“So, the horse Cheyenne rescued—”
“Was stuffed with drugs I was responsible for. I hired Rick to set a small fire and let the horses out so I could coax mine into the woods, but the fire blew up out of control, and I watched the drugs go up in smoke.”
“You watched Cheyenne’s livelihood go up in smoke!” I roared. This weak, pathetic man was blubbering at my feet because he’d been caught smuggling drugs using the most beautiful animals this world had to offer, and he was still prioritizing his needs over the havoc he had created and all the lives his had kept in chaos all this time.
“Then fucking Rick got scared and ran off. and I didn’t know how to get the fire under control,” Bill said through his sobs.
“So, your horse died, and you lost the drugs,” Michael said. “Why keep after Cheyenne?”
“Because she was the whole fucking reason I was in trouble! Had that bitch just given me my damn horse in the first place, I would have never gotten into trouble with these men. They’re dangerous criminals; don’t you get it? They’re gonna kill me! They think I gutted that horse and stole the drugs for myself! If it hadn’t have been for your stupid girlfriend, my life wouldn’t be on the line right now.”
I reached down and grabbed Bill’s collar before I threw my fist into his jaw. I heard a crack underneath my knuckles before Bill sta
rted retching onto his hardwood floor, and Michael put his hand on my shoulder again in order to get my attention.
“It’s done,” he said. “I got it all recorded.”
He wiggled his phone in the air, and all I could do was hug him. I threw my arms around Michael in jubilation, while Bill continued to cry on his floor. Then, the reality of the situation hit me.
We had everything we needed for our lazy ass sheriff to put this man away for good.
I took my phone out and dialed the police, requesting to talk to the sheriff immediately. Michael handed me the folders before he peeled Bill off the ground and pinned him to the wall until we heard sirens in the distance. I took Michael’s phone from his pocket and, with all the evidence held tightly in my hand, was standing on the porch when the sheriff pulled up.
Boy, did I have a hell of a story to tell him.
“Colt, long time no see,” he said with a sarcastic smirk on his face. “Doing more of our work, I see.”
“Well, someone’s gotta do it, Sheriff,” I said, not amused by his attitude.
“Whatcha got there?” he asked.
“The truth, along with the evidence to back it up.”
I handed the folders to him, with a little more force than required perhaps, then pressed the ‘play’ button on Michael’s phone. Bill’s voice rang out, blubbering like a baby while he spilled his guts about the entire drug smuggling operation he’d found himself in. The moment the recording reached the part where Bill acknowledged he had continued smuggling after he knew about it, the lawman nodded to his deputy to go inside and arrest the man.
“We’ll take it from here,” the sheriff said.
“You better, otherwise I’ll be calling the FBI myself.”
“That a threat, Smith?” the sheriff asked.
“Nope, just letting you know. Just like I let Bill here know exactly what I’m doing if things don’t pan out the way I know they should.”
We stayed on the porch and watched Bill get hauled off by the deputy. I crossed my arms over my chest and watched while Bill struggled against the deputy, and when the sheriff started to read him his rights, he spat in his face. The sheriff shoved Bill into the car door before he threw him into the back, and it brought me great joy to finally see the lackadaisical sheriff exhibit an appropriate response.
He’d been far too lazy for far too long. Too bad it took him being on the receiving end of Bill’s behavior to get him off his thumb.
Our mission complete, we got into our truck and drove away. We had given all the evidence to the authorities, and I had assured Cheyenne’s safety by putting the man who had dared put his hands on her in jail, likely for the rest of his life. I couldn’t wait to tell Cheyenne everything that had happened and looked forward to being there when she collapsed in relief.
She deserved it.
We all deserved it, just like Michael said.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Cheyenne
I woke up Thanksgiving morning and felt fantastic. Bill was in jail and about to be picked up by the FBI, Rick had confessed and was awaiting sentencing, charged with multiple counts of assault and vandalism, as well as animal abuse, and for the first time in weeks, I felt safe. Tiffany came over, the three of us cooked Thanksgiving dinner together, and when we all sat down to eat, we stuffed our stomachs full. Cole’s turkey was absolutely delicious, with citrus and spices lending flavor to a turkey that was juicy and cooked to perfection. Tiffany’s sweet potato casserole had extra candied pecans, just the way I loved it. I was in charge of the apple cider roasted vegetables and the cornbread stuffing, and by the time we were done eating, we all were ready for naps.