Page 46 of Fall or Nothing

Ash immediately called me, waving me over.

I tossed the keys to Jake, who stood by the bunkhouse door with Trig, Pete, and Eldon.

“What’d you do, Carter? Rob a bank?” Trig, of course, had to chide me about it.

“Need help?” Jake was at least trying to be a friend, with his face concerned.

“I’m sure it’s nothing. But thanks.” I rushed away toward whatever my fate might be.

FIFTEEN

Exposed

CARTER

I kept my face neutral,walking into Ash’s office, but under my skin my pulse hammered like a war drum. The sheriff tossed his hat on a chair, grim-faced, and remained standing. I took the other chair. Ash stood over me with arms crossed next to his desk.

“We have him here now, Chris,” Ash called.

“Chris?”

“Carter, it seems we have a situation.” His voice blared rough-edgedfrom the speakerphone on the desk, knocking the wind out of me. I did not know he’d be in on this meeting.

Shit. “What’s going on?”

The sheriff leaned forward, knuckles on the desk. “We found a red Ferrari on Red Amos’s property last night. Totaled. My deputies traced the registration back to Carter Magnus. Since I only know one Magnus around here, I called Chris, who confirmed you’re indeed his kin.”

Chris’s voice jumped in. “You’re not in any legal troubleyet, Carter. But it’s best you tell the truth about what happened. If your Ferrari was stolen, why haven’t you said anything?”

“And why would it be on Red’s ranch? How is he involved?” The sheriff demanded to know.

The walls closed in. Sage’s face flashed through my mind—her smile, her trust, the way she’d looked at me like I was her cowboy. If I told the truth now, would Chris send me packing back to New York? Would I lose not only the money but the remaining time I had left with her?

I’d hate to ghost her again. She wouldn’t understand why her cowboy disappeared tomorrow without a goodbye. And she didn’t deserve that.

I rubbed the back of my neck, buying time. “Fine. I’ll tell you what I know, but it’s bigger than just a stolen car. And yes. Red’s hands are all over this mess.”

I laid it all out for them. How I’d left the barn dance and ended up at the biker bar. Red had introduced himself to me and offered a place to play poker. A cave in the middle of nowhere. I’d won big, several hands, but some of the regular high rollers didn’t appreciate it. Red had drugged me with something I drank in a shot glass. He and his brother left me on the side of the road in nothing but my boxers and boots, car and wallet and phone gone.

“Sage found me. I wouldn’t be here if not for her.” I added quickly, “But she doesn’t know any of this. No need to involve her. That night, I told her it was just a prank by the ranch hands that got out of hand with some locals at the biker bar. That’s all she knows.”

The sheriff’s eyes sharpened. “What exactly did you seethat night? Where was this cave? What kind of activity went on there?”

I described the underground bunker and the entrance through a large cave opening behind some boulders. The neon lights and the poker tables. The names of the actor and the rancher I played cards against. I even mentioned seeing some Congressman taking Red aside, looking unpleased.

The sheriff’s jaw tightened. “Brewster?”

“Yeah. I think that was his name.”

“Anything else you’re not telling us? Because this is some bullshit. You should have told me the truth that first day you started here,” Ash barked.

I hung my head. “I know. You’re probably right. I fucked up, but I didn’t want to mess up working here.”

“Easy, Ash. We’ll deal with Carter later,” Chris offered a voice of reason. “Sheriff, what now?”

He didn’t waste time. “Do you think you could find this cave again?”

“I could try. But it was my first night here. I thought I’d leave and never come back, so paying attention to the directions was the last thing on my mind.”