Page 77 of For Fillies and Monsters

I still don’t respond. At this point, I don’t know how.

Saved by God—no one else would be able to free me from this hell besides the big guy Himself—an engine roars down the driveway. Without a backward glance, I bound down the stairs, painting a wide smile across my face.

“Dale’s in the truck with him. I thought they were coming separately; that’s how she made it sound,” Gus states nonchalantly behind me.

I don’t know why that’s what finally makes me break my vow of silence, but I swear it isn’t, because the thought of him jealous over another man spending time with Dale makes me crave blood—his fucking blood.

“Jealous, Gus?” I hiss, pinning him with a glare.

“Maybe.” His grin is vicious, and I coil, ready to strike out at him, smack that stupid look off his face, when he raises his hands in the air. “But only of that vibrator you keep in your left nightstand drawer. Poor guy has been putting in some serious work the last few nights. I can hear it buzzing through the ceiling, screaming for help to be relieved of his duties.” He steps around me, walking toward a smiling Dale and away from the most mortifying moment of my life.

Closing my eyes, I take a shaky breath in and out, counting once more. But it doesn’t fucking work. Just like that stupid vibrator isn’t working anymore. No matter how many times I’veused it, I can’t calm the arousal pounding through me at the thought of the man beneath me.

Fuck this.

I scream under my breath, the sound swallowed by the engine cutting off, and stomp my foot. Train of thought,over.Plastering that fake-ass smile back on my face, I follow Gus, pushing him out of the way as he goes to open the door for Dale. He chuckles, and I have to fight the overwhelming urge to tackle him to the ground and beat his face in.

“Wow, what a greeting crowd!” Dale teases, but she’s busy looking at the man in the front seat next to her. And fuck, I don’t blame her. “Didn’t I tell you they were nice, Mateo?” Mateo turns his face to look at Dale, his hard eyes softening a fraction, and then nods.

“Are you coming around to open mine, too, or shall I go ahead and get out?” he states dryly, and Dale and I both erupt in a fit of giggles. Gus growls behind me, and it makes me smile wider.

Don’t like a taste of your own medicine, huh?

“Oh my gosh, you’re so silly. Get out.” Dale shoves at Mateo’s arm, which I try not to stare at with drool dribbling down my chin, but it’s a very good arm. He’s wearing a white button down, the sleeves stretched around massive biceps, ending in tattooed knuckles, and a flashy gold watch that is worth more than my house. He huffs and climbs out, allowing us a close-up of his round, firm ass covered in clean, dark-pressed jeans. I stare, slightly leaned over Dale, who is busy watching him, too.

A second later, she pinches my arm, and I yelp, jumping back.

Dale giggles behind her hand. “Careful, this deal is about to fall through the same way the Nathan one did if you don’t stop gawking.”

“He’d beat Gus’s ass. Did you see his arms?” I tease back, a little louder than a whisper, and Dale’s eyes widen.

“Wanna bet?” Gus growls, and I turn around, brushing past him and striding toward the charmingly handsome stranger. I extend my hand to him, and he doesn’t hesitate to engulf it with his own grip. It’s warm and firm, but there are no sparks, no electricity, no all-consuming fire.

ButGus doesn’t need to know that, does he?

“Mateo, I’m Stetson. It’s so nice to meet you. Dale is extremely private, but I have heard of you, so that has to mean something.” This may be my best opportunity to get back at Dale for all the fake flirting she’s been doing with Gus, and I will not let it go to waste. I saw how giggly she was with him, how smitten. She’s got it bad for this suave papi—as she would say—and I can see why.

His face is full, with high, rounded cheekbones and a brow bone that sticks out of his forehead just a little. Dark eyebrows, slightly manicured, rest above warm, chocolate brown eyes that seem both soft and kind, and hard and assessing. This is a man who has power, but tries to wield it for the better good as often as he can. His presence demands attention, different from Gus’s, which demands subservience. Mateo seems kind and thoughtful; I like him already, and he hasn’t said more than a handful of words.

He offers me a timid smile, releasing my hand while looking over my shoulder with a cocked brow. “Stetson, nice to meet you as well. I know Dale well enough that her comments about me were either extremely vague or very sexual—neither of which seems to bode well for what it means about me.”

I laugh, caught off guard by his dry, yet delightful, humor. Apparently, it was the wrong thing to do, as a rough, fire-wielding hand wraps around my elbow, tugging mebehind him.

“Mateo, I’m Gus.” Gus extends his hand between them, his other still wrapped firmly around my elbow, and I want to punch him. If he ruins this for me, I will never forgive him. Mateo just takes it in stride, though, ever the gentleman, and grips Gus’s hand in a firm shake.

“Yes, I’ve heard of you as well.” And then he looks over Gus’s shoulder and winks at me. Dale and I erupt into laughter, a warmer, more confident smile spreading across Mateo’s sculpted face. Gus’s shoulders sag, his puffed chest deflating.

When she finally catches her breath, Dale pats Gus on the arm. “Keep going, big guy. Stetson and I are ready for that dick-measuring contest any time. I even brought snacks!” She whips a box of Sour Patch Kids out of her back pocket, waving them around. Gus stares at her, his face drawn into a scowl, but I see the twinkle of humor in his eyes. And fuck, I hate it. I hate him when he’s flirty. I hate him when he’s growly, too.

Scratch that, I just hate him—and all of his split personalities.

“Come on, Stetson, show me these cows you have for sale,” Mateo grumbles with a shake of his head.

We only wander around the corral full of cows and their calves for a few moments before Mateo offers me an offensively large amount of money for them. I know I should counter offer, demand he don’t feel sorry for me or whatever this charity is, but I’m too broke and too stubborn to open my mouth. Dale shoots me a thumbs up, and I glare at her, letting her know I know her grubby little hands are all over this deal. Folding, I quickly shake Mateo’s hand again; quickly being because of him and not me, as his eyes never leave Gus’s scowling face to do so.

“There, now that that’s settled, I wanted to inquire about purchasing some land to actually put these cattle on.” Mateo looks across the expanse of my land, a genuine smile toying atthe corners of his full mouth. My eyebrows draw together in confusion.

“I’m sorry, what? You don’t have any land? You just purchased one hundred cattle for the price of three, and you’re saying you don’t have any land?” I don’t mean to sound rude, but really? What is he getting at? I’ve had enough charity for one day.

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