one has a conscience and the other group not so much. Traceâs conscience slows him down at times, makes him methodical. But nobody likes a challenge better. The Horsemen were rivals of theirs in high school, and then college. Half the Horsemenâthatâs the name those of us in the town gave themâdropped out to start their own business. The Outlaws went off to serve together, and when they came home, they opened up their training centerâdirect competition. Ever since then, theHorsemen have struggled with their business, as you may have noticed by the condition of their barn. Itâs their own durn fault. Everybody knows theyâre not as straight-up as the Outlaws. Trace and Company work their asses off. Oh, hell, girls.â
She pulled over, and Traceâs black truck pulled alongside.
âJudy,â Trace said when sheâd rolled down her window, âsend Ava to my truck. I want to talk to her.â
âNo way.â Judy shook her head. âIf you think Iâm letting one of my chickens go off with a bona fide wolf, youâre not thinking straight, Trace Carter.â
âSend her over, Judy. Ava, timeâs wasting and the sunâs going down. Move along.â
âArrogant ass,â Ava said under her breath. âIâll go see what he wants.â
âAre you sure?â Judy asked. âI donât like the look in his eyes.â
They studied the cowboy glaring out his window at them. He wore a black hat and a dark scowl, and Ava favored him with a frown to match his.
âItâs okay,â Ava said. âIâm not worried about the look in his eye. Or anything else.â
She got out of Judyâs truck and jumped in the passenger side of Traceâs. âDo you always boss people around?â
He waved at Judy and headed down the road. âPretty much. Will that be a problem for our partnership?â
âPartnership?â She wished he wasnât the type of scoundrel who made her body take notice. Not just take notice, but admire and desire. âAs I recall, we have nothing near a partnership.â
âDo you have one with the Horsemen?â he asked, his tone soft and somehow dangerous.
She looked at Trace with disgust. âReally? You couldnât just ask Judy what you wanted to know? You had to use me as your pigeon?â
He laughed. âAnd a cute pigeon, too.â
âWhy do you care, anyway? You turned us down.â
âThatâs true. And I havenât changed my mind. I just think you and I can come to a different set of terms.â
âI doubt it very seriously.â Something inside her hoped they could. âYouâre just trying to thwart Judy.â
âJudy needs to be thwarted. At times Judy is Judyâs own worst enemy.â He turned down a lane shrouded by big, leafy pecan trees.
âWhere are we going, anyway?â Wherever it was, it looked peacefulâand too secluded.
âWeâre going to the pond. I do my best thinking at the pond,â Trace said cheerfully.
âI didnât know you did any good thinking at all.â
Trace shook his head, his grin huge. âCan I give you a little advice?â
âNone that Iâll welcome.â
âDonât listen to everything our darling little mayor says. Judy is the most wonderful woman in the world, and sheâs a master of a thousand faces. She has all kinds of tricks up her sleeves. Men lose their cool around Judy, and she darn well knows it.â
âBut not you.â
âThatâs right. Not me.â Trace grinned hugely and parked his truck near the lake. âNow, hop out and grab those two fishing rods. And if youâre in as good a shape as you claim, grab the bucket of worms, too.â
She didnât get out of the truck. âIâm not going fishing.â
He opened her truck door, pulled her out of the truck. Appeared to give her weight consideration as
Learning to Kill: Stories