AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Who is Ethan Harlen?” Cash says over the phone, the airport speaker in the background of the call.
I release a breath. “He’s Mayor Dixon’s assistant.”
Warner turns to me. “They’ll let you out as soon as I go to the sheriff with the phone and tell him that it was recovered near the cabin on Redford Ranch. I’ll tell him you weren’t sure if it belonged to the kidnapper or not, so you sent it off to have the deleted history recovered. With the recovered data, it’s clear that it did belong to the kidnapper, Jed. The ransom video Rosie had been forced to record was on it, as well as the person who it was sent to—Ethan Harlen.”
The cool December breeze at the ranch brings a peaceful serenity over me. Dirt clods crunch under my boots as I walk out to the barn with a glass of whiskey in my hand. The orange-and-purple hues of a West Texas sunset send rays of warmth over my skin, but they don’t go deep enough to affect my heart.
I’ve been home for a week now. The range of emotions I’ve been experiencing has a touch of rage, remorse, bitterness, and desperation all mixed in.
I haven’t seen or heard from Rosie. Warner has threatened me not to reach out to her. Dolly is solemn, walking around the house with a permanent frown on her lips and wet eyes. She’s been interviewing housekeepers, all of them plump and nearing fifty.
I guess she’s sick of her brothers sleeping with the help.
Sterling informed us tonight at dinner that he signed a four-year contract with the Marines. It didn’t surprise any of us, and we drank to him serving our country. He’ll ship off in the next few months for basic training.
If I wasn’t needed at the ranch to figure out how the fuck to make a profit with all the other ranchers using M-59 on their cattle and sinking our profits, I might be tempted to enlist.
A group of cowboys is laughing and drinking around a firepit near the bunk room. One of them is strumming on a guitar. They all have bottled beer in their hands. Their cowboy hats have seen better days, but they get the job done. Duke is among them, animatedly telling them his latest hunting story. Cash sits back on a log with a firelit smile on his face.
“She hated when I hunted, couldn’t stand the sight of it,” Duke finishes.
“I heard a rumor about the mayor’s daughter, that you and she never sealed the deal, Redford.”
My chest tightens as I look up at my little brother’s expression.
His bright blue eyes meet mine. “Nah, that was kid shit, ya know? We never got that far.”
“Damn, I’d be willing to bet she’s had it popped by now, but if not, I’d love to be the man who has the chance to,” the one with the thick beard says. He leans forward, nearly falling out of his seat due to intoxication.
Jensen grins. “You fellas haven’t forgotten the bet, have you? I say the winner also gets a hundred bucks from each of us.”
I drain the rest of the amber liquid in my glass, hurling the glass into the fire, causing it to erupt in a small burst of flames. “Whoever wins that bet will answer to me, and he won’t be breathing when I’m done.”
My tone is casual, but the entire group stiffens and silences. I make eye contact with Duke, who stares at me for a few seconds before smirking and throwing his head back with a bark of laughter.
“Fuck, you know the world is cruel when your big brother starts saying shit like that about your ex.”
The men around the fire look at each other with curious glances, studying my and Duke’s faces.
He winks at me over the fire before chugging down the remainder of his beer and lifting the empty bottle in my direction. “If you can convince her to ever set foot back on this ranch, brother, she’s yours.”
The men around the fire roar with laughter and a couple of yee-haws.
I accept a fresh beer from one of them, tipping the contents over my lips. “How about we settle that nasty little dispute we had over her right here, right now?”
Duke’s smile fades from his lips. “Why? So your psycho, prison-fighter ass can bloody my face up again? No thanks.”
“She’s not worth it to you,” I realize with a muse.
He tilts his head to the side. “At one point, she was. Not anymore.”
Cash stands up, swaying on his feet. His phone starts to buzz in his pocket. My senses heighten at the sound. He fishes it out of his jeans before swiping to answer.
“Hello?”
The person on the other end speaks for a minute. The men around the fire continue drinking and talking as Cash starts walking toward the house, phone still pressed to his ear. I follow him, ignoring Duke’s eyes on me.
“Yeah, okay, I’ll get back to you,” Cash says.
