Chapter Two

Max

Collette is exactly like I remember her. Short, curvy, long blonde hair twisted in curls, and stubborn as hell. The woman would rather die than ask for help.

I stare toward her, catching tears as they fall. It’s my job to notice details. If I miss a cracked door, a snapped branch, a lie, a faint noise in the distance, it’s my life. The benefit of having had a close relationship with her for almost two years now is that I know her tells. I know her body. I know her mind. I know her well enough to know when she’s falling apart, and Collette is broken.

I don’t like that. I didn’t leave her broken. I left her happy. If she’d never found out about my job, she’d still be with me. We’d be pregnant. We’d have a home, a life… together.

She drags in a deep breath and twists her hair to the side. “Look, aren’t you worried about bringing all this… bounty shit to Rugged Mountain? It’s a small town. Everyone has guns. They’ll rebel.”

“I talked to Henry and Maddox. They’re cool with it as long as my MC keeps the bullshit out of town.”

She laughs. “And the current MC? They’re just going to roll over and let you stomp all over their territory? Those dudes are cool, but not like that.”

“No, I’ve worked out a deal. Our focus is going to bounties and the stuff they don’t want. Kane and Diesel are fine, but they’re working with a small team. This gives them an opportunity to do more of their charity work like the lodge.”

“So why don’t you guys join them?”

“We like a different structure and a lot less rules.” I chuckle a little as I say, “Our MC is more… free range.”

She looks away and sighs. “You’re crazy. So, what, you’re just going to kill people and drag them up off to—”

“It’s not all death and killing. Bounties these days favor bringing in people more. It just depends on the bounty. That said, I don’t want you to get the wrong impression. Both ways still involve… necessary force.”

She rolls her eyes and crosses her arms in front of her chest. I’ve always loved it when she gets defiant.

“Look, it’s my job, and I’m glad I can do it from home now instead of bouncing all over the place. Now that you know all the details of that… tell me about this guy. What happened to you since I saw you last?”

“Nothing happened to me. I’m fine.” She lowers her arms and turns away, slinging her bag over her shoulder. “Lots of women get pregnant. I have to go to work.”

I hate that she’s working, that she’s walking, that she’s pregnant, and no one is taking care of her. I hate that her muscles are knotted and I’m not there to loosen them. I hate that as much as I want to scoop her up and carry her home, I know that’ll only push her further away.

Instead, I follow behind at a distance while I dial up my buddy, Outlaw. He’s been riding with me for over ten years, and we see things on the same level. If I need something done, he doesn’t question it and vice versa.

“Yeah.”

“Hey. Can you look someone up for me?”

“Sure. One second. Let me grab a pen.” He fumbles through what sounds like a drawer. “Go ahead.”

“Collette McAdams. I need to know who she was dating last year up in Wyoming. She was there a little less than a year, so there shouldn’t be much data on her, but maybe you can find an apartment lease or something.”

“Collette? Isn’t that the girl that—”

“Yeah, so keep it between us.”

Outlaw grunts. “I’ll get back to you within the day.”

“Thanks. How you holdin’ up? Any word on that woman you’re hunting?”

“Nah, man. Nothing. I’m thinking of shifting gears and trying a new strategy. We’ll see. I have a new mapping system coming in tomorrow. I’m hoping it shows some areas that haven’t been noted on the old shit we’re working with.”

“Let me know. I better get moving.”

The line disconnects and I jog up the street, watching Collette as she slips into the general store and ties an apron in place over her stomach. She’s wearing a hoodie, but it doesn’t hide her belly. Does she really think she’s concealing this? Or maybe she was just concealing it from me.

Nearly a year and not much has changed. The same lines dot her face. The same smile spreads as she helps people in town. That’s what I like most about her. She’s sweet. Where I’m a fucking monster, she’s considerate, caring, and loving. I can’t believe she’s gonna be a mother. I’m sure she’s going to be amazing at that, too.

I walk through the cereal aisle and start thinking of how few groceries I have at home. Last I checked, there was a freezer full of venison, but not much else. I really need to stock up.

A man steps into the store. I haven’t seen him before. He’s tall and thin with a bald head and thick, black-brimmed glasses. There’s a limp in his left leg and a hairy mole on his cheek that’s terribly unfortunate. He scans the store but skips over the cart and the baskets. This is odd. If you’re shopping for groceries, usually you at least grab a basket. Maybe he only needs one thing.

I trail behind, watching as he works his way across the store and toward the front. He seems to be making a beeline for my little cat, and I don’t like that.

The man stands before her and leans in. He’s saying something with anger. I can’t hear him, but by the tenseness in his shoulders and the way he’s moving his head, he’s certainly not complimenting her.

I glance toward Collette. Her gaze has gone down, her cheeks are turning red, and her breathing has picked up. Her left-hand brushes across her cheek and lands on her ear lobe. She’s panicking. It’s her tell. When things get stressful, she tugs the lobe of her ear. Always the left, never the right.

There’s a register between them, but the way he’s leaning in, I’m not taking any chances. Besides, I have a feeling this is the piece of shit ex-boyfriend. Who the hell else would be in a small-town general store starting shit?

“Hey,” I pull my gun and aim it at the man in question, “step away from the counter.”

The man’s eyes go wide, and he backs away, lifting his hands into the air like pussies do.

Collette stares at me. “What are you doing? Put that away!”

“He’s starting shit with you. Who is this guy? He the ex?”

She rounds the counter and stands between me and the asshole in question. “That is a customer! He’s returning pancake mix. I’m telling him that it can’t be returned. It’s against store policy.” Her tone is rough and rightfully angered. “Leave, Max. Now, or I’m calling the cops! You don’t want the sheriff down here. I know you think everyone likes you, but guess what? They like me more.”

Fuck! You don’t have to know Collette well at all to read those eyes. Those exquisite beauties are releasing enough intensity to stop a buffalo. Not to mention I can’t start some shit in town already. Our MC just got a chance to work in the area. It won’t take much to have the town turn on us immediately. And say what you want about Rugged Mountain folk, but there’s no shortage of bullets and people who know where to put ‘em up here.

Get it together, Max. There’s one rule we’ve got to follow. No shootouts in town. It’s the one fucking rule.

I hate rules.

I blow out a heavy breath and lower my gun before staring at the guy who’s only trying to make a return. He’s still an asshole. “Be nice to her, or I’ll follow you home.”

Collette shakes her head and I swear she bites a smile. Maybe she’s more entertained by this than I thought.

The man is shaking and turns toward the counter. “It’s fine. I don’t need a return.” He leaves with the bag in his hand and his tail between his legs. Sure, he wasn’t the asshole ex, but he was still in the wrong.

When he’s gone, Collette sits on a stool that’s tucked behind the counter. I realize it’s probably there so she can get off her feet some, but it doesn’t look very comfortable. “This is what you’re doing now, huh? Stalking me? Threatening small-town people? You know that guy runs his mouth, right? He’s going to tell everyone. He’ll probably have his friends draw up a sketch and he’ll post it all over town.”

“So what if he does? If you’d tell me who this ex is, I wouldn’t have to roll up on every asshole I see.”

She laughs. “Something tells me you still would. You’ve never been very bright.”

“Compliments aside, how are you feeling? You need water or a snack?”

“What?” She smiles but wipes it away quickly. This is the part where I can’t help but wonder if she’s feeling something, too. “I told you… leave me alone.” Okay, maybe not.

“I don’t think I can. I hate that you’re here by yourself. What if someone robs the place?”

“No one robs places here. This is Rugged Mountain! You live here. You know that.”

I look away and back again. “There have been break-ins lately. That’s why the MC and the town are cool with us working our bounties. We have to help keep the good folks safe.”

“Bullshit. I know I was gone for a bit, but come on.”

“The bar, late last week. They took some cash straight out of Mullet’s office.”

“Whatever you say. I’m thinking the math doesn’t add up on that one. The guy barely has an office and Lord knows people around here aren’t storing money where someone could find it quickly.” She huffs out a breath of frustration. “I think it’s time for you to go.” Her tone is angry again. Maybe I shouldn’t tell her all the drama that’s happening in town. I know some of this stuff is private.

“I know you want me gone, but I’ve missed you. I’ve missed you a lot. How are you doing with things? With, ugh, your dad and stuff?”

She looks away and twists her hair in circles. Her dad passed just before she left last year. Part of me wondered if that had something to do with her freak out. I went after her then, but she pushed me away and started dating someone else. I should’ve taken her like a bounty and tied her up until she came to her senses. Looking back, that was a missed opportunity.

She laughs. “He’d probably be glad to know I got rid of you.”

I can’t help but smile at the blunt honesty in that statement. “Yeah, probably. Your dad never did like me much. He was a good guy, though. You, ugh, you still going to school? You were heading for a pre-med degree, right?”

“No.” Amusement spills from her lips as she says, “Not at all. It’s a mess.”

“You were so close to graduating. What happened?”

She rubs her eye and stands from the stool, grabbing a bag of Doritos off the front counter. She pulls the bag open and the scent of cheese and spice wafts toward me, taking me back to the grade school lunchroom. “Everyone there was awful. It made me rethink why I even wanted to be one of them. It really isn’t a big deal, and don’t get me started on the cost. The loans were getting crazy. When you’re a kid dreaming about the future, they should really put price tags next to every dream.”

“You still love it? You wanted to go into family medicine, right?”

She nods. “That was the goal, but when my dad died, I started wondering if I was really doing it for me… or for him.” She adjusts herself in her seat as she looks out the window, then back at me. “I still have all those credits I earned. Maybe I’ll get my nursing degree or—”

“There’s still time for you to get whatever you want.”

“That’s easy for you to say. I’m smart enough to know that you can’t have everything you ever want. It’s a rule of the universe.” A wide grin crosses her face. “Oh, I forgot who I was talking to. Mr. Max, rule breaker. I can remember you freaking out in the pew every time someone would tell you to quiet down during service.”

“I have loads of rules. I’m living by them right now—no guns in town.”

“And here you are… guns in town.” She huffs out a sigh and crunches a chip. I miss this… listening to her, smiling with her, dreaming of a life with her.

My phone rings in my pocket and I stare down at the screen. It’s Outlaw, and I’m sure he has news on the ex.

“I’ll be back,” I say, sliding my phone to answer the call.

Collette doesn’t reply. She sticks one hand in the bag of chips and redirects her attention to her phone as though she doesn’t give a fuck what I do. Maybe she really doesn’t. Maybe she did move on when she met the asshole, and she really is back only to be close to family. It doesn’t happen often, but maybe, just maybe, I’m reading this all wrong.

“What’s the news?” I ask, stepping out into the street. It’s a gorgeous day. The sun is shining brightly, the last bits of snow have melted, and the scent of fresh dirt and flowers is in the air.

Outlaw clears his throat. “You said this is personal, right?”

“Absolutely. What’s wrong?” My chest tightens.

He pulls in a deep breath. “The name of the woman was Collette McAdams, right? From Wyoming?”

My heart pounds. “Right. I’m gonna need you to speed this up, man.”

He sighs. “The man that was living with a woman by that name is currently out on bail.”

Outlaw is never this cryptic. He’s a straight shooter all the way, so this dance we’re doing tells me something he found is really bad. “What… did… he… do?”

“He’s out despite domestic violence charges.”

My fists ball and my blood stings my skin. “Last known address?”

“Dude doesn’t have one. Last address was the apartment they were living in, but it’s since been rented to someone else.”

“He’s out on bail, though. He isn’t supposed to leave town. Does he have any family he’d run to?”

Outlaw clears his throat. “Look, man, we agreed when we came here, we were going to stick to the plan. We weren’t taking personal jobs. We’ll lose our edge, and doing so means lost money and potentially lives. You can’t be making these decisions right out of the gate.”

I growl into the phone, “Give me the fucking address right now, or I’ll come take it from you.”

“Get one thing straight, man. You keep talking that shit and we can settle this real quick.” Outlaw’s tone is flat and stoic as he says, “I don’t have an address. All I know is that he has family in Rugged Mountain.”

My face is hot and my skin itches from the inside out. “What do you mean his family is in Rugged Mountain?”

He groans low in his throat and pauses for a long beat. “It’s all I know, man. They have a few hunting cabins, but you have to promise me you’ll—”

“No promises. Collette never should’ve left. It’s my fault. This piece of shit is going to pay for what he did to her. The end. Give me the addresses. I’ll check them all.”

He pauses for a few beats. “You keep it out of town, and I’ll text you the addresses.”

I disconnect the line and pace the street like a fucking monkey in a cage, until finally, I hear the ping come through. Four cabins, all of them less than ten miles from here. Whoever this asshole is, he’s going to pay.