Body burned beyond recognition.
Identification came through a ring.
Cole paid for burial.
Never saw the body.
For twelve years he believed his brother dead.
Daniel had attended the funeral.
Now Harvey claimed Elias had spent years building holdings south of the border and quietly returning through intermediaries.
Silas Harker.
Earl West.
Harvey.
The cattle theft was not random.
Elias was building a rival herd using Bennett bloodlines.
Then why kill Cole now?
Harvey answered reluctantly.
“A clause.”
“What clause?”
“In your father’s will.”
Cole frowned.
“If you die without wife or children, controlling interest transfers to surviving blood relative.”
Daniel stared.
“But Elias is legally dead.”
Harvey nodded.
“Until somebody proves he isn’t.”
Lila understood.
Kill Cole.
Reappear.
Challenge the estate.
Use cattle theft to weaken Bennett operations while building a competing spread.
But that would still require enormous legal risk.
“Why now?” she asked.
Harvey looked at her.
“Railroad.”
Cole turned.
“What?”
“New line coming west.”
Daniel swore.
A rail spur through Bennett land could multiply values.
Contracts.
Water rights.
Town development.
Mineral access.
Land that was already valuable could become extraordinary.
Elias had waited twelve years.
Now the land itself was about to change.
Cole looked toward Harvey.
“Where is he?”
Harvey shook his head.
“I never met him.”
“Then how know?”
“Earl talks when drunk.”
Daniel looked at Cole.
“We take Earl.”
Lila shook her head.
“No.”
Both turned.
“Why?”
“Because Earl is our path.”
Cole’s patience thinned.
“I’m tired of paths.”
“I know.”
“He tried killing me.”
“Maybe.”
Cole’s eyes flashed.
“Maybe?”
“The bathhouse could be Earl.”
“But if Elias planned it, Earl leads us there.”
Daniel nodded reluctantly.
“She’s right.”
Cole looked betrayed.
Daniel shrugged.
“Love her or hate her, numbers woman is right.”
Lila froze.
Cole stared at Daniel.
Daniel realized what he said.
“Well.”
Lila’s face burned.
Cole’s expression was unreadable.
Daniel cleared his throat.
“I meant professionally.”
“No, you didn’t,” Lila said.
Daniel smiled.
“Correct.”
Even Harvey looked amused.
Cole rubbed a hand over his face.
“Everyone out.”
Daniel laughed.
Harvey was escorted away.
Lila started to follow.
“Not you.”
She stopped.
The door closed.
She turned.
Cole stood near the table.
“You heard him.”
“Yes.”
“He’s old.”
“Yes.”
“He says stupid things.”
“Frequently.”
“He may be wrong.”
Lila’s heart beat harder.
“Yes.”
Cole looked at her.
“But he isn’t.”
Silence.
Lila forgot how to breathe.
Cole stepped closer.
“I’ve been trying not to say it.”
She swallowed.
“Why?”
“You work for me.”
“So?”
“So I sign the paper that decides whether you eat next month.”
“I have savings.”
“You know what I mean.”
“Yes.”
Cole continued.
“And because everyone on this ranch is afraid of me.”