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LOADED FOR REVENGE

Dark Sheriff Series #2

by Roger Mendoza

      Loaded for Revenge (Book #2 of Dark Sheriff Series)
      The year is 1864. Sacramento, California, hums with the frenetic energy of a burgeoning frontier town. Here, Thomas, a handsome young man with a troubled past, stands on the precipice of a new life. His beautiful bride is beside him, radiant in a gown that whispers of Eastern elegance. Their love story, a whirlwind romance that blossomed amidst the golden hills of California, is about to take them on a journey not far from the familiar sunbaked streets of Sacramento. Their destination is Auburn, a frontier town nestled in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, where the shadows of the past seem to linger longer than the setting sun.
      Fourteen years ago, the small town of Auburn wasn't Thomas’s home. Back then, he lived with his father, Sheriff Joseph Pruitt, in the bustling metropolis of New York City. Their lives were upended when Joseph, forced by threats, made the agonizing decision to leave Thomas behind and head west on a wagon train bound for California. Now, years later, Thomas returns not only as a married man but as a stranger to the life he once knew and to the father who left him behind.
      Joseph Pruitt, a man hardened by the unforgiving demands of the frontier, welcomes his son and soon-to-be new daughter-in-law with a booming voice and a heart that swells with a mixture of pride and unease. The life Thomas built in Sacramento starkly contrasts the rough-and-tumble existence Joseph has carved out in Auburn. Yet, Joseph embraces him and his new wife with open arms, his gruff exterior masking a deep yearning for familial connection.
      For Elizabeth, Joseph's wife, the arrival of Thomas and his wife signifies the culmination of weeks of meticulous planning. A woman of refinement and grace, she has poured her heart and soul into crafting a grand welcome for her stepson and his bride. The wedding in Sacramento would be a lavish affair, a testament to her desire to bridge the gap between the two families. Now, as she gazes upon Thomas and his bride, their faces reflecting the promise of a new beginning, a flicker of hope ignites within her.
      But beneath the veneer of joy and reunion, a darkness lurks. Thomas, haunted by the unresolved issues, harbors a deep-seated suspicion towards his father. The whispers of a strained relationship between father and son quickly dissipate, replaced by a watchful silence that hangs heavy in the air. One fateful day, as Thomas's wedding is about to happen at the church in Auburn, fate throws a cruel twist. Thomas, drawn by an echo of hushed voices, becomes an unwitting eavesdropper. He overhears his father, Joseph, embroiled in a clandestine conversation, his weathered face etched with a grim determination—the subject matter - the lucrative and illegal trade of robbing stagecoaches.
      This revelation shatters the fragile peace that had settled between father and son. The man Thomas revered as a symbol of law and order now stands exposed as a cunning outlaw. Torn between loyalty and a burgeoning sense of betrayal, Thomas grapples with the weight of his newfound knowledge. Does he confront his father, risking the complete disintegration of their already strained relationship? Or does he remain silent, becoming an unwilling accomplice in his father's crimes?
      Meanwhile, Elizabeth, perceptive and intuitive, senses a shift in the atmosphere. Thomas's once-optimistic demeanor has become shrouded in a cloak of worry. Her attempts to unravel the cause of his disquiet deepen the mystery, leaving her isolated and unanchored. As she delves deeper, she uncovers a web of secrets that threaten to unravel the fragile peace of the Pruitt household and her sense of security.
      Outside of the dynamic of father and son lies a threat to all of them—Joseph’s brother Randall and Thomas’s best friend Frank. Both Randall and Frank, with their cold hearts, feel wronged and are easily consumed with their rage.
      As the characters navigate this treacherous terrain, they face a critical crossroads. Will vengeance consume them, driving them toward violence and revenge? Or can they find the strength to forgive, embracing a path toward reconciliation and redemption? Loaded for Revenge is a story about the enduring power of family ties, the complexities of loyalty and betrayal, and the unwavering quest for justice in a world where the line between right and wrong can be as blurry as the dust clouds that rise from the hooves of a galloping horse across the vast emptiness of the frontier.