Page 61 of Seeking Her Studs

Colt’s truck slows to a stop at a stoplight.

“Shit,” he swears under his breath. “Speaking of, we got company at three o’clock.”

I curl myself tighter in the front seat.

“Hey, Blaire Evans!” A male voice shouts from unnervingly close to the car. “Is that you? We just want to talk. Is it true what Mika Lane claims? That you lied to the public just for your own fame? That you’re willing to sell you soul for good box office numbers?”

I grit my teeth. I’m familiar with these tactics. He wants to get a rise out of me.

Colt doesn’t seem to be so familiar, though.

“Why don’t you fuck off and mind your own business?” He shouts out the window before speeding off.

Yep, I love those cowboy instincts usually, but he might as well have just raised a big red flag and shouted, ‘Blaire Evans is right here and I also happen to be fucking her every single day!’.

I can’t blame him. He hasn’t grown up with this the same way that I have.

I hear tires squealing. Yep, we’ve been noticed.

“Fuck,” Colt swears as he hits the steering wheel with both hands. “I fucked up. They’re following us. I’m sorry. It just makes me so damn mad.”

I get up and straighten myself out in the front seat. There’s no use hiding now.

“It’s not your fault,” I say, resting my hand on his back. “No one should have to know how to act in this situation.”

“But that doesn’t change the fact that we’re fucked,” Reese says, looking behind us. I dare to look and see what he’s talking about. Not only are we being followed by four cars, but motorcycles are speeding to catch up outside in the side of the lane. It’s another familiar tactic. They’ll risk getting a ticket by riding up next to the car. If they can get a particularly in-demand shot, then it’s worth whatever fines they’re slapped with.

“They can’t go past private property, so just get to the Rile Ranch gates safely. No matter what they do while you’re driving, just concentrate on the road.” I say calmly.

Colt nods and keeps his hands gripped on the steering wheel. He speeds up when motorcycle engines sound off on either side of the car. One retreats on the left-hand side just before another car passes, barely making it safely without being hit.

“He almost just risked his damn life,” Briggs exclaims while bringing Sunny in tight against him so she doesn’t get thrown around in the car. “And the life of that other driver.”

Bitter acid fills my throat. This is the nasty reality of my life and it’s invaded the one place I thought I was safe in.

We pass through the Rile Ranch sign and some of the cars pull to a screeching halt. But two blow right through the sign. Colt slams the brakes and throws his door open. Reese follows him while Briggs and Sunny round the car and stand in front of my door.

“This is private property,” Colt yells. “You get the hell out of here or I have the right to do a lot worse than just call the cops.”

I twist my face in a grimace at his insinuation. This isn’t just a fight in a bar with some locals. Everything he does is likely already being recorded and will be online in a matter of hours. Especially if they were able to associate me with him in a photo or video. He’s essentially insinuating that he has the right to defend his property with force. The public might rip him apart. It could affect their business. My stomach drops, a horrible realization dawning on me. It could affect Kaylee.

Tears well up in my eyes. The cruel realization is bitter and hideous.

Because it doesn’t even matter that my one safe space has been taken from me. What actually matters is that it’s been taken away from the Riles. Because that’s already happened to them once. And I won’t let it happen again because of me.

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

Blaire

The drive down the rest of the Rile Ranch driveway feels like a funeral procession. And we’re escorting the dead dream of our life together to its grave.

No one has said a thing. But not saying anything doesn’t make it any less true.

This is no life for a teenage girl. Kaylee can’t come back to this. I won’t let her.

I head straight to my bedroom to pack my bags, fearing that I’ll lose my conviction if I don’t.

I fling open the closet and pull everything out at once, throwing it on the bed.

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