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Cash is pouring Warner three fingers of whiskey when I reach the den. My father is already nursing a glass, his gaze pensive and seemingly sober. Sterling is leaning back against the window frame, eyes on the dark driveway and the lit-up stone entrance we just drove through.
Warner takes his glass and claims one of the leather chairs with wooden handles. He crosses a boot over his knee before clearing his throat.
“The probability of them pinning this on you is high. The three men who kidnapped her were masked. She was held for six days on your land, and the only face she saw of her kidnappers was your former employee, who has now conveniently disappeared and can’t be questioned. Her disappearance from the cabin didn’t occur until law enforcement came looking for her here. Whether they found any evidence at the cabin is unclear and frankly irrelevant, as we all know Clay Dixon isn’t above planting it.” He speaks plainly and matter-of-factly, which I’ve always appreciated.
My chest tightens as I reach for the glass of whiskey Cash poured me.
“What will they set my bond at?”
At this point, all I can think about is getting out of jail once I’m arrested. Rosie clearly isn’t safe. I can trust my brothers to protect her, but can I ask them to commit their lives to her safety if I’m sentenced again? For longer this time?
The thought of being locked up in a cold cell again makes my body go rigid.
What if I ran now? Would she come with me?
The thought of leaving my home, the ranch, and my family isn’t an option.
Fuck that. Fuck them for making me even think it.
Warner shrugs. “Something they know will hurt to pay. Half a million probably.”
It’s not completely outrageous, although we will need to liquidate some assets.
“What about the money trail?” Sterling asks, turning to face me. “They had to pay Jed and the others somehow. If it didn’t come from us, can’t we prove we didn’t do it?”
“And communication,” Cash adds. “There had to be phone calls, texts, something to set it all up. We have Jed’s phone.”
Warner leans forward. “The calls and texts are all from one number. It’s highly unlikely the number is still even active.”
“What about the ransom video? Was it on the phone?” Duke walks into the room, fresh from the shower and dressed in clean jeans and a T-shirt.
“It’s on there, but there’s no record of who it was sent to. I contacted a buddy who’s a former military hacker, but he lives on the coast of Oregon. I have to risk mailing it to him or physically take it there.” Warner leans back, draining the rest of his glass.
I finish the amber liquid off before handing my glass to Cash for a refill. “Our main goal right now needs to be figuring out who took her and why they want us to go down for it. As far as the sheriff and the Dixons are concerned, she’s still missing. I say we keep it that way until we have more answers. Her mother is still out there, being held, which makes me think Rosie is still in danger.”
Silence fills the room. My father clears his throat after a minute of it.
“Harry and Clay and I used to be partners, back before everything went to shit and your mother and I ran off together because she got pregnant. I saw the man do unspeakable things to get ahead in every business adventure we had. It’s basically why she chose me. He was always a cruel man. Harry didn’t mind it as much, and he took on the dirty work Clay didn’t want to mess with. Whatever has happened with the Dixon family, Harry most likely had something to do with it or hired the men who did.”
Warner’s brows rise. “You’re not suggesting that Clay is the one who kidnapped his own wife and daughter, are you?”
My father’s hand shakes as he brings the glass to his lips. He sips on it slowly before lowering it again. “Who else would want my son locked back up? Who has the resources? Who has been out to destroy Redford Ranch and take down our family?”
Cash exhales. “But to harm his own daughter?”
Dolly enters the room in a pale pink sweatshirt and matching leggings. Her eyes are red-rimmed as she cradles a glass of rosé. “I believe it. Even Rosie was worried her father, at the very least, didn’t care about finding her mother. She called her aunt because he wouldn’t even look for her.”
I stand up, walking to the other side of the window that Sterling is at. “Then, we can’t tell him she’s here. I’ll take her to Oregon to give the hacker the phone while y’all continue acting like nothing happened after telling the aunt and law enforcement that she’s not here and you haven’t heard from her.”
“What if she doesn’t want to go? She might want to stay and look for her mom! She isn’t your prisoner!” Dolly raises her voice, emotions clearly running high.
I turn to her, blinking in surprise at the outburst.
Tears stream down her cheeks. “She might not like him very much, but she does have an influence on him. She deserves to make her own choice about it.”
“What is she going to do to find her mother? Hacking the phone is our best move, and keeping her safe while taking it there is just a bonus,” Duke says softly, reaching for Dolly.
She succumbs to his embrace, crying against his shoulder. “I just don’t want her to lose her mom.”
