Page 54 of Disarming The Rancher

“Wasn’t your fault. I underestimated him. That’s on me.” Buck compressed his lips and shook his head. “It’s not a mistake I’ll make again.”

“Remind me about his background.” Raleigh knew when she hired Jake that he came from a troubled background.

They reached the bottom of the stairs and to a quiet kitchen. She went to work fixing an ice bag for Buck with ice cubes from the freezer and a baggie supplied by Brax. She had to admit that the two of them worked together like a well-oiled machine.

“He suffered physical abuse from his mother’s many boyfriends before the age of ten years old. The state took him away from his home and he was moved around in foster care. The reports came in that he was a good kid but didn’t ‘bond’ with any of the parents or family members in any of his new homes. He never made it more than six months before his mother would clean up her act and the state would send him back to her,” Buck stated. “If you ask me, she did more harm than good.”

“Sounds like a terrible life.” She remembered bits and pieces of the story from when Buck first came to the band and asked if they’d be willing to take a chance on the kid.

“I just thought if he was part of something bigger…if he had a real family like what we have with each other, and a job to give him a way to make a future that he’d be okay.” Buck hung his head and his shoulders slumped forward.

“Not many people would go out on a limb like that for someone they barely knew,” Brax stated. His tone held the kind of reverence and respect normally reserved for elders or a member of clergy.

“Maybe I should have seen it coming.” Buck sounded resigned to blaming himself. “I’ve put everyone here at risk.”

Raleigh knew all about blame. She’d been carrying that burden for many years. Maybe it was time for a change.

“You did a good thing in trying to help him,” she defended. “You have an amazing heart, Buck. You couldn’t have known it would turn out like this.”

“The guys were too hard on him,” he said, compressing his lips. “I should have stepped in sooner and it wouldn’t have come to this.”

“You don’t know that. Jake is a disturbed young man if he set that bomb. I liked him too,” she said, realizing he would have access to the stage prior to a concert. He had a pass to get him past security. “I thought he was doing a great job.”

Buck nodded.

“He took off, right?” Brax interjected.

“Yes,” Buck said.

“Are his belongings still upstairs?” Brax asked.

“I believe so. He took off in a fit when we were outside,” Buck stated.

“What was his condition?” Brax fished out his cell phone and palmed it.

“I’d say he was pretty upset. He cursed all of us directly and said a few other choice words I’d rather not repeat,” Buck admitted before glancing at Raleigh.

There was probably nothing Buck could say that would surprise her considering she’d been with guys nearly twenty-four seven for the past fourteen years, but she appreciated the courtesy.

“I’ll let security know to watch out for him. Do you know if he’s carrying any weapons?” Brax asked.

“No idea,” Buck admitted.

Brax made a quick call while Raleigh helped Buck ice his nose.

“I’ve got this. It’s nothing I haven’t had happen before.” Buck waved off her help, so she handed over the ice.

“Where is everyone else?” Raleigh asked him.

“Hunting after Jake,” Buck supplied.

“Let’s go see if there’s anything to worry about in Jake’s room,” Raleigh said. She waited for Brax to finish his call. “Are you coming?”

“I better warn my family members to steer clear of Jake and call security if they spot him,” he said without looking up. “Go on ahead without me. I’ll join you as soon as I can.”

“Okay.” She turned to Buck. “Ready?”

“Reckon I won’t leave a trail of blood.” Buck nodded, so they headed toward the stairwell.