“Well, I would,” I sneer, surprising him by taking a step forward into his space. I poke a finger in his chest while molten rage fuels my words. “I wouldn’t let that needle dick you have anywhere near me. And if I find out you’re lying to me about the will, you’re going to regret the day you ever fucked with me.”
Kevin’s arm shoots up and he grabs my wrist, squeezing hard and pushing my hand from his chest down his stomach. “Come on, Catherine. You know you’re good for one thing only, and I’m offering you an easy ride. Jump on board, and I’ll keep you here at the Jackson house. You’ll be my little piece on the side.”
Just as my knuckles brush against the edge of his belt, I rip myself out of his grasp. “You’re a sick, fucking—”
He moves so swiftly that I don’t have time to react. His arm wraps around my waist and he pulls me in tight to his body. His other arm comes up so his hand can grip me at the back of my head. It looks like a lover’s embrace, even though I manage to get my hands to his chest in an attempt to push him away. But he’s stronger than I am and he holds me rigidly. Tourists are walking by, oblivious to what’s going on.
Kevin leans his head toward me, puts his lips near my ear, and in a low but deadly serious voice, he says, “You do not fuck around with me, Catherine. You can either walk away intact or in pieces. Your choice. But I seriously suggest you forget about that will.”
He pulls his head back so he can look down at me, his eyes flicking back and forth to see if what he’s said has sank in. I don’t respond, but I don’t break eye contact either, gritting my teeth together in anger and some fear.
“I can see you understand me,” he says confidently, releasing his hold. I take two stumbling steps back.
Kevin merely tucks his hands into the lightweight jacket he’s wearing and says, “I’ll make these two offers, and then I’m done with you. I’ll give you five thousand in cash and you move on with your life. Stay away from my brother and me. Or move back into the Jackson house—I’ll give you a monthly allowance and you’ll be at my beck and call when I come to visit.”
Straightening up to my full five-foot-seven—thank you, Fendi—I stiffen my spine and lock my knees in figurative battle. I forget about the fact that not only does Kevin disgust me, but he also slightly scares me too. But I don’t get caught up in that. Instead, I tell him with as much sarcasm as I can muster, “As tempting as those two offers are, I’m going to decline.”
Kevin’s eyes harden, his lids lowering until I see just tiny slits of brown irises peeking out at me. He inclines his head at me in acknowledgment of my position and says in what can only be taken as a clear threat, “So be it. But don’t say you weren’t warned.”
He takes away my ability to walk away from him, making a casual turn on the sidewalk and meandering off in a carefree saunter. I can tell by the set to his shoulders and the almost jaunty step that he’s not worried about me at all.
But he should be.
Because I just learned something very important.
There is no new will where Samuel cuts me out. If there were, Kevin would have offered up the signed copy to me without hesitation. Instead, he tried to buy me off, relying on his faulty instinct that I am still a woman who can be owned.
It’s a mistake to underestimate me, and I know exactly what I need to do.
Chapter 11
Rand
“I can’t believe we essentially live in the same house and I only get to see you when you have a few minutes to pop into my place of business,” Jake says as he walks into the back breakroom of his ski shop.
I’ve been here for almost two hours waiting for Cat to finish up her job hunting visits, shooting the shit with some of Jake’s employees or other locals who stop by for some sporting equipment needs. Although his shop is named Teton Ski and Snowboarding, it’s actually morphed over time into a sort of one-stop shop for all of your Wyoming outdoor needs. He runs guided fishing trips in the summer, hunting trips in the fall and winter for big game such as elk and moose, as well as black bear in the spring. He even has guides who will just drive you around and show you where you can see all the wildlife. Jake sells everything from skis to guns to fishing lures to sporting apparel, and he’s been quite successful at it.
I don’t respond directly but throw a teasing jab while looking at my watch. “Must be nice to have a job you can roll in at close to lunch time. Wish I had as easy a life as you.”
Jake laughs. As well he should, because he’s one of the hardest-working men I know, and he knows I’m joking. He’s normally in the shop at least an hour before it opens, and while he may go home so he can have dinner with his family, I know he works in the evenings too to stay on top of things.
“Lorelei had an ultrasound this morning,” he explains as he walks over to the coffee pot on the counter and pours himself a cup.
“And how is the little niblet?” I ask, leaning back in my chair so the front legs come off the ground a bit.