Cowboy (Steele Riders MC)

“Because you have everything and I had a chance to have it all.” He’s got a glint in his eye that I never noticed before. How had I missed the venom behind his words all this time?

“Greed. You were paid more than most men in your position,” Boomer snaps.

We can’t say all men because my ranch isn’t as large as some, so there’s no need to pay the man more, but he makes over a hundred grand a year. He gives all his money to that spoiled ass daughter of his who I had to throw off my ranch.

“You would kill my family to make money.” It’s then that I see it. I hadn’t noticed it before, but now that he’s just in an undershirt and boxers, I can see that the bastard has track marks. He’s using too. Fuck, drug addicts will kill their own families for their next hit. Then I remember his injury last year and the change. I let it go because I’d found Angel and was too damn focused on securing my future. I let the little things go, but now I understand that those moments of irritation in him were so much more than a random mood swing.

“I’d kill you for nothing. People like you make me sick,” he spits out as though I’m trash.

“People like me?” I question.

“Yes, those who have everything.” He attempts to fling himself at me and I see how weak he’s gotten. I almost feel bad for the man he’s become. If he hadn’t tried to kill the love of my life and my baby, I’d have sympathy, but I just can’t. My world almost came to an end and I’d been willing to toss it all away because I lost my sole bit of pure love in my life.

“I’m sorry you feel that way about me.”

The men take him out of my sight and get rid of him with his own supply.

Chapter Seventeen

Phoenix

“Baaa.” I turn around and see the most adorable little black and gray goat staring up at me from a large pen.

“Oh my goodness,” I squeal. “A baby goat?”

“A fainting goat to be exact.” Raymond looks down at the guy and says, “Momma’s finally home, Junior.”

“Oh, Raymond. I’m so sorry that I left.” He pulls me into his arms and holds me tight.

“I love you so much, Phoenix. I’m never letting you go again.” We share a brief kiss before our little goat shares his enthusiasm for my arrival with more “Baaas.”

“Come to momma, Junior? You named the goat after you?”

“Yeah, well I figured if we had any kids, I wasn’t going to give them my name. And he’s a kid after all.” He winks at his goat pun and I can already feel the dad jokes coming when our babies grow up.

I pet the little guy for a bit and then feed him a little hay. “You’ve been in the sun too long, sweetheart.”

“I’m fine, Cowboy.”

“I think you need to lay down.”

“Oh yeah? And do you plan to lay down with me?”

“Damn right I do.” He’s got a shadow on his face that makes me wonder what happened. We haven’t spoken about his business while he was gone. All I know is that the threat has been eliminated.

A man comes running up to us and I recognize him, but I don’t remember his name. “Boss, it’s Jose.”

“What is it?”

“He’s dead.”

“What? No,” Cowboy cries out. “What the fuck do you mean he’s dead?”

“They found him in his home when he didn’t show up to work this morning.”

“I’m sorry, boss. It’s worse.”

“What happened?”

“He’d been shooting up. I know we should have mentioned it before, but we didn’t know how bad it was and well you weren’t in the right place.” I look at Cowboy and realize they’re talking about the fact that Raymond’s heart was broken because of me.

“Shit. I haven’t been paying attention to what’s been going on lately.” Raymond runs his hand over his face. His eyes are full of unshed tears.

“It’s not your fault. I should have noticed that my longtime friend had a problem before it got to this.”

“Have you called the police or the medics?” Cowboy asks.

“Yes, they’re at his home. They will be here after they deal with the body.”

“Thank you, Hank.” I’m glad he said his name because I had no idea what it could be.

“You’re welcome. I’m sorry about him.”

“I need to get Phoenix inside, but I’ll meet with the authorities soon.”

“Yes, boss.” He tips his hat to me and then walks away toward his vehicle.

Once we’re in the house, I wrap my arms around Raymond. “Hank and several of the other guys had a rough relationship with Jose and I should have noticed that it wasn’t because they were young and Jose was making them work hard.”

“Some people hide it well. I worked with a man that was insane and I had no idea.”