“Move,” Dakota said on a snarl, not at all concerned that the man blocking her was the size of a linebacker.
Memphis shook his head. “Calm down, and I will.” He pointed a finger to an empty seat at the conference table.
“You’re outta here. Now!” Dakota hollered, sounding more like an angry barking dog than my normally leveled-headed yet stubborn big sister and best friend in the entire world .
“Whatever you make tomorrow night won’t be enough, sis.” Tears filled my eyes and fell down my cheeks in a gush of emotion I could no longer contain. We were both stuck doing something that would horrify our grandfather as much as the intention behind it would give him pride. “You know it won’t. We need more,” I croaked. “I’m doing this, Dakota.” I sniffled as the pretty brunette named Faith came and wrapped her arms around me in a supportive hug. I pulled myself together and took a breath, the fire building in my chest at the hypocritical anger she was spewing my way. “Nothing you say can stop me! Nothing!” I reiterated.
“Wanna bet?” she hissed.
“Regardless of what you think, Dakota, you are not the boss of me. I make my own decisions, and I’m doing this for our family, our granddaddy—may he rest in peace! And for our own legacy!” I pushed out of Faith’s arms and stood in front of Memphis, who stayed close, lest I needed him. Such a gentleman. My sister would never physically hurt me. We’d had some knock-down, drag-out catfights when we were younger, but not in the past several years.
Dakota blew the long layers out of her face and then pressed her thumbs and forefingers to her temples. “This is not happening. This is not happening.” Her shoulders fell, and she rested her palms on the table.
I went to her and placed my hand on her back. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, but I knew you’d never let me come.”
“You’re right. I wouldn’t have!” she fired back.
I smiled softly. “This is what I have to do. What we have to do in order to save our land.”
“You’re so young.” Her voice broke on the words. “Mom will turn over in her grave,” she said with a depth of sorrow mentioning our mother’s loss that I also felt deep in my bones.
“I’m two years past being an adult…” I tried the excuse, but it wasn’t working. My sister Dakota was nothing if not overprotective, especially since our father could not have cared le ss about either one of us. All he cared about was money, booze, and women.
“What about college? You were going to be the first of us to get a degree. The ranch needs your medical expertise. And the breeding program…”
I nodded as her face crumpled and she fisted her hands as though she was trying to control her anger.
“I’ll complete my education after the three years. That’s no time at all. And by then we’ll have saved the ranch and our land.”
“I can’t let you do this. I can’t. Let some stranger touch my baby sister…marry her. Take you away from me?” She shook her head so violently I knew she was having trouble comprehending the truth.
I was going to do this whether she approved or not.
She was going to do this.
We were going to save what meant most to us in the entire world.
Our land.
With a gentle touch, I turned her toward me. Her strawberry-blonde hair was swept away from her face and parted down the middle. It looked so much like our mother’s, my heart skipped a beat. That was the same reason Pa hated Dakota so much. She was a living reminder of the woman he could no longer control.
“Dakota, you can, and you will, accept the decision I’ve made. This is no different than if I’d hooked up with a cowboy in Sandee and we eloped.”
“What about Jarod?” She uttered the name of the one boy I’d loved my whole life.
“This isn’t about Jarod,” I snarled, not wanting to even hear his name because I’d crack, crumble, and turn to ash right where I stood.
“You love him. You’ve always loved him. And now you’re going to marry a stranger? You could have it all with him, Savvy. Picket fence, dogs, kids. He adores you. ”
And he did. With every fiber of his being. Jarod Talley was my lifetime sweetheart. We’d grown up together from kindergarten all the way through high school. We became an item freshman year and planned to marry and have a house full of babies while working my family’s ranch alongside my big sister and whatever family she had. Then I went away to vet school, and until last week, he’d been waiting for me to return. Worked my family’s ranch with Dakota for what felt like forever.
Until I broke his heart.
“We broke up.” I offered Dakota no explanation.
“Savannah, no. Don’t. You’re ruining your life.” She pressed a fist to her mouth while her eyes teared up.
“And you’re not? We have the same goal in mind, Kota. Forget about me. Forget about Jarod.” I scratched the name of my beloved from my throat and held the tears at bay. “You and I are going to save our family’s land. Together. Don’t fight this. You don’t have a chance in hell of changing my mind.”
“Please,” my sister whispered into my ear. “Don’t do it. Let me take the fall.”
“Dakota, I love you more than my own life, but I’m going to that auction tomorrow night, with or without your support.”
Episode 5
The Candidates Club
FAITH
The family drama playing out between the two cowgirls would have been comical if I wasn’t so damn exhausted, running on zero sleep. I hadn’t been able to touch base with my family since I’d come back into town. It wouldn’t do me any favors if whispers of my presence made the rounds at the casinos.
I smiled to myself as the strawberry-blonde cowgirl—who I gathered was the older of the two—looked as though she was going to lose it. Her cheeks were a rosy shade like the inside of a plum and her hands were in tight fists at her sides.
I let the tableau play out before me as I stared out the window at the Las Vegas Strip below. A small part of me loved that I was able to sneak in and out of his city without notice. Years under his wing had taught me that even the buildings had eyes. Sure, I avoided the casinos I knew he frequented, and those he owned outright, but the devil had eyes everywhere and was watching at all times. He took great pains to keep an eagle eye over the competing casinos, the players, and especially me.
I was his favorite toy to play with, which was why I’d been on the run for the better part of four years. The only reason I came back was because I was flat-out desperate. Everywhere I went his minions were right on my tail. From Vegas to Boston, Massachusetts to Portland, Oregon, Miami, Florida, and through every state and city in between, he had me followed.
Thankfully, I’d always been at least two steps ahead. Never planting roots in one particular location for long because I knew there wasn’t a place in the world I could hide where he wouldn’t eventually find me. It was inevitable. I knew it, and he knew it. But if I was rich and legally bound to another powerful man, there would be nothing he could do about it.