Buckled (Trails of Sin 2)

Rogan Schroeder was a Cassidy.

I close my eyes, recalling his dark hair, dark eyes, overly confident and charismatic demeanor. He was a good-looking man, and despite the fourteen-year age difference, I can see the similarities between him and Lorne.

I killed Lorne’s and Conor’s brother. Maybe’s husband.

Bile rises, but I swallow it down with the reminder that Rogan was a sleazy piece of shit and a threat to Conor’s life.

“Was he motivated by revenge?” I ask. “A scorned son with daddy issues?”

“I don’t know. Other than a few comments, he didn’t talk about his family. I know it bothers him, but not enough to…”

“To do what?”

“I haven’t pieced everything together. The first thing I found on his computer was a rent agreement. He paid the lease on the apartment Dalton and Conor stayed at in Chicago, and I thought it was odd. Rogan isn’t a charitable guy, especially not with the man who abandoned him. The only reason he would help Dalton was if he was getting something in return. He either moved Dalton and Conor there to keep them close or to keep them away from the ranch. I believe Dalton offered a piece of the land in exchange for help.”

My hands flex and release.

“I dug deeper and…” She stands and paces through the room. “I found copies of Ava O’Conor’s trust and learned about the stipulations on the Power of Attorney and the rightful owners of the land. I knew she was Lorne’s and Conor’s mom, but I didn’t understand why he would have those documents. When I went online and researched the Cassidys, things started to click.”

“You found out what happened here. With Conor and Levi Tibbs…”

She nods, her expression darkening. “I spent days going through Rogan’s email. That’s how I found your father.”

I rake a hand through my hair. “What did the emails say?”

“They were vague. Nothing about the attack on Conor or a ploy to keep her away from the ranch, but there was an undercurrent between the words that made me uneasy. Discussions about meeting times. The drilling on the land. Updates on Lorne’s and Conor’s whereabouts. Conversations about missing business partners. That’s how I got the list of names. I surmised enough to know Rogan and your dad worked out an agreement. Dalton was dead, but Rogan was already tied in. He was helping your dad with his debts in exchange for a cut of the land. And it was my money funding the partnership.”

My stomach hardens, and my voice comes out as a growl. “What did you do, Maybe?”

“I emailed your dad from Rogan’s account and demanded to meet with him.”

I surge from the bed. “You could’ve gotten yourself killed!”

She stumbles back, eyes wide. “Of everything I’ve told you, that’s…” She shakes her head in disbelief. “That’s what you’re upset about? Don’t you get it? My husband played a part in keeping Conor and Lorne off their land so he could profit from it.” She narrows her eyes. “Or maybe you were in on it?”

“I had nothing to do with that or the money that was taken from you.”

She pulls in a deep breath, her eyes huge and searching. “I believe you.”

My pulse crashes through my veins. Not once has she mentioned murder—Rogan’s intent to kill or my blood-soaked history. She doesn’t know.

Her innocence is so fucking beautiful and devastating it takes my breath away.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were married?” I step toward her.

“The first couple of weeks I was here, I had a lot of reasons. You owned a business that was pulled out of debt with stolen money. You lived in an extravagant estate while I lived in my car. You were thriving while I was barely surviving. Your father isn’t in the picture, and my husband is missing. All evidence points to your involvement. I didn’t trust you.”

All of that is true, and it fucking wrecks me that her trust was used against her. No wonder she fought me as hard as she did.

“And now?” I step closer, leaving a few feet between us. “You said you were afraid.”

“I trust you not to hurt me, but over the past six months, it became harder and harder to tell you. I fell in love with you while married to Conor’s brother. We’ve been so happy and content I fell into a dream I didn’t want to wake up from. Ignorance is bliss, right? But dreams end, and now we stand in the moment of truth.” She swallows hard and gives me steady eye contact. “I know you had something to do with Rogan’s disappearance. Did you threaten him? Force him to go into hiding? Your dad said you know where he is.”

“I’ll tell you.” Dread eats away my insides as I pace a circle around her. “I need to know about your meeting with my dad. You emailed him and…”