It was a statement, not an accusation. And in that moment, everything shifted. The fence. The ranch. Rowan. The sabotage.
I pulled out my cell and JD picked up on the first ring, the Kings pin burning a hole in my palm.
“Tell me,” he said the second he answered.
“It’s bad,” I said. “Real bad.”
Rowan stood a few feet away, arms crossed tight, eyes fixed on me like she was trying to read every word I wasn’t saying. I turned away from her, lowering my voice.
“I found something on her land,” I said.
“What is it?”
“A Colorado chapter pin.”
Silence, heavy and loaded, spread down the line for several seconds like he was pondering his next words carefully.
“You sure it’s one of ours?” JD asked.
“I am.”
There was another beat of silence before he spoke. “Shit.”
“Yeah,” I said. “That about covers it. I’m heading back soon, but this isn’t looking good. Someone from the Kings is definitely involved.”
I ended the call before he could say anything else. I needed space to think, and to get my head around the fact that someone was trying to drag Rowan into club business.
I turned back to Rowan. She hadn’t moved. Her jaw was tight and her eyes stormy, but she wasn’t scared, she was furious.
“What did he say?” she asked without hesitation.
“Not much.”
Her eyes flashed. “I need to know why my ranch is being dragged into your business.”
“I know,” I said, “and I’m working on it.”
“Well work quicker,” she snapped, her voice low.
I looked out over her land. The open fields. The tree line. The long stretch of fence that someone had cut with precision. I had a feeling I knew why, but wanted to be certain before I voiced it, but she picked up on
“So you do know something,” she bit out angrily, her fury rising. “Tell me. I deserve to know, damn it. This is my life!”
I pulled out my phone, opening up the maps app and zooming in to where we were currently standing. Rowan came to stand closer, looking down at my phone.
“Point to where the fence breaks have been.”
She scowled and took the phone from me, zooming in and out while she found what she wanted. “Here, umm and here. I think one was here too. And then there’s today’s”—she jabbed at the screen—“here. Now tell me what you know.”
I heaved out a heavy sigh. “I don’t know anything for certain yet.”
She rolled her eyes, and god damn if it wasn’t the sexiest thing I’d seen all week. I cleared my throat and tore my eyes away from hers.
“Tell me what youthinkyou know then. Because I know you’re thinking something in that thick skull of yours.”
I snapped my gaze back to hers, giving her a look that would make most men cower, but all she did was fold her arms across her chest and attempt to stare me down.
Fuck me, what was it with this woman?
