“Oh, sure. They’re really calm when they herd them into the pens and cram them together.”
“Lady—”
“My name is Mallory.”
He didn’t want to say her name. Calling her lady wasn’t as dangerous. Calling her Mallory made him think of the way she looked and the lyrical sound of her voice. Still, he wouldn’t mind trying her name on the tip of his tongue. He had a feeling that it would feel just right.
“Let me educate you a little. A good packing plant has lots of pens. When the cattle come in, they don’t cram the animals together like you’re saying. They break them into smaller groups with room to move before they drive them into a chute and into the plant. The chute’s high enough that the animals can’t see what’s going on and don’t get afraid.”
Why was he bothering explaining it? And yet, he knew why. She was special. Maybe more special than anyone he’d ever met.
“That’s what I said. They get herded inside to be killed in a brutal, cruel way.”
He almost lost it. His fangs erupted through his gums, and if Gunner hadn’t taken him by the shoulders and hauled him backward, he would’ve shifted in front of her.
“Mallory.” Gunner’s tone was softer. Then again, he was usually able to maintain his cool better than Rick could. “Where are you getting your information?”
“If you must know, from a neighbor of yours. He told me who you’re selling your cattle to. Lawson Industries is the worst of the worst.”
“Aw, fuck.” Rick heeded Gunner’s stern look to stay back. “I’ll bet anything it’s that damn were—” He stopped, all too aware of his near-slip. “That damn Burton Shenton.”
He doubted she would’ve admitted that he’d guessed correctly, but the subtle change in her expression and her quick blink told him that he’d guessed right.
“Not just from the neighbor, but from insider videos, too.”
Gunner laughed, throwing her a curve. “Let me guess. Videos off the Internet, right?”
Her expression gave her away again.
“Because everything you see and read on the Internet is factual and true, right?”
She swallowed, then crossed her arms. A challenge if Rick had ever seen one. “I’ve seen the videos. They aren’t faked.”
“Maybe not, but they are edited to get a certain shock value.”
“I disagree. From what I’ve seen—”
Rick couldn’t stand it any longer. The whatever-it-was he’d felt earlier had grown steadily stronger, adding to his attraction. He felt compelled to touch her, to feel her skin under his hands. She’d taken control of his mind as well as his body, urging him to forget that he’d just met her. Urging him to throw her over his back and take her home with him. Instead, he opted for a more civilized option.
He moved fast and took hold of her arms. The moment he did, he lost any chance of denying the compulsion.
An even more intense jolt of the electric current hammered at every nerve in his body. It wrapped around him, tightening, until he knew he couldn’t break free. Hell, he didn’t want to break free. From her stunned expression, she’d felt it, too.
Her friend moved to step between them, but she held him off. “It’s okay, Kid. I’m okay.”
The big guy eased away from her, but not too far. Rick figured that if the man wanted, he could take hold of Rick and send him flying.
Rick’s hands shook. What the hell was happening between them? Why did he want, hell, need to touch her so much that it ate at his gut?
“Mallory, we could run you off our land and have this done, but I don’t like the idea of you thinking that we treat our animals badly.” Gunner was de-stressing the situation.
Rick heard the strain in his voice. He had to be feeling it, too.
“How about this? Come and stay with us.” Gunner nodded at Kid. “Both of you. See how we run our ranch.”
“I don’t think—”
“Hang on before you say no. Don’t we deserve a fair hearing? If at the end of your stay, you still think we’re cruel, heartless bastards, then I’ll help you send out your video. Hell, I’ll even send one to Lawson.”
“I never called you heartless or bastards.”
He gave her the smile that so many women had found irresistible. “No, I guess you didn’t. So? What do you say? Will you give us a chance to prove you wrong?”
It was obvious that she was still unconvinced. Rick added his own incentive. The turmoil of lust she’d started inside him wouldn’t allow him not to. “I’ll have a friend of mine check into Lawson’s. Not that I think he’ll find anything wrong.”