Brutal Heir (Billionaire Heirs #2)

Chapter 29

Sage

I get into the truck and buckle my seatbelt. The engine roars to life, filling the cab with a low rumble. Elena gets in the passenger seat and sets her backpack on the floorboard between her feet. She buckles up, but doesn’t say anything. I can feel the tension around us like a physical weight.

Leaving the house isn’t a problem. It’s the long drive back to the office that has me feeling weird. Elena’s hardly said a word, which makes the drive seem like an eternity.

Part of me wants to hit the gas and reach the office so she can get to her car. But I don’t want to push my luck. I don’t know if I’ll still have a job at this point tomorrow, and now I have a lot more to lose if I have to find another job. Especially, if I don’t find anything around here and end up having to move.

“I have to admit, I was really worried about you.” I say, hoping to start a conversation, but she stays silent.

I try a different approach. “The guys were getting ready to go into the brush. I couldn’t do much because I didn’t have any snake guards.” I swallow hard, remembering the fear twisting my stomach. “Up until then, I’d never needed them, so it hadn’t occurred to me to have some in the truck.” I take a deep breath, remembering the snake writhing at the side of the road. But my comment still gets nothing.

“Bill called back and said for me to go check your house. You know, in case you had car trouble and got a ride home.”

“I’m sorry.” Discomfort rises in the car at her soft apology. “It was an unexpected situation,” she says, choosing her words carefully.

I nod, trying to ease the awkwardness. “I understand,” I say, my voice gentle. “I didn’t make it all the way to town. I was by gate five when I finally got Ezequiel on the phone.”

At the mention of Ezequiel, Elena stiffens and turns away to look out the window. I can sense her unease. Did I say something wrong? Ugh, it was probably the way I was trash talking him the other day. What did I say? That he was a piece of work, which isn’t untrue. But was there something else? I try my best to do damage control.

“I got to spend time with Ezequiel, and got a whole new perspective on the guy. Turns out he’s a decent guy,” I try to reassure her. “Yeah, he’s a little grumpy”—there’s no denying that—“but that’s just the outer layer. Once you strip him down, he’s a whole other person.”

I realize too late that my words may have hit a nerve. Elena fidgets, and I remember the incident with Addler. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to—” I start, but she cuts me off.

“It’s fine,” she says quickly, her cheeks turning pink. “I know Ezequiel can be a good guy.” She wrings her fingers. “I spent time with him and Addler yesterday, trying to get a cow free from the mud at the Stage Coach pond.”

“That’s great.” I breathe a sigh of relief, glad she’s not upset with me. “I spent some time riding around the ranch with him.” I’m not sure how much she knows about what’s going on with Kelly Oil, so I avoid bringing up what we were doing. Especially the last part. Now I’m the one trying not to blush. “He knows this place like the back of his hand.”

The car is quiet again, and I focus on the sound of the tires on the road. The sun is starting to set, casting a warm glow over the landscape. I try to enjoy the scenery, but my mind is racing with thoughts of the meeting tomorrow. Will I still have a job after all this? And what’s going to happen with Ezequiel if I don’t.