Under Threat by B.J. Daniels (reading the story of the .TXT) 📕

As he did, he saw Grady peer out the window. Had he thought the marshal had reason to return? The back door flew open. Grady looked pale and shaken. Dillon swore under his breath. It must be bad. But how bad?

“What—” He didn’t get to finish his question before Grady began to talk, his words tumbling over each other. He caught enough of it to realize that the marshal’s visit had nothing to do with cattle. Relief washed over him.

Pushing past Grady, he went into the cabin, opened the refrigerator and took the last beer. He guzzled it like a man dying of thirst. That had been too close of a call. He’d been so sure that Hud was on to them.

“Did you hear what I said?” Grady demanded. “She was murdered. Marshal said so himself.”

Dillon couldn’t care less about some girl Grady had been hanging with, and said as much.

“You really are a coldhearted bastard,” Grady snapped. “And you drank the last beer,” he said as he opened the refrigerator. “How about you bring a six-pack or two out for a change? I do all the heavy lifting and you—”

“Put a sock in it or I will.” He wasn’t in the mood for any whining. “I have my own problems.”

“The marshal sniffing around you?”

He finished the beer and tossed the can into the corner with the others piled there. “It’s the marshal’s daughter. Things aren’t progressing like I planned.”

Grady let out a disgusting sound. “I really don’t care about your love life. I’ve never understood why you were messing with her to start with.”

“Because she could be valuable, but I don’t have to explain myself to you.”

His partner in crime bristled. “You know I’m getting damned tired of you talking down to me. Why don’t you rustle your own cattle? I’m finished.”

“Where do you think you’re going?” Dillon asked, noticing a flyer on the table that he hadn’t seen before. With a shock, he saw that it advertised a reward from local ranchers for any information about the recent cattle rustling.

“I’m going into Charley’s to have a few, maybe pick up some money shooting pool, might even find me a woman.”

“You’ve already jeopardized the entire operation because of the last woman you brought out here.”

Grady turned to look back at him. “What are you talking about?”

“Where’d you get that notice about the reward being offered by the ranchers?”

“They’re all over town.”

“So you just picked up one. Did the marshal see it?”

Grady colored. “No, I wouldn’t let him in. I’m not a fool.”

But Dillon realized that he was a fool, one that he could no longer afford. “I’m just saying that maybe you should lie low.”

“I was headed into town when the marshal drove up. He doesn’t suspect me of anything, all right? I’ve got cabin fever. You stay here and see how you like it.” He turned to go out the door.

Dillon picked up the hatchet from the kindling pile next to the woodstove. He took two steps and hit Grady with the blunt end. The man went down like a felled pine, his face smashing into the back porch floor. When he didn’t move, Dillon set about wiping any surface he had touched on his visits. He’d always been careful, he thought as he wiped the refrigerator door and the hatchet’s handle.

His gaze went to the pile of beer cans in the corner and realized that his prints were all over those cans. Finding an old burlap bag, he began to pick up the cans when he saw an old fishing pole next to the door. Smiling, he knew how he could dispose of Grady’s body.

Chapter 11

Dillon touched Mary’s cheek, making her jump. “I didn’t mean to startle you. It’s just that you seemed a million miles away.”

Actually only five miles away, on the ranch where Chase was working.

She couldn’t quit thinking about him, which is why she hadn’t wanted to go out with Dillon tonight, especially after she’d told him that she needed more time.

“I guess you forgot,” he’d said. “The tickets to the concert I bought after the last time we went out? You said you loved that band, and I said I should try to get us some tickets. Well I did. For tonight.”

She’d recalled the conversation. It hadn’t been definite, but she hadn’t been up to arguing about it. Anyway, she knew that if she stayed home, all she’d do was mope around and worry about Chase.

“You’ve been distracted this whole night.”

“Sorry,” she said. “But you’re right. I have a lot on my mind. Which is why I need to call it a night.”

“Anything I can help you with?” he asked.

She shook her head.

“It wouldn’t be some blond cowboy named Chase Steele, would it?” There was an edge to his voice. She wasn’t in the mood for his jealousy.

“Chase is a friend of mine.”

“Is that all?”

She turned to look at him, not liking his tone. “I can go out with anyone I want to.”

“Oh, it’s like that, is it?”

She reached for her door handle, but he grabbed her arm before she could get out.

“Slow down,” he said. “I was just asking.” He quickly let go of her. “Like you said, you can date anyone you please. But then, so can I. What if I decided to ask out that barista friend of yours?”

“Lucy?” She was surprised he even knew about her.

“Yeah, Lucy.”

If he was trying to make her jealous, he was failing badly. “Be my guest,” she said, and opened her door and climbed out before he could stop her again.

She heard him get out the driver’s side and come after her. “Good night Dillon,” she said pointedly. But he didn’t take the hint.

As she pulled out her keys to open her office door, he grabbed her and shoved her back, caging her against the side of the building.

“I won’t put up with you giving me the runaround.”

“Let me go,” she said from between gritted teeth. Her voice sounded much stronger than she