Forbidden Ride: Enemies to Lovers Secret Identity Bad Boy Brothers Cowboy Romance (The Wild Wests Book 4) Read online

  Forbidden Ride

  Adriana French

  Forbidden Ride Copyright © 2020 by Adriana French.

  This book is a work of fiction. You have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored without express permission. Any resemblance to persons living or dead, or places, events or locations are purely coincidental.

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

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  Chapter One

  I shiver, clutching the steering wheel. I’m in the thick of a snowstorm from hell. I’d hoped I left early enough to miss it, but no such luck. I’m only halfway up the grade. My SUV is straining like it’s on its last legs, as if it has to dig in and focus to reach the top of the mountain.

  My stomach curdles with regret. Maybe I shouldn’t have taken this trip. Do I even have the right to take a little time to myself when I know my kids will miss me so much? I have three. The twins, Leo and Lara, are four, and my big boy, Jessie, is six.

  I clasp the steering wheel tighter, narrowing my eyes on the hairpin turn, and try not to think about the cliff on my left. There isn’t a guardrail. One wrong move and I’ll be airborne, plunging to my death.

  I haven’t been away in over a year, and even this trip took months of planning. It isn’t like Huck, my ex, helps out. He left me three years ago for a big-titted buckle bunny he met at our local bar, Boondocks. The two of them left town about a month after they hooked up. As far as Huck’s concerned, the kids and I don’t exist. It killed me at the time.

  It still hurts, but I try not to dwell on how awful he treats us because I don’t want my bitter disappointment to rub off on the children.

  Besides my own kids, I wrangle thirty of other people’s on a weekday basis. Don’t get me wrong, I love teaching third grade, but everyone deserves a break sometimes.

  I check my rearview mirror and scare the crap out of myself when my haggard thirty-two-year-old face stares back. Yikes. Jenny West, you need some time away.

  But who cares what I look like? I’m almost at the cabin, and I’m not planning on seeing anyone. This weekend is all about bubble baths, chick flicks, romance novels, and wine—doing whatever I want, eating and drinking whatever I choose, when I choose to do it.

  The snow is really coming down now. I can barely see past the thick white sheets blanketing the road in front of me. I silently thank my brother Chase for insisting I let him check out my car before I left.

  Everything’s in perfect working order and I have all new tires, so I should be okay. I haven’t passed another car for miles and sure wouldn’t want to get stranded up here. The sun went down thirty minutes ago, and there’s no light to speak of except for my headlights.

  I turn into the bend and feel my tires slip over the ice. Shit. I straighten, white-knuckling the steering wheel. The snow pelts my windshield like I’ve hit a hive of fat bees and they’ve splattered all over my window. I can’t see a damn thing. I can’t hear my romance audiobook, so I shut off the stereo.

  The windshield wipers are cranked to the max, swiping as fast as they can, but the snow is dumping faster. Banks of white surround me on either side. I peer through my windshield and squint at the blinding white glare.

  I’m so discombobulated, I’m not sure I’ll even see the turn-off to my cabin.

  I take a deep breath to calm myself as I steer into another hairpin curve. The tires slip again, and my stomach flips with doom. Maybe I’m going too fast. I tap the brakes and feel the car begin to slide as I navigate into another turn. The SUV picks up speed as it heads downhill.

  I let out a sigh when I finally make out the bent metal sign for our family’s cabin up ahead. I’m so close now but moving too fast. I touch the brakes. The car makes a guttural whoop sound and hurls into a violent slide.

  “No, no, no,” I mutter, hanging onto the wheel as tight as I can, trying to gain control. The slide turns into a tight spin. The vehicle lifts and pulls out from underneath me as if it has a mind of its own.

  “Shit!” The snow crunches beneath the tires and hammers overhead. The steering wheel whips out from under my palms, turning sharply all by itself. My heart bangs against my chest. I can’t see where I’m going. “No!” I’m spinning and spinning and heading off the road.

  Please, God, help me.

  Something crashes against the passenger side. The force hurls me against my door, making me bash my shoulder against the frame. My foot’s off the pedal, and I quickly grab the steering wheel to control the vehicle.

  Thank God. I seem to be slowing. The spin loosens, and I cling to the shred of hope that maybe I’ll come out of this in one piece. But then—fuck. The tires lift off the ice. My stomach drops. I’m airborne, and it’s quiet.

  My heart jumps to my throat and I wait—for the fucking end of my life?

  The tires touch down again with a massive crunch and a thundering boom that kicks me off my seat. The seat belt tightens over my ribs, constricting me so much that I’m sure something’s breaking, and I hurtle down an embankment. No, no, no! This can’t be happening!

  Everything I brought with me—my purse, thermos, phone, chips, and snacks—goes whirling past me and crashes into the back of the SUV. I barrel past trees, shrubs, wood, and rocks, hearing them scrape and thump against the exterior.

  Dear God, how is this going to end? Will I hit one of these trees head on? Smash into a boulder? Will the engine explode? What’s going to make this car sto—

  Chapter Two

  I stomp through the snow, collect the oak I just split, and hurl the logs onto my porch. This storm is expected to dump four feet over the next few days, and I’m going to be ready. I have food and enough fuel for the fire to last me at least a week. The last piece hits the deck with a thunk. But there’s another sound coming from somewhere, and it’s definitely man-made.

  I listen closely. A gust of freezing air hits my face as the sound of crunching metal rushes through the night from the far end of my property. Christ. That’s the second accident this month. For whatever reason, my mountain seems to be the number-one attraction for drunken little shits. They come up here and party, making a joyride out of all those winding turns, the fucking idiots.

  In this weather? Really? I wipe the snow off my face and bring up my hood. I zip my parka all the way up to my neck and grab my flashlight off the porch. The snow chomps under my heavy boots as I trudge through the packed powder in the direction of the sound.

  If they were going to crash, I guess now is the time to do it. I won’t be here to save anyone much longer. I’m making a clean break at the end of the week.

  My mother, Maeve Johnson, runs one of the biggest drug operations in the state, and my brothers help her. They’re all about to get caught and probably locked up for life. I’ve never had anything to do with the so-called family business, and I’ve had enough of people trying to take me down, assuming I play a role in any
of my family’s crap.

  I have a contractor’s gig lined up in Bozeman. I’m hoping it will put enough distance between me and my family. But as much as I’ve tried to disconnect myself in the past, my crazy mother always tries to pull me into whatever illegal mess she’s in. Who knows—after Bozeman, I might just leave Montana altogether.

  Damn. When I see the headlights, I slow and blow out a breath of frosty air. I shine my lamp on a dark blue SUV. It looks like a Japanese make. Nissan? Toyota? It’s still upright, but it’s been through the wringer, with dents and scraped paint all over it.

  It’s facing downhill, smashed into a thick shrub. Another ten feet and that car would’ve gone right over a fifty-foot cliff.

  The wind roars around me as I slog through rocks and broken branches, making my way to the car. I shine my light on the back windows, then work my way to the front of the vehicle. Most of it is inaccessible. The shrub the car smashed into almost completely covers the hood. I angle around from the side, shining my light on the windshield, and inspect the driver’s side first and then the passenger side. I don’t see anyone, which isn’t a good sign. Someone could be passed out or worse on the floor. The windshield isn’t busted though, so whoever’s in there didn’t crack their head on it.

  After my stint in Afghanistan, I’ve seen enough blood and gore to last a lifetime.

  It’s so damn cold ice is sticking to my eyebrows. I wipe my face with the back of my hand and see the driver’s side door is lodged in the snow, all the way up to the handle. The truck is embedded in at least five feet. Shining my light, I scour the ground for a hunk of wood I can use as a shovel.

  I find a decent-sized branch a few yards away and come back to the vehicle. After I adjust my light so it shines on the door, I start digging.

  I’m a big man—about six-five, weigh almost two thirty, and work out every day—so it doesn’t take me long to shovel the snow and get the door clear. I brace myself for whatever I might be about to see, clasp the handle, and open the door.

  A pair of startled emerald eyes meet mine. “Don’t hurt me.” Her voice washes over me like melted honey. My cock stands at attention. Her gaze locks on mine, and my heart stops for a half-beat. Jesus, I know who this woman is.

  She’s haunted my dreams since I was fifteen, since the day I saw her for the first time. And it doesn’t matter. Whether I was fifteen then or I’m twenty-seven now—any day or year, Jenny fucking West is off limits.

  An icy gust comes out of nowhere and slaps my cheeks. I straighten, reminding myself that this particular situation is a game changer, at least for right now. It’s dangerous for her to be out here, trapped and exposed like this. Jenny needs me.

  “You don’t have to be afraid of me, darlin’. I’m here to help, not hurt you.” Although fucking you is definitely a possibility. I can’t stop myself from feasting on the sight of her pert little nose, pillowy soft lips, and shit, she still has a few freckles. She’s as gorgeous as ever, and—Christ!—off limits.

  My eyes roam down from the delicate features of her pretty face straight to her cleavage. I could bury my face between all that creamy flesh, not ever come up for air, and die a mighty happy man.

  Jenny’s every teenage boy’s wet dream. I ought to know. I jacked off so many times thinking about her I was afraid my dick would fall off. My blood heats and my cock bangs against my zipper, at the ready.

  I would never take advantage of a woman, but even all this snow isn’t enough to cool me down when it comes to Jenny.

  She hasn’t taken her eyes off me, and I could swear that even in her scared-shitless state, she’s taking me all in too. I’m sure she doesn’t know who I am. I was a few grades behind her in school. But she’s looking me up and down, and by the way she licks her pouty lips and gives me that sexy half smile, I think the little wildcat likes what she sees.

  “You hurt?” I ask, reaching in and getting a whiff of her sweet-smelling shampoo. I carefully unhook her seatbelt.

  “No.” She adjusts her blouse, unfortunately, buttoning every button. She pats her arms and chest. Then she stretches her neck from left to right like she’s checking for damage. “Believe it or not, I think I’m okay.”

  “Well, that’s good news, isn’t it?” I say in a calming voice, because I’m not convinced she’s as unrattled as she sounds. I know what shock looks like, and I’ll bet she’s right on the edge. Her face is void of color, her voice trembling. “What do you say I help you out of this thing and get you warmed up?”

  “Who are you?”

  Good question. I point in the direction of my cabin and consider how I’ll introduce myself. Off limits or not, I’m not about to send an injured woman running for the hills to die of hypothermia. “I live right up the way. Heard the crash and came down.”

  “Oh.” Wide-eyed, she angles around me for a look at my cabin. She can’t see a damn thing because it’s pitch black.

  “I’m William. William J.” I stare confidently into her blazing emerald eyes. Hell, I’m not lying. Not technically, anyway. I’ve been using J. instead of Johnson for years. “Ready to get out of the car?”

  “Uh-huh.” She pivots, nervously peering into the back. “My phone and purse went flying back there somewhere.”

  “How ’bout we find your coat first?”

  She lets out a shuddering breath. “Oh. Good idea. I didn’t even think of that.”

  “You’ve been in a pretty good accident, sweetheart.” She swings to me on that last word and narrows her eyes. “I think you might be a bit shaken up,” I say cautiously. “It’s only natural you would be.”

  “I probably am,” she says quickly. “I’m Jenny West. Thanks for coming to my rescue.” She throws me a sassy smile. “It’s not often I need help, but I sure did tonight.”

  “Happy to be of assistance.” I’m surprised I didn’t ask her name first, and lucky she didn’t catch on that I know her. But hell, I guess finding your fantasy woman out in the middle of nowhere can get a man flustered. “You’re trembling like a leaf. Let’s get you warmed up.”

  “Um. I guess...” She peeks cautiously around me like she’s expecting someone else to show up. “But maybe I should call the sheriff, or an ambulance, or—”

  “Cell towers are down.” I shake my head and peer up the dark gray embankment behind the car. Her tire tracks are almost completely covered in fresh powder. “Roads are closed. They’re not even plowing anymore. You must’ve been the last car up the mountain.”

  “I thought it was kind of weird that I stopped seeing any cars.”

  “No one is getting anywhere tonight.” I grab the branch and dig out around the back door and get it open. “Phone’s right here,” I say, snatching it, and end up climbing all the way in. I reach over the back seat to get her purse and gather up another big bag while I’m there. “All set.” I come back to Jenny.

  Jenny reaches around her and pulls up the parka she’s sitting on. I catch myself staring as she lifts her ass off the seat. Her chest juts out as she wriggles into the arms of her jacket.

  She zips the front and shyly looks up at me, like she still isn’t sure what happened or if it’s safer out here or in my cabin. If she knew how hard I was, she’d think twice for sure.

  Oh, I could soothe her. I’d have her healed in no time. And after she felt better, I’d spread her out on the big rug in front of my fireplace and lick every inch of her. Just the thought of her pussy is making my balls swell. I’ve had my share of gorgeous women, but none of them come close to Jenny.

  But I can’t touch her.

  Our families have been feuding for years. Getting involved with her and bringing on the shitstorm that would follow is the last thing I need. Christ, with her brothers, I’d end up in either a casket or jail. I’d take a few of the pricks with me though, that’s for damn sure.

  Jenny pulls the keys out of the ignition. I offer my hand to help her out of the car. “Oh wait.” She gnaws on her lip. “Um, I almost forgot something, mountain man.
”

  I break into a grin. “No one’s ever called me that before, but I think I like it coming from you.”

  She sends me a smile that could stop traffic and then pulls a shiny Smith & Wesson from her glove compartment. “It’s nothing personal,” she mutters under her breath.

  “No offense taken.” I chuckle. There’s nothing sexier than a woman who knows how to protect herself, and I’m impressed Jenny does. In fact, my cock just twitched its approval. “Ready?” I offer my hand again.

  “Yeah.” She nods, clasping my rough callouses with a silky-smooth touch. Electric heat surges where our skin makes contact, and I do my best to ignore the way my pulse skyrockets as I carefully help her out of the driver’s seat. I give her a once-over—she seems shaky on her feet, but overall okay.

  Jenny keeps a bead on me as I bend to pick up my flashlight. Then her eyes dart around the surroundings. She looks like she’s about to bolt. To where? Hell if I know. “You sure this is okay?”

  “Positive. But only if you hold this.” I hand her the flashlight. “And you’ll allow me to carry you.”

  “Nice try.” She steps back, and for a second I think she’s going for her gun.

  “We don’t know if you’re hurt, or in shock.”

  She drops her head and inspects her legs. “You think?”

  “You’ve got adrenaline running through your bloodstream. You wouldn’t necessarily know if you sprained something, and walking on it would only make it worse. Let’s give it a try.”

  She bites on her lip again and exhales a shaky breath. I shift my gaze. Fuck. She’s so precious. I don’t know how long I’ll be able to keep myself from kissing her. “I guess you carrying me couldn’t be any worse than my last ride.” She points to her SUV with a smirk.

  “Good call,” I say, firmly reminding myself that the only reason I’m talking to Jenny West is because this is an emergency and there’s no one else here to help. I carefully lift her into my arms.