Chapter 27

Asher was dreaming. Since he had been home and slept with Mia snuggled warm in his arms, he had actually been able to have a nice dream or two again instead of the horrifying nightmares that had plagued him so ruthlessly. He was dreaming about dancing with Mia at their wedding, when suddenly the dream was shattered by the sound of a siren. He opened his eyes and looked down at Mia’s beautiful, peaceful face. He gently slipped out from underneath the covers. He made his way over to the window and pulled the curtain back to see what was happening. The sound of the screaming siren got louder as the fire trucks came into view. The red lights on top of the truck blazed in time with the screeching echoes through the neighbourhood. A car was coming towards it and pulled to the right as the fire truck raced by. Asher shuddered. The mere presence of the vehicle signified the misfortune of someone. He said a silent prayer for whoever it was as he heard Mia stirring behind him. He turned to look at her as she lifted her sleepy head off the pillow, her long hair fanning out behind her.

“What’s going on?”

He smiled at her. He couldn’t help it. Even after last night’s shower and their round of love-making she was still the most gorgeous thing he had ever laid eyes on. “I don’t know. A lot of fire trucks.”

“Oh no. I hope no one is hurt.” Asher loved her heart. She genuinely never wanted to see anyone in pain. He never failed to look at her and remember how lucky he was to be here.

He went over and sat down next to her. Taking her into his arms he said, “Me too, baby.” The sound of his phone ringing startled them both. It wasn’t a good sign after seeing the fire trucks that someone would be calling him in the middle of the night. He reached for it and saw that it was Dean’s father. “Hello?”

“Asher, there’s a fire out at the Harper ranch.”

“Oh shit!” He looked at Mia and said, “It’s the Harper ranch.” Back into the phone he asked, “How bad?”

“I’m not sure exactly but I live about a mile away and I can see the flames from here.” Asher was already up and getting dressed. He thanked Mr. Kentworth for calling and hung up the phone. Mia climbed out of the bed and grabbed for her jeans.

“No baby, you stay here…”

She made a face at him and kept getting dressed. “I know Randy and Lucille. I want to see if there is anything I can do.”

He shook his head at her stubbornness, but he couldn’t argue with her. She had as much right to go as he did. Once they were dressed, they got into the Mustang and raced out towards the ranch. As they drove down the long, windy dirt road that led from the main road to the ranch they saw a plume of fire explode up into the blackness of the sky and a flame rolled outwards like smoke from a mushroom cloud. Asher could tell even from this distance that it was bad.

As they got closer they could see the chaos unfolding. One of the stables was engulfed completely and that was where the firefighters were concentrated. But there were two other stables and Asher saw Randy standing in front of one that had black smoke rising from the back of it. He parked the car, and he and Mia both got out.

“Are the horses still in there?” He yelled towards Randy. The sounds of the crackling flames and the water the firefighters were shooting were almost deafening. Gray ash was raining down on top of them and Randy looked like he was in shock as he stood there covered in it.

“Yes, I can’t get the door opened. Someone locked it and the lock is melting. I can’t get the key in.”

Asher looked around and saw that the barn next to them was catching sparks now. “Mia, see if you can safely get the animals out of the barn.” She nodded and ran towards the barn. Asher picked up a large rock and began slamming it into the lock that had melted into the iron bar across the front of the stable. It took him several hits but it finally came loose. His hands felt like they were on fire as he grabbed a hold of the hot door and pulled it open. The horses were frightened and making loud whinny noises as they kicked against their fiery prison. Asher and Randy ran in and started pulling the horses out one at a time. When Asher came out with the first one Mia ran up and said, “Lucille and I cleared out the barn. Here, give her to me and you can get another.” He handed the horse off to Mia and went back for another. He and Randy, the fire crews, Mia and Lucille worked tirelessly until all of the animals they could save were safe and the fire was out. When there was nothing left for them to do Asher and Mia, Randy and Lucille waited in the nearby field and watched as the fire fighters finished up their job. It was obvious the first stable was not going to be repairable. It was practically a pile of ash. Asher could tell by the way Lucille was sobbing and Randy was shaking that it was much worse than that.

Mia had tears running down her cheeks and she was the one to finally ask, “Lucille…how many?”

The other woman let out another big, gulping sob as she said, “Six! There were six horses in there. My babies! When Randy woke up and smelled the fire we ran right out but it was already engulfed. Whoever set the fire locked both stables, they wanted those poor horses to die!” Her voice was high-pitched and she fell against her husband in another torrent of tears. Randy still looked like he was in shock. Mia was crying silently. Asher was filled with a black rage. There was no question who would do something like this. His heart was aching for the Harper’s, and it ached when he thought about those poor horses. Someone was going to pay for this. Enough was fucking enough!

**

There was no more sleep that night. Asher showered and dressed and while Mia showered he sat sipping his coffee and staring off into space thinking about the confrontation he planned on having with Randall Proctor as soon as it was late enough for him to be at his office.

“Hey, are you okay?” He hadn’t even noticed Mia walk into the room. He held his arms out and she came into them and he pulled her down onto his lap. He just held her there for a long time and then he looked up at her face and said, “I’m okay. We’re all going to be okay. I’m going to see Proctor today.”

Mia looked instantly worried. “Asher, I know you’re capable of handling yourself, but please be careful. You need to be wary of him and his boys. They don’t fight fair.” Asher smiled gently at her. He was very capable of not fighting fair himself, but he didn’t want Mia worrying about that too.

“I’ll be careful baby, but this has to end.”

She nodded and pulled his head against her chest and held him there. They sat like that for a long time and when it was finally time for him to get up and go Mia said, “I’m going to start a fund for the Harper’s at the Bar and Grille. It’s time this community started standing up for each other.”

“You’re amazing,” he told her, as he ran his fingers down the side of her smooth face.

“I get my strength from you,” she said, with a smile. “Be safe. I love you.”

“I love you too baby. I’ll be fine.”

He kept imagining those poor horses as he drove into town and down the street that would take him to Proctor’s office. The kind of hate and greed it would take to do something like that to defenceless animals and people like the Harper’s who had worked their entire life for everything they had, was unimaginable to him. He parked in the front lot and walked into the outer office. Proctor’s secretary looked up at him and smiled. Asher ignored her and walked up to the door of his office.

“Sir, you can’t go in there…” Asher already had the door open and was stepping inside. He slammed it behind him, drowning her out. Proctor was on the phone. When he saw Asher, he got a smug smile on his face. Asher let him tell the person on the other end he would call them back and hung up the phone. He just stood there for a few seconds letting the smug bastard think he was here to beg them to let him sell.

“Asher,” Proctor said, rising from behind his desk. “This is a nice surprise. How are you doing?” He tried to convey a pleasant, empathetic demeanour. It was lost on Asher. His heart was pumping wildly and his stomach was on fire.

“This isn’t a social call, Proctor. This is me telling you that the bullshit stops, today.”

Proctor raised an eyebrow at him and still with the semblance of a smile he said, “I don’t understand. What ‘bullshit?’” He was still behind his desk, likely wary of the look Asher knew he had on his face.

“You want me to spell it out for you? I know about the corruption, the extortion, the intimidation. I know that you are responsible for the anxiety that caused my father’s heart attack and killed him. I know that you’re responsible for the fire last night that killed six defenceless horses. You and your ‘boys’ make me sick and I’m finished playing games with all of you.”

The smile was gone from Proctor’s face. It was replaced by an intense glare that was meant to intimidate. Again, it was lost on Asher. He was not the least bit intimidated by these people, any of them. The older man stepped from behind his desk and in a voice he surely believed was scary, he said, “You don’t know who you’re messing with young man. I know all about you. I know you were responsible for the death of Travis Halloway. I know you ran from that and joined the army. You spent years looking down the scope of a rifle and killing people from yards away like a coward, and ultimately you went on one last mission. But your men didn’t come home from that one…did they? You left them dead on that mountain and you stopped by to pick up your medals on your way home. I know all about you, boy, and I knew your father who was just as weak as you are.”

Asher didn’t hesitate as soon as he heard Proctor mention his father. In one swift move, he had Proctor by the front of his shirt and shoved up against the wall behind him. He wanted to kill him, but he knew he couldn’t. He couldn’t hear anything but the ticking of the clock on the wall and Proctor’s noisy breathing. In a low, deep voice he said, “No Proctor. You are the one who doesn’t know who you are messing with. This will stop. Either you will stop it or I will. I don’ think you will be happy with the way I handle it. You will be lucky to escape with your life and you won’t be collecting any fucking medals. Do you understand me?”

Proctor was snorting through snot and his face was turning red, but he didn’t answer Asher. The fear Asher saw in the man’s eyes was satisfying enough. Asher let go of him, took a small step back and used his hands to smooth Proctor’s suit. Asher’s mouth curled into a wicked smile and said, “You’re old, you’re slow and guess what? I know everything about you. You are going down old man. Do yourself a favour and walk away now while you still can.” Asher was still smiling as he walked away. Proctor looked terrified and Asher would bet a million dollars by the time he hit the parking lot that he was already on the phone to one of his sons.