Stone Cold Savage, Signed

Episode 2: Justice, Vengeance, and the Pursuit of Truth

The Stone family’s world unravels as dark secrets and deadly threats emerge from a deep-seated vendetta with an unseen adversary determined to destroy them all.

Coy Stone and his family face mounting dangers when their mother’s death exposes hidden bodies and cryptic journals. Their Texas ranch becomes a battleground as unknown enemies close in, bringing chaos and fear as they’re thrust into a deadly game of survival in a maze of corruption.

In their quest to uncover the truth in their mother’s writings leads them deeper into a web of crime, betrayal, and deception. Each revelation escalates the stakes—friends may be foes, and trust is a risk they can’t afford. Murder and mayhem be damned, time is running out while suspense and danger grow closer to home than ever in their relentless quest for the truth.

As they fight to protect their family and uncover the sinister forces at play, one question remains: Can they survive the storm that’s coming?

“Oh, the Suspense – I Can’t Wait!!”

“The beginning of what I’m confident will be an amazingly intriguing and captivating tale.”

“Thrilling, edge of your seat, page-turner.”

“Stephanie St. Klaire is a brilliant writer, and she outdid herself with Stone Cold Sinner: Episode 1.”

“Wow, wow, wow, Ms. St. Klaire is back with her signature romantic suspense vibe, where things happen that you don't expect and then events get turned on their head!”

“A heart-stopping read!”

“I can't wait to see where this goes... nail-biting.”

“This book starts off with a bang…”

“A must-read and I couldn't wait to start the second book.”

“Stephanie St. Klaire has done it again!”

“I love how this author is able to put me on the edge of my seat, page after page, as the story unfolds, pulling me in, anxiously awaiting what’s going to happen next!”

“Best new series Summer 2024! I cannot recommend it highly enough; personally, it was the best purchase of the year!”

“This book is so so so good! I couldn't put it down.”

“Loved this book and cannot wait to read episode two. This is a must-read!”

“As always, Stephanie St. Klaire keeps you on the edge of your seat!”

CHAPTER 1:
Coy closed the door behind him and flipped on the light to his old room where he was staying in the main house on the ranch while home in Coyote Creek. He sat at the edge of the bed and took in the space like it was his first night home. In some ways, it was. It was the first night they were all under the same roof since his return, and he couldn’t help but sense some form of nostalgia when he thought about it.
There was comfort in being home and having his family so near, especially in light of all that was happening around him –– or crumbling around him –– depending on how you look at it. It had been a whirlwind of events, and even Coy, who was used to chaos and conflict, was having a hard time wrapping his mind around the events of late. Between the danger, imminent threats, and the secrets of his mother, it was almost more than Coy could process. Hunting and chasing bad guys was easy, but when they were in your own backyard and coming for your own family… you couldn’t help but feel little bits of fear trickle in. Something Coy wasn’t familiar with.
The only time he’d ever felt those tingles of fear before was when Emery went missing, and he knew who had taken her. Time worked against him then, and he worried that history was repeating its brutal ways and toying with him, threatening to take all he had left.
The worst part is he didn’t even know where to begin. At first, it seemed logical to begin with the small marijuana plot Nash had planted. He’d been working with criminals, growing for them, and if they were capable of one illegal activity, they were certainly capable of more. Villains with no moral code tended to evolve and escalate in their crimes, so finding human remains under the plants that had been plowed up almost made sense. It was a logical and reasonable conclusion to leap to, anyway. Until the attack on Devyn while driving home.
It wasn’t just a random attack, either. It was targeted –– happened on the road that led to the ranch. Nobody else drove that private road, so the hit was clearly for a Stone. Which Stone was still yet to be determined, but it wasn’t looking good. Sure, he could rationalize why the activity was unrelated. After all, the sitting President of the United States was often a target of heinous acts and assassination attempts. This very well could have been that… except timing and the fact that it was Devyn behind the wheel suggested otherwise.
Coy began to pace the room. He was uneasy. Restless. And couldn’t stop the wheels from turning in his mind long enough to feel tired or anything but on edge. Rest didn’t come easy most nights. It wasn’t coming at all this night, and morning would be cresting the horizon before he knew it. The anticipation, the anxiety, it was all billowing and taunting him as a distraction he didn’t need. Coy needed clarity and solace if he was going to solve anything before it escalated to a point of no return full of death and destruction… destruction of his family.
Despite not having a single clue, Coy couldn’t help but tap into his instincts and that all-knowing intuition and realize the attack on Devyn was nothing personal against her. It was simply a means to send a message. But to who? The President? Nash because of the fucking plants? Coy or Dillon, whose past never stayed dead? The Stone family as a whole? Or maybe the answer lay somewhere across the board, and it had more to do with whatever Delilah Stone had been up to in her final days.
Their mother was a good woman, a tremendous mother, and the strongest person any of them knew. She was well respected and a pillar of the community. Everybody liked and respected Delilah Stone. But what had she done? The information they found in the paperwork around the evening fire told a story of a woman they didn’t recognize. They’d uncovered a tale that was a long time in the making –– the kinds of things they’d discovered, like random corporations –– likely fake –– didn’t get tossed together overnight. The web they had to unweave was intricately designed and ironclad. Hard to decipher. All things above and beyond what their mother was known to do. She was a simple woman, and this was complicated.
Coy sat back at the edge of the bed and looked at the clock docked on a nearby bedside table. He should have been asleep hours ago. Long days seemed to be making for longer nights, and he was twitchy and full of unease. Something had to give. A break in the looming mystery? A break from his constant self-loathing and punishment? Hell, even a brief nap at this point would be something.
He stared out the glass French doors at the inky sky, peppered with twinkling stars and the light of an opal moon. Out there, under the same sky, he was staring back at, sat an adversary, an enemy, a foe… waiting to assail that which meant the most to Coy: his family. He’d failed his wife and would forever live in anguish for it. He couldn’t let it happen again. Coy wouldn’t survive losing another loved one. Not even close.
With a low, frustrated growl, Coy took to his feet, flipped off his light, and made his way through French doors to the balcony outside his second-story room that spanned across the back of the house, accessible by each of the bedrooms on that floor. As a child, he spent many nights out on the balcony, reconciling his thoughts and planning his adventures. There was comfort in sitting outside on a warm night, where the crickets sang, and the fireflies danced, and your thoughts could safely wander and sometimes drift off into a restful sleep under the stars.
He plopped in the same lounger he’d spent many nights figuring out life and relaxed into the familiar comfort of days of past, worn fabric, bumpy springs, and all.
“Couldn’t sleep either, huh?” Kenzie said from the lounger next to him.
Coy jumped, “Jesus, Kenz. You scared the shit out of me.”
“To be fair, I was here first.” She shrugged. “I heard you grumbling and pacing across those squeaky wood floors in there. You okay?”
“I’m fine.”
“You don’t sound fine.” She prodded.
“Well, I am. Sorry to disappoint.”
“The only thing I’m disappointed in is the fact that you think it’s okay to lie to me.” She scolded. “I know you, Coy Stone, and you are not fine.”
“Oh yeah? Why’s that?”
“Because you’re worried about your family. You haven’t fixed all the things that are wrong yet, and it frustrates the shit out of you.”
“Okay. So maybe you do still know me.” He grumbled.
“Some things never change –– neither do some people, and you’re one of the most consistent people I’ve ever known. Complicated as you are, it makes you easy to read. At least for me.”
“Consistent? Why do I feel like that’s a nice way of saying boring?”
“You are anything but boring. You’ve never been that.” She extended her arm, offering a glass bottle of something amber in color that promised to be a drink of bliss, “Thirsty?”
“Wow. Some things really don’t change.” He chuckled, accepting the bottle and taking a pull from the bottle. “If you tell me this is the same bottle you and Dill used to sneak out here back in the day, I’m going to be equally disgusted and impressed.”
“Same label, different bottle.” She snickered. “Good memory, though. I think about those days every now and again. Sleepovers with Dillon, where we’d all end up out here on the shared balcony until the wee hours of the night, passing around a bag of corn chips and a bottle of the good stuff.”
“The corn chips.” He shook his head, “Booze and corn chips.”
“Teenagers.”
“Those were the days. Not a care in the world other than passing classes so I could play in the Friday night football game.” He shared.
“Remember how rough we thought we had it back then? If only I could go back and tell younger me to suck it up and be grateful that my only worry was whether or not you were going to ask me to homecoming or prom.”
“What? You wondered if I would ask you? We were dating. Who else would I ask?” He questioned.
“Precisely my point.” She grinned.
“I don’t believe it’s prom season, so what brings you out here tonight?” he asked, taking another pull from the bottle before handing it back to her.
“I would imagine the same thing that has you out here. Can’t sleep. Can’t figure out the who and why behind everything happening these past few days. Wondering why Lilah changed her will and didn’t tell anyone.”
“You heard about that part, huh?”
“Dillon filled me in when I got back with my things.” Kenzie took pause, “You know, it’s odd and suspicious, but I can’t help but come back to the fact that your mother was one of the best people I’ve ever known. She was honest, loyal, trustworthy, and honorable. Not sneaky. This just doesn’t fit.”
“I couldn’t agree more. But then I remember how long I’ve been gone, and people change. Talking on the phone every chance you have isn’t really knowing someone. It’s talking to someone you once knew… She could have changed, and I’d never been the wiser.”
“I doubt that, Coy. You’re too attentive and intuitive. You’d have picked up on something.”
“She was sick, Kenz. Dying. And none of us noticed at first, not even my two brothers who lived here on the ranch with her. What does that say about us? What does it say about her?”
“That she was good at hiding it, protecting you from it. And you’re all busy building the lives she dreamed up for you, and she didn’t want to interrupt that. Besides, Nash did notice and figured it out. I think if you were here, you would have too. Whether it be from watching her or picking up cues from Nash… you would’ve known.”
“That in and of itself bothers me. You know, I always thought we were all close and stayed in touch, but I can’t tell you the last time I talked to Nash. I kept up with him through Mama, and he kept up with me just the same. Ending a call with everyone and telling them hello for me and that I’m thinking of them isn’t the same as telling them yourself, you know? That’s not a relationship, that’s…”
“Sad.” Kenzie deadpanned. “You all were so close, but it’s easy to get lost in a busy life and keep up with each other through each other, but it doesn’t mean you still don’t love one another deeply. I think that’s pretty common. I moved away and lost touch with my family here, small as it is, but I didn’t realize just how much until I came home, and they felt like strangers. I talked to my dad at least once a week unless I was deployed somewhere I couldn’t, and getting an update about what everyone was up to felt like I was keeping up with them directly, too.”
“Growing up sucks.” Coy reached for the bottle of liquor, and Kenzie happily handed it over.
“Amen to that. How did we get to this point? It’s wild, right? One day, we’re all down at the river eating junk food and drinking whatever we could sneak out of our houses undetected, having the best summer of our lives, and the next… well, we’re here. Sitting on a balcony at an ungodly hour, pondering life and all of its new troubles.”
“I think they call that the circle of life,” Coy said, enjoying another drink from the bottle.
“I don’t think that’s what that is… or we’d be dead.”
“What if we are?”
“I think you need to hand that bottle back. You’re cut off.” She teased, taking the bottle.
“I don’t mean that literally. I mean, what if this is it? We’ve… peaked. These are our lives now and how it’ll be until…”
“Don’t finish that sentence. I refuse to believe this is it. It’s too… sad. Lonely.”
“And dangerous,” Coy added.
“And that. Yes. I guess that’s why we’re both up still and unable to sleep –– trying to dissect the danger. I can’t let this leak into the town, Coy. I’m responsible for everyone’s safety here and trying to figure out just how to do that when we’re chasing… a ghost. At least your family is safe at the moment with everyone together in one house, and Ransom’s detail sure comes in handy, or as safe as possible, given the circumstances, but…”
“I know. I feel the same way. All we can do for now is try to see trouble before it gets here. Until we start getting answers, I don’t see how we break this thing open and stop it in its tracks.”
“So, what… do we pray? Cross our fingers? Dare to dance with the devil?”
“Pfft. Whatever it takes, I guess.” Coy crossed one ankle over the other and linked his fingers behind his head, “How did we get here? I know I sound like a broken record, but I really can’t figure that out. I came home for my mother’s funeral, and here we are, trying to figure out what she was up to and figure out who this new enemy is and if it’s all related. Or worse if I brought this here.”
“It’s hard to wrap your mind around because this isn’t just another case. This is your home. Your family. It’s natural to worry, Coy. I’d be concerned if you weren’t.”
“I suppose you’re right. It’s just… Dev. Of all people, the most fragile of us all, and she’s the one who gets hit like that. The rest of us have been through our fair share of shit, but we’ve always kept Dev safe and protected. She isn’t like us, ya know? She’s special. The smart one. All she’s ever done is be smart.”
“Oh, I think you underestimate your little sister. She may not have the experiences you all do, but she’s tougher than you realize. You forget she’s been watching the four of you her whole life. She’s tough. She’s definitely the smart one. And she can handle herself.”
“Maybe you’re right. I just always see her as the little girl we all doted on, especially after Pop died because she was so young and didn’t know him like we did. Cut grew up damn fast after Pop passed and took on the ranch. Dillon and I… well, you know what we did and what we’ve seen.”
“That I do.” She nodded heavily in agreement. “Our worlds weren’t so different for a lot of years.”
“Nash… somehow he’s managed to come by trouble naturally, and though his choices can be frustrating, it’s been good for him. He likes to learn and navigate life the hard way through tough lessons.”
“He’s definitely the free spirit of the bunch. The rest of you were ambitious and driven despite the differing courses you followed. But Nash… he just does life… differently. He lives by his own rules and doesn’t seem to need more than what he has. He’s satisfied with where he’s at and being a rancher.”
“He always lands on his feet. I used to think he was lazy and missing something, but maybe you’re right. He’s just content and doesn’t need all the other stuff, like we all did. I suppose he had to grow up a little fast, too. When I left to serve, Dillon left shortly after. That left a pretty big and sudden hole, but Nash filled it, and he isn’t much older than Dev, even though we treat him like he is. Maybe we made that decision for him, kind of like how we did for Devyn, the more I think about it. But Dev…”
“Is the best part of all of you. She’ll always be the baby of the family, but she’s a woman now who has the best role models and examples to follow. You know, she came to me when I was home on leave, my first-year in. She asked me what it was like.”
“What do you mean? The military?”
“Yep. She said she couldn’t go to you or Dillon. You’d just tell her no and discourage her. She wanted to follow in your footsteps. So that apple didn’t fall far from the proverbial tree… or, in this case, the branches? Is that how that saying would go? You know, since you’re all siblings?”
“I don’t think that’s the saying at all.” He laughed. “Now it’s your turn to quit drinking. I had no idea she considered enlisting.”
“She said she wanted to do something meaningful that would change the world. So, I think it’s fair to say she thinks that’s what you and Dill do.”
“And now she wants to stay on here at the ranch, finish school, and be more involved here, and help run it.”
“She’ll do a hell of a job, I can tell you that. She’s just trying to find her place. I’d imagine that isn’t always easy for the youngest.”
“I imagine not. You know, Dillon and I enlisted because there wasn’t a lot of money back then for school. Our choice was to ranch or try to earn a new skill through the military that would ultimately land us back here at some point. It was a way to help support the family while Cut took the reins and worked to make this place what it is now.”
“I think that’s a common story around these parts.”
“Same goes for Nash. Though college was an option by the time he was of age, that kid was far too deep here and far too loyal to leave Cut. I think we all decided Devyn was the one. She was the one going to college and becoming something more than a soldier or a rancher.”
“Hmm.”
“What does that mean?”
“Oh, nothing. Just thinking.” Kenzie shrugged.
“About?”
“That it sounds like maybe you guys wanted this school and career path for Devyn more than she did?”
“But she’s so smart? Always has been. Of course, we wanted her to use that and do something better with her life than any of us did.”
“But what’s better to you might not be better to her. Maybe Devyn was content being just like all of you.”
“What, you think she went on to school –– law school –– just to please all of us?” he asked.
“That’s a question for Devyn, but it’s interesting that you came to that conclusion without me pointing it out.” Kenzie winked. “I think you see the girl you want to see and not the girl standing right in front of you.”
Coy stared off into the night sky and pondered Kenzie’s words. “You might be on to something there. Why wouldn’t she just tell us what she wanted?”
Kenzie shrugged, “To please you all? Like you said, she’s smart. She saw all of you working hard so she could have whatever future she wanted, and she didn’t want to let you down. But if you were listening, I think she’s telling you now.”
“Hence, finishing school and studying for the bar remotely here on the ranch.” Coy pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head. “How’d I miss that? I read people and situations for a living and missed what was right in front of me.”
“Think about it. You left and didn’t really come back much. Maybe you just see them all exactly as you left them. You weren’t here to see them all grow up, with the exception of Dillon.”
“And that was only in the last handful of years. Man, you’re right. I feel like I wasted so much time staying away like I was protecting them from something.”
“You were protecting yourself, Coy,” Kenzie said. “Speaking from experience. “Our capacity to handle bullshit, chaos, and crisis is limited. It’s easier to deal with it in the field with strangers than with our own family. We leave whatever happens in the field right where we find it. Family… well, it’s forever.”
“I suppose you’re right. When did you get so smart, Kenzie Gray?” Coy chuckled. “I think I’m going to look at my family a bit differently now, thanks to you.”
“Sometimes it’s hard to see unless someone who’s gone through it too sheds a little light, that’s all.”
“I suppose you’re right. I take it you’re referring to your dad and… husband?”
“Yeah. Even my husband. We were apart more than we were together for the bulk of our marriage. It seems I figured it out when I retired early so I could be where my husband was stationed at all times and help him through everything he was going through. I realized it then. He wasn’t the person I thought he was. I don’t mean that in a bad way, just that I was remembering him from before all of the trauma, so adjusting and helping him find his way was hard. I had to get to know the new version because the guy I married… well, he grew up. The hard way.”
“I’m sorry you had to go through that. It must’ve been hard.”
“Excruciatingly so. Reconnecting after so much time apart and living with someone full-time again is one thing. Add the devastation of severe PTSD to it, and it’s a real rollercoaster. I didn’t know if I’d ever figure out how to navigate my new life with him, and I didn’t until I let go of the old life we’d both outgrown. But even then, it wasn’t enough to save him.”
“Jesus, Kenz. I’m so sorry. I can’t even imagine.” Coy's eyes widened in shock and disbelief, a pang of sympathy tugging at his heart as he took in Kenzie's words.
“Sure, you can,” Kenzie added. “You went through it too. Different circumstances, but loss is loss, and I think it’s safe to say we both experienced the most traumatic kind. But here we are. We survived it. We’ll survive this, too. You’ll see.”
“I’m really glad you’re here, Kenz.”
“Me too. Though I think having me stay here is a bit overkill. I don’t think I have the same target as all of you. I’m the town Sheriff… I’m seen everywhere and with everyone, so linking me here and to your family would be a stretch, given I haven’t spent a lot of time here regularly for years.”
“Nah. You’re right where you need to be. Until we know who we’re dealing with and for what, there’s no telling what they know and who is really in danger. I couldn’t live with knowing something happened to you, and I could’ve stopped it somehow. You’re too important to this family… to me.”
Kenzie sat up, swung her legs over the edge of the lounger, and faced Coy. “I am? To you?”
“Of course you are. You always have been. We went through a lot together growing up. Your mom passing, my dad… we grew up together. Leaned on each other.”
“Now, here we are, adults, and I recently lost my dad, and you lost your mom, well… I guess we’re able to lean on each other now, too.”
“We may not have made it past the high school sweetheart years, or whatever they call it, but I’ve always cared about you, Kenz. I’m sure I always will.”
“I… I don’t know what to say to that.”
“You don’t have to say anything, Kenzie.”
“I guess we’re still just two peas in a pod, then. Truth is, I feel the same. I’ll always have your six, Stone.”
“Ditto.”
“I’m glad you’re back, Coy. Even if it’s just for a while.”
Kenzie propped her legs back on the lounger, relaxed into her frumpy seat, and yawned.
“Tired?” he asked.
“Finally.” She chuckled and yawned again.
“Me too. Something told me a little fresh southern air and sitting under the stars would do the trick.”
“Maybe it was the company.” She teased. “Sorry if I bored you to sleep.”
“Nah. Quite the opposite. It was a nice distraction and good to catch up.” He said. “You going in?”
“Not a chance. I’m staying right here, so I wake up to that sunrise…” She looked at her watch. “In an hour or two.”
He chuckled. “Me too. Just like old times.”
“A few hours of sleep out here beats a whole night inside. Just something about this place.”
Coy sat for a moment and stared off, pondering the words they’d shared, then asked, “You said you were lonely earlier. That true?”
“Sometimes.” She said quietly, seeming to doze off a bit. “I miss being around people. I’ll let you in on a little secret. When you all decided we all needed to stay here until we figured things out, I wasn’t that upset. It’s been nice being around everyone again.”
“Yeah. Despite all of the chaos, it’s good to be around everyone.”
“Hmm.” She muttered. “Maybe being here is just what you needed.”
Coy watched her drift off to sleep and grinned as his eyes grew heavy and he craved sleep, “Maybe it is.”