“This ain’t no place for a girl like her.” Colt’s jaw tensed, his eyes narrowing on the horizon. “Fuck, man, I can’t be a part of this—”
“Wehaveto be a part of this,” I hissed, my hand clenching the can again. “You know damn well I want no part of this either, but youknowthe terms.”
Colt spat off the porch. “Terms my ass. You mean how Jeb fuckin’ownsus?”
I glared at him. I fucking hated when he put it like that, no matter how much truth there was to it.
“Sorry,” he muttered.
I shook my head. “You ain’t wrong.”
“So what’s the plan? What’s the move here?”
I sighed and tilted my beer back, taking a large swallow. “She’s not escaping this. I mean, she’ll be here soon, and when she gets here, that fucker is going tobreakher. He’s going to tear that angel down until she’s some groveling little sex-toy.”
Colt stood abruptly, hissing before suddenly whirling and slamming his fist into the wooden side of the bunkhouse. He swore immediately, roaring and shaking his hand out as the rage billowed across his face.
I grinned wryly at him. “Feel better?”
“Not really.” He grabbed a fresh beer from the cooler and winced as he laid it against his knuckles.
“None of that we’re going to be able to stop, but we can make it better for her.”
Colt glanced up at me.
“If Jeb and his guys get ahold of her, they’re going to destroy her. A girl like that? Shit, if she’s even had one roll in the hay with whatever pimple-faced farm boys she’s got in that podunk town, I’ll be shocked. Letting Jeb and his boys at her would be like throwing meat to the fucking wolves.”
Colt met my eyes, and slowly, he nodded.
“Us.”
I nodded back. “We can’t let it be Jeb. No fuckin’ way.”
“You’re sayingwehave to be the ones to break her in.Wegotta be her handlers when she gets here.”
“It’s us or him and his guys.”
“Nofuckingway.”
“Then you know what we’ve gotta do.”
Colt nodded as he exhaled heavily and sank back into his chair. He reached into the cooler and grabbed a beer, passing it my way before cracking the one he’d had on his bruised hand.
“When that angel comes to this ranch,” I said slowly, in a measured tone. “She’s going to beours. If we want to save her?”
I glanced over and met my best friend’s eyes.
“If we want to save her, we’ve gottabreakher.”
4
Johanna
“Of courseyou let them drive away.”
Peggy signed, shaking her head at me.
“Two cute guys lookin’ atyou, and you don’t do a dang thing about it. Typical Jo.”