The Colt & The Cobra - THE SPECTER SERIES [book six]

Chapter TWENTY SIX

Colt Knox

We rode The Lovers Lane-trail back towards Riverland, with Mikki in no mood to talk to me.. But pretty soon I'd realised we weren't going to make it back before the worst of the weather hit.. Making an executive decision to veer slightly of course.. Instead, I'd led Paint to the old hunting cabin that up until recently, the Ranch-hand Jameson, had been living in.. 

I had met Jameson on my first deployment, the guy is a sharpshooter of the deadliest kind, but his biggest problem has always been the same, he's a rule-breaker.. Something I grew out of real fast going into the Marines.. Jameson however, well he just loved stepping to the man.. I think he got a kick out of it..

He'd been an easy friend to make, since he came from county stock, rode broncs and chased bunnies like me.. But when he got reposted as punishment for shit-talking the CO, I didn't see him again.. Not until years later when he showed up at the gates of Riverland with nothing but his duffle and his discharge papers.. 

So I’d talked Juliette into giving the guy a job, and whatever happened between them after that, ain't none of my business. 

Though I'll admit.. I'm surely pissed off at the guy for leaving Jules high and dry only weeks before a drive.. A dick move if ever i’ve seen one..

The old hunting cabin is nothing fancy, clad in tar-stained shiplapped timber, with a rusted tin roof, I'm sure it’s sat here among the trees for decades.. A far stretch from the lux-lifestyle Mikki is used to.. 

The cabin had once belonged to the previous owner of the neighbouring property, but a few years back Juliette wanted to expand and buy up a whole bunch of the land surrounding the ranch.. 

I had been against her taking anymore work on at the time.. 

Obviously, she never did listen to me and I can see now how she was right.. 

But I’d rather chew razorblades than tell her as much.. 

I dismount first, turning to offer Mikki my hand to help her down, but she swats it away as she slides from the horse's rump gracefully, landing with a dainty huff as she hits the muddy ground.. "I can do it myself.."

Tension tightens every muscle in my body.. I haven't been this agitated since.. Well.. I can't even remember.. I’ve barely slept all week, my shoulder is fucking killing me and her attitude is about all I can take night now.. "Aw hell, Mikki, give me a break.. Get inside, would ya?!" 

"Fine.." She stomps over to the hunting cabin steps, turning to look over her shoulder at me with critical eyes one last time, before she climbs the rickety old stairs and makes her way through the front door.. 

"Fuck me, what am I doin'?.." I mutter beneath my breath as soon as she's out of sight.. Mikki De'lucca is driving me fucking crazy.. I can barely function around her let alone focus on my mission directive.. 

But all I've done, everything I am doing, is to help her.. To protect her.. To keep her safe.. 

And then she goes and accuses me of murdering innocent girls.. 

Fuck.. That hurt.. 

I mean.. Yeah, It’s nothing I haven't heard before.. Shit, I’ve heard it a thousand times over.. But coming from Mikki.. Somehow that stung more than I want her to know.. 

I lead Paint around back to tether him beneath the port before making my own way inside.. 

As I push through the front door, the first thing I see is the flash of her silky bare flesh.. She stands at the kitchen sink, with her back to me as she wrings out her soaked t-shirt over the drain..