It's an all-out race to the end of the trail. When the trail boss bets the herd, the Deatherage outfit must reach Abilene first. The boss didn't know that Ward "Grim" Decker's outfit was made up of hardened ex-convicts when he wagered the beeves. If they fail, they could lose everything. After saving the day in First Drive, Seph Vermillion rises from riding drag to camp cook. Shoeing horses, doctoring injuries, and mentoring new recruits is just part of the job. What matters most to cowboys after getting paid and whooping it up at the end of the trail, is being well-fed. But when the chips are down, Seph must go far beyond serving coffee and meals. As if the gang doesn't have enough to worry about, the boss brings on his nephew, Clive, gives him ten percent of the herd, and puts him in charge. But the new ramrod wants more. Much more. When the boss tells the crew that they can split forty percent of the profits, Clive seethes with anger. Will he double-cross his uncle and make his own deals? The race is on. The odds are stacked against them. Their rivals will stop at nothing. The only way to win is to survive, but when your rivals are prison hardened outlaws, it's a struggle to remain alive. Dead Heat is a fast-paced story of sabotage, betrayal, and danger on the Chisholm Trail. Charge into the gripping second installment of this thrilling western adventure series.