Page 37 of Destined Prey
The chair wasn’t furniture; it was a room full of afternoons and the sound of spoons in iced tea. He could feel the shape of it in his hands.
“We’ll get it. Why don’t you let me call this number Alex put on here and make arrangements? That way he doesn’t get direct contact with you, if that’s what he’s wanting, despite what hesays in these letters.” Rhett picked up another one. “Let me help you, Jack. I wasn’t there for you before. Let me be there now.”
“Okay,” Jack said, letting the word be big. Accepting help had always felt like failure. Today it felt like staying.
“Rhett, I wouldn’t let you be there, and I sure wasn’t here for you, either.” Jack chuckled, though he wasn’t amused. It was more sardonic than anything. “I just left.”
“I wanted you to get to go out and live life however you wanted,” Rhett said. “And we’ve been over this. We both messed up, but we aren’t going to let each other go again.”
“No, we aren’t, and yes, you can help me. I’d appreciate it, actually.” Jack grinned. “I really just want to forget about Alex after this. As for the whole living arrangements, I don’t think we need to worry about that anytime too soon. Ben and I need more time to get to know each other better before we get to that point. When we do, I want to live here. I want to help with the ranch. I want us, me and you, to share the responsibility for the Double T.”
Saying it out loud rooted the thought. Home wasn’t a retreat. It was a choice you kept making.
Rhett’s smile was bigger and more genuine than any Jack had seen from him in the past few days. “Good. That’s what I want too, and I hear what you’re saying—but I still think I’ll get started fixing up the basement. Might move myself down there.”
The picture flashed, so clear it startled him: Ben laughing in this kitchen, muddy boots by the back door, Rhett grumbling and secretly pleased. It fit. It terrified him how much it fit.
“You don’t have to do that,” Jack protested, but anything else they might have said was forestalled by someone pounding on the door. “I’ll get it.”
“I didn’t hear anyone drive up, so it’s gotta be one of the hands.” Rhett was right behind him. “I’ll call about your stuff after we take care of this.”
Jack slid the letters into a drawer—not buried, not center stage. “One thing at a time,” he told himself, and went to meet whatever was knocking.
Chapter Eighteen
Jack stared at Ernesto, and the man Ernesto had a hold of. Aldan’s right arm was twisted up behind his back, because Ernesto had him in some kind of painful-looking grip.
“Found this asshole sneaking around the north pasture with that”—Ernesto pointed behind him—“beast. Makes me wonder what exactly killed those calves a while back.”
That beastwas a huge dog being led by a nervous-looking Javon. There was a cloth muzzle around the dog’s mouth. Aldan had his lips pressed so tightly together that a ring of white framed them.
“We’ve had wolves and such on the ranch, Ernesto, you know that. You helped dispose of them last week,” Rhett said. “Aldan, what the hell are you doing back here? I fired you and Vince both for being assholes. You aren’t up to anything good out here.”
Aldan jerked against Ernesto’s hold. Jack flinched at the sudden movement, pulse kicking up. He knew Ernesto had him locked tight, but something about Aldan’s feral energy made the hair on the back of his neck rise.
“Let him go, Ernesto,” Rhett ordered.
Ernesto turned his head and called to Javon. “Put that dog in the cab of the truck.” Then he growled at Aldan, “You give that thing any kind of attack order, and I’m taking youout.”
The air crackled with tension. Jack stared at Ernesto. The man looked more dangerous than the dog. Jack wondered how he hadn’t noticed that before. Ernesto always smiled and seemed laid-back, but there was nothing of that in him now, as he held on to Aldan and stared him down. When Aldan lowered his gaze, Ernesto gave him a shake then released him, though he stayed right behind Aldan.
Javon loaded the dog into the cab of the truck, then shut the door. The windows were down a few inches and it wasn’t hot out, but Jack wouldn’t let them leave the dog in there for too long.
“Now,” Rhett said, “what the fuck are you doing on our property?”
Aldan spat and just missed Rhett’s boot. “I don’t have to tell you anything.”
Rhett moved so fast that Jack was startled and leapt back. Rhett grabbed Aldan by the front of his shirt and shook him, hard. “I am so fucking tired of stupid people! This is our ranch, and you’re gonna answer me!”
Aldan swung at him.
Rhett roared and shoved Aldan back. Ernesto danced out of the way just as Rhett followed the shove with a fist to Aldan’s jaw.
Inside the truck, the dog began to raise a ruckus, having escaped its muzzle somehow.
Jack and Ernesto moved in on Rhett and Aldan as the two men fought. Javon and Phil raced over, but Jack gestured for them to stay back. Rhett wouldn’t appreciate any interference, and Aldan wasn’t showing any signs of wanting to back down. As long as no one was going to get permanently injured, Jack knew they needed to handle this just as they were. Violence wasn’t something he cared for, but this wasn’t him.
Rhett landed a second punch to Aldan’s jaw, then took one to the chin himself. He cursed and slammed two quick hits to Aldan’s gut and almost evaded one to his temple, but not quite.
