Yesterday's Lies by Lisa Jackson Read Free Book Online

turned bitterly downward and her eyes grew glacial cold. “The truth that you got from me.”
    His shoulders stiffened under his cotton shirt, and his eyes drilled into hers. “I never meant to hurt you, Tory, you know that.”
    For a fleeting moment she was tempted to believe him, but all the pain came rushing back to her in a violent storm of emotion. She felt her body shake with restraint. “I trusted you.”
    He winced slightly.
    “I trusted you and you used me.” The paper crumpled in her hand. “Take this letter and leave before I say things that I’ll regret later.”
    “Tory...” He attempted to draw her close, but she pulled back, away from his lying eyes and familiar touch.
    “I don’t want to hear it, Trask. And I don’t want to see you again. Now leave me alone—”
    A loud knock resounded in the room and the hinges on the front door groaned as Rex Engels let himself into the house.
    “Tory?” the foreman called. His steps slowed in the hallway, as if he was hesitant to intrude.
    “In here.” Tory was relieved at the intrusion. She stepped away from Trask and walked toward the door. When Rex entered he stopped and stared for a moment at Trask McFadden. His lips thinned as he took off his dusty Stetson and ran his fingers over the silver stubble on his chin. At five foot eight, he was several inches shorter than Trask, but his body was whip-lean from the physical labor he imposed on himself. Rugged and dependable, Rex Engels had been with the Lazy W for as long as Tory could remember.
    The foreman was obviously uncomfortable; he shifted from one foot to the other and his eyes darted from Tory to Trask and back again.
    “What happened?” Tory asked, knowing immediately that something was wrong and fearing that Keith was in the hospital or worse...
    “I got a call from Len Ross about an hour ago,” Rex stated, his mouth hardening into a frown. Tory nodded, encouraging him to continue. Ross was a neighboring rancher. “One of Ross’s boys was mending fence this afternoon and he noticed a dead calf on the Lazy W.”
    Tory’s shoulders slumped a little. It was always difficult losing livestock, especially the young ones. But it wasn’t unexpected; it happened more often than she would like to admit and it certainly didn’t warrant Rex driving over to the main house after dark. There had to be something more. Something he didn’t want to discuss in front of Trask. “And?”
    Rex rubbed his hand over his neck. He looked meaningfully at Trask. “The calf was shot.”
    “What?” Tory stiffened.
    “From the looks of it, I’d guess it was done by a twenty-two.”
    “Then you saw the calf?” Trask cut in, his entire body tensing as he leaned one shoulder against the arch between den and entryway.
    “Yep.”
    “And you don’t think it was an accident?” Tory guessed.
    “It’s not hunting season,” the foreman pointed out, moving his gaze to Trask in silent accusation. “And there were three bullet holes in the carcass.”
    Tory swallowed against the sickening feeling overtaking her. First Trask with his anonymous letter and the threat of dredging up the past again and now evidence that someone was deliberately threatening her livestock. “Why?” she wondered aloud.
    “Maybe kids...” Rex offered, shifting his gaze uneasily between Tory and Trask. “It’s happened before.”
    “Hardly seems like a prank,” Trask interjected. There were too many unfortunate coincidences to suit him. Trask wasn’t a man who believed in coincidence or luck.
    Rex shrugged, unwilling to discuss the situation with the man who had sent Calvin Wilson to prison. He didn’t trust Trask McFadden and his brown eyes made it clear.
    Once the initial shock had worn off, Tory became furious that someone would deliberately kill the livestock. “I’ll call Paul Barnett’s office when we get back,” she said.
    “Get back?”
    “I want to see the calf.” Her gray-green eyes gleamed in determination; she