Page 23 of Ranch's Resolve

“What does he want?” Smoke asks.

“He’s pressuring me to sell the ranch to his client. I’ve told him no before, but he keeps calling. Tonight, I told him in no uncertain terms that it would never happen. He had the fucking gall to threaten me. I’m headed back to the ranch. I have a bad feeling.”

“Want me to send a couple of prospects your way?”

“Yeah, if the club can spare them. Let me know when you have a name and address. I want to pay this bastard a visit and deliver my refusal in person with my fists.”

Ending the call, I accelerate toward the ranch with my gut screaming to hurry the fuck up.

When I pull onto the ranch’s private drive, my eyes are on the horizon, which is why I don’t see the thin wire stretched across the path. I fly off my bike and land hard on the ground. My helmet protects me, but the jolt rocks me. Before I can regain my feet, a man jumps on me. We roll on the ground until I can push him off. I punch him in the gut and yank out my gun. I get off a single shot, but that’s when I hear a horse scream in either pain or fear. A flash of light draws my attention. When I see the flame, I forget about my attacker. Hopping on my bike, I speed toward the fire.

I arrive to see the barn engulfed in flames. The smoky air fills with shouts from my men and screams of frightened horses. The sound of their fear tears me to pieces. One ranch hand sprays water through a hose while the others struggle with fire extinguishers. Neither is enough to extinguish the fire. It’s grown too large. I spot Max rushing out of the burning building. He’s leading two horses to safety. Once he’s past the flames, he lets the horses go. They gallop off. They’ll run for a while, but they won’t be able to get off the property. I let them go. I rush to follow Max back inside. I head straight to Devil Sire’s paddock and unlock it and the one next to his. I lead both horses outside. Max is right behind me with two more.

“How many left?” I shout at Max.

“Just one, Sunrise, I’ve got her,” Max shouts back as he rushes inside.

I grab another hose to spray down the fire while keeping an eye out for Max. I almost go in after him when he finally exits, leading Sunrise, whose eyes roll in fear.

The sound of sirens tells me help has arrived. Too little, too late. We back off to let the crew put out the fire so it doesn’t spread. The barn is a lost cause. I search for Max and direct him to round up the horses and get them into a paddock. When I turn my attention back to the barn, I’m relieved to see the fire is extinguished. One of the firefighters approaches me. I don’t recognize him right away.

“Sorry about your barn, Ranch,” Paul Hoffman says. “We got here as quickly as we could. What the fuck happened?”

“I don’t know. I was on my way back when I spotted the flames.”

“Saw your motorcycle back there. Looks like you dumped it and ran.”

“Yeah. Any way to tell if the fire was intentional?” I ask.

“You think someone started the fire? Why?”

“Some asshole wants to buy the ranch, and I told him to fuck off. He said I’d be sorry.”

“You know, you may want to talk to some of your neighbors.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re not the only one getting pressured to sell. Or the only one who’s been attacked. I work as a part-time ranch hand for Roger Blanchard and his daughter, Adele. Someone took a shot at the old man the other day. Didn’t hit him but spooked his horse. He fell off and broke his leg. Luckily, I was working that day and found him.”

“Is he at home?”

“In the hospital. His daughter is struggling to keep the ranch going. I’ve increased my hours there, but it’s not enough. She’s considering selling, even though she knows it isn’t what her dad wants. He wants to die on that ranch. He may have changed his mind about selling, though. Doubt he wants to be murdered on the ranch or see his daughter hurt.”

“She needs help running the ranch?”

“Not as much as most. He’s cut back on his livestock. He sold off his cows years ago. He raises llamas and sheep and has some goats that he loans out. She’s managing, but it’s a lot of work for one woman and only a few part-time hands. Plus, she’s pretty scared after what happened to her pa. She’s afraid they may come back and hurt her to get her dad to sell.”

I nod as I consider the situation he’s describing. I know Roger, and I know that, as much as he loves the ranch, he loves his daughter more. We need to figure out who is pressuring us to sell and why.

“I’m going to visit Roger and talk to him. My men can help the daughter with the ranch and protect her. I already have someone looking into who’s trying to buy the property. Knowing others are getting pressured might help track them down.”

“What will you do when you find them?”

I frown at the man. He raises his hands in surrender. “Look, we all know about Demon Dawgs and that you’re a member. I’m not saying vigilante justice isn’t needed. I was just wondering how far you might take it.”

“Depends on who they are and what they want. We have resources, including a cop. Dante has other connections. Violence isn’t our only option, but that doesn’t mean we’ll sit back and let some asshole attack us or our neighbors. If you find anything out, let me know.”

He shakes my hand and leaves. I study the smoldering pile of ashes that used to be my barn, but I’m not thinking of the barn right now. I’m thinking about the asshole who just started a war with my club. Remembering my bike, I walk down the road to where I left it. However, instead of lying on its side, my bike is up and resting on its kickstand. Taking out a flashlight, I examine the ground and find a pool of blood nearby. What the fuck happened to the guy who attacked me? I guess he managed to get up and get away. Frustrated, I approach my bike and whip out my gun when I see a figure moving toward me.

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