Page 111 of Branded Betrayal

“Your aunt is dead. That ranch is just property. You could buy something else, somewhere else. Make the smart choice, Ms. Carlson.”

“I would rather die than give in to you.” As soon as the words are out of my mouth, I know there’s a possibility they may be some of my last since I don’t have a single bit of leverage while tied to this damn chair.

The blood ices in my veins when my eyes latch onto the men and their guns surrounding me.

If I don’t sign Red Rock over to him, he will kill me. I have no doubt about that. A knot of tears catches in my throat. But how can I just give up on the only thing I have left?

His jaw tenses, his facade finally crumbling to reveal the snake behind the mask. “Let me make this very clear. If you refuse my offer, Blaze and your brother, Nash, die.” He pauses, his eyes glittering with malice. “While you watch.”

My blood runs cold.

“Sign the contract. Take the money. Walk away. Blaze and Nash will be safe.” Wilkerson leans forward. “Or refuse, and watch what happens next.”

A ringtone cuts through my frenzied thoughts. Wilkerson clicks to answer the call.

“Yes?” His eyes slide to me. “How much time do we have?”

More silence.

“Keep me updated.” He stabs the screen and sticks his phone back in his pocket. His expression shifts, annoyance flickering across his face. “Seems we’re going to have company. Your boyfriend is coming to play hero. And your brother, Nash, is with him.” He tucks the envelope into his jacket. “Convenient, hmm? We’ll deal with Blaze first. Then we’ll revisit this conversation. With better . . . motivation.”

Tyler puts his other hand on my shoulder and leans into me. “He doesn’t deserve you. He never did. But you never saw the writing on the wall, did you?” His lips curl into a smirk. “And when he gets here, I’m going to kill him.”

“All in good time, Tyler,” Wilkerson says. “Savannah, this is all Hartman’s fault. If he’d have just done his job without letting his dick lead him around, we wouldn’t be sitting here right now. You would all be safe right now.”

After a few tense minutes, Wilkerson pulls out his phone. “They’re close,” he says. He looks up at the armed men who’ve been silent this whole time. “Take your positions. When they come in, make it difficult, but keep Hartman alive. I want him to see what happens when he interferes with my business. Then we’ll finish this.”

My skin crawls with dread. The warehouse door is a trap, and Blaze is walking right into it.

My heart hammers. Nash . . .

No, no, no! They need to stay away from here.

But I know Blaze. No matter what I say, no matter how angry I am, he always comes for me.

And this time, his defiance might kill not just him but everyone with him.

Oh God, I don’t want him dead. I hate him, and I will never forgive him for everything he’s done to me and my family. But he doesn’t deserve to die.

What fucking irony is this? I spent weeks pushing him away, telling him to leave me alone, to never come back. And now I’m terrified he’s going to die trying to save me.

Wilkerson and Tyler pull out their guns and check the clips.

I tug my wrists apart, adrenaline flooding my insides. I have to do something, anything that can help save him. I can scream, warn him to run. But he has to know what he’s walking into.

“You’re never breaking free of those ties, darlin’,” Tyler says, his voice still unnervingly calm.

“Don’t call me that,” I snap. “When Blaze gets here, he’s going to tear you apart.”

“He’s welcome to try.”

“Hartman’s had this coming for a long time,” Wilkerson says. “It’s time to remind him who’s in control.”

Wilkerson checks his gun again. Tyler stands perfectly still, completely composed. The armed men are positioned and ready. And I sit in this metal chair, plastic ties cutting into my wrists, waiting for the man I told to stay away forever to walk through that door anyway.

Some things you can’t stop. Some people won’t be saved.

Blaze Hartman is both.