Page 90 of A Cowboy's Claim
Instead, Declan’s jaw ached from clenching his teeth.
“Before we finish,” the suit said, glancing at his notes, “We need to confirm the origin of the USB drive. The message came from a Logan Rutledge’s account. We’ll need him to verify—preferably in person.”
“No.” The word flew from Declan’s mouth like a gunshot.
The man in the suit blinked as if suddenly realizing Declan wasn’t just a random part of the landscape. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me,” Declan said, stepping forward. “Logan isn’t involved in this. Not beyond being the poor bastard his brother dumped this on. He’s not a witness. He’s not a player. He’s not even a damn courier, not really. He’s a kid trying to survive something that’s not his fault, and he gave us the USB because he trusted us to protect him. So no—he’s not showing up, and he’s not giving you anything else.”
The man raised a brow, but it was the RCMP officer who answered. “We’re not trying to put him at risk?—”
“Then don’t,” Declan snapped. “You’ve got what you need. Our man pulled the info for the chain of access. Dean’s already confirmed it was his. You want someone to stand in front of you and put their name on it? Put mine. But Logan’s staying out of it.”
Jake moved in beside him, arms folded. “He’s right. We’ve covered it. We did the trace. Dean backed it up. You want to build your case? You’ve got enough. Push harder, and you’ll lose your only clean handoff.”
A moment of silence followed. The breeze caught the edge of the bag, rustling the envelope as if to highlight its presence.
Finally, the suit gave a slow nod. “We’ll accept the chain of custody as presented. If Dean’s preliminary statement aligns with what we find in the files, and if he follows through with his testimony, this will be enough to initiate charges.”
Without further ceremony, the man turned on his heel and vanished back into the SUV.
The tension in Declan’s shoulders eased slightly. Sydney moved to his side and slid her hand around his, warm and steady.
“You’re sure Logan’s out of this?” Declan asked quietly, needing to hear it one more time.
The officer who had remained motionless met his gaze. “We know who’s involved. Logan’s not one of them. This delivery covers what we needed. Your guy did the right thing by coming forward. You all did.”
The officer nodded briefly at Jake then returned to his vehicle.
The SUV pulled away from the turnout, taillights vanishing into the dusky stretch of highway like ghosts retreating into the dark.
Declan let out a long breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. His muscles felt like they’d been pulled too tight for too long, and now they were finally allowed to unravel.
Sydney squeezed Declan’s hand. “This is what justice looks like,” she said softly. “Slow, and sometimes messy. But it’s a start.”
Declan nodded, the tightness in his chest finally beginning to ease. “Just want to make sure it’s enough.”
Jake clapped a hand on his shoulder. “Come on,” his brother said. “Let’s head home.”
Logan was waiting on the front porch when they pulled back into the driveway of High Water. He stood the moment the truck came to a stop, eyes searching for something in Declan’s face—answers, maybe.
Or permission to breathe.
Declan got out slowly. The tension hadn’t quite left his body, but he managed a nod. “It’s done.”
Logan’s shoulders sagged. Not all at once, but like a man realizing he didn’t have to hold himself together with duct tape anymore. “They take it?”
“They took everything. Petra’s files, the stick, the notes. RCMP’s moving forward with the case.” Declan paused then stepped closer. “They asked for you.”
Logan’s face went pale.
Declan shook his head. “I told them no. You’re not part of this, and you never were. You trusted us with the truth, and I’m not letting anyone twist it.”
For a long moment, Logan didn’t say anything. Then he scrubbed a hand through his hair, and something like relief passed over his features. “I thought maybe I was dragging you all into something you couldn’t fix.”
Declan snorted softly. “You gave us the chance to fix it. There’s a difference.”
Logan nodded slowly then stepped off the porch. Without warning, he pulled Declan into a rough hug, the kind that said everything words couldn’t.
