Chapter 1

one

. . .

River

T here were a lot of things I hated about Twisted Cross Ranch, but the private chef's Sunday brunch spread wasn't one of them. I couldn't say the same about the man staring at me over the rim of his coffee mug, however. I'd been trying to play it cool and not let on that I was rattled by the email I'd received last night. I'd barely slept, and my nerves were shot.

"What?" I snarled at Cross as I took a fourth piece of French toast and topped it with fresh berries.

His lips quirked. "Nothing."

"If you're planning on saying anything about my meal choices, I suggest you don't."

"I didn't say anything."

"Your mouth didn't, but those judgy eyes of yours are saying a whole lot," I snapped.

He raised a brow. "Judgy eyes?"

I pointed at him and waved my finger around. "Those are judgy eyes. I'll eat what I want when I want. I know you're used to those women like Cici who think carbs are the devil and sugar is his bitch. That's not me. If they are, then I'm going straight to hell on a sugar rush."

His second brow lifted to join the first. "Is that so?" He balled up his napkin and tossed it on his plate. "Why don't you tell me what else you know about me? Since you seem to be the resident expert."

What the hell was happening? Usually we exchanged barbs and then I stormed off. He was... calm. Something was up. But he'd opened the floodgates, so I figured now was as good a time as any to get my feelings off my chest.

"You're arrogant."

"True."

"Insufferable."

"That's a matter of opinion."

I had to swallow through the wave of emotion clogging my throat before I could say what I really wanted. "The kind of asshole who takes a girl's heart and leaves it crushed at her feet the next morning without a word."

Something flashed in his eyes, but his expression and posture didn't change. "I did what I had to do."

I scoffed. "What does that even mean?" Lowering my voice, I impersonated him. " I did what I had to do ."

"Which word precisely are you having trouble with?"

"All of it! You seemed perfectly content to take my virginity, and then you ditched me. What changed?" I wish I could say I'd maintained my tough bitch exterior, but my voice cracked a bit at the end, my vulnerability showing and pissing me off, if I was being honest. I didn't want to give him that. He'd taken too much already.

"You."

This was ridiculous. He was blaming me? "I didn't change. I was always the same stupid girl who fell in love with the boy she shouldn't want."

"You were barely eighteen, too young to know what love is."

"Don't you dare try to tell me how I felt. You were the first man I ever admitted my feelings to, and you broke something in me that night. I've built my walls so damn high no one can ever hurt me like that. Like you . Because of you, I've never been able to let myself fall in love again."

Wow. What was in this coffee? Truth serum? That had not been what I'd meant to say. Ever.

Eyes hard as stone, he shoved back his chair and stalked over to me. I didn't budge as he stood right in front of me, his body coiled tight, fury radiating from him. Then he reached out and took my chin, tilting my head so I was forced to meet his stare.

"I never asked you to love me, sparrow."

"And I never asked you to break my heart. But here we are."

He blew out a breath and looked away for a second, admitting softly, "If I'd have known how you felt before, I..."

"You what?"

His eyes returned to mine, and he shook his head. "I dunno. Maybe I'd have done things different. I wouldn't have been so careless."

"That's the perfect word to describe you, Daniel Cross Jr. Careless."

"I'm sorry. I didn't realize I was in the company of such a paragon of perfection and virtue." He stepped away, his impassive mask back in place.

Good timing, too, because Bishop chose that moment to join us, looking up from his phone in surprise when he found Cross hovering over me. Still way too close for casual conversation.

"Everything okay in here?" Bishop asked, eyeing me with concern etched on his features.

I didn't get a chance to respond because Cross's lip curled up. "Oh, look, if it isn't the man of the hour."

"What?" Bishop and I both said at the same time. I glanced over at him and smiled, mouthing, "Jinx."

Cross caught me and shook his head, muttering under his breath as he moved toward the coffeepot. "Nothing. Just clearing up some old issues between River and me. We've known each other so long it's almost impossible not to have history."

Bishop didn't take the bait, choosing to remain silent as he strode over to me. I needed to talk to him about the email I'd received. Even without the disturbing photos, it was far more threatening than the letter. I hadn't been truly afraid until now. Besides my secret agent, I didn't know who I could trust, and with Cross watching my every move, I couldn't say a word. Not until he left the room.

Bishop dropped into the empty seat next to mine and slid his calloused palm across the back of my neck. I was so surprised by the gesture that I almost missed the little squeeze he gave me before stealing one of the strawberries off my plate and popping it in his mouth.

"There's a whole ass buffet right there," I said, gesturing dramatically, although there was no hiding my smile.

Bishop simply shrugged. "It's sweeter when it's yours."

The low growl of annoyance Cross released was only echoed by his sharp, "Is that how you treated your boss the last place you worked? No wonder you came begging for a job."

Bishop laughed, startling us both. "Can't say that I did. Then again, Jake wasn't as pretty as River."

"Miss Adams," Cross snarled.

"River," I corrected, trying not to blush at Bishop calling me pretty.

The look Cross speared me with pinned me to my chair. God, he was angry. Maybe it was time to back off and let him cool down. Or maybe I could drive him away and get time alone with Bishop so he could look at that email.

And that's how Walker found us. Bishop smirking, Cross scowling, and me caught in their crosshairs, blushing and looking anywhere but at them.

"Walk—" My words dried up at the murderous expression on his face. Swallowing, I tried again. "What?—"

"You're goddamn married?" he shouted.

It was so absurd I couldn't help but laugh. "What? No, I'm not."

"I'm not talking to you. Well, yeah, I kind of am." Walker turned his gaze on his brother before going right up to him and delivering a swift punch to his gut. "You married her. You've been married all this fucking time, and you let me fall for her. Why the fuck would you do that to me? I knew you were a dick, but I didn't think you'd stoop so low."

Cross doubled over but didn't fight back as he worked to catch his breath.

Bishop tensed beside me while I mutely shook my head. This had to be a joke. I would know if I was married.

"I'm not married. I'm pretty sure I would've had to be there."

Walker stalked over and slammed a piece of paper down on the table. "Oh, you were there."

"What?" I asked, reaching for the paper. Bishop beat me to it, his eyes quickly scanning the document before he handed it to me.

"It's legit," he murmured.

"No," I said, but I didn't sound so sure anymore. Horrified might be a more accurate description.

Cross stayed eerily silent, not meeting my gaze. This couldn't be real. It was a mistake. Or a prank. Either way, Walker was wrong. But as I stared down at my signature on the marriage certificate in my hands, I realized the only joke was on me. Because I remembered signing this document. My father had slid it over to me the night of my eighteenth birthday, assuring me it wasn't important.

"What is this again?" I'd asked my dad.

"Just some financial documents. Nothing to worry about. Your mama and I just want to make sure you're looked after if anything happens."

I trusted him, so I hadn't even checked. I just signed my whole fucking life away. A hysterical giggle escaped me as I traced the ink with a fingertip. I'd handed myself to Cross that night in more ways than one. Jesus, I hadn't just given him my virginity; we'd consummated our fucking marriage. I just hadn't known it.

"Look at me," I said, standing and squaring off with my... husband.

He met my stare, uncertainty in his eyes, something I wasn't used to from him.

"Did you know?"

He shook his head once, slowly. Deliberately. It was so unlike him, this lack of reaction. I wasn't sure if it was shock or guilt or some other emotion entirely. "I swear to you, River, I didn't know."

"You two expect me to believe neither one of you knew you were married? You were both stupid enough to sign a marriage certificate without reading it?" Walker ran a hand through his hair as he paced back and forth.

"I trusted my dad. It was the night of my party, the night before..." I trailed off, knowing they'd know which night I meant. "He told me they were financial documents. He said this was to make sure I was taken care of. I was just a kid."

"You were old enough to get fucking married!"

"Walker, that's enough. Leave her alone." Cross coming to my defense was new. It shocked me in a way I hadn't expected.

"So what's your excuse? How did the Mighty Cross get roped into marriage?" Walker demanded, pouring himself a cup of coffee, scowling at it like it offended him, and promptly dumping the whole thing out. He was a man in crisis, but right now I was in crisis too, and I couldn't do anything to help him.

"Senior told me he needed me to sign some business papers. He was always putting shit in my name back then. I didn't even think twice."

"Idiot," Walker spat before storming to the wet bar and pulling the top off a handle of whiskey. He drank straight from the bottle, his free hand clenched in a fist.

"Walker, stop." I approached him, placing one palm on his forearm, trying to get him to look at me. "This doesn't change anything between us."

He slammed the bottle down so hard I worried it would break, then looked at me. "Yeah, it fucking does. You're my brother's wife, which means you'll never be mine." Shaking his head, he shrugged away from my touch.

Bishop had remained quiet until now. "Can't you just annul it or something? I'm not an expert on Texas law, but I'm pretty sure lack of consummation is grounds for it. Hell, you two haven't even resided in the same state in the last ten years. It's a pretty straightforward case." Cross and I must have been wearing guilty expressions because Bishop hummed and muttered, "Or not."

"That's just fucking perfect. You proud of yourself, brother? You just can't help but ruin every good thing in my life, can you?" Walker's voice was venomous as he walked away. He stopped when he reached the entrance to the kitchen, then turned pained blue eyes on me. "Welcome to the family, Mrs. Cross. I hope he's everything you ever wanted."