He’s not wrong about the sweet ride. I have one in my garage. I pause. “Hey.”
He looks at me over his cards. “Yes?”
I’m not sure what I want to ask him. “Ever ridden a Triumph Rocket?”
“Once or twice,” he says. “Is that your ride?”
“I have a selection,” I say. Rogue and Riot do too. “Tell Riot to find me when he’s done.”
“Will do,” he says as I walk away.
Burke strides across the driveway as I jog down the steps.
“Found him yet?” I ask when we cross paths. Music floats out of the barn as guests mingle inside and out front, decked out in costumes or Western getups.
The brothers were still looking for Stains when Rogue, Riot, and I came back to the house to get ready. Our security team also got involved in the search. Including Riot’s bodyguards, who are attached to him at the hip. Which makes me ask the same question West kept asking about the goat earlier. Why?
What is our little brother not telling us? Other than he’s in love, of course.
Burke grimaces. “It’s not looking good for poor Stains. With the light almost gone, the search is going to have to be put on hold until morning.”
“That’s unfortunate.” We made a good pretense of looking for the goat for a couple hours after West took it to the pit. Long, excruciating hours where we anticipated the brothers figuring out that we already knew what happened to the goat. To decide to explore the pit. To find the body.
For all hell to break loose.
But it didn’t.
I’m an asshole for asking Burke about the goat. He’s the one brother I don’t think hates us. I could tell him, and we could work out how to break the news to Owen. But Owen hasn’t been reasonable so far. Expecting him to start now would be stupid.
And it sure as hell wouldn’t help us work out who was behind it. A subject Rogue, West, and I decided would be best kept between us and our security team for the time being.
“We’ll find him,” I say, praying we don’t. There’s no way to explain hiding the evidence without looking like the psycho who mutilated the poor animal. It’s important to Rogue and Ivy that this wedding goes smoothly.
“You want to hope so.” He humphs. “Otherwise, Owen is going to blame you. And he can hold a grudge like you would not believe.”
“Of course.” He’s going to blame me anyway. I’m not sure anything can salvage the chance of a relationship forming between Summer’s oldest brother and me.
Whoever killed the goat could stab the prick a couple times before I stepped in to help at this point.
Someone killed the goat. That’s the part that sours my stomach. The part that sends a spike of adrenaline through my veins.
These people are my family and friends and someone among them could be unhinged and quite likely dangerous.
Alec is still evading the cops, and his hatred for us runs deep. After last year, anyone who isn’t inner circle looks suspicious to me, but I’d finally started to relax. Today’s events have me back on the edge.
“I hope Kia will be impressed that I hold the record for mechanical bull riding in Devil’s Bend,” Burke says, and I’m grateful for the change of subject.
“Only if I don’t steal it from you.”
“You have no chance.” His chest puffs up and his green eyes sparkle. “I’m the best.”
I’m distracted by the sound of a vehicle heading up the drive. A moment later, Rochelle’s bodyguard parks my rental and jumps out. He opens the trunk and starts unpacking suitcases. He handles the bags like they weigh nothing, but his movements are laced with tension.
“I’m going to get ready,” Burke says. “I bought a new shirt. I’ll see you up there.”
The back door of the car opens.
I run my gaze over Summer the way I always do. My heart about stops then and there.
