Chapter 103 When Tempers Collide
POV Dominic:
“Just sign it.” I offer the piece of paper again, and she looks at it for a few seconds before taking it.
“I can’t believe I’m forced to hear this,” she mutters under her breath. “Karma? Now I understand what that idiot meant.” She turns her back on me, walking behind the counter.
I look at her and hold back the urge to laugh at the goo smeared on her face while she holds her dog, dressed like a sailor, his head covered in shiny stones. She keeps grumbling, but I don’t listen—it can’t be anything interesting anyway. She signs the paper, and I sigh in relief. The last thing I need is to stay here longer than necessary.
“Here.” She hands the paper back grudgingly. “And on the next delivery, you can send another brother. I need to know if they’re all… Nice like you.” She turns her back on me, leaving me alone.
What the fuck just happened here? And why the hell does she want one of my other brothers to come? You know what? Fuck it. Better for me. Luca can deal with this from now on.
...
Today’s work was tougher than the past few days, but it has to be that way. We need to work to raise all the money for the auction, or we’ll lose the ranch. Every dollar bill counts, which is why—and only why—we’ve been accepting orders of all kinds. That reminds me of that redheaded woman from hell and her nose stuck in the air. Yesterday, when I returned from her flower shop, I told Luca that he’s the one who’ll deal with her and her madness from now on. My brother didn’t like it one bit. He hasn’t even had the chance to meet her yet, and apparently he has no interest in doing so—especially after I made it very clear that that woman is pure trouble.
Mikhail, Adrian, and Sebastian agree with me, but I know deep down they wouldn’t mind getting between her legs. Sebastian maybe not—but I can’t be sure. My youngest brother has been more distant and closed off with each passing day. Ever since that damn Scarlett left, throwing it in our faces that everything had been nothing but a game and that she only loved Luca, Sebastian hasn’t been well. I believe that with each passing day, my brother gets worse. Nothing—absolutely nothing—makes him smile. Nothing brings back even one percent of who he used to be, and that’s fucking awful.
Five months since the bitch left, and my brother still hasn’t moved on. I don’t even know if he ever will. Very few people know about our decision to share a woman. Our parents were the first we told. After weeks of silence on their part, they understood us and have supported us ever since. Some people comment on our shared taste, but no one is certain. Only our parents know for sure. But in any case, that hasn’t happened again. Scarlett was the first and only woman we shared. We haven’t tried to be with anyone together since. I have my one-night stands, just like my other brothers, but we’ve never attempted polyamory again.
As soon as I walk into the house, the smell of homemade food fills the air, which means Mom is cooking. She had gone out early with Dad. I didn’t think they’d be back before lunch, which is perfect for me. I can’t stand Mikhail’s cooking. My brother has a serious issue: he only knows how to make one kind of food—pasta. He does it every time our mother doesn’t get home in time to make lunch. And since Mikhail is always the first one home, he’s the one who cooks. Thankfully, that won’t be the case today.
As soon as I enter the kitchen, I see my mother stirring pots, my father sitting with a stack of papers in his hands. The old man has been doing that a lot ever since the eviction notice arrived a month ago. We have two more months to get the money and pay off the debt with the bank, or we lose the ranch and it goes up for auction. My father is destroyed. I’ve never seen him so worn down as I have in recent days. Seeing him like this tears me apart. As the eldest son, it’s my responsibility to help him deal with the debt. That’s why I’ve been working double shifts, making as much money as I can—selling fertilizers, nutrients, cheese, milk. I don’t care about working for hours, as long as at the end of the day the amount is a little higher than yesterday.
“Mom. Dad.” I greet them, and they lift their heads to look at me.
“Son, you’re home early today.” Mom smiles, caressing my face affectionately. I take the chance to kiss her forehead.
“Yeah. I want to eat earlier. I plan on spending the whole afternoon in the fields.”
“That’s good, son. I hope everything’s alright with the herd.” My father’s furrowed brow puts me on alert. Something isn’t right.
“Is everything okay?” I move closer and sit in the chair beside him. “Did something happen?”
A forced smile spreads across his lips, and it’s clear that everything is not okay. What happened? Luca and I are the only ones who know about the ranch’s debts and the possible auction, besides our parents. Mikhail, Adrian, and Sebastian know nothing—and my parents want it to stay that way. I don’t like hiding things from my brothers, but I can’t go against my parents’ wishes.
“Yes, son. Unfortunately, something did.” I see Mom close her eyes, her expression so heavy it makes me fear what my father is about to say.
“The bank has scheduled the auction for forty-five days from now.”
Something tightens in my chest. Rage blinds me. I can’t stay near my parents when I’m this close to exploding. I stand up from the chair and stride away from the kitchen. I’m going to the bank and demanding they change that date. I won’t allow my father to lose the ranch my grandfather bled to build. This ranch grew on sweat and tears. I know what it means to my father—it means the same to me—and I won’t allow the bank to take it from our family.
As soon as I open the door to head to my truck, I see the one person I didn’t want to see standing in front of me, right when my fury is at its peak.
Maya.