Friday Mustang Wild Excerpt :)
As promise an excerpt from Mustang Wild that is set to be released 8th January.
It the opening prologue but I like it for introducing Aideen - enjoy :)
Prologue
"Come on, come on, baby," I muttered listening to the motor choke and stutter—almost there. I was only a mile from my apartment and through my rain splattered wind screen I willed my truck to get me there. My beat up Chevy paid me no mind, the engine gurgled a long a lingering death cry and cut out. I coasted to the side of the road until it came to a halt. Motionless. Cursing, I violently twisted the key. Straining my ears, I listened to the desperate putter then nothing. Fuck. I smacked my hands on the steering wheel. It was said things came in three's and this was bad luck number two to hit me in so many months. For a moment I just sat there on the edge of town listening to the rain drumming furiously on the roof, leaning my head on the steering wheel before looking at the dash.
10:30 pm.
I cursed again. Well waiting for a white knight to rescue me wasn't going to get me anywhere, that stuff only happened in fairy tales. Gritting my teeth I grabbed my walking stick and levered myself out of the cab. Checking the knife in my boot I slung my bag over my shoulder and started the very long hobble to my place. I was chilled to the bone and my clothes were plastered to my body in minutes. My leg started to throb from standing all day. I had to be up in six miserable hours.
* * * * *
"I want a word with you," I rolled my eyes to the ceiling, those words never sounded good coming from my boss.
"Can it wait until I finish my baking?" I asked with a raised eyebrow, trying to ignore the inkling that I had flour dusted across my nose.
"Sure," Jacob replied pulling up a chair and crossing his long legs at the ankles.
Urgh.
"I may be a while," I hinted not too subtly, having a fair sized idea what this was about.
Pushing back his hat he watched me with narrowed eyes. "I can wait."
That's what I was afraid of. Determined to make him wait, I finished making the lunch for the hands as slowly as possible, washed my hands free of flour and hobbled stiffly over to my own seat.
"What's up?" I asked perkily. Ignorance is so the best policy.
"I heard from Tom that your truck finally broke down," he started, levelling me with his straight stare.
"Oh?"
"And I was just wondering how you got back home when your truck is pulled up a good mile outside of town?"
"There is quite a logical explanation," I said sweetly. "I used two legs."
A scowl rolled over the older man's features. "You what?" he growled quietly. I swallowed hard at the familiar feeling of my belly clenching and my pulse began to climb. I told myself to stop being silly. This was Jacob, he wouldn't hurt me.
"I walked."
"You what!"
I raised a brow at the volume. "Ya' know the definition of insanity is doing the same thing again and again and expecting a different outcome."
"It was the middle of the night, a mile from town, with a storm opening up and you with your bum legged decided to walk it. Why the hell didn't you ring one of us, woman?"
I frowned. "I didn't want to disturb anyone and I am a grown woman perfectly capable of looking after myself, thank you."
"Dammit, if you had met a drifter—"
"But I didn't and if I did I would have taken care of it," I said calmly, raising wonkily to my feet. "Now, please excuse me. I have food to prep to make sure your crew doesn't faint from empty stomachs." I considered the matter closed, even if the old man muttered that I needed a man to tame me after a good tanning. Oh, I wasn't worried. Jacob Clain's bark was worse than his bite. If I'd been his daughter I might be in for it, but Jake was a sweet man fifteen years my senior and had given me a chance when very few people would have. Even now when I could no longer ride, he put me to work in the kitchen. But, he seemed to have some misplaced notion that he was responsible for me ever since a waif turned up on his doorstep clutching a tattered newspaper ad for a rider in her hands asking if he was still hiring. I'd been here four years since that day.
"Yo, boss." Matt knocked on the outside of the kitchen door. "There's a fancy looking dude just pulling up. Doesn't look like he's from town."
Jake's brow furrowed in a deep frown, before heaving his massive frame off the chair. "Probably another damn yuppie wanting to do photos," he growled under his breath and the sides of my lips twitched in a smile. Matt's eyes found mine and he smiled warmly tipping his hat before following the boss, whistling a funeral march as he went. I couldn't keep a straight face and burst out laughing, almost feeling sorry for the poor unsuspecting man. Little did I know how appropriate that would be.
"Aideen, can you come out here for a minute, honey?" Bewildered I limped to the door wiping my hands on a cloth.
"What is it, boss?"
"This lawyer says he is looking for you." The way he said lawyer was the same way he said rattler. A slicked hair man that gave off the asshole vibe was standing next to a dust covered car that obviously belonged in the city. He'd probably killed the suspension just getting here.
"Are you Aideen Shannon?" His lips curled like he had just sunk his leather shoes in a horse pile.
I leaned back against the porch, sliding on my best poker face. "Depends who's asking."
"I am Tobias Montague, from firm Laurence & Montague and am looking for the woman Aideen Shannon. According to our information, she is twenty-three and used to reside in Prairie Dog Creek, Nevada, at the Dranthorpe Ranch formally known as the Blue Moon Ranch."
I started rolling a cigarette under the disapproving glare of Jake—yeah, still not your
daughter. "Yes, I'm Aideen, what of it?"
"I'm here to inform you your father has died."
I stopped rolling the cigarette and it paused half-way to my mouth. I then put it between my lips, lit it and exhaled a ring of smoke while smiling sweetly."And may the bastard rot in hell."
