“He’s around,” Seth says. “He’s handling things.”
Then Joey’s gaze shifts.
And it lands on me.
He freezes.
His face goes slack for a second, shock widening his eyes. Then the shock evaporates, replaced by a dark, burning rage.
He starts walking.
He doesn’t run. He stalks, a predator zeroing in on prey.
He ignores the mayor. He ignores the reporters. He walks right up to the fence line that separates the main yard from the bunkhouse path.
I step out from behind the barn. I can’t hide. Not from him.
He stops ten feet away from me.
“Well,” he says, and his voice is loud. Cutting. “Look who it is.”
“Joey,” I say. “You’re back.”
“What the fuck are you doing here?” he demands.
I flinch. “I’m the vet. I’m helping with the cattle.”
“You’re the vet?” He laughs. It’s a harsh, ugly sound. “Bullshit. You’re the plague. You’re the reason this is happening.”
“That’s not true,” I say, my voice shaking. “I’m just trying to help.”
“Help?” He steps closer, invading my space. “You destroy everything you touch, Sedona. You ruined this family once. Now you come back and bring a fucking parasite with you?”
“Stop.” Clara steps forward, putting herself between us. “Don’t talk to her like that.”
Joey sneers at her. “Stay out of this. This is family business. Who the fuck are you, anyway?”
Just then, Billy rounds the corner of the house. He sees the crowd. He sees Joey.
He jogs over.
“Joey,” Billy says. “You made it.”
Joey turns on his brother. The hostility radiates off him in waves.
“Yeah, I made it. I drove all night because I saw the news. I saw the reporters talking about an outbreak on the Carson ranch. And I come home to findher.”
He points a finger at me. It’s an accusation.
“Why is she here, Billy?” Joey demands. “Why is Sedona Archer on our land?”
Billy straightens his spine. “She’s here to work. She’s exposed. She’s in quarantine with us.”
“Quarantine,” Joey spits. “Is that what we’re calling it? Because it looks like you just let the fox back into the henhouse.”
He steps closer to Billy. His chest puffs out.
“Are you stupid?” Joey asks. His voice drops, but it carries across the yard. The reporters have gone quiet, sensing the drama. The cameras turn toward the brothers. “Are you stupid enough to have fallen into bed with her again?”
