Chapter 32

Ican see Wiley and Levi out the corner of my eyes, both of them sitting on the porch of the house in the rocking chairs. At Dakota’s shout for me, they both stand, frowns on their faces. No, no, no, no, no. This can’t be happening. This can’t be happening!

Everything’s about to be ruined!

I should have known better than to stop. I should have kept going and kept a low profile. Instead, I’ve been gallivanting around town as if I’m safe, as if I’ve ever been safe here. I’d thought it was far enough removed that it would be. Clearly, I was wrong. Which leaves only one solution.

I have to run again.

“Kate!” Dakota growls, his frustration and confusion in his voice. “Kate, stop!”

His hand grabs me around the forearm and spins me, stopping me in my tracks. But I’m already panicked, and I jerk at his hold, not because I’m afraid of him, but because I’m overwhelmed. I’m afraid of what’s coming.

Levi and Wiley start coming down the stairs toward us. Fuck! I can’t do this. I can’t keep my cool right now.

“What’s going on?” Wiley asks, his eyes on where Dakota holds me.

“Something’s wrong,” Dakota growls. “She got a package in town and now she’s acting like this.”

“What was in the package?” Levi asks.

Dakota throws him the dog collar I hadn’t even realized he’d taken. When had I dropped it?

Levi turns it over in his hands while Wiley leans in.

“A dog collar?” Wiley says, just as confused as Dakota.

“No,” Levi says, and his eyes meet mine. I realize he understands exactly what it is. “Not for dogs. For people.”

Dakota’s eyes widen and then fire ignites there, anger, fury. He’s drawn conclusions and he’s probably not wrong. No one who sends a collar in the mail and it elicits my reaction does so with good intentions. “Who sent it, Kate?”

“I have to go,” I rasp. “I have to leave.”

“What do you mean?” Wiley demands, stepping forward. “Why would you leave?”

“I can’t stay here,” I ramble on. “Your kindness has meant everything but I can’t stay here. I can’t do it anymore. I can’t pretend I’m safe and that—” My voice chokes off and I fight the rising tears in my eyes. I don’t want to leave. God, I don’t want to leave. This is the only place I’ve ever felt like a part of a family, the only place I’ve felt like I belonged. I’m falling in love with all three of the men before me and I can’t stay without putting them in danger. I won’t watch them die because of me. “I have to leave,” I whisper, tugging at my arm again.

“Explain,” Dakota commands, his eyes hard. “Who sent the package?”

I shake my head, and my tears start falling anyway. “I can’t?—”

“Let her go,” Wiley growls, jerking Dakota’s hand off me. “Can’t you see she’s overwhelmed? Give her a minute.”

He offers his arms, and I shouldn’t. I really shouldn’t. But I throw myself against his chest and let the sobs wrack my body. Dakota stares at me with wide, pained eyes, because he wants to help but doesn’t know how. Levi lingers back, as if he thinks he’ll make it worse. But Wiley, sweet, gentle Wiley holds me until my sobs start to subside, until I’m able to breathe again, until I’m raw with emotion.

“Come on,” Wiley murmurs. “Let’s get you inside. We’ll talk there.”

My body tenses but he rubs my back. “No, don’t panic. We’re only trying to help. There’s no animosity here, witchy woman. You’re fine.”

I let him lead me into my small cabin. William meows at me until Wiley sets me on the couch and then he jumps up and cuddles against my chest, sensing my emotions. I stroke my hand along his back, trying to calm my racing heart, and it helps a little. Petting William always helps.

Levi stands against the wall, his eyes on me. Wiley takes a seat in the chair beside me. Dakota doesn’t even bother. He sits on the small living room table in front of me.

“We want to help,” he says, far gentler than he’d been before. “Will you please tell us what’s happening?”

I take a deep breath. I, at least, owe them an explanation if I’m going to leave. I know that. And maybe they’ll understand once I tell them everything. Maybe they understand I don’t want to leave.

My voice is shaky when I start, quiet, as if speaking it too loudly will manifest them here.

“I’m from New Jersey,” I say, my hand still stroking William. “I had an ex-boyfriend?—”

“Did he hurt you?” Levi interrupts, his face hard. Wiley and Dakota shoot him a glare, clearly worrying I won’t continue after the interruption.

“No,” I answer. “Josh isn’t that kind of guy. He’s an asshole with a gambling addiction, and he’ll rob you blind, but he’s not the kind of guy to hit someone. He’d rather save his pretty face.”

“Go on,” Dakota encourages, reaching forward to take my hand.

I sigh and nod. “We only dated for a year before I broke up with him. He ended up stealing a bunch of money from me, from places I had it stashed around my apartment. I thought that was the end of it. I thought him begging and crying and being an asshole was the end of yet another bad relationship.” I shake my head. “It wasn’t.”

“What did he do?” Wiley asks, his arm wrapping around me to offer comfort as he comes to sit beside me on the couch.

“A year after we broke up, he showed up again, asking for another chance. I declined like any rational person would. I told him to get lost.” I take another shaky breath. “And then they came.”

“Who?” Levi asks, coming closer.

I meet his eyes and then look back down.

“There’s a. . . gang in New Jersey, relatively new, but they’ve made headlines because of how quickly they’ve been able to organize. They pay off the cops. They pay off city officials. There’s no place where they haven’t infiltrated. Saying their name is akin to talking about the boogeyman. It got worse and worse over the years until you could walk down the street and see their symbol on the walls, carved into bricks, tagged in graffiti.” I meet Dakota’s eyes. “The Crows.”

Levi takes a seat next to Dakota on the table, his fingers clenching the dog collar. “I think I’ve heard of them, but don’t know much information.”

I nod. “They cover it on the news but even they’re paid off now. They specifically choose what to release. And they like people being afraid.”

“So why were they at your door?” Wiley asks. “Why you?”

I frown and look down at my hands. “Apparently, Josh borrowed money from them for gambling. He thought he’d win it back but it’s an addiction. He would win some and put it right back into the game. He always leaves empty-handed. Apparently, when they came to collect, he threw my name at them, claiming I had enough money to pay it. And he showed them a picture of me. The deal was I pay them within the week, or they were coming to collect me for their boss.”

“How much money was it?” Dakota asks.

“A quarter mil,” I whisper.

“Christ!” Levi growls. “And so, you ran.”

“Of course, I ran. I don’t have that kind of money and I wasn’t going to let them take me,” I say. “I thought Wyoming was far enough away, but they know a rough idea of where I am now. Anyone in town could tell them I’m here. So you see why I have to leave now. I’m so sorry. I’m?—”

Dakota snorts and shakes his head. “None of that means you have to leave, Kate. In fact, I’d argue you should stay.”

“Agreed,” Levi says, his eyes on me. “You stay.”

“I won’t risk anyone on this ranch,” I growl. “It’s my problem. I’ll handle it.”

“We’ve got guns and the law, city girl,” Wiley points out. “We’ll be fine. There’s no reason to leave.”

I panic at their stances, at the way they hold themselves determined. “You don’t understand! These aren’t gangsters with a few guns. These people may as well be the mob where I’m from. They’re in every pocket, in the cop’s, the government’s. They only have to pay off the right person to find me. They have connections!”

Levi snorts. “This ain’t New Jersey, princess.”

Dakota nods. “We don’t run out here. We stand our ground.”

“Besides, you can’t run forever,” Wiley points out. “If you think we’re gonna let you go somewhere we can’t protect you, you don’t know us very well.”

I blink, my eyes misting again, this time because of their words. Each of them nods in agreement, that they want to protect me, but the fear is still there. There’s only three of them. Against a whole crime ring? They’d never stand a chance.

“I don’t want anyone to get hurt,” I rasp, my hands shaking.

Dakota and Wiley only hold on tighter, offering comfort.

“And yet you ask us to let you get hurt by leavin’?” Dakota asks, his eyes on mine. “Earlier, I said you were ours, and I mean that, just as we’re yours.”

Wiley whips his head around, his eyes flickering. “We have titles?”

I can’t help but chuckle at his reaction and squeeze his hand in reassurance. “But what if they come?” I ask. “What if they find me here?”

“Let ‘em,” Dakota says. “When they do, they’ll find we ain’t scared to get rough.”

I bite my lip, worried. “So, I shouldn’t leave?”

“Of course not,” Wiley growls. “You should keep that pretty little ass here. We can take care of ourselves, and ain’t nobody getting in this ranch that don’t belong.”

I hesitate, but I slowly nod, if only because I want to believe they can do as they say. But the first moment one of them gets hurt, I won’t allow it. I’ll leave. I’d rather protect them than save myself.

I wonder if they know that. I wonder if they understand that I’d give up everything to make sure they keep living.

I’ve already given them my heart without realizing it. What’s one more thing?