Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 70097 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 350(@200wpm)___ 280(@250wpm)___ 234(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70097 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 350(@200wpm)___ 280(@250wpm)___ 234(@300wpm)
You know you weren’t really going to let Jacob leave, no matter what you said.
I tilted my head toward the mare that had wandered away during our discussion. “Get back to work. I’ll handle things with Jacob.”
“Are you—”
“Yes, I’m going to tell him what he needs to know.” I was careful to give myself plenty of leeway to leave out any details that didn’t need to be passed on.
“And you won’t make him leave?” my brother asked.
“No, not if he’s in danger.”
“He is. You know what Trey is like.”
I hadn’t seen the man in years, but it sounded like he hadn’t changed at all, not that I’d expected him to.
“Um…”
We both turned to look at Jacob.
“TJ is expecting me back. Someone should tell him I’m not coming, and I took these.” He pulled wire cutters from his pocket and held them out toward me. “I needed an excuse to get away.”
I smiled. “Good thinking.” He’d stayed calm and made a plan when he thought he was in danger. That was a damn fine skill if he was going to be staying here.
Rogue was right that TJ wouldn’t hurt him. Seduce him, lie to him, steal from him, yeah, but he wasn’t going to hurt anyone at the ranch. He had his own code. Not one that would be accepted by any law enforcement agency, but X had told me I could trust him, and that had proved to be true, and he needed to be here. The men his cousin had gotten involved with made Trey’s family look like saints.
I took the cutters from Jacob and handed them off to Rogue. “Get out there and help TJ finish the fence.”
“But I thought you wanted me to—”
“Go. Now.”
Rogue must have sensed I was near my breaking point because he nodded, hopped on the ATV, and took off.
I considered taking Jacob to the barn or back to the house, but I was hesitant to go anywhere private with him. It wouldn’t take more than a touch to have me pulling him against me and kissing him.
I leaned against the fence, resting on my forearms. Jacob stared at me for a few moments, then he joined me there, looking out at the peacefully grazing horses.
“This ranch has been idle for several months, but my brothers and I are rebuilding the breeding program. Rogue’s twin, Rhys, is a damn good horse trainer, and I’ve never seen a horse that wouldn’t listen to Rogue. But that’s not all we do here.”
“You harbor murderers.”
I started to protest, but I’d planned to be honest. “Yeah, we do.”
He sucked in his breath, and I turned to face him. The fear in his eyes made me close the gap between us and lay my hands on his shoulders. I’d really fucked this up. How could he be so innocent after being with Trey? “You will always be safe with me. This ranch is a safehouse.”
He frowned. “Like witness protection?”
“Not exactly. Our operation is most definitely not sanctioned by any law enforcement agency.”
“What about the military? I thought you were in the marines?”
“I was, but we’re not sanctioned by the military either, though if we were, I wouldn’t be able to tell you.”
“But you’re not? Really? I need you to be honest with me because I—”
I stepped even closer and cupped his face. I’d not even gone a minute without putting my hands on him. “I will be as honest with you as I can. You can trust me, and while he might be a pain in the ass, you can also trust Rogue.”
Jacob seemed to realize how close I was. He stepped back, and I let my hands fall from his face. I had to give him space.
“Trey’s family runs an organized crime ring.”
“That’s not, like, just a thing in the movies?”
My heart skipped a beat. He was so beautifully innocent, but the other night, he’d let me defile him. I didn’t deserve him, but he was stuck with me now. “No. It’s very real. Those organizations are the ones who send their men here when they’ve done something to draw the attention of law enforcement or if another family is targeting them. Sometimes they come here as a place to cool off.”
Jacob rubbed his hands up and down his arms like he was cold despite the heat of the day. “So all these men you bring in are killers? All the other hands and everything?”
I shook my head. “The other guys in the bunkhouse are just ranch workers and guards who know how to keep their mouths shut, and not all our guests are killers. Some are victims, and some were trying to do the right thing. Have you met Evan?”
“No.” Jacob’s voice was brittle. I saw a mix of fear and anger in his eyes.
“He wanted to get away from his mafia family, and he was working with law enforcement, but they couldn’t protect him, so I brought him here.”