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“Think You Can Handle All Three of Us?” the Three Sisters Asked the Cowboy in His Barn — What Happened Before Dawn Changed the Whole County

Chapter 4

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Ethan leaned against the doorframe, scanning the muddy yard. Right outside the barn entrance, deep hoofprints cut clean through the churned earth.He stepped out onto the porch, squatting down to examine the impressions. Six horses. Maybe seven. They had come down from the south ridge, made a wide circle around the perimeter of his ranch house, and disappeared behind the stand of cottonwood trees near the dry creek bed.The tracks were sharp-edged. Water had not yet washed away the distinct ridges left by the iron shoes.Whoever owned those horses had ridden through his yard less than an hour ago, while he was inside feeding his unexpected guests. They had been watching the house in the dark.A soft footstep sounded behind him. Clara stood in the shadow of the barn door, wrapped in one of the gray wool horse blankets. She looked down at the fresh tracks in the black mud, her face turning pale in the dim morning light."You should make us leave," she whispered, her voice tight with guilt.Ethan stood up, wiping his muddy hands on his trousers. "Who are they?"Clara stared out toward the dark line of cottonwoods, her hands clutching the blanket tightly around her neck. She didn't answer.Ruth stepped up beside her sister, her iron pry bar held low at her side. "Men who get paid very well to bring us back," she said grimly.Ethan looked from Ruth to Clara. "Back where?""Copper Ridge," Clara said softly.The name hung in the damp air like a heavy weight.Ethan knew Copper Ridge. Every rancher, miner, and drift-hand within three counties knew Copper Ridge. It wasn't just a cattle outfit; it was an empire. Copper Ridge owned twenty thousand acres of prime grazing land, five silver mining claims, the territorial freight contract, and every major water right along the Verde River.The man who controlled it, Silas Harrow, was a ruthless power-broker rumored to own two territorial judges, half the sheriff's department in Prescott, and enough hired guns to fight a small war. Harrow was the kind of man who didn't negotiate; he took what he wanted and buried anyone who stood in his path.Ethan looked at the three women again, taking in their ragged clothes, their fatigue, and the grim determination in their eyes."Why does Silas Harrow want three women badly enough to send a hunting party through a midnight storm?" Ethan asked.Mae stepped out from the shadows, hugging the black leather satchel against her chest.Ruth’s jaw tightened, her eyes flashing with defensive anger.Clara took a slow breath and met Ethan’s gaze directly. "Because we took something from him.""What?""Proof."The single word settled over the wet yard with ominous weight.
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“Think You Can Handle All Three of Us?” the Three Sisters Asked the Cowboy in His Barn — What Happened Before Dawn Changed the Whole County

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