“I spoke to Amelia about Russell.Did you know he went by the bar and asked her for money?”
That motherfucker.
“No,” I growl.“The balls on him.”
“Yeah,” Shadow agrees.“The bastard hasn’t paid child support in God knows how long, and he has the audacity to ask her for money.”
Anger blooms in my chest.I’ve never wanted to hurt someone as much as I want to fucking hurt Russell Cain.
“Anyway,” Shadow continues.“After my conversation with Amelia, I did some digging into Russell.”
My shoulders tense.“And?”
“Got himself a fancy new job.”Shadow’s expression darkens.“With Landry Oil.”
“You’re shitting me.”I glance back at the porch to make sure Dylan can’t hear us.“What’s that asshole doing working for them?”
Shadow shakes his head.“That’s the thing—I can’t figure it out.Man’s got no skills that would be useful to an oil company.No education, no experience in the industry.”
“That can’t be a coincidence,” I say, clenching my jaw.
“Definitely not.”He lowers his voice further.“Think about it—Russell suddenly takes an interest in Dylan again, starts calling him non-stop, and now he’s working for the company that tried to take your land?”
“You think they’re using him to get to me somehow?”The thought makes my blood boil.“Using Dylan as leverage?”
“I don’t know yet.But I’m gonna find out.”Shadow’s eyes narrow.“Got one of my guys tailing him.We’ll see where he goes, who he talks to.”
I don’t like this one fucking bit.
“One more thing,” Shadow adds, his expression serious.“I’m not telling Amelia about any of this.No reason to drag her back into Russell’s bullshit unless we know for sure there’s something to worry about.”
“Agreed.”The last thing Amelia needs is more stress from this motherfucker.“We keep this between us until we know more.”
Shadow claps me on the shoulder.Dylan bounds down the porch steps toward us, cornbread crumbs still on his shirt.
“Are you guys done with your secret meeting?”he asks, eyeing us suspiciously.
Shadow chuckles, immediately shifting back to his carefree demeanor.“All done, buddy.”
“Cool.”Dylan turns to me.“Hey, Maddox, can I ride Bluebell again?I want to show Shadow what I learned today.”
I exchange a quick glance with Shadow, who nods subtly.
“Sure thing, kid,” I say, ruffling his hair.“Let’s go saddle her up and show him what you’re made of.”
Dylan takes off toward the barn.As I follow him, I can’t shake the uneasy feeling in my gut.Russell working for Landry Oil can’t be a coincidence.Something’s up, and I need to figure out what it is before it causes trouble for Amelia and Dylan.
“Mom’s back,” Dylan says as Amelia’s car rounds the bend.
“Looks like it.”I straighten up, patting Bluebell’s flank.“Why don’t you go grab your backpack from the porch while I talk to your mom?”
Dylan nods and jogs off as I make my way toward Amelia’s car.She steps out looking tired but beautiful, her hair slightly windblown and cheeks flushed from the heat.Our eyes meet, and for a brief moment, I see something soften in her expression before her walls go back up.
“How’d it go?”she asks, glancing past me toward the barn.
“I’m happy to report all his limbs are intact.He’s a natural.Kid’s got an instinct with horses that can’t be taught.”I step closer, lowering my voice.“You should stay for dinner.”
Her eyebrows lift.“Dinner?”
