Page 49 of Red's Revenge

“You owe me a dance whore,” Cyrus hisses in my ear.

How could I have forgotten there were three brothers? The one with the crazy eyes holds me tightly as I struggle to kick and scream to get away from the trio, who are looking at me with somuch menace that I know if I don’t get away, I may never see tomorrow.

“You should have done your job and gone home. Instead, you interfered in our business and cost us a lot of fucking money. Cyrus here wants to take it out on you. Never thought it’d be this easy, though.” They all laugh as I keep trying to get away.

“Don’t worry. We may let you live.” Then, a hit to my head knocks me out.

Chapter Twenty

RED

Icurse myself for the hundredth time for not having my fucking cell phone. I was able to find where the shots had come from. Just a few teenagers practicing, but the curious part about it was that they admitted to taking money from a trio of men to do it right on the edge of my land.

I rushed back to the trails once I’d escorted the boys to the road where they’d left their car parked, but by the time I made it back, everyone was gone.

I set off towards the house when I came across Bradley and Ramsey holding the reins of the mare I sat Cami on.

“Where is she?” I growl as I approach.

“Red, I left her right here,” BJ says, looking around for God knows what.

“What do you mean you left her!” I scream as I hop off Jett.

“A rattlesnake spooked Evelyn’s horse, and I had to chase them down. When I got back, she was gone. It was less than five minutes, I swear.” He’s pulling at his hair as he searches the ground for anything that could help us find Cami.

That’s when I catch Ramsey on his radio calling in a missing person to the Ranger station.

Hours pass as we survey every inch of the trails for any sign of Cami. Search dogs are brought in. It’s almost dawn when I make it back to the house to rest Jett and hope that she stumbled home. But the look on my Pa’s face tells me she’s not here.

“I don’t -,” I start the sentence and can’t finish it.

My father hugs me tightly.

“We’ll find her. Go on in the house. I’ll get Jett fixed up.” I nod and hang my head in shame.

The first and only woman I’ve ever loved, and I lost her.

Fucking hell. Love?

I’m climbing the porch steps when Ma rushes out and throws herself at me. She’s sobbing for a woman who was a stranger a week ago, and I realize it’s not just me who has fallen for the hellcat.

“Any news?” The question comes out like a plea.

“Nothing. It’s like she vanished into thin air. I don’t understand any of this. She wouldn’t have run away.” I look over Ma’s head and right at Evelyn, who shakes her head.

“Never, she wouldn’t leave me. Not unless she had no other choice.” That’s when the information the teens told me clicked.

I’m such a fucking idiot.

“The Danders paid some teens to do some target practice on the edge of Pasture Four. It was a distraction.” My voice raises angrily as I pull out my phone and call Ramsey.

“She show up at the house?” he asks in hope.

“No, but I’m sure the Danders have her.” I recount the whole story again while I pace.

“JUSTICE!” I hear someone call for my brother, and he tells me to hold on.

“Fuck!” Ramsey curses and hangs up on me.

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