Page 23 of Outlawed

“Shepard wants him in jail. I want him in a casket.”

“You want me to get him? I will.”

“Even if it means keeping it from Shepard?”

He rolls his eyes. “Shepard is your boyfriend. Not mine. The question is, what do you want me to do with Porter when I have him?”

“You have somewhere you can hold him for me?”

He looks at me like I’m being dumb.

“Right. Keep him locked up for me. I need to get a few things ready first.”

“You gonna share?”

“Not just yet.”

“Tease.”

I shake my head.

“So about us…”

“I’d stop speaking now before the last chain holding back my rage snaps.”

That shuts him up, and wisely, he doesn’t argue.

I walk toward the fence where Willow waits and climb over, spotting the huge stallion, Kyro, beside her. Willow side eyes him, daring him to mess with her.

“Yeah, I feel you, girl.”

Willow tosses her mane and waits for me to climb up before we take off, not bothering to wait for Austin. He found his own way here. He can find his own way back.

Chapter Eight

Istand up from the porch swing when I see Jen’s car appear in the distance.

“I don’t know if I can do this,” I whisper to Riggs, who moves up beside me and kisses my temple.

“You can. You will. It’s gonna suck. No getting around that, baby. But we’ll help her get through it.”

I wrap my arm around his back and lean into him as we wait. Nausea swells in my gut, making me glad I didn’t force myself to eat breakfast.

I can do this. I can do this.

The car stops, and Jen gets out, her eyes coming to me, scanning me from top to bottom before she moves to the rear passenger seat and opens the door.

Oh god, I can’t do this.

Riggs holds me steady, ensuring I can’t run away like the coward I am. When Hannah spots us, she runs over with a huge smile on her face.

“Hey Riggs, hey Calliope. Do you wanna see my picture?”

“Absolutely,” Riggs answers, dropping into a squat so he’s eye level with Hannah as she shows him her painting of the ranch and the people on it.

“And that’s you kissing Calliope.” She makes a face at that. “And that’s Mommy watching. Where is Mommy? I want to show her too.”

Somehow, I manage to stop myself from puking everywhere. Jen moves closer as I kneel in front of Hannah and caress her face. “Your mom got hurt.”