Kari and the Cowboy

By Livia Lang

Kari Riley has more problems than she can shake a stick at:

Her ex-boyfriend Anthony is a crazed mobster.

He REALLY wants to murder her for snitching to the police.

She's been put into Witness Protection - on a farm in the middle of nowhere.

And Flynn, the cowboy who runs said farm? He is annoying, gruff, and grumpy...and also the sexiest man she's ever laid eyes on.

When her past finally catches up with her, Kari will have only one form of protection: Flynn. Will her cowboy be the solution to her problems...or only add more to her life?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Livia Lang
• Release date: Mar 1, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393902379

Book preview

1

Y ou're a bastard, Anthony. A goddamn bastard, Kari yelled to the empty room as she ripped two huge paintings off the wall and threw them to the ground. Glass shattered and sprinkled across the floor like diamonds. I hate you!

Once she had made the living room a disaster zone, she propelled herself toward the bedroom. Her short legs moved at lightning speed as she ran through the large open plan penthouse she shared with Anthony. It was the first time she had run in years, perhaps since high school gym class, but the current circumstances demanded it. She had thirty minutes before he got home, and she wanted to make every single second count.

She ran to the closet and pulled out his precious stash of ties. Silken and expensive, they fanned out on the floor in a bright rainbow. She smiled bitterly down at them, remembering how good he looked in his suits. Then she stomped all over the pile. Her sneakers still had mud caked on them from the day before, and she enjoyed watching flecks of dirt cover Anthony's favorite tie: a golden brown Armani he had worn on their first date.

He’d always claimed he loved the color because it matched her eyes. The first time he’d said that, her knees had wobbled and her heart stuttered. He'd pulled her close and whispered that her eyes reminded him of amber, preserving his heart forever in its beauty.

Right now, as she trashed the apartment, she was ashamed to admit that he’d only had to nibble on her ear and she'd jumped into his bed.

God, you make me sick, she yelled at the framed picture that sat beside their bed. It wasn’t clear if she was talking to Anthony or herself.

In the photo, he was wearing sunglasses and had an arm wrapped around her. His smile was handsome but cold, and his grip on her shoulder was so tight she was wincing slightly. At the time she'd thought it was dominant and sexy, but now that she had seen his true side, she realized just how menacing he actually was.

She picked up the frame, threw it on top of the ties, and stomped on that too. The crunch of glass was the most satisfying thing she’d ever heard. He'd be lucky if his expensive clothes were the only things she ruined. She was fighting the urge to burn his entire world to the ground; to make him regret every single expensive trinket that he’d collected around him like a dragon hoarded gold. After all, he had bought his luxury life with money he’d made from the most deplorable thing imaginable.

She shuddered as she thought of the term. Sex slaves.

He had always been secretive about his work, saying simply that he 'worked in imports' or 'helped the rich find new art'. She had believed that lie for their entire relationship – two years she had been strung along and never questioned the large apartment, the expensive gifts, or the lavish vacations. She just knew he worked hard, was often gone on business trips, and preferred to keep his work and home life separate.

Then, that afternoon, she had unexpectedly needed to use his computer. Her iPad had stopped working and she’d wanted to do some online shopping. So she had taken his laptop off his desk for the first time and booted it up. The password had been easy to guess (he had used her name, which she had thought was sweet at first; how quickly he had proved that wrong), and she was soon surfing through her favorite designer websites.

While she was attempting to buy a new purse she had been coveting, an email had popped up from one of Anthony's clients. 'Need New Artwork' had been the subject line. She hadn't even meant to click on it; the window just opened automatically. Before she knew what was happening, Anthony's private business was exposed for her to see.

When she read the description of what the man wanted, her heart had sunk: Eighteen, big breasts, and a virgin. And make sure this one doesn't have so much fight in her. I don't want to get bitten again.

Now, Kari was no expert on art but she knew that paintings didn't often have teeth, left alone perky eighteen-year-old boobs. No, Anthony was peddling something much dirtier than she had ever suspected. He was trading in human lives.

She had quickly ransacked the rest of his files, finding more proof. There had been photos and videos and other terrible evidence that would haunt her dreams forever. Afterward, as she threw up in the bathroom, she knew she had to face the truth: the man she had loved was a destroyer of lives.

The phone in the apartment began to ring, and Kari snapped out of her reflections. She didn't have much time before Anthony came home, and she didn't want to be there when he arrived. She had no idea what he was capable of anymore, and she had no desire to find out.

She grabbed her large leather purse and stuffed his laptop firmly inside along with her car keys. Then she grabbed a small bag she had hastily packed, flung open the apartment door and ran to the elevator. Punching the button to the garage, she held her breath as the cage slowly began to descend to the building's basement. Every inch that the elevator lowered only made her stomach drop further to her knees.

Her rage had carried her through the first shock, but now that she stood in the cold elevator, the brutal reality was beginning to sink in. She had slept next to Anthony, held him in her arms, taken him deep inside her. She had been so sure they were connected in a special, timeless way. But, the entire time they had been together he was hiding a monster within him.

She shuddered and pulled her purse closer to her side. She let the feeling of revulsion wash over her for five long seconds. But that was all the weakness she allowed. When the elevator door dinged open, she straightened her spine and took a deep breath. The betrayal ran deep, but she was going to keep it together. She wasn't a crier, especially when she had a job to do.

She walked across the cement floor of the garage, her heels clicking loudly. It appeared deserted, but she continued to look around fitfully. It was most likely impossible for Anthony to know what she had found, and there was no reason to suspect that he would come flying around a corner, ready to grab her. Even if he did, what would he do to her?

The question was difficult to answer in light of her new discoveries. Just a few days ago Kari would have laughed at the idea of Anthony physically hurting her. He hadn’t been the perfect gentleman, but he’d never threatened her. He tended to react by staying distant, or throwing passive aggressive insults into their conversations. Far from getting violent with rage, he retreated when he was mad, locking her out of his heart for awhile. Was that same man capable of revenge? Or coming after her because of what she knew?

Shit, I'm in this deep, Kari mumbled, trying to collect her thoughts.

She was now in front of the sporty little Mini Cooper he had bought her as a present earlier in the year. It was baby blue with a white checker pattern on the hood, and had been her pride and joy ever since receiving it. After throwing her bags in the back, she opened the front door and slid inside, settling into the familiar softness of her leather seats.

With trembling hands she reached up to grab the seatbelt and tugged it across her lap. Then she put her hands on the wheel and stared forward, lost in thought. Her entire life had completely changed, and everything she had once held dear was about to disappear forever. As soon as she turned on the car and left the garage, it would be all over.

A tap on the passenger side window made her jump, and she twisted around wildly, eyes bulging from her head. Her throat was convulsing so tightly she thought she'd pull a muscle.

Outside stood her and Anthony's neighbor, Alfredo. Seeing the familiar face, she let out a long breath and opened the window a crack.

Hi, Alfredo. What can I do for you?

A quiet middle-aged man, he was often around the building, either swimming in the pool or using the exercise room. Kari had spent countless hours next to him in the sauna. However, even after all that time, she didn't know anything about him, except that he lived in a smaller condo by himself.

Is everything ok, Kari? I saw you walking and you seemed quite upset. He gave her a worried look, leaning close to the window.

Just had some difficult family news, Alfredo. I'll be just fine. Thanks for checking.

I'm sorry to hear it. Well, I hope that boyfriend of yours takes good care of you while you’re feeling down. Alfredo gave a small smile and patted the roof of the car familiarly. Tell him I said hello!

Kari nodded and plastered a smile on her face. There was no way in hell she was going to be saying hello to Anthony ever again – either for herself or for someone else. But it wasn't the time to argue with Alfredo. Instead she gave him a little farewell wave and started the car. As she made her way out of the garage, she watched her neighbor in the rearview mirror. He smiled blandly at her as she left, watching her go the entire way.

I need to calm down. I'm getting crazy, she mumbled, flipping on her turn signal and heading to the highway.

Palm trees flashed by, and the ocean sparkled in the afternoon sun as she cruised. San Diego was always beautiful, with its year-round weather that made most other cities jealous, but Kari particularly loved it in the spring. On a May night like this, she'd normally love to go to her favorite restaurants in La Jolla and drink some white wine while watching the waves. She wouldn't have a care in the world. But Anthony had turned that all upside down; he’d ruined everything.

She cursed his name again as she whizzed along city streets, heading towards the police station. She didn't know how she would do it, or how long it would take, but she swore to herself that she'd make him pay for all the lies he’d told her, and for all the woman he had harmed. Kari had been fooled once by his smoky eyes and sweet-talking tongue, but she had no plans for it to happen ever again. She was going to take him down.

2

Kari pushed open the door to the police headquarters and sashayed in, flipping up her designer sunglasses so they sat on her chestnut hair. She had