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“Maybe not But we didn’t know that And we didn’t want to be seen and identified Coy’s got soot arrested here, even just for trespassing, he could be in a lot of trouble

“Coy grabbed the gun off the bike and we ducked behind the bushes Afterward he told me that he’d meant to shoot over the old ht when he fired, the ATV hit a buh to catch the bullet?

?

Could he believe her? Sky had always had a soft spot for his younger cousin But the story sounded pretty far-fetched Given the evidence, he’d be crazy to trust her

“So after he crashed, you took his gun and left hiry he’d been—and was Whether her story was true or not, there was no excuse for leaving Jasper wounded and half-drowning in the seep

“I wanted to go to hiet out of there before so to shoot it I proun where it had fallen off the ATV and go with him That hen I dropped the knife, on the chance that you’d find it I wanted to let you knoas here, in case we needed your help”

Needed his help? So went cold in the pit of Sky’s stoood

“You said you were shortcutting”

“We’d picked up so behind, hanging on to the stuff we’d bought It ard going, so we took the shortest way there”

A battered Ford Ranchero pulled into the parking lot, radio blaring Mexican hts made a sweep as it turned around An empty Dos Equis beer can flew out theand clattered to the asphalt Marie shrank lower in the seat as the vehicle swung close, finished turning, and roared out the way it had come in

Sky waited for Marie to say more When she didn’t reply, he broke the silence “I found the marijuana operation, Marie Did you knoas on my own land?”

She stared down at her hands Slowly she nodded “I went to the county recorder’s office to check the maps for an out-of-the-way spot ater It was perfect—especially with your naht us, you’d let us off easy You will let us off easy, won’t you, Sky?”

When she looked up at hiirl he’d left behind in the kitchen all those years ago But there were limits to how softhearted he could be

“The o,” he said “If it’s cleared off my land by the end of tomorrow—plants, hoses, tools, and whatever you and Coy are living in—I won’t call in the law But if you get caught so ain Understand?”

She tossed her glowing cigarette stub out the“It was Coy’s idea to grow the weed, not ”