Page 113 of Stockman's Showdown

Leo gleefully wrapped his arm around her and began a slow stroll under the stars. ‘See, it’s almost a romantic walk.’

But there was nothing romantic about this at all.

‘I think you’ll want to hear this. You too, Charlie,’ Leo said, leading her towards his car with his armed cronies on either side of the wide-eyed Charlie. ‘After all, we’re practically family.’

Forty-two

Ryder strolled through the car park with the couples, Dex and Sophie, Ash and Harper, keen to get home and claim his prize for riding a damned bull. Never had he thought he’d do something like that. Yet, it worked out to be one of the best nights to go into his memory bank.

‘Hey, I thought Bree was taking Charlie home?’ Dex pointed to Pandora still parked beside Ryder’s ute.

‘She was.’ But that was an hour ago. It had taken that long to drag his brothers out of the bar where they’d been celebrating with Cowboy Craig. Charlie had been with them, before he’d asked Bree to drive him home.

The old man had given Ryder the nod. There was no handshake, no lecture, just a nod, avoiding all awkward conversation of him kissing Bree in front of the entire town.

And he’d do it again in a heartbeat to win Bree over.

‘Oops.’ Sophie tripped over something on the ground.

Dex caught her. ‘Careful, Soph.’

‘What is that?’ Sophie used her phone’s torch to highlight the dusty paddock that doubled as a car park.

‘Hey, that’s Bree’s witchy sack.’ Dex retrieved the leather bag big enough to hide a bottle of gin.

‘Ryder…’ Ash pointed at Pandora’s passenger door where the car keys were hanging in the lock, with the door slightly ajar.

His world stilled.

Bree would never leave those keys in the car, and neither would Charlie. Bree would also never leave her purse in the dirt—but she was smart enough to leave it in a place where he’d find it, right by his driver’s door.

His heart hammered in his chest as he peered across the emptying car park. ‘BREE!’

Forty-three

‘This way.’ With four goons surrounding them, Leo led Charlie and Bree down a cracked cement path. The spotlight that sat on the corner of the simple demountable attracted a swirl of night bugs, as chirping crickets competed with the rhythmic sounds of commercial irrigation sprinklers that hissed as they pivoted, with their rhythmicchugchugchugwater rotations echoing through the still night air.

‘Cor blimey, what is that smell?’ Charlie winced, with his hand over his nose and mouth at the sharp, almost oily scent, with a sweet undertone. ‘It’s enough to give a man a headache.’

‘I agree,’ said Leo, opening the door to the accommodations that reminded Bree of run-down rooms found at older mining camps.

‘You can just let us go, Leo.’ While pretending not to notice the whopping big field of dope, her mind raced through a set of escape scenarios, each one hitting a dead end. With Charlie as fragile as he was, he couldn’t run or fight, so their chances of getting out were shrinking by the second.

She glanced at her grandfather—his deeply wrinkled face grew pale under the harsh spotlight, his eyes darting with worry. The sight was enough to trigger a crushing weight of desperationin her. But she had to be smart about this, as there was no way in hell she was going to leave her grandfather behind.

Leo’s smile was sickly as he bowed at the door, sweeping his hand towards the inside. ‘But I have something to show you. I promise it will answer all your questions.’

‘We don’t need to see it.’ Her big mouth did this.Idiot!

‘Boss said, inside. So inside you go.’ The creep they called Gator gripped her arm.

‘Listen here, liver lips, don’t touch what you can’t afford.’ She ripped her arm free. Gritting her teeth, she spun around to stare down the imbecile, her temper bristling just under her skin. ‘Touch me again and I’ll save the planet from any chances of you breeding in the future.’

‘Yeah, right.’

‘I bend steel for a living, you concrete cowboy. Don’t think I won’t do it!’ Gator was the creepiest. ‘Which one did I shoot in the arse, Leo? No, not you, chicken legs.’ She nodded at the one they called Bones. ‘And I’ve never seen you two before. Brothers, right?’

The goofy one nodded. ‘I’m Hammer and that’s Wrench.’

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