Cowboy Casanova (Rough Riders #12)(175)

folded his arms across his chest. “Ben’s never been one to talk about the women in

his life. He’s always says that a gentleman never kisses and tells, which never rang

true for me, because all guys brag on the chicks they’re banging. Then I couldn’t

remember the last time I saw Ben out at the bar or heard about him on a date with a

woman. I thought it was weird he drove to his buddy’s bar in Gillette. That made me

wonder if Ben was gay and hidin’ it.


“That also made me wonder if the bar in Gillette was a gay hangout, especially since

not one person in our family has ever been there. After the bullshit with us not

getting the Wetzler place, and the rumors I’d heard from Jenny that Ben was involved

with the president of the new bank, well, I suspected if he was gay he’d slept with

her just to get a loan.”


Dalton had a high opinion of him.


“I call bullshit on that, Dalton,” Chase snapped. “Ben ain’t the type of guy to use

women and discard them.”


“That just shows how much you don’t know about him. See, I went to the Rawhide Bar

Friday night. Dropped Ben’s name and I was escorted to a different door. A private

club. A sex club. But the thing I saw that knocked me to my knees? My cousin using a

whip on not one, but two different women. Women who were tied up so they couldn’t get

away. These woman begged him to stop and he didn’t. He just kept hurting them.”


Ben studied his hands in the silence.


“That’s why I called you guys. Ben’s out of control. He’s got a problem with

violence against women. I know a violent streak runs in the McKay family. Brandt

struggles with it. Kane and Colt deal with it by beatin’ the shit out of each other. I

figured Quinn had it in your family. Makes me sick to think Ben’s had it all this time

and we didn’t notice. Add in the kinky sex stuff I saw? And it’s all kinds of wrong.

We need to intervene and get him away from that kinda behavior. We need to help him.”

Dalton finally looked at Ben pleadingly. “If my dad, who’s been a binge drinker his

whole life, can admit at his age that he’s got a problem, I know we can find a way to

help you.”


He’d be touched by Dalton’s concern if he wasn’t so f*cking mad. If he wasn’t so

f*cking mortified he’d have to look his brothers in the eye and admit, yes, part of

what Dalton said was true.


Ben expected silence as his brothers tried to process Dalton’ accusations.



But Quinn started to laugh. His older brother, who defined restrained, laughed so

hysterically tears rolled down his face. He laughed so hard he doubled over on the

couch. He’d look up at Dalton, then at Ben, and cackle, giggle and wheeze with

laughter.


Not the reaction Ben had predicted.


Finally, Quinn calmed down. He wiped his eyes. He addressed Dalton, who’d taken a seat

during Quinn’s laughing fit. “I understand your concern, okay? I don’t know how I

would’ve reacted seein’ Ben in that situation. But you’ve taken it totally out of

context.”


“Bullshit.”


“So you ever been to a bar or a club in a big city like what you seen in Gillette?”