Lord, I loathe him.
“Can’t handle a little feedback?” My voice cuts through the steam rising off the pond. “Is mini Hart feeling exposed?”
Nothing.
No flinch.
No reaction.
The man is made of ego and spite.
His truck roars to life. The tires throw up a plume of dust like he’s disappearing into a damn Western movie.
I raise my middle finger. High. Elegant. Regal.
Drenched and furious.
“Asshole!”
As his truck goes one direction, another truck pulls up.
“Jade?”
It’s Levi.
He rolls his truck to a stop beside me, window down, arm resting on the edge.
“What are you doing here?” His eyes run down my sopping wet body. “You okay?”
“I’m fine. No. I’m great.” There’s no enthusiasm in my voice, only seething rage. “I can’t wait to start my bucket list at the rodeo. You tell your asshole brother that when he circles back around.”
I snatch my hat off the ground and try to dust it off, but my damp hands make it worse.
“Who? Hart?”
This is my favorite hat, dammit.
“Yes. Let him know how much I’ll enjoy ticking off every single thing in that book.” I point my Stetson at him, my anger thickening. “Make it clear. I’m doing it all, from start to finish.”
“O-Kay.” He’s leery, because I sound—and look—like I’ve lost my marbles.
I don’t care.
“And I’m going to enjoy it.” I walk back toward Onyx. “I’m going to enjoy it so fucking much.”
I mount my horse and nudge her to face Levi. “Don’t forget.”
“It’s all up here.” He taps the side of his head. “So, I guess I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Absolutely.”
Six hours later, and my fight doesn’t burn as intensely, but I’m not a quitter.
I stand in front of The Crimson Hollow, a small room just past heavy red velvet curtains at the back of the local gothic clothing shop.
The adult room has many names circulating through the town: The Naughty Room, The Shameful Stash, or The Fetish room.
It’s the room no one in town would ever step foot in, but the room everyone in town knows every detail about.
