A cold finger trailed down Claire’s spine and prodded her stomach. “What are you talking about?”
“Boomerang is mine. I’m showing her next week.”
Claire’s mind reeled. Why hadn’t Tucker told her? Hell, if she’d known she wouldn’t have gotten so attached to the beast.
And who the hell was Darcy to waltz in and take over Claire’s efforts? “No, you aren’t.”
Darcy rocked back on her heels as if she’d been slapped. Then again, hearing the word no might be equivalent to a palm against her pretty, powdered cheek.
“Tucker and I have a deal.”
“Do you?” Claire countered. Anger rose inside her, for every time she’d remained silent and allowed people to spill their guts to her and had never given her opinion or thoughts. That was the same as being walked on for many long years.
But this rodeo queen wasn’t going to win the blue ribbon for Boom Boom.
“Listen, lady…” Darcy raked her gaze over Claire, from her shabby boots to her white shirt with the dirty hem where she’d wiped her hand before leaving the ranch, “…I don’t know who you are to Tucker exactly. But he and I are family. Family sticks together.”
She snorted. “Yeah, I know all about families that try to bully and intimidate into getting their own selfish ways.”
Darcy took a hasty step forward into Claire’s space. She resisted the urge to shove her back. Or not…
She smacked the heel of her hand off Darcy’s shoulder. Despite looking as if she still weighed as much as she had at birth, the girl was solid. Had some muscle. She didn’t move.
But she did retaliate. Fury washed over her face. “You little bitch!” Darcy sank a hand into Claire’s curls and twisted ruthlessly. The tug brought instant tears to her eyes—tears that only infuriated her.
Claire reached for Darcy’s coiffed ‘do and yanked the highlighted strands. Several clung to her fingers like cobwebs.
A roar of anger erupted from Darcy. She pulled so hard on Claire’s hair that she was sure to sport a bald spot for months. She bit her lip against the pain and slapped Darcy across the face.
Darcy jerked on her hair, and they both toppled off balance into the suppository display. A flurry of slaps and knee jabs ensued. Claire’s head spun from the craziness, but she managed to hold her own.
She got Darcy on the dirty carpet and pinned her with a knee on her toned gut. She glared down at the girl’s face. If she was underage, Claire was so going to jail for assaulting a minor.
But it would all be worth it. On behalf of Tucker and Christian, for the crap both of them had put up with between Leon and Dale, Claire would show this girl who had strength.
All at once, it struck her. She loosened her hold on Darcy’s hair but continued to kneel on her. The magnitude of what she could do here made her nerves spark with excitement.
“I’ll strike a deal with you.”
Darcy’s eyes widened but still shot bullets. “What’s that, you heavy cow?”
For that, Claire ground her kneecap into her belly. Darcy grunted.
“You want Boomerang.”
“I have the rights to her. She’s mine!”
“Well, Tucker has the rights to his land too.”
Understanding flashed across the girl’s features.So she’s a smart one after all.
Darcy fell still. “What do you want?”
“You call off daddy and big brother and stop hassling Tucker about signing those papers and you can have the alpaca.”
To anyone else in the world, using an alpaca as leverage would be laughable. Butdeep down, Claire was devastated. She swallowed hard.
“How am I supposed to make Daddy back off? I’m only sixteen!”
