Page 60 of Legacy of Danger
"Still doesn't make sense in a state the size of Wyoming. Free-range grazing and all."
"Goes way back to a conflict between now-deceased Mr. Brand and Dad." He rubbed his jaw. "But I thought that spat was long buried. Who knows? The Brands are vindictive. They're erratic and they're getting worse." He pulled the truck to a stop a hundred feet before a dirt lane. No street number or mailbox. "Sure you want to do the visit?"
Her scalp prickled. She toyed with the latch on the bag. "While I respect the background information, I still need to take care of my patient."
"Give me your phone." He held out his hand. "Please." When she complied, he punched in his number and handed it back to her. "If ever you need help, call and I'll be there." He squinted at the phone again and exhaled a curse. "Actually, the damn thing might not work at their house. We're out of bars on the phone here. Dead zone." Putting the truck into gear, he stared at her, raising the hairs on the back of her neck. "If something happens in the house, just scream really loudly. I will get to you."
A real shiver hit her as they bounced down the rutted dirt road. "Aren't you being a little melodramatic?"
"No. I have a shotgun on the rack behind us. I will use it if necessary."
Her heart rattled in time with her teeth as the truck bounced down the rutted lane. "You're not serious."
"Aren't I?" The muscle jumped again in his jaw, and his knuckles blanched as he gripped the wheel. "Look."
He braked twenty feet in front of a run-down, wood-sided ranch.
Two men approached, one on each side of the truck. They aimed their rifles.
