Taking the Reins(97)

Pieces fell into place. Of course two lowlifes like his father and Nylen would manage to meet up in a town this small. Magnetic pull of scum to scum, cheat to cheat. Which meant . . .

“Where’s your car?”

He didn’t say a word.

“Red?” Billy’s voice was hesitant. Damn. He’d forgotten Bill was still there. “Arby’s heading this way, and Tiny’s with him.”

“Good.” Red stood for a moment, planting his boot in the small of Nylen’s back. As the two men approached, he called out, “Hope you brought some zip ties.”

Tiny scoffed. “Why bother?” He stepped around Red and sat on the man, causing Nylen to gasp for breath. With a sneer, Tiny bent over to look Nylen in the face. “You can’t know how good it feels to finally give you what you deserve, you son of a bitch.”

“This all you got?” Arby asked Red quietly.

“All I . . . what?” Red turned to him.

Arby tilted his head toward the main gate. “Thought I saw a car down there. Glint from the spotlight caught on a rear bumper. Mighta been wrong though.”

Red clapped a hand on Arby’s shoulder and walked around to the front of the house. After a few moments, he started to sprint for the gate. If someone was in the car, he’d never catch it. But he’d have a good look.

He skidded to a halt as he caught sight of his father’s own truck parked in the shadows. He’d recognize the truck anywhere. And more, his father sitting in the driver seat. When Mac caught sight of Red, he threw the car in reverse and made a sloppy three-point turn. Gravel flew as he stepped on the accelerator and left M-Star in the dust.

“No honor among thieves,” Red muttered to himself, heading back to the main house.

“Peyton said she called the cops; they should be here soon.” Bill’s face split in a wide grin and he bounced on his toes. “She said we shouldn’t do anything heroic and she also wanted me to tell you that she thinks you’re a big—”

“That’s fine, Bill.” He smiled a little. “I get the point.” He tilted his head a little, staring at Nylen’s completely motionless body. “Can he breathe down there?”

Arby shrugged and leaned against the tree trunk. “I’m not all that inclined to check.”

The crunch of boots on gravel had everyone stiffening. But then he heard Bea yell Peyton’s name from around the front of the house and they all relaxed. Bill jogged over to direct them.

“He’s where? It was who?” Peyton could be heard a mile away with that yell. She rounded the corner, looking like hell on wheels and twice as pretty. He’d never seen her in anything but her work gear. Or, well, nothing at all. But in a pretty top and a pair of clean jeans, with her unbraided hair flowing around her shoulders, she was something to see.

As much as he could see in the dark.

He stared once more at the man on the ground. He’d had a part in catching the bastard red-handed. Maybe, just maybe, this was the opening he could use to work his way back in with her. He’d take all the help he could get at this point.

“Redford Callahan, you big idiot!”

So much for gratitude. “What?”

“You could have been killed!” She walked up and shoved at his shoulders with her hands, anger spitting from her eyes. “You don’t know if he was armed or alone or anything! How could you just do that?”

“Bill snuck up on him first,” he replied, silently apologizing for tossing the kid under the bus.

“Billy Curry!” she shouted over her shoulder. “You and I are going to have a long talk tomorrow morning!”

“Yes, ma’am,” came his resigned reply.

Kneeling down, Peyton squinted at the man. “Is that . . . no. You’ve got to be . . . Sam Nylen?”

“One in the same,” Red agreed.

Peyton laughed harshly. “I see it’s just our night to run into each other, isn’t it? First you insult me at the bar, now you break into my house?”

“I didn’t break in anywhere!” he protested.

“He insulted you?” Red asked at the same time. Leaning down low, he said quietly, “I’ve got a mind to let you up and give you a running head start, just so I could chase your sorry ass down and kick the shit out of you again.”

Tiny laughed at that.

“No point. Bea’s already called the sheriff,” Peyton said somewhat glumly, as if disappointed she wouldn’t get to witness the ass kicking.

“They’re on the way!” Bea called cheerfully from the side of the house. “This is way better than drinks and girls night out!”