Page 49 of Cowboy Jeopardy

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Fresh from another shower, Steven sat at the small round table in his motel room and unzipped the duffel bag. He grinned at the sight of cash. His smile faded as he lifted out the top bundles to discover plain copy paper underneath. He’d been duped.

He cursed and threw the TV remote across the room. It hit the wall with a thud, leaving a dent in the drywall. Someone in the adjacent room yelled and banged on the wall for him to settle down, or they’d call the manager.

Let them. Steven itched for a fight. His blood boiled. He knocked the blank paper to the floor.

Why hadn’t he checked the money when he’d grabbed the bag? All his work…for nothing! So much for heading back to New York.

He lunged to his feet and paced the small room. This was all Danica Cooper’s fault, and he’d make her pay. Oh, yes, she would be very sorry very soon—she and her family.

~

Dani parked in front of the hotel and located the door to the manager’s office so she could find out which room belonged to Langello. She couldn’t very well try every door, could she? There had to be fifty rooms. Dani needed a good story…she smiled and climbed out of the truck.

A bell jingled as she pushed open the front door. A young woman peered up with a smile. “May I help you?”

“I found this outside.” She set the card key on the counter. “Also, I’m meeting Steven Langello, and he neglected to tell me which room he’s in.” She pasted on a smile.

“I can ring him for you.”

Dani shook her head and leaned closer as if sharing a secret. “I’m early. It’s our anniversary, and I want to surprise him.”

“I’m not sure—”

“Oh, come on. Girl to girl. Surely, you understand. My name is Danica if you want to check.”Please don’t check.

“I guess it would be okay.” Her fingers flew across the keyboard. “Room 210, second floor. Happy anniversary.”

“Thank you.” She whirled around and strolled to the elevator. Inside, she pushed the button for the second floor. Her heart rose into her throat as the car lifted.

She patted her pocket for her cell phone, then remembered she’d left it at camp. It didn’t matter. They wouldn’t need it to track her. She’d said in the note exactly where she was headed minus the room number.

Taking a deep breath, she knocked on room 210, then pulled her gun from her waistband. When the door opened, she aimed the barrel at Langello’s head. “Inside and close the door.”

His eyes sparked as a grin spread across his face. “The little girl has a backbone.”

“Shut up. Sit in that chair.” She noticed the bag on the table and the scattered pieces of paper. “Temper tantrum?”

He sat and crossed his arms across his bare chest. “If I’d known I was going to have company, I’d have put on some pants. It’s a little cold in my boxers.”

“I have some questions I want answered before the sheriff arrives.”

He frowned. “Guess you’d better start asking.”

“Why me?” She needed to know why he’d come after her. “I don’t know you.”

“I had a plan.” He leaned forward, sitting back when she aimed the gun at his heart. “I was in an affair with Roberto’s daughter. We had plans to take over the business.”

“She was already in a relationship.” Dani had seen her with the man herself.

“Not for long. Why do you think she joined her father in this podunk town? Because she planned to take over, convert his men to her side, and kill the ones who wouldn’t join her. But then, you and your family changed all that. I still plan on building an empire. The plans on how have simply changed.” He laughed. “I could use a woman like you on my arm. Beautiful, brave, not stupid.”

Not being stupid was debatable as the sheriff would tell her when he arrived. Same with Dylan. It shouldn’t be long. She’d already been gone an hour.

“I didn’t have the money for Roberto. What made you think I could come up with it for you?”

He shrugged. “Desperate people always find a way. Once I started killing your family, you’d find the money, even if you had to steal it.”

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