Page 70 of Where They Belong

“I am not giving you my phone,” Gentry said adamantly and widened his stance.

Nick reached around to the cuffs on his belt. “You leave me no choice, then—”

“Just give him your goddamn phone,” Gus snarled.

“But Dad,” Gentry complained.

He stared at his dad intently, as though trying to communicate without words, but either Gus wasn’t getting the message or simply thought Gentry was constipated. Come to think of it, he did look rather constipated, Colt mused. But then, he hadn’t seen the man look any other way since they’d first crossed paths.

The breath whooshed from Gentry’s lungs as he grudgingly pulled his phone from his pocket, but instead of handing it over, he started frantically tapping on it.

“Nope.” Nick was right in Gentry’s space. “I’ll take that.”

Gentry refused, but in his haste to clear whatever incriminating evidence the device held, he fumbled the phone, and it fell from his grip to land in the dirt. Gentry swore, reached down to snatch the phone back, but Nick moved with lightning speed and grabbed it first.

Nick held up his free hand, palm out, and held the phone over his head with the other. “One more step and I arrest you for obstruction.”

“Obstruction of what, you son of a bitch.” Gentry’s face turned beet red, and for a second, Colt thought he might have a coronary.

“Back off, Gentry,” Grayson said, his voice even.

Gentry turned on his brother, venom in his voice when he started. “You shut up, you fu—”

“Shut up, the both of you,” Gus shouted and then pointedly added, “There’s nothing on our damn phones to worry about.”

Gus glared at them, but his complexion paled when he finally took a second to study Gentry and clue in. Gentry’s expression screamed, “I’ve got something to hide,” and Gus knew damn well what it was.

A burst of adrenaline shot through Colt’s veins.We’ve got them!

Nick began a quick scroll through the phones, starting with Grayson’s, while Colt tried to read anything incriminating over his shoulder. Nick had to have known what Colt was doing, but he didn’t step away or tell him to back off.

After a minute, Nick handed Grayson’s phone to Deputy Santiago, who placed it in an evidence bag and wrote the details on the front. He scrolled through Gus’s phone next, frowned, and then, without a word, handed it to Santiago to bag.

“Give me my phone back,” Gus demanded. He took a threatening step closer that was mirrored by Colt and Nick’s deputies.

“It’s evidence,” Nick said, not bothering to look up or acknowledge Gus any further as he began scrolling through Gentry’s phone. He paused. Glanced over at Colt and tipped the phone so Colt could see the screen. Anger welled up in his chest. There was a sent email with DoItOrJSDie389 in the “From” field.

Colt looked from the phone to Gentry, and every muscle in his body tensed to shred him into pieces. His blood felt like molten lava pulsing through him, pushing for an explosive escape. Gentry didn’t come off as the smartest crayon in the box, but he wasn’t stupid. What he saw in Colt’s eyes must have triggered his own flight-or-fight response because the idiot turned and attempted to run. But Colt was too poised, too ready for a fight. He reached out and grabbed the back of Gentry’s shirt before he could get more than a couple of feet away. Gentry struggled to free himself, but Colt had a death grip on the cowboy.

“Get off me!” Gentry shouted as he flailed.

“I’ll take him from here,” Nick said at Colt’s side, but even as Colt registered the words in his mind, his body didn’t get the memo.

“Colt, I got it,” Nick repeated.

Colt finally reeled himself in and let go of Gentry so Nick could clamp the handcuffs on his wrists.

“Just what the hell do you think you’re doing?” Gus demanded. He held a rifle in his hands, aimed at Nick’s chest.

When the hell did he get that?He must have pulled it off his saddle while the rest of them were tussling with Gentry. Without a second thought, Colt jumped between Nick and the gun, deftly wrestled it from Gus’s hands, and shoved him against the arena rails face-first, with his forearm across Gus’s back to keep him in place.

“Did you just threaten an officer of the law with a firearm?” Nick’s voice was frighteningly low and dangerous.

Deputy Spearman rushed forward and took the rifle from Colt’s hand while Deputy Santiago slapped handcuffs on him. Colt stepped back as Santiago turned Gus around. Gus stood mute and motionless, but the wheels in his brain were spinning at full speed. The man was smart. Too bad smart didn’t always equate with good.

“I did no such thing.” Gus’s eyes burned with indignation.

Nick ignored the now disarmed Gus and returned his focus to Gentry while Colt eyed Grayson. The only Bristow not currently in cuffs or making any moves that would earn him silver bracelets and a free stay at the sheriff’s station.

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