Mastered by Malone (Haven, Texas 6)

“Jaret, did you just call to tell me that I shouldn’t be answering the phone? Or did you actually want something?” She was damn sick of Malone men telling her what she could and couldn’t do.

There was a beat of silence. And she could practically feel the surprise coming through the phone. No one was really used to her biting back. She just wanted to do what she had to in order to fit in. Do what she had to in order for them not to kick her out.

But she was growing tired of doing what everyone else wanted of her.

“You’re gonna get in trouble with Alec.”

“He’d have to be talking to me for me to get in trouble with him.”

“Don’t gotta talk to you to spank you. You know that’s what he does, right? Spanks women. I’m thinkin’ of takin’ it up. Maybe if I’d spanked Gloria, she wouldn’t have cheated on me.”

Oh, hell. Gloria cheated on him? No wonder he sounded so awful.

“Is Alec there?” Jaret asked her.

“No, he went out about two hours ago. Did you try his cell?”

“Shit. He doesn’t usually go to the club this early. I was hoping to catch him. Can’t get hold of him there unless I go through Saxon. Fuck. Darlin’, do me a favor and call one of those useless, bonehead brothers of mine. Get one of them to come to Freestown and pick me up, ’cept don’t call West. He won’t come. And don’t bother with Tanner or Butch, they’re pissed at me. Just call one of the others, okay?”

“Jaret, what happened?”

“Fucking Ron Bergman happened, that’s what. Now I gotta get out of here before someone finds out what I did.”

“What you did? Jesus, Jaret, what’s going on?”

“May be in a spot of trouble. I’m usin’ the phone at the 7-Eleven. Mine’s busted. Jus’ get Maddox or Raid, will ya?”

“I can’t. They’ve all gone out.” And she didn’t have anyone’s phone number. “West is here—”

“Not West. That fucker won’t come. Shit. Goddamn, imma end up in jail. I hate jail. Nobody gots a sense of humor there. Come visit me, will ya, darlin’?”

Panic swirled in her gut. What had he done? “Stop being an idiot. I’ll try to reach one of them. Where’s the 7-Eleven?”

“It’s the one two streets over from the main road. They’ll know the one I’m talking about.”

“Okay, just stay there, all right?”

“Okeydokey.”

She hung up. Alec was out. He’d told her to call West on the short-wave radio if she needed something. Right. She walked into the kitchen where the short-wave radio was kept and picked it up.

“Yeah?” West’s voice crackled through.

“Um, I just got a call from Jaret. He needs a lift back from Freestown.”

“Tell him to call a taxi.”

“Well, I think—”

“He dying?” West asked abruptly.

“No, I don’t bel—”

“Then I don’t care.”

She knew it had been pointless to try. West never left the ranch. She guessed she could try the bunkhouse on the chance someone was home.

She walked into the mudroom and grabbed a flashlight then turned off the security system before making her way out to the bunkhouse.