“Your father is the liar here. He stole billions from me—or tried to.”
“What are you talking about?” Rowan crawled over, behind a desk.
“Lithium deposits. Billions of dollars’ worth, sitting right under that old house, that land. My land.”
Rowan spotted him moving through the reflection of the front window. You can run, but you can’t hide, Buttercup.
“We had a plan, him and me. We were friends. He had mineral surveys done, geological reports—he just needed the money to start mining. That’s where I came in—we were partners!”
Rowan stilled. “No—that’s not right?—”
“And then he died. Stupid man.”
Died. Wait. The pieces clicked into place with sickening clarity. “That’s why you married my mom. Not for love. For the land.”
“Your father cut me out. He never signed the partnership.”
Rowan stilled.
Another shot rang out, this one aimed at the front glass.
It shattered, a waterfall of lethal shards. Rowan ducked behind a table.
“And then he died. And left you and your mom on all that land.”
Rowan’s voice came out deadly quiet. “How long did you wait? A week? A month?”
“She needed help. You both did. She was scared, alone, didn’t know how she’d keep the ranch running.” Alden seemed to believe his own righteousness. “I provided stability. Protection. A future for her and her son.”
“You provided a nightmare.” Rowan spotted movement near the corner office and adjusted his position. “And you terrorized me so I would leave. Never come back.”
“It worked.”
Oh wow. It had.
Not today. Not anymore.
Rowan eased around a filing cabinet, getting closer to Alden’s voice. “So what’s next?”
A shot pinged the filing cabinet. How was he seeing him?—
Oh. Cameras peered down at him in corners. The man probably had him on his phone, monitoring his movement.
Rowan picked up a stapler and took out the camera staring at him.
“Next is self-defense. The mayor defending himself against his crazy stepson, who possesses lethal skills. Probable cause, honest threat to life and limb. And not to mention him going a little crazy after watching his woman and child die.”
He’d shimmied across the floor, rolled, spotted Alden squatting next to his desk.
The guy had a clear shot to the door, the hall, the stairway, with too much clutter between Rowan and the space to catch up.
If he didn’t trip him up, Alden would get away.
He dove under a desk and spotted it—a long extension cord. He unplugged it and dragged it to himself.
Might work.
“Yeah, that sounds about right. All except the last part—Sierra and Huck are alive.”
