The Outsider Series: The Complete Omnibus Collection

Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Diana scooped clean sawdust in the stalls and tossed a flake of hay down for Scarlett and Dusty before filling water in the old bathtub that served as their water dish. She’d changed into her faded blue jeans, a dark blue t-shirt, and her hiking boots after Jed had yelled at her to stay put, and demanded her grocery list before driving away as if the hounds of hell were on his heels. She recognized anger, rage, and a man close to losing it, and she’d had a moment of unease, not for herself but for Mr. Harris. Then worry set in because he hadn’t asked about her mother and all the gory details of why no one in North Lakewood would have anything to do with her.

He would get an earful, though, that was certain, because people loved to share dirt. And to the people of North Lakewood, that was exactly what Diana was, a drug dealing w***e just like her mother. But she wasn’t.

Since she figured Jed would toss her out when he returned, she made sure her bags were ready. Maybe it was stupid and naïve on her part to think she could come back here and clear her name, and show people who the real thugs were. To find a way to put Andy and Todd behind bars. People wouldn’t go up against their own. And Andy and Todd—this was their turf, she was way out of her league. What the hell had she been thinking. She was the intruder. And they’d made sure her reputation was tarnished so that she’d never be able to repair the damage—the damage she wasn’t responsible for. She was so tired of hiding, its what she’d done her entire life, in one way or another. But she wanted to have the freedom to go anywhere, and not have to worry that she’d be judged for something her mother did. Scarlett nickered softly, and Diana couldn’t resist touching the sleek, magnificent animal, taking the opportunity to spend those moments working with Scarlett. The day before, she had learned a lot about the basic care of a horse, which wasn’t easy—but at the same time, it had been amazingly fulfilling. She took the lead rope and halter down from the peg outside the corral and watched Scarlett munching the hay. She was amazed at the love she felt toward that large beast and how quickly she had snagged a spot in her heart. Animals had no agenda, loving and trusting unconditionally, and they didn’t really care about social status, money, or who your parents were. That was something Diana could connect with. Scarlett was a kitten, really—a thousand-pound kitten. She was confident, feisty at times, but the worst had been when Diana was trying to get her bridle on. The mare fought her, tossing her head back and forth, until Jed stepped in, pressing a spot on top of her head. In two seconds, she had quieted—no fuss. As she thought about it, Diana admitted to herself that she would most likely stop and make no fuss if Jed touched her like that, and talked to her in the same soothing voice, which left no doubt that he’d make sure everything was okay. She had to fight the urge to trust him. After all, it was only a matter of time before he returned and tossed her out, just like Andy had.

Gravel crunched on the long driveway. Diana glanced up when Jed’s truck pulled in, dust trailing. Her heart raced, and she suddenly had trouble swallowing. She squeezed the lead rope and halter she’d bunched in her hands, hoping that would settle her nerves. Jed parked, climbed out of his old truck, and slammed the door. That was when Diana saw the shiny new truck pull in beside Jed’s truck. She didn’t need to look closer to see who was in the vehicle. When he climbed out and strode to Jed, shaking his hand and swatting his shoulder, Diana knew they were close.

Diana wasn’t sure why she was having trouble breathing or why she felt a chill when it was so hot outside that she could probably have fried an egg on the rocks, but then, how could a person ever get used to being treated like she’d done something wrong—like a nobody? She was somebody.

And she was no longer going to sit back and do nothing. She hung the halter back on the peg and stepped toward the two men. “Well, hello, Andy.”

Jed said nothing, staring first at Andy and then Diana. “You two know each other? What brings you out here, Cuz?”

Again, Jed stared at Andy. The family resemblance was uncanny when Diana put them together, except Jed was bigger and appeared far more dangerous next to Andy. But Andy scared the hell out of her. It was quite warm that day, and Andy was dressed in a loose cotton shirt, short sleeves showing off that powerful eagle tattoo. He wore blue jeans, the same as Jed, but his were neatly pressed and appeared brand new. Light brown chest hair was visible on both men by the open vees of their shirts. She had to look away, as a flush rose in her cheeks, and she was still having difficulty breathing. Her heartbeat was racing again, and it wasn’t just from the physical impact Andy was having on her senses. Surprisingly, it was Jed, as he watched her with hard eyes that betrayed nothing of what he was thinking. She didn’t want Jed to hate her, too.

She stared at Andy, furious that he was here trying to mess things up for her. She’d loved him, trusted him. This man had branded her and accused her of being what her mother was, he wasn’t her hero anymore. And he’d stopped being that a long time ago. There must be something physically wrong with her for her to have any reaction to him but hatred. When she looked over at Jed, she couldn’t help wondering if that saying that blood was thicker than water was true. Would he toss her out? Well, of course. Wasn’t that what wealthy, prominent families did—each other’s dirty work?

Andy was staring at her now with narrow, flashing eyes, and Diana found herself flustered enough that she had to take a step back.

“What are you doing here? I told you to get out of town and never come back.”

“Well, I’m living here and starting my law practice in North Lakewood.”

Diana had known that there would be a confrontation with Andy, but she didn’t expect this, and not so soon. She moved away again, and then Andy smiled with a ruthless gaze, and she realized he was very aware of how he affected her. He was just like his father, and that made her angry. It wasn’t wise to give him that kind of power over her, so she forced herself to stay still and face him squarely. She had to lift her chin to look up at him, hardening her bright blue eyes with an expression that was unshaken. It took a lot of effort, but she managed.

“Don’t get comfortable. You’re not staying.”

With a confidence she had to work at, she said, “Well, I don’t think you have much say in the matter.”

“Well, that’s where you’re wrong. Jed, throw her out.” Andy never looked at Jed as he tossed out his order.

The old, familiar panic stung the back of her throat as she watched Jed uncross his arms and fist both hands.

“You don’t order me to do anything on my property. Not ever, Andy.”

This time, Diana really didn’t know what to do, as she stared open-mouthed at this man who overwhelmed her with his size. Obviously, that hadn’t been the response that Andy, a man who had the entire town doing his bidding, expected.

“Jed, listen to me. You don’t want this piece of trash here. She’s a Claremont looking for a meal ticket, her and that mother of hers will be bringing drugs in here, selling them. After all, she was trained by the best. She’ll destroy you. She doesn’t care who she hurts with her w*****g around, with the drug dealing. She’ll rob you blind.” He glanced back at Diana, running his gaze over her breasts and lingering on her thighs.

Diana blushed a deep red and crossed her arms over her breasts to hide herself. “I am not my mother, Andy. And I don’t do drugs.”

Andy leaned into her space. “Mrs. Fulton is it? What did you do marry some guy, drug him and kill him off. Take everything he had?”

Diana’s face paled, and she knew she was trembling as she bit out her reply. “I was adopted by a very kind, loving, older couple who gave me their name and were killed in a car wreck during my first year of college, by some rich kid who stole a car, and walked away with no consequences at all, because he had money.”

Andy’s face colored, and his expression immediately changed. Jed was just as quiet, but he watched her intently and listened to her every word in a way that was kinder.

“Sorry. I didn’t know. I shouldn’t have said that,” Andy replied a bit sheepishly.

“No, you didn’t know. But then, concern for someone’s feelings has never been the trait of a Friessen.”

“Oh, I think that coming from the daughter of Faye Claremont, that’s a little like the pot calling the kettle black.”

Diana squeezed her fists, knowing she was getting louder. “I never hurt anyone—ever. Me and my sister Louisa just got caught in the midst of a battle we never signed on for. We didn’t deserve to be treated like dirt. That was your fight with Faye, not us. She did something to your daddy, and we paid the price. I went to you for help, help for Louisa, you promised me… you lied to me. Not once did you ever stop to help us. We were two terrified kids, and I looked up to you.”

Diana lunged and shoved both her fists forward, pounding Andy’s chest. Jed stepped in between them.

“Back off, Cuz.” Then Jed turned to Diana and said, “The same goes for you, Diana. I’m a Friessen and I’ve never taken advantage of anyone or knowingly hurt someone. So both of you need to knock it off before this really gets ugly.”

Diana ignored Jed and ignored where he’d touched her, her skin still tingling. “I was only thirteen, Andy. You had no right to do what you did. And every action has consequences. I lost everything that night, my mother, my home, everything I owned. And Louisa. She died.” Her voice was strangely distant, and Andy appeared confused. She wasn’t going to let him off easy. He was responsible.

She leaped past Jed and started slinging her fists anywhere she could to inflict any pain, just a tiny ounce of hurt of what she suffered, to regain some of her power that he’d stripped away. But Andy grabbed her hands, and Jed was behind her, sliding his arm around her waist to pull her back.

“Let go of her, Andy.” Jed’s voice was pure steel.

“That’s quite the story. But the thing is, there was no one better at passing off a hard–luck, been-done-wrong story like, Faye. And I can’t help thinking, like mother like daughter.”

Diana tried to jerk her hands away, but Andy held tight.

“Andy, I’m warning you, let her go.” He was close behind her. She could feel the heat pressing into her from his thighs, his chest. She wanted to lean into that, to feel, to trust, but she couldn’t do that. So she pulled away from both of them, stumbling in the dirt.

“Why’d you come back here, Diana? What’s this really about? Money, revenge, destroy me and my father? And where’s Faye?”

Diana froze and struck back with the only weapon she was good with. “I have no idea where my mother is, nor do I want to know. Andy Friessen, what you and your father did all those years ago comes with consequences. And I’m now a lawyer who knows how the law really works and how to use it. You will be held accountable, for that I swear to you—” She stopped, wanting to kick herself in the ass; she knew better then to tip her hand, and that was exactly what she was doing.

Andy shot a glance at Jed. “Are you threatening me, Diana? Because you don’t want to pick a fight with me. I guarantee you’ll get hurt. And just remember one thing, we went easy on you that night, but I guarantee you I won’t make that mistake again. So if you want to save your ass, you just pack your bags and get on out of here, because I’ll make sure you have nothing. Doors are all closed to you here. As for Faye, you better hope, for your sake, that she doesn’t come sniffing around here.” He dropped his eyes to Diana’s breasts and swept his hooded gaze down as if he were picturing her naked. “But you’re wrong about one thing—you are your mother’s daughter.”

This time, Jed moved Diana behind him and stepped into Andy’s space, their faces mere inches from one another. He never turned to look at Diana when he spoke in a voice that sent a shiver up her spine. “Diana, groceries are in the truck. Go grab them and take them into the house. Put them away before the ice cream melts.”

Diana just stared at Andy before jerking her gaze to Jed. She was shaking when she went to his truck and lifted out two bags of groceries. Three more were on the floor. She carried them in his house, trembling. The very thought that Andy had compared her to Faye made her sick. It was a nightmare; she’d lived the first part of her life under that shadow, the next trying to come to peace with that pain. Either way, it worried her more that she didn’t know what Jed was going to do, or what he thought of her.