How West Was Won (Haven, Texas Book 7)

by Laylah Roberts

  Put your big girl panties on, Flick.

  Despite how often she’d declared that she had to leave, she really didn’t want to go. She loved it here. She sighed and walked into the kitchen.

  Shit. What was she going to do for money? She couldn’t keep relying on the Malones. She had a few pieces of jewelry that had been her mom’s she could pawn. But that would kill her to do it. The reason she’d had Beau retrieve them from her bedroom for her was because they meant something to her.

  As long as you have your locket, it doesn’t matter. She fingered the necklace her parents had given her before leaving for the Congo. The only time she’d ever taken it off was when Spencer had insisted the clasp was flimsy and he wanted to get a stronger one.

  “You’ve really thought this one through, Flick,” she muttered to herself.

  “What was that?” Mia turned from the stove to look at her.

  She paused. “Mia! What are you doing? Are you feeling all right? Are you sure you should be up and moving?”

  Mia groaned. “Don’t you start. If Alec had his way, I’d spend the rest of this pregnancy in bed. I feel fine. Doc brought out a blood pressure monitor and showed us how to use it, and my blood pressure is fine this morning. I feel fine. I was just a little stressed yesterday.”

  “Okay, that’s good.”

  “Would you like some breakfast?” Mia asked her.

  Flick shook her head as she poured herself some coffee. She knew she should eat, however her stomach was tied up in too many knots. Anything she ate was bound to come back up.

  “You look like shit,” Mia told her as she sat across the table from her.

  Flick let out a startled laugh. “Don’t hold back, give it to me straight.”

  Mia blushed. “Sorry. I’ve been living with these guys too long. They tend to say it how it is, and, honey, you don’t look that great.”

  “I’ll be okay.” Flick stared down at her coffee, unable to meet Mia’s eyes. If she did, she might cry.

  “So have I won the bet yet?” Mia asked.

  “What?” Flick looked up in surprise.

  “You and West?” Mia wiggled her eyebrows.

  “Yes, but we didn’t. . .I mean, we did. . .but we didn’t have sex.” She found herself blushing.

  “Sounds like it was close. But I still have plenty of time to win.” Mia grinned.

  Flick just shook her head. Dropping her gaze from Mia’s again as sadness hit her. She was leaving today. “Have you heard anything about Beau?”

  “Yeah, he’s awake and already grumbling about having to stay in bed. None of these guys make the best patients. Gonna have one grumpy bastard of man on my hands once he gets home.” The affection in Mia’s voice belied her words.

  “I wish I could see him before I leave.”

  “I know. But he understands. And you can see him in a week.”

  Flick frowned. “In a week? Why in a week?”

  Mia frowned. “That’s how long you’re going away to the cabin with West. He told me this morning. You’re braver than me. Don’t think I could handle staying there a whole week.”

  “What cabin? Where is it? Why couldn’t you handle it there?”

  “He didn’t tell you?”

  “Tell me what?”

  “Jesus. That ass.” Mia shook her head. “West!”

  Flick jumped at the sound.

  “What?” West yelled back.

  Flick watched Mia with wide eyes. West’s voice wasn’t pleased. He sounded more than a bit aggravated.

  “Get your ass in here!” Mia roared.

  Flick couldn’t help herself and she started to giggle. It was funny seeing the usually calm and quiet Mia yelling her head off at West, a man few people would dare to scream at or boss around.

  “Why?”

  “Because Flick seems to know nothing about the cabin. Did you even ask her if she wanted to go there?”

  She heard heavy steps towards the kitchen, and then West walked in, Alec close on his heels. West stopped about a foot away from her, looming over her, his hands on his hips. “You’re going to the cabin.”

  “I am?” she asked.

  “Yes. It’s the plan.”

  “Do you think you might want to explain this plan to me?” Exasperation filled her.

  “No one knows where it is except for us. You’ll be safe there.”

  That was it. That was his plan?

  Mia sighed. “What he’s saying is that the cabin is completely off the grid. It’s really rough, Flick. No electricity. No cell service.”

  She gulped. She’d never even been camping before. “I’m going there on my own?”

  “Of course you’re not going on your fucking own,” West snapped. “Didn’t I tell you that you weren’t leaving my side?”

  Alec moved towards his wife and lifted her up then sat in the chair with her perched on his lap.

  He snapped his fingers at her. “Flick. Attention on me.”

  “Did he just snap his fingers at me?” she asked Mia, without turning to look at West. It wouldn’t do to give in to him too quickly. She might like his brand of dominance but sometimes he needed to be challenged in order to keep his ego in check.

  Mia looked from her to West with wide eyes, but there was a smile teasing the corner of her mouth. “I do believe he did,” she drawled.

  “Flick, eyes, now.”

  “And did he just growl at me?”

  “Yep, pretty sure he did that too.” Mia was now full-on smiling.

  “Sunshine,” he growled.

  Okay, she’d probably pushed him far enough. She didn’t want to end up over his knee in front of Mia and Alec.

  She turned to West, saw him glaring down at her. “Did I just tell you I loved you last night?”

  “Yes,” she whispered.

  “Yes, what?”

  She wanted to point out that she wasn’t a two-year-old having a tantrum. He didn’t need to get her to say his words back to him.

  “Yes, you said you loved me.”

  “I’m coming with you. And I don’t want to hear any arguments,” he added.

  “It’s not safe around me,” she whispered.

  He stepped forward and grasped her around the waist, lifting her so her feet dangled in the air. Her eyes were level with his.

  “Listen to me. Listen to me well. I’m the man, yes?”

  “Um, yes.”

  “That means I protect you. It does not work the other fucking way.”

  “Actually, that’s not so.”

  His gaze narrowed. A warning went off inside her brain. Tread. Carefully.

  “I can protect you too.”

  “A man is not any sort of a man if he hides behind a woman.”

  “I wasn’t planning on shielding you physically. Kind of impossible considering how much bigger you are than me. I mean, I could protect some parts . . . important parts.”

  “Are you staring at my dick right now?” he grumbled. He set her on her feet.

  “And I think that’s our cue to go,” Mia said hastily.

  She saw them leave out of the corner of her eye, spotted Mia tugging a grinning Alec behind her. She didn’t think she’d ever seen Alec grin like that before.

  Because you’re making a fool of yourself. Her face felt hot and she couldn’t believe she’d just done that.

  “Babe, much as I appreciate how much you enjoy my dick, you’re not ever to jump in front of me to protect it.”

  “Oh, God. I wasn’t thinking that.”

  He just raised an eyebrow.

  “Why are you being a jerk?” she wailed. “Just because I’m a woman doesn’t mean I don’t want to take care of you.”

  “This isn’t about you taking care of me.”

  “But—”

  “It’s not your job to worry about my safety, babe.”

  “Did I just tell you I loved you last night?” she demanded, turning his words back on him.

  “Yes, and you can’t take it back.” />
  She ran her good hand through her hair. “I’m not trying to take it back. I’m just saying that me loving you means me wanting to protect you too. Maybe I can’t do that physically, in the same way you can. But I can do this on my own.”

  He cupped her face between his big warm hands and leaned in so the tips of their noses were practically touching. “What you don’t seem to get, babe, is that you not being with me would hurt me.”

  She sucked in a breath. Tears threatened. “I’m beginning to see that.”

  “Good. Then you’ll understand me when I say you aren’t leaving me. Not for any reason. I don’t let go of what belongs to me. Did it once and have lived with the repercussions ever since. Don’t ever intend to do it again. You got me?”

  She nodded. She understood.

  “Why are we only going for a week? How’s this going to get resolved in a week? And where is this cabin? What makes you think he won’t follow me there? He always seems to know where I am.”

  “He won’t know where you are. We’ll ride up to the cabin. It’s in an isolated spot, nobody but us knows about. You’ll be safe there. I’ll warn you now, it’s a bit primitive. No cell coverage, we’ll take the satellite phones. But he won’t find us. And my brothers are working on a plan to take him out.”

  Her eyes widened. “Take him out?”

  His eyes narrowed. “He doesn’t deserve your worry. Not after what he’s done to you.”

  “I’m not worried about him. I’m worried about you guys. I’m scared this will come back on you.”

  He lightly kissed her lips. “You don’t need to worry about us either.”

  She wasn’t so sure about that.

  “I can ride on my own you know,” she grumbled at West’s back.

  She was riding Beast. Her duffel bag was attached to the back of his saddle. West, who was riding ahead of her, had a large backpack on his back. As well as full saddle bags. He also held Beast’s lead.

  “I haven’t had someone need to lead me since I was five years old,” she grumbled. “And this is not the first time I’ve ridden with my arm in a sling.”

  “You always complain this much?” West shot back at her without turning to look at her.

  “Seems to be something you bring out in me,” she said dryly.

  “Think you’re just too used to getting your own way,” he said back to her. “Spoiled.”

  She took in a breath. “I am not spoiled.”

  He just snorted.

  Arrogant ass. It was embarrassing, having him lead her horse along. But since it didn’t seem he was going to budge, she decided she might as well stop talking and taken the gorgeous view. They’d been riding for about an hour and a half by then.

  Most of that had been spent with her trying to convince him she could ride on her own. But, as usual, West was determined to get his way. Something that happened because he was more stubborn and tenacious than she was.

  “I’ve never seen you ride before,” she said to him.

  He grunted. “Riding for a long time makes my leg ache. Can handle a few hours, though.”

  Oh, she’d never thought about that. He hardly ever mentioned his leg. He never seemed to let it stop him from doing anything, including picking her up and carrying her to wherever he wanted her to go.

  Like you don’t love that.

  “How long until we get there?” she asked.

  “About another two hours,” he told her, turning to look back at her. He ran his gaze over her. “Do you need a break?”

  She shook her head. “I’m good.”

  “You’re better than good, baby girl. But you tell me if that changes. We’re in no hurry.”

  This was a damn sight better than what she’d thought she’d be doing. She’d imagined herself on some bus, alone. Instead, she was getting a week away with West.

  That was a definite plus. Maybe she should start thinking about this as more of a vacation and less about her hiding from her psycho brother. A vacation with her man in the middle of nowhere, with no interruptions. No one to threaten them. Just her, West, and a whole lot of time on their hands. She smiled at the thought.

  Yeah, this vacation could end up being a lot of fun.

  The vacation was a freaking nightmare.

  It had started the minute they’d arrived, when she’d gotten a look at the cabin. Mia hadn’t been exaggerating about how rough it was. It wasn’t some cutesy little log cabin nestled in the words. It was a shack. It was rundown, there were weeds growing all around it, and the front porch was so dilapidated you had to be careful where you stepped in order not to fall through a rotten board.

  West had made her stand next to the horses until he’d tested the porch, and checked the inside of the building. She looked around, betting that, at night, the place resembled a horror movie set. A rundown shack in the woods was the perfect place for a chainsaw psycho to hide out.

  There were two other buildings close by. A much smaller version of the cabin that sat about fifteen feet out the back. And a much newer looking shed. Did this thing even have power? Running water? Holy crap, what had she gotten herself into?

  Amazingly, things got worse. West strode back out towards her and picked her up in his arms, carrying her into the one-room building. “Don’t want you walking over that porch until I’ve had a chance to fix it,” he told her. “Same with the back porch. With your luck, you’ll fall through and break a leg.”

  She took offence at that. She was the first to admit she was a little bit on the clumsy side. But it wasn’t going to take much for anyone to fall through that rickety old porch. Inside, the cabin wasn’t any better. It only had a couple of windows, which were dirty and didn’t let much light in. It smelled damp and there was another stench. Something rotten.

  “What is that smell?” she asked as she pinched her nose against the onslaught. West moved to the back door and opened it as well.

  “Something died in here,” he told a matter-of-factly. “Could be in one of the cabinets, could be under the floorboards. I’ll search it out once I’ve bought all our stuff in.”

  She just stood there and turned in a slow circle. One corner of the cabin held an old bed. The mattress looked stained and lumpy. In the opposite corner there were some cupboards for storage. At the very front of the cabin was an old couch nestled in front of an open fireplace and an old dining table with two worn, wooden chairs, she moved closer to the fireplace and peered down. Was that? Oh, God, it was. She placed a hand over her mouth and went running towards the doorway. She slammed into West and would have fallen on her ass had he not caught her around the waist with his free arm.

  “What is it?”

  “There are dead birds in the fireplace.”

  “Oh, is that all?”

  She gaped up at him as he set her aside. He put their bags down next to the sofa and calmly moved over to the fireplace, gathering up the two dead birds. Then he walked out with them. She was still gagging slightly.

  Okay, Flick. Time to get yourself under control.

  She was stuck here for the next week. She had to make the best of it. She didn’t have a lot of choice.

  West walked back in. “I’ll unpack our stuff, sunshine, and get the bed made up so you can have a nap.”

  “I don’t need a nap.”

  “You do, you’re swaying on your feet. You’re pale. I’ll make the bed. You can take some painkillers, have a nap, and I’ll get everything set up. Cook us some dinner.”

  “Um, how? Is there electricity?”

  He barked out a laugh. “Electricity? No, baby. Got a gas stove out in the shed.”

  “Oh.”

  “Don’t worry, baby girl. I’m going to look after you. Got a well for water. Fire to keep you warm at night and plenty of food.”

  As he’d talked, he’d expertly made up the bed. He studied her when it was ready. “Can’t sleep like that.” He pulled out a large T-shirt for her. “Come on, let’s get you undressed.”

  He stalked
towards her and she stumbled back a step.

  “Whoa, easy.” He caught her up in his arms before she could fall. “We don’t want any more injuries, do we?”

  “I’m sorry,” she whispered, tears filling her eyes.

  He set her down on the bed and crouched in front of her, reaching up to brush away her tears. “Hey, what’s this? I know it’s primitive out here but I’m going to take care of you. I’ll always take care of you.”

  The tears came faster. “S-sorry.”

  “Sh, I know it’s a lot to take in—”

  “It’s not that. I mean, this is a lot, but I feel so out of my depth. With everything.”

  “With me?”

  She nodded. “I’m not experienced at anything. I’m a total klutz. I can’t even be trusted to walk on the porch because you’re worried I’ll end up hurting myself and I—”

  He sat next to her, pulling her onto his lap and rocking her back and forth. He kissed the top of her head.

  “Stop crying now. None of this is worth crying over.”

  She pulled back to glare up at him. “You can’t tell me what I can and can’t cry over.”

  “Prefer you didn’t cry at all.”

  “That’s not going to happen. I get emotional every time I get my period.” She groaned. “And I cannot believe I just blurted that out.”

  “Is it time for your period, baby girl?”

  God, she couldn’t believe she’d said that. Women didn’t talk about that sort of stuff with their lovers, right? Guys didn’t want to know about it.

  “Forget I mentioned anything.”

  She tried to climb off his lap, but he held her still. He ran his hand up and down her back.

  “Your parents died when you were twelve. Before you got your period?”

  She really, really didn’t want to talk about this.

  “Flick?”

  “Do we have to talk about this? I mean, I know it’s not something men like to discuss.”

  “What makes you say that? Your brother didn’t talk to you about it?”

  “Of course not,” she squeaked out.

  “Who helped you with your first period, sunshine? Who got you the stuff you needed? Talked to you about what to do when you got cramps? Who explained it all?”

  “I . . . I . . . West . . ”