“That’s all we could confirm so far,” he replies. “We haven’t checked every building yet.”
I rake a hand through my hair, trying to get ahead of the spiral. Someone didn’t just wander in here. They knew what to take. They knew where it was.
“It’s okay.”
Sloane’s voice cuts through the noise, calm but not unshaken. She steps closer, her hand brushing my arm—not to stop me, just to anchor me.
“I filed full equipment insurance when I arrived,” she says. “Everything major is covered. Replacement, loss, damage. We’re not ruined.”
I look at her, stunned.
My uncle never would’ve thought of that.
I sure as hell didn’t.
Relief eases some of the pressure in my chest, but it doesn’t touch the anger. Someone broke onto my land. Someone crossed a line.
And they did it while we were gone.
The thought makes my blood run cold.
“I’ll call Sheriff Riggins,” I say, already pulling my phone from my pocket.
“For now, nobody touches anything else. Leave it exactly as it is.”
Sloane nods, slipping seamlessly into place beside me. “Document everything you find,” she adds. “Photos, serial numbers, locations. I’ll handle the insurance paperwork first thing in the morning.”
Hank and Jesse nod, already moving to do as told. Mason lingers for half a second longer, guilt written all over his face, before following after them.
I scan the property, eyes sharp, instincts on edge. The cattle are calm. The horses shift in their stalls, ears flickingbut otherwise fine. Bullet trots over, tail wagging, completely oblivious.
That almost makes it worse.
“This doesn’t happen in Bell River,” I mutter.
Sloane turns toward me. “Not without a reason.”
I meet her gaze, the weight of the day pressing down hard. “If you hadn’t insured that equipment—”
“But I did,” she says gently, patting my cheek. “I told you. You need me.”
A short, humorless scoff leaves me. “Yeah. Turns out you were right.”
And standing there, with the barn door busted and the dark pressing in around us, I realize something else too.
This wasn’t random.
And whoever did it isn’t done yet.
seventeen
Sloane
Red and blue lights flash around the ranch as two officers, including Sheriff Riggins, examine the scene. I sit on the main house steps, watching it all unfold, staying out of the way while Gage talks to the sheriff. My elbows rest on my knees as Bullet lies beside me, his head heavy against my thigh.
This could have been worse, so much worse. A few stolen pieces of equipment and some minor repairs are nothing the ranch hands, Gage, and I can’t handle. Who would do this, though?
From everything I’ve learned about Bell River, the place barely sees crime at all. A couple of rebellious teens wouldn’t be capable of picking up the pump machine ontheir own. No, this feels personal, but honestly, I couldn’t imagine who would go to this extreme.
