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I slap him on the arm and scoop up the closest blanket to wrap around my legs.
He winks, smiles, and folds his hands behind his head while sinking into the couch cushions to relax.
“That’s not a punishment, I’ll gladly watch. I have a thing for cowboys,” I tease.
Predictably, he picks the same old favorite that I know for a fact he’s already seen a million times. The introduction music alone sends me into a tailspin of nostalgia. We had a slew of movies on VHS just like this growing up. We’d ride around on our stick horses playing sheriff and the bandit. Our cowboy hats were too big, they’d wobble and fall off, and we’d have to start the whole scene over.
The comfort from the fireplace, the quiet simplicity of the low hum of the classic movie playing, and having my brother right here in the flesh spending time with me is almost too much. I’ve missed this feeling more than words can describe.
Warren laughs as the deputy shoots a drink out of a man’s hand at the saloon and a fight breaks out. As the movie goes on and the glow of the TV starts to lull me to sleep, my phone buzzes.
Hoping it’s Gage, I rip it from under the blanket. It’s just an email, unfortunately. The subject line reads ‘Looking forward to your visit soon’.
My stomach sinks. Not only from the reminder that I’ll be on my way out of here after the New Year but also because I notice the time at the top of my screen. Gage has been gone for hours.
Chapter 28
Gage
Iwalk into the hotel lobby and immediately wrinkle my nose from the pungent smell. This place is a dump. The old wallpaper is stained from smoke, dust hangs heavy in the air, and the floors creak beneath the floral carpet that looks like it used to be green, but is now brown. The front desk attendant doesn’t bother making eye contact with me, but I pull the brim of my hat farther down my forehead as I pass her just the same.
The burner phone buzzes in my pocket and I pull it out to see a text.
Unknown:209
I’m sure his security team alerted Bash to the fact that I’d finally walked inside. I noticed them within seconds of pulling into the parking lot a few hours ago. I watched them intently, knowing full well they were watching me as well. I don’t trust my brother any more than I trust a hungry pack of howling coyotes in the middle of the night. Scanning the area and making a plan for how I could get out fast if needed was a priority.
There’s no elevator, so I trudge down the hall to find the staircase. Coming as a shock to absolutely no one who grew up scoping out meet-ups like I did, there are several guards along the way. They’re noticeably trying to be inconspicuous and blend in around here with what they’re wearing, but they aren’t as slick as they think. The bottom of their jeans are too tight and skinny around their boots. Their hats are straw in the dead of winter. City slickers.
I know both sides of that coin. I may have grown up in the city, but I’ve lived in Texas on the ranch for over twelve years. You wouldn’t catch me dead in that getup.
One of them eyes me a little too long and spits on the ground as I round the corner of the second floor. In my younger days, I’d have decked him right between his eyes. But I ignore him and keep my right arm close to my body. Ready for a quick draw at all times.
The door is cracked, so I walk in without knocking. Bash is seated in the corner at a pathetic excuse of a desk. It’s old and battered, covered in scratches and stains. His legs are long enough that he can’t scoot all the way under the desk, so he’s leaned back and at least a few feet away from it. No way to conceal a gun or weapon. Exposed.
The fact that he’s sitting at all is a good sign in the first place, and I scan the rest of the room to see who else will be joining us for this little conversation. There’s only one other man in the room, bald with a silver and black goatee.
Not for long though. Bash looks at him and jerks his head toward the hallway. The man nods and walks out, closing the door behind him. I don’t have a perfect view of the bathroom or closet without opening their doors, so I can’t be completely certain that there isn’t someone in either of those two places. So, I remain standing with my back to the wall opposite Bash.
“Will you fucking relax? Damn,” he says.
I cross my arms and pin him with a look that says I have no intention of relaxing.
“Thought this was a solo intervention,” I say jerking my head in the direction his minion went and where the rest of his men are.
“I lied. Have a seat,” he gestures with his hand around the small room, but there’s no other furniture. “On the bed or something.”
“I’m good.”
“Suit yourself.” He takes a sip of his amber-filled tumbler and pulls a black folder from the bag next to his chair. It makes a loud slap on the table in front of him. When I don’t immediately grab for it, he leans forward and pushes it toward me with his index finger. It swishes across the wood surface and I reluctantly pick it up.
I was not prepared for what I was about to see when I opened the folder. Inside is a full-page photo printout of Blythe walking down the center aisle of the horse barn. It’s slightly grainy like it was taken from a far distance and zoomed in for the shot. My breaths pick up speed and I clench my jaw.
I flip to the next one. Blythe is petting Heston’s dog, Lucky, on the patio. Then another of her, this time next to the campfire where she’s straddling me while I sit leaned back in my chair. I recognize immediately what night it was. The rest of the boys were out at the bar, and the weather was so nice, I dragged her out to the fire pit. My hand is up her shirt and she’s smiling into my neck.
I slam the folder shut and draw my gun, making a point to turn off the safety and step closer to Bash.
“Is this some sort of threat? Because if it is, I’ll save us all the time of you explaining your demands that I won’t meet and just kill you right here and now.”
