacob has other problems. I need a man willing to do whatever it takes to win his woman, and keep this line going. You’re a Denton, Gabriel. It’s time for you to drop the Colton, accept who you are, and help me. Will you do that?”
****
Landon stepped in front of the doorway and saw Jade and Tulip snuggled together. They looked so peaceful.
Jade woke first as he cleared his throat, followed by Tulip.
“What time is it?” Tulip asked.
“It’s time for some dinner.” He’d left them alone all day, hoping space would give them a chance to forgive him.
“I’m starving,” Jade said. “I’ll have to eat my fill before my dad shows up. I’ll be put back on a strict diet. Yay, what fun.”
Tulip hugged her.
“I think Landon and I need to talk.”
“I’ll leave you two alone. I’ll go and get some food for all of us, though.” Tulip got to her feet and she moved toward him. Landon expected her to avoid him, but she wrapped her arms around his neck, and he held on to her, thankful for this lifeline. “I’m sorry I yelled. I was so angry and I know I shouldn’t have been.”
“You don’t need to say sorry. This is all my fault.”
Tulip pulled away after brushing her lips across his. “I’ll be back.”
He watched her leave and Jade laughed. “I wonder if she feels her ass being eaten alive by that stare. Damn, I better get used to being quiet again.”
Landon entered the room. “I’m sorry.”
“I know you are. Maybe we can still be friends. If I’m married to like a really old dude, you can sneak in and we can go shooting together.”
“I don’t know if your family will sell you off that fast.”
“They will. They’ll see my virginity as a time bomb. There’s nothing I can do. It was good to dream while it lasted, you know. Nothing else I can do now but wait and hope that whomever I end up with is at least nice. You need to go and make it up with Tulip though.”
“She hates me.”
“Don’t be like that. She doesn’t hate you. She’s angry, confused. Don’t you think she has a right to be? She’s not chained up, but it’s not completely over.” Jade sighed. “You know, I loved shooting a gun. It was fun. Taking down those bounty hunters, it made me think I could do anything.”
“You can do anything.”
“Have you spoken to your sister?”
“No. Not since we’ve been taken. Rick has eyes and ears everywhere.”
“He’s so scary.”
“That he is.”
Tulip was suddenly in the doorway and he stood. “They’re here,” she said. “Her family is here and they’re coming for her.”
Landon tensed up.
Tulip went into his arms and Jade stayed where she was, rattling her cuff.
Rick was the first person to enter, followed by Castillo.
“Out,” Rick said.
“Rick?” He wanted to bargain, to do something that would make this harder on him but easier on Jade.
“I told you to get out. Castillo has agreed not to shoot you. We have come to some new terms.” Rick smiled at Jade and Landon watched as Gabriel entered. “Now, your father believes it’s important for your hymen check. I, of course, have assured him it’s not necessary, but he has his ways.”
“I don’t understand. What’s going on?” Jade said.
“Be quiet, you stupid girl,” Castillo said. He was an old man with gray hair at the temples, but still good-looking.
Jade instantly bowed her head and Landon wanted to pound the man.
“We don’t need an audience.” Rick snapped his fingers and Landon fought as the guards touched him and Tulip, dragging them out of the room. He grabbed his guard, body slamming him against the wall, and then snapping the one who held Tulip.
Rick was there, wrapping his fingers around Tulip’s neck, squeezing. Landon watched his woman as she fought against the hold, and Rick took charge, forcing him to step bac
k.
They were pushed inside a room. Jacob and Abel were there to keep him inside.
“Now, let’s do this the right way. You will stay here with Tulip and I’ll let her live. Whatever is happening in that other room is not your concern. I’m cleaning up your mess, Landon, you should appreciate it.” Rick let go of Tulip, throwing her against him, and he caught her.
The door was locked, and he had no doubt his brothers were on the other side, guarding it.
He wouldn’t kill them, though.
Tulip wrapped her arms around him, tightly. “I hate him.” She choked out each word.
“I’m so sorry.”
“You have nothing to be sorry for. It was all him. What the hell is going on?” Tulip asked.
“I don’t know.”
She sat on the edge of the bed and he went to her, taking hold of her hand. “Your family is giving me whiplash.” She didn’t push him away. She climbed into his lap and he didn’t ask her what she was doing. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly against him.
“Do you think they’re going to hurt her?”
“They won’t. Jade is still innocent. We never did anything, in case you were wondering.”
She laughed. “You’re worried about what I will think?”
“Yes.”
“I’m so confused right now. I don’t know what the hell is going on. I wish I could go back to being just me waitressing. I bet I lost that job.”
“Were you a good waitress?”
“Yeah, I think so. I stopped people from getting the shits, but you know, it was a job.”
He kissed the top of her head.
She tilted hers back. “I’m still happy I met you.”
“Really? Because from where I sit, I wouldn’t be surprised if you wanted nothing to do with me again.”
Tulip cupped his cheek. “What was she like?”
“Jade?”
“No, Sarah.”
“I thought we’d gone over this.”
“I know it’s strange but after being around Jade, she feels more like a sister and a best friend. I guess I’d like to know what she was like, you know? Was she nice? Mean? Did she have a good life?”
He didn’t know why she wanted to know. “She was lovely. She was always smiling. She did have a temper, but she always kept it in check. There was nothing that fazed her, you know. She was always in constant control no matter what. I think at times I scared her.”
“You did?”
“Just because of who I was. Not anything I ever did. I was an asshole. Her family gave her a good life, Tulip.”
“Good. Good.” She rested her head against his shoulder. “Landon?”
“Yeah?”
“Never leave me.”
He held her even tighter. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”
****
Three days later
“A wedding?” Tulip asked.
“You heard right. It would seem Gabriel has decided to take the lead and is now the chosen one when it comes to bringing the Castillo and Denton lines together.” Jade popped a grape into her mouth.
“And you’re happy with this?”
It had been three days since she and Landon had been manhandled out of the bedroom and forced into isolation with each other. They’d been sent food, but it was only this morning that they’d been allowed to be free. She’d been told where Jade was, and Landon had business with his uncle.
Three days she’d spent in Landon’s arms, in his bed, with him inside her. They had yet to use a condom, but she hadn’t told him about needing the morning-after pill.
She pushed those thoughts out of her mind as she focused on the picnic she was having with Jade.
The other woman didn’t look sad or lost. She seemed in control.
“I don’t know if I’m happy or what. Rick managed to get my father to agree to me staying here. He wanted someone to keep an eye on me and seeing as the marriage is due in less than three weeks, it only makes sense that I get to know Gabriel and all of that stuff.” She shrugged. “So far I haven’t seen him. Apart from when he brings me food or clothes. He doesn’t talk much.”
“Do you think he hates being with you?”
“I don’t know. I was happy to die.”
“Don’t talk like that,” Tulip said. “I know we haven’t known each other very long but I’d like to think we’re friends.”
“Speaking of, this could be the last day we see each other.”
“What? Why?”
“I overheard the guards talking. The bounty is still out on Landon’s head, and three guards were killed last night. The hunter was locked in the basement. Landon needs to move. His location is compromised here.”
“Oh, and here I was thinking this place was like a fortress.”
“It is, but a bounty is all about the money and the kill, right?”
“I don’t know. For me it’s been about paying my bills, eating, and finding work.” Tulip sighed. “You know I’m going to go with him, don’t you?”
“I figured you would. Why don’t you guys go back to England?”
“I don’t know if it’s safe there for him. I have my own little life and believe me, my little flat will not keep him safe.”
“I’m sorry,” Jade said.
“Will you be allowed a mobile, I mean, a cell phone?”
“It’s so cute hearing all of your British terms,” Jade said, laughing.
“Yeah, so cute.”
“I’m sure we can keep in touch. Landon will find a way for us. He’s that kind of guy. Resourceful. Useful.”
“You’re not angry with him anymore?” Tulip asked.
“Not completely. I’m not going to let him get away with it, but at least this is a compromise. He always said nice things about his brothers. Gabriel isn’t really his brother, but I’m hopeful, you know. He’s old, but not too much of a stranger to me, and it means Landon can keep an eye on me. I’m rambling now.”
“You’re nervous.”
“Totally nervous. Now, enough about me, what about you? Are you in love with Landon?”
Tulip opened her mouth, closed it, opened it again, and frowned. “I … I don’t know. I’m new at all of this.”
“Does it scare you?”
“Yeah, it does.” She shook her head. “Let’s focus on you and how good your life is now.”
Jade burst out laughing. “Please, my life is nowhere near perfect. There are a lot of faults.”
They both stopped as Landon came out, followed by Rick. From the looks on their faces, it wasn’t good.
Tulip got to her feet, as did Jade.
“What is it?” Tulip asked.
“We’ve got to go,” Landon said. “It’s not safe here and I’ve already put a lot of people in danger. I came to say goodbye.”
He wasn’t looking at Jade.
“Wait a minute. No, you’re not saying goodbye to me, are you?”
“I’ve got to leave.”
She shook her head. “No, you’re not leaving me behind.”
“Tulip, it’s safer for you here.”
“No. I wasn’t dragged across the world because of who I am for you to leave my ass here. Not going to happen. If you want to even think of trying that, I’m going to kick your ass.”
Landon grabbed her arms and pulled her to one side. She didn’t care who heard their conversation.
“I can’t risk you.”
“I don’t care. Look, I get it, you want to protect me but … leaving me behind isn’t protecting me, Landon. I’m coming with you.”
“It’s not safe.”
She grabbed his face and went on her tiptoes to kiss him. He didn’t push her away or fight her. He kissed her back. His fingers sank into her hair as she took what she wanted from him.
“You’re not going to argue with me, Landon. I’m coming with you whether you like it or not. You’re going to have to deal with having me at your side. If I belong to you, then this isn’t a hard decis
ion to make.”
Chapter Fourteen
Five days later
“It will keep us safe from the storm,” Tulip said.
Landon gritted his teeth.
The paint peeled away from the walls and the bed was a mess. Housekeeping hadn’t even bothered to make it, and clearly the last couple to stay here were busy.
He opened up his case and threw down one of the spare blankets, covering up the mess. For the last five days, they’d been traveling. Rick had warned him men would be following him to keep him safe. They still had no way of taking the bounty from his head and having Tulip with him, well, he’d never known fear quite like this.
“I’m sorry.”
Tulip spun to face him. “Why are you sorry?”
“You deserve better than this. I should be giving you jewels, fancy hotels, a life worthy of being by my side.”
“Hey, hey, don’t get pissed about this.” She cupped his face. “I chose this life with you. Rick told me it wasn’t going to be easy. That we couldn’t afford luxury. I hate to break this to you, but this is a beautiful place.”
“You’re joking.”
“I’ve lived in some shitty places, Landon. Believe me, this is in the top five of better places to be.”
“That has to be a lie.”
“No lie.” She kissed him. “What will determine how good this place is is a hot shower.” They’d been traveling for two days, only having toilet breaks as they got as far from the Denton family home as possible. Rick had returned his cell phone. He hadn’t put a call to Tamsin. He wouldn’t put it past his uncle to be monitoring his calls.
Tamsin also hadn’t called him. It didn’t worry him too much. She didn’t call every single day either to check in or otherwise.
“See, this place is a dream,” Tulip said, coming back to grab his hand. “We have a shower. It’s only warm water but it’s not dirty water.” She started to strip out of her clothes and even as he wanted to sob, watching her get naked was one of his favorite things to witness.
She stepped up close to him and started to remove his clothes. “I see you’re going to need a little taking care of,” she said.
“I don’t mind you putting those hands on me, Tulip.”