“Hank is missing.”
“What?” she screeched.
He grabbed her and kissed her hard on the mouth. It wasn’t a tender kiss. It wasn’t a sweet smooch. It was an outright lusty lip-lock he needed in order to assure himself she was right there in front of him. And kissing her at that moment didn’t make a lick of sense.
“What the hell was that for? You tell me Hank is missing and then you kiss me?”
“I was just making sure…never mind,” he muttered, running his fingers through his hair. “We’ve gotta get you out of here.”
“Why?”
“Julie, someone tried to kill you today.”
“Ya think?”
“Save the smartass comments for another man and a different week, if you don’t mind. Yes,
someone tried to kill you. Hank is missing. And I think Frank is somehow responsible.”
“Frank?” she asked, sadness creeping into her eyes. “Are you serious, Duke? Do you know what you’re saying?”
“Believe me, I’ve had a hard time processing this, too.”
“You must be ill,” she said, her arm rising and falling against her thigh.
“Julie, I have proof.”
She shook her head and backed away from him like he was a new disease, the next deadly plague. “I don’t believe you.”
Duke retrieved the bill of sale from his pocket and handed it to her. “Read the notes.”
She scanned the document so quickly, he wasn’t sure she took the time to review the paperwork he provided. Julie had a nasty habit of being loyal to a fault. If someone close to her wanted to harm her, they wouldn’t be short on opportunities.
“So what? You know how Frank and I operate. We always buy the nutty horses. They’re a challenge. Why do you think he used to bring in those wild mustangs? I can promise you this mare is no match for those mustangs we used to break. I don’t care if this horse has kicked several cowboys’ asses, she’s no match for me and Frank.”
“You don’t think this is unusual?”
“No,” Julie replied.
“Did he tell you that he gave you a gift horse destined to kill you?”
“Of course not,” Julie retorted. “Duke, you have to understand how Frank and I are when it comes to horses. He’s always bought more horse than either of us could handle, and then we’ve dealt with them. I don’t ask him if the horse has a few loose screws, I just accept that if Frank bought a horse at all, the damn thing has the potential to be dangerous.”
Duke shook his head rapidly. “Then how do you explain the fact that someone tampered with the brakes on your car?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. But I can tell you this right now. Frank didn’t cut the wires. He couldn’t hurt me, Duke. You know that.”
Duke scratched his head. “We’ve gotta find Hank. After Hank gets home, he can worry about Frank and Sam.”
“I’m not worried about Frank,” she insisted. “He’s been my rock since I was a little girl. He’s been my caretaker and truest friend. He’d die first trying to save me before he would let someone hurt me.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure about that if I were you.”
“I am, and I’m deeply saddened by this conversation. Truth is, Frank would protect you at any cost, too. I’m sorry you aren’t as loyal.”
Chapter Eleven
“You got the fifty thousand!” Hank yelled through the metal bars. “What else do you want?”