Page 15 of Snow in Texas

Candy snorted. “I know it’s hard for you, but try not to play dumb. You know damn well why I’m here.”

“I can promise you my brother doesn’t give a shit about your little club.”

Candy grinned. “God, youaredumb.”

The agent’s brows flicked together over his sunglasses.

“I’m just saying. If a man gets kicked out of the club he’s been running, he’s gonna be out for blood.”

“You think awfully highly of your club.”

“You think awfully highly of your brother.”

They all heard the gates unlatch, and turned that direction.

Two officers pushed aside the heavy wire gates, and there, standing in the center, grocery sack full of his personal belongings, stood Jen’s ex-husband, Judson Riley. Former VP of the Amarillo chapter of the Dogs. Former right hand man of Crockett. Former friend to Candy.

Locked up for spousal abuse.

Candy’s gut clenched tight.Hatewas a strong word, but in this instance, it was the right word. He’d left Amarillo seven years ago to spend time developing the Canadian/US gun pipeline with the New York chapter, leaving behind a happily married sister and a competent club. He’d come back when Jen’s voice cracked over the phone and he’d realized the horrible lie she’d been living. Riley had known he was on his way; he had beaten Jenny to within an inch of her life. Candy had found her unconscious in a dorm room, face a mess of bruises, suffering a fever from the infected knife marks along her arms.

He’d taken her to the hospital himself, sat by her bedside for three nights, until she was awake. Then he’d had Riley arrested – he’d held Jenny’s hand as her voice shook and she stammered out her tale to the police. And then…then he’d started cleaning house, one jackass at a time. He hoped to God no one ever took a backhoe to the flat stretch of land out behind the clubhouse; there was more than one body to dig up.

Riley halted, hand tensing on the handles of his bag, face blanking over with surprise as he spotted Candy and Jinx.

A handsome man, Riley. An evil man.

Elijah walked forward to meet him. “Brother,” he said, and pulled his younger sibling into a tight embrace.

Riley’s eyes never left Candy.

The two brothers, one outlaw, one ATF agent, walked to the unmarked car, eyes downcast.

“Hey,” Candy called when they were near.

Elijah kept going, getting behind the wheel.

Jud halted, head lifting in a reluctant way. His stare was black, full of hate.

“I don’t need to tell you,” Candy said, “that you need to go away and never be heard from again. But I’m telling you anyway. I don’t ever wanna see your face again, Riley. None of us do.”

Riley stared him down a long moment, expression unreadable. “Tell your sister I said hello,” he said, finally, climbed into his brother’s car, and was gone.

Nine

Colin

He was bored. The first hour, as Gabe’s was just opening up and the staff was in the morning scurry to take the chairs down and set out fresh rolled sets of silverware, he’d been delighted to watch Jenny hurry back and forth, heels of her boots clicking sharply across the boards. Her boots were white today, with large red roses on the uppers and toes.

How many pairs of boots did she have, he wondered. And what did they cost?

He asked Fox about the price and he shrugged. “You can get a pair at Walmart. But what Jen’s got? Between two and five-hundred.”

“For just one pair of boots.” He whistled, decided her a brat, and slouched down in his chair.

The breakfast crowd had been entertaining up to a point. But now it was almost lunch and the boredom was setting in.

Finally deciding he had to ask even if he’d be denied an answer, Colin said, “So why are we here?”

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