Black Light: Branded

by Parker, Kay Elle

  Nope, they turned up their noses and complained about the smell, the flies, the noise.

  Ava? She stroked the nose of a cow as easily as she scratched a calf behind the ears. Though her fear of the big beasts was as keen as the cows' distrust of her, she took the time to sit on a gate and wait for one to approach her. She cried for new life as hard as she grieved for life lost.

  She might be city born and city raised, but damn if she wasn't country at heart.

  Finn quickly fastened his shirt and tucked it into his waistband, shrugging into a black body warmer and his fleece jacket with an ear cocked for what Ava was doing in the kitchen. Her eating habits were shoddy, sporadic at best, and she was trying her hardest to resist his attempts at feeding her at regular intervals. So far, she hadn't succeeded, and he was pleased to hear the scrape of cutlery against the plate as she finally obeyed his order.

  Still, he'd check the trash later. Just in case she tried to pull a fast one on him.

  Satisfied she'd join him soon enough, he set his Stetson into place and retrieved her presents from their hiding place, placing them where she'd see them as soon as she walked into the mudroom. They weren't much, more practical than romantic, but he'd seen her wistful expression last week when they'd gone into Bozeman for supplies. Her silent longing had pulled at him, more because she hadn't said a word or even looked at him pleadingly. She'd just accepted she didn't have the money to buy anything and followed him to the hardware section.

  It hadn't taken much effort to convince her to go back to the truck while he paid...and slipped a few more essential items onto the total. He hadn't had a lot of faith she'd use them, not after she'd shown her reluctance at returning to the barns following the dead cow and calf debacle, but he figured now was a pretty good time to give them to her. A small token of welcome, something to encourage her to blossom here.

  A sign she belonged.

  That was all she really wanted, he mused as he slipped out of the back door onto the porch and stepped into the chilly dark of an April morning before dawn. He couldn't blame her. Her life, as far as he could gather, was a slippery downhill slope. Everyone needed a base, a family, and she'd had nothing to shout home about. Ava was the kind of woman who put all her efforts into pleasing everyone in the hopes they'd accept her, take her in like a stray pup and keep her.

  Finn snorted derisively. His mama hadn't raised an idiot, God bless her, and he wasn't a man to turn down a stray in need. But with Ava, he didn't see a helpless pup. In her, he saw a strong woman trapped by confines not of her making. A woman with infinite potential, unlimited depth, born into unfortunate circumstances and struggling against the current of life to rise above what it kept throwing at her.

  He wanted that woman by his side as much as he needed the Ava she was now. With time and patience, love and guidance, she would be both. She was already gaining confidence in herself. Learning to trust him more, though he'd come close to straining that bond to the breaking point lately. She was finding joy in working with Kinx, pushing her physical limits and discovering just how rewarding this world could be.

  If he could get Ava to connect with that, to focus on the beauty of life instead of the hardships...well, maybe it would go a long way to help with keeping a knife out of her hand.

  Birds were already trilling quietly in the trees, stirring awake despite the sun being almost another hour away from rising. In the barns across the yard, the low lighting shone through the wooden slats.

  Finn leaned his elbows on the porch railing and stared out across the darkness toward the shadows of the buildings. Perhaps it was time to overhaul the whole damn lot. Things were changing, he hoped for the better, and while he considered himself up to date on modern ranching techniques, he couldn't say he agreed with many of them. He was rather intrigued as to what Ava would suggest regarding modifications to the place, and what they would mean for the future.

  He slipped his phone from his pocket and scrolled through his list of most recent contacts, hitting the number for his east side manager.

  His call was picked up on the second ring.

  “Thomas,” he greeted. “Not too early for you, I hope?”

  There was a throaty laugh down the line. “With you for a boss? I've been up for an hour already.”

  Finn grinned and relaxed. He'd hired Thomas straight out of college ten years past, and the boy had worked his ass off to meet Finn's expectations. From shoveling shit to working every day God sent, Thomas had earned his way to his current position. He'd had full charge of the feedlot for the past three years, producing exceptional results, and Finn couldn't be happier with the quality of the cattle leaving the station. “That's what I like to hear. Listen, I'll be swinging by around noon to look over the reports and I'll be bringing the new welfare manager with me to get a feel for the system we have in place.”

  There was a distinct hesitation before Thomas replied, heavy and uncomfortable. “Welfare manager? Hell, boss, we're not due for another inspection for at least another two months. Passed with flying colors the last time they wandered through.”

  “This one's internal, Tom. New hire. It's not a criticism of the way you're running things over there, not by any means,” he said pointedly. “I'm completely satisfied. I'm looking at tweaking things here and there across the board to see if we can raise the bar again.”

  “Shit, boss, how much higher are we aiming for?”

  All the way, Finn thought. “As high as we're able. Ava's already come up with an idea I'd like to discuss with you in person. I want to do some research into the technicalities and red tape involved, but I think it's a viable option if we decide to take the operation in that direction.”

  There was a short pause. “Ava, huh? You hired a woman welfare manager?” A huff of exasperation. “I got nothing against women, boss, you know that. I'm fond of them as a breed, but when it comes down to animal management, they ain't really focused on the gory details like killing weights, you know?”

  “That's out of her sphere of knowledge, Tom. She won't interfere with the overall running of the station, I just want her to take a look and see if there's anything the two of us have missed that could be altered for maximum benefit.” He pinched his nose and tried not to growl. Thomas's voice was as familiar as his own, and Finn knew when his friend was gearing for a fight. “I'd appreciate it if you'd keep a civil tongue in your head when you meet her. She's not your enemy, Tom.”

  “No offence, Mr. McLeod, but I'll be the judge of that if you don't mind.” Thomas snapped, then his sigh echoed. “Christ, boss, did you have to drop this on me at five a.m.? We got a glowing recommendation from the last lot of suits that waltzed through here and, quite honestly, I don’t want some strange female rocking up and deciding things aren’t to her liking. Especially if she doesn’t know shit about shit. I’m busting my ass to run this place and I don’t need advice from a greenhorn whose only qualification in ranching is warming your bed. This is a business, not a fucking petting zoo. There’s nothing to improve, no matter how much snooping she does. This is my place to run, I’ve fucking earned it, and I won’t have people sticking their noses in where they don’t belong.”

  “Then it'll be a short visit,” Finn said coolly, not at all pleased with his manager's attitude. The tirade was completely out of character for Thomas; the boy usually wasn’t so resistant to suggestions and the sheer vehemence of his tone riled Finn’s temper. He might have to slot in a few unannounced spot checks to the station over the next few weeks now that his suspicions were raised. “I'll see you at noon, Thomas, but you'd do well to remember that it is my place and exactly who it is paying your wages and your rent.” Leaving that hanging ominously in the air, Finn disconnected the call.

  His hands fisted on the railing, almost crushing the phone. Fuck, he hadn't anticipated that. Thomas picked fights when he was nervous, and the prospect of someone snooping around the property shouldn't have the boy worried unless something was amiss. Now there was anothe
r item on Finn's list to attend to, and the fucking list was quickly becoming migraine material.

  Not to mention, the sense of betrayal was sharp, twisting into his back and slicing deep.

  If Thomas had done something to fuck up ten years of a perfectly good and profitable working relationship, Finn might just have to strangle the boy with his bare hands. He didn't have the time or inclination to interview and hire another head station hand, and he needed someone he could trust in the position. The distance between the four sections meant the managers were unsupervised for the most part, and Finn didn't have the time to babysit his staff. Not at that level. He paid more than appropriately for loyalty and to ensure his animals were raised right to the best of their potential.

  Thomas would have to run fast and run far to even think about escaping Finn's clutches if he'd broken his trust.

  The screen door squeaked open. Turning, Finn tried to brush aside the sensation of impending doom and focus on the visibly ecstatic woman standing by the door. His heart swelled with pride and love at the sight of her, and suddenly the prospect of being stabbed in the back by one of his most trusted employees wasn't quite as devastating as it might have been without her in his life. “Well, well, look at you. Picture perfect, darlin'.”

  Ava flushed and bit her lip. “You did this for me?”

  “I did,” he admitted, twirling his finger in the air as a silent command. He nodded in approval when she got the hint and spun in a slow circle. “But I'm thinking now I did it more for me.”

  It was the feminine version of what he was wearing, only she wore it so much better. Tight blue denim hugged slim calves and thighs. A pair of the dark brown boots she'd coveted were on her feet and would probably kill them by the time she pried them off later on. He'd found her a narrow black belt with a silver belt buckle engraved with a bucking bronc in motion. He could see a glimpse of her body warmer beneath the black and red checked fleece jacket, but the piece that slayed him was her Stetson.

  She'd ogled the dove-gray hat that day in the store, so it was the one he'd bought for her, but he'd added a band the color of her eyes, or as close as he could get. On the band were two dog tags, one with his name etched on and the other with hers.

  The hat belonged to Ava, but Ava belonged to him.

  “You like it?” he asked cautiously.

  He hadn't thought anything of it when he'd bought her the outfit, but it struck him now that it might offend her to have a completely different fashion style thrust upon her. Imagining wearing something when it was in the store, and actually wearing were two different things, and he'd hate Ava to feel pressured into wearing something she wasn't comfortable in, even if she did look good enough to fuck over the porch railing.

  Simple, unequivocal bliss eclipsed her face along with a wondrous smile. “I love it. Thank you, Sir.”

  Chapter 6

  Ava

  The look on Finn's face when she called him Sir was the highlight of Ava's day.

  It wasn't just a sign of respect anymore, not for her. Sir was her endearment, a culmination of respect and love and everything she felt for him in one small word. Somehow, it didn't seem to be enough to adequately sum up the emotions contained within it.

  He'd taken the time and effort to buy her clothes. For some, it might not be a huge deal like it was to her, but she couldn't remember the last time someone bought her something for keeps. Rosie often lent her clothes and shoes—well, not after Finn annihilated the dress she'd worn to Roulette—but the gesture was always extended for one reason. A shameful, understandable reason.

  No one wanted to be seen with their best friend dressed in shabby, unfashionable clothes.

  The day she came to Montana, she'd tried to hide her bag from Finn's driver, and then from Finn himself. Ashamed and embarrassed by the suitcase she'd had for years, she was more afraid of what Finn would think if he ever saw the contents.

  His gesture might be just a token of his appreciation, but to Ava, he'd given her the world.

  Unable to help herself, she launched herself at him, wrapping her arms around his waist and squeezing him as tightly as the padding of their jackets would allow. For weeks, she'd been picking clothes from her bag that, to anyone else, were suitable for life on the ranch. In reality, she was choosing the best of what she had. Sneaking them into the laundry whenever she had a chance, then offering to do the chores so Finn wouldn't get his hands on them and realize just how decrepit they were.

  His laugh was warm, amused, as his arms came around her and enveloped her tiny frame against the huge bulk of his. She loved how their height difference offered security, allowed her the freedom to feel small and feminine. Those moments were so rare, knowing he wouldn't take advantage of her vulnerability in that moment, it was like finding gold dust in the bottom of her cereal bowl. “If this is the thanks I get, I can't wait to see what you give me when you look in the closet, little dove.”

  Ava stiffened, peered up at him.

  “Do you think I haven't noticed you're living out of that skeleton of a suitcase, darlin? Not much in there, which surprised me, and the clothes you own leave something to be desired.” He flicked a finger at the brim of her hat where it perched on her head, knocked back by his chest. “Been waiting for you to speak up, tell me you need some decent clothes, but you kept quiet, didn't you? When I saw you eyeing up the hat, the boots, in the store, I figured it was as good a time as any to solve the problem.”

  “What did you do, Finn?” Her voice was breathy, her chest tight.

  His hands gripped her shoulders, eased her back. Bending to meet her eyes, he smiled gently. “My submissive doesn't walk around in clothes breaking apart at the seams, Ava. My girlfriend shouldn't have to hide her clothes because she's ashamed of them. I thought you'd brought along a pair of crotchless panties and considered myself a lucky man, until it dawned on me the holes were in completely the wrong place. You deserve better, darlin', and I shouldn't have waited this long to understand how asking for things you need makes you real uncomfortable.”

  Crap, he found the panties. Ava bit her lip, wishing she'd burned the damn things. She wouldn't have bothered packing them if she'd taken the time to sort through her meagre belongings before she literally shoved everything she owned into the bag. “I've been saving up some cash for some new clothes,” she began, almost biting her tongue in her haste.

  The eyebrow lifted. “Well, now you can add your savings to your wages and buy yourself something you really want,” he interrupted firmly. “The closet is full, you'll wear what you like when you want to, and I won't listen to an argument, little dove. This is my prerogative as your Dominant.” He kissed her, his lips warm against the chill of her own, then straightened. “Oh, and don't worry if you can't find any panties, Ava. There are none. After today, you're banned from wearing them.”

  “B-Banned?” she spluttered. “Why?”

  He grinned and offered his hand. “Because I say so. Might be I have a yen to fuck you in one of the stalls, or out on the trails. Bare that pretty ass for a spanking when I feel like it. Who knows?” He led her down the porch steps when her hand slipped into his, the heat of his skin a blessing. “A tough decision on my part, of course—gonna be hard as a fucking steel beam every damn day, knowing that sweet pussy of yours is bare and wet.”

  She was definitely wet now, damn him. “Finn, Sir, I...it's not right, you buying me—”

  He stopped in the darkness, his form vaguely outlined by the distant lights of the barns, exchanging the hold on her hand for one on her hips. She yelped when he lifted her, her feet dangling in the air. She couldn't see his eyes, his expression in the shadows; there was only the waft of his breath on her face and the brush of his nose against hers.

  “It's my right, Ava. My submissive will not go without the things she needs, do you understand me? If you don't like them, if they don't fit, that's absolutely fine, we'll return them and get something you do like, but make no mistake, you are keeping the damn c
lothes!” He wasn't shouting at her, not in the slightest, but his tone told her she wouldn't win this battle. “It's only money, darlin', and a few necessities won't bankrupt me. I made a promise when you agreed to move here that I would take care of you to the best of my ability, and hell is gonna be a popsicle before I break it.”

  She sighed, defeated. There was no way she would win this, not when he was as stubborn as one of his bulls. But it really didn't feel right, just rolling over without a fight. She was here to be with him, not to take advantage of his money...even if he earned a stomach-churning amount which, quite frankly, scared her. “Can I at least say thank you again?”

  “No,” he told her sternly, then thrilled her with an Eskimo kiss. “But you can show me how you say thank you later tonight.”

  Her new boots touched the ground again, and they were striding through the dark before she untwisted her tongue enough to speak. “That's not going to involve butt stuff, is it? Because to be honest with you, I don't think my butt is prepared to take on the enormity of that task again any time soon, Sir.”

  “As appealing as that sounds, I think your mouth should pay some penance for all your protests.” Finn guided her through the little gate that separated the front yard from the main yard, his arm around her waist as they headed toward the brightening lights of the first barn.

  There was an eerie feel to the ranch this morning. Pens of weaned calves waited to be loaded onto transportation for the long ride to the other stations, but they were quiet. She saw them lurking in the shadows, clusters of them sleeping while others munched on hay or milled around the water troughs. By tonight, they would be back out in the pastures, miles away from their mothers and the only home they'd ever known.

  “Mind your step,” Finn murmured as they rounded the corner of the barn. Despite his warning, she almost tripped up the concrete step like an idiot. “Steady, darlin'. Don't need any broken bones this morning.”