Page 34 of Austin (The K9 Files #29)

“He wasn’t kicked out,” Jake corrected him. “I cut him in for quite a large share.”

“But not a controlling interest, so he won’t get anything but his share of the work,” Joe pointed out, “and that’s not what he was in for. I wanted my boy to have the biggest and the best ranch around.”

“Yeah, and why is that?” Rox asked.

“Why not? After all… this asshole took your mother away from me. They had an affair while we were still married. Did you know that? Then they went away on a holiday hunting trip, and she comes back all ready to leave me.”

“And you beat her up pretty good for that too, didn’t you?” Jake asked, staring at him. “I still owe you for that.”

“Whatever. I didn’t really care about her leaving, but I didn’t want her taking my boy and then turning him against me.”

“Hardly,” Jake countered. “She did everything she could to keep the family intact, to keep you seeing Chris, to keep you in his life.”

“Yeah, and believe me that I returned the favor by letting him know exactly what marrying in this family meant. I told him I only allowed it to happen because you would give the farm to him and nobody else.”

“What the hell?” Jake asked, staring at him. “Why would you do that?”

“Because I figured it would come to him. It is possible, ain’t it?

” And, with a sudden movement, a handgun slid out of his sleeve into his palm.

“With you dead, that just leaves his mother and his sister, and they’re completely incapable of doing anything.

I figured you for the protective kind, which is why I was so surprised to find that my boy got cut out of the will. ”

“He didn’t get cut out,” Jake growled, between clenched teeth.

“Close enough, but, with you gone, it’ll be his anyway. He’s not behind my doing this. I am, so it’s not as if he can be pinned for this, so, if his sister’s gone as well, that’s even better, isn’t it?”

“Why is that?” Rox asked.

“Because then he gets 100 percent of the ranch,” Joe stated in a mocking voice, “and he doesn’t have to worry about being jealous of you for the rest of his life.” The handgun was raised and wafted back and forth between the two of them. “Now which one should go first?”

“How about neither of us?” she snapped. “I can’t believe Chris would even listen to you spouting all these lies.”

“These so-called lies are about to become true. You can sure as hell bet that Chris won’t mind when the dust falls, and he’s left owning this entire place.”

“Jesus Christ, you are fucking out of your mind,” Rox declared, staring at him.

“Good Lord, listen to that mouth on you?” Joe stared at her.

“That’s just gross. Your mama has really slipped if that’s how she’s raising her daughter.

” And that just made Rox even madder. He nodded.

“I can see the temper on you,… that’s Jake all over again.

” Joe laughed. “You think I don’t know what your father was like? ”

Rox just glared at the man.

“He was hell on wheels when he was younger, but now he’s old, just like everybody else, even me,” Joe admitted. “We all get old, just not as old as that lawyer.” He gave a mock shudder. “ Ugh , that was just gross.”

“Gross that he died?” she asked, studying Joe as if he were an insect, one she didn’t understand.

“Sure, he got old, and he died, but he should have died earlier. It would have been easier on everybody.”

“But he didn’t, and apparently the way it went turned out to be very convenient for you.”

“I will admit it was convenient,” Joe said.

“You got that right.” He laughed and then added, “You know, the first bullet goes to Jake.” He looked over at her and smiled.

“That’s because I know you’ll be so much easier to deal with, with your daddy down.

Plus, he’s always been somebody you didn’t want to brace in the dark. ”

“You still don’t,” she muttered, straightening up and stepping in front of her father.

In the distance she heard sounds but wasn’t sure what direction it came from.

When a bark came outside, she realized it was Cowboy.

She recognized her father stiffening at the sound too because Cowboy had gone into town with Austin, seemingly not wanting to be separated from him.

She may have found her dog again, but no doubt, as far as Cowboy was concerned, he was more attached to Austin than anybody else.

She wasn’t exactly sure what would happen when Austin got into the house, but it would get ugly and very quickly. She waited, tense and ready for whatever would happen, but when the back kitchen door slammed shut there was no sign of Austin. No sign of Cowboy.

Joe spun around, glanced back at them, and asked, “Who the hell is there?”

“No clue,” Rox replied, trying to keep her facial expression innocent and bewildered, when suddenly the back door slammed again.

“I ain’t playing fucking games,” Joe yelled, as he stepped to the door and opened it. “Whoever is out there, get your ass inside, or I’ll start shooting people.”

Just then, Austin stepped in with Cowboy at his side. Cowboy looked up at the newcomer and growled.

“Ah, so you’re the one who kept him penned up, aren’t you?” Austin asked.

“I’m the one who kidnapped him and insisted the guys keep him penned up. I knew the damn dog was hers, and her brother wanted her to suffer, so I figured that was just another little twist we could add for Chris’s revenge.”

“And he was okay with that?” Rox asked Joe.

“I don’t think he even knew about it. All that kid’s been doing is moaning and groaning about being separated from his family and all his friends.

Just bitching and whining because he’s been wanting to come back and be friendly with the whole lot of you, but I’ve been trying to get his head straight through this whole thing, telling him that’s not the way to go about getting the ranch. ”

“Maybe he doesn’t even want it,” she pointed out. “Did you ever think about that?”

“Doesn’t matter if he wants it or not. My boy is getting it. He’s my boy, and my boy is getting this place. Do you hear me? I didn’t just lose your mother, you know? It was also this bloody inheritance.”

“What are you talking about?” she asked, her gaze going from Joe to her dad.

“What he’s talking about is the fact that his family owns one of the connecting ranches about ten miles over,” Jake explained, “and they sold a big chunk to my father way back when.”

“That’s right, but it wasn’t fair, and you know it.” Joe glared at him.

“Your dad was having a hard time, and they made a deal that was fair,” Jake snapped. “I’m tired of listening to your innuendoes about how we stole it from you.”

“You fucking did,” Joe yelled, “and I’m fucking tired of listening to you lie about it.”

Jake groaned. “Just more of the same old thing. Joe, all you do is complain, and you wonder why Chris is like that? I’ve told you over and over, Joe. My family didn’t steal any land from you, and I didn’t steal your wife either.”

“You sure did,” Joe bellowed. “She never would have left me without you in the picture.”

“She left you because you were an asshole and beat her. She chose me over your sorry ass. I don’t beat my wife. I treat her well.”

“She wasn’t a very good wife,” Joe replied, with a shrug. “So, what if she needed a little tuning up?”

At that, Rox felt her own anger burning. She took two steps forward, glaring at Joe. “You beat up my mom?”

“What the hell?” he asked, looking at her. “Don’t you look all high and mighty, as if you’re something special. You’re not, so just deal with it.”

“Thanks for that,” she said, with a laugh. “I never really worried about being special. I just wanted to be enough.”

“That’s all anybody ever wants,” Joe noted in a mocking tone, “and what nobody ever is, so just knock it off.” He motioned at Cowboy. “At least the dog knows me.”

Austin nodded. “He certainly knows of you. He’s not sure who and what you are yet, and that’s something he’ll have to work out on his own,” Austin stated, as he eyed Joe’s gun. “Is that one of the guns from the stash?”

He glanced at it and shrugged. “A shit ton of weapons were right there, so why the hell wouldn’t I take one?

You can buy anything you want here, but it’s still better if you don’t have to pay for it.

” Then he laughed. “Besides, these aren’t registered, so it’s all the better.

” He looked over at Jake and raised the tilt of his handgun.

“I’ve been waiting for this moment for a very long time. ”

“Because all you’ve ever wanted to do was get rid of me? So, you’ve spent half your life thinking about nothing but revenge?” Jake asked Joe.

“Yeah, revenge is one of the best things,” Joe replied, “especially when you finally get around to getting it.”

“That’s what this is all about, isn’t it?” Austin asked, staring at him. “It’s not even about Chris, is it? This is all about you getting back at Jake.”

“Whatever,” Joe muttered. “It is about Chris. It’s about making sure that Chris gets exactly he wants.”

“Chris doesn’t want the ranch,” said a man from the doorway.

“What the hell are you doing, Dad? I told you that I wanted to be a part of it, but I really didn’t.

I don’t want to run a ranch or even to work on one.

I want to have my own mechanic’s shop in town.

I don’t have the money to do that, and I wouldn’t get cashed out anyway because there is no cash here.

It’s a working ranch, and they need everything they have to keep it going.

You always hyped up everything and made it seem as if I would get a big huge chunk at the end of the day. ”

“Sure you will,” Joe declared. “Stick by me, and you’ll be fine, son.

We’ll get you this ranch, and you won’t have to run the place.

You can sell it. That was the whole plan.

You get the whole place, and then you can sell it.

Then we can watch every one of these losers rolling over in their graves in agony. ”