Page 17 of Fall or Nothing

“I ran into some biker guys who gave me trouble,” I admitted. “They took me for everything I had and left me mostly naked on the road. Sage found me and took me in for the night.”

“Who were these guys?”

“Red Amos and his brother. Do you know them?”

His jaw tightened. “Christ. You’ll soon find out there are certain characters around here that you should stay away from. In one day, you found the worst of them.”

“If it weren’t for Sage?—”

“Did you take advantage of her kindness last night?” He stepped forward, hands forming fists. I knew what he meant.

“No. I slept on the couch.”

“Those sisters are like family to me. Do you understand that?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Then stay away from them,” he added bluntly. “Given your short time here and what you need to do, it’s not the time or place to get involved.”

I nodded. “Couldn’t agree more. She was just helping me out. Gave me some clothes. I’ll pay her back when I get paid. When is that, by the way?”

“Fridays.”

I did the math in my head. Today was Sunday. “Six more days,” I groaned. I’d never survived a minute without money in my pocket or a black card to fall back on.

He let out a short laugh. “Welcome to the real world.”

“Thrilled to be here, sir.” I tried not to roll my eyes. Why did this feel like book camp all over again?

“Have you eaten yet?”

“Only coffee.”

“We’ll fix that. But first…” His gaze flicked toward the door and back, lowering his voice. “Chris wants everything kept between us. He said no one is to know the real reason you’re here.”

“That’s right.”

“So if you have any issues, I’m the only guy you can count on. Which means… you won’t have any issues or make things complicated. I have enough to deal with running this ranch. I’m not your babysitter, got it?”

“Crystal clear, sir.”

“One more thing. When you meet Colt and Knox, maybe don’t mention you spent the night at Sage’s. They won’t care how innocent it supposedly was. They’re dating Sage’s sisters, which makes them protective and probably less forgiving.”

I nodded once. “Message received.”

“Good. Now come on. I’ll introduce you around. Show you your bunk. You can grab a bite. Then get to work.”

“On a Sunday?”

“The ranch doesn’t take a day off.”

I followed him back outside, bracing myself. “What exactly does the work entail?”

Ash didn’t hesitate. “For you? Barn chores. Mucking stalls. Cleaning troughs. Feeding. We’ve got close to forty horses now, and a new quarantine stable that just opened up. It’s the first position we give to all the men who start workinghere.”

I almost stumbled. “Forty? That’s a lot to take care of.”

“That’s a lot of horseshit,” he corrected. “You’ll get used to it.”