AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“What’s up?”I ask him as I reach for the paper towels.
“Thanks for not yelling.”He shuffles from one foot to the other.“I mean, you don’t usually yellrealloud, but we don’t usually mess up this bad, and you’ve been really mad lately.So, thanks for not yelling.”
And with that, he runs off behind his sister, and I have to take a minute to myself.
Yeah, I’ve been mad.
I’ve been frustrated.
And as of right now, I’m going to stop taking it out on my kids.
“It’s definitely a mountain lion.”
I turn at the sound of Lucky’s voice and raise a brow.“Did you catch it on camera?”
“Yeah, a few minutes ago, before the sun came up.She was out hunting and would have taken a calf if we didn’t get there first.You’re going to want to see this, boss.”
I stand and grab my hat.“Show me.”
He nods grimly, and we hurry out to the Jeep I bought last summer for times like this when we need to get somewhere on the property fast, and there isn’t a road to take.
It’s a bumpy-as-fuck ride, but before long, we see some of our guys standing around the carcass.
“I had to fire,” Bruiser says, looking completely miserable.“She was about to take out that calf over there.Ihadto.”
“Okay, I understand.”
“She’s a mama,” Lucky says, and points to the tree line where three cubs watch us from the brush.
“Well, son of a fucking bitch.”I immediately pull out my phone and call Chase.My brother is a cop, not Fish and Wildlife, but he’ll know who to call for this.
“Yo,” he answers.
“I need someone from Fish and Wildlife out here right away, and I don’t know who to call.”
“I can handle that.Where on the ranch are you?”
I give him our location and the gist of what’s going on.“It’s a fucking mess, Chase.”
“I’ll be out there, too.Give us thirty to get there.Don’t touch those babies, Rem.”
“We know better,” I assure him and end the call, turning to my guys.“They’re on the way.We don’t touch those cubs.”
“What will happen to them?”Bruiser wants to know.
“They’ll probably go to a wildlife rescue.”I rub my hands down my face.“Fuck.”
“It’s not poaching,” Lucky insists.“We’re entitled to protect the herd.”
Ofcourse,it’s not poaching, and the fact that Lucky feels like he has to jump in to defend Bruiser tells me that he respects the other man, because we all know that Bruiser didn’t illegally hunt that cat.
“No, no one’s in trouble.It just sucks that she’s a mom.Those babies aren’t weened yet.”
“Do you want us to stay here?”Bruiser asks.
“Yeah, let’s wait so we can all answer questions.Just be honest, you understand?You didn’t do anything wrong, and you won’t be in trouble.”
Bruiser, looking like he’s full of guilt, nods.
