Page 86 of A Reckless Memory

“The trust, which is managed by Ruiz Law.”

A tendon popped in Cody’s jaw.

“I think we’re all seeing the trend in stipulations,” Eliot said grimly. He turned an apprehensive gaze to me. “And her? Is she going to have to sell her house and move home to get money that should belong to the entire family since the oil was found on family land that we’ve worked our entire lives?”

Ansen rested his hand on top of mine. Would Daddy try to manipulate me too? I had worked the ranch my entire life. Had he thought I was out playing and it was time to come home?

Lorenzo’s brown skin paled. “Um... the final recipient is free of the stipulations and will receive a lump sum distribution.”

“Thank fuck,” Cody growled, and I nearly sagged. I didn’t care about the money. I just wanted Daddy to show me in some way that I had meant something to him.

“Barnaby wanted to provide a similar opportunity for someone like he had received. Someone who reminded him of himself, a kindred spirit, if you will. Someone with similar ambitions, someone who had the same upbringing. Someone he came to see as another son. Ansen Barron.”

Eighteen

Ansen

Eliot jumped to his feet. “What?”

Swearing echoed through the room. Ringing in my ears muffled the shouting. I was in the will? Why? Final recipient? That meant... Sonofabitch. I looked at Aggie, but she was wan, her eyes squeezed shut, tears sneaking out to wet her light lashes.

“Hey,” I said softly, ignoring her brothers glaring at me. Twisting in my seat to face her, I cupped her chin and turned her face toward me. “Are you okay?”

She inhaled a shaky breath. Her “no” was barely perceptible. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.

I’d never hated Barns, not even after I’d been busted—that had been all on me, but hate was the strongest emotion I was feeling toward him now. How could he do this to her? Why would he cut her out and treat her as if she never meant anything?

She had left the ranch. It was as simple as that in Barns’s mind.

But so had I.

A kindred spirit.

Goddammit, I had my own dad. My own family.

And now I was... I didn’t know. A millionaire? Barns had told me once what his net worth was thanks to the oil and investing. How he’d scraped together enough to buy a defunct well. Then another. Unused wells the bigger companies had wanted to ditch once fracking came about. Then another oil boom happened. His bottom line had soared. All because Birdie Knight hadn’t wanted a thing to do with the land or the company when they’d divorced. He’d given her money, and she’d had the freedom to leave. He hadn’t done the same for his daughter.

Aggie’s shoulders shook. I gathered her to me and rose. She stood with me, surprisingly, and let me lead her to the door. I had to be the last person any Knight wanted to see right now.

“Where the hell are you going?” Wilder asked. Chair legs shuffled on the floor like he was shoving them out of his way.

I ignored him. Heavy steps behind me were likely all of Aggie’s brothers, but I didn’t care.

“Barron,” Cody barked.

They would crowd after us, demanding answers I didn’t have and digging away at the edges of Aggie’s emotional wounds. Sighing, I stopped and immediately regretted doing so.

Aggie pulled away and mumbled, “I’m going to my room.”

I grabbed her hand. “Ags.”

She blinked at me with red-rimmed eyes and a pale face. “I can’t do this right now.”

I’d deal with her brothers, convince them to give her a few moments, but—goddammit—I didn’t want to leave her side to do it. Hurt rippled from her, the waves growing larger from where the blow had landed. “Promise me you’re not leaving.”

She glanced around her at her brothers, then toward the living room. “I don’t want to stay. There’s nothing for me here. There never was.”

It was late, dark out, and the middle of winter. She could be home by midnight, but we drove separately, and I didn’t want her to be alone right now. She already felt like the dad who should’ve held her above everything and treasured her hadn’t ever cared about her a day in his life. “We’ll take my truck. Your brothers can get yours to Crocus Valley later, or we can come back and grab it. Fuck, we’ll figure it out.”

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