I almost died — I did die, and the last place I want to be is in a damn hospital.
It isn’t the De Luca house I want to go back to either.
It’s Carter Cattle Ranch.
But I know I can’t yet. I have shit to clean up, business to settle. Knox wheels the chair he insisted I sat in toward the elevators and presses the button, his face set in a frown. He’s been grumpy since I demanded to be discharged this morning,but he’ll get over it. I’m alive, have a bag full of meds to take, and I even agreed I’d let him take care of me, so I don’t really see what the problem is.
“How long exactly are you going to be mad at me?” I grumble to him as the doors close and the cart starts to move.
“I’m not mad.” He snips.
I chuckle, “Okay, cowboy, whatever you say.”
He shakes his head. “When you learn to rest instead of going a hundred miles a minute, then I’ll stop being mad. The war is over.”
“Not yet,” I shake my head. “We still have one more hurdle.”
“Don’t worry about the ranch,” He wheels me out of the elevator and toward the exit where I can see his truck parked in the bay out front.
“I’m always going to worry about our home, Knox.”
His steps falter for just a minute before resuming at his normal pace. “Then let me fight the battles. You’ve done enough.”
I sigh but don’t reply. At the car, he helps me into the passenger seat and buckles me in, his fingers grasping my chin. He looks fucking tired. There’s a bruise on his cheek and a cut in his lip that has almost healed, but my man needs to rest as much as I do. Once this is done, we can.
We’ve fucking earned it.
“Love you, cowboy,” I murmur, sinking back into the chair.
His eyes soften. “Too, Hellion.”
He places the bag of meds I’ve been prescribed on the floor between my feet before he rounds the hood and climbs in behind the wheel, opening both windows to allow a warm breeze to flow through the cab. It’s slow moving since we are in the center of the city, but eventually we come to the De Luca mansion, the gates opening as Knox pulls toward them.
Cade’s car is parked out front, along with several large black SUVs, and when Knox pulls to a stop, Blackwood steps onto the porch, his hands in his pockets, face stoic as he watches us.
I owe him a lot.
I cradle my coffee, scowling at the whiskey in both Caden and Knox’s hands. I’d kill for a glass of wine, but thanks to the meds, alcohol is out of the question. It wouldn’t usually stop me, but Knox looked about ready to blow a fuse when I’d asked for one.
The house is quiet and clean. The bodies have been removed, the blood washed away. My uncle is buried somewhere in the mountains — a far kinder spot than I would have chosen — but itmeans I don’t have to deal with the mess, so I leave it. I don’t know if we caught everyone who stepped against me, time will tell I suppose, but I have the city back, the home I grew up in back, and everything is almost right.
“So what now, princess?” Caden drawls, “You have your throne, what to next?”
Knox stiffens, and a muscle ticks in his jaw.
“One more thing and then I’m going back to the ranch, and I’ll figure it out from there.”
“Rossi, I assume?” Cade presses.
“Mmhmm,” I nod.
“You should take a look at these.” Caden throws a folder down onto the table ahead of us. “I think you’ll find exactly what you need in there.”
He downs the last of his whiskey and places his glass on the table, standing before he straightens the lapels of his jacket and checks his watch.
“Somewhere to be?” I ask.
“You don’t need me anymore.” He begins to walk out, and I move to stand, wincing as the stitches pull. Knox lurches forward, grasping me beneath the arms to steady me.
