Fire Line (The Griffith Brothers, #3)

by Maggie C. Gates

The thought of my nephew coloring her tattoos with markers, like my nieces used to do to Ray, made me want to rush to the house and get down on one knee right then and there.

Just because there are clouds doesn’t mean the sun doesn’t exist. You don’t have to put up a front and pretend like it doesn’t hurt. Let it hurt. Let it heal. You don’t have to have all the answers right now.”

“I like your family,” she admitted. “A lot.” “Good,” I said as I softly kissed her lips. “Because I’m pretty sure they love you too. And Len?” “Hmm?” She looked up with diamond-covered lashes. I wiped her tear-stained cheeks again. “I love you too.”

“Can’t you just push me against the wall and fuck my mouth or something? I know how to handle that. I’m good at that. I’ve never thought about what it would be like to fall in love, and it scares me.” “It’s okay to be scared, Len.” I rested my forehead on hers. “It’s not,” she whispered as the words choked her. I pressed a long kiss to her forehead. “It is. You know why?” I cupped her cheeks. “Because you scare me.”

“You wanted normal, so I’m giving you normal.” He ripped the clipboard out of my hands and spun me to face him. “On your knees for me, beautiful.”

“Whose name is on your uniform?” “Yours,” I whispered as I pulled his zipper down. “Whose name is on the building you work at?” “Yours,” I said as I peeled down the elastic waist of his boxers. A slow smile worked up his devilish face. “My last name. My ranch. My pretty mouth to fuck.”

“Eyes on me while my cock is in your mouth, Lennon. You don’t focus on anything but me.”

“You feel so fucking good, Len. Give me a little more. I know you can do it. You’re so good for me.”

“Len, I’m gonna come. Stop.” I opened my eyes, lifted an eyebrow, and released his dick with a pop. “Well, don’t be a pussy about it. Come in my mouth, cowboy.”

“Poor little Eleanor,” he said with a disturbing mixture of malice and glee. “All you had to do was drive the car and keep your mouth shut.” The blade of a freshly sharpened chef’s knife gleamed in the fluorescent light. “Justin swore up and down you could do that.”

“I gotta admit. Hunting you down wasn’t easy. I didn’t even know if I had the right person when I applied for the job listing down here. Prison changed you.”

you killed him,” I said as my head spun. “You s-slit his t-throat.” “A little messy, I’ll admit. But it’s like you and DeRossi always say. Presentation matters.”

All it took was me promising your brother I’d split the money with him when he got out to keep him quiet. But you . . . You kept running your mouth about how innocent you were. So, I had to scare you straight.” The delight in his eyes was frenetic and unhinged. “Did it work, Eleanor?” he panted. “Did you get my message?”

“What did I tell you about disrespecting the women on this ranch?” CJ crept forward on smooth feet with his gun drawn. “Ah, the cowboy rides in, just in time to save the day. How fucking poetic.” Julian let out a demented cackle. “Too late!” The sound of the gunshot rang out, and searing pain ripped through my chest.

There was a fucking knife in Lennon’s chest, and I couldn’t do a damn thing but sit there and hold her, biting back tears.

“For right now, I think she’s ready to see you. She never stopped talking about her fiancé while she hung out in the PACU.”

“What do you need?” I asked as I pulled a chair up to her bedside and wrapped her hand in mine. “Say it and it’s yours.” “Marry me?” she mumbled as her head lulled to the side again. I leaned over and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I’m planning on it.” “Mmmkay,” she said in a labored breath. “’Cause I think I love you.”

Even though the restaurant’s security cameras recorded our—uh—tryst, we still had to recount everything to ensure it all added up. I’d probably never live that blowjob down.

“I’ll make arrangements. Don’t worry about it.” “Babe,” Lennon grumbled. I didn’t care that she was mad that I was handling things without her input. She called me “babe.” That little bit of affection from her made me stand that much taller.

“Want to meet your niece? This is Olivia.” Olivia had little brown curls just like Brooke, but her features were all Griffith.

The black and white strands of her hair blended into a silver braid. Shadows and light. She embodied both beautifully. Ash coated what flames couldn’t take down.

If it was CJ, it would be steady, purposeful strides in cowboy boots. Mrs. Griffith usually wore sneakers, so her steps were softer. Mr. Griffith had an offbeat pattern of walking with his walking stick. If it was Ray, I’d hear the slide of his wheelchair against the tile and hardwood. Cassandra’s high heels had a distinct click. Nate’s gait was almost completely silent, whereas Becks stomped in like an elephant. Christian’s footfalls were heavy, but he slid his heels a little, giving his boots a distinct hiss.

I checked the crossword game on my phone. Ray hadn’t made a move yet. “Is your husband right behind you?” Brooke snickered. “Yeah. He’s fuming outside.”

“Wipe that fucking look off your face, Maddox,” Ray snapped. Cassandra glanced over her shoulder at CJ. “You’re not going to yell at your brother for speaking to Lennon like that?” CJ couldn’t take his eyes off the baby in his arms. “And get bitched out by my girl? Absolutely not. Do you let Christian fight your battles?” Cassandra inspected her nails. “Fine. You have a point.” Ray pointed a finger at me. “You’re out of the game.” “And you’re just jealous.” “You cheated!” he countered. “There’s no way you pulled four triple word scores out of your ass without help. You can’t Google words! That’s the rule,” Ray shouted.

I dragged J, U, X, S, T, A from my row of letters and added them to the board where I’d put the word “position” on a triple word score space during my previous turn. Cassandra and Ray’s phones dinged as I racked up eighty-seven points in a single turn. Ray let out a low growl and pitched his phone into an empty armchair. “Fuck you and your stupid vocabulary.” “Have you always been a sore loser, or is this a new trait for you?”

“But let’s make one thing clear. If you ever speak to my woman that way again, I will dig your grave while she slices you to ribbons with a kitchen knife.” “Looks like it’s back to just me and Cass playing,” Ray grumbled.

“Stop arguing with me, slugger.” He pecked my forehead. “We’re just getting a head start on the ‘for better or worse’ part of things.”

“You know, I started getting sad when my boys grew up. The house got more and more quiet. They moved out, made their way in the world, and built their own lives. And that’s the way it’s supposed to be.”

Nate came back from deployment all torn up over this woman he had met over there. It didn’t take long for Becks to show up after Nate came home. And then Becks brought Cassandra out here, and she fell in love with Christian. Brooke stumbled onto the ranch.” She chuckled. “We’ve just been waiting for you, dear.”

Let’s just say Brooke and Ray are going to have their hands full with Seth if he’s anything like his daddy.”

“Years ago, I was having a similar chat with Cassandra. I told her that it takes a strong woman to put up with a cowboy, and I stand by that.” She squeezed my arm. “I can’t imagine anyone better for Carson.”

“I’m a little out of commission at the moment.”

“Don’t be sorry. But mark my words, trouble. As soon as you’re back on your feet, I’m going to make you feel so damn good.” The faint memory of that night at the bar floated back through my mind. I cupped his cheek while he was still on his knees and looked him dead in those hypnotic eyes. “Counting on it, pretty boy.”

Lennon’s blush was the prettiest sunset I’d ever seen.

Bree and Gracie were each holding up their left hands and pointing to their ring fingers. Everyone else echoed the sentiment.

Just figured we could go see how Kevin is doing.” Lennon looked up through her lashes. “Are you really bribing me with a cow?” “Your cow,” I clarified. “Your cow that you somehow convinced me to let you name 'Kevin.'” Lennon smirked. “Are you mad that his name is Kevin or that he has a name at all?” I rested my forearms on her desk. “Get in the truck, pretty girl. Let’s go see Kevin.”

Lennon’s eyes widened as Anarchy nuzzled her. She placed her cheek on Anny’s long nose and closed her eyes, returning the love. They were kindred spirits.

“Might even get a pair of boots.” “You’d better let me go with you. Ray has his own line of boots, and if you wear anything else, it’s considered family treason.” Lennon’s giggle was light like a birdsong after spring rain. “Understood.”

“If you didn’t bring me out for sex, then I’d say you’re passing up a golden opportunity. I could be riding your dick where your guys won’t hear us through the walls. But it would be just our luck that someone would stumble out this way.”

Those three acres and this tree are ours.” “Yours,” she said. I shook my head and kissed her. “Ours, Len. And you know what? It’s far enough from the lodge that you can’t even see the lights. We get an unobstructed view, east and west, so the sunrises and sunsets are always ours.”

“I’ll plant you a million wildflowers, so you never open your eyes without seeing your beauty reflected back to you. I’ll build you that house with a glass roof, so the stars are never far. I’ll gladly give you my last name because I want you to be a part of this legacy. But I’d also take yours because you are the most important person in my life. I’d give it all to you, and I’d give it all up for you.”

“I thought you wanted me to wear your jacket. I get my own?” “You can have my jacket too, but I have something else I want you to wear.” I pulled the ring out of my pocket and held it between us. “This.”

“Remember the first question you asked me?” I shook my head. “You pushed me out of the way at the bar and said, ‘Do you wanna be next, cowboy?’” He slid the ring onto my left hand. “Len, I’m not the next one. I’m the last one. You and me? I know a good thing when I’ve got it. This is a forever kind of love. And, if you’ll have me, I’d like to be your husband.”

“What do you think you’re doing, trouble?” he murmured before swirling his tongue around my nipple. I squeezed my thighs together to ease the ache, but his hand was faster, cupping my sex and stalling my pleasure. “You don’t think I moved to Texas without a little research?” I smirked. “I’m aware of the cowboy hat rule.”

“Alright, Trouble. You’re wearing the hat.” He reached up and straightened it on my head. “Looks like you have to ride the cowboy.”

“Do you want me to fuck this cunt without anything between us?”

“I want to hear you say it, Len. Say the words. Tell me exactly what you want.”

“Need a little motivation?” he teased as he braced his thigh between the apex of my legs. “Fine. You don’t get my cock until you tell me in explicit detail that you want me to fuck you bare. Now, ride my thigh.”

“Tell me what you want and I’m more than happy to give it to you.” “Fuck me,” I rasped as my pussy clenched around nothing. “It would be my pleasure,” he said, but didn’t move. “How would you like to get fucked, darling? You were never this shy before.” My throat was dry. “With your cock.” He chuckled as lightning blazed up and down my spine. “Now we’re getting somewhere.” “Please, Carson. Please.” “I like it when you say my name.

“You needy little thing. Soaked and humping my thigh. Tell me what you want, Len, and I’ll give it to you.” My chest tightened. “Fuck me bare.” “Good girl,” he grunted as he grabbed my hips and yanked me forward. “Now get on my cock. Let me feel you.”