past, but I was certain this damn thing had gotten personal.
“I love you.”
Love.
I’d heard the words Danni had muttered just before she’d fallen asleep the first time. I’d remained awake afterward, fearful that another nightmare would pull me into some kind of visceral reality, my subconscious categorizing her as an enemy. Or maybe I had no freaking clue what to think about the words she’d whispered. How the hell could she fall for a guy like me? I was damaged, mostly a shell of the man I’d been before.
Goddamn it, I hungered for her, but not just the warmth of her body next to mine. I craved spending time with her, learning all her nuances. The notion of settling down had entered my mind more than once and I didn’t even know the girl.
Any more than I did myself.
I continued to stare into the rearview mirror, certain that I’d see headlights at some point. Whoever had returned was preparing another attack, biding his time until I left her alone. The snowstorm would be the perfect cover for however they planned on finishing this. Hell, no. I refused to allow anyone to hurt the woman I cared for, including me.
When the phone rang, I knew instinctively Hawk was on the other line. “Tell me about Randy Harding from RH Holdings. Does that ring a bell?”
“I’m curious. How the hell did you get that information?” Hawk asked, obvious exhaustion in his voice.
“Danni was given a file by a friend of hers, implications made that either investors in the group are in on a fraudulent scheme involving duping some of the less fortunate ranchers or they’re just stupid as fuck. Funny how it mentions that Big Meadow is one of those investors.”
“Fuck. While I didn’t know Big Meadow was on some list, that makes sense.”
“How so?”
Hawk hesitated before answering, pushing my continued anger to the edge.
“I found some paperwork indicating Drake had been approached by RH Holdings about eighteen months ago. The investment opportunity must have appeared to be damn good because Drake invested a few thousand dollars. I hope you still have that file. My guess is we’ll finally be able to get some answers.”
“Yeah, I’m bringing it to you right now. That’s why Big Meadow is on this list.”
“Maybe,” Hawk huffed. “It’s apparent that Randy and Drake had a falling out, Drake accusing him of criminal activities. Drake left some pretty comprehensive notes. I had a brief but informative conversation with the sheriff this morning. While she was hesitant to say a damn thing, she did admit that she was responsible for investigating Drake’s claims. It would appear that Randy had his day in court after Drake’s accusations, including spending a few months in prison. I also talked with Tanner and he confirmed what happened, saying that Randy pushed hard, including issuing threats to Drake. Things got ugly, a few of Big Meadow’s cattle found slaughtered.”
I thought about what he was saying. “Are you trying to tell me that this entire setup is all about retaliation?”
“Randy was released from prison six months ago on good behavior. That was just about the time I arrived back in Montana and took over Big Meadow. Interesting coincidence? I don’t think so, although I’ve never heard of this guy. From what I heard, Randy lost everything, including a ranch left to him by his father, who’d been a prominent rancher for years until his untimely suicide. The ranch is in foreclosure, now owned by the bank. That’s as far as I’ve gotten, buddy, but if you put the pieces together, I have a feeling that someone is trying to implicate Big Meadow as being the primary investor behind RH Holdings.”
My thoughts drifted to what Danni had told me. “The ranch he used to own has to be the place Danni mentioned. She was taken there to care for an injured steer. Then the same guy warned her to stay away. Why doesn’t any of this make sense?”
“My gut tells me that whatever this shit is has more to do with you. You sure you don’t know this Randy Harding?”
“No.”
“Maybe you should talk to a man named Walt Gunner. From what Tanner told me, the old guy has been around the business for a long time, including working with Randy before the asshole was sent to prison. I found Walt’s address, but he seemed to disappear from the radar. It’s the only other lead I can give you until I talk to the bank and have