I think about Cooper’s last moments. About the weight of his body as it fell limp against me and the horrible moment we both fell to the pavement. Then I think about Bronte and how innocent she is in all of this. She doesn’t deserve to be the collateral damage of my vengeance.
I will never forgive myself if anything happens to her.
And something else becomes clear in that moment.
My life won’t be worth living without her in it.
I know that now, and because of this, I will do anything to keep her safe.
Even this.
Giving in to the very man I live to kill.
“What’s to say you don’t come after her anyway?” I growl.
“I have no interest in coming after her other than to ensure you stop your vendetta. You agree, and I’ll never step one foot in her direction. Oh, she’s a honey… there ain’t no denying that. But I’ve never been motivated by pussy, no matter how sweet. You have my word. You let off on this quest and we’re done.”
“Your word doesn’t mean shit.”
“What does a man have if he doesn’t have his word?” He has me over a barrel, and he knows it. I can hear it in his voice. “So, what do you say, Jack? Do we have an agreement?”
Giving in to his demands won’t kill me, but losing Bronte will.
I’m prepared to give him my word.
For now.
“You come anywhere near Flintlock, or me and the people I love, and I will consider it you breaking your word… and you won’t like what I do to you if you do.”
“I take it we have an understanding?”
I inhale deeply and grit my teeth. “Yes.”
Ghost chuckles. “Nice doing business with you.” He hangs up, and it takes some restraint not to throw my cell clean across the room.
The fucker backed me into a corner and now a red-hot rage fires on every single one of my nerve endings. I try to calm it by reminding myself that it’s better than the alternative.
I take a moment to compose myself, then dial Bronte’s number. She picks up on the second ring.
“Hey, I was just about to call you,” she says.
Her voice is a soothing balm to the violent hate searing through me. Just hearing it brings me instant relief.
I try to keep my tone light. “How did the interview go?”
“I got the job,” she says.
I can hear the sunshine in her voice and can’t help but smile. Her effect on me overpowers everything else.
“When do you start?”
“Next Monday. He’s only given me two lunchtime shifts to start with. But once I win him over with my incredible bartending skills and effervescent charm, he’ll give me more, I’m sure.” There is a pause, and I know she’s has picked up on my mood. “Are you okay?”
“Sure. But I was thinking, maybe you and Riley could hang at the clubhouse today. Celebrate your new job.”
Until I wrap my head around my discussion with Ghost, I want to keep Bronte close.
“Uh-oh, what’s happened?” she asks. I hear the concern in her voice, and I hate it.
“Nothing,” I lie. “It was just a thought.”
“Well, thank you for the suggestion, but I’ve already got everything organized. I just picked up the tequila and the margarita mix, and now I’m on my way home.” She chuckles, and I can hear the liquor bottles clinking in her arms. “Besides, I don’t think Riley wants to run into Gabe.”
I’d forgotten about the one-night stand. Gabe’s heartbroken that Riley isn’t returning his calls.
“Okay, baby.” I hear her close her car door, and the engine starts. “Have fun with Riley. What time is she due?”
“Oh shoot! She’ll be here within the hour, so I better put my pedal to the metal and get a move on. I’ll see you when you get home, okay?”
When I hang up, I feel uneasy, but I can’t put my finger on why.
It’s not Ghost.
It’s something else.
Fifteen minutes later, I walk into my office in the clubhouse. Sitting at my desk, I make a few calls and organize to meet up with an ex-marine I know who runs a security monitoring service just out of Flintlock. I’ve never bothered with home security, but now that Bronte is in my life, I’m going to make her as safe as possible. Starting with a home security system.
As I stand to leave, Paw appears in the doorway. “You need to see this.”
I pick my keys up from my desk. “It’ll have to wait until I get back.”
“This can’t wait, Jack.”
Something in the way he says it tells me I need to hear what he has to say, so I look up at the laptop he has in his hands. “You’ve got two minutes.”
BRONTE
Led Zeppelin’s “Trampled Under Foot” fills the kitchen as I grab two cocktail glasses from the cupboard and bop my way back to the counter where I’ve laid everything out for my afternoon with Riley.