by Dakota Black
Drago laughed. “As you said, I don’t have to tell you a thing. But I will say this, whatever you hope to gain by getting close to her, it won’t work. She will see right through you.”
“You have no idea what you’re talking about. We can discuss this later and, buddy, we will. Where’s the junction box?” He could tell Drago was seething with anger.
“Down the line. We need to check on the cattle and when Walt gets here, I’ll shut down the power. Whatever our differences, we’re here because Amber needs us.”
He held back a retort. Jorge trusted him and for a split second, he’d been able to look past the man’s armor.
Drago was also in love with Amber.
The thought hadn’t occurred to him. “Fine.” He trotted closer to the pasture, scanning the area. Fortunately, he could see only two of the animals had wandered off. “I’ll get the cattle.”
“You do that. I’ll take a look at the fence.” Drago rode the other way.
Drago was many things, including being an asshole, but he had to question whether he would parade as one of the good guys. Not the man’s kind of game in any manner.
Camden walked the horse through the area that had been cut, making certain there were no downed wires. He could tell easily that the cut had been handled in a crude fashion, as if the perpetrator had been in a hurry. Bart Randolph must be getting desperate which would mean that time was running out. If so, his methods of extortion would become more extreme.
After turning the cattle around, he studied Drago, the way he was moving down the entire fence line, studying the breaks.
Camden led the cattle closer as Walt drove toward them, the battered Chevy lumbering along the rough terrain. He managed to guide the massive beasts through the passage and eased off the horse.
Walt jumped out of the truck, whistling the moment he noticed the fence. “Whew. The fuckers did a nice job. Just what we needed. Miss Amber can’t catch a damn break.”
“At least it was called in quickly,” Drago said as he moved closer to Walt.
“True. Gonna take me awhile to fix the damn thing.”
“I’ll turn the power off.”
“Already stopped along the way,” Walt said as he grinned. “I’m a full-service man. Come on, fellas. Let’s get to work.”
As they pulled off various materials from the truck, Walt chattered on, cursing the people responsible and stating that he would do anything in his power to help Amber find the culprit.
Walt dragged a bag out of the cab of the truck and headed toward the fence. “If y’all don’t mind, just make certain the cattle are kept away. They get kinda curious when we’re working.” Whistling, he unzipped the bag, pulling out a pair of wire cutters.
Drago walked closer, placing his hand on one of the wooden posts. “I don’t like this. What are they going to do next?”
“My guess is they’ll start rounding up the cattle, taking them right off the property,” Walt stated as he grumbled under his breath. “We need to step up the night runs, making sure we keep the property safe.”
“Not enough men to ride the entire property,” Camden added as he moved closer, keeping a watch on the animals.
“True enough, but they don’t need to know that. We can always say we hired a bunch of people. Word gets around fast in this town,” Walt offered, hunkering down by the stripped wires. “Damn bastards. Cut and run.” He peered over the fence, hissing. “What the hell is this?”
Drago looked in the direction of Walt’s gaze. Suddenly, his eyes opened wide. “Get away!”
“What?” Camden ran closer.
“What’s wrong?” Walt reached out, prepared to cut the wire.
“No!”
Drago’s yell rang out, filtering into the light breeze and the moment Walt placed the cutter on the wire, the entire system arced, the force blowing Drago several feet away.
Camden watched in horror as a clear line of current ran from the wire into the cutters before shooting up into Walt. “No!”
Drago was rolled several feet, thumping down onto the ground. “What… the…”
The electricity shot through Walt, burning. Sizzling. Within seconds a stench unlike any he’d ever known rolled into the air. Camden dropped to the ground only inches from Walt, watching as the man’s eyes dulled, his body shook from the level of current. His heart raced, his blood boiled and there was absolutely nothing he could do to save the man’s life. “Walt!”
The cutters fell out of Walt’s hand and his body slumped, crumpling to the ground.
“Oh, no.” Tears rushed to Camden’s eyes and he struggled to make sense of what had just occurred. Rage flew into every cell, every muscle in his body. Reacting, he finally willed his body to move, stumbling toward Drago and kneeling down. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah,” Drago whispered, his voice hoarse. “What happened?”
“We need to get you out of here.” Camden rolled Drago over. “Just stay put. I’ll make a call.”
“Wait. What about… Walt?”
Shaking his head, he continued shaking, his mind reeling. Walt had been murdered. “He’s gone.”
“Goddamnit!” Struggling to sit up, Drago turned his head. “Fuck!”
“Stay here.” Camden lumbered toward the truck, reaching in through the open window and grabbing the radio. “Amber. Are you there?” He held the radio to his head, trying to calm his nerves, let alone his anger. “Is anyone there?”
“Camden? It’s Chowder. What’s going on?”
Hearing the older man’s voice, he had no idea how to break the news. “Call the police and an ambulance. There’s been a murder.”
Amber heard the crackling of one of the radio’s but ignored the sound. The men would have to deal with whatever issue. She stood with her arms folded, watching as the EMT’s tended to Jorge. “Is he going to be all right?”
“He’s stable but we’re taking him to County Memorial. From what I can tell, he’s dehydrated, but I suspect there’s more going on,” the EMT stated as he motioned for the other emergency personal. “Is the pancreatic cancer late stage?”
She nodded and tried to catch a glimpse of Jorge’s face. Tears remained in her eyes and she brushed them away, determined to stay strong. “Can I go with him?”
“Are you family?”
“Just his goddaughter.”
The EMT smiled. “Wonderful, but at this point, only family. I suggest you call them if you can.”
“Can I see him?”
“Only for a minute.”
Her heart heavy, she moved toward the stretcher, trying to smile. “Hi there.” She rubbed his cheek, cringing at the way he looked. So white. So fragile. She’d never seen the strapping man appear so helpless. “Trying to keep secrets from me, huh?”
Jorge smiled and slowly reached for her hand. “Protecting you, but I’m not ready to go yet, darlin’. I’ll be just fine.”
“You don’t take good enough care of yourself.”
“That’s what the wife says,” he laughed then started to cough. “You need to know something.”
“Not now. I don’t care about the ranch,” she sputtered, tears sliding down both sides of her face.
“You need to. You have to face this. The Southside fence has been compromised. Cut. Bart is coming after you.”
She cringed and refused to allow him to see how worried she was. “I’ll deal with the asshole.”
“Let Camden help you. Only he can.”
“You know who he is.”
He gave her a waning smile. “I did before I hired him. I thought he was either here to help or work with Bart. Either way, I could keep an eye on him. He’s a good man.” He went into a coughing spell, his entire body shaking.
As a string of blood slipped past his lips, she gasped.
The EMT rushed over. “That’s it. We need to take him in. Call his family.”
Amber heard the urgency in the EMT’s voice. “I will.” As the stretcher was wheeled away, Jorge’s han
d fell, lifeless. Unable to stop the tears, she turned around, sobbing.
“Don’t forget. I love you.”
Hearing Jorge’s tired voice, the way he struggled just to say the words, her mind slithered into a dark space. She was so lost, so frightened.
Squawk!
The radio sounded again, static turning into a mumbled voice. Disgusted, she walked toward the jeep, jumping when the ambulance doors were slammed shut. She waited until the driver rolled the ambulance down the driveway before peering inside the jeep. The radio was Jorge’s. “This is Amber. What is going on?”
“Amber. Thank God. Honey, we have some bad news.”
“Chowder?”
“Yes. There’s been a terrible accident by the Southside fence.”
“What? Who?”
“Walt, Drago and Camden.”
Her mind reeled, her heart thudding, cutting out any additional sounds. Tossing the radio onto the passenger seat, she raced toward the other side, jumping into the jeep and starting the engine. She floored the accelerator, heading in the direction of the field. “No! No!” Slamming her hand on the dashboard, she tilted her head back and screamed. This couldn’t be happening. This wasn’t going to happen. Not someone else.
The radio continued to make sounds of static, intermittent with Chowder’s voice, but she ignored the noise, concentrating on driving, on trying to get to the man she loved. The bastards. Tears continued to fall as she weaved her way down the various paths, until she was forced to drive over rough terrain.
Within seconds, she heard the sounds of sirens, coming from what seemed like every direction. She glanced all around her, knowing they were coming toward the section of fence. What in God’s name had happened? When she was less than a mile away, she could see a tower of dust up ahead, as if someone was racing in her direction. She pressed down on the gas, the jeep jumping over rocks and dips, flying into the air.
She didn’t give a shit. She had to get to them. “Please. Please let them be all right.” Suddenly, the plume of dust cleared, and she noticed a horse racing in her direction. Forced to veer off to the right, she gasped and threw on the brakes, the jeep spinning. When she jerked to a stop, she gave a quick glance in the rearview mirror.
Camden.
Where the hell was he going? Debating, she had to find out what the hell was going on. Hitting the gas, she continued on her path, slapping the dashboard as she tried to see through the dust. The sirens were louder, coming closer and she could tell there were several sets. “Fuck!” She zoomed around a corner and noticed Walt’s truck as well as several of the ranch hands, horses and two other vehicles. Skidding to a stop, she jumped out of the jeep only seconds after it had come to a complete stop. “What’s going on?”
Chowder walked in her direction, his face grim. “Miss Amber. Don’t come this way.”
“What are you talking about?” Continuing her trek, she noticed Drago out of the corner of her eye. What was wrong with him?
“No. Stay there!” Another ranch hand directed, rushing forward.
“No, you’re going to tell me what’s going on.” Amber started to jog until Chowder gripped her arms, stopping her cold.
The sirens were right behind them, blaring, creating a fog in her mind.
“Let me go!” she snapped.
Chowder shook his head. “You don’t want to see this.”
“This is my ranch!” Struggling, she managed to get out of his hold, stumbling forward. Even though two of the other hands tried to stop her, she was able to move toward the fence just as Drago limped forward.
“Don’t! Princess. Come to me,” Drago insisted.
She turned her head, gazing at what appeared to be soot covering his arms. Swinging her head the other way, she had to blink to understand what she was seeing. The stench was putrid like burning flesh. Walt. He was on the ground. He wasn’t moving. He was…
“No!” Her body still moving, she came within two feet of him before Drago grabbed her arms, pulling her against his chest, twisting and pushing his body in front of her.
“Don’t look, princess. Don’t look.”
Clinging to him, she slumped down, wheezing. The look of horror on Walt’s face, his blank eyes, his motionless body. “No!”
“There was nothing we could do,” Drago managed.
His voice continued to echo, beating into her temples, nausea creating bile in her throat. Coughing, she pushed hard against his chest as several police cars came to a complete stop, a second ambulance following behind. “Let me go.”
“You’re not okay.” Drago tried to keep her still.
“I said. Let. Me. Go!” She waited as he dropped his arms then looked into his eyes. “Are you all right?”
“I’ll be fine. I’ll be… fine.”
Nodding, she folded her arms and turned her back on the scene, moving toward the officers. “Chowder.”
Chowder jogged in her direction. “I’m sorry, Miss Amber.”
“Deal with the police. I have something I need to do.”
“Wait. They’re going to want to talk with you.” Chowder kept his voice low, the tone comforting.
“That’s going to have to wait.” Breaking into a run, she swerved through the oncoming police and back into her jeep. Where the hell was Camden going and did he have anything to do with this? As she roared around the various police cars, she didn’t bother looking back. Anger, the kind that had driven her mind to an agonizing place chilled her, yet she refused to succumb to the darkness. While she knew exactly what was responsible for Walt’s death, she also knew that Camden’s presence had pushed the envelope, perhaps getting the man killed.
She gripped the steering wheel, white knuckled as she drove, her mind reeling with the possibilities. Camden must have known more than he’d told her, and she was determined to find out every single detail. No matter what she had to do.
The drive took minutes and as she rushed toward the house, knowing exactly where Camden’s truck was parked, she contemplated her next steps. One, she was going to confront Camden. Two, she would annihilate Bart and his entire company. Three, she would stop at nothing to get her ranch back to the place before her father left. And four…
Oil.
You bet she was going to find out if there was oil on her property and use the information to her advantage. No longer would she play the fool.
She yanked the wheel and took a sharp turn, heading down the long driveway. Camden’s truck was coming in her direction. She turned again, angling the wheel and skidding to a stop in his path.
Camden’s truck jerked to a stop, the tires squealing.
She was out of the jeep in seconds, heading in his direction. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
“Amber. I… Do you know that—”
“Yeah, I fucking know!” she snapped, cutting him off. “What do you have to do with Walt’s death?”
“Me? You’re accusing me?”
“You’re the only one running away from the scene.”
Camden shook his head. “There’s something I have to do.”
“What the fuck do you have to do that’s so important?” When he hesitated, she reacted, slapping him hard across the face. The sound almost brought tears to her eyes.
His body slumped, and he pressed his hand over his jaw. “Jesus. You have a damn good punch.”
“Talk to me!”
He exhaled and tried to reach for her.
She stepped away. “No, you don’t! I don’t need comfort. I need answers.”
“Fine. I’m going to see Bart Randolph. He’s behind this and it’s about time I enter the picture.”
“I can take care of myself.” The sound of her voice wasn’t convincing, yet she puffed up, determined to fight her own battles.
“Like you’ve been doing?” Camden hissed then closed his eyes. “I’m sorry. That was uncalled for.”
She fumed, uncertain of what to say. “What happened? What?”
“The fence
was called in and Jorge, well with his condition, Drago and I went. Walt came with the equipment. The power was shut off, but it appears that another electrical line was attached, waiting.”
Blinking, Amber tried to comprehend what he was saying. “This was a murder.”
“It appears so. I’m going to confront Bart. I have a few details.”
“Details? What aren’t you telling me?”
“Let me go before news of the accident gets out. I need the element of surprise.”
“Then I’m going with you,” she insisted.
Camden shook his head. “No, you’re not. I’m doing this very much alone.”
She sucked in her breath, resisting another round of tears. “This is my ranch. Don’t you understand?”
He touched her face.
Flinching, she took a step back then held out her hand. “I know you didn’t have anything to do with this. I realize you’re trying to help but I need to be a part of whatever it is you’re doing.”
“You need to learn to trust someone. Me. I can help, Amber, if you’ll allow me. Please. I’ll come back after I make an unannounced visit and I’ll tell you everything. Everything. Can you please trust me?”
Trust. The one word she was no longer certain of. “You promise you’ll come back?”
“Hell, yes. I promise. I want…” He allowed the words to trail off as he closed the distance. “I want so much to tell you everything and to be by your side.”
She finally nodded and looked down at the ground.
“How’s Jorge?”
Her lower lip quivering, she tried to think of what to say. “I think he’s dying.”
“I’m so sorry. I know how important he is to you. This won’t take long. You need to talk to the police. Tell them everything you know about Bart Randolph and about the various accidents. Okay? Can you do that?”
She tried to control her breathing then slipped her arms around him, pressing her face against his chest. “Come back to me.”
“I will.”
As he walked back to his truck, she tried to get into her jeep. Merely moving the vehicle out of the way took everything out of her. She was going to lose Jorge and she knew in her heart, she would lose Camden as well.
