And Iwassmart. I simply wasn’t afraid of death.
With my hands still stuffed in my pockets, I took in my surroundings. A thick forest bordered the parking lot, making visibility scarce. Whoever was out there had a perfect shot on me, so I waited, hoping the sun might glint off something to give away their location.
When nothing but silence and serenity greeted me, I sighed. At this point, if murder was their intent, they would’ve taken the shot again. Yet I stood here with not a scratch on me.
My trailer, however, had taken the hit.
I ran a gloved thumb over the hole, cursing. Both sides would inevitably fucking rust.
Moving to the forest on the opposite side of the trailer, I scanned the ground, trying to imagine the bullet’s path. I walked for a long fucking time, searching for a needle in a haystack. All the while, I could feel eyes on me. They didn’t seem threatening, though, which only confused me. Why shoot at a man if you weren’t going to try again?
Finally, I spotted the round. I bent to scoop it up,inspecting the bullet. Of course, it was a common caliber, which told me absolutely nothing.
I pocketed it, then made the trek back to my truck, debating if I should even tell the guys. Inevitably, they’d see the bullet hole in the trailer, so hiding it was futile.
As I got behind the wheel, I could already feel the exhaustion creeping in.
For the third time in the span of a few months, someone was trying to fucking kill us. Or maybe onlymethis time.
Either way, I was getting real tired of this shit.
“And you didn’t think to search the woods where the bulletcamefrom?” Austin snapped.
So quick to judge when he wasn’t the one who’d just been shot at.
“You had your gun with you,” Booker said, his voice a low rumble. “You could have tried to?—”
“Do I ever do anything right in your eyes?” I interrupted, looking between the two of them standing opposite me in the home office. Booker’s desk separated us, making this feel more like an interrogation than a friend-to-friend conversation.
The irritation on Austin’s face only deepened, and Booker ran a hand over his jaw.
“What the fuck is happening to us?” I asked. “Months ago, we were inseparable. Always together. Doing whatever the fuck we wanted, so long as the ranch wasafloat. Now we’re fighting all the damn time, and the target is always on me.”
Austin’s brows shot up. “Onyou?” His hands clenched into fists, the veins in his arms bulging. “My girlfriend was kidnapped”—he shot a hand in Booker’s direction—“and Brynne was kidnapped. But the target is onyou?”
My head fell, eyes focusing on my boots as I tried to rein in the urge to let all my bottled feelings loose.
“That’s not what I meant, and you know it,” I said carefully, more quietly now.
Booker’s focus on me was heavy—it always was—and Austin crossed his arms over his chest. Lately, it felt like there was a divide between us. I wasn’t sure if it was because I was the only one still single, or because the two of them thought they were better than me ever since I regrettably lost the deed to this ranch—and got it back, might I add—but I was growing fucking sick of it.
“Keep the bullet. I’m leaving.” I turned on my heel, heading toward the door.
Austin grumbled something about it being a shitty present while Booker spoke up. “Henley, wait.”
I paused at the exit, not bothering to face them.
“We know what it’s like for you to feel like your life is in danger,” he started.
I swung around, unable to stop myself. “Do you? Because it sounds to me like it was your girlfriends who had hits on their heads, not you.”
Austin’s eyes narrowed while Booker visibly fought the same reaction.
Personally, I liked Brynne and McKenna. There wasnothing wrong with them—aside from McKenna holding a grudge against me. But I didn’t wish either of them dead.
Booker seemed to realize this conversation would go nowhere, because instead of thewe’ll fix this, we protect each otherbullshit he was about to pile on me, he said, “Just…watch your back, okay?”
My lips rolled into a thin line before I left the room without another word. If I’d opened my mouth, all that would’ve come out was,No, Booker, I actually don’t give a shit if whoever is trying to kill me is successful, so I won’t be watching my back.Then he would’ve pulled his typical broody attitude, and they would’ve pretended they cared.
