Page 87 of In Step

“There’s a good girl.” I inched toward her over the dirt floor of the barn, wincing at the crunch of hay as I moved. Possum’s gaze flicked up, but she kept eating.

“Kane, you need to get out of there now. Your father left the garage and is headed this way. And Fox says he’s carrying something.”

Fuck.I slid the final few centimetres and caught her around the scruff. She yowled and bucked up in my hand, claws out.

“Shit. Shh, girl. I’m sorry, all right—ow!” Her back claws raked my arm.

“I’ve got the carry cage ready. Hurry.” Abe sounded increasingly rattled.

“Easy for you to say.” I squeezed my way out of the small passageway. “She’s not happy and—ow, shit.” Possum landed another set of claws on my thigh this time. “Ungrateful little missy.” I finally got free of the bales.

“Here.” Abe held up the open cage.

I deposited a very frightened Possum into it, along with her salmon, before throwing the towel I’d brought over top, just as the chickens started up.

“There’s no time left. We have to hide.” Abe doused the flashlight and bundled me out the far side of the shed, away from the chicken coop, and into the shadows around the back.

“No, this way.” I pulled him sideways toward the spreader next to the silage pit, about fifteen metres away. “That salmon stinks. He’ll know someone was there. The stench of silage might disguise us for a bit. Let’s hope Possum knows when to keep her mouth shut.” We made it to the large spreader and I pushed Abe behind the equipment.

A grunt was the only warning we got before the shape of my father emerged from the front of the barn, silhouetted in a crosshatch of moonlight and with what looked like a tyre iron swinging from his hand.Fuck.Abe’s arm looped around my shoulder and his lips found my temple, grounding me and easing the panic in my chest.

My father looked around, sniffed the air, grunted, and then slowly walked toward us. I pushed myself flat to the ground with Abe lying almost on top of me, the sound of Possum chewing her salmon seeming as loud as crashing cymbals in the still night.

Another few metres and Gerald couldn’t help but see us. But then he paused, his gaze sweeping the night. “I know it’s you, Kane. Feeding your bloody cat. Do you think I didn’t know you came sneaking around here behind my back?”

My stomach dropped, my hand shaking in Abe’s tightening grip.

“You always were too damn soft. But you’re not here all the time. You can’t watch herallthe time.”

Abe’s phone buzzed and he let my hand go to check it under his jersey. Then his gaze lifted to the barn and the three shadows creeping up behind Gerald.

I grabbed Abe’s arm and caught his eye, keeping my voice to a hushed whisper. “What are they doing?”

He put a finger to his lips and I turned back to my father. He’d resumed his search, a flashlight sweeping the side of the barn, and he was making his way toward the silage pit. Any second now he’d spot the cage.

I grabbed the handle and scanned the immediate vicinity, but there was nowhere to run.

“Wait.” Abe gripped my hand, but Gerald had already seen me.

His mouth turned up in an oily smile, and he shined his flashlight on me. “There you are, you little shit.” He swung the iron back and forth in his grip.

“I’m taking her with me. She’s mine,” I answered, sounding a fuckton calmer than I felt. I shook free of Abe’s hand and stepped away from the spreader, hoping my father would think I was alone. The beam of light moved with me, thank God.

“You’re not taking anything. She belongs to the farm, and you can watch as I make sure there’s nothing left to come back for.” He glanced at the cage and swung the iron again. “You think you can just take this farm from me with a stupid piece of paper? Who the hell do you think you are?” He juggled the tyre iron again and stepped forward.

The blur of shadows at his back made a sudden run.

Leroy was there first, whipping the tyre iron from a surprised Gerald’s grip before the three of them surrounded him.

“What the fuck?” Gerald turned on the men, swinging his fist, but Fox grabbed his arm in a vicious hold and Morgan shined his flashlight in the man’s face.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” Leroy stared Gerald down, the tyre iron firm in his grip. “How about you use a bit of common sense for once in your miserable life?”

Abe appeared at my side and a comforting arm slid around my waist as I tried to catch my breath.

“You’re trespassing,” Gerald spat, circling the centre of the three men. “Get the fuck off my property.”

Leroy put a finger to his chin and cocked his head. “But are we? Really? I mean, since Kane owns half of this property and he invited us, I’m thinking that’s a no.” A dangerous smile broke over his face.

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