Page 8 of His Last Nerve

I wasn’t.

“We’re going to find them.” Pop’s promise held something scary in it.

Them.

The men who killed Momma.

Momma died three days ago.

She got trapped in a forest fire on the edge of the ranch. Pop said she wasn’t supposed to be out there. That’s where Momma liked to go to think. Her stream was out there.

Pop said there were hunters on our ranch, looking for bison. He said bison were free animals, that could come and go on our land as they pleased. Like the deer. Like wolves. Like birds. The only animals that belonged to us were the cattle. Pop said bison meat is worth a lot of money.

These hunters were on our land to kill bison, camped on our land and didn’t put out their campfire.

At least, that’s what Pop told me.

Pop said that during the summer, the land gets real dry and fire can claim it if it gets too hot. Those hunters brought their own fire and Momma died. Pop’s cowboy, Jigs, said he spotted the hunters this morning on the east side of the ranch.

We were going after them.

I squeezed Mason’s hand. I was the big brother. I was supposed to protect him. It was my job. Momma told me so…

Four days later, my body was ready to give up. Pop wasn’t.

We had been tracking these men for four days.

Mason and I hadn’t spoken a word in four days.

Mason hasn’t been in his bed in four days. He hasn’t showered. He needed a shower. Momma said that little boys need to shower every night.

I grabbed his hand again as we sat on a rock. It was night and the hunters’ campfire was starting to die. Jigs had one of the men tied up on the ground, and—Pop had the other. The look in Pop’s eyes scared me.

“Boys, this is what happens to people when they hurt the ones you love or hurt the ranch,” Pop growled, his voice angry.

I didn’t want Mason to see it.

“Boys, close your eyes. Denver cover Mason’s ears.”

I got up on my knees and covered his ears with my palms. Pop looked up at me. “Close your eyes,” he clipped. I did as I was told.

There was no one there to cover my ears.

I heard every scream.

After that night, Pop sat Mase and I both down, made us promise him we would dedicate our lives to Hallow Ranch.

I kept my promise.

Mason didn’t.

Mason hasn’t stepped foot on this ranch in ten fucking years.

All because of Cathy.

Chapter Three

Valerie

Source: www.allfreenovel.com