enjoyed flirting with women when he could, but he wanted to fill his belly every day. “You won’t have to rustle up your own grub when you get back to the bunkhouse. Or in your case, the main house since you’re in charge.”
Truman blew out a breath. “Big step.”
“Just take it one day at a time.”
Tobias slowed the pickup as he drove past the Universal Temple that was at the southern end of the town square. It didn’t surprise him that the place to renew the spirit was at the opposite end of the square from the train station, livestock pens, and livery stable, as well as the post office /telegraph office, hotel, and saloon. After all, Bennett had its start in the days when ranch hands had come into town to blow off steam when they needed supplies or brought in cattle to ship to market.
Slowing the pickup to a crawl, he rolled his window all the way down and turned off the fan that hadn’t done much except blow around hot air.
“Tobias?”
An ache along his right ribs—his own tell and warning that something was going on and he needed to pay attention. “I’ll drop you off at the saloon. My mother should already be there to help choose who is working where.”
“Where will you be?”
“I need to check on the horses I brought up the other day. Then I’ll be along.”
“You sensing trouble?”
“I just want to check on the horses, especially the buckskin.”
“That one has more courage than sense,” Truman said.
Tobias shook his head. “No, what he’s got is heart.” And brains.
He parked the truck and waited for Truman to walk into the saloon. Then he got out and removed the shotgun from the gun rack attached to the back of the cab. He loaded two shells in the gun. After a brief hesitation, he laid the shotgun on the seat and pulled out the under-the-seat box where he kept his revolver and gun belt when he had a passenger.
These days, carrying a gun in Bennett wasn’t just a bad idea; it was suicide. The Others had made it clear that they wouldn’t tolerate humans carrying weapons—especially the kind of weapons that had killed so many of the Wolfgard. And the ones called the Elders wouldn’t give a man time to explain before they ripped him to pieces. But the ache in his ribs was getting worse, and that meant something was going to happen, so …
Tobias fastened the gun belt around his hips, then drew the revolver out of the holster and opened the cylinder to confirm the gun was loaded. He didn’t usually drive around with a loaded six-gun under the seat when he was traveling from the ranch to Prairie Gold. There was no need for that. But lately, when making the drive to Bennett, he’d taken to keeping the loaded, holstered weapon on the seat beside him when he was alone.
By now he was sure some of the terra indigene had spotted him and knew he was armed, but he couldn’t think about that because the ache along his ribs had turned into pressure. Had to get moving. Had to check on the horses.
As he reached for the shotgun, he hesitated. Something was going to happen, and he needed … the rifle.
Tobias broke open the shotgun, removed the shells, replaced the gun on the rack, and took the loaded rifle. After chambering a round, he locked the truck and headed across the square toward the livery stable.
He heard dogs but ignored the sound since it was coming from the wrong direction. Then he heard something that wasn’t animal but wasn’t quite human—a sound loud enough to be heard from a distance.
One of the Others in a fight with some dogs?
Spinning around, he ran toward the sound. As he turned down the side street next to the diner, Tobias saw the youth surrounded by three large dogs. Not pets he’d helped free and feed. Not animals that were looked after by the woman Tolya called the almost-vet.
They’re wrong ones. There must have been an arena for dogfights hidden somewhere in the town. Dogs raised and trained to fight and kill. Loose in the town. Feral packs will form around them and then …
His ribs hurt so much it was hard to breathe.
The dogs harried the youth, snapping and snarling, but even trained killers weren’t brave enough to close in. When the youth swiped at them with something that looked like claws and made that not-quite-human