I tuck my hands into my pockets, facing off with my stepdad. “You called me here to talk. Talk.”
“Why the hell would we bring you here?” Tate scoffs. “You asked to meet with us. Figured you decided to finally give up gracefully.”
My eyebrows pinch because I didn’t ask them to meet with me. But clearly, they aren’t responsible for this either.
Something’s not right. I pull my hands from my pockets and flex my fingers. Someone set us up.
I’m about to grab for my gun when the rumble of an engine comes from the distance. A familiar orange truck crests the horizon with a trail of dirt behind it.
“Gordon Elliott,” I grumble, putting the pieces together. “Let me guess, your lawyer was the one who told you I wanted to talk?”
“Yeah.” Kincaid steps forward.
“Same. Probably figured that was the easiest way to get us all in one place.”
“Fucking prick.” Kincaid stands at my side, the closest we’ve been in years, while we watch Willa’s father make his way down the road.
No matter what happens tomorrow, Gordon is out of the picture. If Tate and Kincaid win, they’ll sell the land. If I do, I’ll make sure Gordon is paid off and cut out. He’s done as far as the ranch is concerned.
So why did he arrange this meeting?
What’s his plan?
We’re quiet as Gordon takes the final turn into the ranch. We stand in a line, watching Willa’s father pull to a stop beside my bike.
His metal door creaks when he swings it open. The window rattles as he slams it shut.
“You called us here?” Tate is the first to speak.
“Figured it was time we all had a little chat.” Gordon’s smug grin makes me want to cave his face in. “Get us all on the same page for once.”
“You’ve been cut out,” Tate says. “You’ll get back your investment when we sell the land, but other than that, you’re done.”
For the first time, I see how bad the blood is between my stepdad and Willa’s father. Not that they were ever the best of friends. One was always manipulating the other. But I didn’t sense it turning into this. When I was younger, they had an understanding.
“I don’t think I am done yet.” Gordon smiles, but there’s nothing nice about it. “Willa made a mistake.”
“She’s no longer part of this,” I warn him, looking from Tate to Willa’s dad. “Leave her name the fuck out of your mouths.”
Gordon throws up his hands in a mock surrender. “We had an arrangement long before she went running back to you, Dean. You can be angry all you want, but Willa knew what she was agreeing to. She was as much a part of that deal as I was.”
“Because you were blackmailing her with shit she didn’t do.”
“She’s no angel.”
“She’s no killer either.” My teeth clench as my nails dig into my palms.
Three steps, and I could so quickly turn him into a bloody mess in the dirt.
“She sure has your panties in a twist.” Gordon’s head cocks to the side, checking me out. “She got you wrapped around her finger quickly. Is my daughter that good at keeping you happy, Dean? You don’t even care that she had your brother first?”
I reach for my gun, and Kincaid throws an arm across my chest, stopping me.
“He’s baiting you. Think about it.” Kincaid’s jaw tenses, and I hate that he’s right.
Gordon is baiting me. But what’s even stranger is that my brother cares to stop me from pulling the trigger. When we were younger and on better terms, he looked out for me as much as I looked out for him. It’s been a long time since that’s been the case.
“Guess blood really is thicker than water.” Gordon looks between us. “Too bad that doesn’t mean shit when it comes to business. Which is why I’m here to set some things straight. Consider it a favor for Tate breaking our agreement.”
