Page 20 of Rough
We all wait silently for him to continue, but when he doesn’t, Clyde grunts the question. “What breedin’ thing?”
“She boards calves for people who buy at auction for beef. Once they’re of age, before butcherin’, she gets their… well, she gets their sperm for breedin’. Betsy lowers the price for housin’ the babies if they’re male on the condition she can do that. Got a whole freezer full of that shit in her barn. Saves her an arm and a leg so she don’t have to bring in a bull for her females. She’ll be able to up those herd numbers in no time once she starts usin’ it.”
I blink in surprise.Fuck, she has long-term plans. Like… LONG-term plans.“How the hell…” I let my question filter out as I process what he’s saying. Jerking my eyes over to Wilder, I curl my lip. “I, for one, think that those people working for her need to know what kinda boss they got. Know what I’m sayin’?”
“Who’s she got workin’ for her?” Wilder asks Murphy. He seems just as resolved as I am to put an end to this fucked up, back-stabbing nonsense.
Murphy shrugs. “High school boys. She put word out last year that if anyone is wantin’ to learn the ropes, she’ll pay under the table and let ‘em work around their school schedule. There are a few boys that show up regularly, but the rest just come out when they’re lookin’ for some gas money. Lemme tell ya, it’s been a fuckin’ mess, too. Never knowin’ who’s comin’ and how much work we’re gonna have for the day. Keeps her cost down, though.”
Resolved that we have something we can do, I stride to the door where Clyde is waiting to leave. He doesn’t move at first, trying to convey something as he stares at me. “What?” I ask, giving him a chance to clear whatever is bothering him from his chest.
“Nothin’,” he drawls, then steps to the side I can pass by. The four of us make our way back to the house where Trina is waiting on the covered porch, fucking with her phone.
When she sees us, she stands up with a bright smile. “You good, Rem?”
“I’ll be alright,” I say with a shrug. “We’re gonna go out tonight and catch up with some old friends. You comin’ with or you wanna stay in?”
I don’t particularlywanther to come, but it’d be rude not to invite her. She’s been decent and loyal since she showed up at the big ranch. Her goals have always been in our best interest, and she’s good at what she does. None of us are passionate about the social media shit, but the money sure is nice.
Her face lights up with pleasure at the invitation, and even though I’m not overly excited with her tagging along, I know it was the right thing to do, so I smile at her. “Hell yes! This isperfect!I’m itching to get the hell out of this place.” My smile falls away abruptly.
Clyde’s shoulders stiffen at her insult, but she doesn’t seem to notice that her comment was belittling to the home my mom considers her pride and joy. Mom worked her ass off inside while dad and I worked in the fields to give all of us, including Wilder and Clyde, a safe and comfortable place.Especially Clyde.
“Sorry country livin’ isn’t meeting your expectations,” Wilder teases, but I hear the bite in his tone. Her comment irritated him as well.
Shoving my fingers through my hair, I scratch my scalp in frustration. “Let’s just get our shit together, shower, do whatever to get ready, and head out in ‘bout an hour or so.”
“What’s the plan?” Clyde asks, following me inside and upstairs to my room. He’s always had more of a soft spot for Betsy, even throughout high school. He took real issue when thegirls in our friend group would make shitty comments about how wild she always seemed to be.
Wild… that’s exactly how I’d describe that girl. No. Betsy isn’t a girl any longer, is she? The way she rode up on Zeus this morning was something else entirely. Her body moved in sync with him, like they were a part of each other.
Everyone in town can ride, but not like her. That woman was born in a saddle. Ignoring the memory of her ass slidingoutof said saddle, I tear my shirt off, whipping it over my head and toss it in the hamper next to my bathroom door. Fuck, I need to shower and wash this morning away.
“Rem!” Clyde snaps out. I didn’t realize I let my thoughts wander and never answered him.
This asshole follows me right into the bathroom. With a raised brow, I look him up and down. “You gonna join me, cowboy? Only got one bar of soap, but we can share.”
“Fuck. Off.” I know he’s pissed, so my joke falls short. Wiping his hand over his mouth, he crosses his arms and glares while I turn on the water. “Seriously, what’s the plan here? I know this all seems fucked, but maybe talkin’ to her first might be a good step. Country ain’t got a nasty bone in that body.”
I clench my eyes shut at his words, then grit out, “Shedidn’t. Who knows now? But that woman is not theCountrywe used to know. Clyde, she didn’t deny a thing! She was fuckin’proudthat she got it all.”
His head is slowly moving side to side in denial, and it infuriates me that he’s trying to find a way to accept that Betsy’s turned on all of us.
Ignoring the fact that I’m butt ass naked, I get in his face. “That little girl is a snake. When you cut down a field, the snakes will show themselves.Weare gonna start cuttin’ to expose her, then get her outta here.” My chest is heaving by the time I’mdone, and my best friend nods once, finally understanding how betrayed I feel.
With a hand on my chest, he shoves me back. “Fine. But if you wanna get all fancy with words, lemme give you one to keep in the back of your head.” Another shove and my back hits the wall. “If you’re goin’ for vengeance, better dig two graves. One for your enemy, and one for yourself, ‘cuz that’s the path you’re wantin’ us all to head down.”
My teeth grind together when he leaves me standing alone, the steam quickly filling the space. Before he slams the door shut on me, his parting words hit exactly the way he wanted them too.
“Don’t think your momma’s ready to bury her son, too.”
My voice is locked in my throat when I turn away, wincing when the slam rattles the mirror above the sink. I can feel this dark cloud encompassing me as I slip into the shower under the too hot water.
Dad always fucked with the temperature on the water heater. There was a fine line between scalding and freezing temperatures. After years of growing up, I got myself used to the heat, better than the cold he always said. Right now, the burn is fueling the fire boiling under my skin.
I’m gonna redirect it toward tearing down everythin’ she’s built without a thought for us and what we wanted, too.
My shower is fast. Efficient. It’s how I am with everything I do. Clyde doesn’t say anything to me when we gather in the living room to wait for Trina. He’s leaning against the far wall, Stetson lower than normal over his face, chewing on a toothpick.
