Their Harlot Bride (Bridgewater Brides 7)

Lied about everything.

“And she’s a thief, too?” I asked. “She assaulted him?”

“If it’s the same woman,” the Sheriff said, looking at me worriedly. “Son, I’m not sure that it is, or she might have had good reason. I don’t know that I trust these men—”

I’d heard enough.

I was sure it was the same woman.

It all made so much sense now.

What she’d been hiding. Why she was really so afraid. Why she knew exactly how to touch us… please us… manipulate us. Lies. So many lies she’d woven, and we’d fallen for every one. I’d had my suspicions but pushed them away, instead of listening to my gut. I’d wanted to believe in her.

And she’d made William so damn happy.

I should have never let her sink her claws into him. I should have questioned her more that first day, should have trusted my instincts. I should have pushed her last night when she hadn’t wanted to talk about Lord Carmichael. Ha! No wonder.

I wasn’t going to make that mistake again. She was going to answer every last one of my questions.

“Careful, Clive!” The Sheriff had followed me out of the jail. “Don’t do anything you’ll regret.”

I barked a laugh. It was a little too late for that. I’d let the little liar marry us without even properly questioning her.

Fury wrapped around me as I thundered out of town, galloping back to the ranch. This time, Sassy was going to tell me the truth.

William

* * *

I was on my horse when I saw Clive galloping down the road to the ranch, and worry rose up inside me. He wouldn’t be rushing back like that unless something was wrong.

“I’ve got to go back to the house,” I shouted to Jed, who’d been helping me repair the fence. “I’ll be back.”

Jed sent me a wave before going back to the fence, but I was already running for Blaze. Swinging myself into the saddle, I gave him a kick, and we leapt into action. Angling myself across the field, I let Blaze run flat out, giving him his head as he raced toward the house.

Clive’s Thunder was bigger and slower, and the road wasn’t as straight a shot as my path through the fields, so I managed to beat him by just a hair. Blaze danced in place, all worked up and happy after his little run.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, breathless, jumping from Blaze’s back. Clive’s face was a thundercloud.

“She’s a liar.”

He spat the words, and it took me a moment to understand what he was saying, what he could mean.

“Hey!” I caught his arm when he made to move past me, spinning him back around. “Sassy? Our Sassy?”

Clive snorted. His dark eyes were burning with anger. Whatever he’d learned in town, he’d built up a full head of steam on his way back, and I wasn’t going to let him approach Sassy when he was like this. She hadn’t any experience dealing with an angry Clive, but I had plenty.

“She’s not ours.” He tried to shrug me off, but I held on tight and used his movement to push him back, setting myself protectively between him and the house.

“The hell, she isn’t. What the hell happened in town?”

“There are men looking for her, but not for the reason she said,” Clive said flatly. The lack of emotion in his voice wasn’t good, not at all. It meant he barely had control of his temper and was right on the verge of erupting. “Get out of my way, William, I have some questions for our wife.” He sneered at me on the final word.

Hell.

I stood my ground, clenching my fists. Even if Sassy had lied to us, even if not a word out of her mouth was true, that didn’t mean she deserved Clive at his worst. Besides, we’d seen the kind of woman she was. Caring. Sensual. Eager for affection. Eager to bestow affection.

“You’re not going in there ‘til you tell me what’s going on.”