Chapter 15

fifteen

. . .

Cross

" S omething's not right."

I knew it before Bishop said a word as I pulled my F-150 around to the barn. Five ranch hands sat atop their horses, all talking together with serious expressions on their faces.

"I told you we shouldn't have gone this time. We should've waited it out a few more days," Bishop grumbled.

I gritted my teeth against the retort that wanted to be freed. It wouldn't do any good. He was right anyway. Despite a handful of covert surveillance missions, we hadn't found a damn thing. Just dead ends and cold trails.

I thought for sure we'd get a hit this time. It was the same route as the last tainted shipment and the same driver. But someone must have tipped them off because it was textbook from start to finish.

"I think we have a rat," I said, more to myself than anything.

Bishop grunted in agreement. The big fuck didn't speak much most days, but even less since we'd gotten near home. You'd think that would make him a shit road trip companion, but I appreciated the quiet. Gave me time to think.

My reasoning for bringing him with me might have started off petty, but he'd proven himself an asset. Not just as a stand-in for my brother, but because he was perceptive. Spotting things I know for a fact others would have missed or written off. And he'd already proven himself useful in a fight. It was always good having guys around who weren't afraid to get their hands bloody. He kept this up, I might have to talk to Walker about offering him something more permanent.

It was just a bonus that going on these runs with me kept him far the fuck away from River.

"Go check that out, will ya? I need to talk to Walker." I didn't give him a chance to answer as I stormed toward the house, calling Walker's name.

When he didn't answer, unease skittered down my skin. Anger replaced it almost immediately as I shoved open his door and found his room empty. So I went tearing down the hall, one woman on my mind. The one who was supposed to be taking care of him.

"Sparrow?"

Prickles walked across my neck when she didn't answer either. "Goddammit, River. I'm not playing. Where the fuck are you?"

I'd already set off toward my father's office since that's where she spent most of her mornings, but Bishop's terse shout stopped me in my tracks.

"Cross?"

"I told you to deal with it, Bishop. I'm in the middle of something."

"They're gone."

My spine straightened as I stared him down. "What do you mean, gone?"

"I mean, gone. No one's seen them since yesterday. Walker's horse is gone too."

"The ranch hands..." I started, my brain piecing together what we'd seen when we arrived.

"Found your horse saddled and without a rider a couple miles due east of here. Hades was heading back on his own."

My initial worry that Walker'd taken River and run off vanished at that piece of information. A horse with no rider meant only one thing. Someone had been thrown, possibly hurt.

I raced back down the stairs and out the front door, barking orders to anyone who'd listen.

"Saddle my damn horse," I growled at the nearest hand, a young guy who hadn't been part of the ranch long. I knew his name, though. I knew all their names. This one was Tommy. His daddy had been one of our most loyal, and when we'd lost him in a deal gone bad, we'd promised his mama he'd be taken care of.

"Did anyone think to check the cabins?" I snapped at Tex as I burst into the barn.

"We've already got guys on it."

"They have their radios?"

"O'course."

"Check in. I want to be the first to know when my brother's found."

"You got it, boss."

Tex was already talking into his walkie when Tommy appeared with Hades in tow, the big stallion huffing his annoyance at being forced out of his stall.

"Too bad, old man," I murmured, taking the reins from Tommy and patting my horse's neck.

Hoofbeats behind me called my attention away from Hades and to the rider approaching. Bishop sat on his white horse, appropriately named Ghost.

"Go check the creek. If Walker's trying to get in her pants, he might've taken her to camp out there," I told him as I mounted Hades and adjusted the reins.

"No."

"Excuse me?"

"Respectfully, no. I'm with you. If they're hurt, you'll need help."

"Respectfully, fuck you."

"Think about it. You can't ride back with three people on one horse. If something happened to them, you'll appreciate the extra set of hands."

I huffed out a frustrated breath, not used to needing to rely on anybody and fucking hating it. Until Dad died, I was the enforcer. I told everyone else what to do. And if they couldn't get it done, I took care of it myself.

"Like it or not, I'm coming with you. Last I heard, River was the boss. Not you."

"If you were trying to win me over, that was the exact wrong way to go about it."

He shrugged. "Way I figure, I saved your brother's life, so I'm already ahead."

I didn't have time for this. Not if they were in a bad way. I'd seen men die out on this ranch because no one got to them in time.

"Fine. But stay out of my fucking way."

I clicked my tongue and kicked my heels into Hades's sides until he took off, building speed until we were galloping back in the direction the others had found him.

We rode for the better part of an hour, searching for any trace of River or my brother. Frustration burned through me as we reached the hill's crest that looked over the creek. The rocks on the other side were stained a rust red, and my blood ran cold at the sight.

"I've got something," I called, but Bishop was already jumping the creek.

"Someone blew this snake's head clean off."

Snake? Shit.

Every possible scenario raced through my head, all of them ugly. If either of them had been bit, the only place they could've gone was the nearby cabin.

The walkie I'd grabbed came to life with a crackle, Tex's voice tinny and static laced coming over the line.

"Blue is in the stable at cabin 7, boss. Want me to send the guys in?"

"No. I'm ten minutes out. I'll be right there."

"Copy that."

I didn't even look at Bishop. I simply clicked my tongue and urged Hades into a run, one goal in mind. Make sure my sparrow was okay. And if I found out she was, there'd be hell to pay for scaring the shit out of me.

It wasn't long before the cabin came into view, and just as promised, my brother's horse was in the stall we'd erected outside.

"Motherfucker."

Even though my adrenaline was pumping, the extra miles had given me some time to think. If someone was really hurt, the other would have called for help by now. Even if their cells were dead, the cabin had a landline and spare walkie for this exact reason.

Those two weren't injured.

I dismounted, secured Hades to the hitching post, and tore up the steps leading to the front door.

Did I knock? The fuck I did. I tried the handle but found it locked. No. He did not get to make us all worry then take her out here and fuck her like one of his buckle bunnies.

I didn't bother to investigate why the thought of them together pissed me off so much. Instead, I used my fury as fuel and kicked the damn door in.

Walker was standing in the doorway to the bedroom, surprise flickering across his face. His jeans were half done up, his hair a mess, hickeys on his neck and bare chest.

"What the fuck, Cross?"

"Don't you what the fuck me. Where is she?" I stormed inside, got right in his face, and had to force myself not to push him into the doorframe.

Walker wasn't afraid of me, though. He puffed up like a damn peacock and squared off with me. "She's in the shower. She needed one after last night."

A low, angry growl sounded deep in my throat. "The fuck do you think you're doing, Walker? She is not a goddamn game."

"Who said I was playing a game?"

"Your behavior, for one. Do you have any idea how irresponsible it is for you to run off without anyone knowing where you are? In case you haven't realized it yet, we're one fuckup away from a full-blown war with the Russians."

"Why don't you say what you really mean, Cross? I'm the fuckup. Right? Because, of course, my being here is just another in a long line of fuckups. Since I'm so irresponsible and all. I couldn't possibly be up to any good."

"You call spending the night with your face in her cunt doing good? I can smell her all over you."

"So that's what this is about." Walker smirked, but it was mean. "You're just jealous she chose me over you. Well, too fuckin' bad, you had your chance and blew it. For once, you can be the spare."

"That really gets your goat, doesn't it? That I'm the heir apparent. You're so self-conscious you never got over those rumors. Pathetic."

"I'm pathetic? You're the one throwing a goddamn tantrum ‘cause I fucked your girl."

"She's not my anything." The lie burned in my gut, but I ignored it.

"Is that so?"

"If she's anything, she's my sloppy seconds. A stray that needs to be thrown out. We agreed. She cannot stay here. She'll ruin everything. She's already putting her nose where it doesn't belong."

Some of the fight left my brother. "She knows about the books."

Fuck.

"I'll deal with it."

"But—"

"I mean it. She's off-limits, Walker."

"You told me to handle her."

"I said distract her, not fuck her."

A soft gasp from behind me had me spinning toward the bathroom. My eyes clashed with River's, and the devastation I saw in those green depths wrecked me.

Fuck.

For one brief moment, I wished I could walk it all back and keep from hurting her. The apology was on the tip of my tongue, but I swallowed it, standing up straighter and slipping on my cold mask of indifference instead.

Nothing had changed. She was never mine to keep. My world would chew her up and spit her out. The only way to keep her whole was to be the reason she walked away.

It was better if she hated me. This would be so much easier if she did.