Chapter Thirty-eight
Tito pulled his SUV over on the dirt road near the Midnight Mine Ranch and killed the engine. He removed his binoculars from the case and put them up to his eyes and adjusted the lenses. In the distance, he saw movement on the ranch near the stables. Two men and one woman. He focused in on the woman. It was Natalie Brewer. He could tell by the short dark hair and petite build. She was leading a chestnut horse into a corral.
He continued to watch her and study her surroundings. He knew the ranch was relatively small by ranch standards, with only a few employees. He also knew that the ranch was only barely able to make ends meet, with its owners, Vaughn and June Ruger, doing all they could to save it. And it seemed that Natalie was doing her best to help. She seemed to know her way around the horses and the ranch, helping quite a bit, something he hadn’t expected, based on the things Allen Beaufort had told him about her. According to Allen, Natalie was a spoiled brat who only appreciated stature and wealth and she’d stolen from him when she left him. But in watching her these past few days, he was beginning to doubt that story. He was beginning to doubt a lot of things about Allen.
As if on cue, his phone rang, announcing Allen as the caller. He held the phone, looking at the screen, debating whether or not to answer. But he knew if he didn’t that Allen would just keep calling, harassing him to no end.
“Yeah,” he answered.
Allen immediately started in on him. “Where have you been? What’s going on?”
“I’m doing the job you paid me for.”
“Well, how am I supposed to know that when I can’t get a hold of you, you fucking moron?”
“I’m working.”
“What about Natalie?”
“What about her?”
“Are you really doing your job?”
“Yes.”
“Not good enough.”
“You’re allowed your opinion.”
Allen groaned. “Listen, you fucking moron of a giant, I’m going to do things from here on out, you got me? I’m not happy with you or the job you’re doing.”
“Fine.”
“Fine?” He continued to yell at him and cuss him. Tito pulled the phone away from his ear and ended the call. He tossed the phone into the passenger seat as it rang again, announcing Allen as the caller. He ignored it.
He brought the binoculars back up to his face and found Natalie once again. Now she was walking with one of the owners, Vaughn Ruger. Vaughn appeared to be in great pain, struggling to walk as she held her back. Natalie helped her, guiding her to a nearby truck as the other ranch owner emerged, June Ruger. The two of them helped Vaughn into the truck. Then June climbed behind the wheel as another woman, one he didn’t recognize, also climbed into the vehicle.
He shifted in his seat as the truck began to drive away, leaving the ranch behind. He set down his binoculars and started his engine. It was time to move.
He turned the vehicle around and drove to the back side of the ranch, intent on getting some more work done with Vaughn and June now gone, whether Allen Beaufort liked it or not.