CHAPTER TWO
Two months later
“Where are you going?” Raven Ryder said to the blonde.
“Sorry, cowboy. I have a date. I can’t stay here all-night schooling you boys in playing darts.” Farrah shrugged on her jean jacket. Since the attack her bruises had healed and she seemed more herself.
He had no argument because she’d won most of the games. “Who’s the lucky guy?”
“Just someone I met when I least expected it.”
“Be careful. You have my number if you need me.”
She smiled. “Thank you, but I’ll be okay. It’s very sweet how you Ryders are like big brothers
to me, but I won’t allow some coward who attacked me from behind to ruin my future. Look at Dean, he was almost killed in that explosion and he doesn’t harbor any anger.”
At the mention of his brother’s injuries, Raven cringed. The image of Dean being thrown by the blast still replayed in Raven’s mind. After a couple of surgeries, and lots of physical therapy, his brother was on the mend. He still walked with a cane but the specialist expected a full recovery in time. Unfortunately, the suspect had dropped off the face of the earth. Probably best for his well-being because if Raven, or any one of the Ryder cowboys, found him he’d be checking out the ravine up close and personally.
Hell, maybe he’d thrown himself into the ravine.
ATF had investigated the bomb and made an official statement that the homemade explosive device had been detonated remotely, just as Raven had suspected. There had been a default in the timing of the discharge, giving Dean just enough opportunity to get away from the car—distance that saved him from fatal injuries.
“I’m sorry we haven’t found him.”
Her smile faded. “Raven, do me a favor and move on from this. I know it must have been hard to watch what happened to Dean, but you helped save his life. You, Bend, and your brothers have exhausted all leads. I understand that, and so does Shelby. And look at her, she’s still as feisty as ever.” Farrah pointed at the young woman who was bopping around Crew and Brew earning the big tips. She looked happier than ever. He’d heard that she was planning her wedding.
Moving on from the incident would take recovery time. He threw a dart and hit the bullseye dead center.
“Too bad you didn’t show off those skills earlier,” she teased.
“That’s why you should stick around and let me win my money back. I’m just getting warmed up.”
“Not happening. You’ll just have to be content being a sore loser.” Her smile returned, stretching from one hoop earring to the other. “You owe me, buddy.” She held out her hand. “Pay up.”
He fished out his wallet, pulled out a twenty and handed it over. “Fair is fair, but I demand we have a rematch soon.”
“I agree. It’s as easy as taking candy from babies.”
“Are you calling us babies?” Rip said as he strolled into the room with a bucket of beers.
“If the shoe fits. I’m definitely prepared for a rematch.” Farrah held out her hand. “You owe me too, cowboy.”
“Yeah, yeah.” He groaned, set the bucket on the table, and paid his debt. “Why do I feel like we’ve been swindled, Raven?”
“Seems about right.”
“How do you boys think I paid my way through college? You’re lucky I haven’t introduced you to my poker skills yet. I wasn’t called Farrah Play for nothing.” She wagged her brows.
“I’m up for a game of cards.” Rip rubbed his palms together.
“I would love to take more of your hard-earned money, but I have a date, which I’m now running late for. See you two later.” She gave them a flirty wave and flounced toward the exit door.
Raven caught Rip’s disappointed expression and felt a bit sorry for his brother. Apparently, it wasn’t as obvious to Farrah that Rip wanted to take things to the next level with her. Most women fell all over themselves trying to get Rip’s attention, except for Farrah, which maybe had a lot to do with his fascination for her.
Raven smiled. “Want to try again?” He jutted his chin toward the board.
Rip opened one of the bottles and nodded. “Sure. I guess it’s down to you and me, bro.”
“I don’t like to stick my nose in where it doesn’t belong, but why don’t you tell her?” Raven said, shooting one dart.
“What are you talking about?” Rip asked.
“I’m talking about Farrah and the way you get all frustrated like a newborn colt taking his first wobbly steps when she’s around. Dude, just tell her.”
Raven finished throwing and slid up on the chair, leaning his back against the wall. Rip didn’t take his turn. Out of all the Ryder brothers he was the lankiest, built like a runner
because he ran cross country in school and five miles every morning since. His athletic ability made him invaluable on the search and rescue team. He and Raven had become quite a team, especially since Dean was still recovering.
“Here you boys are.” Shelby came rushing into the room and set a platter of boneless wings in the center of the table.
“We didn’t order anything,” Rip said.
“These are on Farrah. She told me it’s a peace offering since you two were skunked.” In Shelby typical fashion, she winked and left the room.
“Okay, I must admit, Farrah’s beautiful, sexy, and smart. And she knows the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. What man wouldn’t be attracted to her?” Rip dug into the wings.
Raven paused with his bottle mid-air. “I’m not. I mean, yeah, she’s beautiful and I can see why men are attracted, but I get more of the buddy vibe from her. So, I’ll say it again, tell her. What do you have to lose?”
“A woman like Farrah wants a man with six figures. She’s probably going out with some rich lawyer who gets weekly manicures. If that’s her type, I don’t fit the mold.”
“What happened to the confident Rip I knew?” Raven sighed. “Anyway, did you stop and see Dean this evening?”
Rip licked his fingers. “He’s doing good. Says you’re treating him like an invalid. Told me to find something else for you to do instead of playing nursemaid.”
“He did, did he?” Raven snorted. “I’ll think twice before I bring him a dozen of those pastries he loves so much from Candy Bliss every day.”
“Don’t take it to heart. He knows you’re worried about him, but he also realizes you’re the only one who hasn’t moved on from the guilt of the explosion. What happened wasn’t your fault.”
The last thing he wanted was another lecture about how he should let it go. “Right.”
Rip must have realized arguing the point further was moot. “Did Dean tell you who stopped by recently to see him?” He munched on another wing.
“No. Who?”
“Cruise Thorn.”
And there was another problem.
Raven felt a sense of…what? Panic? Disbelief? How the hell could they have a half-brother they knew little about? Raven couldn’t fathom why his Ma and Pa didn’t divulge the truth, but she’d taken the secret to her grave. When LB had told the family that Cruise was their brother, Raven had been overcome with a mixture of anger and betrayal. Then the explosion happened. Life certainly had been throwing some curve balls. “Why?”
“He is our brother.” Rip didn’t show even the slightest sliver of discomfort in the statement.
Raven guessed he was the only brother who hadn’t come to terms with the idea.
“Half-brother,” he corrected.
“Same difference. He has the same DNA flowing through his veins as we do. That’s family, no matter how you look at it.” Rip managed to work his way through the entire basket of wings. “You didn’t want one, did you?”
“Nah, I’m good. So, you’re ready to forget all the strife between the Ryders and Thorns and start fresh?”
“Yeah, I am. That’s water under the bridge. Not to mention LB and Haisley are getting married.” Rip wiped his fingers on a napkin. “We better get used to being around the Thorns on holidays and special occasions. That’ll certainly make things more fun.”
In the bigger picture, Raven didn’t have anything against Cruise, or any of the Thorn brothers, and now that Haisley Thorn would be joining the Ryder family, Raven agreed that they needed to find common ground. He just didn’t like that the Ryder-Thorn feud had lasted for so long and should have been laid to rest years ago. “So, what did he want?”
“He wanted to see if Dean needed anything. Just your normal awkward brotherly visit.” Rip laughed.
Raven shrugged. “I guess it all has to start somewhere. I need to go.”
“Where are you going?”
“I just saw Bend walk in. I want to speak to him. I’ll see you later.” Raven strolled out of the back room and caught up to Bend at the bar. “Grabbing a drink?”
Bend had his elbows braced on the edge
of the pockmarked wood and offered Raven a nod. He looked like he hadn’t slept in days. “Nope. Grabbing dinner. With the baby keeping us up all night, neither of us has the energy to cook.”
“How are Chosen and Charity?” Raven pulled over a stool and sat down.
“Great.” A grin tugged at his lips. “Amazing.”
“Fatherhood looks good on you, buddy.” Raven thumped him on the shoulder.
“I never thought I could love anything as much as I love Charity.” His eyes filled with moisture but he blinked and the dew was gone.
Raven couldn’t believe that his rough and tough brother was a daddy. He seemed comfortable in his new role. “I know you’ve been spread thin lately, but any news on the suspect?”
Running a hand over his whiskered jaw, he shrugged. “Every lead comes to a dead end.”
“Here’s your takeout order, Bend.” Shelby handed him the brown bag. “Make sure to tell your lovely wife I said hello.”
“Thanks, and I will,” Bend said, then turned back to Raven. “I still have a few things I’m checking out, but you know ATF had taken over the case because of the explosive.”
“They don’t think it’s a terrorist act though, right?”
“Nah, but they’re slow to rule it out. You know how fun paperwork can be.”
Raven swiped off his hat and ran his fingers through his hair. “Mind if I look at the case file? I don’t want to step on any toes, but agents with ATF don’t know this town, and its people, like we do.”
Bend grunted. “Hell, Raven.”
“What?”
“You know as well as I do why we don’t get involved in personal cases. It’ll damn near take us to the edge of insanity.” Then the creases around his mouth softened some. “Stop by the office when I’m in. You can glance over the files and see what you think.” Bend patted Raven’s shoulder. “Are you leaving?”
“Yeah, I was heading out. I’ll walk you out.”
The two men left Crew and Brew and
headed into the parking lot. When they reached Bend’s truck, he put the takeout bag inside then said to Raven, “I didn’t want to tell you inside, but ATF has a theory.” He looked over his shoulder. “The agent thinks our guy is an amateur, not exactly news there. Although the bomb exploded, it definitely had some flaws that an expert wouldn’t have made. The suspect made some serious errors. Based on everything, I think you were right when you said the suspect knew we’d make our way to Carol’s cabin eventually, which might make us all, or one of us, the target. So, watch your back. The suspect might be an amateur in bombs but he seems to have stayed one step ahead of us.”
“Then why attack Shelby and Farrah? The bomb and attacks seem unrelated. What if we’ve thought all along that they’re the same suspect and they’re really two different people?”
“I don’t think so. My best guess, the attacks were a game. Maybe a test of his own bravery. Dipping his toe in to check the temp of the water.”
“Maybe so.”
Bend leaned in. “As sloppy as he was planting that bomb, he apparently has watched a few CSI shows. We investigated every military connection here locally. I went myself and asked questions to the handful of veterans. The only one who made the hair on my neck stand was Casp Hyles.”
Raven searched his mind and then remembered the man, or rather kid because he couldn’t be much older than nineteen or twenty-years-old. “Casp Hyles?”
“He’s only been back in Second Chance a few years and keeps to himself living in a trailer on his aunt’s land. Interestingly, he served in the Army, until he was dishonorably discharged for minor misconduct. Apparently, he has something against authority. Anyway, I’ve been monitoring his activity, and after speaking with him he has a solid alibi for the nights that Shelby and Farrah were attacked. His girlfriend says he was with her.”
“Is she a reliable alibi?”
“She seems reliable, but there’s always room for error. Outside of renting porn and dumpster diving for metal to recycle, our boy Hyles is clean.”
“Unless he has a partner.”
“Not that we can find,” Bend replied. “You still want to look at those files you can, but that’s about all we know at the moment. ATF has packed up and headed back to the office, but the case is still in their laps.”
After bidding his brother goodbye, Raven headed for his truck and started the engine. He wouldn’t botch the case for Bend or ATF, but since they’re gone, a little digging into the event wouldn’t hurt anyone.