Page 96 of Filthy Fae

“Hold up,” Sawyer said. “What are you here for, Cody? You got a lot of balls showing up like this. So what do you want?”

“I don’t remember him giving us the courtesy of asking what we wanted before he took off,” Waylon said.

“I’m here to make amends,” Cody said. “I know what I did was wrong. But I hope we can put that behind us. This ranch belongs to the four of us. I don’t see any reason we can’t make it right.”

“You son of a bitch,” Waylon said, springing forward like a snake that had been waiting to strike. His fist connected with Cody’s jaw hard enough that I could hear the crack. Cody’s hat flew off, and he stumbled backwards, catching himself on the door frame.

Holden leapt forward and wrestled Waylon back while Cody rubbed his jaw and cursed. Straightening up, he spit a stream of blood into the snow off the side of the porch. I was pretty sure I saw some tooth chunks in there, too. I wanted to barf, but I didn’t want them to take me off and hide me in the house like they had when they dealt with Mr. Grimes. I was a big girl now. I’d seen a cow give birth. I could handle the sight of a little Wyoming justice.

“I guess I deserved that,” Cody said, glowering at Waylon. I could tell he was itching to throw a punch of his own, and I didn’t think Waylon would have minded having an excuse to knock out every one of Cody’s teeth.

“Damn right you deserved it,” Waylon said. “Now get the fuck off our property.”

“Our property,” Cody corrected.

A silence fell over the five of us.

“So that’s what you want,” Sawyer said. “I figured as much. You had to be desperate to show your ass around here again. It had to be either Maria left you, or you needed money.”

“Maria’s been gone for two years,” Cody said. “And I’ve been calling y’all for a year. Not because I need money. Look at my damn car. Does it look like I’m hard up?”

He did have a really nice Jeep—a lot nicer than the beat-up old truck the guys drove around when they didn’t have to pull a trailer. Their diesel truck was a bit nicer and a lot bigger, but it was a business write-off.

“I just want to make things right,” Cody said. “Give me a half a chance, Waylon. Whether you admit it or not, we’re still brothers. Blood brothers. Can’t nothing change that.”

“Something can,” Waylon said.

“Don’t make a man beg,” Cody said. “The Waylon I know wouldn’t do that.”

“The Waylon you knew is dead and gone,” Waylon said. He turned on his heel and headed back toward the house without another word.

I felt bad for him, but I couldn’t help but feel bad for Cody, too. I knew what it felt like to be an outsider with these three impossible, wonderful men. I knew how much I’d wanted to be part of what they had—and it had to be a hundred times worse for Cody. He’d had it, and he’d ruined it. I knew a thing or two about regret, but nothing like that.

Of course, that was because I hadn’t been a backstabbing piece of shit who stole my brother’s fiancé.

Cody swore and wiped blood from his lips. “What about the rest of you?” he asked. “I don’t want to make things ugly, but I don’t give up easy, either.”

“You going to make trouble?” Holden asked.

“I’m back in town, if that’s what you’re asking,” Cody said. “And I don’t intend to leave until I get what I came for. How that happens is up to you.”

“That sounds like a threat to me,” Holden said.

“I ain’t threatening to bring out my shotgun,” Cody said. “And I’m not looking to get shot. I’ve said my piece. Now I think I best get going before Waylon comes out guns blazing.”

“You can’t blame the man,” Sawyer said.

“I don’t,” Cody said. “But I value my life, too. If you want to follow me down to the bar, we can talk longer. I sure have missed it around here, and I wouldn’t mind catching up on what-all’s happened these past years.”

Sawyer and Holden exchanged a look. “I don’t think Waylon would like the looks of that.”

“Go,” I said, putting a gentle hand on Sawyer’s back. “I’ll take care of Waylon.”

Sawyer shot me a surprised look.

“So, she’s yours,” Cody said with a slight nod. “I was wondering. You did good. A lot better than I did. Worst mistake I ever made, leaving here with that woman.”

“You got no idea,” Sawyer said, sliding an arm around my waist. I didn’t know if he meant Cody running off was a mistake, or that he’d done good by winding up with me. Either way, he didn’t seem ready to let go of me anytime soon. I figured they’d all be a little possessive around Cody, considering his past. And I was more than okay with that. Now that I knew what was fishy about Cody, he didn’t creep me out, but I wanted my men to feel secure and know I’d never betray them the way the last woman had.