Property of Heartbreak Ranch (Contemporary Western Romance) (The Rough Riders Series Book 1) by Angel James

Author:Angel James
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Angel James
Published: 2015-05-29T23:00:00+00:00

***

Ambrose motioned to his goons. “Bring me the brand.” The man who’d been punched, was still rubbing his face, but went to do as he was told. To me, he explained, “I like to make sure that everyone knows what belongs to me.”

“What do you mean?” I asked, swallowing a sticky lump of fear.

The man withdrew a small iron prod with a brand symbol and began to heat it with a small blow torch over the cold fireplace.

“Some smart fella came up with the idea to burn a recognizable symbol into the flesh of his animals out in the field so that no one could steal his property and then lie about it later ‘cause the brand was proof of ownership. That fella learned how to protect his investment.”

“I’m a human being, not an animal,” I whispered, my vocal chords strangling me. “Please don’t do this.”

“Honey, I believe in protecting my investments. Everything belonging to Heartbreak Ranch has got the brand. That’s just good business.”

I stared, unable to process what he was saying. Brand me? Like cattle? I scrambled to my feet, my nakedness no longer my chief concern. “Please don’t brand me,” I begged, backing away, looking for an escape route.

Pure panic prevented me from thinking straight. I am ashamed to admit, in that moment, I wasn’t thinking of no one save myself. I didn’t want my skin marked. I didn’t want to wear Ambrose’s brand for the rest of my life.

Was he telling me I’d never be free of him? That scared me more than anything else. A part of me hoped that he would tire of me soon enough and then he’d turn me loose. Maybe I was living in denial, the situation just too much to take in all at once, but when he said he was going to brand me, I lost all hope of ever getting out of there.

And I freaked the fuck out.

I darted like a rabbit being pursued by coyotes but there was no escape. I was just wasting energy, zigging and zagging in the hopes of being free. Just as the bunny rarely escaped the coyote’s jaws, there was no escape for me either.

I was jerked off my feet and slammed to the ground, just like a calf and I screamed, kicking my feet and swearing like a sailor even as tears of complete terror streamed down my face. “Don’t! Don’t mark me!”

“Honey, stop your squirming, I’d hate to have to do it twice.” Ambrose chuckled and I sobbed as I abruptly stopped struggling, sucking in giant gulps of air as I tried to stop shaking from fear. Being branded once was bad enough; I wasn’t going through it a second time.

The brand, a smaller version of the Heartbreak Ranch mark seared into the cattle, glowed as Ambrose approached me. “Roll her over and hold her still,” he instructed. Suddenly, I was on my belly, every muscle in my body tensing and my bladder threatened to latch loose of its contents.

“This brand has been passed down from generation to generation in my family.

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