Mustang by Piper Stone

Chapter 2

Mustang

“What the hell happened to the happy-go-lucky guy we all used to know?”

Hawk’s question hadn’t bothered me until now. The carnal need building deep within me was unexpected, creating the kind of hunger I’d never felt before. While I’d originally thought the answer as well as the strong emotion remained in the darkest pits of Afghanistan, along with my joy of life, something had just snapped within me.

Maybe my desire was an attempt to mask the continued rage that threatened to eat me alive. Whatever the case, right now I remained electrified. There was no doubt the sexy woman was going to get herself in trouble. What was she was searching for?

“Mustang. You should go and take another look at the herd.”

I shot Tanner a nasty look before returning my attention back in her direction. A gnawing in my gut continued as I watched as she headed to the other side of the auditorium, noticing as a man followed her, keeping just enough distance that she likely wouldn’t pay attention. She certainly had ruffled some feathers. I sauntered back in his direction. “There’s something strange about that gal being here.”

“Yeah, well, today ain’t the time for that. Keep your eyes on the ball, Mustang. We’ve got a little while to wait before you can place your bid. You know the price Hawk is willing to go,” Tanner said before following my gaze. “We need to get the lot in question. That’ll really help increase the herd at the ranch. Hawk thinks we can get them for a good price. Check them out one more time to make certain they’re good quality but do so nonchalantly.”

Hawk had been insistent on both of us coming to the auction, mentioning he’d been tipped off by a phone call. While Hawk and I had been planning on increasing the number of steer for some time, his decision seemed to come out of the blue.

I gazed at the ranch foreman and exhaled. Tanner had been assigned to provide assistance during this particular buy. In other words, Hawk had wanted to make certain I knew what the fuck I was doing. Hell, I couldn’t blame my buddy. He’d waited for a couple of months before pushing me into taking over the purchase and acclimation of additional livestock. Times were still tough, money spent wisely, but slowly Big Meadow was becoming a respected name in ranching.

“Come to work with me,” Jake ‘Hawk’ Travers had asked barely a day after arriving home from Afghanistan. Hell, I’d known him since I was still wet behind the ears, another homegrown from Missoula. “I need someone I can trust,” he’d added. “You’re my best friend and the only one I want to share the business with.”

I’d accepted without question. There was no reason to return overseas, the contract job I’d once revered stripped away, as it had been from all of us. Only two of our motley group of five buddies remained overseas, both Reaper and Vader finishing out their respective contracts. We were all attempting to deal with our grief in different ways.

For me, it was all about guilt.

“A mission that should’ve never happened,” the group of us had been told.

“You’re the reason several good soldiers were lost,” the major general had said more than once.

One by one, we’d been ceremoniously dismissed from our commissions. Five friends. Five Marines. Five bad boy cowboys.

Once there had been six, all of us willing to die for the other.

Then there’d been tragedy.

Anger remained from the way the assholes in charge had handled the situation, my soul still aching at the loss of a man who’d been a friend, a fellow soldier, and someone I’d looked up to. I remained bitter, furious that a group of proud and honorable men had been labeled traitors by several higher ranking Marines. Fuck them. They had no idea what had occurred on that dark and wretched night or the suffering we’d all endured.

I’d never forget the first day I’d arrived back in Montana, the look on Hawk’s face when he realized the task I’d been required to handle. I’d never seen the man cry, but on that day, his eyes had been glistening.

The act of bringing home a fallen hero, accepting such an honor had taken a significant toll on all of us, but there was no remorse in the decisions I’d made. Since the day of Snake’s funeral, Hawk and I hadn’t been able to talk about the difficult mission.

Or the choices we’d all been forced to make.

Sighing, I rubbed my tired eyes, wanting to get this event the fuck over with. A flash of memories sliced into my mind, the same ones that continued to give me nightmares.

“Where the fuck are you going?” I hissed at Hawk, noticing the bastard rebel soldiers getting closer. The sound of gunfire was all around us. I knew what my buddy was thinking. He was going to save Snake’s life regardless of the danger. “We need to get the hell out of here.”

“I’m not leaving without Snake,” Hawk growled.

“Then we’ll all fucking die!” I snapped.

The memory wasn’t one I ever wanted to think about again. Somehow, I knew that wasn’t going to happen.

Duty.

Honor.

Respect.

All three words had been drilled into me for years, leaving me a changed man. Or at least that’s what I’d heard more than once since arriving back home.

Maybe immersing myself in the auction was the best thing for me. However, there was something about the feisty girl that had yanked me into another plane altogether.

I craned my neck, continuing to study her. The asshole following her seemed to have disappeared.

“Stop worrying, Tanner. The price is ingrained in my mind and I know what I’m doing.” While I was thankful Hawk had asked me to join the business, I still had to prove that I could handle the job. It was another thought that made me cringe. As much as Hawk had attempted to avoid handling his father’s ranch, even pretending he didn’t give a damn, I’d known better.

He was a cowboy through and through. Now he was making one hell of a surrogate father to his deceased brother’s little girl as well as helping the ranch turn a profit.

Hell, I wasn’t certain staying in once place was even in my blood. The military was the only place I’d ever felt comfortable, or decent as a human being. Some of the folks in town still saw me as the bad boy, a kid with a nasty reputation as well as a bad temper. Time would tell if they would be able to get over the moniker. At least I could help Hawk get the ranch on a profitable road before any decisions were made.

Tanner and I had come early, inspecting the various pens and livestock without tipping our hand as to the lot we were here to bid on. I had an advantage since I’d only been back from Afghanistan for a couple of months and this was my first auction. No one knew me so the bid from some unknown entity might throw them off their game.

Tanner tipped his hat, his gaze more inquisitive than anything else. “I can see that. You just need to know this is a dog-eat-dog environment. Nothing like before. Ranchers are like vultures given the state of the economy. There are also some unscrupulous people in the game as well. You just need to be careful.” He kept his voice hushed, his eyes forever scanning the group of seated ranchers.

That much I’d learned as well. Times were entirely different than when I’d left Missoula years before, the economy shutting down several of the ranches and farms I’d known as a kid. I’d even questioned whether I still had a place in the ranching world. Still, I was in no mood to be treated as if I’d never seen a damn cattle auction before. Besides, careful wasn’t in my vocabulary.

“Yeah, I got it.”

Tanner bristled, grumbling under his breath.

“What is it?”

He cursed in Spanish before inching closer. “Stay away from that one.”

After searching the crowd, I followed Tanner’s stare toward a man who stood at the rails, the same one who’d been following the cowgirl. Interesting. “What about him?”

“He’s bad news. An asshole. A true swindler.”

“There must be a story.”

Snorting, he darted a look in my direction. “Not one worth mentioning any longer, but just mind you stay away from him.”

“Got it. I’ll take another look at the herd.”

Nodding, I knew the business was cutthroat, men and women fighting tooth and nail to purchase the prized collection of their choice. I shifted closer to the stairs, keeping my attention pinned on the copper-haired vixen as she was escorted toward the rear set of doors by one of the burly security guards. My entire body remained electrified, my balls tightening just from the sight of her.

“Careful with that one as well, Mustang. All kidding aside. The rumor mill has it that she’s a ball buster,” Tanner huffed, even growling under his breath.

“Meaning what?” I shot him a nasty look.

“No one seems to know who she is, but she’s been asking a lot of questions the past couple of weeks, snooping around where she shouldn’t be. She’s even making inquiries with certain members of law enforcement.”

“Why?”

“I told you, lots of unscrupulous people in the business,” Tanner huffed. “Some particular ranchers are starting to notice, the kind you don’t want to have on your radar. The girl is going to get herself in a heap of trouble if you ask me. You know how tight the big boys are. They don’t like to be fucked with.”

“Interesting.” Yeah, I knew exactly how tight they were. In some ways, it was like going back in time, an old boy’s club. A feisty woman wouldn’t be accepted easily, especially one with a caustic mouth. Why did I have the feeling he had more of an indication about what she was looking for than he was willing to tell me? While Tanner was a good man, foreman for Hawk’s brother Drake as well as their father, he didn’t take kindly to outsiders.

Including me.

“I’m going to do a walk, see if there are any other ranchers that will fight our bid. Just my advice. Keep her off your radar.”

“Yeah, I hear you. I’ll keep that in mind,” I said with no inflection, making a mental note to mention it to Hawk at some point. Chuckling, I realized I didn’t even know her name.

I remained standing in the back of the crowded auditorium, studying the way the various ranchers handled placing their bets. There were always strategies, but in the end, it all boiled down to the person with the highest bid. However, it was obvious that the old timers expected to win the opportunity. I was here for one thing. Angus beef.

As the bidding process began, I paid close attention to who was most active. I knew a few of the cowboys, although time hadn’t necessarily been good to them. While the younger group of bidders didn’t surprise me, they seemed out of their element.

After a few minutes, I’d seen enough. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. I walked outside into the sunshine, immediately grabbing my sunglasses. My mood remained surly, likely from the various nightmares that had kept me awake over the past week.

And the tequila I’d consumed in an effort to soothe the demons. The hangover left my mouth dry and my pulse skipping.

Plus, I wasn’t a patient man and auctions held no interest in my mind. As I walked through the aisles, the stench grew significantly worse, the heat oppressive for a September day. I found my way to Lot 63, the pen full of the Angus steer Hawk was determined to purchase. I had to admit the animals were impressive as hell.

But I walked on by, acting as if I didn’t care, moving to the next pen. At least I could find a position where I could study the Angus for a few minutes as well.

I moved closer to the metal fencing, leaning over the top rail. When I noticed the same girl from before taking pictures in as clandestine a manner as possible, I became even more curious, heading to the other side of the pen. She didn’t bother acknowledging my presence.

At least at first.

“If it isn’t the dangerous man,” she stated in a nasty voice. “I’m curious. Are you just some jerkoff who enjoys threatening women, attempting to disguise yourself as my friend?”

Jesus Christ. The woman was one hellion on wheels.

“Mouthy brat, this dangerous man saved you from being accosted.” I could tell she was shaking, as if the confrontation she’d experienced inside had rattled her.

“Mouthy brat? You have some nerve.”

“I guess I could say the same damn thing about you.” I lifted a single eyebrow after issuing the words, every inch of my body electrified just as before. Why would I have such a reaction to a strong-willed, bitchy female?

Even if she was sexy as fuck.

The same visions flashed into my mind as the scent of her perfume wafted into my nostrils. I wanted nothing more than to spread her legs open wide and feast on her pussy.

Snorting, she snapped several pictures of the steer, her single look rebellious as hell. “What’s wrong? The Angus too rich for your blood? My guess is that you’re some lowlife cowboy who wallows in his own stench after enjoying abusing the animals.”

I was shocked at the nasty stream of words coming out of her mouth. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me. Let me guess. You’re just one of those assholes. Same shit. Different day,” she hissed. “If you think you can stop me, you’re wrong. I have every right to be here.” She snapped her head in my direction.

However, the animosity in her gorgeous wide-open eyes further fueled my aggravation. Why was she fucking with me?

And what the hell had she argued about with the auction officials? Abuse? I was more than just incensed at her accusations. I was pissed as hell. I’d never hurt an animal for any reason.

Jesus Christ. What beef did she have with the auction, or was it just men in general? While the woman’s sultry voice sent a skittering of heat down the length of my legs, my inability to keep my anger in check was my immediate reaction. “You’re right. I am an asshole. The simple truth is that I’m not the kind of man to be fucked with. I guess the only question on the table is who the hell are you? Some animal-loving jerk who makes assumptions about shit she has no clue about?” I stated, trying to keep my anger in check.

I’d failed, a harsh hiss erupting from my gut.

“Dangerous? That almost makes me laugh, cowboy. As far as who I am? I’m someone determined to expose the industry and all your atrocities.” She gave me a hard onceover before continuing. “I know I’m right. See, I’ve watched you during the course of the day, the way you are sizing up every one of the smaller ranchers, ready to pick off their livestock like some vulture.”

What the fuck?

“You did what?” I snapped back.

She nodded, inching close enough I was able to gather another whiff of her provocative perfume. As the exotic scent filtered into my system, my mind shifted to a bizarre combination of fury as well as desire. The way the light breeze forced several strands of her hair to float across her face was almost as beautiful as the golden halo created by the sun’s rays. Then there was her nasty expression, the utter hatred in her eyes.

“I have pictures of you checking out eight of the poorest ranchers, going back and forth from one to the other. My guess is you have some plan in mind, working with others to lowball them. Do you have any idea how hard it is for these ranchers to be here selling off their livelihood?”

No wonder her caustic questions were riling every red-blooded cowboy.

“Lady. I don’t know who you are or what you’re accusing me of, but I suggest you get the fuck away from me before things get ugly.” While the words were spouted off before I could think about them, they certainly had an effect, but not the one I would have expected.

She took a step away, immediately lifting her camera and snapping several pictures of me. “I’ll take that as a direct threat, something I refuse to tolerate. I don’t care if you are from some big ranch, your shit does stink. Trust me, you will be hearing from me again, only you won’t like what I have to say.”

I was shocked to the point I had no immediate reaction other than to stare at her smug expression. What I could tell was that there wasn’t a cowboy within close proximity who hadn’t heard the exchange, their scrutinizing gazes meaning their curiosity could entice them to dig into my identity, watching my future moves. I’d been looking at every other lot of cattle with the exception of the Angus in a stupid attempt not to tip my hand. Well, that shit wasn’t going to fly any longer.

Within seconds, the ridiculous shock wore off and I went after her, determined to find out what she thought she knew. Accusations of this nature could ruin the reputation of the ranch. Hawk already had enough on his plate to deal with this shit.

“Where the fuck are you?” I huffed under my breath, a combination of frustration and burning desire sweeping through my system. While I appreciated her feisty behavior, I didn’t think anyone would be able to tame the little filly and I had zero patience. I took long strides, pushing my way through the crowd in my effort to find her.

I wasn’t surprised that she’d left the pen area quickly. She’d made her point in front of enough people, sending whatever disjointed accusations she’d been determined to do.

While I was taller than the majority of the crowd, standing a little over six-foot-four, I wasn’t able to catch a glimpse of her.

At first.

When another glimmer of sun highlighted her long hair, I growled and took long strides in her direction, wrapping my hand around her forearm and jerking her backwards. “What the hell do you think you’re doing? You need to tell me what you’re really doing here.”

“Get off me, you brute,” she hissed, struggling to get out of my hold then shoving her palms against my chest. “I don’t owe you a damn thing.”

“Maybe I am a brute,” I said through clenched teeth as I dragged her closer. “But you attacked me, little lady. From where I come from, that’s pretty close to assault.”

Her eyes opened wide again then she burst out laughing. “You are just as pompous as the rest of the cowboys, maybe even more. And there’s more where that came from if you threaten me again.”

Our nasty argument had drawn far too much attention already. I yanked her around the corner and into the shadows of the building, pushing her hard against the siding. At least there were far fewer folks who’d pay any attention. “That’s it. I refuse to take any additional crap from you. If you have evidence of some criminal activity, then you need to let the sheriff know.”

“Uh-huh.” Grinning, she tried to stand as tall as possible, although I towered over her by several inches. “Just give it your best shot, buster. That just means you’re like all the rest of the assholes.”

The electricity between us soared and for a few seconds, I almost kissed her for the second time. What the hell was going through my mind? While a part of me continued to hunger, longing to own her, I’d likely have to keep her locked in a cage given her ridiculous behavior.

Assholes.My anger continued to flare, even as my hard cock pushed hard against my jeans. I hadn’t experienced this kind of reaction to a woman in one hell of a long time. “I’m going to ask you one more time nicely, then things are going to get rough.”

“Rough, huh? Is that all your assholes know how to do, terrify and torture? I don’t have to say a damn thing to you.” She slammed her fist against my chest then attempted to slap me with her other hand.

Now I was spitting angry, seeing spots in front of my eyes. I snapped her wrist a split second before it connected with my jaw. “That wasn’t very nice.”

“That’s because I’m not a nice girl. In fact, I’m one nasty bitch so I suggest you get the hell away from me.”

While I would never hurt a woman, this one needed to understand that I wasn’t the kind of man who would allow bad behavior to stand. Not for any reason.

The best thing to do was disarm her. The inner bad boy grinned as I wrapped my hand around her throat, digging my fingers into her lithe neck.

That’s when I kissed her, crushing my mouth over hers. The shock of the taste as well as her body leaning into mine was instantaneous. For a few seconds, the experience felt like absolute heaven. I hadn’t had a woman in my arms or in my bed for years. I was almost instantly intoxicated from her perfume, the fragrance floating around me like one giant haze.

I thrust my tongue inside as she moaned into the kiss, her fisted hands pushing hard against my chest. The act of exploring the dark recesses of her mouth was filthy yet delicious, my cock aching like a son of a bitch. Time seemed to stand still as the electricity soared, my heart racing, my balls tight as drums.

As I kept my hold, she arched her back, grinding her hips against me and my hunger rocked off the charts. I wanted nothing more than to drive my cock into her tight little pussy as she wrapped her legs around me, screaming out my name.

I wasn’t even certain why I broke the kiss but as I dragged my tongue around her lips, the single purr she emitted was powerful, yanking out the Neanderthal inside. We were both breathing rapidly, the scattered sounds echoing in my ears. Damn, I wanted this woman.

Whoever the hell she was.

Then reality set in, forcing me to rethink my approach.

“You’re a pig,” she whispered, her words barely audible.

“Maybe so.”

“I’m going to… turn you in to the police or… I’m going to…”

“Uh-huh. Here’s the thing, you wicked brat,” I half whispered. “I don’t take kindly to anyone who tosses around accusations, especially someone who doesn’t know me. Especially if it ruins my chance for a business transaction. I also don’t like foul-mouthed women. Kinda pisses me off. You don’t seem to realize that you could land yourself in a whole mess of trouble making baseless accusations. The good folks of Missoula don’t like being messed with. So, here’s what we’re going to do.” I was prepared to drag her outside in an attempt to find out what the hell she was getting at.

Until she lifted her leg, attempting to knee me in the balls.

In a split second, I yanked her wrist as I stepped away from the building, the bad boy side of me reacting in an entirely different manner.

I thumped my boot on top of one of the chairs positioned next to the building and pulled her over my lap.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” she squealed.

“I’m giving you exactly what you deserve. One. Hard. Spanking.”