Page 5 of Deceit & Desire

I guess it’s straight down to business, then. It shouldn’t surprise me, considering how well she took to the corporate world.

I pursed my lips as we pulled out of the parking garage and aimed for the airport’s exit. “Do you want the bad news, the worse news, or the worst news first? And would you rather save the discussion about your father’s condition for the doctors, or do you want me to tell you what little I know about the situation before we get to Deaconess to see him?”

Zoe winced and the pulse point in her throat fluttered furiously, the only tell that her heart was racing a mile a minute, probably trying to keep up with all the what-if scenarios stampeding through her mind at the moment, if I had to guess.

“Let’s go with bad, worse, then worst. And—no offense—but I’d like to leave the discussion of my dad’s condition for when a doctor is present so I can ask questions and get immediate answers.”

I shrugged as I pulled out onto the road, leaving the airport in the rearview mirror and aiming for Bozeman Health Deaconess Regional Medical Center. “No offense taken. I understand.”

Zoe sucked down several calming breaths, then nodded. “Okay... just rip the band-aid off and let’s get this over with. What’s the bad news?”

Fuck it. One problem at a time. Let’s do this.

I grimaced. “Remember the suits that were lurking and staring us down in baggage claim?”

“Yeah. What about them?” Zoe stared at me, and I could feel her unwavering gaze burning a hole in the side of my face, but I kept my eyes on the road.

Unease settled deep in my gut, like a lead weight, and I winced.

I wonder how she’s going to take this news? God, I hope living in the big city hasn’t turned her into a sellout.

“They’re part of David Michaelson’s private security team.”

Zoe blinked at me, obviously nonplussed. “Wait... what? David Michaelson, the big action star from the movies? Why would his security team be here in Montana? Shouldn’t they be wherever he is, protecting him?”

I gestured at the mountains in the distance. “You’ve been gone a long time, sweetheart. The rich, famous people of the world have discovered how beautiful it is here, and they’re flooding Montana left and right. They want all this beauty for themselves.”

Zoe’s expression darkened, that hard mask I remembered all too well sliding into place as her eyes narrowed with suspicion. “And what the fuck does that have to do with us, exactly?”

I drummed my fingers on the steering wheel. “Michaelson has been giving your father the full court press, trying to buy Twisted Creek Ranch off him, but you know your daddy. He refuses to sell, of course.”

“And how do you feel about that? Him refusing to sell?” Something about the way she said it, her voice so careful and neutral, made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.

“What the hell do you mean, how do I feel about it? How do you think I feel?” I gripped the steering wheel so hard my knuckles turned white, and dared an incredulous glance over at her before turning my gaze back to the road.

Zoe huffed out a long-suffering sigh. “I don’t want to have to guess, Roman. That’s why I asked. Now answer the question. How do you feel about my father refusing to sell the ranch?”

Cold sweat turned my palms clammy and slick. I took turns wiping them on my jeans while keeping one hand on the steering wheel at all times. “I support his decision, and you know damn well that I always will. Twisted Creek Ranch is the only home I’ve ever known. Why? Don’t you support his decision, too?”

Zoe squirmed and heaved out a long-suffering sigh, tugging on her seatbelt to adjust it a little. “I don’t know what I think or how I feel right now, to be honest. There’s so much happening, and I can’t seem to find my balance here.”

You better not be thinking of selling out, because if you are, you’ve got another think coming.

I chewed on the inside of my cheek, using the sharp pain to help me focus and rein in my temper. “It’s really simple, Zoe. Do you agree with your father and want to protect your family’s legacy, or do you think he should give it up and sell out to some pushy, rich asshole who’s going to turn it into a hobby ranch or run it into the ground and then sell it off at a price you can’t even begin to hope to buy it back at?”

Zoe jerked back, wide-eyed and slack-jawed for a moment before she spoke. “Of course I don’t want to sell out, Roman. Twisted Creek Ranch has been in my family for generations. Did you really think I’d want to sell out to someone like David Michaelson?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know what to think. You’ve been gone a long time. People change. Besides that, your entire career revolves around buying real estate to build resorts that cater to people exactly like David Michaelson.”

“Let’s make one thing clear between the two of us, Roman. I would never, ever sell my family’s ranch to someone like Mr. Michaelson.”

“Good.” I gave a firm nod. At least we were in agreement on one front. “But I should warn you that Michaelson hasn’t taken no for an answer yet, and judging by the fact that he had goons stalking you at the airport, I don’t think he has any intention of taking no for an answer at all.”

Zoe crossed her arms, her lips pressing into a hard, thin line. “Too bad. We’ll just have to make sure he gets the message, one way or another.”

I swung the truck into the hospital parking lot, and parked across several spots in the outer perimeter of the parking lot, where I’d be least likely to inconvenience anyone with the truck and trailer taking up so many spaces. “Are you ready for the rest of the bad news, or do you want to put a pin in this and come back to it later?”

Zoe cracked her knuckles, her gaze never wavering from my face. “No sense putting off the inevitable just because it’s unpleasant. What else are we dealing with here?”

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