Page 38 of The Trail Boss

As the night began to settle around them, Gavin’s resolve hardened. The Albrights thought they could crush Roxie, but they’d underestimated her—and the man who would stop at nothing to keep her safe.

13

GAVIN

The following day, Gavin sat across from Alan Kessler in a dimly lit conference room. The lawyer’s office was cold and sterile, a stark contrast to the energy humming in the air. Roxie sat beside Gavin, her posture rigid, her hands clasped tightly in her lap. Kessler, however, fidgeted, his gaze darting between them like a cornered animal.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Kessler said, his voice brittle. “The estate was handled properly. Everything was by the book.”

“Cut the crap,” Gavin said, leaning forward, his voice low and lethal. “We’ve got the forged documents. Offshore accounts. Payments linked directly to you. This isn’t a negotiation, Kessler. It’s a chance to save your skin by cooperating.”

Kessler swallowed hard, the color draining from his face. He glanced toward the door as if considering an escape, but Gavin’s piercing gaze pinned him in place.

“I—I didn’t do anything illegal,” Kessler stammered, his fingers drumming nervously on the table.

“Illegal?” Roxie snapped, her voice trembling with anger. “You stole my inheritance! You left me with nothing while you lined your pockets.”

Kessler winced, his eyes flicking to her, then back to Gavin. “It wasn’t personal. I just… I needed the money. Jeremiah owed a lot of people, and the Albrights...”

Gavin’s hand slammed onto the table, cutting him off. “The Albrights what?”

Kessler flinched, his thin veneer of control crumbling. “They hired me to make it disappear. To make sure Roxie didn’t get a dime. They didn’t want her getting anything from the estate—not after what happened to Jeremiah.”

“What happened to Jeremiah?” Roxie demanded, her voice rising.

Kessler hesitated, his gaze darting toward the door again. Gavin leaned in, his voice dropping to a dangerous growl. “You don’t want to stall, Kessler. Not with me sitting here.”

“They think it was your fault,” Kessler said, his voice shaking. “The accident, the debts. They blamed you, Roxie, and they wanted you out of the picture. Completely.”

Roxie sat back, the weight of his words hitting her like a punch to the gut. “So, they tried to kill me?” she whispered.

Kessler nodded miserably. “They hired people to intimidate you, to scare you into leaving. But when you didn’t… I guess they escalated. They never told me. I would never be a party to murder.”

“And the ambush?” Gavin asked, his voice ice-cold.

“That wasn’t me!” Kessler said quickly, raising his hands defensively. “That was Carter Dugan. The Albrights might’ve planted the seed, but Dugan took it too far. He wants the debts paid, and with Jeremiah gone, Roxie’s his target.”

Gavin sat back, his jaw tightening as he processed the lawyer’s confession. His mind raced, the pieces falling into place: the forged documents, the in-laws’ payments to private investigators, the hitmen, and now Dugan’s vendetta.

“Give me everything,” Gavin said, his tone leaving no room for argument. “Bank records, communications with the Albrights, anything tying them to this mess.”

Kessler hesitated, his gaze flicking between Gavin and Roxie. “If I do, they’ll come after me. You don’t know what they’re capable of.”

“You don’t know whatI’mcapable of,” Gavin said, his voice low and menacing. “And you’re not walking out of here until we have what we need.”

Roxie leaned forward, her voice cutting through the strain. “Do you really think they’ll let you walk away if you don’t help us? They’ve already shown they’ll do anything to protect themselves. Your safest bet is to come clean and let us take them down.”

Kessler’s shoulders sagged, the fight draining out of him. “Fine,” he muttered, reaching for his briefcase. “I’ll give you what I have. But you didn’t hear it from me.”

Back at the Iron Valor ranch, Gavin and the team poured over the evidence Kessler provided. Bank transfers, emails, and phone records painted a damning picture of Margaret and William Albright’s involvement.

“They paid Dugan to go after Roxie,” Reed said, his voice grim as he scrolled through the emails. “And when he didn’t act fast enough, they hired the private investigators to track her down. That’s when the first threats started.”

“And when she didn’t fold,” Jesse added, “they escalated to full-on murder attempts.”

ROXIE

Roxie stood at the edge of the room, her arms wrapped around herself. She felt Gavin’s eyes on her and looked up to meet his gaze.

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