Stone Cold Cowboy(21)

“So, we’ve got the usual suspects. Connor, his two buddies Scott and Tony, and the newest and most lethal addition to his cohorts, Derek. Your brother’s been dealing marijuana and prescription pills for years. What’s he into now? Meth?”

Sadie didn’t say anything, just stared down at her hands.

“Keeping what you know to yourself isn’t going to help your brother,” Mark pointed out. “Derek is the worst person your brother could have gotten mixed up with, Sadie. If he’s in with Derek, the only way he’s getting out is in a pine box.”

Sadie flinched, but she still held her tongue.

“Where is he?” Mark demanded.

“I don’t know. He hasn’t been home in two weeks. When I discovered the horses missing, I went after him.”

“Why? Because you knew he was going to steal the cattle?” Mark asked.

Rory hoped she didn’t know ahead of time. If she did, she’d be charged with the crime.

“I wanted my horses back. I was afraid he’d sell them for quick cash, or worse, leave them somewhere to fend for themselves.”

“How’d you know where to find him?”

“I didn’t. Like Rory, I followed the tracks. When I saw where he was headed, I veered off for the hills that overlook the valley. I thought I could head him off. I was too late.”

Too late to stop Connor and turn him back and return the cattle before the theft was discovered. Rory swore.

“I’m sorry. I tried to stop them. They wouldn’t listen. Connor owes this guy money. Even the cattle weren’t going to be enough. I don’t know how much he owes or for what.”

“Probably for the supplies to cook the meth, or a deal gone bad. Your brother thinks he can cash in on a big payday, but Derek is never going to let that happen until your brother proves himself a reliable cook and distributor.” Mark jotted down notes like Sadie’s world wasn’t falling apart.

Rory saw it written all over her face. She’d tried for years to stop this from happening, stop her brother from taking things too far until there was no going back.

“You don’t know that,” she said to Mark, another effort to save her brother or just pure denial.

Rory wondered if she’d ever give up. Dane told her to save herself. She’d almost gotten killed trying to make her brother do the right thing. Would she stop before it really did cost her life?

Rory swore he’d never let that happen, but how could he make good on that when she wasn’t his to protect and probably wouldn’t listen to him anyway?

“Where are they cooking, Sadie?” Mark demanded.

“I don’t know.”

“Look, he’s already got you mixed up in cattle rustling, now he’s associating with a known drug trafficker and got you covering for him. I can’t keep protecting you. Tell me where he is.”

“I don’t know where he is.”

“You do, you’re just not saying. Look at you. You nearly died last night. What’s it going to take for you to see he’s no good, and he’s going to take you down with him?”

Tears ran down her cheeks. Each one lashed at Rory’s heart. He got that she didn’t want to rat out her family, and this was tearing her apart, but she needed to speak up.

“Where is he?” Mark pushed.

“I don’t know. He left me there. I begged him to help me, and he just left me there.” The softly spoken words punched Rory right in the gut. She’d tried so hard over the years to help her brother, only to have him turn his back on her when she needed him to save her.

The deputy shook his head, as disgusted as Rory about this whole damn thing.

“You know the drill. If you hear from your brother, or find out where he’s hiding, you need to call me. If you don’t, if you give him money or any other kind of help, you’ll be an accessory. Don’t let that happen, Sadie. You can’t help him this time. You’ve already found out the hard way that Derek Pete is not a man to be messed with. Unless Connor turns himself in, he’s going to find the path he chose only leads to hell.”





CHAPTER 5

Sadie woke up, staring at the window who knew how long after Mark left, leaving her with those ominous words about her brother heading straight for hell. Well, she felt like she’d been living there a long time, her brother’s mistakes setting flames at her feet, making her dance to get out of them, and him out of whatever trouble he got into. This time, he’d tied her hands. Literally and figuratively. She tried to raise her hand to look at her swollen fingers and the bandages around her wrist to remind herself that he’d left her without even trying to help. Someone held her hand still. She glanced down and straight into a pair of bloodshot hazel eyes. Rory sat beside her bed, holding her hand, waiting for her to wake up and . . . what? What did the man want from her?