Page 154 of Cruelest Contract
But Angelo simply stares at me.
37
JULIAN
This is likely meant to be a trap. The plan was probably to set off an explosion that will send us all outside to fight the blaze and then open fire.
How fucking uncreative. I’m almost insulted.
My chief hope is that the blizzard has probably complicated their strategy. Our quick reaction might also be in our favor.
After we’ve neutralized the threat, we can worry about where it came from. It’s not looking good for Angelo right now. I didn’t think he and his grandfather were quite this foolish but there’s no way to deny the Grimaldis feel slighted. Men have a history of doing stupid shit when their pride takes a beating.
If it’s them, we’ll find out. And then I’ll be in the crappy position of eliminating my wife’s grandfather and brother. Worse, if Gabriel participated then his fate will also be sealed.
This is not the time to think about the Grimaldis. That conversation can wait.
We use the tunnel to get out. Hardly anyone outside of immediate family knows of this emergency exit that starts in the library and ends fifty yards away in the garage. Sonny argueswhen I insist on going first but this is my battle to lead. The biggest risks are mine to take.
The tunnel is all clear and the garage is untouched. All of our pickup trucks are undisturbed and even Cecilia’s car is peacefully parked. It’s a damn shame only the personal vehicles are kept here and none can navigate snow this deep. The second garage where we keep ranch vehicles, including the ATVs, is about a quarter of a mile away.
But from here we’ve got a better view of the burning shed. A hole has been ripped through the roof.
“What do you make of that?” I ask Sonny.
He takes a turn at the small square window and squints. “Probably used C-4 with a remote detonator. They were going for the effect, to draw us out.”
“That’s what I figured.”
There’s also no way to know if any other buildings are rigged to blow, including the one we’re currently standing in. I have a panicked thought about the house where I left my wife but realistically, planting explosives at the house would be much tougher to pull off. And if the Grimaldis are to blame, they wouldn’t risk blowing themselves up.
The floodlights are still working, which is a relief. Quickly, I scan the area and make a decision.
“I think we’re better off staging from there,” I say, pointing to a lonely livestock trailer that was left out near the big barn. It’s covered in snow and looks undisturbed.
Sonny nods. “Let’s head out.”
The short wave radios used by the ranch crew would come in handy right now but they’ve been left in the cowboy clubhouse. Just as well. The frequency is too easily intercepted.
My brothers stand behind me, awaiting instructions. They are so heavily covered in winter gear that I can barely tell them apart. A stroke of luck is the change in weather. The winds havedied down and the snow falls in flurries now. The cold is still bitter enough to be a frostbite worry but if the blizzard was still going strong then it would be too easy to get disoriented and lost.
“How do we know if someone is waiting to attack?” asks young Caleb and I hate that we needed to bring him out here at all. If we had more men I wouldn’t have considered it. But the kid swore he’s familiar with guns and volunteered.
“We don’t for sure,” I reply, which is the grim truth. The entire security network has been down for hours, leaving us without a single camera. “We’ll know if they start shooting.”
A thunderous bang is accompanied by another fireball that bursts from the shed and climbs toward the sky. There’s plenty of flammable material in that shed to keep lighting it up. All it would take is some wind and a few sparks to spread the fire.
The stables are closer than the barn. They are also closest to the shed and the most at risk.
“You cover me while I make my way over to that livestock trailer. The fact that the gap is open ground can’t be helped. First priority is to get the horses loose.”
Getty yanks the fur collar of his jacket away from his mouth. “I’m coming with you.”
“No you’re not,” I inform him. “You’re the sharpest shot in the bunch. I need you to have my back.”
He exhales loudly, his breath a frost cloud. “I’ve always got your back, Julian.”
I know this already. With a spasm of distress, I think of Cecilia back at the house. The terrified look on her face twisted my insides so badly that I nearly couldn’t leave her. But the best way to protect my wife is to fight those who dare to attack our home.
