Best Friend's Ex Box Set

“PETA is the last thing you need to worry about, Bill. Your worry is me. I’ll be watching you now. Every move.”

“Terrifying,” Bill said, laughing darkly. “You’ve got a lot of nerve, boy. I’ll give you that, but you can’t threaten your way around Green Point.”

“You can’t burn barns down either. You’re just not used to someone standing up to you, are you?”

“My horse was in that barn,” Bill said flatly. “That stallion cost me money. Do you honestly think I would’ve risked my own horse?”

“Nobody else knew that horse died,” I said. “Only me, Cheyenne, and the sheriff. That tells me you knew exactly what was in that barn. Because you were there!”

A thick silence followed. I watched as Bill rubbed at his meaty jaw, glaring at me through narrowed eyes as he took a step in my direction. I tensed up at his approach. My hand went to my right hip out of instinct to touch the bolt of my gun. The gesture immediately stopped Bill’s approach, and his eyes flicked up to mine.

“Get out,” he said. “I did nothing wrong. I didn’t cause that fire. I may not like the damn woman for not minding her own business, but fires aren’t my thing. I’d rather just shoot someone.”

I smiled coldly at that. “Like my horse when he wandered onto your property?”

“Damn right. And I’ll shoot you too if you don’t leave. You’re on my property just like your horse was. That’s all that matters. I have the right to protect my property. Now get out of here while you still can.”

I knew that Bill Coates was a man of his word. He didn’t hesitate to shoot first and ask questions later. He had done it once before.

I walked out of the barn with Bill’s eyes burning holes into my back the entire time. Hopping into the safety of my truck, I backed out of Bill’s driveway and headed in the direction of town.

There was not a single doubt in my head that Bill had something to do with the barn fire. Cheyenne had made enemies by telling owners off for abusing their animals, but Bill was a different type of man. He didn’t care who or what it was, he always got his revenge—just like the day he shot my horse after losing a lucrative contract with my father’s ranch.

My fingers curled around the steering wheel. Before turning onto the highway, I glanced down the road. The sheriff’s SUV was parked alongside the road as I drove by. My eyes briefly met his before I continued down the road in the direction of the Iron Stallion to check in on my staff. The town was quiet for a Wednesday evening, many of the shops already closed up for the day, but several vehicles were parked outside of the Iron Stallion.

“Hey,” Joe said, the moment I walked into the busy bar. “I was worried that something happened to you when you called me in early.”

“I needed to clear my head,” I replied and scanned the dining area. “Is everything running smoothly here? We’re pretty busy for a Wednesday night.”

Joe frowned. “I told you, boss. Everything is fine here. What happened to you?”

“I went to see Bill Coates,” I said. “That’s why I called you in early. I wanted to talk to the man alone.”

“Argh. Please tell me you aren’t going to get arrested for shooting the guy,” Joe groaned, shaking his head at me. “That man wouldn’t hesitate to put a bullet in you if he had the chance. You know that.”

“I do know that. I just wanted to tell him that I know he’s responsible for burning Cheyenne’s barn.”

“No one doubts you there. It’s the sheriff that doesn’t want to believe it.”

“No shit,” I said, sighing. I needed a drink. “Gimme a drink, would ya? I know that’s my big rule here, but I need a fucking drink.”

“Coming up, boss. Grab a table and relax.”

Joe patted me on the shoulder as he went back to the bar to get me a drink. I took a seat at the small table away from the bar and dining area that I frequently used to look over payroll and such. A few minutes later, Joe came back with a glass of whiskey on a tray and set it on the table in front of me.

“I hope that man gets what he has coming to him,” Joe said quietly, but loud enough for me to hear it. “It’s been years of this shit, Colt. The man has always gotten away with being an asshole to everyone. I hope the son-of-a-bitch gets thrown in jail for arson.”

“Yeah, me too.”

“I hope that Cheyenne is okay,” he added sincerely. “She seems like a wonderful person, and a hard worker with what she is doing with the rescue. I hope she stays here. We need people like her in Green Point.”

“I hope she does too,” I said, and the sincerity of my own emotions caught me off guard. I didn’t want Cheyenne to leave town over this. Even though I’d spent the past eight hours helpi

ng her clean up after the fire, I still enjoyed the time I’d spent with her. There was just something there that drew me in like a moth to a flame.

An hour later, Tiffany came in. She sat down across from me at the table, silent for a moment before reaching over to grab my drink take a long and hearty sip.

“Cheyenne is devastated,” she said, speaking quietly. “I just left her house. She’s terrified of what Bill Coates can do, especially since he’ll probably get away with it.”