Her Twin Wilde Cowboy Masters (Wilde, Nevada 1)

“You first,” he answered. Best to get all the details before he decided to trust Wilde’s most powerful resident with everything.

“He’s my friend. Where is he?”

Austin knew Trent was missing? “That’s what I’m trying to find out. How did you meet him?”

“He’s in the lifestyle. We were at a conference in Dallas a few years ago and hit it off.” Austin leaned back in his chair. “He and I were working on something together. He sent me an e-mail about three months ago, and I haven’t heard from him since.”

That was about the time Trent disappeared. “What were you working on, exactly?”

Austin’s eyes flared with anger. “Something that would finally put away that crooked bank president, Malcolm.”

Wade’s gut tightened. The same asshole who held the notes his fathers had signed to the family ranches. He and Wyatt were trying to get free of them, but were having no luck so far. What more was the asshole banker capable of? “Fill me in.”

“Trent’s landscape business had turned sour during the recession. He was unable to get funding from local sources to keep afloat, so he went online.” Austin frowned. “Then one caught his eye because of me.”

“I don’t understand.” Austin had an investment website?

“Wilde Nevada Venture Capitalist Limited.”

Wade shook his head. “Never heard of it.”

“Me either until Malcolm Winters urged me to invest some of my personal funds into it a while ago.” Austin leaned forward, picking up his coffee cup and taking a long sip.

If Malcom Winters was involved, it had to be bad. “Fuck, anything that man touches eventually turns to rot.”

“True. I didn’t trust him, but before Jessie came to Wilde, I was planning on leaving town. Moving my money into other investments was part of that plan.”

He couldn’t imagine Wilde without Austin. He was one of its most powerful residents. “I thought the silver mine and this club were your only investments.”

“They were not that long ago. They will be again,” Austin vowed.

“I’m glad your lovely wife changed your mind about Wilde.”

“Me, too, Wade.” The man he knew to keep his emotions in check no

dded and smiled. “There’s something shady about Winters’s investment brainchild. I’ve been looking into it and other investments he put me in. Wilde Nevada Venture Capitalist Limited issues loans with more risk than traditional outlets will tolerate. Trent’s landscaping business is quite risky. He remembered I was from Wilde and decided to apply for a loan. Nothing happened for months, and his business continued to sink lower and lower. He was about to lose it when along comes Malcolm with an offer to buy a controlling interest at a price too good to be true.”

So Malcolm had waited until Trent had no choice but to accept his terms. “Why didn’t he call you to get the lowdown on Winters?”

“He only had my e-mail at the time, and the mine was dealing with the sabotage from Samantha. I didn’t see it for weeks. Long story short, he signed the dotted line. Once I got his e-mail, it was too late to pull back. Things went great for a bit but turned sour quickly.” Austin’s expression turned grim. “Malcolm’s people were managing the books, and he saw a bag full of hundreds being dropped off at his firm’s offices late one Saturday night.”

Shit. This was worse than he’d thought. “Money laundering, I would guess.”

Austin nodded in agreement. “That’s what we both suspected. Trent thought he was close to uncovering something big when he disappeared.”

“Have you gone to Wayne with any of this?” Wayne Champion was acting sheriff since Sheriff Davis’s accident. The retired doctor from Elko had moved to Wilde with his new bride, Connie, Charly Wynn’s mother. Apparently, law enforcement was something he’d always dreamed of.

“Yes. He and I have been working together on this.” Austin paused. “Now it’s your turn. How do you know Trent?”

Wade took a deep breath. “I don’t. I know his sister.”

* * * *

“I’ll tell her,” Wyatt said softly into his cell, trying not to disturb the sleeping beauty on his sofa.

“Keep her safe and away.” Wade’s tone didn’t surprise him. It was obvious that his twin was completely gone on her already.

“You know I will.” He scanned Mackenzie’s slack body and listened to her gently breathing. She’d drifted to sleep as they’d been waiting for the call from his brother.