was near enough to hear.
Just agree to whatever they want , she thought. I can call the cops after I get back to town.
“I understand. What is it you want me to do?”
Seth smiled, but no warmth reached his eyes. “It’s real simple. I want you to leave town.” He spread his hands, showing his open palms. “That’s all. Not too much to ask, is it?”
“Leave town? But... why?”
“Fucking Ramirez,” muttered Ezra, behind her.
Carla twisted until she could see Ezra’s face. “Diego? What does he have to do with this?”
Caleb scowled. “None of your business!” Carla couldn’t imagine how she’d ever thought Caleb was a nice guy, even if she had been drunk. At least she seemed to be sobering quickly, with adrenaline chasing the alcohol from her blood. Now Caleb just looked nasty, with the dangerous, vicious expression of a feral dog.
Seth made a placating gesture, waving Caleb back away from her. “Me and my brothers, we’ve got what you might call a feud with Mr. Ramirez. You don’t need to worry yourself none about it. We don’t want to hurt him either. We just want him to leave – and give us back our land. If you stick around, you’ll encourage him to stay. But if you leave, I predict Mr. Ramirez’ll follow not long behind you.”
“Diego and I – we’re not – ” Carla wasn’t sure how much they knew. She and Diego had gone on several dates since she had moved to Pioche, and maybe the Sullivans had spied on them. But how could they think that she was so important her presence would be the thing to determine whether Diego stayed or went? She’d only known him for a few days, after all. She couldn’t make him change his mind about where to live.
“We don’t have that sort of relationship,” she finally finished, though that explanation seemed woefully inadequate to describe all the complicated emotions between her and Diego.
“Of course you don’t,” Seth said condescendingly. Carla wished someone would punch him in his smug face. “Since you don’t love him, then you won’t have any problem going back East, right? This news just means that our deal will be even easier on you than I originally thought.”
“No!” As soon as she’d said it, Carla knew she shouldn’t have. But Seth and his brothers were just the sort of petty bullies that she’d always hated, and she refused to give in to them, even if it was the safe thing to do.
Seth shook his head and leaned into her personal space. “Are you going to make me do something that I don’t want to do?” Over his shoulder, Carla saw Jamie, the smallest brother, turn pale and close his eyes.
She swallowed past a lump of fear in her throat. “You can’t make me do anything. You’re a bunch of cowards, threatening me like this. What sort of odds are four to one, anyway? Were you afraid one bully wouldn’t be enough?”
“You’ll change your mind.” Seth showed his teeth, but it was more of a snarl than a smile. Carla took a shaky breath and tried to straighten her shoulders, determined to show no fear.
She sent up a prayer that someone would help her, but it wasn’t her dad or an anonymous policeman that she pictured; it was Diego. Even though they’d had a fight, it was him that she wanted to be here, by her side. She knew that he would never let anyone hurt her.
8. Diego
Diego had been thinking about Carla all day. That wasn’t unusual, but today it was particularly bad. He’d dropped his tools so many times Andy had finally taken them away from him, cracking a joke that Diego was behaving like a teenage boy with a crush.
This feeling was nothing like having a crush. To have a mate meant that you could feel them all the time, know where they were, and sometimes even sense their emotions. Even if Carla technically wasn’t his mate yet, she had the potential to be, and Diego’s bear wasn’t going to let him forget it.
Finally he surrendered to his animal instincts. Andy had shaken his head as Diego
Just agree to whatever they want , she thought. I can call the cops after I get back to town.
“I understand. What is it you want me to do?”
Seth smiled, but no warmth reached his eyes. “It’s real simple. I want you to leave town.” He spread his hands, showing his open palms. “That’s all. Not too much to ask, is it?”
“Leave town? But... why?”
“Fucking Ramirez,” muttered Ezra, behind her.
Carla twisted until she could see Ezra’s face. “Diego? What does he have to do with this?”
Caleb scowled. “None of your business!” Carla couldn’t imagine how she’d ever thought Caleb was a nice guy, even if she had been drunk. At least she seemed to be sobering quickly, with adrenaline chasing the alcohol from her blood. Now Caleb just looked nasty, with the dangerous, vicious expression of a feral dog.
Seth made a placating gesture, waving Caleb back away from her. “Me and my brothers, we’ve got what you might call a feud with Mr. Ramirez. You don’t need to worry yourself none about it. We don’t want to hurt him either. We just want him to leave – and give us back our land. If you stick around, you’ll encourage him to stay. But if you leave, I predict Mr. Ramirez’ll follow not long behind you.”
“Diego and I – we’re not – ” Carla wasn’t sure how much they knew. She and Diego had gone on several dates since she had moved to Pioche, and maybe the Sullivans had spied on them. But how could they think that she was so important her presence would be the thing to determine whether Diego stayed or went? She’d only known him for a few days, after all. She couldn’t make him change his mind about where to live.
“We don’t have that sort of relationship,” she finally finished, though that explanation seemed woefully inadequate to describe all the complicated emotions between her and Diego.
“Of course you don’t,” Seth said condescendingly. Carla wished someone would punch him in his smug face. “Since you don’t love him, then you won’t have any problem going back East, right? This news just means that our deal will be even easier on you than I originally thought.”
“No!” As soon as she’d said it, Carla knew she shouldn’t have. But Seth and his brothers were just the sort of petty bullies that she’d always hated, and she refused to give in to them, even if it was the safe thing to do.
Seth shook his head and leaned into her personal space. “Are you going to make me do something that I don’t want to do?” Over his shoulder, Carla saw Jamie, the smallest brother, turn pale and close his eyes.
She swallowed past a lump of fear in her throat. “You can’t make me do anything. You’re a bunch of cowards, threatening me like this. What sort of odds are four to one, anyway? Were you afraid one bully wouldn’t be enough?”
“You’ll change your mind.” Seth showed his teeth, but it was more of a snarl than a smile. Carla took a shaky breath and tried to straighten her shoulders, determined to show no fear.
She sent up a prayer that someone would help her, but it wasn’t her dad or an anonymous policeman that she pictured; it was Diego. Even though they’d had a fight, it was him that she wanted to be here, by her side. She knew that he would never let anyone hurt her.
8. Diego
Diego had been thinking about Carla all day. That wasn’t unusual, but today it was particularly bad. He’d dropped his tools so many times Andy had finally taken them away from him, cracking a joke that Diego was behaving like a teenage boy with a crush.
This feeling was nothing like having a crush. To have a mate meant that you could feel them all the time, know where they were, and sometimes even sense their emotions. Even if Carla technically wasn’t his mate yet, she had the potential to be, and Diego’s bear wasn’t going to let him forget it.
Finally he surrendered to his animal instincts. Andy had shaken his head as Diego
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