Wow.
Then they came over a rise—and Vic’s jaw dropped.
The house wasn’t beautiful. It was magnificent.
Made of stones and logs like Austin and Lexi’s house, it was probably ten times as large, with a half-dozen chimneys and a roof made of multiple steep gables. A dozen floor-to-ceiling windows reflected the mountains that surrounded them. Off to the west stood several corrals and large outbuildings, including what had to be a riding hall.
Vic stared. “It’s amazing.”
Britta laughed. “Told you so.”
“I think Nate is taking us out today.” Lexi drove around to the back of the house and parked in a wide driveway next to what looked like a five-car garage. “He went to high school in Scarlet a couple of years ahead of us then served in a Marine Special Operations unit in Afghanistan. He was burned in an IED explosion, and we all thought he was going to die. But he’s happily married now. He and his wife Megan have a school-aged daughter and a baby boy.”
Vic was glad to hear that. She liked happy endings.
They had just climbed out of the car when a tall man in a cowboy hat walked out of the garage. Half of his face was scarred from burns, while the other half was untouched and strikingly handsome. He gave them a warm smile. “Hey, Lexi. How’s the bride? Hey, Britta.”
“I’m doing great. Thanks. How about you?”
“Can’t complain.” He held a scarred hand out to Vic. “I’m Nate West. Welcome to the Cimarron.”
Lexi glanced down the dirt road that served as a driveway. “What happened to the guys? They were right behind us.”
* * *
Eric gotsick of the angry silence and pulled over, idling on the shoulder of the highway. They would end this here and now. “What pisses me off is that you don’t trust me. I told you I haven’t slept with her, and that ought to be good enough for you.”
Taylor’s jaw hardened. “Rose saw your truck parked there the past two nights. Are you telling me she’s lying?”
The next time Eric saw Rose, he was going to give her a piece of his mind.
“Rose didn’t see what she thinks she saw.”Ah, hell.“You want the whole story? The first night I was there, we did nothing but talk. I was toned out about ten minutes after we got there, but I guess Rose didn’t see me drive away. If Victoria looked like she’d been crying, it had nothing to do with me.”
Okay, that wasn’t exactly true. She’d said the video footage had made her cry, and he’d filmed it. But he couldn’t tell Austin about that.
“What about last night?”
“I stayed for a couple of hours. We talked. Victoriaaskedme to kiss her, and I did. We made out a little, but my dick stayed in my pants. She’s an adult. Who are you—her daddy?”
Taylor took this in, the anger fading from his face. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”
The moment the apology left Taylor’s mouth, guilt twisted in Eric’s gut, the image of Victoria’s pale and terrified face stuck in his mind. No, he hadn’t fucked her, but it had been near enough. Something he’d done had triggered her.
“Are we good, man?”
Taylor nodded.
Eric threw his truck into gear. “Any chance you want to tell me why you’re going all big brother on Victoria’s behalf? What happened to her?”
“You want the truth?”
Eric nodded, waiting for a semi to pass, and then merging onto the highway.
“The truth is, I don’t know. Victoria made Lexi promise not to tell anyone, and you know Lexi. Once she makes a promise … But she did tell me that some man had hurt Vic and that what he’d done was terrible. Lexi wants to kill the bastard.”
Well, shit.
Eric had figured that much out for himself. “She’s not the only one.”