Page 98 of Stockman's Stormcloud

‘The lever is here.’ Bree pulled on a lever, something rattled and clicked, and the entire section of the wall shifted open to expose a room as sterile as an operating theatre, and just as bright with its row of fluorescent white lights flickering on.

‘I thought this room would be good as your personal walk-in arsenal,’ Bree explained to Ryder. ‘Speaking of guns, when do I get my shotgun back, cupcake?’

Bree had guns. Now that was a dangerous combination.

‘I’m not done with it yet. Why are you worried about one gun, when you have how many shotguns stashed on this property?’

‘You’re not keeping that shotgun with the rest of your arsenal in a farmhouse where a small boy lives, are you? It’d make his mother sleep better knowing they weren’t there.’

‘Did Harper mention that to you?’ Ryder’s boots echoed as he inspected the hidden room.

Ryder and Bree kept dodging each other’s questions, replying with a question, that Sophie struggled to keep up. Who are these people? Secrets, and secret rooms, stashed shotguns, and illegal stills with no one giving her answers.

‘How big was the still?’ Ryder asked his brother, obviously sick of the merry-go-round of question for question with the redhead.

‘Five hundred litres,’ replied Dex. ‘It was beautiful. Copper bell-shaped pot, like something out of a steampunk movie.’

‘I thought so, too. It was pretty, right? My best work.’ Bree gazed into the empty room as if picturing it still standing there.

‘No way.’ Ryder spun around on his boots to face Bree. ‘That’s got to be jail time if you got caught with that.’

‘About two years in prison, and a hundred thousand in fines and court fees, so Finn tells me.’

Sophie’s eyes widened like saucers. How could Bree be so calm about this? And Dex too?

‘Where is it?’ Ryder asked Bree.

‘Dismantled. And no longer on this property.’

‘Do you swear to that?’

‘Are you going to call me a liar too, cupcake?’

Ryder rubbed an eyebrow as if about to fight a migraine. ‘I wish you’d just sit down and talk to me about what you’re doing.’

‘At the moment, I’m trying to talk your brother out of doing something stupid, while catching his new girlfriend spying on you guys, plus trying to find your cattle. I’m a busy girl.’

‘You forgot the part about calling your husband in for help. Where has he been?’

‘I can’t tell you that. You’ll have to ask Finn.’ Bree angled her head at Sophie.

‘Why can’t I know?’

‘If I tell you, I’ll have to shoot you.’

‘BREE!’ Dex slid his arm protectively around Sophie’s shoulders.

‘Aww, look at that.’ Bree even got all gushy. ‘It’s so sweet.’

‘Congratulations, brother, I’m happy that you’ve found someone you’re willing to protect,’ said Ryder coldly, while watching Bree shifting around the room like a caged tiger searching for a way to escape. ‘But what I want to know is why doesn’t Charlie like Finn, when Charlie likes everyone?’

‘You’ll have to ask Charlie that one.’ Again, Bree gave one of those annoying know-it-all shrugs. Bree was so irritatingly smug all the time.

Ryder stepped in closer, his deep voice even lower, and so controlled as if to contain his anger. ‘No, I’m asking you, Bree Wilde. Because you know a helluva lot more than you’re lettingon. You know exactly what is going on in this place and I’m sick of being the last to know, when I’m the one paying all the bills around here.’

‘You told me to not interfere with your business.’

‘We all agreed that you could,’ said Dex.

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