spotlight still glared in Efraim’s eyes.
“Please, Daddy. Why would I tell you something that’s not true?”
Her father didn’t answer, but Russ did. “Because you’re hot for him. Don’t lie, sis. You’re pretty obvious.”
She closed her eyes. Of course, Russ was closer than she wanted to admit. At least she should be grateful the spotlight’s beam prevented Efraim from seeing her blush.
“Admit it,” Russ continued, clearly encouraged by hitting on the truth. “You’re covering for him.”
“I don’t need to cover for him. He hasn’t done anything wrong.”
Her father flashed the light back down to the ground for a second. “Someone killed this man.”
“Fahad is my blood. My head security man. I didn’t kill him.”
“The person who did tried to kill Efraim, too,” Callie added quickly. “That someone is still out there. We need to get to the ranch. We need to make sure Efraim’s safe.”
“I’m more concerned about you.”
Of course he was. He was her dad after all. And maybe she could use that fact to break this stalemate. “Then get me to the ranch. And call the sheriff.”
“You,” he said, bobbing the light to indicate Efraim. “Pick up that body. Throw him on the horse we caught.”
“The horse you caught?” Callie hadn’t noticed the horse behind Russ, but as her brother led it into the spotlight, she recognized Efraim’s gelding.
“You found him.”
“Him?” Russ tilted his head.
“The horse. It’s Efraim’s.” She’d told Efraim the horse would find his way to safety. She was relieved to be proven right.
Efraim lifted Fahad. Joe dismounted and helped Efraim slump the dead man over the saddle. Using his lariat, Joe tied him securely.
“Good to go,” Brent said to his father, and Joe swung back on his horse.
“You,” her father barked, obviously meaning Efraim. “Walk ahead. And remember we got rifles pointed at your back.”
“Daddy—”
He held up a hand, blocking her complaint. “I’m doing the rest of what you asked, Callie. I trust you, honey, but that doesn’t mean I trust this boy.”
Efraim glanced back at her. “It’s all right.”
It wasn’t all right. Her family was behaving horribly. She’d told him they would help, and technically, she supposed, they were. But she didn’t know if Efraim would see it that way. She felt she needed to apologize.
She just hoped that after all this, he’d give her the chance.
Her father nodded, as if it was settled, and motioned to Brent and Joe. “The two of you keep looking. Russ and I will see Callie and the sheik here back to the ranch.”
“Looking?” A frisson of fear fanned over Callie’s skin. The thought of her brothers out on the dark BLM searching for a murderer scared the breath out of her. “Don’t be ridiculous. We need to call the sheriff. He can look for the man who shot Fahad. It’s his job. Not yours.”
“We’re not looking for some terrorist killer,” Brent said. “We’re looking for Timmy’s ATV.”
“Timmy’s ATV?” Callie had been so wrapped up in defending Efraim, she hadn’t thought there might be a reason her fourth brother, the youngest in the family at only seventeen, wasn’t riding with them. “Why? What happened? Where’s Timmy?”
“Timmy’s home. He crashed his ATV.”
“Is he okay?” The thought of her baby brother hurt… She wanted to race Sasha home as fast as she could.
“He’s banged up. A little worse for wear,” Joe said. “But you know Timmy. He’ll be okay.”
“What happened to his ATV?”
“He flipped the damn thing.” Her dad lowered the light enough for her to see him shaking his head. Then he brought the beam back to Efraim’s face. “Wasn’t Tim’s fault, though. He said someone shot out a tire.”
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