Fuck, who the hell is she?
The woman is a tempting sight, especially for a man who spends most of his time alone, but I can imagine what she sees when she looks at me.
A violent beast with no self-control.
5
DAVIE
Please don’t be him.
Please don’t be Cormac.
When no one answered the door at the house, I wandered off the porch steps and headed toward a group of men standing by a pen full of goats. My gaze drifted over each man as if one would magically glow with the words,I slept with your sister and fathered your nephew.
Of course, none of them had a tell-tale sign that he was the man I was looking for.
The entire drive here I sifted through explanations and questions, searching for the best way to broach the topic ofHey, you might be a daddy… congratulations!But words deserted me the closer I got to the men.
Except it didn’t matter.
Because a bullish man stormed into the yard, thunder roaring in his wake, before he shouted, “Garrett!” then punched one of the guys in the jaw.
My cry of fear broke the sudden silence, and all eyes turned on me—including the dark gaze of the man emanating fearsome authority and brutality—rather than the bleeding man hunched over in the dirt.
This isn’t right.
I shouldn’t be here.
I can’t bring my nephew,a baby, here. It’s not safe. I’ll have to figure out another way to keep him out of Cody’s greedy clutches.
My gaze remains locked on the dangerous stranger as I slowly retreat. Like a predator’s soft, squishy prey, instinct tells me not to run. Not to turn my back on this man.
Fumbling behind my back, the cool metal of my car’s door handle greets my fingertips, and a breath of relief stutters from my chest.
Or tries to.
It gets stuck in my throat once I register that my escape won’t be so easy.
Because that man is stalking forward. His boots kick up dust clouds of warning; his reddened knuckles flex at his side as if itching to do more harm.
Or to capture an errant visitor.
Me.
“Who are you?” he asks, the low boom of his voice sliding across my nerves to prod them into full-blown panic.
“N-No one. I m-made a wrong turn and…” I flinch when he lifts his hand, and immediately, he stops his advance.
“I’m not going to hurt you.” This time, both his hands raise slightly as if he’s trying to calm a wild horse. “I’m sorry for scaring you. It’s bad luck you were here to witness my blow-up; usually, I’m more professional.”
“You mean you don’t go around hitting coworkers for no reason?”
“Ex-employee,” he corrects. “And not for no reason. Thanks to him not doing his job properly, one of the animals was injured.”
“Oh.”
“Is everything okay?” Another man joins us, his sharp features similar to the one in front of me. “I heard yelling then a scream.”
