Stockman’s Stormcloud (Stockmen #3)

Thirty-six

Thirty- six

‘Oh, look, there’s my little stormcloud.’ Bree stood behind a small table that held crates of bottles at the back of her open Kombi van, with music playing and a string of fairy lights illuminating her area. Parked alongside other vehicles, selling assorted goods, this car park boot sale was doing a roaring trade. ‘Are you ready for some rage therapy?’

‘I’m here, aren’t I?’

‘It’s just adorable that you woke up and chose violence today.’

He matched her sly grin. ‘How’s sales?’

‘I’ve nearly sold out. I made cider this time. They can’t bust me for that, and it’ll give the crowd something to drink while waiting.’

‘No gin?’

‘Puh-leese, the cops are watching. I’m not letting them have that over me.’

‘Isn’t Finn one of the good guys.’

‘Is he?’ She arched her eyebrows at him.

‘He told us you were divorced. Does this mean you and Finn are—’

‘Honey, just because I’m re-reading from the same book, it doesn’t change the ending. But you can change yours.’

‘I’m fighting. Are you betting on me to win?’

‘Always.’ Someone approached her table. ‘Will you look at that dung beetle in a skin suit?’

Dex glared at public enemy number one. It was Leo .

‘Bree, always a pleasure.’ Their neighbour even tipped his hat at her. ‘Selling your gin?’

‘Not to you. I’m picky about my clientele.’

‘Aww, that hurts my feelings.’

‘Oh, honey, I didn’t realise you had any.’

Leo grinned. ‘What’s this?’ He picked up a bottle.

‘Juice from a platypus that ate my goldfish.’

Leo laughed, highly amused. ‘Are you fighting tonight, Dex?’

‘Why? Are you betting against me?’

‘Well, I was thinking—’

‘Here we go with another plethora of words. Wait, let me get a chair first to hear this.’ Bree rolled her eyes as she sat down on the edge of her Kombi van and pulled out a cocktail glass complete with pineapple and cherries, sipping casually through a straw, as if on a hippy holiday, with the fairy lights twinkling in her monstrous yellow van. ‘You may speak now, Leo.’

‘You know, I’m quite tempted to sit beside you all night, Bree.’ Leo just grinned at her, his dark sinful eyes shining with delight, enjoying the game he shared with Bree.

It took everything for Dex to not punch the prick out, when he knew there was a bigger play being made behind the scenes—one that was almost a million dollars’ worth of livestock that was part of his family’s livelihood.

‘Hey, boss,’ another man approached them. ‘I put your bet down. Here’s your chit. Thanks for the loan. Just don’t tell the missus, eh?’

‘Hello, Hank.’ Dex narrowed his eyes at the rustler. Oh, now he had to restrain himself from grabbing Hank by the throat to let his fists coax the location of his missing cattle out of the cretin

But Bree put down her cocktail glass, fake sniffing, while giving Dex a sneaky look to not blow this. She was right.

‘You wouldn’t be keeping secrets from Marla now, would you?’ Dex was surprised at how calm he sounded.

Hank was such an oily creature, with pocked crevices across his cheeks, wearing clothes that had seen better days, hoisting up his belt with the fake rodeo champion buckle, that everyone knew he’d won on a bet that he’d cheated at, because Hank was the type of cretin who’d sell his grandmother for a bet. ‘I heard you were in the hospital.’

‘Dex is dating a nurse, so of course he’s always hanging around the hospital,’ said Bree.

Thank you, Bree.

Dex could hear the moron thinking about Bree’s comment. Hank slowly blinked a few times, as if worried he’d taken on too much.

‘Who are you dating, Bree?’ Leo asked.

‘She’s with me.’ It was Ryder, at his shoulder.

‘Well, isn’t this a family reunion? The two brothers with the biggest shares of Elsie Creek Station.’

Had Leo just tipped off Hank, whose eyes flared as he stepped back, with fear worn all over his ugly mug for being busted.

‘Why are you here, Ryder?’ Leo asked coolly. ‘Don’t say it’s for Bree, who I know is single.’ He even grinned at Bree’s scowl.

‘To support my brother. What’s your excuse?’

‘I like the sport, and I know the organisers.’

‘How?’ Dex did not like the sound of that.

‘I used to fight down south.’ Leo slid his hand into his pocket, carefully scrutinising Dex. ‘You never did make it south, did you, Dex?’

‘I prefer the warmer weather.’

‘Pity, we would’ve moved in the same circles, I might have hired you for the muscle, or as a driver, or met you inside a fighting ring.’

‘And that’s where Leo, my man, would kick your arse,’ said Hank, sounding like a school bully’s sidekick. ‘Leo only ever punched on with the tough guys, not farmers.’

‘So that must make you a gender-confused cockroach that only comes out after dark to fight?’ Bree said.

Leo laughed, with his hand still tucked in one pocket, while stroking his shirt, as if he was used to wearing a tie. ‘You do amuse me, Bree. How about dinner?’

‘You must like rejection daily.’

‘Not with ladies who amuse me.’

‘I’m not some toy.’

‘No, you’re not.’ Leo’s eyes crawled up and down Bree.

‘Oi, watch yourself, mate.’ Ryder was giving Leo that lethal look that even worried Dex. It made Hank step back.

But not Leo. He was a cold and calculating enemy, who had always been one step ahead of them. ‘I’m willing to make a wager with you two brothers.’ Leo pointed at Ryder and Dex.

‘Yeah, what’s that?’ Dex didn’t mind a bet.

‘I’ll fight Dex for both of your shares in Elsie Creek Station.’

‘And what do we get? Your shares in your station?’

‘No,’ said Ryder, using the back of his hand to tap Dex’s arm. ‘We get Leo’s entire station.’

‘You can’t bet on cattle stations over a fight,’ Hank stammered out.

‘This is the Northern Territory,’ said Bree, ‘they do a lot worse for a cold beer on a hot day.’

‘Ryder, you must be as sick as I am over our lawyers fighting with our money, when we can fix it here, tonight.’

Ryder took a moment, tilting his head as if sizing up Leo who wasn’t jacked like other fighters, but Leo had an edge about him of a man who’d fight to the death.

The corner of Ryder’s lip curled into a sly grin as confidence shone in his dark eyes. ‘I’ll fight you.’

‘No. Not you. Him.’ Leo pointed at Dex.

‘What are you doing, brother?’ Dex had never seen Ryder like this. Was he still playing the protective big brother, after all these years?

Ryder got right in Leo’s face, toe to toe. ‘Why? Do I scare you that much?’

‘You’re a killer.’ Leo sighed as if bored with the conversation, when most people would cower at Ryder’s angry glare. ‘I recognise that look—’

‘From the mirror?’

‘I’ve met some of your type in my time in the Navy. I’m surprised they let animals like you out to play with the public.’

‘No cops here. No laws here. So how about you and I settle this score today? Right now.’

‘With Dex.’

‘And I bet Dex can kick your arse, too.’

‘Brother?’ Dex had never seen Ryder like this. Unless Ryder had a plan?

‘Bree, do you think Dex will win his fight?’ Ryder didn’t even look away from Leo.

‘I’ll bet my entire holiday savings to Tahiti on Dex to take this party all the way to the knockout.’

Dex stared at Bree in disbelief.

‘Listen, Bree, I’d never take your money. I know how hard you hustle for it.’ Leo glanced over and paused to use the back of his fingernails to scratch his chin darkened by a few days’ growth. ‘But if you throw in a case of your gin, and a date that went for two days, I’ll take your bet.’

Bree arched her eyebrows at Leo. ‘Wait, are you expecting me to drag out some pom poms and play the part of a high-kicking high school cheerleader because you said that? When I repeat: I am not doing anything with you . This,’ she said, waving her hand over her curvy body, ‘is the no-hanky-panky zone.’

Leo chuckled. ‘Our date will be amusing, if nothing else. We’ll start with a trip to the local airstrip, where I’ll fly you out on our jet, after I finish with the neighbours once and for all.’ He glared at Ryder, and it was like heavyweight prize-fighters facing each other, where the air got thick with tension.

‘But I’m fighting Dex,’ said Hank, looking confused. ‘ You’ve lent me the money to have my shot.’

‘I’ll just use it for me, because I want a crack at the title.’ Leo wore the confident grin of a loan shark. ‘What do you boys say? Do we have a deal?’