Bad Boy Brody(56)

She was beautiful.

She was wild.

She was the untamed one.

Unbroke. I didn’t realize how perfectly the movie’s title fit until that moment.

An emotion shifted deep in me, deeper than I’d ever felt. It was something I’d only felt toward family before.

I shoved it aside. This wasn’t the time to proclaim feelings and shit like that.

I said to Shanna, “Is Peter Kellerman being here going to be a problem?”

She hesitated before replying, “For the movie? No. We have contracts in place in case he tries to change anything. For others . . .” Her eyes trailed to Morgan. “Maybe.”

Whether it was at Morgan’s order or Shiloh’s, the mustang turned in a tight circle, walking backward. Her head wouldn’t stop. It was going up and down, and her back hooves started to stomp the ground.

Morgan said to me, “I gotta run her. Too many people around.”

I nodded, but she didn’t wait. She made one soft clicking sound, and Shiloh tore out of there.

No one spoke. We all watched. How could we not?

Shiloh’s mane was flying behind her, making her look like she was soaring. Morgan was bent forward, her head buried in the hair and her arms wrapped around Shiloh’s neck. She rode her with no reins, no saddle or stirrups, nothing to anchor her to the horse except her body and the connection they both shared.

That feeling began to expand inside me again. It had been there, rooted deep, just waiting for the right person. Waiting for Morgan.

The emotion began to fill me.

I still didn’t name it, but I knew I couldn’t stop it either.





Brody



Shanna and Gayle followed me to my cabin.

Abby and Jen went to the main lodge, but Finn came with us too. Once Shanna and Gayle were inside, he stopped me, asking, “You need backup?”

I shook my head before nodding toward the lodge’s patio where Matthew and Peter were sitting. They had a perfect view of my place. “I’m worried about them.”

“Them?” He turned to see. “Oh.” When his attention came back to me, his eyes were troubled, and his own frown gave him away. “My brother was creepy with the videos, but I honestly feel if he has to choose between who to protect—Morgan or our father—he’ll choose Morgan. We’ll all choose Morgan.”

“Why?”

“What?”

“Why choose a stepsister you never see over the man who’s giving you a livelihood?” Peter held the keys to all of their empires. He was powerful.

Finn shrugged. “Our birth mother died after having Abby and me, so when we got Karen, she became our mother. We also got a father during that time. Sure, before then he paid our bills and provided for us, but he wasn’t around until he fell in love with Karen. She anchored him in a way, and we actually had a loving family for four years. Morgan was a part of that. We grieved when Karen died, but it was more than that. We didn’t only lose her and Morgan–—we lost him. He shipped us all off to our private schools, hired nannies, and pretty much moved to New York. Now, the only one who sees him regularly is Matthew, and it’s always in business meetings. I’d love to have a father. I would, but that’ll never happen. We thought for a moment, after Matt brought us the script, maybe we could get him back. He seemed excited about the whole process, but once we got here, yeah.” His voice faded, then a decrepit laugh left him. “You can see how that worked out. There’s no trying to get him back, but Morgan. She’s different.” He turned to look at the mountains behind us. “She stays out there so she doesn’t get hurt anymore. And it’s terrifying her that she can’t pull completely away again.” He studied me a moment. “You love her.”

He named what I was unwilling to.

“Yes. I do.”

He held his hand up. “Then know that I’m always in your corner. I’m proud to have met you.”

I shook his hand, and it felt as if something more were being solidified in that moment. I knew there would be problems moving forward. I felt it first with Matthew, and it had only gotten exponentially stronger with the appearance of Peter Kellerman.

I didn’t know what it would be or how it would come about, but I knew it would affect Morgan, and I wouldn’t allow that.

“Thank you. You too.” I meant those words. I would need his help. The premonition was weighing heavily on me. After a second, I added, “If you hurt Jen, I’ll beat you up.” I smirked. “Again.”

He laughed, releasing my hand. “Same if you hurt my sister.” He clapped me on the arm.

“If I hurt your sister, I’ll let you beat me up.”

“Let?” He began walking back to the main house. “Let, huh?”

“Yes. Let.”

He waved, turning around. “We’ll see, Golden Boy. We’ll see.”

“Golden Boy?” The door had opened behind me. Gayle stood there. “I thought it was Bad Boy Brody this whole time.”

“Nah.” I raked a hand over my face. I was suddenly so tired. My whole body was beginning to ache. “I think the bad boy is gone.” Then I thought of Peter and Matthew Kellerman. “Well, maybe not.”

I followed her inside.

Shanna was making herself a drink in the kitchen.