Page 31 of River Legacy (Powder River #5)

O n the way into town, Victoria could tell Ryder was still worried. Brand had come out of surgery fine. The doctor said he should have a full recovery. It was the phone call from Brand’s room from Sheriff Stuart Layton that had Ryder concerned. “What did the sheriff say?”

“Just that he would meet us at the hospital. That’s all I know.”

If Ryder was worried, there was probably a good reason. “I’ve been trying to call my father.”

He looked over at her before turning back to his driving. “Let me guess. He isn’t taking your calls.”

“He must realize that I’m going to tell him to stop.” She saw not just skepticism, but incredulity on Ryder’s face. “I know it’s a long shot, but there is no one else who can reason with him. He loves me. At least, I think he does.”

Ryder shook his head. “He’s trying to get you to do what he wants. The only way he’s going to back off is if you do.” He shot her another glance. “Don’t do it. Not for me. I’d never forgive myself for putting you in this position.”

“Don’t worry, I’m not going to agree to any thing.

” But even as she said it, she was aware that her father had never gone this far before.

He’d threatened to cut her off financially in the past, but hadn’t.

She’d actually never thought he would. He knew she made little at the nonprofit center.

But did he also know that she loved teaching there?

She doubted it. He’d always encouraged her to quit the job, saying that he made plenty of money for her future.

Victoria now realized how dangerous that was, depending on him. No wonder he thought he could tell her what to do. Still, she didn’t understand why he had cut her off now. That was what scared her. It was as if he’d had enough of her not doing what he wanted. He wasn’t fooling around anymore.

Is that what this was about? Or was it guilt? He was making a move on the Stafford Ranch, and maybe it had nothing to do with her. Maybe he’d given up on trying to force her to do anything. He was just taking the ranch because he wanted it and hadn’t given any thought to her.

She hated to think what he might do to get what he wanted. Worse, maybe there was no way to stop him. Maybe it was too late.

Ahead, the town of Powder Crossing appeared on the horizon.

She turned her worry to what the sheriff had to tell them.

Her father couldn’t have had anything to do with Brand being shot or the fire out by Oakley’s new house.

She knew how cutthroat Wendell Forester could be, but he wouldn’t stoop to violence, would he?

Inside the small hospital, they found the sheriff waiting for them in Brand’s room. Ryder went straight to his brother’s bed. Victoria was happy to see that Brand was sitting up. Even his color looked good, although she could tell he was still in some pain.

“I don’t want this to turn into another McKenna versus Stafford war,” Stuart said. “Brand agrees. The shooter wasn’t trying to kill him.”

“Just as the fire out at Oakley’s wasn’t meant to burn down the house?” Ryder snapped.

“That’s what I’m saying,” the sheriff said. “Someone is using scare tactics.”

“My brother could have been killed,” Ryder said angrily. “Scare tactics, my ass. We all know CJ’s behind it.”

“CJ didn’t fire the shot. Nor did he start the fire,” Stuart said. “He has an alibi for both.”

“Then, it’s one of his buddies,” Ryder said. “You know he’s behind this.”

“Let’s say you’re right,” Stuart said. “What’s his goal? I really doubt it is just to torment the family, given how much he has to lose.”

“My father is trying to buy the Stafford Ranch,” Victoria said. “CJ has been in contact with him.”

“How would these incidents get him the ranch?” the sheriff asked.

“I don’t know,” she admitted. “But I suspect they’re tied to each other.”

Ryder swore. “Wendell Forester is also trying to force Victoria into marriage with a man named Claude Duvall. I hate to think this is his latest tactic.”

She shook her head. “His form of intimidation is legal, threatening lawsuits, dragging people into court for years. This isn’t him.”

“I think she’s right,” Brand said. “This is CJ. So what are you going to do about it, Sheriff?”

Stuart sighed. “I’m going to talk to him. I’ve been trying to find him. He’s been a little hard to pin down.”

“Talking to him won’t help,” Ryder said.

“You’re probably right. That’s why I called you here today,” the sheriff continued.

“You need to be on the lookout for more trouble, and don’t—whatever you do—confront CJ.

If he’s behind this, we all know that threatening him will only make him worse.

I don’t know what your mother was thinking getting him out of jail and seeing that the charges against him were dropped. ”

“You aren’t the only one,” Ryder said. “But even from jail or prison, my brother is dangerous. Maybe that’s what he’s trying to tell us. We all know what he wants. The ranch and us gone.”

“Kind of like the same thing Wendell Forester wants,” Brand said and looked over at Vicky. “You think the two of them might be working together?”

She swallowed the lump in her throat. “Is there any way CJ can get his hands on the ranch?”

I t was just like his mother to make him come to her, CJ thought. He glared at her, thinking how sorry she was going to be, before finally walking over to where she stood. She thought she was still in charge. She’d soon find out how mistaken she was.

“Why did you get me out here, CJ?” she asked.

“I wanted to talk to you about something, and I didn’t want to be interrupted.” He could tell that she was annoyed, but she was also nervous. She didn’t like meeting out here, just the two of them. She was afraid of him.

Good, he thought as he hid his smile. She should be afraid.

Not that he wasn’t a little nervous too.

He told himself this was going to go just the way he’d planned it.

She’d forced him to do this, forced him to move up his timeline, but the plan he’d come up with had always ended this way.

He wasn’t backing down. She had pushed him into a corner, and the only way he could survive was to push back.

“If this is about my engagement to Holden,” she began but stopped as if she must have seen his expression. “I was hoping you wouldn’t try to fight me on this, CJ. You know I’ve always loved him.”

He lifted a brow. “Maybe not always, but then again, as they say, hate and love are kindred spirits.”

“I don’t believe that’s what they say, but you’re right. I did tell myself that I hated him. He’d hurt me, and you, of all people, know that it is easier to hurt people back than to forgive.”

He ignored that. She wanted to believe that they were the same. Maybe they were, except she wanted to change. He didn’t. Which meant she had no idea what he was truly capable of. But she would soon enough. “He’ll hurt you again, but I really didn’t get you out here to talk about Holden McKenna.”

He moved a few feet from her, impatient to get this settled, but hating that he’d had to move up his plan because of her.

Hearing about Wendell Forester trying to buy the ranch had set the fuse.

The engagement and upcoming wedding had lit the flame.

There was no stopping it now. He had to move quickly, something he hadn’t wanted to do.

He’d hoped to lull his mother into thinking he really had changed.

Instead, she’d forced this. She had only herself to blame. Now she was about to see her son for what he truly was, what he’d always been. She’d spent years believing she’d made him this way. Maybe. But he could have been born like this. They would never know.

He met her gaze. “We have a problem.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Please don’t try to stop me from marrying Holden.”

As if he really cared. He just couldn’t allow her to marry anyone until he got what he wanted. “It’s your funeral. No, that’s only one of the problems, Mother.”

She instantly looked wary. “CJ, we had a deal.”

“Yeah, about that. I’m changing the terms, and you’re not going to like them. You’re going to sign the Stafford Ranch over to me, lock, stock and barrel.”

“ What? That’s ridiculous. I’m not going to do that.” She started to turn back to her vehicle as if to leave. He knew how stubborn she could be. He was a lot like her. “If you don’t, I’m going to have to kill them all.”

She froze. He could see her gathering her strength and fighting to control her temper. That was something else they had in common. She was just better at controlling her fury and channeling it.

After a moment, she turned to face him. All the color had drained from her face, and yet she stood tall, determination and an even stronger emotion burning in her gaze. “What are you talking about?”

“I’ve never made it a secret that I wanted the ranch to myself.”

“No, you never have. You don’t care at all about your brothers and sisters, especially Ryder and Brand who have been working the ranch by themselves with you and me gone. You would just take it from them?”

He said nothing, and she stared at him as if finally seeing him. From the disgusted look on her face, she didn’t like what she saw as she made up her mind. Would he actually do it? Or was he just bluffing?

Come on, Mother, which is it?

When she spoke, her voice was tight with pain. “You would kill them.”

CJ nodded and smiled. “Only if you forced me to.”

She breathed, her nostrils flaring. “Aren’t you afraid I’ll have you sent back to prison?”

“I wasn’t planning to kill them myself. I can do it just as easily from behind bars. ”

She seemed to stagger under the weight of his words. “I didn’t make you like this.”

“Keep telling yourself that,” he said with a chuckle.

“It doesn’t matter. All that does matter is that you realize I’m dead serious.

Brand’s recent so-called accident?” He smiled and saw her cringe.

“Oh, I bet you haven’t even heard about the fire out at Oakley’s new house.

Don’t worry. She’s okay, and so is the house.

Those were just warnings about how easily it could happen.

Don’t make me do it, Mother. I think you now know I won’t hesitate to destroy them all to get what I want. ”

“I won’t sign the ranch over to you,” she said emphatically.

He laughed. “Oh, I think you will. I didn’t want to do this, but you’ve left me no choice. If you don’t sign the papers I’ve brought, I’m going to kill Holden first.”

“CJ! No!” Her cry died on her lips as she stared at him.

But the look on her face told him everything he needed to know.

She hadn’t taken him seriously until this moment.

She hadn’t really understood how much he hated Holden.

Now she knew. He wouldn’t hesitate to have him killed.

In fact, he planned to kill him before he left the country with all the money from selling the ranch, once it was his.

But he wasn’t about to tell her that. She wanted to believe he loved the ranch the way she did.

She thought he was just greedy and selfish.

Surely she didn’t still believe that somewhere inside him there was good?

“As a matter of fact,” he said, glancing at his watch, “if I don’t make a call within the next seven minutes, Holden will be dead.” He looked up at her. “Your choice, Mother. But understand... he’ll only be the first if you don’t sign these papers.”