Free Diamond in the Rough (Diamond J #2) by Lori L. Robinett Page B

cattle as they disappeared into the depths of the sprawling metal building.
    The shorter kid grabbed a clipboard from the wall and handed it to the taller kid, who peered through his greasy bangs at her. “Name?”
    “Sheedy Family Enterprises.” Lana gave him the name and address to send the check after the sale. His lips moved as he scribbled on the form.
    The kid ripped a ticket off of his clipboard. “Here.”
    “You remember how this works, right?” Lana snatched the check-in ticket from his hand and leaned close. Her top lip curled up in a snarl. “You never seen me or this trailer, right?”
    His black eyes met hers for the briefest of moments, then flicked away. “Never seen nobody.”
    The shorter kid stared away pointedly, and gave no indication of even being aware of her presence. She glanced down at the form to check his description of the animals. He’d jotted a note about the brand. Circle H. She pressed her lips together to keep from grinning. The boys back at the compound had done a hell of a job with the cattle from the Rockin’ H. They’d stripped the ear tags and rebranded every head in a single night.
    She turned on her heel and clambered up into her big rig. As soon as they opened the gate in front of her, she grabbed the shifter and the big machine jerked forward, empty trailer rattling. She pulled around the building and rolled to a stop in the middle of the nearly empty gravel lot. She looked around and, when satisfied that no one was paying attention to her, swung down out of the cab and landed in the gravel with a thump. Again, she glanced around, then strode across the lot to the office.
    Inside, she found a mousy woman with dirty blonde hair, buck teeth and eyes magnified by Coke bottle glasses. The woman glanced up when the bell over the door tinkled to announce Lana’s presence. Her eyes widened briefly and she swallowed visibly. “Can I help you?”
    “Delivered a trailer load of cattle.” Lana wiped her hands on her jeans. “Need to use your bathroom before I hit the road."
    The woman directed Lana down the hallway. After Lana relieved herself, she walked past the woman without another word and quickly pushed out the door. The family’d been using this sale barn to move stolen cattle for nearly a year now, and they had a valuable ally in Bobby Rafferty, the owner. He was a distant cousin and blood counted for a lot in their circles.
    Of course, it helped that they had proof that he’d been moving cattle as “certified” with falsified records for years.
    As she walked across the parking lot, she gazed toward the east. Fingers of orange reached into the blue sky, pushing away the darkness. Cows mooed in the paddocks, jostling each other as they jockeyed for position at the feed bunks. She glanced at the open shelter protecting the animals from the harsh rays of the sun that would soon be beating down on them. A flash caught her eye and she squinted.
    The shorter kid that had helped her unload her shipment was leaning against the barn. He held something in front of his face, but what? She narrowed her eyes and peered at him. His attention was on her rig. He reached up with his other hand and made a pinching motion. Her lips pressed into a thin line as she realized he was holding a cell phone. She clenched her fists and strode across the lot, her boots crunching in the gravel. His head swiveled toward her and he quickly lowered his phone, then slipped it in his shirt pocket.
    He averted his eyes as she stepped in front of him. She poked her bony index finger in his chest. “Think you can take pictures of my rig? Find it that interesting, do you?”
    His eyes widened as their gazes connected. “No, ma’am. Just taking a selfie.”
    She squinted at him, then held out her hand, palm up. “Gimme the phone.”
    He shook his head and straightened. Red colored his cheeks, and she knew she’d called his bluff. She reached for the phone and snatched it from his pocket. She spun away