Read Online A Wild Ride (Thompson & Sons Book 4) by Vivian Arend - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Vivian Arend
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trouble.
A group of a half-dozen youth with their jeans muddy to the knees stood sheepishly to one side as he drove up. Four trucks were buried past their hubcaps in stinking, sticky sludge.
Troy was covered with mud by the time he’d gotten the last one out, and was in no mood to answer yet another call from the shop.
“What?” he growled into the radio.
His oldest brother laughed. “I take it you’ve enjoyed your day?”
“Goddamn princesses were barely old enough to see over the fucking steering wheels. I had to wade into a fucking slough to hook up because the brainiacs forgot to leave one truck free to haul the others out. I need a damn shower.”
“Been there, done that. Sucks. I’m sorry, but you’re in the neighbourhood to take care of this call, and you might be able to fix it on the spot. Car stalled by Logan’s corner. Guy knows nothing about vehicles, so he could be out of gas for all I know.”
“Jeez, what the hell is he doing this direction?” There was nothing out here except idiots with oversized trucks looking to tear up government land, or planning to camp for free tucked back into the heavily wooded area a few kilometres to the west.
“Touring the countryside?” The radio buzzed with static for a moment. “Mitch’s shouting at me. You got it?”
“Yeah, I can be there in about five minutes.”
He was grumpy in the first place, he’d admit that. But when not two minutes later he spotted someone walking on the road toward town, and recognized Nicole, he wasn’t as polite as he could have been.
He stopped in the middle of the road and rolled down his window. “What the hell are you doing?”
The frown on her face deepened. “None of your business.”
No. Fucking. Way.
Troy was out of the truck and in front of her, blocking her path in under five seconds. “Just out for a stroll, were you, sweetheart?”
Nicole glared at him before letting out a heavy sigh. “Don’t get pissy with me. I’m not in the mood for it.”
It took all his concentration to keep control of his anger. “Answer me. Where’s your car? How did you get way the hell out here?”
She folded her arms over her chest. “I was on a date, okay?”
“You seem to have lost him,” Troy pointed out, sarcasm dripping from every word. “I take it his car broke down?”
A quick nod, but she wouldn’t meet his eyes, and now he wasn’t pissed, he was borderline furious.
He carefully caught hold of her upper arm, twisting her toward him so he could lift her chin until she had to look him in the eyes. “If you don’t tell me why you’re out here, I’m going to assume the worst, which means I’m going to kill someone.”
“He didn’t do anything,” Nicole insisted, only her nose wrinkled a moment later as a low admission escaped her. “Well, not
much
.”
The fucker was a dead man walking.
“Get in the truck.” Troy spoke quietly, pushing her toward the door.
This time Nicole caught hold of him, fingers digging into his biceps. “I mean it. He’s a jackass, but that’s it. You’re
not
allowed to go and rip off his arms.”
“He was enough of a jackass to make you willing to walk an hour and a half back to town,” Troy snarled.
“I didn’t want to wait with him, okay?” She shook his arms, which had about as much effect as if she’d hit him with a bag of feathers. He waited, unmoving, for her to continue. “He was pretty…” her cheeks flashed red “…handsy, that’s all.”
Troy rolled on past furious to white-hot anger.
“Get in the truck,” he said softly.
It must have finally registered how near the edge he’d been pushed. She moved like lightning, settling in the passenger seat and doing up her seatbelt without a word.
They sat in silence until he spotted a car ahead of them. It was tucked off the road in amongst some trees. A nice private spot to park and fool around, which was fine as long as everyone had the same agenda.
Ice flowed through Troy’s veins.
A group of a half-dozen youth with their jeans muddy to the knees stood sheepishly to one side as he drove up. Four trucks were buried past their hubcaps in stinking, sticky sludge.
Troy was covered with mud by the time he’d gotten the last one out, and was in no mood to answer yet another call from the shop.
“What?” he growled into the radio.
His oldest brother laughed. “I take it you’ve enjoyed your day?”
“Goddamn princesses were barely old enough to see over the fucking steering wheels. I had to wade into a fucking slough to hook up because the brainiacs forgot to leave one truck free to haul the others out. I need a damn shower.”
“Been there, done that. Sucks. I’m sorry, but you’re in the neighbourhood to take care of this call, and you might be able to fix it on the spot. Car stalled by Logan’s corner. Guy knows nothing about vehicles, so he could be out of gas for all I know.”
“Jeez, what the hell is he doing this direction?” There was nothing out here except idiots with oversized trucks looking to tear up government land, or planning to camp for free tucked back into the heavily wooded area a few kilometres to the west.
“Touring the countryside?” The radio buzzed with static for a moment. “Mitch’s shouting at me. You got it?”
“Yeah, I can be there in about five minutes.”
He was grumpy in the first place, he’d admit that. But when not two minutes later he spotted someone walking on the road toward town, and recognized Nicole, he wasn’t as polite as he could have been.
He stopped in the middle of the road and rolled down his window. “What the hell are you doing?”
The frown on her face deepened. “None of your business.”
No. Fucking. Way.
Troy was out of the truck and in front of her, blocking her path in under five seconds. “Just out for a stroll, were you, sweetheart?”
Nicole glared at him before letting out a heavy sigh. “Don’t get pissy with me. I’m not in the mood for it.”
It took all his concentration to keep control of his anger. “Answer me. Where’s your car? How did you get way the hell out here?”
She folded her arms over her chest. “I was on a date, okay?”
“You seem to have lost him,” Troy pointed out, sarcasm dripping from every word. “I take it his car broke down?”
A quick nod, but she wouldn’t meet his eyes, and now he wasn’t pissed, he was borderline furious.
He carefully caught hold of her upper arm, twisting her toward him so he could lift her chin until she had to look him in the eyes. “If you don’t tell me why you’re out here, I’m going to assume the worst, which means I’m going to kill someone.”
“He didn’t do anything,” Nicole insisted, only her nose wrinkled a moment later as a low admission escaped her. “Well, not
much
.”
The fucker was a dead man walking.
“Get in the truck.” Troy spoke quietly, pushing her toward the door.
This time Nicole caught hold of him, fingers digging into his biceps. “I mean it. He’s a jackass, but that’s it. You’re
not
allowed to go and rip off his arms.”
“He was enough of a jackass to make you willing to walk an hour and a half back to town,” Troy snarled.
“I didn’t want to wait with him, okay?” She shook his arms, which had about as much effect as if she’d hit him with a bag of feathers. He waited, unmoving, for her to continue. “He was pretty…” her cheeks flashed red “…handsy, that’s all.”
Troy rolled on past furious to white-hot anger.
“Get in the truck,” he said softly.
It must have finally registered how near the edge he’d been pushed. She moved like lightning, settling in the passenger seat and doing up her seatbelt without a word.
They sat in silence until he spotted a car ahead of them. It was tucked off the road in amongst some trees. A nice private spot to park and fool around, which was fine as long as everyone had the same agenda.
Ice flowed through Troy’s veins.
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