Bad Boy Brody(74)

“I love you so much, Morgan. So much.” My mother ran her hands down my head, smoothing my hair and pulling me close to press a kiss to my forehead. “You’re such a good hider. I know you can hide for days if you needed to, right? You can hide so good that it would take me days to find you.”

I nodded. She knew I was good at that. I’d just go with the horses. Shoal would take care of me. She always did.

“Okay, Morgan. I need you to hide like that.”

The man was kicking at the door.

I began to shake, my hands trembling. I didn’t want to go.

“Go, honey. Go.” She stood and went to the door.

I didn’t dare move.

I feared a piece of straw would crinkle under my foot, and they would know I was there. They would know I knew their plan.

Peter sent the monster.

My legs were shaking. My arms were trembling.

And Matthew—he plotted to take my home from me, my home. It had always been mine. I might not use it as often as a normal person would, but it was mine.

I heard the thundering of hooves in the distance. The herd was stampeding. Shiloh would be with them. I looked out the barn window, but I couldn’t see them. I could only hear them.

“Damn horses,” Peter cursed. “They were a plague back then and still are. They’ll get shoved off the land.”

“Where will they go?”

“Do you really care?”

“Where they go, she goes.”

“They’ll probably be shot if people are smart.” Peter laughed crudely to himself. “The national park isn’t too far for them to travel. Maybe they’ll go there. The rangers can deal with the herd.”

Tears welled in my eyes and lingered on my eyelashes. They pooled there, growing larger.

“I care about Morgan. I don’t want you here when I handle all of this and she finds out.”

Peter grunted, cursing again. “You’re wasting your time on the girl. She’s as much a mustang as those four-legged fucks out there. Let go of your idea of this cozy family. It’ll never happen.”

I waited to hear Matthew’s response, but it didn’t come.

They left after that.

I heard them walking around the land, taking their specs, whatever that meant. When they came into the barn, I moved to the apartment above.

As they were leaving the property two hours later, I went to stand in the driveway. If either of them turned, they would see me, but they just climbed back into their car and drove away. I just watched their taillights fade into the distance.

Run and hide.

That was what Peter expected me to do.

“Hide, Morgan. Hide.” I heard my mother’s whisper.

I lifted my chin in defiance. Not this time, Mom.





Morgan



I was on Matthew’s new computer when Finn and Abby returned. They came in, talking like normal. It was an hour before they noticed the light was on in Matthew’s office.

“Holy shit!”

Abby screamed.

“What?” Finn came running.

But Abby was frozen in the doorway, just staring at me.

“What?” Finn asked again, sounding cross as he stopped behind her.

Both gaped at me, blinking like shocked owls.

“Wha—” Finn raked a hand through his hair, coming inside. “Morgan?”

I smiled at them over the computer screen. “What? How do you guys think I got my college degree?” I snorted. “You didn’t think I actually went to the college, did you?”

“You—I—” Abby closed her mouth and sank into one of the chairs across from me. “I forgot.”

“Me too.” Then Finn narrowed his eyes. “What are you doing?”

“Sending people emails and printing out the contract Matthew had me sign before.” I pushed print and waited till the document was done. I pushed it across the desk toward Finn. “According to a conversation I overheard between Matthew and your father, they tried to trick me. Matthew said there was something wrong with the original paperwork and he was going to try to get me to sign something again.” I leaned back in my chair. “They want to sell my lands.”

“What?” Abby jerked forward.

Finn cursed under his breath. He reached for the contract and began reading it. Once he was done, he handed it to his sister. “There’s nothing in there about you giving anyone power to sell the lands. There’s only one clause that states the movie has to be filmed on the property, but that’s it.”

I nodded. “I know. I didn’t read what I signed, and I think he snuck in an extra piece of paper, knowing I didn’t know.”

“There was no piece of paper.”

Matthew was standing in the doorway. His torn eyes held mine before he pinched at his forehead as if combatting a headache. “You weren’t supposed to hear us. You weren’t supposed to hear any of that.”

Abby jerked out of her chair.

Finn did, too, his hands in the air. “You should leave, brother.”

I didn’t think that was a good idea. Matthew had answers. I wanted them, and for once, I wasn’t leaving until I got them. He owed me that much.

Matthew only gave Finn a scornful look, his lips pressing together a moment before he straightened from the doorframe. He had his suit jacket thrown over one shoulder, but as he moved, he pulled it forward and folded it over one of his arms. “You’re all right. I should leave, but you don’t know the truth. Any of it.”