Rough Riders: Gone Country Part 42

He clenched his hands into fists at his sides and stared at her. "What the h.e.l.l do you think would've happened if I'd left you alone with Tyler Larkin?"

"I would've figured something out."

"Before or after he fed you more booze, dragged you into his bedroom and raped you?"

"What?"

"Rape. s.e.x without consent," he snarled. "Tyler doesn't f.u.c.king care if you're conscious."

She felt sick. "And how do you know that?"

"Because he did it to a friend of mine. They were drinking and then the next thing she remembered was waking up with him on top of her."

"Oh G.o.d."

Then Boone was face to face with her again. "I told you to stay away from Kara. And I heard you've been here, at her brother Tyler's house for the past two weekends."

"I didn't know it was his house." She swallowed hard. "I didn't know Tyler was her brother."

His eyes turned hard. "You just showed up at some random person's house and started drinking with strangers? Jesus. Sierra. You're smarter than that. Why would you do that?"

"Because I'm f.u.c.king sick and tired of sitting at home by myself all the time, okay? No one in this G.o.dforsaken town wants anything to do with me. So when Kara and Angie asked me to hang out, I said yes. I thought maybe I'd meet other people."

"You don't want to meet the people they hang out with," he snapped. "For Christsake, Tyler is twenty-three. He's been in jail. The only people who are around him are his loser jailbird buddies and his sister's high school friends who don't have any other place to drink."

"Then why are you here?" she demanded. "Are you one of his loser friends?"

"f.u.c.k no. I showed up because I heard at school you were here last weekend."

"Bull. I haven't seen you in school for weeks, so I doubt you heard heard anything." anything."

"I only need one credit to graduate so I'm only there for one cla.s.s in the morning, so yeah, I heard."

"Why do you give a s.h.i.+t what I do anyway?"

"Because I also heard you're some kind of party girl now."

"So?"

"So you don't need to head down this road again, Sierra. Making bad choices like you did in Arizona."

Maybe he was right. But he had no idea how alone she felt. And it wasn't like he called to check up on her like he'd said he might. He had no business judging her anyway. They weren't anything to each other.

Closing her eyes, she slumped against the door. "You've done your good deed, protecting me from Tyler. Thank you. You've made it clear I'm a f.u.c.king idiot. So go away."

"I'm just supposed to what? Leave you here?"

"I've got a car."

Boone's hands were on her arms. "You think you're gonna drive after you've been drinking? Bulls.h.i.+t. What the f.u.c.k is wrong with you?"

She twisted out of his hold. "I wasn't gonna leave right now, a.s.shole. I'll be sober enough to drive in a couple of hours. I'll just hang out until then."

"Listen to yourself. Do you really think Tyler will let you hang out hang out? Especially after I convinced him that we're together? What exactly do you think the people out there think we're doing in here? Talking Talking?" he half-sneered.

She opened her mouth to deny it, but Boone was right. "Fine. You can stay in here with me. That oughta add to your stud reputation. That you banged me for two solid hours."

Boone blushed. Then he got p.i.s.sed off. "Right. Because that's all I give a s.h.i.+t about. My reputation as some kind of stud. Even if we stay in here, that doesn't deal with the problem when we leave the bedroom."

"Which is what?"

"We'll have to act like we're together at least a little while, so Tyler doesn't track me down and beat the f.u.c.k out of me for pulling one over on him. That's the kind of guy he is. Making him look stupid turns him psycho." He ran his hand through his hair. "Dammit. This is the last thing I wanted."

Meaning, I'm the last one you wanted to be tied to-in reality or even pretend.

"You know what, Boone? f.u.c.k off. You don't have to act so disgusted that people will think we're together."

Boone whirled around. "That's what you think? That being with you would be an embarra.s.sment to me? G.o.d. You are are drunk." drunk."

"Shut up."

"Think about it. If we're a couple at school the news will spread like wildfire through the McKay and West families."

"Then we will have a very loud and public breakup on Monday morning. Or better yet, let's have a big fight now. Want me to scream and storm out?"

"Jesus. I'm not not doing this with you." He gave her a once over. "Where's your coat?" doing this with you." He gave her a once over. "Where's your coat?"

"In the living room."

"Do you have snow boots?"

"No."

"Gloves?"

"Yes, I'm not a total idiot."

Boone scowled at her. "Did you even check the weather before you went out tonight?"

She blinked at him.

"I take that as a no. The road conditions were s.h.i.+tty an hour ago. They've gotta be worse by now."

"Did you ride your bike here?"

"No."

"How'd you expect to get home?"

"How'd you you expect to get home?" he countered. "Or did you tell your dad you were spending the night someplace?" expect to get home?" he countered. "Or did you tell your dad you were spending the night someplace?"

"No. My curfew is midnight."

He glanced at his watch. "It's only nine thirty. Give me your keys."

"They're in my coat."

He blew out a frustrated breath. "When we get out there, go ahead and act like you're mad at me."

"Won't be an act," she flashed her teeth at him.

Boone jammed his hands into her hair and messed it up. He popped the b.u.t.ton on his jeans. Then he pulled her s.h.i.+rt down her arm, exposing her bra strap. "There. At least it looks like we've been going at it."

Her head pounded and she just wanted to leave.

He held out his hand for hers and opened the door.

A few catcalls greeted them. She'd just slipped on her coat when Kara and Angie sidled up to her. "OmiG.o.d, Sierra. Why didn't you tell us you were with Boone West?"

She looked at him, too tired to come up with something clever. "Because our families will freak out. So don't tell anyone. Please."

"It's our secret. We promise." They exchanged a conspiring look.

Sierra allowed Boone to tuck her against his side as they left the party.

Fierce winds smacked her in the face, stealing her breath, and she jerked away from Boone. Immediately vertigo hit; she swayed and fell on her a.s.s.

Boone picked her up without comment. He shoved her in the pa.s.senger seat and buckled her in.

The drive was tense and the visibility horrible, as Boone repeatedly pointed out. After a bit, he said, "Your car runs like c.r.a.p. What's wrong with it?"

"I don't know. Been like that a few days."

"And yet you're still driving it?"

"Either that or sit at home."

Boone muttered.

As soon as they hit the cut-across to the paved county road, he drove faster. He probably couldn't wait to get rid of her. But given the weather and the fact he didn't have his bike, Boone would be stuck at her house. What would her Dad think?

He'll be p.i.s.sed you've been drinking.

Snow swirled and blew over the winds.h.i.+eld. It made her dizzy and she wanted to close her eyes. Why was it taking so long for the car to warm up?

A loud bang sounded and the car wobbled.

She glanced over at Boone to see both his hands clamped on the steering wheel. His feet intermittently pumped the brakes. She saw his horror when they picked up momentum and the road seemed to buckle and snap.

She was jerked forward as the front end connected with a solid object, throwing snow on the winds.h.i.+eld before the world went dark.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Gavin glanced at his cell phone when it rang at eleven-thirty. That'd better not be his daughter calling to say she'd be late coming home. Again.

The caller ID was a restricted number so he was tempted to ignore it, but he answered, "What?"

"Gavin? This is Cam."

Why the h.e.l.l would Cam McKay be calling him this time of night? Then it hit him. Cam was with the sheriff's office. "What's happened?"

"Sierra's been in a car accident."

He sank into the closest chair. The words registered, yet not. "When?"

"Not sure. She's in the ER now. Look, the roads are nasty and there've been a lot of accidents. Do you have a four-wheel drive vehicle that'll get you into Sundance?"

He frowned at the phone. "What? I need a four-wheeler to get there?"

"No. Let's take this slow." Cam asked a question. Gavin answered. Cam asked another question. Gavin answered again. Cam asked, "Is Rielle there?"

"No. She's in Denver."

"You okay to drive?"

Gavin nodded.

Silence.

"Gavin, stay on the line."

Sierra. Ask him what's going on with Sierra before he hangs up.

"Cam?"

Dead air for what seemed like forever.

Then a click. "I called Ben. He'll be there in five minutes to get you."