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and kiss every damn inch of both men. My God, they were gorgeous. She drifted off to sleep imagining the feel of their skin and the muscles beneath her fingertips. She got to touch their sexy necklaces and trail her fingers against their chiseled jaws. They were wild, and she imagined each man inside of her until suddenly, in her dream, Vic’s and Tommy’s faces turned to Devlon’s.
    She saw him riding that wild, diseased bull. He really thought that he was going to win that illegal bull-riding challenge. But he was wrong. It didn’t matter how good he was because Tysler Cobbs fixed everything. She shuddered as her dream felt so realistic. The way the bull tossed him on his final few seconds to championship. He had won. He raised his hands up as he climbed the rickety fence and smiled wide. He walked to get his prize money, glancing at Elise, giving her a wink. But Elise saw Mr. Cobbs and his thugs waiting on Devlon and appearing angry. Cobbs stared at him and told him that he wasn’t going to give him the money because Devlon wasn’t supposed to win. That was when Elise found out that Devlon had been betting on the bull riding.
    Devlon walked away, kicking the dirt. She had asked him what was wrong and he replied with an attitude.
    “I’m done with this shit. I’m leaving, Elise. I don’t care that I owe them sixty grand. They’ll find a way to make me pay it anyway. I won that contest fair and square.”
    She tried to grab his arm to console him and help him figure out what to do.
    That was the last time she saw him alive.
    Elise heard the gunshots echoing in the night. She had known instantly that something was wrong. Devlon never came to her cabin. She got up, ran to the cabin door, and saw the men gathering around something. They were calling for help and an ambulance. She ran to the crowd of men, pushed through despite their attempts at trying to stop her and there was Devlon. His face unrecognizable, his body beaten as blood oozed from his chest and stomach. One of the older ranch hands pulled her into his arms and carried her away from the scene, but it didn’t matter. She would never forget what he looked like.
    She opened her eyes, felt her chest tighten and the panic attack begin. She hadn’t had one of these in over a year. She thought about Devlon. She thought about Vic and Tommy and the panic attack got worse. She had to clear her mind. She just needed to focus on breathing normally and know that everything was okay. She was safe here and no one was going to hurt her. Keeping to herself and ignoring her attraction to the deputies was her only sane option. She started to breathe a little easier and she leaned back against the headboard in a sitting-up position. It was then that she noticed her damp cheeks and wet pillow. She had been crying. Apparently, really badly.
    She had to stay away from Vic and Tommy. There was no way she was opening up her heart for pain again.
     
    * * * *
     
    “Hey, you look tired,” Ava told Elise as she walked into the kitchen. It was early afternoon. Elise never came down for breakfast or lunch. She had an hour before she had to leave for work.
    She shrugged her shoulders.
    “I thought maybe you weren’t home and decided to go out with that sexy cowboy who rode the bull against you,” Ava stated.
    Elise smiled and shook her head. “Not my type.”
    “Tall, wealthy, and good-looking? Honey, that’s my type and most women’s out there.”
    Elise just walked over toward the Keurig brewer and made herself a cup of coffee.
    “Okay. What’s going on? Did something happen last night during Thanksgiving?”
    Elise felt her cheeks warm. God, she hated being so young sometimes. It wasn’t like she wanted to rush her life away or anything. Hell, she wanted to enjoy every minute of it, but she felt so naïve and so confused.
    She ran her fingertip over the rim of the cup.
    “Who is he, or should I say they?” Ava asked as she crossed her arms and leaned her hip against