Page 86 of Lawless Ride

Savanna opened the door and called us in for dinner and I hesitated.

“He’ll be along.” Billy picked up his cane and used it to support him as he got to his feet. “That kid won’t miss dinner when Savanna is cooking.”

“Yeah, you’re right. He’ll be along in a minute.”

We ate dinner and the roast beef and gravy was delicious. Savanna was a great cook. One of her many talents. Some of her other talents were untried, but maybe not for too much longer.

She wanted me—I couldn’t see why she would, and she wanted us to be a couple—a family with Harlan and Billy. She’d mentioned it more than once, but I was slow to make a change and she said she understood that because of my medical condition.

“I can’t believe Harlan missed dinner,” I said. “I’m going back to look for him.”

Savanna began clearing the table and she said, “I’ll make a plate for Harlan and warm it up when he gets here.”

“Thanks, honey.” I leaned over and kissed her. Something I hadn’t done a lot of. Almost none.

I opened the back door and what I saw made me stagger and grab onto the door frame. “Billy, Billy,” I hollered for him.

He came down the hall at top speed for a guy who could barely walk. “What is it?”

“Windrider is standing on the outside of the corral. I’ll put him in and then I’m going to ride back and look for Harlan. He might have had a fall.”

“Take your phone and call if you need the truck. He might be hurt,” said Billy. “I’ll cool Windrider out and feed him.”

“Yeah, do that, thanks.”

Savanna came running out wondering why I’d been yelling for Billy. “What’s going on? Are you okay?”

“Not okay. Harlan’s horse came back on its own. I’ve got to go look for him.”

“Oh, no. He might have fallen.”

“I don’t think he would fall off his horse.”

“He wouldn’t,” said Billy. “He’s too steady for that.”

I saddled Outlaw in record time and got going. My heart pounded in my chest imagining all kinds of things that could have happened, but not once did I trig into the murky depths of vileness in the black heart of the woman next door.

At the back of the ranch, I examined each of the cameras and as far as I could tell, Harlan had only touched the first one. Judging by the flattened grass and weeds around that one camera, there had been more people there in that spot recently than just Harlan.

Hannah’s boys snatched him.

I pulled out my phone and called. “Billy, Hannah’s boys took him. Listen to the tag and see what they’re saying. I’m riding over there.”

“Copy that. Doing it now.”

“Send Savanna to Hannah’s house with my shotgun and my Sig, the dogs are with me.”

“Okay, sure. I’ll send her now.”

I waited for a few minutes until Billy had a chance to get to his laptop. “Anything on the tag?”

“Not yet. A bunch of noise in the bunkhouse.”

“Keep listening. I’ll check the ranch house first.”

“Don’t lose touch,” said Billy. “I can come help you.”

“Copy that.”

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