killian
“Why the fuck were you on her property?” Killian had Sebastian up against the wall at the ranger station.
Sebastian’s face was purple from anger, but he couldn’t budge Killian. “Get the fuck off of me.”
“Answer me here or I lock your ass up and put a call in to your bosses that you’re a stalker. Your fucking call.”
“I’m not stalking her.”
“I’m losing my patience.”
“Poaching,” he bit out. “I’ve been tracking poachers.”
Killian moved in, tightened his hold, cutting off his air and bit out, “There are poachers on her property, and you didn’t fucking tell me? Or her?”
“I can’t breathe.”
“I don’t fucking care.” But when Sebastian’s face turned purple, this time, from lack of oxygen, Killian released him. He folded in half and drew in deep breaths. “You put her at risk all to make the collar and get your name in the fucking paper.”
“She wasn’t at risk.”
“She’s walking around her property, where there are people illegally hunting. Of course, she’s at risk, you fuck.”
“I’ve been working on this for two years. I wasn’t about to call you in, so you could take all the credit.”
“When the fuck have I done that?” Killian moved closer; Sebastian backed up. “You’ve had a hard on for me since high school. What the fuck is your problem? You got all the girls, homecoming king. You had it all, so what the fuck is your problem with me?”
“I don’t have a problem,” Sebastian said, but he couldn’t hold Killian’s hard stare.
“Bullshit. At least, at the moment, we have to work together, and whatever the fuck crawled up your ass is getting in the way. So, now’s your time to get it out.”
Silence followed before Sebastian said, “We used to be friends.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?”
“Didn’t have many growing up. You and Liam were it and then I got pushed out.”
Killian couldn’t believe they were having this conversation. What the fuck, but he saw the pain just under the anger. “Didn’t push you out.”
“Sure as hell felt like it.”
“Not got the time for this,” Killian said, then conceded, “Later.”
Sebastian nodded.
“Who was in the truck?” The man was probably just checking Cedar out, but seeing him twice was creeping toward stalker. Time to shut that shit down.
“Some tourist. Said he got lost.”
“You get a name?”
“No. Why?”
“Make and model of the truck? License plate?”
“Late model Ford F150, gray. Didn’t take the plates, didn’t think I needed to. What’s going on?”
That was like a fucking needle in a haystack. “You see him again, you call me.” Killian moved the conversation on when he asked, “Who’s poaching?”
“Not sure. Never get close enough, but I’ve been in touch with a few counties around us. It’s not just here.”
At least they knew who the hell was coming and going from Cedar’s place. “You got a handle on it?” Killian asked.
“Yeah. Got rangers monitoring her property.”
“Good,” Killian said then added, “Thanks.”
“Yeah, man.”
He started for the door but stopped. “Are there wild turkeys around here?”
“No.”
“So, you’ve never seen one?”
“No. Why you asking?”
“Cedar thought she heard one.”
“I’ll keep an eye out, will tell the rangers to do the same.”
“Appreciate it,” Killian said then walked out.
He drove to the outskirts of town, down the long drive to the house that had several motorcycles parked in front of it. He climbed from the truck, wrote down the license plates then walked to the door and rapped on it.
The man who opened it was easily seven feet tall. “What do ya want?”
“Wanna see your president.”
“Don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Tell him Killian Reid is here.”
The big guy looked at him for a few seconds then closed the door in his face. A few minutes later, the door opened. “This way.”
They’d made themselves at home, sitting around drinking and smoking. Some had women on their laps, and though they looked at ease, he knew every one of them tracked him as he passed.
He was shown to a room. A man stood with his back to him, wearing the Iron Guardian cut. He turned; hard gray eyes looked back, cold calculation behind them. Tattoos covered his arms. He wasn’t surprised he was the president of the MC because the man standing before him looked capable of anything.
“Donnelly’s been talking,” he accused in a raspy voice.
“His concern is Cedar,” Killian countered.
If Killian thought the man would have a reaction to her name, he’d have been disappointed.
“He’s stirring the shit up.”
“He’s making sure your shit doesn’t land on her.”
“It’s not my— I’ve kept that from happening.”
“Yeah, well, when you take twenty million dollars, that shit is bound to keep coming up.”
Surprise flashed across the biker’s expression. “It’s being handled.”
“It’s not your what?” Killian demanded.
Tense silence followed before he shared, “There’s a leak, making some nervous.”
Shit. “Information leak.” Killian guessed correctly. “Someone is tipping off the authorities.”
“Like I said, it’s being handled.”
“Not from where I’m standing,” Killian countered.
“You don’t know shit, not about this or me.”
“I know all I need to know.”
“What the fuck does that mean?”
“You left her to face the loss of her parents alone,” Killian accused, his voice deceivingly low.
There was more than anger in the other man’s tone. “I wasn’t going to pull her down with me.”