49. Trent

Chapter 49

Trent

" F uck!" Rhett snarls as I return to the barn, my chest squeezing tight, my leg aching where Jethro tried to take a chunk out of it. I'll have to address that later.

The look in her eyes as she'd spun, the betrayal, the hurt, I don't think that image will ever leave my memory. She's going to always look like that to me. This little stunt just cost us. . . everything. My eyes flick over to Colt where he stands smugly, Dolly at his side happily wagging her tail.

As if he didn't know his retired drug dog would lead Fable here if left unattended.

I don't like locking Fable inside the cabin. I don't like this one bit, but they're right. We can't let her leave yet. We need to regroup and figure out what the fuck to do.

Rhett runs a hand through his hair. "What the fuck do we do now?"

Gunnar's face is twisted with anger. "Why not ask Colt since he did this shit on purpose?" he spits.

"You've got no proof," Colt replies.

"You're the only one with the fucking key, dipshit!" Gunnar snarls.

"That don't mean nothin'," Colt argues, crossing his arms. He looks too relaxed, too at ease for this situation. Which tells me all I need to know.

He did it on purpose. And I'm pretty sure I know why.

I understand why he did it. I don't want her to leave either, and this gives us an excuse to force her to stay. Would I have done it the same way? Would I have gone so far? Maybe, if I'd thought about it, but this is also putting Fable in danger in a way I would never. Colt is playing with her life, not just ours. We've worked to save this place. We've worked for it all. And now Colt's on-a-whim plan may cost us not only the woman we wanted to keep, but also the ranch we fought so hard to save.

I would have never been so risky, but I don't hate that she may have to stay here for longer.

"She stays," I announce, interrupting their arguing. "For now. Until she agrees to keep the secret."

"What if she doesn't?" Gunnar asks, his expression serious.

He's thinking like I am, that Fable's sense of right and wrong might overrule her care for the four of us. Especially now that we've locked her up. Someone needs to appeal to her, needs to explain, and it can't be me. I'm a terrible person to tell the story.

"Then we're fucked," Rhett says, glancing at Gunnar. "Unless you're going to kill her." Gunnar recoils immediately. "That's what I thought," Rhett nods. "So we better hope she agrees." He runs a hand through his hair. "I guess that means I need to go talk to her, huh?"

"I can do it," Colt says with a grin.

Rhett wrinkles his nose in disgust. "You stay here," he snarls. "You've done enough, you fucking asshole."

He meets my eyes, and I nod. "Tell her everything. It's the only way she may see our side."

Air rushes between his teeth. "Yeah. Okay."

I watch him go, hope in my chest, and if she declines, well, ain't none of us willing to kill her, so we're fucked.

"You didn't want her to leave either," Colt points out, as if it needs to be said.

I level him with my eyes. "Yeah, but there's a difference. I wouldn't have risked everything."

Colt chuckles. "Seems Rhett isn't the only one lying to himself." He storms up to me and pokes me in the chest. "She's worth risking everything for and you know it."

I do. Fuck, I really do.