“I’m going to give her a way out.”
“Pay her debts.” Silas nods. “It might work.”
“She’d be stupid not to take the offer.”
“Or she just dislikes you that much.”
“Call the damn lawyer.”
“It’s two a.m.”
“If he wants to keep getting his fee every month, he’ll answer the phone. I want a contract by ten tomorrow. We can work on the details on a call first thing.”
“I can see why she doesn’t like you.”
I glare at him, but he just shrugs and pulls his cell out of his pocket before he heads out, likely back to his house. It’s on the property, but it gives him the privacy he craves, and it leaves the ranch house to me. Remy has a cabin here too, out in the woods, but he’s rarely home to use it.
If this works out, there might just be one more person here to call this place home.
Chapter 5
“Alright!” I yell as the pounding on the door continues. Pulling the rope to secure my robe, I hurry to the front of the bar and begin the process of unlocking it, wondering who the hell would be knocking now. It’s ten thirty in the morning; we don’t open until twelve! I was supposed to have an hour to get myself ready for the day.
My hair is still wet from this morning’s swim, and I had hoped to wash it before my shift begins, but I won’t be able to now.
“Yes?” I yank the door open only to come face to face with Roman Knight. I have seen this man more times in the past twenty-four hours than I have in my entire life. He towers over me in the doorway, his hat casting a deep shadow down his face. Remembering everythingfrom last night, panic comes over me, and frantically, I check behind him, wondering if he changed his mind to have me arrested.
“I just want to talk.” He offers me his hands in a surrender-like motion.
When I see the coast is clear behind him and there are no deputies waiting with handcuffs, I relax. “I haven’t had enough caffeine yet to deal with whatever this is.”
As rude as it may be, I don’t care. I move to close the door on him, but he shoves a foot out, stopping it from shutting.
“Hear me out,” He catches my eyes, the amber in his like molten gold this morning. It should be a crime to look as good as he does, but he’s the type of man you can’t look away from. With those high cheekbones and sharp jawline, he has the type of face you want to trace with your fingers to see if it feels as beautiful as it looks. But I also know what is good for me, and Roman Knight is certainlynotgood for me.
“No thank you,” I offer and try to close the door again.
He chuckles, “Niamh.” My skin breaks out in goosebumps with the way my name rolls off his tongue. “You’re going to want to hear what I have to say.”
“Is ‘no’ a foreign concept to you?” I ask him honestly, head cocking to the side as I study him. “I can explain what it means if you’d like.”
One dark smudge of a brow lifts. “You’re in a lot of debt.”
He says it so casually, like we’re having a good old catch up over coffee, but the words still slap. My headsnaps back, and I feel the blood drain from my face. How does he know that!?
“And I can help.”
My lips curl up as I remember him slipping that hundred into the tip jar. I bet he believes his money can buy him anything,gethim anything, even people.
There’s a reason the Knight family is royalty. Sure, they’re charitable; they donate and pour money into this town, but I’ve come across many people just like them who don’t do it out of the goodness of their hearts. They always want something, what they have is never enough. I just don’t know what I could possibly have that Roman could want. He has that big house and all that land, horses and cars, and I doubt he ever worries about anything. That must be nice.
“Is there something wrong with you?” I snap at him, “How do you even know that!?”
“How long before you lose it?” He leans on the door frame and crosses his arms, the material of his shirt stretching to accommodate. It’s the type of build only working a ranch can achieve, his skin sun-kissed, hands roughened by countless hours of hard labor.
“That’s really none of your business.”
“What if I make it my business?” He challenges.
