Page 175 of Wildest Forever

“Coming through the gate now,” and it's not long before we can see the headlights in the distance pulling up the winding dirt road.

“Be ready boys,” Riggs says quietly as he lifts the eye piece of his gun up, the handle resting against his shoulder.

I follow suit, and that's when Buck, Austin and Tripp move around the other side of the bunk house.

“They're in,” is all we hear and my mind silences, shutting down every intrusive thought that comes in and all I care about is ending this tonight.

The engines cut, and the sound of boots hitting the gravel echo through the empty ranch.

We left the TV on, the radio humming and the lights turned down low so the ranch didn't look empty as such.

“Move out boys,” I hear the same voice that was on the video and my blood boils. Leaning around the bunk house, I set eyes on him. Cigarette in hand, curly brown hair and tall. Marty is following behind him like a puppy dog and I hear the rumbling growl of Riggs beside me.

“Steady,” I whisper, and I hear Tripp move slightly and watch as he slips back into the darkness only to give us a sign that he is tucked down the side of the house.

“Do you understand how hard it is to not pull this fucking trigger?” his voice is tight.

“Yes, because I feel exactly the same.”

“Six on the ground, road is empty, no cars approaching,” Nate says down the earpiece and relief swarms me.

I clock the two suited guys who walk around the large space in front of our home before they walk towards Dixie's dad and begin speaking.

“Those are the two that came up to me a few months back,” I admit, my fingertip teasing the trigger.

“Don't,” Riggs orders.

A laugh barrels through the night when I see Marty and some random guy light a clothed covered bottle and throw it through the windows of the ranch and the fire spreads quickly as another gets launched.

“Fuck,” I swallow, sweat beading on my brow. “Why are we not shooting?”

“Because if we started shooting, they would know we knew what was coming. This way, they have no clue that we're here. Fucking hold it,” Riggs talks into the comms so everyone can hear him.

Marty turns and looks in our direction and I swear I stop breathing.

I know he can't see us but still I am nervous as hell. Riggs holds his arm out in front of me as if trying to protect me.

Dixie's dad follows behind Marty, whispers something and Marty nods before he gives the firebomb to him. Marty wanders off slightly and then stumbles when he watches what he does.

“Light it up baby,” a menacing laugh surrounds us as he throws the next bottle into the stables.

“What are you doing!?” Marty screams at Dixie's dad. “That wasn't part of the plan,” he storms towards where the stables begin to light up and that's when he clocks us, his eyes widening but he doesn't have a chance to react.

“And neither was this,” Dixie's dad draws his gun and shoots Marty between the eyes.

We watch as he falls to the floor and all Dixie's dad does is toss his cigarette onto his body as if he is nothing but trash.

“Fuck!” Riggs growls and that's when everything blurs.

The sound of the horses whinnying and neighing pulls my focus and as I go to move to the back of the stalls, the doors fly open and the horses stampede out and run for the fields.

Austin catches my attention as he appears from the stables and gives us a nod.

Dixie's dad whistles as he rounds up his minions before they load into the truck and begin to pull away.

“Now,” Riggs bellows and we scramble around the back, pulling ourselves onto our horses as we kick on and follow their dirt tracks.

“Is this what you meant when you said you wanted to be an old school cowboy, Sheriff?” Riggs calls out as we track their trucks, Tripp catching us up and Buck and Austin behind us with Dusty snaking off to the left. My brows furrow but I trust he is sticking to the plan.

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