Ross made a dramatic raise of one soft, uncalloused hand to his chest. “Oh, Sierra. You wound me with your words.”
“I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, Ross. This land belonged to my grandpa and his dad and his daddy’s dad before that. And it’ll belong to my family long after me too. I’ve no intention of selling it.” She used her firmest tone, standing proud even though she would never have the kind of money or power that he did.
“I can tell you’re set on this, Sierra. But if you’d just take another look, I’m sure you’ll see I’m offering much more than this dump is worth.” His snide glance around her homestead made her wish she could punch him.
Even if she did, she’d probably get sued for everything she was worth. Which wasn’t very much at the moment.
“I don’t want to give up any part of the wild frontier. This place is special, and I won’t see it turned into whatever you and your family have planned for it just because you’re looking to make a buck.”
If the rumors were true, the Clarksons had been buying up parcels for cheap all around them for years, paying pennies on the dollar as they filched land from honest, struggling ranchers. Then the plan was to sell it all to some big developer who planned on turning this fertile earth into heck knew what.
Ross’s expression went dark, and his pale-green eyes were snakelike as he watched her. He shoved his hands in his pockets as he took an ominous step toward her.
“You know how it works out here, Sierra. It’s the Wild West out in these parts. We claim what we want. And what Ross Clarkson wants, he gets.”
“You can’t make me marry you. This is the twenty-first century.” She stood her ground, but Ross’s kind veneer was quickly falling to expose the mean, entitled brat she’d known he was from the first time they’d met in town.
“Maybe. But I could always get a marriage license and make you sign it, if I had the right leverage.” His boots made the pebbly earth crackle beneath his feet.
“What?” The lump in her throat was getting bigger, the dry Texas wind filling her nostrils as it mixed with the overpowering smell of his cologne. “How?”
He grinned at her, showing no teeth even as his eyes were eerily calm. “Don’t make me show you.”
She pointed off in the direction he’d come. “Get out of here. You have no right to be on my property.”
“Or what?”
“I’ll call the police.”
He chuckled a bit, looking to the side before his eyes zeroed in on her again, and he cocked his head. “You and I both know they’re in my daddy’s pocket. They won’t come for you.” He tsked, then shook his head. “Speaking of which, that’s why you should have a man out here to protect you, Sierra. Never know what sort of trouble might come for you in these parts.”
“Is that a threat?” She felt goose bumps on her arms.
“A threat? Maybe.” His expression went colder than ever. “I’m just saying if there’s no other man here, then that man’s gonna be me, Sierra. I take what I want.”
She opened her mouth, though to what end, she wasn’t sure. Scream for help? Yell at him to leave? Either way, Ross backed up and whistled to himself, making for his car as he waved over his shoulder at her nonchalantly.
“Think about my offer. It might be your last if you don’t do the smart thing.” Before she could respond, Ross slumped himself back into the back seat, making the car creak as his weight shifted it. Then he waved at his driver to go.
The fancy car drove away as decisively as it had arrived, and Sierra hoped it got rock chips or, heaven willing, a flat tire on its way back out.
Back at the house, Lasso was still barking up a storm, a much better judge of character just by scent than most people were. Her nerves were still all tensed up like a rope in tangles, and as she opened the door, she knelt down to give Lasso some rubs on his face to hopefully calm them both down a bit.
Her heart was racing. Ross had made it clear what his intentions were. And whatever time she thought she still had to avoid the bank foreclosing on this property had all gone up in smoke when he’d threatened her.
“What’re we gonna do, boy?” she asked Lasso, who looked up at her eagerly as she scratched behind his ears. “Where do you just find a man?” Especially one she could trust. Someone that wasn’t just another Ross in waiting.
She paced in a small circle, her preferred method of worrying when there was a problem she was trying to wrap her head around.
Lasso, who’d been sitting back on his haunches while she paced, got up and went over to the chair on the porch, sniffing around a bit before pointing his nose at something. Curious, she went up and saw he was staring at the silver coin, which she’d tossed on the chair on her way in.
She let out a sigh. If only things worked out that way.
As things were, Beck had made it clear he wanted nothing to do with her. And Sierra was fine with that, mostly. Like she’d ever ask for a favor from someone who’d been so surly even after having been saved.
But still, she felt an invisible pull toward the coin, and she picked it up into her hand, studying it again for the tenth time since leaving Dragonclaw. She couldn’t even make out the year on the back, and the huge gash across the front only left her with more questions than answers.
She was plumb out of ideas right now.
The sound of crunching gravel made all her senses stand at attention, and she whirled around to look down the drive, wondering if Ross was already back to make good on whatever it was he was threatening to do.
Maybe she should run inside and get the shotgun…
But instead, she saw a huge white truck plowing easily over the uneven road. A truck she thought she’d seen back at Dragonclaw, if she wasn’t mistaken.
And as the truck came closer, a familiar face at the steering wheel caused an altogether different mix of emotions to flood into her as it loomed closer.
Beck.
He was coming to visit, though for what reason, she had no clue.
The huge, raised vehicle stopped, and Beck stepped easily out of it, even larger than she remembered.
He was utterly devastating in a white shirt under a flannel with the sleeves rolled up to expose powerful, tatted forearms. Without the blood all over him, he was even taller than she thought, muscles rippling as he took several steps toward her.
He was the sexiest, most terrifying man she’d ever met in her entire life. And Sierra didn’t know how there could ever be a man that made her this speechless again.
But even as he approached, grey eyes sparkling in the afternoon sun like they had flecks of crystal in them, Sierra felt a long sigh of relief leave her chest. She hadn’t known she’d been so tense before now. Beck’s presence seemed to have relaxed things a bit.
Even Lasso, who was her closest companion, seemed unbothered by the approach of the burly, sexy hulk of a cowboy.
There was just… something about him. And before she could cut the thought off, the idea of asking Beck for help occurred to her with all the speed of lightning striking a tree in a thunderstorm.
After all, Harrison had said the dragon’s talon meant that Beck owed her. And she badly needed a favor right now.
Maybe fate had brought them together.