Propositioning Mr. Raine (17 page)

It shocked Navarro that her husband was so short, deciding the guy really did resemble a troll.

Ryder moved faster and stood first. “I have this. Sit.”

Ryder took off out of the diner. Navarro hesitated and then just turned his head, staying in his seat. He could see Trina’s SUV through the window. He hadn’t noticed it when he’d arrived because he was parked on the other side of the diner while Trina was parked along the street. She put the bag of food in the back and then opened the driver’s door to climb in.

The troll grabbed her and spun her around. Navarro was on his feet when he saw Trina’s body slam hard against her SUV. Her back had hit the back passenger door violently enough to make the SUV rock. Her husband had her by her arm and Navarro heard her cry out in pain.

* * * * *

Trina cried out as the hand dug painfully into her arm under her elbow. She was twisted around so hard she fell back and hit the SUV. Paul looked furious as he glared at her.

“I’m done with this shit. I’m getting you a damn shrink,” he hissed. “And you’ve just given me the proof that you’re nuts. I always knew you were insane and now I’m going to have you locked up for embarrassing me like that. You’re a psycho bitch.”

“Let her go,” a deep voice commanded. “We don’t manhandle women in this

town.”

Paul spun and glared up at Ryder. “You.” He released Trina. “You stay the hell out of this. She’s not going to lend you any more money.”

Trina’s gaze flew to Ryder. He had met Paul? She was confused about their meeting because Paul had never said a word about Ryder. Ryder didn’t look at her. She was 9shocked he’d come to her rescue but she was more surprised that the two men had met.

She rubbed her arm where it hurt from Paul’s bruising hold. She turned her head to see people walking toward them and feared this was going to be an all-out scene.

“I’m going home,” she said in a shaky voice. “Thank you, Mr. Raine.” She glared at Paul. “I’ll go pack your shit and put it outside with your car. Don’t even bother knocking on the door. If you try to get into the house I’ll have you arrested.”

She turned to climb into her SUV again. She got a leg in when someone grabbed the back of her dress. The sound of material tearing was loud as she was violently jerked away from the door and slammed against the back door of the SUV again. Paul was in her face before she realized what he’d done.

“You aren’t leaving me stranded here.”

“Get your damn hands off her,” a voice growled. It was male, deep, furious, and belonged to Navarro Raine.

Paul yanked his hand away from Trina and spun. He stared up at Navarro and then glanced at Ryder and then back to Navarro. “Stay the hell out of this. This is a family matter.”

“I don’t give a damn,” Navarro stepped so close to Paul that he had to step back or bump against the much larger man. “If you touch your wife that way again I’ll break your damn hand.” Navarro looked enraged as he made the threat.

Trina gasped. “Wife?” She stared up at Navarro in stunned shock. “I’m not this asshole’s wife.” Confused, she said, “I told you my husband died. This is Paul, his brother.”

Shocked blue eyes flew to hers. She saw Navarro’s mouth open but then he pressed it tightly closed. He frowned as rage tightened his features into a hard mask. He looked over his shoulder to glare at his brother, directing that fury Ryder’s way.

Ryder looked pale. “Brother?” He stared at Trina.

Trina frowned at Ryder. “Yeah. This is my brother-in-law, Paul Mattews. He came for a
surprise visit
on Monday.” She glanced back at Navarro but he was still glaring at Ryder. She didn’t know what the hell was going on. She met Ryder’s confused gaze.

“Why would you think I was married to him? Everyone knows my husband died last year.”

Ryder refused to look at Navarro. “I saw him in your house and there was a picture of the two of you on the mantle.” He jerked his thumb toward Paul. “It was a picture of both of you kissing and hugging.”

“That was a picture of Ted and me. People mistook them for twins.” She shot a glare at Paul. “But they are nothing alike inside. Ted was a wonderful man but Paul is an asshole and he better never touch me again.”

“I’m going to have you locked up, you unstable bitch,” Paul hissed. “Just wait until I’m done with you.”

9“Do you want to know why Ted left me everything? He didn’t like you,” she said softly. “You treat everyone like shit and you berated Ted all the time. He loved you but he couldn’t be around you. I’m done, Paul. I tried to put up with you for Ted because you are his brother but don’t ever call me again. You are never going to get another damn penny from me. I was his wife for sixteen years and I was his life so he wanted me taken care of financially. I can’t believe you’d tell me I was going to marry you thinking you were doing me some big favor when you and I both know you just want the damn money. Ted would roll in his grave if he knew what you were up to.”

Trina turned her attention to Navarro and gazed into his beautiful eyes. He took a step toward her but then Tammy was there, stepping between them.

“Baby, our dinner came. Come eat it before it gets cold.” Tammy smiled up at him.

Trina moved quickly and climbed into her SUV, closing the door before Paul could try to stop her again. Her hands were shaking a little as she put the key in the ignition and started it. Her driver’s side door jerked open and she turned to confront Paul again but it was Navarro who stood there. He stepped between the open door and the SUV

frame.

“Adam is going to give your brother-in-law a ride to your house to collect his shit and make sure he leaves without giving you trouble.” He stared at her. “I thought you were married. I thought you’d lied to me because Ryder said he met your husband.”

Trina turned off the engine. “How could you believe that?”

“Damn, Trina, I’m sorry. I was so pissed off at you. I…” He sighed and glanced away for a second but then his gaze returned to her. “I told you about my ex-wife and how she fucked around on me, nailing dozens of guys, and I was the last to know it. It’s hard for me to trust and when Ryder said you’d lied to me…” He shook his head. “I’m sorry. I just accepted that. I didn’t want to believe it but hell, with my history of trusting women that I shouldn’t have, can you see where I screwed up?”

“I never lied to you, Navarro.”

“I realize that now. Damn, babe. I’m sorry.”

She flinched at the endearment. “I have to go. I don’t want Paul going into my house so I need to get there and pack up his things from the guestroom so it’s all outside by the time he arrives.”

He took a step back. “Can I come over tonight? We’ll talk.”

Trina was so tempted to say yes but she knew it would be pathetic if she agreed.

She shook her head no. “Ryder told me the truth and I’m very sorry I put you in that position but now we have nothing to talk about.”

His blue eyes widened. “What are you talking about?”

She looked away to stare through her front windshield, her attention going to Adam, Ryder, and Paul where they stood by the front door of the diner. Paul looked annoyed while Adam was talking to him.

“Trina? What did Ryder say?”

9She shook her head. “It doesn’t matter.”

Her focus shifted to the diner window next as she watched Tammy Brent sitting at the table where she waited for her boyfriend and pain seared through Trina. Tammy Brent was young, had bright hair, and was tall, just what Ryder said was Navarro’s type. Navarro didn’t go for short, older blondes and that was Trina.

“Like hell it doesn’t matter, Trina. Look at me, damn it. What the hell did Ryder say to you?” Navarro was obviously pissed.

“He just set me straight. Please move out of the way so I can close the door. I have to go home. Have a good life, Navarro. Thanks for…everything.” She started the engine.

“Trina…”

She looked up at him, staring into his beautiful eyes. She could stare into them all damn day and it hurt her to admit that. “Your girlfriend is waiting, Navarro. You don’t owe me anything. I know you might feel that you do now that you aren’t pissed off at me anymore, thinking I’m like Debbie, but your suffering is over.”

He stumbled back a step and looked confused. “My suffering? What in the—”

Trina slammed the door closed, hit the lock down, and threw the gear in reverse.

She heard Navarro yell her name as she backed into the street. She didn’t bother to look at him as she pulled away from the diner. She let the tears fall but when she reached her house she put her grief on hold. She parked the SUV and almost ran into the house to pack Paul’s stuff.

* * * * *

Navarro watched Trina drive away and swore he saw tears sliding down her face.

His suffering? What the hell did that even mean? His girlfriend? Shit. He wanted to hit something. He turned his head and saw what he wanted to hit the most so he stormed toward his brother. Ryder never saw him coming until he’d grabbed his baby brother and shoved him against the side of the diner. He gripped Ryder by his arms as he turned his head to glare at Adam.

“Take asshole there for a walk. I want privacy.”

Adam nodded and pointed to Paul. “Let’s go have a drink inside for a few minutes and then I’ll give you that ride.”

Navarro waited until they were alone outside and then glared at Ryder. “What the hell did you tell Trina about me?”

Ryder frowned. “Want to let me go?”

“No. Trina said you talked to her and you set her straight about me. She mentioned something about my suffering. What the hell did you say to her?”

Sighing, Ryder studied his brother. “I just told her the truth, man. She isn’t your type and she’ll never be your type. The only damn reason you were doing her was to save the ranch. You always look after your family and you’ll do anything to make sure 9we have a home. I told her I’d give her what was left on the contract but she freaked out and locked herself in the bathroom.”

Navarro tensed. “What bathroom? You said she wasn’t there the day you went to her house. You said her husband was there.”

Ryder flushed, knowing he was caught. “Shit.”

“What did you do?” Fury hit Navarro so hard he shook with it.

Ryder stared into his brother’s eyes. “I went there the night I found the contract. I broke into her house and was waiting in her bedroom when she got home late. I told her I’d do her and she told me to get out. I explained to her that I was better than you in bed and thought I’d show her. Instead she freaked out so I left. I met the asshole over there with Adam the next day when I went back to talk to her once she calmed down.”

“I am trying really hard to not knock out your teeth.” Navarro fought the urge.

“Did you say I didn’t want her? Is that it? Did you make it sound like it was a hardship on me to touch her? Is that what she meant about my suffering?”

Ryder hesitated and that was all the answer he needed. Pure rage poured through Navarro. He released his brother and reeled away before he really did beat the shit out of him. He walked a good five feet away and spun around to glare at Ryder, his hands fisted at his sides.

“I was trying to protect you,” Ryder said softly. “She was going to hurt you.”

“She was going to hurt me?” Navarro yelled. “Her?
You
hurt me. You, man. I was happy with Trina but look at everything now. I told you to stay the hell away from her and to leave it alone but you didn’t. You fucked up everything. You told me she was married and lying to me.” He lowered his voice. “I was happy and now she won’t even talk to me. I lost her.”

Ryder sighed. “I didn’t fuck it all up, Nav. You have Tammy back.”

Navarro closed his eyes as his shoulders sagged. “Get in your car and go back to your damn band before I beat the shit out of you, Ryder.” He took a deep breath. “Run before I kill your ass.”

9
Chapter Eleven

Trina glanced at the clock and frowned because it was nine-thirty at night, long after anyone should come to her front door. The doorbell rang again and seconds later someone pounded on it repeatedly. She tied her robe tighter around her body as she walked down the stairs and turned on lights as she went.
If that’s Paul I’m going to grab
an umbrella from the stand and beat him with it.
She walked to the front door and flipped on the porch light.

“Who is it?”

“It’s Navarro. Please open the door, Trina.”

Surprised, she hesitated, trying to think, but her mind was blank on reasons he’d be there that wouldn’t make the situation worse. “Go away.”

“Damn it, open up the door so we can talk.”

“We have nothing to say to each other.”

“Please, Trina? I’m not leaving. Don’t make me stand out here all damn night because it looks like it’s going to rain and I won’t leave until you talk to me. I swear to God, I’ll sleep on your porch.”

She looked at the door and found herself reaching for the locks, knowing it was a really bad idea. She unlocked the door and opened it a few inches to stare up at Navarro. He’d obviously changed clothes from when she’d seen him a few hours earlier at the diner because now he was wearing a black sweater with jeans. She wasn’t sure why he was there but as she stared up at him, she really wished he weren’t. His hair was down and he looked angry as she met his eyes.

“Can I come in?”

“No.” She shook her head. “What did you want to talk about? Shouldn’t you be sleeping? It’s late. I was in bed.”

“I went to bed at eight and laid there because I can’t sleep. Please let me in. We really need to talk and I don’t want to do it on the damn porch.”

She stepped back and released the door, moving away a few feet as Navarro pushed it slowly open. He stepped into the house and curiously glanced around the living room as he closed the door behind him. He took the room in with a quick sweep and then his gaze locked with hers.

“I don’t even know where to start.”

She hugged herself around her waist. “There’s nothing left to say. We should just go on with our lives like nothing ever happened. I think that’s the best way to handle this.”

9He frowned. “Bullshit. There’s plenty to say. Ryder left town because I was going to kill him and he damn well knew it. He fucked us up. I am so torn up right now.”