Chapter Six
West
Ibarely slept, sodespite my hangover, and the underlying sense of foreboding, I’m up early enough to take an ATV out to head over to the east pasture.I don’t want my horse anywhere near this field until we figure out what the hell is going on.
I’m waiting by the gate when Rhett’s cruiser pulls to a stop, a bunch of lab nerds in trucks and trailers park behind him.
“Mornin’,” Rhett says, resting an arm on his window frame.
“Is it?”
“Jesus, Winchester, I can smell the sauce from here.”He tips his chin at the ATV.“You sure you’re sober enough to operate heavy machinery?”
I grin, though he’s not wrong.While I may be sober, I smell like a fucking distillery.“Why?You gonna flash your shiny badge and give me a parking ticket?”
“Funny, asshole.”
Rhett and I have been busting each other’s balls since the locker room, and not much has changed, except maybe the haunted look in his eye.While I was wallowing about my torn ACL, he packed his bags and left the Canyon for Afghanistan.He might’ve physically come back in one piece, but one look will tell you he’s still carrying the mental load of putting men to death and watching his buddies fall.He’s one of the very few people in this world I’d trust with my family’s lives.
He climbs out of the vehicle, and I lead him and the TSCRA lab freaks over the rise on foot.Seeing the carnage in the daylight is even worse, there’s no excuse for this kind of slaughter.
“Jesus,” Rhett says, brown hair curling from underneath his state-issued cowboy hat.His dark eyes crease in the corners as he squints against the sunrise.“What a fucking mess.”
“This wasn’t bad grass or clover.”
“Yeah, I see that.”
“So someone deliberately killed our cattle?”I ask, though it’s not really a question.
“Or it’s toxic sludge from their water source.”
I arch a brow and give him a quit-dicking-around glare.“Bullshit.This was intentional.”
“We’ll run some tests, take a few samples of both the dam and the livestock before the heat gets to either one,” Rhett nods to his brother and Wade, both who are still sitting around the ATV, shotguns in hand.“Now, I’ve known you a long time, West.”
I turn the full weight of my glower on him.“Whatever the fuck you’re about to say next, don’t.”
“Relax, I’m not accusing you of this.How would the death of fifty cattle and their offspring benefit you?”He shakes his head and gives me a tight smile.“Always so fucking grumpy.All I’m askin’ is, did you Winchesters piss anyone off lately or know of anyone who might be holding a grudge?Who stands to benefit the most from this?”
“I mean, the Thorntons have held a grudge since my great, great, great granddaddy settled this land, but I can’t imagine even they would be stupid enough for something like this.”
Rhett nods.“I’ll head there after we finish.See if I can’t drum up some answers.”
“Careful.Old Man Thornton’s likely to shoot you for mentioning our name the second you set foot on the property.I think he lost his marbles the day his wife and youngest son died.”
“I remember the stories.Though, I always thought his eldest, Roman, was a level-headed guy.”
“Sane maybe, but he’s an asshole.”
“Well, I’m pretty used to dealing with those.”He smirks.
