Deceptive Truth: Cowboy Justice Association (Serials and Stalkers Book 4) by Olivia Jaymes (reading women .txt) 📕

"Then why did you lie?" Knox asked, his tone aggressive. He didn't have the patience for his brother's shit. "Why didn't you just say that?"

"Because I didn't want the hassle," Cal yelled, his expression a twisted grimace. "I didn't want to deal with all the shit that was coming from it. I knew that Lori was alive when I left her so why should I have to deal with it? It wasn't my problem. None of this is my problem."

"Did you even care about Lori at all? Did you? Because if one of my ex-girlfriends disappeared off the face of the earth, I'd do anything I could to help the police find her. All you had to do was tell the truth."

"You're such a Boy Scout," Cal jeered, his lip curled in a sneer. "You just love to lord over us regular mortals how perfect you fucking are. Whatever, brother. I stayed out of it because it wasn't mine to deal with. I didn't hurt Lori."

"Not physically. But you did hurt her. Just like you hurt all your other girlfriends. You were a total asshole to her. She paid for everything and don't fucking deny it because I saw her financials. Christ, you aren't even man enough to pick up a fucking dinner check. All you did was use that poor woman. You're just like Dad."

Cal was instantly in Knox's face, his finger stabbing into his younger brother's chest. "Fuck you. Just fuck you. She wanted to pay for those things. She wanted to buy me things and take me on trips. It made her happy. So I let her."

"Bullshit," Knox said between gritted teeth, knocking his brother's hand away. "You did it for yourself. Just like you do everything. You're a piece of shit and everyone knows it. You're pathetic. Here you are standing in front me lying about a woman that's probably dead. Do you have any feelings at all?"

Cal shrugged and walked over to the window, staring out at the road.

"I'll take that as a no," Knox said. "You don't feel anything, do you?"

"Why?" Cal shot back. "Why should I? So I can be like you? You feel every goddamn thing and it clearly hasn't made you happy. I didn't hurt Lori, so back off. Why would I kill her? It doesn't make any sense."

"Because if you couldn't have her, then no one could."

"I didn't care one way or the other."

"Really? Like the time that Stacey Bailey broke up with you in high school and you told everyone that she gave you an STD so no one would date her? Is that how you didn't care?"

Cal shrugged again and shook his head. "I have no memory of that happening. If there was a rumor then it wasn't started by me."

"You really are a piece of work. How do you sleep at night?"

"I sleep just fine, thanks for asking. Is there anything else you need to talk about? Because I'm rapidly losing interest in this conversation."

"I'm surprised. It's about you and I know that you love that."

"Fuck you."

"As a matter of fact, I do have a few more questions. Where were you yesterday afternoon between one and three, and also four and five this morning?"

"Work and home. You can check with my boss and my new girlfriend. Now, are we done here?"

Knox wasn't going to get anything more out of Cal. He probably should have been nicer or more patient. Cal might have opened up more, but he simply didn't have that much self-control. He wasn't a saint and his older brother sure as hell wasn't one either. They'd just as soon kick each other's ass than talk and hang out.

"I doubt you did have anything to do with Lori's disappearance. You couldn't work up the energy or the initiative. But if you did," Knox said, moving closer to his brother and giving him the most menacing look he could manage, "I will make sure you spend the rest of your life behind bars. Do you understand me?"

"You're not an Owens," Cal snorted. "You're a traitor to the family. I know it. Randy knows it. And Dad knows it, too."

"Good. I'd rather be a traitor than the pathetic asshole that you are. If I need anything else, I'll be in touch."

"I'm so looking forward to that," Cal laughed as Knox stomped out the door. "Have a nice day, little brother. It's always so nice to see you."

That was a complete waste of time. But then I knew it would be.

It hadn't been a pleasant visit, but Knox had walked away with more information than he'd started with.

He didn't think that Cal was responsible for Lori's disappearance. His older brother was a jerk of the highest order, but he wasn't a killer. At least not this time. Hedgcock, on the other hand, was looking like the number one suspect.

They needed a warrant for the house and grounds. Was Lori there? Dead or alive, he was going to find her.

There was something about good food and friends that made even an especially ugly day much more tolerable. It turned out Eli loved to cook so both he and Jenna worked side by side in the kitchen preparing dinner. Since it had been a trying day Eli had suggested comfort food, telling her that his mother's meatloaf recipe was life-changing. She'd enthusiastically agreed and they'd chatted while he prepared the entree and she peeled the potatoes that would hopefully become a creamy, garlicy side dish.

They'd planned to eat late in the hopes of Knox being