Angry Boy: Red Sky, Texas, #5

By Beau Brown

Omega Kylo Hansen is angry and determined to stand up for his sister's honor. He follows the alpha his sister Mia says got her pregnant, to The Tumbleweed Ranch, intending to make him step up and be an honorable alpha. Kylo won't just stand by and let Cory McTarn get away with abandoning his duties as an alpha.

 

Alpha Cory McTarn has no idea why Kylo seems to hate him. The alpha is used to everybody adoring him, so when Kylo arrives and instantly hates him, he's mystified. He tries his best to get along with Kylo, but Kylo isn't interested in being his friend.

 

When Mia admits she lied to Kylo about Cory, the embarrassed omega immediately goes to Cory, to ask for his forgiveness. The two men develop a friendship that quickly turns into something more. But misunderstandings seem to be a way of life between Cory and Kylo, and their path toward love won't be easy.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Beau Brown
• Release date: Jul 14, 2020
• ISBN: 9798201763091

Book preview

Chapter One

Kylo

Cory Mctarn might have had everyone else fooled, but I knew he was an asshole.

Before he hightailed it out of Lake City, Colorado, to come to Red Sky, Texas, he’d knocked up my sister, Mia, and even stolen our father’s gold watch; one of the few precious things we had left of his. Cory was a lying, cheating snake, and it was my plan to see that he got what was coming to him. Mia had no idea what I was up to, she’d have never approved. I wasn’t going to beat him up or anything, I just wanted to call him out and make him do the right thing by my sister.

Across the yard, I watched Cory ride out toward the cattle in the distance. I was supposed to be with him, but I’d hung back because I planned on searching his room for Dad’s watch again. I hadn’t had any luck the first time I’d gone through his room, but this time, I’d be more thorough. I prayed he hadn’t already hawked Dad’s watch, but with a guy like Cory, who knew?

Cory came off like the golden boy type of alpha, but behind his charming smile was a cold hearted jerk. What would the others think if they knew the real Cory? Would they loath him as much as me? Or would they not really care, because it wasn’t their sister he got pregnant? It had been agony watching Mia struggle with being pregnant and abandoned. I’d done what I could to help, but I couldn’t replace her alpha.

Once Cory was just a black dot in the distance, I pulled my copied key from my pocket. Tex kept spares of all the room keys, so Martha could clean the rooms. Someone had left the office door open one day, and I’d taken advantage of that. I’d grabbed Cory’s room key, to make a copy in town, and returned the original, so no one was the wiser. This way, I could look around Cory’s room any time I wanted, and he had no idea. If I’d picked the lock, well, that would have been a dead giveaway.

I slipped the key in the lock, and hurried inside. The room smelled like Cory’s spicy cologne, and I had to shake off the feelings it brought up in me. There was no denying Cory was an attractive alpha. I wasn’t completely immune to his looks or charm. He was a good actor, I had to give him that. If I hadn’t known what he did to Mia, I’d have thought he was the nicest guy around. But he wasn’t. He was a user and a cad.

I decided to search his nightstand first, since that’s where I kept things that were precious to me. Many photos of my nephew Tad with Mia were tucked away in my nightstand. As I rifled through Cory’s top drawer though, all I found were colored pencils, a sketch pad, and condoms and lube. The last two items sent a strange thrill through me, but I shoved those stupid feelings away. I wasn’t here to get turned on. I was looking for Dad’s watch.

Out of curiosity, I opened the sketch pad. Inside were pencil drawings of the surrounding landscape of The Tumbleweed Ranch. There was also one small sketch of Jesse. The detail was excellent, and it was obvious great care had been taken to capture Jesse’s likeness. I stared at that drawing the longest, trying to figure out why Cory would have drawn Jesse. Did he have a thing for the other omega?

I wasn’t sure why the idea of Cory having feelings for Jesse annoyed me? Probably because Jesse was way too good for someone like Cory. The very idea Jesse would look twice at Cory, when he had a great alpha like Baker was laughable. With a grunt I tossed the sketch pad back where I’d found it. Who cared if Cory was lusting after Jesse? That wasn’t why I was here.

The bottom drawer held papers and a few books. When I opened one of the books, there was a black and white photo of a woman, a young looking Cory, and another kid, slightly older, who looked a lot like Cory. Was that his mom and brother? I didn’t know anything about his family, other than the few tidbits he’d occasionally drop. I hadn’t known him when we both were living in Lake City. He’d been ahead of me in school. He’d only come on my radar when Mia told me she was pregnant, and that Cory was the father.

I studied the photo, wondering why he never talked about his family. Was his mom still alive? Was he close to his brother? I knew little about him since I rarely talked to him. That pissed him off too, but gave me great satisfaction. It was fun snubbing him every chance I got. He was used to people falling for his charming alpha act. It was hard to miss how many omegas were drawn to him, male and female. He only seemed attracted to males though. Why had he even slept with Mia if he was gay? Was he perhaps bisexual?

His sexuality has nothing to do with anything. Focus.

I tossed the photo back into the book, and shut the drawer. I moved on to his dresser, but all that was in there was clothes. The closet, same thing. He didn’t have a lot of belongings. He seemed to live very minimally. I even checked under his bed, crawling halfway under it to be sure, but there was nothing but one box of books.

Once again, I was frustrated that the gold watch was nowhere to be found. The first time I’d searched, I hoped I’d simply overlooked it. Now, I had the awful feeling he must have sold it. What a jerk. How could he be so callous about another person’s things? Well, he didn’t even care that he’d gotten Mia pregnant. If he didn’t care about his own kid, why would he care about a watch?

Since my search was fruitless, I decided I should leave Cory’s room before someone noticed I was in here. I peeked out the window to be sure no one was around, then I left his room, tucking the key back in my pocket. I headed toward the barn, deep in thought. It seemed obvious I’d probably never recover Dad’s watch. Cory must have sold it already. Well, I’d still make him pay for abandoning Mia and Tad.

As I entered the barn, I almost walked right into Tex. His hands were on his hips, and he looked annoyed. Where have you been? he demanded.

My face warmed, and I hoped I didn’t look guilty. Uh… bathroom issues. No one pushed for further details when you used things like that as an excuse. They didn’t dare.

Sure enough, Tex took a step back. Oh.

Were you looking for me for a reason?

He nodded. I want you to ride out with Cory, to check on the calves.

Cory again? I scowled. Tex constantly pushed Cory and me together, and I found it irritating. There were other people on the ranch, why was I always stuck working with my arch nemesis? It was almost impossible to be civil to Cory, when all I wanted to do was punch him.

He sighed. I don’t want to hear it Kylo. Saddle up and try to catch him. He’s in the west pasture.

My stomach sank. Isn’t there something else I could do? I’m sure Cory doesn’t need my help.

Tex laughed gruffly. Kylo, I don’t like it when you question my orders.

I don’t mean any disrespect. I dropped my gaze. I’d just rather work with someone else. I always get partnered with Cory.

I need to put you where I need you. I don’t want to have to think about whether or not you like it. He scowled. I just went through this shit with Jesse and Baker. Now they’re finally cool, and it’s you and Cory? I don’t have time to babysit you people.

I winced at the anger in his voice. Fine. I… I’ll go saddle up.

Thank you, he said tersely, and he strode away.

Grumbling under my breath, I went to get my horse. Once my gelding was saddled, I headed out. My stomach swirled with irritation that, yet again, I had to spend time alone with Cory. I didn’t understand why Tex seemed to think we were such an amazing team, when it was obvious I loathed Cory. Was he doing it on purpose? Did he think if we were around each other more, things would work themselves out?

He was dead wrong. I despised Cory with every fiber of my being.

I rode across the golden grass covered land, taking in the jagged mountains in the distance. Red Sky was a beautiful place, and if it wasn’t for Cory, I’d actually love working on The Tumbleweed Ranch. But seeing Cory each day put a strain on me, and I just wanted to get even with him. He seemed far too happy and content with his life. How could he even sleep at night, after bailing on his own child?

Eventually, I came upon Cory. He was on foot, walking among the cattle, doing an inspection. He didn’t see me at first because he was patting a brown and white calf that sniffed him curiously. I dismounted, and walked toward him. The calf raised its head and ran away, and Cory glanced over to see what had spooked it.

He gave a hesitant smile, which I didn’t bother returning. Tex finally hunted you down? he asked.

Yep. I met his gaze. How are the calves?

Damp noses and normal ear temperatures. He pulled his hat tighter to his head. I think we’ve got a healthy herd.

I frowned. "You checked all the calves already?"

He laughed. No. But you can see they’re active and jumping around. None of them are lethargic or skulking.

Yeah, but unless you’ve physically checked every calf, our work isn’t done.

I didn’t have any help. It’s hard to examine every calf by myself.

I ignored his pointed remark. Well, I’m here now.

He narrowed his eyes. Yeah. Finally. But I’m not starting all over just because you decided to show up.

It’s our job to make sure the herd is healthy.

Kid, I know what my job is. Besides, in two days they’ll be in the calf shed. We can check them more carefully then. They’re obviously healthy enough to make it a few days.

I smirked. Cutting corners? Why am I not surprised?

Excuse me?

I crossed my arms. I’m just saying you seem to like to jump from one thing to the next, never doing anything well.

A red flush appeared beneath his tan. That’s bullshit.

I shrugged, enjoying the fact he looked annoyed.

If I was slacking, Tex would have my head. He’s happy with my work.

Yeah, well, he makes us work together a lot. You’re probably benefiting from the fact that I pick up your slack. I turned back toward my horse, squashing my smirk at his gasp.

You little shit. I work my butt off on this ranch. You’re not carrying me.

I had my back to him, but I heard his boots stomping toward me. I busied myself grabbing rope from my saddle pack. All I know is you didn’t check all the calves, which is something that should be done daily. If that isn’t slacking, I don’t know what is. I faced him, and had to control the instinct to flinch at his angry expression.

I don’t need you telling me how to do my job. I’ve been doing this work way longer than you.

You’ve only been on The Tumbleweed Ranch a year. What makes you such an expert?

I worked ranches way before The Tumbleweed.

Is that right?

Yeah.

I held his angry stare. I’ve worked ranches since I was eighteen.

Same, only I’m older than you. I’ve been doing this longer.

I pushed past him, moving toward the herd. Doesn’t make you better than me.

I’m not saying I’m better than you, Kylo. I’m objecting to the fact you’re implying I’m lazy, and that I do half-ass work. His voice was surprisingly even. That’s unfair and untruthful.

I ignored him, and headed toward one calf that had caught my attention when I rode up. It was limping slightly, which could be a sign of foot rot. Foot rot was something the cattle occasionally got from standing in water to cool off. You couldn’t prevent it, you could only cure it.

Did you check that calf? I asked, tightening my grip on my rope.

Which one?

The one limping, I said drolly.

He didn’t respond, he simply followed me. I tossed the rope, looping it over the calf’s neck easily. When the loop slipped over its head, it panicked, tugging me so hard, I almost fell on my ass. Cory moved closer and lassoed its hind feet, and that took the calf down. If he was anyone else, I’d have thanked him. But because it was Cory, I didn’t bother. I especially didn’t like the fact he’d had to help me.

Breathing hard, I knelt over the calf and grabbed its leg. I peered at the hoof, and sure enough saw signs of the fungus. I knew it. This one has foot rot. My voice wobbled as I held the struggling calf.

Cory made a sound of disgust. Seriously?

Yep.

Without another word, he trotted toward his horse. When he returned, he held a syringe with antibiotic. He injected the calf, and then marked it with chalk, so we could identify the calf as having already been treated. We both released our ropes, and the calf scampered away toward the rest of the herd.

I expected Cory to be unpleasant about the fact I’d spotted a sick calf, when he’d said they were all doing well. He wasn’t though, instead he met my gaze and nodded. Good eye.

Shocked he wasn’t being a dick, I frowned. That’s it?

Shrugging, he said, What can I say? I missed him.

And here you have so much more experience than me, I mocked. Anyone else, I’d never have said a word. But this was Cory. Lying, cheating, asshole Cory. He deserved every mean word.

He laughed humorlessly. Wow. You never miss an opportunity to be a jerk to me.

I met his gaze. You deserve it.

Do I? He bit his bottom lip. Why is that exactly? Why are you such a punk to me, but fine with everyone else?

I don’t like you.

"I noticed. I’m asking you why you don’t like me? Not to brag, but most people do. His gaze was puzzled. You’ve had a bug up your ass toward me since the day you arrived."

Maybe I don’t like you because I think you’re shitty at your job.

Nah, you were a jerk before we worked together even one day.

You’re arrogant. I don’t care for it.

Pfft. I don’t have an arrogant bone in my body. He looked pissed.

You arrogantly thought you had all the calves checked out. But you were wrong. I don’t like sloppy work.

His mouth tensed. Tex likes us to work in teams for a reason. It takes two pairs of eyes to catch everything. It’s not my fault you couldn’t be on time today.

So, it’s my fault you missed that sick calf?

You weren’t on time. I had to do this section of the herd alone.

Heading back to my horse, I muttered, Poor baby.

He shook his head, and jumped nimbly up on his horse. Jesus you’re a pain in the ass, kid.

Back at cha, Buttercup. I mounted, and kicked my horse, heading off toward another group of cattle. I could feel Cory’s angry gaze burning into my shoulder blades, but I ignored him, immersed in my thoughts of payback.

As much as I wanted Cory gone, Tex wasn’t going to fire Cory just because I didn’t like him. He was too damn likeable. But I could make his life miserable, the way he’d done to Mia when he ran out on her and her unborn child. He’d pay for being a coward of an alpha.

Chapter Two

Cory

It was a mystery to me why Kylo hated me. Nothing I did got through to him. Having him hate me was a new experience for me. Some people liked me more than others, but it was very rare that I ran into a person who completely disliked me on sight.

I’d tried being friendly with Kylo, to no avail. I’d also tried being aloof, to see if that might give him time to warm up to me. But it didn’t seem to matter how I treated him, he had no interest in connecting with me.

He was up to something though. Baker told me that he’d seen Kylo coming out of my room one time, when I was out of town. I’d assumed Baker was mistaken, and just got the room wrong. My room was close to Kylo’s, so it seemed like an easy mistake. But the weirder Kylo acted around me, the more it seemed like maybe Baker wasn’t wrong. Perhaps, Kylo truly had been snooping around my room. I couldn’t imagine why he’d bother, unless maybe he was a thief. But, if that was his motivation, he was out of luck. I didn’t have anything worth stealing.

We both came from Lake City, so we should have had a natural bond. I didn’t know Kylo, and was sure I’d never met him before. Yet, he seemed to have a chip on his shoulder where I was concerned. I wasn’t sure what I could’ve done to offend him, if I’d never met him before.

I had no idea why he’d left Lake City, to come to Red Sky, but I’d left to follow my mom here. She was a mess. She never left her house, and her only real friend was her bottle of wine. She wanted nothing to do with me, but I’d followed her because she was my mother, and it was obvious she was deteriorating. Unfortunately, my being in the same town as her didn’t deter her from drinking herself to death. It was frustrating to watch her, knowing she wouldn’t listen to a word I said.

My brother Griffin told me to forget about her, he basically had. Hell, he’d basically forgotten about me as well. I hadn’t seen him in years. I sent him Christmas cards every year, and I never got anything back. He lived in Dallas, and he worked as a realtor. He had a fancy condo, and a fancy car, and a fancy life. He’d put Lake City far behind him, while I’d stayed behind to take care of Mom. She didn’t appreciate it, but then, I hadn’t lingered behind for praise. I’d stayed near her because I loved her, and worried about her.

I studied Kylo’s stiff back as he rode ahead of me. I was annoyed I’d missed that calf earlier. Foot rot wasn’t life threatening, but I should have noticed the calf was limping. I’d had a point though, about working alone. There was a reason Tex had us work in teams. But still, the fact it was Kylo who’d noticed the calf, made it painful to my pride.

Do you want to break for lunch in about an hour? I called out.

He glanced at me over his shoulder. No. I’d rather work straight through.

What a surprise.

Don’t pretend you’re yearning to eat lunch with me either.

I snorted. Lunch breaks aren’t about the company. They’re about eating.

You do what you want, but I’m working straight through. He kicked his horse and galloped toward a group of cows.

I gritted my teeth, and followed suit. We spent the rest of the day working in surly silence; only speaking when absolutely necessary. I usually enjoyed my days working the ranch, but with Kylo, the cantankerous atmosphere made it unpleasant. I decided I’d talk to Tex, and see if maybe he could occasionally pair me up with one of the other guys. There was no reason I had to be paired with Kylo all the time.

When we finally returned to the ranch, I showered before dinner. It felt amazing to wash the grime of the day away with a hot shower. Since we hadn’t had lunch, my stomach growled as I sat on the bed to pull on my boots. When the heel of my shoe bumped something under my bed, I frowned. I bent over to see what it was, noticing a brown leather wallet on the floor. I retrieved the item, smoothing my thumb over the gold embossed initials KH. I turned it over in my hand, wondering whose it could be. I flipped it open, and my heart stuttered. The license inside was Kylo’s. His unsmiling face looked back at me, as if taunting me.

I could think of no logical reason why Kylo’s wallet would have ended up in my room. It wasn’t like we hung out together. My heart began to beat faster as I thought about Baker telling me he’d seen Kylo in my room before. I hadn’t wanted to believe him, but finding Kylo’s wallet made me rethink things. Had that little jerk actually been snooping in my room? Why? What possible reason would he have to go looking through my things? That was outrageous, and a complete invasion of my privacy. But if he hadn’t been in my room, how had his wallet gotten here?

I stood, tempted to immediately confront Kylo. But