I follow on my mare, securing the reins in my hand and leaning back in the saddle. Sonnet plods meticulously down the slope before crossing the river to join Rhett and Gibson.
We traverse a grassy field to a stand of trees that offer some shade, and Rhett turns. From under the brim of his favorite Stetson, warm chocolate eyes pin on me. Gesturing to a pair of tall white pines, he suggests, “Let’s tie them there.”
I dismount and follow his lead. Once we have the horses secured, Rhett slings a bag over his shoulder and takes my hand, guiding me to a shaded spot. He spreads a blanket for us to sit on and sets what appears to be a picnic lunch down at one corner. I smile as I take a seat facing him, drawing my knees to my chest. “When’d you plan this?”
He shrugs, chuckling. “When I stopped in to see Grandma Jo this morning, I told her I wanted to bring you out here to talk to you.”
I’ve felt for several days that he’s been keeping something bottled up inside, in true Rhett fashion, so I’m not really surprised. But given the rigidness of his jawline, maybe Ishould be concerned.
He swallows, continuing. “Anyway, you know Grandma. She handed me lunch for two and shooed me out the door.” With an agonized exhale, he removes his hat and scrubs both hands over his scalp, really digging his fingers in.
When he doesn’t immediately spill, I peek inside the bag and pull out a couple of sandwiches, then hand him one. As I’m unwrapping mine, I question, “So, what’d you want to talk about?”
He takes a bite, chewing and swallowing carefully before setting the rest down on the picnic blanket. I nudge his shin with my boot and cock my head to theside, peering at him. “You’re making me nervous. What’s up?”
“I’m heading out tomorrow morning,” he grits out, his voice rough. “Early.”
Why do I get the feeling I’m not going to like this? “Okay. Where’re you going?” I drag in a breath and wait for him to hit me with it.
“Los Angeles. To deal with Marcus and Paulie.” He stops, pressing his lips together as he grips the back of his neck. Determined eyes remain trained on me.
Oh god.I blink. My lips part to protest, but he shakes his head.
“Not going to tell you more than that, but I’ll be with my brothers. We’ll take care of things, then we’ll be back.”
“Take care of things… how?” My hands begin to tremble, so I set my sandwich down and instead fold them into my lap.
“I think it best if I don’t divulge that. But I’m sure you can piece it together.”
My heart lurches in my chest, tempo quickening to a rapid crescendo. Rhett has hinted at his plans to avenge me several times since the night he found me broken. Guess he meant that as more than a figure of speech. On one hand, I’d love nothing more than to know those assholes got what they deserved, but on the other, I don’t wantRhett to get himself into a situation that could change the trajectory of his life. These aren’t low-level criminals. They’re powerful men with big wallets who have the ability to make their problems vanish. No questions asked.
I get that Rhett wants to make this all go away, but out in LA, he’ll be a minnow in a sea of sharks. I just pray he knows what he’s getting himself into. Almost afraid to breathe his name, I utter, “And Bradley?”
Pinching firm lips tightly together, Rhett exhales through his nose. “His time will come.” He pauses, and his chest rises with the breath he drags in. “I’ve put a lot of thought into how this could potentially play out. And Noah, it’s the only way we’ll ever get you free of him.” He takes my hand in his, squeezing gently. “Trust me, please. By the time my brothers and I are done with them, they’ll regret ever laying a hand on you.” Exhaling, he reaches out, sliding the backs of his knuckles over my jawline, barely skimming over the skin. My lips tremble as I take in the determination in his eyes. “You don’t need to worry about me,” he rasps, shaking his head. “It’ll be over soon, and then we’ll wash our hands of them and finally move on with the life we planned.”
Eyes flickering to his, my voice cracks as nervous energy courses through me. “Rhett.” I know him. There’s no talking him out of this.
His head bobs, as if reassuring himself. “Sage is gonna come stay with you at the house until we can getback. We’ll be gone two days. Grandma Jo will be around, too, if you need her.”
“You’re sure?” I wince, already knowing his answer.
“I am.” He nods, his voice achingly soft. “Your safety will always come first. They deserve what’s coming, and I’m more than happy to deliver their justice.”
My eyes trace over every inch of his features. I trust Rhett with everything I am. “What if something goes wrong?”
Squeezing my hand, he shoots me a smile. “Everything’s gonna be fine. I need you to believe me when I say I have this covered.”
A knot wedges in my throat at the idea of Rhett putting himself or his family at risk. I shift, crawling forward, and grip his broad shoulders as I straddle his lap. My fingers dig into the muscle there, in an attempt to ground myself in him. “I’m scared you’ll end up doing something you’ll regret later.”
He huffs out a broken laugh. “The only thing I’d regret is letting them get away with hurting you. Men like that evade justice all the time, and I couldn’t live with myself if they walked away scot-free.” He stares into my eyes, holding my chin with a few fingers and thumb before pressing his lips to mine in a desperate kiss. “They’ll never hurt you again.”
His admission tightens my lungs because way down deep, I’m certain he’s being the most honest he’s everbeen. I know him too well to think he’ll set this aside, so I don’t listen to the voice in my head that screams at me to beg him not to go. “If you’re set on doing this, promise me one thing.”
Touching his lips to mine again, he whispers, “What’s that, Starlet?” My eyes fill and a tear rolls down my cheek. He brushes it away. “Name it. It’s yours.”
My chest hitches. “Whatever you do… come back to me.”
RHETT
