Page 20 of The Trail Boss

“You’re safe here,” Gavin said softly, leaning close enough for his voice to brush against her ear.

Her pulse skipped, but she forced herself to nod, her gaze darting around the room. “Thank you for your help.” It seemed a bit inadequate, but she couldn’t think of anything else to say.

“No problem,” Jesse said with a wink. “It’s kind of our job and comes with the territory.”

“And the ego,” Dawson added with a grin, earning a laugh from the group.

Roxie managed a small smile, but her discomfort lingered.

“Roxie’s had enough for the night. I want to get her settled in the guest room.”

“No problem,” said Reed. “We have two units on patrol around the house and another two out in the surrounding area. They’ll switch off with two other teams randomly.”

“Thanks Reed. Thanks to all of you. I’ll be back in a bit.” Gavin guided her to a guest room at the far end of the house. It was simple but clean, with a soft bed and a window overlooking the moonlit pastures.

“This is your room,” he said, setting her bag on the dresser. “There’s an attached bath so you should be comfortable.”

She lingered near the door, her arms crossed tightly. “I don’t think I belong here.”

Gavin turned to face her, his expression softening. “You do. Whether you believe it or not.”

Her throat tightened, and she looked away, her fingers fidgeting with the hem of her jacket. “I feel like a burden.”

“You’re not,” Gavin said firmly, stepping closer. “You’re in trouble. You’re one of our people and Keely’s friend. That makes you one of us. That’s all this is. And we’re going to fix it.”

Roxie met his gaze, her chest tightening at the intensity in his eyes. For the first time in years, she felt a flicker of something she hadn’t dared to let herself feel—safe.

“Thank you,” she said softly.

Gavin’s lips curved into a faint smile, and the energy in the room shifted, something warmer crackling between them.

“Take a shower, and get some rest,” he said, his voice low. “We’ll start figuring this out in the morning.”

Roxie nodded, watching as he turned and left the room, the door clicking softly shut behind him.

She turned and made her way to the bed where she stripped out of her clothes, wandering into the spa-like bath that was as big as the bedroom in her skanky apartment. Her hands trembled as she reached into the shower and turned on the water. She eyed the free-standing slipper tub, and thought if shewas here long enough, she might indulge in a long soak. But tonight, she wanted a hot shower and to snuggle up in the big brass bed out in the bedroom.

For the first time in years, she wasn’t alone. And while it terrified her, it also gave her something she hadn’t had in a long time—hope.

GAVIN

Gavin leaned over the large wooden table in the dining room turned conference and war room in his home, his eyes scanning the documents spread out in front of him. A list of names, financial records, and old police reports created a chaotic collage of leads that needed untangling. His team moved around him with focused efficiency, each man taking on a piece of the puzzle.

“Jeremiah Albright owed a lot of money to the wrong people,” Reed said, sliding a stack of papers across the table. “Carter Dugan’s name keeps coming up. He’s bad news—loan shark, extortionist, and tied to three missing persons cases in the last decade.”

“Anyone ever nail him?” Gavin asked, flipping through the files.

“Nope,” Reed replied, leaning back in his chair. “Too slippery. But if Jeremiah owed him money, Dugan might have a motive to tie up loose ends.”

“That includes Roxie,” Gavin said grimly, his jaw tightening.

Hawke walked in, holding a tablet. “I dug into the lawyer handling Jeremiah’s estate—Alan Kessler. Looks clean on the surface, but I found discrepancies in the estate filings. Roxie should’ve gotten a payout from the sale of Jeremiah’s assets, butthe money vanished. Kessler’s firm also has a history of ‘errors’ in cases involving wealthy families.”

“Convenient,” Gavin muttered, his mind already racing.

“Add in the in-laws,” Jesse said, tapping a pen against the whiteboard he was busy setting up. “William and Margaret Albright don’t strike me as the forgive-and-forget types. If they wanted Roxie out of the picture permanently, they’ve got the money and connections to make it happen.”

Gavin straightened, his broad shoulders stiff. “We’ve got three good suspects. Now we just need to figure out who’s pulling the strings—and stop them before they try again.”

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