Page 3 of The Undercover Cowboy

Nash doubted that. Lance may know him as a bull rider, but he didn’t know he was investigating the rodeo.

“Blevins sent you to work me over. I told him and I’m telling you, I’m sticking to our agreement.”

Nash had to take a chance. “I’m not Blevins’s goon. Shelby Miller sent me. And I’m not here to beat you up. I’m here to see if you can help my boss with information that will put Blevins behind bars.”

“And how will that help me?”

“Depends on what information you’ve got.”

The ugly curtain swished closed. “Pound sand.”

Yeah, that was pretty much what he expected. “I’m going to leave my card here.” Nash jammed a plain white card with his burner phone’s number on it into the doorjamb. “Let me know if you change your mind.”

After climbing into his truck, Nash waited a moment to see if Lance would open the door. When he didn’t, he pulled out of the motel parking lot and headed to the Killeen rodeo.

As he drove, he called his sister who answered on the first ring. “What did he say?” Shelby asked.

“It’s what he didn’t say. But he did confirm that Blevins has something on him to make him willing to be the fall guy.”

“He admitted that?”

“Not in so many words, but he thought Blevins had sent me to beat the snot out of him to make sure he keeps to the agreement.”

“What agreement?”

“Good question.”

“Damn it. I thought he’d talk once things settled down in the media, especially with his trial date approaching.”

“He still might. This was just our first salvo. I’ve given him something to think about.”

“Fuck,” Shelby snarled.

Nash could relate. Helplessness had him wringing the steering wheel like it was Blevins’s neck.

“This is our last season if I can’t get out of this partnership with Blevins. He’s running the business into the ground and the way the contracts were written, I either have to buy him out at double his investment—which I don’t have—or sell him my shares—which he’s not interested in buying. We’re going to go bankrupt and I’m going to lose everything. I’m sorry I got you into this,” she said miserably.

“No. Don’t be sorry. You did the right thing. I’m going to nail this guy. I’m almost there.” Nash had leads and bits of information that were starting to link together. “Trust me. By the time I’m done with him, he’ll be behind bars and out of your life.”

“Yeah?”

It was the hope in her voice that almost killed him. “I just need more time.”

“Where are you?”

“I’m heading to Killeen now.”

Shelby swore. “You’re cutting it close, aren’t you?”

“I’ll be there in time for the bull-riding event.”

“Nash, I’ve got bad news,” she said.

Oh no, what now?

“Blevins wants to cut the dead weight, so to speak. He’s going to remove the five lowest-scoring bull riders from Laredo’s roster.”

Shit. He had been dead last all through the previous season.

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