He ambles his way back toward the fence line on the other side and returns to watching his unreachable herd.
I stay a little bit longer to watch him, but when the lights switch off in the house behind me, I know it’s safe to return.
I bid my goodnight to the bull and make my way to the house, slipping in through the open frontdoor. The living room light is off, same as the kitchen, but he left the hallway that leads to my bedroom on and there’s a hum coming from the oven.
When I open it, I see my plate of food sitting on the middle rack; the oven is set to keep it warm, and on the table are an empty glass and the bottle of whiskey.
Letting go of a heavy sigh, I pull it out and place it on the table, filling the glass with only a small amount before I take a seat and finish the meal he got for me.
Knox is good when he has every reason not to be.
I’m his enemy, and yet he feeds me, clothes me and houses me. I didn’t believe such a thing existed when I’ve met with some of the most despicable humans on earth, but I guess I was looking in all the wrong places.
But that made sense. A man like him would be killed in a world like mine.
CHAPTER 11
Iread off the numbers I want to separate from the herd for the sale ahead of the drive, that way they’re ready to be auctioned. I have a paddock set up for them beside the rest of the cattle that’ll be moved up the mountain. It isn’t really ready for grazing, but they’ll only be here a couple of days, so it doesn’t matter all that much.
“We’re selling a little early, boss.” Chase comments, falling into step beside me on his horse.
“I need to get rid of some so we have money over the summer,” I explain. “It won’t make much of a difference come fall.”
Chase doesn’t look convinced, but he does as I ask, and we get the cattle moved. It’s still early, the sun barely above the horizon, but I’m bone tired.My muscles ache, thighs throbbing where they’re stretched over the back of Honey, the calluses on my hands raw from a full morning of labor.
Ralph makes a ruckus in the paddock behind me, now closer to the females, he wants out of there and into here. The little fucker won’t get what he wants though, not until I move the other bulls out so he doesn’t pummel them into the ground.
Gravel crunches behind me, and a glance over my shoulder shows Elena heading toward us. My tongue goes dry. She’s in a little pair of cut-offs, the shorts sitting high on her thighs, and a pair of cowboy boots with a white shirt and the new hat. Her long black hair spills over her shoulders, and she’s wrapped her thigh with a clean dressing, covering the burned-in C on her skin, though the bruising has spread, turning even more of her skin black and blue. She walks with a limp, but her face doesn’t reveal her pain.
Chase whistles beside me.
“She’d eat you for breakfast,” I snap at him, his very obvious attraction to her brightening his eyes.
“I sure fucking hope so,” He grins. “Who is she to you again?”
“Keep it in your fucking pants,” I warn him, my blood turning hot as my stomach twists.
He chuckles, “Good morning, sweetness,” He says to her as she comes to a stop by the side of my horse. I have to stifle my laugh when she gives himthe once-over and then dismisses him, choosing to run her hand down the side of Honey’s neck. The horse’s muscles quiver at her touch, vibrating down her body.
Her grey eyes lift to me, her hand absently scratching down my horse’s neck. “What’d you want me to do?”
My gaze drops to her thigh and the healing cut on her arm, and I know her abdomen is still as bruised as her thigh.
“How’s your pain?” I ask her.
“I’m fine,” She answers through gritted teeth.
“That so, darlin’,” I quirk a brow, “Just fine?”
“Don’t hurt at all.” She lies.
Fucking bullshit. Not sure why she hides it or why she thinks I’d believe the lie. Pain makes her human.
“Alright,” I bite, “You can clean the stables.”
It’s mundane but hard work.
“The stables?” Her dark brows pull low above her eyes, the rim of the hat shading her face from the early morning sun.
