Page 191 of Roulette Rodeo
The walk to town center only takes about ten minutes, and the first thing I notice when I reach Main Street is Luna. She's tied to the post outside Duke's restaurant, the one we always use as informal "horse parking." Her saddle is there, but no sign of Rafe or any of the others.
Duke—the human one, not the dog—is wiping down outside tables when he spots me.
"Red! Good to see you, sweetheart. How was the class?"
"Great," I say distractedly, still looking around for any sign of my pack. "Have you seen Rafe? Or the others?"
He pauses, thinking, polishing the same spot on the table absently.
"Rafe came by on Luna for daily errands—picked up some supplies, checked the mail. Normal afternoon routine." He frowns slightly. "But then those construction folks showed up. The ones from Henderson Construction? Said they needed to inspect dimensions for the barn renovation, wanted him to show them exactly what he had in mind."
My stomach tightens. "When was that?"
Duke glances at his watch, then at the restaurant windows where the dinner rush is already starting.
"Well, I'd already done the evening prep, started the dinner service... probably three hours ago? Maybe more? He went with them in their truck, said he'd be back for Luna later."
Three hours. Rafe's been gone three hours, left Luna here, and hasn't checked his phone once? That's not just unusual—it's wrong. Rafe checks his phone obsessively, responds to messages within minutes even when he's in meetings.
"I'll take Luna back," I decide, already moving toward her.
Duke's eyebrows shoot up. "You sure, sweetheart? She can be particular about riders."
"I know how to ride," I say with a wink that doesn't quite reach my eyes. "Better with horses than cars, apparently."
He laughs, the sound following me as I approach Luna. "I heard about that! Your driving's already legendary. Hey—come back for lunch soon, yeah? You get free meals for life after that bull riding spectacular!"
I manage a genuine smile at that. "I'll hold you to it!"
Luna nickers softly when she sees me, and I take a moment to stroke her neck, letting her get used to my presence. She lipsat my hair, probably smelling the others on me, and seems to decide I'm acceptable.
Getting up with a gym bag is awkward, but I manage it, settling into Rafe's saddle and trying not to think about how intimate it feels to be where he usually sits. Luna shifts beneath me, testing, and I keep my hands gentle but firm on the reins.
"We need to go home," I tell her softly. "To the farmhouse. Can you take me there?"
She tosses her head once, then sets off at a steady pace, apparently deciding I'm competent enough to trust. The rhythm of her movement is soothing, and I try to let it calm my racing thoughts.
There's probably a perfectly reasonable explanation. Maybe they're all at the barn, planning renovations. Maybe cell service is bad there—it happens sometimes in the more remote parts of the property. Maybe they're dealing with some pack business that requires focus.
But the unease in my stomach grows with each hoofbeat.
The sky is wrong. I noticed it earlier but now it's impossible to ignore. The sunset should be golden, maybe pink, but instead it's this angry orange-red that makes everything look like it's been filtered through blood. The air feels heavy, thick in a way that has nothing to do with my lingering heat from last night.
Luna's ears flick back and forth nervously, and she picks up her pace without me asking. Animals always know first when something's wrong.
We're still a mile from the ranch when I smell it.
Smoke.
Not the pleasant wood smoke from a fireplace or the autumn smell of burning leaves. This is acrid, chemical, wrong. It gets stronger with each step Luna takes, and she's practically dancing now, wanting to run but held back by my grip on the reins.
My heart hammers against my ribs as we crest the final hill, and the world seems to stop.
In the distance, where our ranch should be spreading peaceful and perfect in the evening light, orange flames lick at the sky. Smoke billows black and thick, obscuring the outline of buildings, but I can see enough.
The structure engulfed in flames, the one sending sparks shooting into the darkening sky like deadly fireworks, the one that should be standing sturdy and untouched...
"No," I breathe, the word torn from my throat as Luna rears slightly, whinnying in distress.
