Total pages in book: 143
Estimated words: 133878 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 669(@200wpm)___ 536(@250wpm)___ 446(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 133878 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 669(@200wpm)___ 536(@250wpm)___ 446(@300wpm)
“Then it’s almost certainly a P90 and nothing that you would need on a ranch.” Nate sat back.
“It would explain why he’s flush with cash when every other ranch in the States is getting creative.” Gemma was more than an office manager. Nate relied on her to do research and as a sounding board when he needed an opinion. She was super smart and well educated and happy here in Bliss.
Could Brooke be, too?
Hell, could Bay be happy in one place?
“I’ve heard rumors he’s got ties to one-percenter clubs in California,” Nate mused.
Max’s hand came out, slapping Shane on the shoulder. “Dummy. Don’t you know you’re not supposed to get involved in illegal gunrunning? I’m going to work on him, Nate. We cannot have another one of those people who walk into crazy situations all the time. We already have Mel. And Callie. And poor Lucy. I swear that girl is like a walking Dateline episode.”
“Hey, I didn’t mean to,” Shane protested. “And I got out as soon as I could.”
Nate’s brows rose. “Yes. Five months ago, so why are you only now sitting down in my office? I had to call you here. You didn’t come forward on your own. It makes me wonder what else you were doing for Kingman.”
Oh, that was a turn he wasn’t ready for. “I wasn’t sure. I only knew it felt wrong, and they were talking about dealing with the new guys.”
Max pointed his way. “And they were the new guys. Nate, what the hell did you expect him to do? Walk into your office with zero proof and accuse one of the biggest ranchers in the country of gun running? He followed his instincts and got the hell out of there and got his brother out, too. Don’t you try to intimidate him.” He looked to Gemma. “Hey, I need you to represent Shane here so Nate doesn’t throw him in jail. You know how much he enjoys tossing a man in jail for no reason at all. Especially men from my family.”
“Only you,” Nate replied.
“I’m going to need a retainer,” Gemma began. “And it can’t be pecan pie or horseback riding lessons.”
“How about free babysitting?” Max offered.
“Am I the babysitter or are you offering to watch Cade and Jesse when I stay out at the G next month to help Hope?”
Max frowned. “Obviously the first since I’m not changing Cade and Jesse’s diapers. They’re going to have to do that on their own.”
“I don’t need a lawyer.” He was so deeply confused. Gemma and Max were still arguing over what constituted a retainer, but Shane leaned toward the sheriff. “Sir, where I come from you don’t accuse a man unless you have proof.”
Nate sighed and studied him for a moment while Max extolled the virtues of his children and Gemma the same about cold hard cash. “I’m sorry. I have a suspicious mind. It goes with the territory. So you think they were going to off you and Bay because of something you saw for a couple of seconds?”
“I don’t know.” He was as confused as everyone else, and he was finding it hard to believe that Max Harper, of all people, seemed to believe him when his own brother didn’t. “I only know it’s the weirdest thing that’s happened in years.”
Gemma put a hand out to stop Max’s arguing. “You left five months ago. Why wait until now?”
“They didn’t know where we went,” Shane offered. “And for the first couple of months Trev and Jamie paid in cash because we didn’t know if we would stay on.”
“So Trev finally did your paperwork,” Nate mused.
“It wouldn’t be hard for a PI to run a trace, probably several over the last couple of months.” Gemma leaned against Nate’s desk. “I assume Kingman had your information.”
Shane shook his head. “Nah. He paid in cash and under the table. Said he didn’t bother getting to know a cowpoke until they’d been on his team and tested. I wasn’t sure what the test was, but he hadn’t given it to us yet.”
“If he’s running guns, then I suspect the test would have been helping with the delivery or something else that would have been a major criminal offense. It’s often how they bring people in. They would be more open about it when it comes to the MCs. You would have been in a probationary period until you proved yourself, but this feels sneakier,” Nate admitted.
“But none of this explains why we have a sudden rash of vandalism,” Gemma pointed out. “If they want to make sure Shane keeps his mouth shut, why would they blow the tires on his car? Why wouldn’t they simply go right to him and let the threats begin? Or kill him and hide his body so they know he can’t talk. There are a lot of places to hide a body here in the West. Hell, Kingman Ranch is huge. If they buried you out there, I can’t imagine anyone finding you. It’s what I would do. I mean if I was a hardened criminal and stuff.”