Chapter 33 HIS DEAL
It's her-Miss Carter's daughter, if I'm not mistaken. The way she stared at me, chin tilted up, eyes sharp like an eagle on watch, made me pause as if I'd been caught doing something I shouldn't.
There was something in those eyes-an unflinching curiosity, guarded yet fearless-that made me feel as though she was reading straight through me.
Her hair was pulled into a loose braid that fell over one shoulder, a few rebellious strands escaping to dance in the breeze. She wore a fitted cream shirt tucked neatly into well-worn denim jeans, the kind that had seen real work. A brown leather belt cinched her waist, the silver buckle catching the light.
Her boots were scuffed yet polished-real riding boots, the kind earned through hours in the saddle, not bought for show. A pair of dark riding gloves dangled loosely from one hand, the other resting with casual ease on her hip. Even from here, I could see the faint dust clinging to her clothes, the kind that only came from time spent with horses. She didn't just look like a rider-she looked like she belonged to the saddle.
But it wasn't just her outfit that caught me.
It was the way she stood-confident, grounded, like the earth itself wouldn't dare shift beneath her feet. That same stubbornness I'd seen in her mother was etched into her posture.
And then there was that gaze... assessing, almost dissecting me, as though she was peeling back every layer I kept hidden.
"Who are you, mister?" she asked, her tone sharp, like a detective questioning a suspect. I couldn't help but smile at her directness.
"Don't tell me you're here to steal," she added before gasping in mock shock. The drama in her delivery had me chuckling more than I expected.
"No," I replied with an amused grin. "I'm a friend of your mum."
Her brows drew together, her eyes narrowing with suspicion. That look-yeah, she didn't buy it.
\---
Nancy's POV
"Mum, where's Renna? I haven't seen her since she took Pony for a ride," I asked as I helped carry the chicken feed into the coop.
"I saw her heading toward the porch, probably looking for your father," Mum said. My hands froze mid-motion. Without another word, I dropped the feed, my heart skipping as I went in search of her.
"Renna!" I called, moving quickly toward the porch. My eyes locked onto her small figure near the front gate-and my heart dropped. She wasn't alone.
From a distance, I couldn't make out the man she was talking to. My first thought was Kelvin, but as I came closer, my stomach knotted. It wasn't him. It was a face that set panic clawing at my chest.
Before I even thought, I rushed forward, placing myself between Renna and him, my arm instinctively shoving her behind me. Anger flared hot and fast inside me.
What the hell is he doing here... talking to my daughter?
"Renna, what did I say about talking to strangers?" My voice came out sharper than I intended, laced with protective fury. Her wide eyes blinked at me, shock flickering across her face before she dropped her gaze.
"Sorry, Mum, but he said he was your friend," she said, her tone innocent, almost too casual.
I forced a deep breath, reining in my temper so I wouldn't frighten her more than necessary. "We'll talk about this later. Now go help Grandma feed the chickens."
She nodded and turned to leave... but then paused. Slowly, she pivoted back-not to look at me, but at him.
And what she said next made my stomach twist.
"Bye, Uncle Jaxon."
The way she smiled while waving at him made my chest tighten in disbelief. And to my surprise, Mr. Lennox actually returned the wave-with a smile of his own-before Renna took off running.
Uncle Jaxon? Where the hell did that come from? The way she said it was almost as if they'd known each other for years.
Actually... I didn't even want to know where it came from. What I did know was that I didn't like it.
Turning sharply, I faced Mr. Lennox. His hands were shoved in his pockets, his face plain and unreadable-like a perfectly closed book that refused to give away a single page.
"I do not appreciate you being on my property or anywhere near my kid," I barked, my voice sharper than I intended, but I didn't regret it.
"Well, I'm not here because I wanted to be here," he replied, his tone calm but laced with something heavier. "I'm here because of this."
He stepped forward, closing the small space between us until there was barely a breath of air between our bodies. From his pocket, he pulled a folded photo and held it out to me.
"What's this?" I asked, taking it quickly and retreating two steps back. I needed the distance-needed to keep that buffer between us.
Unfolding the photo, my breath hitched. Ravyn Vale's face stared back at me, sharp and haunting.
It was only then that I remembered-I'd taken this photo with me to Brentmere. I must have dropped it when I took off his suit jacket.
"You dropped it, didn't you?" he asked, his voice cutting through the moment.
But I wasn't going to have this conversation with him. He couldn't be trusted. He was like Ravyn Vale-one of those men who turned people's lives into misery and then walked away without looking back.
When I looked up, he was closer again, his eyes locked on mine. And in them, I saw something I didn't expect-desperation.
"Miss Carter, I really need your honest response," he said, his voice low, almost urgent. "Do you know the man in the picture? Was he the reason you were at the party last night? Did you get some form of information that he would show up? If yes, who told you?"
With each question, the desperation in his eyes deepened, and it unsettled me in a way I couldn't quite understand.
"I'm sorry, but I can't answer any of your questions. And I don't owe you any explanation," I said firmly. "Now, if you would excuse me."
I wasn't anywhere near ready to have this conversation-especially not with him.
Handing the picture back, I knew I had to get him off my property. That could only happen if I walked away. So I started toward the house... until his next words froze me in my tracks.
"It would be a shame if your parents lost such a beautiful home, don't you think? I'm sure every corner of this ranch holds memories worth cherishing."
I didn't miss it-the sly, calculated edge in his voice. When I turned to face him, the same mischievous glint was there in his eyes, and once again, he stepped closer, shrinking the distance between us.
"Let's just be honest with each other, Miss Carter. You and I both know that even if I don't end up purchasing this ranch, someone else will. And you might not be able to save it." His tone was maddeningly calm, but I could hear the intention laced within it.
"I can help you save this ranch... in return, you help me find Ravyn Vale. You're going to tell me everything-everything I need to know, and where to find him."
Out of everything he said, my mind clung to one thing-saving my parents' ranch.
"Fine," I said, forcing the word out between clenched teeth. "But you'd better keep your word and leave my parents' ranch alone."
One of his brows lifted, like my hesitation to give him what he wanted was already testing his patience.
"Well, I did go to Brentmere to find him," I admitted. "Someone I know told me he would be at the party at your hotel. He was supposed to be a guest as well."
His expression shifted instantly, twisting into confusion.
"Ravyn Vale was supposed to be a guest at my hotel?" He repeated it slowly, as if the very idea was foreign to him. From the look on his face, I knew he truly had no clue.
"Who told you that?" he asked, frustration flickering behind his eyes.
"Someone... a friend of mine," I said quietly, "who's now missing. Just like Ravyn Vale."
"That's impossible. I'm afraid your friend has been feeding you false information. Ravyn Vale hasn't been seen in England in five years. Your friend must have been mistaken."
I stared at him, my thoughts racing. From the way he spoke, it was clear-I wasn't the only one hunting Ravyn Vale. First there was the head officer who refused to reveal who had commissioned the private case he gave me, and now there was Mr. Lennox.
Something was definitely wrong here. And whatever Ravyn Vale had done to Mr. Lennox... it had left him desperate.
Pulling my phone from my pocket, I brought up the last video and pictures Mia had sent me before vanishing-and before her number went dead.
I watched his expression tighten as he studied them, his eyes narrowing like the images were something unreal. His jaw locked, and his hands curled into fists.
"Happy now?" I asked sharply. "Does this prove my point? I kept to my word and gave you the information you wanted. Now I want you to meet with the sheriff and end the deal, just like you said you would."
"But that wasn't the deal," he countered smoothly. "The deal was you helping me find Ravyn Vale in exchange for the ranch. And the last time I checked... your information doesn't lead anywhere."
I glared at him, my anger boiling. He was so infuriating-so smug.
"Well, sorry to burst your bubble, but I work alone," I shot back, ready to cut off any thought of us working together.
"Then... good luck saving this ranch," he said, his voice low and final.
And with that, he turned and walked away, leaving me standing there with a hollow devastation that settled deep in my chest, making me feel weaker than I had when I'd first woken up this morning.