Page 43 of Wyoming Bodyguard
Charlie’s head reared back as if the voice coming through to him came from the heavens. If Madden’s nerves weren’t stretched so damn tight, he’d laugh.
Lily came out of her room just as he pulled a T-shirt over his head and stepped out of his shorts and into a pair of jeans.
“Did you say Charlie’s here?” she asked.
“Yeah. Told him I’d be up in a second. He doesn’t look happy. Is it normal for him to stop by and speak with you or your dad first thing in the morning?”
Worry creased her forehead. “Not at all, and I’m going with you.”
Before he started up the stairs, he gathered her close and gave her a quick kiss. “I wouldn’t expect anything else.”
He kept the image of her saucy grin in his mind as he bounded up the stairs, Lily at his heels. He made a beeline to the door and yanked it open. “Morning, Charlie. What’s going on?”
The hard look Charlie gave him made his skin crawl, as if Lily’s trusted ranch hand knew exactly what he interrupted and didn’t approve. “I need to speak to Ms. Tremont. Now.”
Lily stepped around Madden and squinted against the sun. “I’m right here.”
“There’s something you need to see,” Charlie said, frowning.
Lily slipped on a pair of sandals while Madden pulled on his boots.
Charlie waited until they were ready then led them down the porch steps to the big red barn. He didn’t speak, which only heightened the tension. He rounded the corner to the back of the large structure then flicked his wrist toward the side.
Lily gasped and covered her mouth with her hand.
Madden stared up and rage heated his blood. Someone had left a message in big, white letters.
YOU’RE NEXT.
* * *
Angry tears flooded Lily’s eyes. She held them back. She was done letting some asshat swoop in and try to destroy her and her family—tired of the pain and fear.
Now she was mad.
“Does your app show who did this?” she asked Madden as she struggled to keep her voice from shaking.
Madden fiddled with his phone then shoved it in his pocket. The pissed-off expression on his face gave away his answer before he even spoke. “No. I didn’t put cameras up on the back side of the barn, and the camera on the front didn’t catch anything.”
She turned to Charlie with clenched fists anchored on her hips. “Did you see anyone when you got here?”
He shook his head, his scowl broadcasting his own fury. “Not a soul.”
Madden moved his jaw back and forth, his narrowed gaze staring at the ugly message. “How’d you know to come over here?”
Charlie focused all his negative energy on Madden. He glowered, face pinched and red. He stalked toward him, his finger raised and shaking. “I’m sick ’n’ tired of you and all your questions. If I had anything to do with this or anything else that’s going on around here, would I have woken Ms. Tremont? Would I have run and told her?”
“Not sure,” Madden said, tilting his head to the side. His hair stuck up in a disheveled mess. “Maybe you wanted to see her upset? Could be you want to throw suspicion off yourself. There’s a whole slew of reasons for bad people to do stupid things. That’s usually why they get caught.”
“You little son of a bitch!” Charlie lunged forward and grabbed Madden by the front of his shirt. “It’s about time someone taught you some manners.”
“Stop it!” Lily screamed.
Madden threw his palms in the air, but a sinister glow lit his eyes.
Charlie drew back his fist, and Lily latched on to his elbow. “I said stop. We have enough problems to deal with around here without any more trouble. Charlie, I already told you that Madden’s here to help, so stop taking his question so damn personally. And Madden, try to be a little more diplomatic. Charlie’s a good man who has my trust and respect. No reason to question him like a criminal.”
“Like Daniel?” Madden asked, hands in the air.
